Print Edition for The Observer for Monday, November 6, 2023

IRISH INSIDER BARAKA BOUTS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINA SAYUT | PHOTOS BY ARIANNA DENNING

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INSIDER

THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

SENIOR CAPTAINS FEATURE

‘No boxing day is a bad day’

By ANNIKA HERKO Sports Writer

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

Captains pictured from left to right. Top row: Anna Prest, Ellie Hammerschmitt, Nicole Lies, Frankie Masciopinto, JJ Jorgensen, Lily Whitman. Bottom row: Emily Nowak, Chiara Thrum, Olivia Mancuso, Sarah Nowak, Kiera Judd.

JUNIOR CAPTAINS FEATURE

Dedication to mentorship

By TYLER REIDY Associate Sports Editor

Two years ago, Olivia Mancuso and Anna Prest gave Baraka Bouts a try. Not knowing what to expect from day one, the two joined hundreds of Notre Dame students in boxing in a way they never thought possible. With the club returning to full function after the pandemic, Mancuso and Prest felt the full extent of its community. Now, as the 21st Annual Baraka Bouts tournament looms this week, they are leading it.

Hailing from Buffalo, Mancuso studies applied computational math and statistics along with Italian. She resides in Howard Hall, also serving as a project leader for the Student International Business Council (SIBC) and working in Notre Dame Student Life. Even so, Baraka Bouts, which she heard about from a captain living in her dorm freshman year, is her top priority on campus.

“The amount of individuality in the club and the amount of individual attention that each boxer gets, it makes boxing feel more like a team sport than it has ever seemed to be,” Mancuso said. “The thing that kept me going when I was in the club was the amount of community in it.

And the captains would come up to you — they’d be like, ‘Hey, let’s throw mitts [or] let’s work a little bit.’ You meet your new best friends.”

Prest, a political science and Japanese major, lives in Ryan Hall. Like her co-captain, the Chesapeake, Virginia, native played sports throughout high school, primarily swimming.

On campus, Prest balances boxing with the ROTC program, through which she first heard

about Baraka Bouts. She vividly remembers showing up to a club workout for the first time.

“It was a Monday, and it was on the Jordan Hall of Science lawn.

There were probably 200 to 250 girls out there, and it was 80 degrees and sunny,” Prest recalled.

“It was a station workout, and just right away, the captains were like, ‘Alright, we’ll save intros for later. Welcome to Baraka Bouts.

200 jumping jacks – go.’ And I was like, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’”

With the help of her captains’ leadership, Prest quickly realized she had found something not just enjoyable, but meaningful. As the club’s mission and alumni outreach captain, Prest is in close contact with Baraka’s social impact. Each year, the club helps fund new resources at two Holy Cross secondary schools in Uganda, St. Joseph’s Hill and Lakeview. Prest calls the service work a “handshake across the world,” a reason she chose Notre Dame and grounds for appreciation whenever she hears back from the effort’s beneficiaries.

“I’ve had the privilege of holding in my hand these letters from across the world,” Prest said.

“That was just a surreal experience that I really don’t think I would get at any other college or any other club. It’s amazing.”

Mancuso also links Baraka’s outreach with part of Notre Dame’s founding mission. Nearly 200 years ago, Blessed Basil Moreau said, “The mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart.” Club captains still live by that vision, understanding a duty to share their Notre Dame experience worldwide. Mancuso, who leads the fundraising team, stated that the club’s global outreach has rounded out her Notre Dame experience.

The junior captains also feel an obligation to the Baraka novices who now don the inexperienced mitts they once wore. Prest, who wasn’t confident enough to enter the tournament as a freshman, places mentorship atop her list of priorities.

“That gives me like a really unique opportunity now as a captain where we want as many novices as possible to want to step in the ring and feel prepared,” she said. “So I find myself speaking to those girls who are like, ‘Oh, I’m on the fence.

I don’t know if I’m ready.’ [I’m] just bringing them up or pulling them in and making them feel empowered and that they can step into the ring.”

Both Prest and Mancuso will draw on past challenges to lead and compete well. Last year, Prest immediately drew eventual champion Lily “Chelsea Dagger” Whitman and lost by unanimous decision. But Prest looks back on the bout in awe of the opportunities she has to enter the ring, hear her name called and have fun.

Meanwhile, Mancuso has faced nothing but seniors over the past two years. She fell to another champion, Lindsey “Smol Ranger” Michie by unanimous decision in the 2022 semifinals.

Whether or not she will finally face a younger boxer this time around, Mancuso understands what the bouts will require of her.

“There’s nothing that’s taught me more about myself than boxing in this club,” she stated. “You have to trust in all the work that you put in. You have to trust that you’re gonna know to do the right thing. So there’s a certain amount of confidence that you have to have in yourself as a boxer in order to step into that ring see JUNIORS PAGE 3

As the Notre Dame Women’s Box ing Club senior captains prepare for their final Baraka Bouts tournament, they are proud of what their club continues to accomplish and are grateful for the friendships and life lessons it has given them.

Pre-professional science major Ellie Hammerschmitt had never boxed before coming to Notre Dame.

She joined because she thought it would be a fun way to work out and get some personal training. Looking back as a senior, she’s loved competing and watching herself and her teammates grow.

“It’s ver y reliev ing when the match is done and you can look at your opponent and say ‘Great job, I’m so proud of you’ and feel success for your ow n hard work as well,” she said.

One of the best parts of the club is that while improving themselves, the members help to improve the lives of women in Uganda.

Hammerschmitt was moved by a woman who came to speak to the club recently.

The woman had attended a school the club funded through Baraka Bouts. The speaker told them that she didn’t know where she’d be w ithout this club and that they had changed the trajector y of her life.

“I love the fact that we are raising money for something much bigger and better than ourselves and for the good of other people,” Hammerschmitt said.

Chiara Thrum has enjoyed how competing brings ever yone in the club together.

The communit y has been the env ironmental engineer’s favorite part about box ing because it allows her to regularly interact w ith interesting, driven people.

“One of the biggest aspects of the club that surprised me is how strong the friendships are in the club. You’re supporting, training and encouraging the same people that you compete against in tournaments and during spars, which builds a really unique bond,” she said.

Thrum is looking for ward to the upcoming tournament and getting back to competing. Her favorite memor y from women’s box ing was the first time she ever got into the ring during her first competition. W hile box ing is ver y difficult to completely commit to because of its

intensit y, Thrum is ready to leave it all out there for her last tournament.

“I had no idea what I was doing, and I just made myself do it any way,” Thrum said. “I definitely took a few hits, but I got out of there so thrilled to do it again. I just couldn’t wait to get back in.”

Women’s box ing has been applied computational mathematics and statistics major Emily Nowak’s favorite part of her Notre Dame experience. She believes it’s the best thing you can get involved w ith on campus.

“It’s been the biggest blessing of college. It’s been where I found my home and my people. W henever anyone from home asks about it, I always go on a 10-minute rant,” said Nowak.

Nowak loves that the club has prov ided balance and perspective in her life. The mission of the club prevents members from only looking inward and gives them something besides themselves to fight for, which she finds ver y motivating and meaningful.

As a senior, she’s also been able to put more time into box ing and building relationships w ith her teammates.

“This year, I’ve been able to invest in some more relationships w ith other boxers,” Nowak said. “The first year you’re a captain, you’re so focused on this huge time commitment and learning to teach others to box, while honing your ow n skills. This year, I’ve been able to look outside myself more.”

She believes that so much of her grow th came from being around the other members of the club. As a result, she wants ever yone to get as much out of box ing as she has.

Hav ing loved sports all her life, psycholog y and Spanish double major Kiera Judd is glad she decided to give box ing a tr y while at Notre Dame.

“The spar process that we have brings up a lot of emotions, on top of all the physical effort that gets put in …

W hen you step into the ring, you’re putting your body on the line but you’re leav ing it up to yourself to be confident and mentally stable,” Judd said.

Realizing that there’s someone in front of you who is tr y ing to hit you and know ing that you have to fight back has been really powerful for her and other boxers. As her time at Notre see SENIORS PAGE 3

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Drag show elicits protest, counterprotest Department of film, television and theatre hosts drag queen Blair St. Clair for ‘What a Drag’

By ISA SHEIKH and KATHRYN MUCHNICK Notre Dame News Editor, Associate News Editor

Friday night, as chants of “Jesus loves all” and prayers of the rosary competed outside, the drag artist Blair St. Clair took stage in the Philbin Studio Theatre for an event entitled “What A Drag.” Crowds with signs and banners gathered to protest the performance, faced by others in a counterprotest.

St. Clair — the stage name used by Indiana native Andrew Allan Bryson — is known for competing on the reality competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race. The event was sponsored by the music department, American

studies, the Gender Studies program, the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, the Initiative on Race and Resilience and the department of film, television and theatre (FTT).

The show took place despite weeks of criticism and controversy from members of the campus community.

Pamela Wojcik, FTT department chair, is teaching a one-credit elective called “Drag on Screen.” She described the show, which was presented after a symposium on drag bans Friday afternoon, as the “culmination” of her course.

Before the performance, Wojcik took to the stage to introduce the event.

GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer

see DRAG PAGE 5

Protesters and counterprotesters gathered outside Debartolo Performing Arts Center on Friday evening in response to a drag show featuring Blair St. Clair, who competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2018 and 2020.

Students process conflict in Gaza, Israel

By MEGHAN LANGE Saint Mary’s News Editor

The conflict brewing between Israel and Palestine is more than 6,000 miles away, and yet it still hits close to home for many Notre Dame students.

Atara Greenbaum, a senior who is a co-president of the Notre Dame Jewish Club, said her two younger brothers are currently studying in Israel and are planning on staying there despite the risk.

“I think it’s important that they’re staying there … It’s important that they don’t let the conflict scare them away,” she said.

Greenbaum described what it was like trying to reach her brothers after the attack on Oct. 7.

“I was honestly really scared,” Greenbaum said. “It’s a scary feeling texting your brothers, ‘Are you alive? Are you ok?’ … You just don’t know what’s happening.”

She said that Saturday was a Jewish holiday and was supposed to be the happiest day of the year.

“These attacks happened, and it really just destroyed the holiday … everybody was frantically calling their family there just to make sure that they’re alive,” Greenbaum said.

According to the Economist, more jews were killed on Oct. 7 than on any day since the Holocaust.

NEWS PAGE 3

Greenbaum said hearing that statistic got to her.

“I have family that survived the Holocaust,” Greenbaum said. “I have family that were killed in the Holocaust and just hearing their stories and going through Jewish school my who life, very intense Holocaust education, thinking that this can never happen again. And hearing that that many Jews were killed in a single day is just really despicable, honestly.”

Notre Dame graduate student Seham Kafafi, who is a board member for the Student Voices for Palestine club at Notre Dame, had a similar reaction to hearing about the attack on Oct. 7.

“I was devastated and mortified. The loss of life is always a tragedy and it’s always heartbreaking,” Kafafi said.

Kafafi is worried about what will happen next, she added.

“As a Middle Eastern person, I know what something like this can lead to. It’s not going to be an isolated incident,” Kafafi said. “There’s going to be some kind of follow up.”

She is heartbroken and scared because of the initial attack, Kafafi explained.

“Not only was I heartbroken for what happened on Oct. 7 and the loss of, I think, 1400 Israeli civilians and the kidnapping of over

VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

200 hostages, I was also terrified for what’s going to happen next, specifically for the Palestinian people,” she said. “Not necessarily for Hamas, but I was scared of what the consequences were going to be for Palestinians specifically.”

Both Greenbaum and Kafafi made a point to decipher the differences between Hamas and Palestinians.

“I do see a difference between Hamas and the Palestinians,” Greenbaum said. “Hamas is a terrorist organization, and they are governing Gaza right now. There are innocent Palestinians that live there, but Hamas is the one that’s terrorizing them as well.”

Greenbaum said it’s sad to see Hamas use Palestinians as human shields.

“Israel told a lot of Palestinians to evacuate and to go south,” she said.

“And Hamas told them that they have to stay in their homes. I mean, that’s clearly not caring about your people … They’re using them as human shields, and it’s really sad to see.”

Kafafi also sees a distinction between Hamas and the Palestinian people and said she felt that Palestinians are the true victims of “this entire occupation.” see GAZA PAGE 4

SCENE PAGE 9

Sisters protest gun violence

By ALLISON BOWMAN News Writer

On Saturday morning, the Sisters of the Holy Cross congregation held a silent demonstration to show their support for ending gun violence.

The nuns and students walked alongside State Road 933 holding banners and posters while the other protesters sat and held signs. The participants began their walk at 10 a.m. from the Saint Mary’s Inn and walked to Holy Cross College and

back.

The participants called for stricter gun laws and gun reform as they intentionally walked in silence.

“We’ve been doing this since Good Friday, it’s the first Saturday of every month we come,” Holy Cross sister Pat McCabe said. “We don’t have an overly large group but we have a steady presence and we figure it’s the witness that counts.”

On Oct. 25, a gunman open fired at a bar and bowling alley, leaving see PROTEST PAGE 3

Asian Allure celebrates legacy

By JENNA ABU-LUGHOD News Writer

This weekend, the Asian American Association (AAA) of Notre Dame held their annual cultural showcase “Asian Allure” in Washington Hall.

The event, themed “Carrying the Legacy,” featured 20 performances and 132 Notre Dame students.

“This show serves as a memento for our loved ones and predecessors,” show director Brian Johny

MEN’S SOCCER PAGE 12

said. “It is a way for us to continue to carry their legacy, but also our culture, onwards.”

This year’s performance included several new features, which Johny said were key to ensuring the show revolved around its central theme.

