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Volume 56, Issue 34 | MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
DIANE PARK | The Observer
Holiday traditions, scandals and sentiments By UYEN LE, SPENCER KELLY and CHRIS RUSSO From the Archives Researchers
The holiday season is always a special time on the tri-campus, as we ring in the first snow w ith a snowball fight on South Quad, string up festive lights in our dorms or eat a delicious Christmas dinner in the dining halls right before finals. Dorms, clubs and organizations host inventive holiday
programming to spread the Christmas cheer, including Carroll Christmas’ horsedraw n carriage. In this holiday edition of From the Archives, we w ill look at the events and sentiments that have characterized the tri-campus communit y’s celebration of our w inter wonderland. In the 1970s and ‘80s, Christmastime at Saint Mar y’s College featured festiv ities, feasts, singing …
Talk discusses social injustice By GRACIE EPPLER
News Writer
Professor Anna Haskins has come to many conclusions during her extensive research on social inequalit y — primarily that “stigma is stick y.” “An indiv idual can be stigmatized, but this stigma doesn’t stay in one place,” Haskins said. “Stigma spreads.” Haskins is an Andrew V. Tackes associate professor of sociolog y and co-editor of “W hen Parents Are Incarcerated: Interdisciplinar y Research and Inter ventions to Support Children.” She shared her research on racism, the effects of incarceration on the education system and families in the final lecture of the K lau Center’s “Building an Anti-Racist Vocabular y” series. The series featured many scholars, leaders and professors who gave different insights into social
News PAGE 3
inequalities and what we can do to combat racism. It was led by Dor y Mitros Durham, associate director of the K lau Center and leader of the Racial Justice Initiative at the Keough School of Global A ffairs. Lectures occurred over Zoom ever y Friday of the semester and can be found online through the K lau Center’s website. On Friday, Haskins closed out the lecture series by div ing into the intersection between school, families and the criminal legal system. She began by analyzing the rate at which people are imprisoned in the United States, and more specifically, in Indiana. “Here in Indiana, we have an incarceration rate of 765 per 100,000 people,” Haskins said. “This means that Indiana locks up indiv iduals at a higher rate than any other democracy on Earth.” see HASKINS PAGE 3
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and stuffed animals. On Dec. 8, 1976, Saint Mar y’s junior students conducted the “Christmas Animal Walk,” held annually since 1935. The junior girls dressed in nightgow ns, robes and slippers and walked around to each of the dorms singing carols. Follow ing tradition, students of other classes placed stuffed animals outside their dorm room doors, facing away from the Church
of Loretto. As the carolers walked by, they turned each stuffed animal to face the church. Stev ie Wernig, then-assistant dean of student affairs, said the stuffed animals had sy mbolic significance. “The turning of the stuffed animal toward the Church of Loretto is a remembrance of the coming of the animals to the stable when Christ was born,” Wernig said. “The caroling procession is sy mbolic
of the angels announcing the birth of the Christ child.” Another beloved Saint Mar y’s Christmas tradition was the Madrigal Dinner, an event featuring food and music from the Elizabethan era. The 12th-annual edition, held on both Dec. 4 and 5, starred 20 performers and 14 servers dressed in periodcorrect costumes. The evening see ARCHIVES PAGE 4
ND alum bakes cookies for students during finals By ISA SHEIKH
News Writer
Four t imes a yea r, t he K lee fa mily’s Sout h Bend k itchen turns into a sma ll cook iema k ing factor y. Rick K lee, a Double Domer a nd t he Universit y’s former ta x director for 21 yea rs, has long ca red about Not re Da me. K lee was a resident in Keena n Ha ll as a n underg raduate study ing accounting. He returned to ser ve t he K nights as a n assista nt rector while study ing t heolog y, a t ime during which he fond ly reca lls being involved in t he f irst-ever Keena n Rev ue held in 1976. Born to a couple who went to Not re Da me a nd Sa int Ma r y’s, K lee is t he fat her of four children, a ll of whom attended eit her of t he t wo schools. K lee’s son Da nny, a Not re Da me class of ’08 g raduate, sa id t hat his fat her is one of his heroes. Da nny, now a midd le school teacher at Christ t he K ing Cat holic School, remembers dif f icu lt weeks during f ina ls a nd
Viewpoint PAGE 6