“Over the summer, we came up with the concept of interview videos where performers would interview a loved one,” Johny said. “The see ALLURE PAGE 3

FOOTBALL PAGE 16

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A sign reads “Go Irish!” over an empty Notre Dame stadium. The Fighting Irish football team lost to the Clemson Tigers at Clemson in a 23-31 game on Saturday. Fans’ hopes for a big-ticket bowl game on New Year’s Day were dashed by the loss in South Carolina.

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Blood Drive Duncan Student Center Patio 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

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Professor argues abortion Protest is not justified self-defense

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

By ANNELISE DEMERS News Writer

Christopher Kaczor from Loyola Marymount University posed a question Thursday to a room full of Notre Dame students: “Is abortion justified self-defense?”

In a event sponsored by the St. Thomas More Society, Kazor evaluated a thesis that argued “abortion is ethically permissible as a form of justified self-defense.”

“Abortion cannot be justified in self-defense,” Kaczor concluded.

Kaczor started his talk by explaining the types of aggressors. A villainous aggressor, often referred to as a formal aggressor, knowingly and willingly attacks another individual. An innocent aggressor, also known as a material aggressor, is an individual who is not knowingly and willingly attacking the person, but only attacking because he or she was involuntarily drugged, hypnotized or mind-controlled.

Finally, individuals can endanger a person’s well-being without being labeled an aggressor.

“For example, if a fat man is thrown out of a window by a villain who is about to squash you and thereby kill you,” Kaczor said.

Kaczor then said each aggressor deserves a different level of punishment for their different intent of harm.

“The human being in utero is not using violence and is not intending

harm,” he said. “So I don’t think it’s accurate to say that a human being in utero could be characterized as an innocent aggressor.”

Kaczor said self-defense must be proportional and justified in order for it to truly be considered selfdefense by the court of law.

“So for example, if a man who is 6 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds is attacked by a 5-year-old girl.

She violates his rights, let’s say, by punching him in the face. His defense is disproportionate if he punches her in the face face as hard as he can,” he said.

He argued that if an individual adds more violence than necessary, then it is not legitimate selfdefense. In order for self-defense to be considered legitimate, he said he believes you must use the least amount of violence necessary.

“So how could this requirement of minimal force apply to an unwanted pregnancy? Is there any other response aside from killing the prenatal human being that would allow the woman to secure what she views as endangered here? The answer seems to depend on why she was having the abortion,” Kaczor said.

According to research from the Guttmacher Institute, 74% of women who had an abortion said having a child would interfere with their education or work, 73% could not afford a baby and 48% said they did not want to be a single PAID ADVERTISEMENT

mother or were having relationship problems.

“Now adoption addresses all these problems without killing it,” Kaczor said. “So to kill the human being in utero when another nonviolent option is available, is to use force that is disproportional and not justified by self-defense.”

In 2021, there were almost 400,000 children in the foster care system in the United States and roughly 54,000 children were adopted from foster care, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ most recent report.

“Since abortion properly speaking involves intentional killing of a human being prior to birth, then it is wrong in self-defense for the defender to have the intention to kill the attacker,” Kaczor said. “Then there can be no self-defense argument for abortion.”

Kaczor received his Ph.D. from Notre Dame and said he was happy to be back.

“One of the basic rights that we have as human beings is the right to live — another way to put that is the right not to be intentionally killed. And so I’m happy to be at Notre Dame to talk to students of goodwill who can understand the arguments that I’m talking about,” Kaczor said.

Contact Annelise Demers at ademers@nd.edu

18 people dead and 13 injured in Lewiston, Maine.

“When I see all the terrible atrocities with gun violence, the most recent being up in Maine, there are so many things you can’t do,” McCabe said. “It’s such an overwhelming problem, and of course we pray like crazy any time we have a chance. But this is a small gesture that gives me a chance to do something.”

The protesters received both positive and negative reactions from bystanders. Many driving by signaled their support with a honk, and some pedestrians left words of encouragement when passing by.

However, they were also met with a handful of negative reactions, ranging from obscene hand gestures to rude comments.

McCabe said it’s not hard to stay motivated when seeing negative reactions because of all the innocent lives that are being killed.

“It’s so different than when I grew up, now there’s really no place that’s safe,” McCabe said. “Not that

Allure CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

interviews were essentially narratives of how culture moves onward, and we played them before the main performances.”

The performances took place Friday and Saturday evening, and Saturday’s show welcomed a record number of audience members.

While the performances took place over two days, assistant director Julia Ysabel Santiaguel emphasized that months of hard work were put into making the shows possible.

“We chose the ‘Asian Allure’ director during the spring semester once we rolled over into a new AAA board. After that, [Johny] created a Google form to reach out to people who were interested. We then really got to planning during the summer,” she said.

Marketing director Arisa Custodio planned social media posts and a photo shoot to publicize the event.

Program assistant and emcee Santosharupa Ponna said she does not believe the show would have been so successful without the marketing team.

“This year we had a whole photo shoot which we used to create posters, and we also had a 10 day countdown on Instagram,” Custodio said.

“In our photo shoot, we had people carrying cultural items to really get our theme out there.”

Students also carried cultural items — including various traditional instruments, clothing, masks and props — in the Chinese Culture Society’s fan dance and the Korean Student Association’s samulnori/ talchum performance.

In addition to featuring six cultural clubs, multiple independent student groups participated in “Asian Allure.”

“After I had a roster of the performances from the cultural clubs, we held auditions for individuals who want to showcase an aspect of their culture that the cultural clubs do not do,” Johny said. “Because I thought

3

we should live our lives in fear, but you can be out doing something very wonderful and someone shoots up the place because guns are so accessible.”

McCabe said the best way for students to get involved in the tricampus community besides the silent walk is to vote.

“I think most importantly when you vote, make sure you vote for people who support gun legislation,” she said.

Rose Bednar, a sophomore at Saint Mary’s College, was among those who walked in the silent protest.

“I think this is a really important topic to support, and I think that showing support with the nuns is really emotional and moving, and it’s something that is really important to me,” Bednar said. “This movement isn’t only something that is affecting the young people in the world. Everyone can benefit from banning assault rifles. And it’s not just young people who care.

Everyone can care.”

Contact Allison Bowman at abowman01@saintmarys.edu

all the auditions were beautiful, the show was a little more lengthy.”

The show ran for about two and a half hours, with a fifteen minute intermission between two acts.

Rose Nguyen and Ponna, the emcees, navigated the transitions between performances.

“Rose and I knew we wanted to make the show memorable by making distinct introductions for each performance. After tech week, we worked together to come up with tidbits to add before the introductory comments for each performance,” Ponna said.

In addition to being involved in the show’s production, Johny and Ponna performed in a few of the showcases.

“My favorite part about being a part of ‘Asian Allure’ was getting the chance to perform with my brother before he graduates this spring. This year’s show also held a special moment for me as my parents could come to watch us perform and see us carry on their legacy,” Ponna said.

From weekly practices to long nights during tech week, being a performer in “Asian Allure” requires a lot of time and effort. However, as Ponna and Johny said, the hard work is worth it.

“Every time I reflect on my own dance I’m a part of, I feel like I am also carrying the culture onwards and preserving a tradition of classical dance,” Johny said.

While “Asian Allure” serves as an opportunity to share Asian culture with the Notre Dame community, it is also a meaningful bonding experience for the performers themselves, Johny said.

“My favorite part is honestly getting closer with the Asian community and seeing everyone, and especially the freshman, have someone to look up to,” Johny said. “It’s also about forming those friendships and those bonds, and I really believe that will last even after we graduate.”

Contact Jenna Abu-Lughod at jabulugh@nd.edu

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Gaza CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“I think in the American psyche … this was an ‘unprecedented attack’ as they like to say in the media, but really, we do need to look at the context, not as a justification, but to learn our lesson as to what led up to this event,” Kafafi said. “And so, from this lesson, we can ensure that this doesn’t happen to another group ever again. The mass killings of innocent people is a crime against humanity.”

Kafafi went on to explain that she believes there is a bias in the American media.

“Mass atrocities have been conducted by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people before. In 2014 over 2,000 innocent Palestinian civilians died and were killed by airstrikes. But there was no coverage of that, there was no panel, there was no mourning, there was no vigil on campus, nothing like that,” Kafafi said. “And I do believe that, because we are seeing the atrocity now happen on the Israeli side, that now people are starting to wake up and realize, and ask themselves, ‘How could something so horrific happen?’ But something like this already has happened to a different group of people, but we just weren’t paying attention.”

Greenbaum added that is concerned for the future of the Jewish people given the lack of belief many people seem to have in the atrocities

actually happening to innocent Israelis.

“When the Holocaust was happening, we did not have nearly this technology, this media and still there are many people that deny it,” Greenbaum said. “I think it’s just purely antisemitic, that all of these things are videoed, recorded.

I mean, these terrorists, not only did they do such horrible things to these people, they got it on video … The fact that there’s such pure evidence and people are still denying it, I think is really scary and dangerous for the future of the Jewish people. I think it really comes from an antisemitic place, unfortunately.”

Greenbaum said the conflict has led to so much antisemitism both around the world and in the United States as well, including many attacks. The worst in her opinion have been on college campuses.

“I honestly feel so grateful to be at Notre Dame where the campus community is so respectful of every religion. I mean on college campuses around the country, there are many Jews who are scared to show any identifier that they’re Jewish, whether they’re taking off their Star of David necklaces or their yarmulkes because they’re so scared to even identify as Jewish. I’m honestly so grateful that I don’t feel that way at Notre Dame,” Greenbaum said. “I’ve felt really safe here.”

Kafafi has had a different experience when dealing with the conflict on Notre Dame’s campus. Kafafi

said that after attending the Oct. 12 panel on the conflict, she was exiting the Hesburgh Center wearing her Palestinian Keffiyeh, a scarf usually worn in support of the Palestinian people, when someone walked by her and spit on her feet and continued walking.

According to Kafafi, Notre Dame needs to be mindful that the feeling of fear is very real for students like herself.

“If you have grievances or you disagree about political beliefs, there are alternatives for resolving those disagreements that do not involve harassing other students,” she said.

“I think the University administration right now has a responsibility to speak against any kind of discrimination and to take extra care for both the mental health and well-being of both Arabs and Jewish people on campus right now, to ensure their safety and to take this seriously.”

When discussing the media coverage of the conflict, Kafafi said she disagreed with a common term used for Gaza, “the world’s largest openair prison,” because the term “prison” implies that the people within are guilty.

“They are not guilty of anything … the international community wants to say that they are guilty of residing in their own land, or that they are guilty of existing, they are guilty of being,” Kafafi said. “I think it would not be incorrect to say that this is actually like an open-air concentration camp, especially now.”

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Kafafi made it clear she did not support the attack on Oct. 7 in any ways.

“I don’t want to in any way support what has happened on Oct 7,” she said. “But I can’t imagine living under those conditions myself. And what I would do if I wanted to break out of those conditions … where the Israeli government has control over their food, water and electricity.”

According to Kafafi, it seems as if the international community wants Palestine to prove themselves as innocent people and worthy of human rights.

“But that’s not how this works,” she said. “You shouldn’t have to ask for human rights. You shouldn’t have to beg for human rights.”

Kafafi also described a preconceived notion amongst Americans about Arabs being inherently violent.

“The U.S. is so accustomed to violence persisting across the Middle East,“ Kafafi said. “We’ve become so used to it and comfortable with it that we [Americans] don’t know differently in the region. It leads to the dehumanization of Arabs. My hope for now and moving forward is that we humanize Arabs once again, we start expecting peace in the region, we start expecting human rights.”

Greenbaum said it’s really hard to see misinformation being spread because nobody wants civilians to die on either side.

“There was a story about a missile hitting a hospital in Gaza and within 10 minutes, countless media sources

were saying that an Israeli rocket targeted a hospital and killed hundreds of people,” Greenbaum said.

“But in reality the missile had come from the Islamic Jihad and it hit the hospital parking lot and killed 15 … then it took … news outlets a week to apologize if they even did … many still have not rectified their mistake.”

Greenbaum later discussed the coverage of the various attacks against the Israeli people by Hamas militants.

“Israel completely withdrew in 2006 from Gaza. There’s not a single Jew. There’s no Israeli military presence in Gaza. It’s completely selfgoverned [by Hamas] … and seeing how horribly Hamas, this terror organization, has treated these Israelis, it’s not about land, it’s purely about killing Jews and killing as many Jews as they can,” Greenbaum said.

“It’s not like they attacked a military base. They went into a music festival for peace, and they killed as many people as they could. Most of these people were our age. It wasn’t even this crazy rally. They wanted peace.”

The brutality of the conflict has been very difficult to process, Greenbaum added.

“It’s just horrible to see not only did they kill all these people, but they’ve been torturing, raping, really just mutilating these bodies and it’s really hard … to see these acts of terror,” she said.

Contact Meghan Lange at mlange03@saintmarys.edu

NEWS

Drag CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“Welcome to Notre Dame’s first, and I’m betting last, drag show.

Unless you count the Keenan Revue, which has been doing drag on this campus for decades,” she said. “If you want more drag shows on campus, by all means, make that noise. Talk to the administration. I’m not going to organize it, but you could. And that would be fabulous, and I think Legends should have drag night and it would be super, super fun.”

A Notre Dame student with the stage name Cordelia and London BaCall opened for St. Clair. All three drag queens performed two acts, dancing and lip-syncing in costume to Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and others. The crowd of mostly students and faculty offered each of the performers standing ovations.

Outrage over the hosting of a drag queen at a Catholic university made national headlines, including through pieces in the National Catholic Register, Fox News, The American Spectator, Catholic News Agency and The Federalist.

Students organized a website called NoDragND.org, which included a form to send an email to University President Fr. John Jenkins and other administrators in protest against the event. Senior Merlot Fogarty wrote in a tweet that over 1,000 students, faculty, alumni and members of the Notre Dame community sent emails.

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In April, the University denied the LGBTQ+ and Allies Club’s chosen performer for Mendoza College’s heritage and diversity ball. According to Christopher Hillak, the group’s club advisor, St. Clair was the same drag queen whom the club had sought to invite then.

“This is something that, in Mendoza, we had tried to do back in April, and we weren’t allowed to. And so it’s really exciting to see that FTT was able to pick up that banner and really do something more with it,” he said.

In the pages of The Observer, Fogarty and senior Madelyn Stout argued that funding a drag performance stood in opposition to the University’s values.

“University funding will be paying drag artists to come to Notre Dame, dress as women, defile femininity and most importantly, promote the disordered ideology that gender and sexuality are fluid,” they wrote.

The NoDragND.org website detailed plans of a protest against the event, including an attempt to claim tickets and walk out or not use the ticket to “save a soul from watching the debauchery.” Additionally, students recited the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary outside of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

In response, event organizers canceled day-of ticket distribution and only allowed entry for those who had received tickets ahead of time.

Sam Marchand, a freshman, was among those protesting against the

drag show.

“The fundamental Catholic character of the University needs to be defended from an administration that is too weak to resist modern pressures and temptations away from that character,” he said.

Sophomore Shri Thakur argued that defending the event as academic freedom was not sufficient.

“We all agree that there’s certain ideas, certain events that can’t be permitted on campus, and this is certainly one of them, because it goes directly against Catholic ideology and Catholic teaching on human sexuality,” he said.

Doug Abell, a senior, was part of the counterprotest defending the drag performance. He said he originally came to see the performance after hearing about the show from his roommates who stood on the opposite side of the protest.

The controversy was the result of misconception, Abell said. “​​It’s a misunderstanding of what drag actually means to people and the queer community in general.

People don’t understand what it is and how it’s just people in the community dressing up and like having a good time. I don’t really see anything inherently wrong with that from a Catholic perspective,” he said.

“I grew up Catholic my entire life.

So I think it’s a misunderstanding, and people should educate themselves a little more before coming out here and counterprotesting a drag show. Yeah, like, can we just all have PAID ADVERTISEMENT

fun?”

Geo Tabet, a senior, stood outside the venue with a pride flag.

“I do understand that we are a Catholic university, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t pioneer education, and education comes from being exposed to all these different viewpoints,” he said.

He argued Notre Dame is an educational institution first and foremost, and then it is Catholic.

“Should we cancel the Keenan Revue because guys in that dress in drag? Should we cancel any course that focuses on comparative religion like Islam and Christianity because Islam is not within the Catholic social thought?” he argued.

In a response to student complaints, Fr. Gerry Olinger, vice president of student affairs, wrote that academic freedom applied because the event was related to a course.

“This freedom in academic contexts is critical, and the University protects this freedom even when the content of the presentation is objectionable to some or even many.

Because the event you reference is part of a one-credit course in film, television and theatre on the History of Drag, the principle of academic freedom does apply in this instance,” he wrote.

In an interview with The Observer, Wojcik defended the event and her course, saying they were important for academic discourse.

“Academic freedom is a value at this University. And this is a legitimate

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academic subject. There are numerous academic books and articles about drag. Written in the context of queer theory, queer history, feminist theory, feminist history,” she said.

Wojcik alleged a “bombardment campaign” from critics of the event.

“It’s a hate campaign. And I don’t think it’s honest about what they think their objections to drag are, even if it is honest,” Wojcik said.

She defended drag as an entertainment form, arguing it does not challenge Notre Dame’s values.

“It’s not pornographic, it’s not misogynist, it’s not anti-Catholic in any way. It’s not about religion. It’s an entertainment form, and the version that we will be seeing will be primarily glamour and lip-syncing. A sense of play and fun and theatricality,” she said before the event.

At the protest, Fogarty said she also believed in academic freedom, but that a drag performance funded

by University departments did not qualify.

“Freedom of expression is not protected if it is harassing or inciting violence against a certain sector of the University, or any sector of the population, and drag harasses women. It takes what it is to be a woman and puts it on stage and mocks it,” she said.

Editor’s Note: Ryan Peters contributed to this report.

Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu and Kathryn Muchnick at kmuchnic@nd.edu

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Five old Notre Dame traditions that need to come back 2. The Campus Bar

Rose Quinlan A Contrarian’s Contribution

One of the benefits of going to an old university is that students here at Notre Dame inherit all the traditions developed by previous generations. However, time and legal disputes have eroded several traditions that used to be central parts of our Notre Dame community. Many of these have been completely forgotten, but all it takes is some enthusiasm and commitment from the student body to bring them back. Without further ado, here are five Notre Dame traditions that I think deserve a return.

1. AnTostal Many students still recognize AnTostal as a season of fun events and community engagement. Each spring, the Student Union Board chooses a theme and organizes giveaways and family-friendly activities for a week of spring celebration. But the AnTostal we see today is unrecognizable from the wild ride that used to be the festival through the nineties. Picture ziplines, chariot races, tug-of-war in mudpits, tricycle races and other ludicrous events of general tomfoolery. Now, the events of AnTostal are very tame, limited to one or two per day, and they face low turnouts every year.

This iconic festival died down thirty years ago because of a combination of liability concerns amongst campus officials and loss of participation around campus. While there isn’t much that we can do about campus officials being lame, a lot of the hype, funding and anticipation around AnTostal is under our control.

The more students participate in the planning and execution of AnTostal events, the closer we can get to its original hype.

Legends of Notre Dame used to be the Alumni-Senior Club, which was run entirely by students. Instead of heading to the downtown South Bend bar scene on the weekends, students used to regularly visit the campus-run bar. This helped students avoid the issue of either constantly spending money on rideshomeormakingtheunsafedecisiontowalkhomeaftera night out.

Legends is now seen as a hangout for alumni and older members of the campus community. Uber is available to us now, but wouldn’t it be great if the most popular bar for students was right around the corner? It takes a lot of effort and participation from students to make bars like this one a campus tradition. To make it happen, I encourage seniors to attend the Senior Social this Thursday at Legends.

3. Dorm Partnerships and Rivalries Here’s another event that was shut down by authorities over concerns about liability. Rivalries and dorm partnerships used to run deep at Notre Dame. Back when Grace and Flanner Hall were still residence halls, they hosted an annual weeklong “war” against one another, hurling insults and bottle rockets back and forth. Brother and sister dorms hosted many successful events and stayed in permanent partnerships rather than rotating every year as they do now.

There’s not much students can do about the administration cracking down on, say, the use of bottle rockets on campus. But higher participation in dorm events, partnerships and dorm pride seems like a reasonable ask.

4. Real SYRs These annual themed dorm dances used to really live up to their names, with SYR standing for “Screw Your

Roommate.” Students used to set up unknown dance dates for their roommates and friends. This practice has since become history, probably due to students feeling awkward about going to dances with strangers, but this hilarious tradition deserves a return! To bring the tradition back, get all your single friends together and commit to finding dates for one another. It’s not as awkward if everyone does it.

5. Trumpets Under the Dome When I was eight years old and my dad took me to my first Notre Dame football game, my favorite part of the whole event was seeing the trumpets play the alma mater and fight song around the railings inside the Main Building. The echoing sound, the synchronized movements and the ring of golden bells circling the painting at the top of the Dome were nothing short of enchanting to me. In fact, I genuinely think that the excitement I felt when I saw that fanfare factored into my decision to enroll. For some unexplained reason, the trumpets have been playing outside the Dome, rather than under it, even after COVID-19 distancing restrictions ended. I’m not sure why this is the case, but I was disappointed to hear about it. This one is, of course, entirely out of students’ control, but please, Notre Dame, bring back the trumpets under the Dome.

Rose is a senior from Buffalo, NY with majors in economics and the Program of Liberal Studies. Her writing interests include ethics, campus culture and the intersection of economics, politics and philosophy. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading on the 10th floor of the library, losing intramural basketball games or working at the Law School. You can contact Rose by email at rquiniaz@nd.edu.

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

The novelty of rewatching, rereading and reflecting Joy Agwu Lessons I’ve Learned from Media

“I, too, feel the need to reread the books I have already read… at every rereading I seem to be reading a new book, for the first time.”

— Italo Calvino from “If On a Winter’s Night a Traveller”

As the temperature drops and the trees start to look bare, it seems that we are approaching the end of my favorite season — “Gilmore Girls” rewatch season (also known as fall).

For the past few months, individuals of high taste have celebrated this season by revisiting the town of Stars Hollow in their free time. What better way to enhance the tranquility of autumn than by following Lorelai and Rory Gilmore as they navigate relationships, academia, small-town quirks and first-class dinners?

Even when I’m not rewatching “Gilmore Girls” for the umpteenth time, I’m typically rewatching — or rereading — something. This tendency intensifies during the school year, providing a refuge from the stressors of school without making me worry about the fates of newly-favored fictional characters. Comfort pieces are a lifeline, and I’m certain I’m not the only one who turns to them from time to time. So, my question for today is: Why? At first glance, the allure of familiarity is evident.

There’s an undeniable comfort in revisiting a trusted piece of media. A great comfort media whether it’s a series, movie or book should feel like your favorite blanket. Sure, it might be old and depreciating in quality, but

when you’re wrapped up in it, it’s perfect in all the ways that matter.

However, if you look beyond the solace a familiar show offers, there is also an opportunity to delve deeper — both into the work itself and into your own soul.

When it comes to the work itself, each revisit offers a chance to catch the nuances, subtleties and character developments you may have initially missed. A revisit can also be a checkpoint. Various scenes may inspire you to reflect on who you were the last time you engaged with this media, and inevitably lead you to appreciate the work differently.

I was in middle school when I watched “Gilmore Girls” for the first time. Rory was everything that I thought I wanted to be and Lorelai had this fire and charm that I could only dream of having. They were figures to admire and nothing more. Now, as I’m wrapping up my most recent rewatch, I’m coming to terms with the eerie fact that I’ve nearly outgrown Rory, and I admire Lorelai’s resilience and resourcefulness more than anything else. As the years have gone by, I’ve evolved and so has my understanding of these familiar, unchanging characters.

I think there’s also a profound lesson hidden within this ritual of revisiting the same story. Each encounter leaves a mark on the consumer, either through reflection or by simply noticing something that had slipped past you in previous engagements. When revisiting our cherished shows, books or movies, we might expect them to remain unchanged, a comforting constant in an ever-changing chaotic world. That’s part of what makes them familiar, after all. But the truth is, the experience will always be different — because you will always be different.

Each time we return to a beloved story, we bring our

personal growth, experiences and viewpoints with us.

As our values evolve, our understanding of the characters and their journeys can shift. We may have once identified with one character but now see ourselves in another. It’s a reminder that we, as human beings, change and grow, and fortunately, our favorite works can change and grow with us. This realization doesn’t diminish the joy of revisiting a beloved story. Instead, it enriches the experience — especially when you take the time to truly appreciate it. More than anything else, I would say that the ability to resonate with a person across different seasons of life is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling.

So, as we bid farewell to the “Gilmore Girls” rewatch season and enter a new season of revisiting Christmas classics, let’s treasure the comfort these familiar pieces of media bring while embracing the changes they reflect within us. The value of revisiting a comfort piece isn’t just about returning to an experience, it’s about being fully aware of where you are in the present. In those moments of reflection, you recognize that, even when everything appears the same, nothing ever truly remains unchanged.

Joy Agwu is a senior at Pasquerilla West, originally from Bowie, Maryland. She is pursuing a degree in philosophy with a minor in constitutional studies. In her free time, she finds great pleasure in consuming media and reflecting on the deeper meanings behind the content she encounters. Whether you have recommendations for TV shows, movies, podcasts or any other form of media, or if would like to further discuss an idea presented in a column, feel free to reach out to her on Instagram @JoyfulJoyousss.

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

THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

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Thoughts from a Firefly Kat Regala The Absurd-ver

The classic Notre Dame introduction goes as follows: name, major and dorm. For anyone who’s foreign to our campus or who didn’t study here as an undergraduate, the last part of this introduction is indicative of nothing. What is PDub? What does it mean that you lived in Keough? What are the qualities of someone from Farley? Where the heck is wfar quad?

That is all to say that Notre Dame has a unique dorm culture that becomes a defining factor of your identity and experience on campus. Even when you graduate and are long past your days of living in a small space shared with up to six people, the first thing that fellow domers are inclined to ask as soon as you tell them you went to Notre Dame is, “Which dorm were you in?”

As someone who didn’t grow up in a Notre Dame family and had zero understanding of Notre Dame culture prior to her admission into the university, when I found out that it had a random roommate policy, I was equally horrified and relieved. On one hand, random room assignment could lead to a year of sharing tight quarters with someone who was messy, loud, disagreeable, or worse, had a peanut allergy, preventing me from keeping a jar of peanut butter in the room. On the other hand, I had gotten into universities where you did get to choose your roommate, which promoted a f lourishing market on the admitted students Facebook Group where people advertised themselves as the cool, fun, hot roommate that you want.

Midsummer before my freshman year, I got an email that I had been placed into Breen-Phillips Hall

and would be living with a girl that, after a quick social media search, was a redhead on the rowing team. Neev, as I now know, was not messy, is a little loud in the best way, always goes with the f low, and loves peanut butter so much that she received a spoon as a birthday gift engraved with “Neev’s Peanut Butter Spoon.”

Living in BP my freshman and sophomore years was perfect in so many ways. I was surrounded by a built-in community, had upperclassmen and hall staff as resources to help me adjust to life in college, lived with one of my best friends, participated in fun events like petting zoos and bookstore basketball, was consistently supplied with free food from Betty’s Chair and (although some people incorrectly disagree) was situated in the best location on campus. There is a reason that Notre Dame’s dorm culture is so beloved by its students and alumni. It makes you a citizen of a microcosm within the macrocosm of campus.