midterms during his t ime as a t heolog y student liv ing in Di l lon Ha l l. His fat her “wou ld come a nd drop cook ies of f in what ca n be a tough week — a nice litt le lif t during t hat t ime,” Da nny sa id. At t hat point, K lee had children a nd nephews in ot her dorms at Not re Da me, a nd he wou ld ba ke close to si x dozen cook ies for his fa mi ly a nd t heir f riends. But over t he course of 17 yea rs, K lee has ex pa nded his operat ion. “Work ing in t he ta x depa r t ment for 21 yea rs, you don’t have a lot of interact ion w it h students,” K lee sa id. “A nd so, t his was k ind of a way to feel more a pa r t of t he students’ communit y.” So, each yea r, including t he t wo yea rs since he has ret ired, K lee has come close to ba k ing 150 cook ies. “W hen I f irst sta r ted out, it was rea l ly simple,” K lee reca l led. “I bought one of t hose round conta iners of Qua ker Oats a nd I wou ld ma ke ha lf oat mea l ra isin cook ies a nd ha lf chocolate
ND Men’s Soccer PAGE 8
chip oat mea l cook ies.” Since t hen, t he select ion cook ies has evolved. K lee ba kes f lavors including Texas sheet ca ke, chocolate iced, coconut joy a nd specia li zed Christ mas ba rk cook ies t hat his w ife Dia ne ma kes. He’s consta nt ly listening to feedback a nd adapt ing; for exa mple, he eliminated t he pea nut butter cook ies a few yea rs back. He has a lso upg raded t he chocolate chip cook ie recipe. They’re rea l ly good because t hey have lots more butter in t hem t ha n t he orig ina l recipe did,” K lee added. W hi le his chi ldren a re no longer cra mming for f ina ls in t he libra r y, K lee has found ot her ways to ident if y which students w i l l be t he luck y recipients of his ba ked goods. “Three out of my four k ids beca me teachers,” K lee sa id. As t ime goes by, t hey “wou ld ident if y people here.” see COOKIES PAGE 4
Hockey PAGE 8
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TODAY
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What is your favorite Christmas movie?
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“‘Silence of the Lambs.’”
“‘A Christmas Story.’”
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“‘Home Alone.’”
“‘Breaking Dawn Part 2.’”
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“‘Elf.’”
“‘Rudolph.’”
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ANYA RUFFINO | The Observer
The No. 4 seed Notre Dame men’s soccer team poses for a photo after their win 4-2 in the quarterfinals game against No. 5 Pitt in Alumni Stadium this past Saturday. The win advances the Irish to the College Cup in Cary, North Carolina on Friday, Dec. 10.
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Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Pottery Sale 122 Riley Hall of Art 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Shop for one-of-a-kind pieces by faculty and student artists.
German Christmas Bash Geddes Coffee House noon - 1 p.m. Traditional treats, songs and activities.
“Supportive Expressions” SMC Campus Ministry Resources Room 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Open discussion.
“Unwrap the Magic of Science” 105 Jordan Hall 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Lecture on the brain for ages 5 - 105.
“New Faces” MFA Art Exhibition 214 Riley Hall of Art 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. First-year master’s program exhibition.
“The Humanitarian Impact of Economic Sanctions” Online 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. RSVP required.
Las Posadas Coleman-Morse Center 9 p.m. - 10 p.m. Celebrate with prayer, songs and food.
“Christian Perspectives on Critical Race Theory” 1050 Jenkins Nanovic 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Register online.
Bilingual Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Las Mañanitas Keough Hall Chapel 11:30 p.m. - midnight Music led by Coro Primavera and Mariachi ND.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | The ObserveR
ND students intern in D.C. By SIOBHAN LOUGHNEY
Talent & Inclusion Manager
College students are always busy, but Notre Dame students in the Washington Program balance a full time internship with classes while living in Washington D.C. for a semester. Junior political science major Hailey Abrams spent her fall semester interning with the AntiDefamation League (ADL), gaining experience that she can tie together with her studies. Abrams is an intern in the ADL’s Government Relations, Advocacy, and Community Engagement (GRACE) team, a group that connects the ADL and its regional offices with Congress, one of the many opportunities that Notre Dame students were able to apply for as part of the Washington Program. By day, Abrams sits in on hearings, meetings and political organizing work. By night, she attends classes in Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs in D.C. Accompanied by a handful of other Notre Dame students in a variety of different internships, Abrams’ courses included an introductory public policy class and two electives of her choice.