But, where some thrive in a dorm setting, I often struggled. As an introvert, I struggled to feel like I could unwind because I was never alone. As the RAs would patrol the halls jangling their keys, it felt like I was constantly being surveilled. As an early bird, I struggled to fall asleep as I would have to traverse the bustling, bright hallways in order to go to the bathroom or drown out the noise of the surrounding rooms. I was put off by the contrasting cultures cultivated in men’s versus women’s dorms. The traditional dorm life was not the perfect fit for me.

Then, just over a year ago, I received an email that BP residents would be moving to Zahm for a year for renovation. While it was definitely a bummer to move locations and be haunted by the ghosts of Zahm’s past, I knew that I would be studying abroad in the spring and living there for the fall semester

would not be a big deal. But then this February, Notre Dame announced that for the first time in its history it would be opening up apartment-style housing for both sexes in its brand new dorm: Undergraduate Community at Fischer (UCF). In its inception, UCF would be open only to sophomores, juniors and seniors, but would feature many of the same elements of traditional dorms: a rector, assistant rectors, resident assistants, SYRs, hall council and dorm events.

A friend and I decided to apply and we got in. Now I live happily in an apartment conveniently located on campus and enjoy having my own room and cooking for myself. Despite the clear upgrade in accommodations, when I tell people where I live, they often quizzically ask why I would abandon Notre Dame tradition and coveted dorm culture.

I get it. Tradition is what makes Notre Dame so special. But, what I love about UCF is not that it is a rejection of Notre Dame’s traditional dorms, but that it is an opportunity for a group of kind, welcoming people who might not have loved every aspect of the traditional dorms to build a new, tight-knit community. The hall staff and the residents are committed to developing UCF and fostering the same type of shared culture so cherished in other dorms.

I am proud to be a UCF firef ly and I cannot wait to see how our dorm grows into its place on campus.

Kat Regala is a junior studying the Program of Liberal Studies with minors in Computing and Digital Technology and Science, Technology and Values. She originally hails from Naples, Florida, but loves traveling. When not reading or writing, you can find her drinking coffee, practicing yoga or binge-watching reality television.

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

I don’t have a dream job Megumi Tamura Subject to Change

I don’t think I have a dream job.

Grow ing up and throughout college, I’ve a lways heard ever yone around me ta lk about “follow ing your dreams” and “finding your passion” and using these dreams and passions as the baseline for career discernment. This k ind of messaging that most k ids and young adults grow up hearing combined w ith the dominant hustle culture menta lit y — where over work ing yourself, putting in insanely long hours and putting work above relationships and well-being are glorified while resting and caring for yourself is seen as la ziness — creates a perfect storm of what I now think is an unhea lthy amount of an x iet y and urgency that doesn’t work for ever yone. A fter years of horrible cycles of stress and panic, over work ing myself, brea k ing dow n and being burnt out only to start a ll over again, I’m in the process of attempting to shift my philosophy on what matters most to me in my life and how work fits into that.

I used to think that work is what defines someone and the rewards reaped from said work is what brings happiness. So, my grades in high school and college defined my worth as a student, the college I got into defined my capabilit y, getting that internship in the summer after junior year that I worked and stressed tirelessly over would define my future, getting the return offer defined my worth and my summer experience entirely, etc. But, I started to rea lize soon enough — but a lso a little too late — that when I did achieve these things, I wasn’t much happier. The sense of pure joy that I env isioned as I stayed up late work ing and cr y ing and isolating while telling myself that this w ill a ll be worth it

once I got what I was work ing for — that achievement-based goa l — never came. W hat happened instead was that I would achieve that goa l and then immediately look to what I had to do next. I never even paused to ask myself if I was actua lly happy, if these goa ls that I was chasing after and toiling over actua lly mattered to me in some way that wasn’t just to add to a resume or do what I thought I was supposed to be doing rather than what actua lly made me happy. There was no finish line in this rat race.

If this has been my experience in college, then I’ve rea lized that I need to change my perspective and my priorities before I get throw n into the rea l world and into my first full-time job next year. So, I started ask ing myself questions: what matters most to me? W hat do I want my future to look and feel like? W hat actua lly ma kes me happy?

W hen I rea lized that, for me, achiev ing the goa ls that I set for myself at the expense of my hea lth didn’t ma ke me happy, I started look ing for what does. I noticed that the joy and peace of mind that I feel after going on a wa lk w ith my parents back home, spending time w ith my friends and hav ing hours-long conversations over dinner sharing our answers to deep questions we found online, going on long drives and just ta lk ing about life w ith my brother, play ing w ith my cat, laughing uncontrollably w ith my sister or just spending an hour outside was so much more genuine, meaningful and pure than the hour or so of relief that I got after getting an acceptance letter or an A or an achievement of some goa l. That’s not to say goa ls and work ing hard towards them aren’t important, or that I don’t care about them because I certainly do. I’m a huge believer in the intrinsic va lue of hard work but not at the expense of the little things that matter more.

I’m starting to think, to put it bluntly, that I

won’t find my life’s happiness or fulfillment in a job. That might sound negative, but ever y time I say it it feels like a little bit of weight is lifted off my shoulders. That doesn’t mean I don’t plan on work ing until retirement — it’s important to me to be able to ma ke money to support myself and, most importantly, my family and to leave something behind to ma ke sure the people I love are going to be okay. But, that’s a ll I’m starting to see work as: a way to contribute helpfully in some way while a lso ma k ing money w ith enough time and energ y remaining to a llow me to invest into what, for me, ma kes life worth living. I can’t think of a job — no matter my passion for it or the sa lar y — that I would accept ta k ing me away from my future family, not having any time to do what actua lly ma kes me happy like learning or being in nature, grabbing mea ls w ith my friends, spending as much time as possible w ith my parents and siblings and ma k ing sure our future extended family is tightk nit and hea lthy. Obv iously, it’s not that someone who does prioritize their work above other things in life is doing any thing w rong — I have a lot of respect and admiration for people who have found their passion in work or a job and have the dedication to commit their entire lives to it. I think that’s ama zing, but I a lso think that there can be more than one way to think about work.

I don’t have a dream job, and that’s okay.

Meg is a senior majoring in political science and minoring in data science and business economics. Besides writing, she enjoys spending time with the people she loves, riding on public transportation and listening to good music.

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

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Idolize like a champion: From the Hartman fandom to Swifties Jonah Tran Saturae et Sapientia

I believe in Marcus Freeman, The Father Almighty, Handsomest coach and man In all press conferences and interviews.

I believe in one lord Sam Hartman, The only begotten QB1, Recruited by the Father before the season, Wake Forest to Notre Dame, South to the Midwest: QB1 to QB1, Begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; Through him, all dreams were fulfilled.

For us students and our sanity He came up from North Carolina, And by the blessing of fortune was born handsome, And with a beard.

For our sake, he was subjected to The Ohio State University, He suffered incompletions and lost, And rose again against USC In accordance with the spread.

He ascended into Heisman discussions And is seated at the right hand of Marcus Freeman.

He will come again in the playoffs To judge the strong and the weak And his college career will have no end.

I believe in Taylor Swift, the queen, the giver of life, Who is tangentially related to Notre Dame football, Who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, Who has spoken through her Eras.

I believe in working, playing, sleeping and crushing hard.

I confess on Yik Yak for the forgiveness of my Sunday scaries, and I look forward to the resurrection of my GPA and my career in Corporate America to come.

Amen.

I graciously bestow to you, my audience, the Notre Dame Creed. On the part of students, it is a comprehensive profession of our strongest convictions and biggest idols — essentially everything that occupies our headspace, motivates us to lead virtuous lives and enables us to be Forces for Good. I encourage you to internalize the words and even commit them to memory. If you are unwilling, I am afraid that you will be exiled to the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth: Boston College. But to avoid all the headache that comes with transferring, I will unsolicitedly evangelize you because you need to be saved. You’re welcome.

I introduce you to the father of our Trinity: Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman. I invite you to close your eyes and allow me to illustrate his glory. 6 foot 1 inches. Chiseled jawline. Crisp hairline.

Charming smile. Athletic build. Skin-tight size “shmedium” Under Armour quarter zip. Our devotion to Marcus Freeman has nothing to do with performance or success as a coach; he is inviolable in that respect. We adore him for his looks, but it is also ingrained in our understanding that objectification of people is unacceptable, harmful behavior in other scenarios, of course.

As for the prophesied star quarterback of the Notre Dame football team, Sam Hartman enters into an illustrious lineage of quarterbacks, including Tyler Buchner, Drew Pyne and Joe Montana. We are completely unconcerned with interceptions or his general performance, for that matter. We “Hartmanites” venerate the most important characteristic of a human being: the facial hair.

Many of us do not even know the rules of football, but we congregate weekly on our holy day in the nosebleeds of our secular basilica in hopes of catching a fleeting glimpse of our lord’s beard, obfuscated by the veil of a golden helmet. The following Sunday is a day dedicated to work to compensate for the time spent in worship of our god.

The third idol in the Trinity is Taylor Swift. Some of our more learned academics have devoted years to the advancement of Taylorism, that is, the comprehensive study of Taylor Swift’s musical performances, portfolio of relationships and music videos. Analysis of her musical performances often requires regular site visits at an exorbitant cost. One is to don the garments in imitation or representation of one of Swift’s Eras, as it were.

Then, one is to exclaim and gesticulate and even weep in a crazed thrall for the duration of her performance. To

summarize your research, simply post a picture of yourself to social media with a vague existential caption that is an extrapolation of some lyric. As for the portfolio of relationships, junior analysts model and project the performance of Taylor’s boyfriends by a regression model of their popularity as affected by the “Swift” error term.

As for her music videos, academics scour every second of the video in search of minute references to the Taylor mythos. They subsequently apply their God-given intellects to formulate detailed analyses of something that has zero practical benefits to their lives.

The following two are not idols of the Trinity but are still important idols to our cult. For many, Notre Dame, the school, is often an object of idolatry. We revel in our achievement of meriting acceptance into the University, but we endeavor not to make the most of our time here, opting for leisure or cheap pleasures. We regard Notre Dame with deified infallibility, ignoring any relevant flaw, institutional or trivial. Notre Dame is a magical wonderland to so many because they have never sought to be frustrated by what it offers: to enter into a challenging situation where failure or discomfort are likely or necessary.

Secondly, the last idol in our pantheon is Corporate America. Corporations extract the labor of unwitting college students, who see work as a mere means to an end. We view work as a necessary evil that needs to be mitigated with the onerous task of “living,” hence worklife balance. We find no pleasure in work that is intellectually fulfilling as the pleasure that dominates our lives is that of the body, the eyes or status.

In light of all these idols, I encourage you to take an introspective examination of your own practice of idolatry. Why do you hold that which is fleeting and unfulfilling in the same regard as that which is eternal and fulfilling? How much better could your life be if you applied your time and talents to something meaningful?

How can you begin purging beliefs of rank selfishness from your life?

Jonah Tran is a sophomore at Notre Dame double majoring in finance and classics with a minor in Constitutional studies. He prides himself on sarcasm and his home — the free state of Florida. You can contact Jonah by email at jtran5@nd.edu.

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

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“Welcome to New York (TV)” Luke Foley, Scene Writer I am usually dissatisfied with the changes in many of the Taylor’s Version songs, but Taylor did a pretty good job with “Welcome to New York (Taylor’s Version).” The pulsating bassline, glittery synths, and Taylor’s wonderstruck vocals are all reproduced accurately and sound great. I know this song is quite simple and doesn’t have the lyrical depth or potency of some of her other songs, but I have always liked it and found it to be a fun opener that sets the effervescent tone for the rest of the album. However, it is a tragedy that during touring, Taylor is usually unable to play this song in actual New York, instead being relegated to … East Rutherford, New Jersey. New York is the greatest city in the world, and yet they can’t build a football stadium. Sad! “Blank Space (TV)” Christine Hilario, Scene Writer The original “Blank Space (Taylor’s Version)” produced by Max Martin and Shellback is pretty much pop perfection, and you can’t improve upon perfection. Therefore, basically every change producer Christopher Rowe made to the Taylor’s Version of the track was for the worse. The re-record, simply put, sounds muddier. The snare hits at the beginning last a little bit too long, there’s an electronic droning during the chorus that’s weirdly prominent and distracting and even the iconic pen click sounds less crisp. Along with the the less-than-stellar changes in production, Swift’s vocal delivery just doesn’t hit the same. There’s an air of mischief in her vocals on the original track that perfectly complements the tone of the song, and it isn’t as present on Taylor’s Version. Overall, this re-record is a disappointment to Starbucks lovers everywhere.

“Style (TV)” Joche Sánchez Córdova, Assistant Managing Editor “Style” has been one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs for basically forever.

It’s such a sexy pop song and every time I hear it I feel like I’m walking the runway.

Literally, everything about the song adds to that feeling for me. I mean the chorus is literally “You got that long hair, slicked back, white t-shirt, / and I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt.” Like, come on. But even more, it’s the feeling of it. The riff at the start, the kick drum, the synths. It all matches the vibe perfectly. “Style (Taylor’s Version)” just misses the marks the original hit. Yes, the lyrics are the same, but that’s about it. The production just feels markedly different and sadly, it’s missing a lot of what made the original so great. “Style (Taylor’s Version)” is a big disappointment.

“Out Of The Woods (TV)” Anna Falk, Scene Editor “Out of the Woods (Taylor’s Version)” is one of my favorite songs on “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” for two reasons. One — it’s a fun pop song. The repetition of lyrics is an incredibly simple but powerful expression of emotion, and the backing vocals and instrumentation are absolutely immaculate. The song is an undeniable staple on the album. Two — the vehicular manslaughter theory. According to some Swifties, an incident occurred during the time when Harry Styles and Taylor Swift were dating where, when Styles was driving, they accidentally hit someone and fled the scene. Instead of interpreting the lyrics “Are we out of the woods yet?” and “Are we in the clear yet?” as expressions of getting through the rough time in their relationship, it is purely referring to whether or not they are far enough from the scene of the crime. It’s hilarious. I choose to believe it for comedy’s sake.

“Shake It Off (TV)” Natalie Allton, Scene Writer Is it bad to say I expected more? The rerelease of Swift’s biggest single suffers from the same problems as the rest of “1989 (Taylor’s Version).” The high-octane production and writing on the original track is dulled by the remix. There was a youthful spunkiness to 2014 Taylor Swift’s vocals that the older, post-“Folk-

‘

lore” Swift loses. The whole song feels smoothed over and hollow in a way that makes me question what’s supposed to incentivize me to listen to Taylor’s Version over the original. Nostalgia can’t save a worse version of the same song.

Taylor’s Version doesn’t make me want to “Shake It Off.” It kind of just makes me want to lie down.

“I Wish You Would (TV)” Claire McKenna, Scene Writer Something about the repetitive guitar riff of “I Wish You Would (Taylor’s Version)” over various drum beats make the song hypnotic in its movement. The use of drum is perfect at adding that extra something, creating an urgency to the song that grabs you by the front and does not let go. It is such an effective way to make you feel the desperation that the speaker feels as she wishes her lover would come back to her. But enough of me waxing poetry about drums. The less tinny quality of Taylor’s Version of the song is a welcome change, in my opinion. It brings a clarity that, along with Taylor’s now more mature voice, heightens my experience of the song and its message. While some of the changes Taylor makes on her rerecorded songs have been controversial with Swifties, I think this is a song that has clearly improved in its second iteration.

“Wildest Dreams (TV)” Cecelia Swartz, Scene Writer “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version),” a song about passionate, impossible love that will only become a distant memory, hits as hard on this album as it did the last one. Taylor’s heartbeat can still be heard in the background as the baseline, and the lyrics, which paint a picture of a perfect memory, remain unchanged.

She does add some interesting echoes and layering towards the end of the song that add further dreamlike qualities to the music, as if the sounds are filtering through one after another from somewhere else and then bouncing off the veil that separates that place from here.

Overall, it was and remains a good song and a solid edition to the album.

“How You Get The Girl (TV)” Lucia Aguzzi, Scene Writer She. Spelled. It. Out. It’s not complicated! Listen to her! “How You Get The Girl (Taylor’s Version)” has the exact same boppability it did on the original “1989,” and for that, it gets five stars from me.

The vibe of this song is pure serotonin.

The breakdown in the bridge when it goes acoustic is a needed break from the dancing, and at the same time, an awesome buildup to the drop back into the pop perfect beat of the final chorus. I’ll give you a pause from the Christopher Rowe slander to say that he cooked on this one. It sounds cleaner, Taylor’s voice sounds better and it gives the audience what it is supposed to. No notes from me. I’ll be listening to the “say you want me, YEAH-” at the end of the bridge on repeat if anyone needs me.

“This Love (TV)” Andy Ottone, Scene Writer I don’t know how to start explaining “This Love (Taylor’s Version).” On a technical level, there is just something hard to pin down about what makes it so special. In full disclosure, the only songs I was familiar with from the original “1989” were “Blank Space,” “Shake it Off” and “Bad Blood” because I was ten and pretty much just listened to whatever someone else put on. So, because of this my first exposure to “This Love” was actually the “Taylor’s Version” release from the promotion of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” And the first time I heard it, I was captivated. I still don’t know if it was the dreamlike quality created by the sound mixing, or the simple yet effective

’

Once again, Taylor Swift is the woman of the moment as her newest album ”1989 (Taylor’s Version)” debuted at No 1. on the Billboard 200. The album is the latest in her venture to rerecord her first six studio albums in order to reclaim ownership of her work from Big Machine Labels, her former record label. Taylor’s Version of 1989 includes all 16 of the songs on the original deluxe version of the album and five previously unreleased “From the Vault” tracks, and the Scene Staff had a lot to say about all of them.

lyrical work. I don’t know if I’ll ever know why, but “This Love (Taylor’s Version” is a song that deeply moves me.

“I Know Places (TV)” Michael Askins, Scene Writer My favorite moment on the entirety of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” is when Taylor screams “and we run” before the second chorus of “I Know Places (Taylor’s Version).” The moment was a personal highlight of the original album as well, and it gets even better on the rerecording. I was initially concerned that it might not hit as hard on Taylor’s Version but she brings back the “and we run” lyric with even more emotion and intensity than before.

The production, with a more muted and cleaner sound than the original, remains full of suspense and urgency as she tells the story of a couple on the run and hiding from the paparazzi. While that is not an incredibly relatable experience for most people, “I Know Places (Taylor’s Version)” is still a fantastic addition to an iconic album.

“Wonderland (TV)” Rose Androwich, News Writer When I listened to “1989 Taylor’s Version” in its entirety for the first time I couldn’t believe how I hadn’t loved the album initially. This time listening, I loved the album as a whole, especially “Wonderland (Taylor’s Version).” The references made within this song to “Alice and Wonderland” showcased Taylor’s ability to make connections to popular culture while crafting a distinct narrative on her life. The witty lyricism makes “Wonderland (Taylor’s Version)” one of my favorite “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” tracks. The allusions to “Alice and Wonderland” and the parallels Taylor Swift is able to draw make this song a must-listen. The song is upbeat while exploring the fears faced within the relationship it describes and the denial of what that relationship is: “And we pretended it could last forever.”

“You Are In Love (TV)” Christina Sayut, Graphics Editor As a romantic girl at heart, it is no surprise that I love this song as much as I do. One of my favorite lines is when she says, “Pauses and says, ‘You’re my best friend.” While love itself is so beautiful, there is something even more special about being able to say that you are truly in love with your best friend. This song reminds me of the many ways that you can find love within your life — it does not always have to come from a significant other. It reminds me of all the ways that I feel love from my friends, even in the most simplest moments.

“New Romantics (TV)” Meg Lange, Saint Mary’s News Editor “New Romantics (Taylor’s Version)” has long been one of my favorite songs on this album. I love the idea of building something beautiful out of the negativity people throw at you, and even still, you can escape to a safe place with that one person who loves you no matter what. I honestly didn’t know how to feel about the re-recording of a song I have loved so much for so long, but I was not disappointed. With the added “Taylor’s Version” came a confidence from our girl that has only recently been shown to the world. Gone are the apprehensive notes of whether or not people will like her as more than a country star, and instead, we get a strong lean into her naturally deeper voice and the beauty of her just singing as her in her true form. It feels as though she found the strength she was singing about originally and is putting it on blast for all of us to see. “‘Slut!’ (TV)” (From the Vault)” Allison Srp, Scene Writer Many people, myself included, expected

this song to be a defiant anthem in the vein of “The Man,” but instead, it’s a dreamy-sounding love song. Nevertheless, it does deal with the themes that the title implies, even if the sound and lyrics were unexpected. The line “I’ll pay the price, you won’t” shows that she’s fully aware of how the men she dates aren’t subject to the criticism that she faces.

This awareness of the double standard she faces shows up again in the deeply ironic line “Everyone wants him, that was my crime.” It’s clear she knows that it isn’t a crime at all — the fact that “everyone wants him” isn’t even something she did. In the song itself, though, the story of falling in love takes center stage, with the outside world fading into the background.

“Now That We Don’t Talk (TV)” (From the Vault)” Allison Elshoff, Scene Writer This vault track may be the shortest song in Taylor Swift’s entire discography, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t pack a punch. It feels like a conversation with an ex (*cough* Harry Styles) that never happened — much like the reconciliation she’s yearning for. With lyrics like “I cannot be your friend, so I pay the price of what I lost” and “I don’t have to pretend to like acid rock,” Swift explores the nuance of a grappling with the necessity of a breakup while also losing a best friend in the process. Jack Antonoff’s “Bleachers”-esque production eases the weight of this burden with its synths and infectious beat. The only complaint I can muster is that I wish it was longer. Yet, I think that’s the point of the abruptness — there’s nothing left to say because like the relationship, “it’s just ended.”

“Is It Over Now? (TV)” (From the Vault)” Gabby Beechert, Assistant Managing Editor One thing about me is that I am a pop girly through and through. And when I say that the pop girlies got fed with these vault tracks, I truly mean it. I’ve always been a firm believer that “1989” is pop perfection, and this song only strengthens that point. This song is not only sonically strong, but it also holds so much significance from a pop culture perspective. There was something truly magical about collectively realizing this song was about Harry Styles at the mention of the infamous snowmobile accident. This is also one of the many instances in which her songwriting truly shines. It’s time we acknowledge that “At least I had the decency / to keep my nights out of sight / Only rumors about my hips and thighs / and my whispered sighs” is one of hardest bars anyone has ever dropped ever.

“Bad Blood (feat. Kendrick Lamar) (TV)” Ayden Kowalski, Scene Writer This remix’s attempts to unite Swift’s and Lamar’s worlds end up displacing both artists. The beat for Lamar’s verses features an airy synth lick that doesn’t stick and some surprisingly weak percussion elements. While Lamar performs with his trademark control and shiftiness (and with more vocal dynamism than his original feature recording), his verses are hollow lyrically, which is disappointing considering the caliber of his pen. The EDM-inspired rework of the chorus falls flat with an unimpressive bassline and a staggered sequence of claps that feels superimposed on the track. The solo version of “Bad Blood” is a great song (though the production on the 2014 version far surpasses that of Taylor’s Version), and here it is contorted into a failed fusion between the original song and a rap banger that sounds awkward.

TREY PAINE | The Observer

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By ANNA FALK Scene Editor

In today’s media, it’s rare to see a group of pirates concoct elaborate theatrical performances to scare away raiders, sing “La Vie en Rose” while celebrating Calypso’s birthday in drag makeup or conduct a pyramid scheme to scam money out of pretentious nobles — but with “Our Flag Means Death,” you can see this all and more.

Last Thursday, the last episode of “Our Flag Means Death” season two was released on Max. The season consisted of only eight 30-minute episodes — two fewer than the first season — and was released throughout the month of October. To say the least, this season was jam-packed with emotional reunions, blossoming romances and a number of frustrating miscommunications between a number of characters. While the audience saw many loose ends from season one resolved, it doesn’t mean everything worked out well.

At the beginning of season two, we see Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and his crew trying their best to stay alive after being abandoned by (or having abandoned) Edward Teach (Taika Waititi). While at the Republic of Pirates, they meet Zheng Yi Sao (Ruibo Qian) — known as the Pirate Queen — and her all-female crew. They eventually reunite with Ed and the remaining crew members, leading to lots of drama between the previously separated groups.

The first few episodes left me feeling very hopeful for the rest of the releases. Everyone was back together, Lucius

By ANDY OTTONE Scene Writer

Who is Nathan Fielder?

In his own words, “he graduated from one of Canada’s top business schools with really good grades.” In his show “Nathan for You,” “he is using his knowledge to help struggling small-business owners make it in this competitive world.” That is how he describes himself. But why should we trust him? The answer is simple: We should not.

Fielder has had a long career in comedy, starting in a middle school improv club where he acted alongside Seth Rogen. Despite these early beginnings, comedy was not always Fielder’s immediate calling. As he claims in the opening monologue of “Nathan For You,” he did graduate from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

His television work has pushed the grounds of what can be considered “comedy.” After starring in a self-titled segment on the Canadian television program “This Hour Has 22 Minutes,” his career took off. In 2013, Comedy Central introduced the world to Fielder in “Nathan For You.” Arguably his most well known work, “NFY” demonstrated Fielder’s skills with odd business practices and grand marketing schemes.

What does he do?

To say he helped businesses would be inaccurate.

Throughout the series, Fielder approaches businesses

wasn’t actually dead and Ed and Stede’s reunion instilled a sense of hope for their future interactions. However, each week’s release left me more and more confused.

Several aspects of this season deserve tremendous applause. Each actor’s performance — especially the newbies — was incredible, the comedic bits were just as frequent and funny and the creative team did an amazing job for the amount of details embedded throughout every aspect of the show. The makeup, costumes, set design and props were all top-notch.

Writers for the show not only crafted insanely hilarious and theatrical moments throughout the season, they were also able to delve into the complexity of the show’s romantic relationships that mirrors those of real people.

Many romantic comedies and dramas fail to portray romance in a way which viewers can fully relate to, but “Our Flag Means Death” understands its characters are flawed.

They have gone through a lot of trauma, and they will surely bring their issues into their relationships whether they know it or not.

Despite the accurate characterization of romance, Ed and Stede’s relationship — like everything else in this season — is rushed. The pacing of the show is off. Especially in the last episode, it feels like important scenes for development were cut out in favor of emphasizing specific plot points. In terms of Ed and Stede, Ed takes almost no time forgiving Stede for leaving him. They begin to patch up their relationship almost immediately after reuniting, with only small, momentary bumps in the road before

everything is mended. Part of this could be due to their mutual tendency to act on whims and rush into things — despite Ed’s attempts to take their relationship slow — but ultimately, the length of the season hinders the show’s ability to tell a comprehensive and fleshed out story, resulting in a lot of audience dissatisfaction.

Relationships as a whole in this season suffer as a result of the show’s pace. Characters who were so vital to the structure of the previous season receive almost no screen time. What happened to Stede and Oluwande’s friendship? Why were Frenchie and Roach barely in this season?

Who decided the best storyline for Buttons was to undergo a magical ritual to become a bird?

Max’s decisions ultimately determined how the show fared. Season two ended with enough finality for fans to be satisfied in case the show was not renewed for a third (and likely final) season. It was a toss-up whether or not the show would even get a second season, so the showrunners’ caution with the storyline is understandable. Max hasn’t often acknowledged the show despite its popularity, and it’s hard for audiences not to feel that the platform’s limitations on episode length and number of episodes don’t have some kind of hidden motive.