“We have people interning on the hill, some people are interning with private companies, some people are interning with lobbying firms,” Abrams said. “You kind of get to choose your own adventure.” Abrams’ chosen adventure starts each morning at 9:30 a.m., when she reviews upcoming events pertaining to her assigned congressional committees. She then spends her day working through various tasks, proofreading letters and listening to meetings. Recently, her work has been focused on organizing senators by their stance on filibusters and working with lobbying organizations who have taken a stance on the filibuster, too. The team’s goal is to formulate the ADL’s response to the issue and work to have their interest reflected in Congress, she said. When the work day ends, Abrams’ work is far from over. In the evening, she spends a few more hours in her classes, which are taught by Notre Dame and University of San Francisco professors. Though the program is small, there are a mix of Notre Dame and USF students taking the courses together. A schedule like this might
be intimidating for many, but Abrams said she appreciates being pushed out of her comfort zone. “I’ve really learned how to balance my time a lot better, and I’ve learned what I want to do after college,” Abrams said. Time management and work experience are not the only benefits students like Abrams take away from their semester in D.C. While many students opt to apply for study abroad semesters in foreign countries, students in the Washington Program have the chance to take in all of the excitement, culture and opportunities of a major city in the U.S., while forming connections with peers in a small, close-knit cohort. Abrams said some of her favorite aspects of her experience have been experiencing life in the city, trying new restaurants and meeting all different types of people. “I think a lot of people forget the [Washington Program],” Abrams said. “But I really think that the D.C. program and the internships and the friends that you can make are really, really important.” Contact Siobhan Loughney at sloughne@nd.edu
Haskins Continued from page 1
These rates are objectively higher for Black Indiana residents, as well as Latino and Indigenous citizens. There is no way to avoid the apparent racial disparit y when examining these statistics, Haskins noted. This racialized nature of incarceration plays a huge impact in African American communities, Haskins said. Children of incarcerated parents are especially affected by the lack of stabilit y. Children whose parents are imprisoned often have lower standardized test scores and live in underpriv ileged neighborhoods where the schools are underfunded and have higher teacher turnover. “This is not to say that children whose parents are incarcerated are not as smart,” Haskins noted, “but that they are often given less academic opportunities.” Through her research, Haskins pointed out how truly racially segregated our nation still is. “These issues happen
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often w ithin particular areas and absolutely rarely in others,” she said. She emphasizes the div isions that still ex ist in our countr y — these div isions are one reason why parental incarceration is so stigmatized. However, both Haskins and Mitros Durham believe this stigma should end, especially when Haskin’s research proved that one in t wo Americans experience some familial relative being imprisoned. Even w ith so many discouraging statistics about the true presence of racism in America, especially in our legal and education systems, Haskins and Mitros Durham believe there is hope. And this starts, they said, w ith open minds and open hearts. “Silence is stigmatizing!” Haskins said passionately. “ We cannot pretend that race doesn’t ex ist, and we cannot pretend these families don’t ex ist. We have to talk about it.” Contact Gracie Eppler at geppler@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Archives Continued from page 1
also included court dancers, harpsichord music and performances of other 16th-century instruments. The 1984 Madrigal Dinner was held at the Haggar Hall Center, which was decked out in decorations and lighting designed to “create an authentic 16th-century atmosphere.” Event coordinator Clayton Henderson said the dinner was the product of a collaboration from Saint Mary’s dance, music and theater departments. “Everyone has come together from the different departments and worked just like a family to put this production together,” Henderson said. These two events indicate the flourishing Christmas spirit at Saint Mary’s, something Wernig emphasized. “Christmas here has a real tradition,” Wernig said. “Years after graduation, SMC girls remember the special ways we celebrated here.” Axing the “X” in “Xmas”
December 7, 2007 | Karen Langley | Researched by Christopher Russo Despite being a prominent Catholic university, Notre Dame’s Christmas decor is limited: a multicolored tree outside God Quad, garland throughout O’Shag and doors covered in wrapping paper. In December of 2007, Karen Langley (‘08) covered the installation of a 19-foot-wide holiday sign hung atop Pangborn Hall. The original sign read “Have a Phoxy Xmas” in purple lights. The hall’s former rector, Kuukua Yomekpe, received confirmation from University maintenance workers that they would hang the sign, but no such action was taken.