Overall, the show did what it could, and it still presents a touching, comedic and engaging storyline. Audiences right now can only hope for Max to gain some sense and renew it for its final season.

with ideas on how to draw the attention of customers. Note that I did not say “good” ideas. That is intentional. The show uses the outlandish nature of Fielder’s schemes for comedic effect. But the show’s premise is not “What if we came up with crazy ideas for businesses?”

That implies a theoretical element to the show. Fielder takes it a step further. He does what every great comedian learns about, but few dare to do: Nathan Fielder commits to the bit. With how ridiculous the show can become, it can be very hard to remember this is all real.

How far will he go?

Multiple of Fielder’s schemes went viral online, with his most notable being “Dumb Starbucks” and the second episode, “Petting Zoo.” Throughout the show, more and more focus is directed toward the people Fielder “helps” and the toll his actions take on others. A rather memorable scene is a confrontation between Nathan and the recurring guest Brian Wolfe. Originally a private investigator, Wolfe’s online presence is built up by Fielder, which led to him appear throughout the rest of the series. In the confrontation, Wolfe digs into Fielder, calling him a loser and “the wizard of loneliness.” As much as the show looks into those affected by Nathan and his antics, the man behind the schemes becomes as much of a focus as the show goes on. This all culminates in the series finale, the feature length “Finding Frances.” In this final episode, the audience is shown the most blunt analysis of Fielder’s actions: “You lied to every last one of

them.”

Fielder’s 2022 follow-up, “The Rehearsal,” takes the unsettling elements of “NFY” and turns them up to an 11.

The line between script and reality is blurred even further, and it only becomes more obscure as the show progresses. If it were a work of fiction, it would be a compelling look into the mind of a twisted and controlling character, but we are told to believe this is not a character. This leads to the biggest question of all …

Can this be considered acting?

While it is safe to assume some elements of his past shows have been scripted — at least Fielder’s pitches and punchlines are — there is still the feeling that Fielder is not acting, at least not fully. By surrounding himself with non-actors who react to his ideas, Fielder makes himself an improviser. But the world he interacts with is not a controlled stage, and he’s not with other comedians. If he and the audience are the only ones in on the joke, is it still a joke?

This is not to say Fielder only exists as his on-screen persona. The upcoming Showtime original series “The Curse” features Nathan Fielder as one of the main stars, playing a fictional character alongside Emma Stone. By acting as a true fictional character, Fielder will have the biggest change in his career: playing someone other than himself, or the persona he presents to the world.

Contact Anna Falk at afalk@nd.edu

ANNA FALK | The Observer

Contact Andy Ottone at aottone@nd.edu MARIA TOBIAS | The Observer

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CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ

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HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA LAST Happy Birthday: Evaluate what’s important to you and adjust your routine.

Let your intuition and imagination lead the way, and you’ll find the path and people to make your journey more enjoyable. Opportunities are apparent, but first, you must let go of your inhibitions and distance yourself from negativity.

Surround yourself with creative people, and structure your environment to offer space and time to express yourself. Your numbers are 8, 13, 22, 28, 31, 35, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Expand your mind, do your research and plan your next move. Be secretive until you are ready to take the next step and present what excites you most. Don’t let emotions stop you; size up situations and do what makes the most sense.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Opportunity knocks. Don’t be shy; embrace what life offers and give it your best shot. An exciting partnership will provide you with more time to do what you do best. A physical change will build the confidence you need to advance.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t trust others to do things for you. Focus on what you are trying to achieve. You’ll be subject to false hope or misinformation if you count on others. A social connection will use what you share against you. Talk less; be a good listener.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take the initiative to start a discussion, project or plan that will improve your surroundings, environment or ability to reach your goal. A change of scenery will spark your imagination and encourage you to invest more time and money in yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take a step back and examine what’s unfolding.

Observation will help you know when to take a pass. Set high standards, and don’t budge until you see a clear passage forward. Don’t be fooled by the hype.

It is better to be safe than sorry.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’ve got the power to make things happen.

Consider your ideal situation and make it a reality. Travel, communication and partnerships are favored. Take the initiative to put your ideas into play, and everything else will fall into place. Romance is on the rise.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Pay attention. Someone you think you can count on will let you down if you turn your back. It’s up to you to reiterate what you want and expect from others or to prepare to do the work yourself. Take responsibility and forge ahead.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Revisit something you want to incorporate into your everyday routine. Explore the possibilities and eliminate what is no longer essential or working effectively for you. Be true to yourself instead of putting everyone else first. Create an environment that makes you happy.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Mixed emotions will lead to trouble. Step back and, when in doubt, rethink what you are trying to achieve. Don’t share information when you haven’t checked the facts. Someone will use misinformation to sway your opinion.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Develop relationships and pay attention to money management. You stand to prosper if you take a hands-on approach to money and contracts. A vocal role in the distribution of time, finances and skills will help you reach your goal on time.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep an open mind, listen and observe, but don’t fear moving forward alone. Outside influences will cost you if you let your insecurities surface and allow someone else to call the shots. Take control instead of putting your fate in someone else’s hands.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You are sitting on an opportunity. Recognize what’s available to you and make your dreams come true. A good imagination coupled with experience and common sense will lead to victory. Personal growth and positive change can be yours to enjoy.

Birthday Baby: You are energetic, proactive and opportunity-driven. You are innovative and prolific.

SUDOKU | THE MEPHAM GROUP

JUMBLE | DAVID HOYT AND JEFF KNUREK

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ND MEN’S BASKETBALL

ND FENCING

Miller: Irish MBB observations Jake Miller Senior Sports Writer

Wednesday night, t he Shrewsberr y era off icia lly k icked off as Notre Dame men’s basketba ll hosted Hanover College (D-III) in an ex hibition match. Notre Dame head coach Mica h Shrewsberr y inherits a ver y young team.

The few upperclassmen t hat return have not played meaning f ul minutes in past years.

For fans, t he hopes, plans and assumptions for t his season are up in t he air.

Nevert heless, Shrewsberr y made t hree t hings clear on Wednesday night: 1. The Irish w ill rely on freshmen To start, unfortunate for Zona-advocates, Mica h Shrewsberr y made it ver y clear t hat t he majorit y of minutes w ill go to young players, primarily freshman g uards Markus Burton, Braeden Shrewberr y and Logan Imes.

For ward Matt Zona and junior g uard J.R. Konieczny saw t he f loor as well, but t he team seems ready to rely on t hem for supporting roles.

2. The Irish w ill get blow n out a few times Notre Dame most ly played a loose man defense, letting Hanover shoot t he ba ll from deep. This worked against Hanover, a team t hat shot 15% from t he t hree-point line in t he f irst ha lf.

However, t his won’t work against some of t he Irish’s tougher opponents, such as Duke and Miami.

The Irish have some promise in t he backcourt, and so Shrewsberr y’s

focus, reasonably, is to put a ll of t he team’s defensive resources into defending t he paint.

Consequent ly, teams can shoot from deep w it hout being g uarded closely.

Ever y ha lf second t hat a college-level player has to set up for a t hree increases t heir chance of ma k ing t he shot.

From what we saw against Hanover, t he Irish seem w illing to ta ke t hat risk.

The strateg y won’t work if a team — or even a particular player — is on f ire from deep.

3. The Irish w ill play fun, conser vative basketball Markus Burton and Braeden Shrewsberr y are f un players, and for fans like myself, it w ill be entertaining to see t heir development.

Like most young players, Burton and Shrewsberr y are volatile and w ill ma ke mista kes.

Some coaches lean into t his volatilit y, rolling w it h a high-powered, fast offense.

However, Mica h Shrewsberr y made it clear t hat his team w ill not.In his postgame press conference, Shrewsberr y stated: “I want to play w it h great pace. That doesn’t mean we’re play ing at a brea kneck speed.”

Unlike t he Notre Dame women’s team, t he Irish w ill not look to t he press or fast brea k as a primar y source for points.

Instead, look for t he team to utilize a lot of motion in t heir offense, specif ica lly cuts and off-ba ll screens.

Turnovers w ill k ill t his team, so Shrewsberr y’s system plans to avoid t hem see MBB PAGE 14

Irish kick off new season with perfect weekend

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Assista nt Ma naging Editor

After three consecutive national titles, Notre Dame fencing got their 20232024 season under way this weekend w ith a successful trip west to the Western Invitational at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Col. The No. 1 ranked men’s team and the No. 2 ranked women’s team both swept all seven of their weekend matchups to kick off the year.

The women’s team beat three ranked teams — No. 4 Har vard, No. 14 Stanford and No. 15 Air Force — on their way to a perfect weekend. The marquee matchup against Har vard was a 1611 victor y bolstered largely by the experienced saber squad.

Led by perfect 3-0 performances from senior Atara Greenbaum and junior Jadeyn Williams, the saber team went a combined 8-1, picking up half the team’s bouts against the Crimson.

The effort from the men’s team was highlighted by two stellar show ings against ranked opponents. Over 27 bouts, the Irish bested No. 5 Har vard 20-7 and No. 10 UC San Diego 17-10.

The victor y over the Crimson was highlighted by a pair of undefeated outings from freshmen foil fencers Dominic Joseph and Mason Stanley, who both went 3-0 in their bouts against Har vard.

That kind of contribution from young fencers is exactly what Notre Dame w ill need this year. The new season brings a certain level of uncertainty for the Irish. Five of their 12 NCA A championship entrants from a year ago aren’t back this year.

Three of them graduated while two — epee Kaylin Hsieh and foil Chase Emmer — took the year off in preparation for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Sabre assistant coach Christian Rascioni also mentioned that reigning individual epee champion sophomore Eszter Muhari may still potentially step away from the team as she attempts to make the Olympics w ith Hungar y.

Starting this weekend, Notre Dame fencing is seeing the upcoming season as a chance to integrate the freshman class and keep their impressive run of success going.

“We are working hard.

The whole team is really, really doing a ver y good job,” Rascioni said. “We have a lack of experience, and we are tr ying to build this experience now, starting from Air Force.”

Before the weekend, graduate student Marcello Olivares, who won the individual foil title in 2021, spoke about the team’s excitement to integrate the new freshman class this weekend at their opening competition.

“It feels good just because we have a new ty pe of energ y coming. I think they’re ver y focused,” Olivares said about the incoming freshman class.

“I think we’re definitely happy to be out there and be back on the strip. I think bringing the energ y and just making a statement is the biggest thing for us.”

Rascioni mentioned two specific freshmen — foil Ryanne Leslie and sabre Radu Nitu — who the Irish hope can be impactful from the jump. Leslie is currently the 20th-ranked junior foil fencer in the world. In 2021, she was part of the team

that took gold in the junior world championships for the United States.

Nitu, who hails from Bucharest, Romania, is the fifth-ranked junior foil fencer in the world. Last summer, he fenced at the senior world championships, finishing a solid 60th despite being one of the youngest competitors there.

One of the biggest challenges for Notre Dame this season w ill be how they can keep focused and maintain the level of excellence and dominance they have displayed over the past three seasons while ushering in a young team.

Having a young team full of freshmen can help w ith that for a simple reason: they have never won before.

Regardless, Rascioni warns that inexperience can have its drawbacks.

“They could have more and more hunger,” Rascioni said about the freshmen.

“At the same time, the lack of experience can be challenging because the format at the championships is ver y unique and to adapt to that format takes some time.”

That kind of potential weakness w ill have rival programs, especially highly ranked Iv y League schools like Princeton and Columbia, licking their lips at the chance to dethrone the three-time defending champions.

Senior sabre Cate Priestley said their success over the last three seasons has effectively put a target on the team’s back.

Opponents realize that something special is brewing in South Bend.

Despite that, those w ithin the program are confident they can overcome those see FENCING PAGE 14

ND MEN’S SOCCER

Irish fall to Louisville in ACC quarterfinal

By J.J. POST Associate Sports Editor

Notre Dame men’s soccer lost a w ild match Sunday night, falling 4-3 to Louisville at A lumni Stadium.

The Cardinals raced out in front early on, powered by substitute Sander Roed.

The for ward fired home an impressive volley from just outside the box to open the scoring in the 23rd minute.

Roed’s career day would continue after halftime. He

tallied his second and third in quick succession in the 49th and 52nd minute respectively, giving Louisville a sizable 3-0 lead. Roed’s hat-trick would equal his previous career high for goals in a season in one night.

The Irish didn’t back dow n in the face of the deficit, though. Junior Kyle Genenbacher would finish off a chaotic sequence w ith a point blank finish in the 66th minute.

Feeling the momentum,

junior Br yce Boneau would bring the Irish w ithin one moments later.

Boneau wasn’t done there, either. The junior midfielder, playing as a for ward w ith the Irish chasing an equalizer, headed home a goal-line scramble w ith just three minutes to play.

Entering the game w ith just

one goal on the season, his second-half brace put the match on level footing late on.

After the game, head coach Chad Riley applauded Boneau’s efforts in a unique role.

“Br yce can play any position on the field pretty well,” Riley said. “Wyatt Lew is is

someone that can go into center midfield and do well, so we were just looking to tr y and make things happen.

We knew Br yce could do it, and we knew Wyatt could do it, and it turns out they could.”

Boneau’s equalizer wasn’t see M SOCCER PAGE 14

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

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SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

Column CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

run defense was not quite up to par, they could only do so much to try and overcome the lackluster performance

by Hartman and the offense.

Junior running back Audric Estimé successfully gashed the Clemson defense for 82 yards in the first half. But he only had three carries the rest of the way.

There is a lot of blame that to place for the Irish’s downfall yesterday. But I don’t think it should be on the defense.

The defense held Clemson to under 300 yards despite being beaten up at times by explosive running back Phil Mafah.

Nevertheless, the defense forced five punts and a late fumble in the second half, essentially giving the offense plenty of chances to score and claim an Irish lead.

Golden seemed to have made the right calls to do enough for a win.

Senior defensive lineman Rylie Mills notched eight total tackles and a key fumble recovery.

Graduate student linebacker Jack Kiser led the Irish with nine total tackles on Saturday.

The defense certainly has kept the Irish in all games this

year by covering up offensive woes, this game included.

When it comes down to it, Golden’s elite defense is being wasted on an offense that cannot seem to contribute meaningfully on the road.

With many of the defensive starters being seniors, Notre Dame’s performance could drop on that side of the ball next year. On top of that, Golden’s success could shorten longevity with the Irish. Will Golden stay to see another year with the Irish, or will he move to greener pastures in the NFL? Perhaps a head coaching gig in college? Only time will tell.

With two regular-season games left, the Irish have lost much to play for but their pride and the opportunity to get younger players into the rotation to gain the experience to carry into next season.

Win or lose, Golden’s work with the defense has been a key component for the Irish this season that should not go unnoticed.

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

MBB CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

at a ll costs.

Next Up Notre Dame starts t he reg ular season Monday night at home against Niagara.

Coverage begins at 7

Fencing CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

hurdles thanks to the singular team culture of Irish fencing.

Even w ith three straight titles and a target on their

M Soccer CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

the last action the thrilling quarterfinal would provide.

The Cardinals would respond w ith ver ve, and just 66 seconds later would re-take the lead. Roed again played a key role, this time as creator and not scorer. His f loated ball across the box found the head of Josh Jones, and the towering centerback powered Louisville back in front.

Notre Dame would get one more look at goal late on,

p.m. EST on ACCN X and ESPN+.

For t hose attending t he game, t he f irst 3,000 fans w ill receive a “Welcome to t he Shrews Crew” Ra lly Towel.

Additiona lly, earlyarriv ing students can claim t heir 2023-2024 fan shirt, compliments of

t he Leprechaun Legion, t he student fanbase organization.

Contact Jake Miller at jmille89 @nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authorit y are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

backs, the Irish aren’t feeling the pressure.

“The biggest thing for us is I don’t feel like we feel pressure,” Olivares said.

“The biggest thing is just know ing if we put in the work and we work hard, we

could definitely do it [w in a fourth title] because at the end of the day, it’s not just on one person, it’s the whole team as a whole.”

but a goal-line scramble was successfully cleared away by the Cardinal back line.

After the game, Coach Riley said the result could still be a good learning opportunity for his side ahead of NCA A tournament play.

“I think any time you lose it’s motivation,” Riley said.

“You look at yourselves a little harder. You never want to do it but I think when it happens you’ve got to make it positive.

So, got to look at ourselves. I think the conference tournament gives you

a good reminder of the finality of tournament play, so I know the guys w ill be extra motivated.”

With no further ACC tournament games on the schedule, the Irish w ill now enjoy a week off ahead of the NCA A tournament selection show next Monday.

Notre Dame figures to be in position for either a one or two seed, but their fate remains in the balance until next week.

Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu

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

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Wrap CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

two biggest plays the all-time ACC leader in passing yards made were with his legs. The first was a 38-yard designed scamper that helped Notre Dame get back on the board after Mafah’s big touchdown run. The second came via a 26yard scoring scramble in the third to answer a long scoring drive by the Tigers.

“We wanted to be able to throw some balls and throw some shots, but they did a good job of defending the throws that we put up,” Freeman said.

Hartman wasn’t as fortunate as Tyree in terms of minimizing the impact of his biggest mistake, though. Clemson marched right down the field after the first big Hartman run, culminating in a nineyard strike from Cade Klubnik to Tyler Brown.

Two plays later, the Tigers were celebrating again, as Hartman tried to squeeze in a short pass to the right flat only for Jeremiah Trotter Jr. to jump the route for a walk-in pick-six. “[Trotter Jr.] got underneath the play, underneath the pass, and I shouldn’t have thrown it.

Just tried to force one in there, especially backed up,” Hartman, now 0-5 in his career against Clemson, said. “You can’t do it, and I did it.”

OTG CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

but solid complimentary Fairfield Inn breakfast, we hit the road.

To our delight, the early departure time indeed allowed us to beat most of the traffic, as we pulled into the media parking lot around 9:15 a.m.

The chill in the air from Friday night lingered into the morning. Even though

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 | THE OBSERVER

15

Though those were Notre Dame’s only turnovers of the day, they were far from the lone sloppy mistakes by the Irish.

While the Irish defense has held more than its share of the bargain most of the year, missed tackles were a theme for Al Golden’s defense.

Mafah ran all over Notre Dame’s defense to the tune of 186 yards for an average of nearly six per carry.

Graduate student safety Clarence Lewis was unable to wrap up Brown on his touchdown catch. Clemson had success running the ball even in the late moments when Notre Dame knew it was coming.

“We did not do a good job of tackling (Mafah) on first contact,” Freeman said. “That’s something that surprised me.

I thought our defense on first contact would be able to make those tackles.”

The Tigers certainly made their fair share of errors, allowing the Irish to hang around.

Down 24-9 at halftime, Notre Dame got the break it needed when senior safety Xavier Watts notched his nation-leading seventh interception.

Junior running back Audric Estimé, Notre Dame’s lone bright spot on offense, plowed into the end zone to bring the Irish within a score.

A methodical 11-play,

75-yard drive restored the Tigers’ 15-point lead, with Mafah doing the honors again.

The Irish finally found their big-play stride, immediately responding with a 35-yard completion to freshman wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. Three plays later, Ha rtman sprinted to the end zone to keep the Irish within striking distance.

Both offenses stagnated beyond belief in the fourth quarter. Clemson squandered several opportunities to put the game away, each more shocking than the last.

A botched snap put the Tigers back 15 yards on a third and four from the Irish 35. The next drive stalled up thanks to a fumble.

And with the game in their grasp, needing just two yards for a game-sealing first down, junior defensive lineman Gabriel Rubio stripped Mafah to give the Irish one last chance to salvage their Saturday.

Yet each of those chances was met by harmless incompletions and Hartman scrambling for his life.

The Irish lost their top two centers, graduate students Zeke Correll (concussion) and Andrew Kristofic (ankle).

In their first game without reliable junior tight end Mitchell Evans to throw to, Notre Dame’s receivers failed to gain separation. Though

Estimé ran the ball well, both he and sophomore running back Gi’Bran Payne missed blocks that led to sacks.

Hartman was quick to blame himself. But the Irish lost this game as a team.

“If you guys want to blame, put anything on anyone, put it on me. I played very poor today. Didn’t play well enough to be a winning quarterback, to be a winning football team,” Hartman said. “All the different situations, scenarios, are a part of my doing, and really all of my doing. I just didn’t execute well enough... I didn’t play up to the standard that this team, this fanbase, this university deserves.”

Notre Dame began each of its first three fourth-quarter drives inside its own 15 and never got beyond the 22.

Clemson looked just as much the top-10 team they were to begin the year as the 4-4 team they were entering Saturday.

But the Irish failed to execute when they needed to.

Notre Dame went just 3-13 on third downs, lost the turnover battle and scored a touchdown on just one of three red zone trips.

Each of those facts is concerning on its own. All of them against a talented but flawed Clemson team proved too much to overcome.

“I wish I could say it was

just one or two things. But on third down, we weren’t able to convert.

And I think a lot has to do with the pressure they were getting, but also, we weren’t able to get open and we have to continue to improve on our throws. We got to put the ball exactly where it’s supposed to be,” Freeman said.

There are still things at stake over Notre Dame’s final two games. But now the Irish have to prove what they aren’t instead of striving for what they want to be.

When Freeman was hired, many deduced having a firsttime head coach raised Notre Dame’s ceiling but lowered its floor.

Saturday showed another example of what the latter looks like.

“Every coach and every player in that locker room has to own where we’re at and what we’ve got to do to improve.

So that’s schematically, that’s as an individual, and then we’ve got to go back to work. There’s no magic formula to improve,” Freeman said.

“We haven’t reached our full potential. Today’s outcome is disappointing,” he said. “But as I told [the players], we’ve got to figure out why.”

the high temperature exceeded 70, we could see our breaths in our first moments on campus.

Two kind Clemson employees shuttled us the half mile from the lot to Clemson Memorial Stadium.

Their guidance was especially appreciated since a heav y fog coated the area as we arrived, eventually departing around 10:30 a.m.

W hile the main press seating area is located in the

open air, we were thankfully able to ride out most of the gradual warming in the indoor meeting area.

The cold of the morning was largely gone as we settled into our seats in the front row of the press box with a gorgeous view directly from the 20-yard line on the Clemson side of the field.

Though the environment probably wasn’t at primetime levels of raucousness, Clemson’s in-game

presentation was certainly impressive. Speakers from the massive scoreboard, nicknamed “Dabotron” according to our programs, blared throughout the afternoon. The music rivaled the noise made by the pregame f lyover, which never disappoints.

As for the game ... well, that disappointed quite a little bit.

Clemson fans stormed the field, as is tradition of theirs

after every home game, to celebrate Dabo Swinney’s 166th win, the most in program history. We eventually made our way down to the field and navigated the sea of orange to find Notre Dame’s press conferences.

A few hours of producing exhilarating content later, we made the trek back to Greenville.

The W V FI gang joined us for the journey this time, as well as the much more fun encore golf cart ride back to the lot.

The smooth voyage culminated in a quick stop at a Panera Bread across the street from our hotel for dinner.

With our day already over 12 hours long, we decided to call it an early night and spent the evening doing what every Notre Dame student does to relax on a Saturday night — work. Some good college football — what a novel concept — provided a nice background distraction.

The extra hour of sleep thanks to Daylight Savings Time provided a nice boost of rest.

The last leg of our trip was the standard fair where no news is good news. We touched down in South Bend around 2:30 p.m. with a weekend of bad football and otherwise good times behind us.

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16

THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

FOOTBALL COLUMN

ON THE GROUND

Observer on the Ground: Clemson

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Spor ts Editor

As someone whose lone trip earlier this season to NC State featured a 13-hour f light delay resulting in a post-kickoff arrival and a halftime exit to f ly back because of the lightning delay, you can imagine how seeing our f light to Greenville/Spartanburg delayed four hours must have felt. Fortunately, this was an outlier regarding weekend enjoyment, football excluded.

We touched down in South Carolina moments after 6 p.m., greeted by blinding sunlight and surprising chilliness. Even with the win and the impending sunset, it was still a nice change of pace from the snow that coated campus earlier in the week. The ride to the hotel and check-in went smoothly.

From there it was on to

downtown Greenville for dinner, joined by our friends at W V FI student radio. The wait at the barbecue restaurant we picked was a bit too long for our grumbling stomachs. But the American-style restaurant we found after a few blocks of brisk walking proved more than sufficient.

Bright lights draped on trees and glowing from storefronts created a small-town atmosphere even though there was no shortage of restaurants and shops.

A respectable night’s sleep ended around 7 a.m.

Clemson, like Notre Dame, is not exactly easy to find.

We decided to take an abundance of caution and depart our hotel around 8 a.m., anticipating the estimated 50-minute travel time would be extended due to traffic.

Following an unspectacular see OTG PAGE 15

Ladd: Al Golden’s defense attempts to play savior

By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor

It was not a pretty sight in Death Valley for Notre Dame.

This year’s Irish team looks like an entirely different team at home versus away.

Rivaling Louisville in terms of poor performance, the offense looked jumbled and predictable as their veteran leader Sam Hartman appeared out of place in the pocket.

The graduate student was sacked twice and completed only 43% of his passes against the Tigers. In the past three road games, Hartman has thrown two touchdowns against five interceptions.

He has also taken a total of nine sacks.

The hopeful quarterback who was supposed to be the best Notre Dame signal caller in a decade has not felt much different than quarterbacks

in seasons past recently.

Despite the increased media coverage and recognition Hartman has brought to Notre Dame, he has fallen short on the road in times when the Irish needed him to step up. This is probably not surprising to Irish fans given our record with quarterbacks. But I think the Notre Dame fanbase was all hopeful that “Hartmania” would come with buckets of success.

Perhaps the silver (some may say “golden”) lining of all this has been the high level of play of the Notre Dame defense led by defensive coordinator Al Golden. The expectations this year were for an explosive offense. But in reality, it is Golden’s defense who have led the way for the Irish and encapsulated the identity of the team.

Golden was under fire for the defense’s performance

last year. But he has seen a resurgence this year with a defense ranked seventh in the nation, up from 21st last year.

This improvement is due to several factors, especially in red zone defense. The Irish are fifth in the country. Last year, they ranked a lowly 129th, besting only Rutgers.

Senior safety Xavier Watts leads the nation with seven interceptions.

Cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens and safeties coach Chris O’Leary’s leadership has built the defensive backfield into one of the best in the nation, led by Watts and cornerbacks sophomore Ben Morrison and senior Cam Hart.

Though a mistimed safety blitz cost the Irish a big touchdown early in the first quarter yesterday and the see COLUMN PAGE 14

CLEMSON WRAP

One-dimensional Irish offense can’t scrape by Clemson in all-around sloppy showing

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Editor

As Aidan Swanson’s second punt of the day drifted through the clear blue skies at Clemson Memorial Stadium, there was still plenty of potential for Notre Dame’s season to have a happy ending. Even if the Irish did finish at 10-2 and won their first New York’s Six Bowl in 31 years, the sting from agonizing losses to Ohio State and Louisville would have still lingered. But it would have marked a definitive step forward for the Irish in year two of the Marcus Freeman era, a sign they were off the roller coaster and on the path to achieving the program’s lofty goals.

It was all in front of them.

The ball was right out in front of senior wide receiver Chris Tyree, back to return. And, fittingly, it clanked off his hands for a fumble that Clemson recovered.

“If you turn the ball over, and you muff a punt to their offense, they end up creating an outcome that’s an eightpoint loss,” Freeman said after

the game. “And so that’s the reality of it.”

Even though the Irish held the Tigers to three points despite the plus field position, the sentiment the muff created never went away. It was already present in the opening moments of the game when the Irish jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a 50-yard drive that featured one pass for negative three yards. It was definitely there when a big punt return led to a 41-yard scoring run by Phil Mafah, who darted past blitzing senior safety DJ Brown at the line of scrimmage. And it lingered throughout the picturesque afternoon that felt anything but to the Irish. Their hopes of a big-ticket bowl game were dashed by Clemson in Death Valley by a 31-23 final.

An Irish passing game that wobbled throughout the middle of the season lost all of the good vibes it rediscovered last week against Pitt. Graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman never got settled in the pocket, completing just 13 of 30 passes for 146 yards. The see WRAP PAGE 15

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Irish senior wide receiver Chris Tyree attempts to avoid a tackle by a Clemson defender in Notre Dame’s matchup down in Death Valley on Nov. 4. The Irish lost to the Tigers 31-23, bringing their record to 7-3.

INSIDER

President CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Baraka Bouts, the name for Notre Dame Women’s Boxing Club, is the largest women’s club on campus.

However, even amid administrative business, Lies finds time to lead workouts and meet younger boxers.

“I’m at practice every day.

I’m in the corner when girls are sparring. A couple of times a week, I’m the one up at the front leading practice and leading workouts,” she said.

At the same time, Lies believes that the role goes beyond serving as a head coach.

She stressed the importance of getting to know members.

“For me, being the president is trying to learn as many people’s names and certain things about them, like their dorm or their major, just to have that connection and to make sure that we are building that community,” she said.

While the tournament is fun to watch and rewarding for those who put their heart and soul into practice, the organization has a broader focus.

The club was founded in 1997.

Since 2002, the annual tournament has raised funds for the Holy Cross Missions in East Africa.

Tickets cost $25, with the

Seniors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Dame starts to w rap up, Judd knows that her time w ith the club w ill stay w ith her.

Hav ing won her weight class last year, physics major Sarah Nowak is ready to compete again this year.

During her sophomore year, she lost in the second round, motivating her to put in extra work. That experience allowed her to be honest w ith herself and generated better discipline both in and out of box ing.

“Box ing has been really valuable in being able to hold myself accountable, being more humble, and being w illing to accept criticism … which w ill definitely ser ve me well in the future,” Nowak said.

In addition, she loves that the outcome of their hard work is ver y v isible.

Sometimes it’s not easy to see the impact of donations.

But their efforts show the good their club has done.

Because of Baraka Bouts, Nowak can see pictures of a lab or dorm that they built, and it is ver y motivating.

She also appreciates how the club handles topics of weight classes and body images w ith such positiv it y.

“We do not encourage girls to cut weight at all, and you never feel like you have to make it into a certain weight class. There are people of all sizes and fitness and skill levels in box ing. There’s a

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 | THE OBSERVER

proceeds going to help the Holy Cross Mission Center’s efforts to assist some of the poorest people in the world.

For Lies, one of her favorite experiences as a member of the group has been seeing the club’s impact.

“Each year, we receive hundreds of letters from the students at the schools that wrote to us to thank us. Pictures and words on a screen only mean so much, but when you actually get to hear about the impact that it has on people’s lives from those people themselves, it’s really rewarding and inspiring,” she said.

As the tournament’s start draws near, Lies wants all of her members to take in the experience, even if their performance falls short of expectations.

“I just want every single girl who participates to have a great experience and be really glad they did it, whether they win or lose,” Lies said. “It is a once in a lifetime thing to box in front of that many people.”

The Baraka Bouts quarterfinals will begin Monday night in Dahnke Ballroom at 7 p.m.

The semifinals will take place Thursday and finals on Nov. 15 in Dahnke Ballroom.

Contact Jake Miller at jmille89@nd.edu

place for ever yone in Baraka Bouts,” said Nowak.

Management consulting major JJ Jorgensen loves how her work in the club aligns w ith her role in Army ROTC. The toughness that both groups emphasize helps build confidence and control.

“I don’t shy away from conf lict. I’ve always been a confident person,” Jorgensen said. “W hat box ing does is really give you an outlet to not only showcase that confidence and mental toughness, but to develop it in others … You’ll see girls get out of the ring and they’re cr y ing or upset. It’s because it’s a ver y emotional feeling hav ing someone come at you, but that’s what life is — adversit y — and learning that in the ring is really important,” Jorgenson said.

The club both teaches its members how to handle these complex emotions and put them to good use. Box ing is a struggle sometimes, but the boxers are always learning, always tr y ing to better themselves as they better the world.

“If you go into the ring and lose or have a bad day, is it really a bad day when you’re helping your others or tr ying your best? You’re giv ing all that you have for a great cause, so no day is a bad day when you’re box ing,” she said.

Contact Annika Herko at aherko@nd.edu

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VP Feature CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

so hard for during our short two-month period of a season,” Whitman said. “It’s really understanding how someone can learn from the ground up and build that confidence in the ring.”

Success in the club looks different to every member.

Though Baraka Bouts has about 200 members, only 56 of them are competing in this year’s bracket. And each of them has their own style, their own motivations and their own goals to consider. For Masicopinto and Whitman, reshaping the club’s training was a major priority. Defense became a bigger focus this year, building off the focus on basics that last year’s leaders preached.

Those leaders certainly helped Masciopinto and Whitman, both of whom won individual championships last year. There is far more to Baraka Bouts than just winning. Serving others. Making friends. Learning real-life lessons. Winning doesn’t hurt, though.

“My parents were there, which was really fun,” Masciopinto said.

“My friends were there. It was a great time. It was definitely a crazy bout. And ... most of the time, you don’t know whether you’ve won or lost until they raise your hand. So that was kind of a crazy feeling.”

Whitman, whose family and friends were also in attendance for her victory, said, “We both worked so hard last year, and it was very exhilarating.”

Both speak proudly about their triumphs in the ring, but the Baraka Bouts impact stretches far wider than Dahnke Ballroom or even the Notre Dame campus.

Masciopinto and Whitman also spent time educating, raising funds and inspiring others at the club’s signature fundraising event, the Power 12 Hour, live training held in front of the bookstore.

“A lot of little kids come over, and we let them try on the gloves. And that’s always my favorite because I’m like, you know in 10 years ... they could

Juniors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

and have that.”

Mancuso spoke of other lessons she’s learned from her experience with Baraka Bouts.

“At the same time, there’s also an aspect of humility that it teaches you. There’s a reason the phrase, ‘Let the punches roll off your back’ exists. In boxing, it’s a lot of not taking it too personally, taking it one step, one punch, one round at a time,” she said.

The two have big goals for the 2023 tournament, with Mancuso focusing on the fundraising effort. The club has a goal

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

Baraka senior and vice president Lily Whitman has been with the program since 2020, hooked from her first bout and fundraiser.

be us,” Masciopinto said.

The boxers may fight fiercely in the bouts, but the club is a zero-sum situation. Only one person can win each fight, of course. But as Whitman detailed, even seemingly small moments like her first spar can have a big impact.

“I was a little bit scared to step into the ring and finally I convinced myself that I was going to do it,” Whitman said.

“I was just going to go all in and be fine. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t ever have to do the club again. Or, I could not ever step in the ring again.”

A few minutes later, quitting was off the table.

“Of course, I did like it,” she continued. “But I just remember after the first round, I was back in my corner, and I was breathing and the adrenaline was pumping, and I remember our coach coming up to me. He was basically affirming everything that I was doing. He was like, ‘This looks great. I can tell you been working really hard.’”

The club offers eight practices a week, and boxers must participate in four to be eligible for the main event. In addition to practices, Masciopinto and Whitman have plenty of administrative responsibilities to juggle, helping with training and checking in with

members. The club has already raised over $54,000 in support of building new Holy Cross Schools in Uganda.

“The fundraising aspect is also something that’s huge,” Whitman said. “Knowing that we’re able to make such a difference for the two schools that we benefit in Uganda and East Africa. It’s just I wanted to have a little bit of a hand in everything and understand the club that’s made me who I am today.”

Both captains have high hopes for this year’s tournaments. There are individual ones, of course, but building confidence and creating a supportive environment to help other boxers are also goals. More so, helping people on the other side of the world is especially important as they put a bow on one of the most impactful experiences of their time at Notre Dame.

“I stepped out of my first bout feeling like I definitely want to do that again,” Whitman said. “And that’s when all the magic sort of came together. I started to love the club and decided that it was something that I was probably going to do for the rest of my Notre Dame career.”.”

of $100,000, which would be applied toward building a women’s dormitory in Uganda. In terms of club culture, she hopes to see newer members leave the ring confident in themselves and their place in the club. With trust and pride in her training, regardless of results, Mancuso strives to provide an example for those fighters.

Meanwhile, Prest wants to continue learning alongside Mancuso as they look ahead to leading the club together next year. She looks forward to building a positive environment through both fighter interaction and fan engagement while

giving her all in the ring.

“My dad used to tell me growing up at the end of a swim race, ‘No gas in the tank, right?’ Just stepping out and knowing my heart was in it, my confidence was in it, I wanted to be here and I’m happy with my effort,” Prest said. “At the end of the day, that’s all you can really ask for as a boxer.”

This year’s edition of Baraka Bouts will commence Monday with the quarterfinals. They will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. inside the Dahnke Ballroom...

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

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THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

BARAKA BOUTS VICE PRESIDENTS FEATURE

To Baraka VPs, boxing means much more than ‘just hitting the person in front of you’

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Editor

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

Vice president Frankie Masciopinto has been involved with Baraka since her freshman year, growing more confidence in her abilities.

Boxing, by nature, is a very physical sport. Some might even call it brutal. But Baraka Bouts vice presidents Frankie Masciopinto and Lily Whitman don’t quite see it that way.

“Lily and I are both very passionate about the technique aspect of boxing, of making sure people kind of see it as like this art,” Masciopinto says. “[We] see it as something that is not just about hitting the person in front of you, but like, how can you become more efficient with your punches? How can you be more creative? How can you do these things in the best way possible rather than just like boxing as a sport?”

The two seniors share quite a bit in common. Both have athletic backgrounds and joined the club as freshmen in 2020 because it was one of the few organizations that met in person during the COVID-19 pandemic. While sparring

and actual fights were off the table, they still got a feel for the special sense of community the Women’s Boxing Club has developed in its 21-year existence. It planted the seed that has sprouted in championships for each of them and turned them into leaders inside and outside of the club.

Masciopinto knew she wanted to join the club before she was even accepted. Her dad competed in Bengal Bouts, ensuring the Madison, Wisconsin native knew about the special group.

“As soon as I got into Notre Dame I was like, I have to try it,” Masciopinto said. “I think the community, the people are what made me stay for four years.”

Though she played soccer and ran cross country in high school, Masicopinto never saw herself as a star athlete. But throughout her time with the club, she has grown more confident in her abilities in and out of the ring.

“I think that’s something that people don’t realize is that the confidence thing is — oh, like, ‘I’m strong, I can do whatever,’ but it really translates outside of the club too, because you realize, ‘oh, I can do something that like most people don’t do. I can quite literally take a hit on the chin and keep moving,’” Masicopinto said.

Whitman got hooked during those early 2020 days. She thought focusing on training so much at the beginning of her boxing career helped prepare her when the tournament returned in 2021.

Though the competition is understandably seen as the club’s high point, she and other boxers feel it’s important to remember the journey, not just the destination.

“It’s not all about damaging another boxer. It’s about showing what you have done showing what you’ve learned, showing what you’ve worked see VP FEATURE PAGE 3

BARAKA BOUTS PRESIDENT FEATURE

Baraka president prepares for final year in ring

By JAKE MILLER Senior Sports Writer

For many Notre Dame students, when they hear about Baraka Bouts, they immediately think about boxing. Of course, boxing is at the center of the club, but for many involved, including current president Nicole Lies, Baraka Bouts means much more.

“I’ve made a lot of my best friends and best memories in Baraka Bouts and coming to practice is pretty much always the best part of my day,” Lies said.

Serving as the club’s social media captain in 2022, Lies found a place to showcase her creativity.

“I found it really rewarding to have kind of that outreach that resulted in a lot of fundraising and a lot of better engagement and participation,” she said.

Originally from Naperville, Illinois, Lies is now an offcampus senior studying chemical engineering. She originally heard about Baraka Bouts from her sister, who participated in the club and graduated in 2020. But as a higher

schooler and prospective student, it wasn’t something she saw herself doing.

“I went to the tournament one year and watched her compete. I never could see myself doing it because boxing is such a daunting thing, a daunting sport,” Lies said.

With time, though, Lies warmed up to the idea, especially considering some of the campus life restrictions in place during her freshman year (2020).

“Because of COVID, there really weren’t that many clubs, sports that were actually practicing. There weren’t that many activities that were meeting in person, and I had a couple of friends who were joining the boxing club. I’ve always been into fitness, so I just decided to try it but, immediately, I really liked it,” she said.

Lies continued to participate in the club through her sophomore and junior years.

She quickly stood out as an excellent athlete who learned in a flash.

Last year, she lost in the finals of her bracket. The year before, she lost in the finals.

This year, her goal is to make

it one further step and win her bracket.

“I think it would be a great progression to be able to be a champion this year, especially because it’s my last chance,” Lies said.

When asked about her development and rise to one of the club’s top boxers, Lies thanked her teammates and coaches, giving them all the credit. She said that one of the most helpful things her peers did for her was give her a nickname: (Nicole) Knuckles.

“In boxing, it’s super important that you punch with knuckles as opposed to any other part of your hand. So that’s something that helps remind me to have good form when I punch,” she said.

While Lies is excited for her time in the ring, her ultimate goal is the success of the tournament and the personal development of younger boxers.

As president, Lies’ role is largely administrative, ensuring that everything runs according to plan. Given the size and scope of the club and tournament, she has her hands full. see PRESIDENT PAGE 3

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

Baraka president Nicole Lies began boxing her sophomore year and has her sights set on winning after two years of losses in the finals.