Yomekpe then received a call from associate vice president for residence life Bill Kirk, who told her the sign could not be hung as it was, so as not to “take Christ out of Christmas.” The sign was crafted in the months leading up to the holiday season by former hall president Allie Carrick (‘09). The term “Xmas” was used in order to appropriately balance the sign and cut down on costs. Kirk admitted that he did not think the students intended to be disrespectful, but he asserted that publicly visible decorations fall under the administration’s domain. Kirk and Yomekpe agreed to have the sign altered by the University carpentry shop. They axed the “X” and added “Christ,” paid for by the maintenance department. Although the administration aired concern about the implications of replacing “Christmas” with “Xmas,” Fr. Gary Chamberland, priest in residence at Pangborn wwHall, said the use of the letter X as a shorthand for Christ dates back at least 1000 years. He pointed out that X is the written form of the Greek letter chi. According to Chamberland, early Christians relied on the shorthand term Xmas when copying countless manuscripts. Kirk acknowledged Chamberland’s historical perspective, but told The Observer, “At Notre Dame, can’t we have Christ at Christmas?” The article’s author, Langley, points out that the “keeping Christ in Christmas” sentiment is often expressed in mainstream Christian circles. When speaking with Langley, Kirk cited then Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly for popularizing the term “keep Christ in Christmas.” After altering the sign, it was installed on top of Pangborn Hall in time for the holiday
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season. Fr. Chamberland concluded that all they did was “change Christmas to Christmas.” Although 14 years have passed, Christmas decorations remain scarce across campus, which poses important questions: How much Christmas decoration has the University censored? What should Christmas decorations look like on a Catholic campus? Last Christmas: a bittersweet season for seniors
December 9, 1968 | Joel Connelly | Researched by Uyen Le For seniors at Notre Dame across the years, the holidays are a nostalgic time, as we celebrate our last Christmas on campus with friends and prepare ourselves for our last semester of college. On Dec. 9, 1968, Joel Connelly (‘69) reflected on what he deemed “The Senior Christmas,” those last few weeks of fall semester that mark the beginning of the end for seniors on their college journey. Connelly first thought back to his freshman year, when winter break could not come soon enough, as his fellow Farley resident, Dave White, “would mark a giant ‘X’ through another day and then pronounce the number of days remaining until the hour of liberation.” As an underclassman, Connelly took his time at Notre Dame for granted, as “there was in those days a security in the present.” In a matter of months, he would not be able to have those random long conversations in the middle of the night with his dorm neighbors and close friends. “Many have built an existence at Notre Dame on five or six close friends and perhaps an equal number of faculty,” he wrote, “whereas we are now tightly knit little groups we will
soon be radically alone.” The uncertainty of the future plagued Connelly’s mind. Connelly’s college years were backdropped by the Vietnam War, so on top of the usual job hunt that occupies seniors’ time, the prospect of the draft also loomed over Connelly and his classmates’ heads. Though looking ahead was unpleasant for Connelly, he also reflected fondly on his experience at Notre Dame, as over the years “a feeling has developed for this university. This affection is best manifested in the relationships we have developed while here.” Because of the friendships that had been cultivated throughout the years, the holidays brought a dread for Connelly and his senior peers. In an effort to protect their own feelings, many of his friends paradoxically expressed an interest in isolating themselves — a seeming coping mechanism to prepare for the impending separation postgraduation. Connelly observed that, at the senior Christmas parties, “instead of joviality there was a deadly solemnity.” However, for Connelly this solemnity did not detract from the holiday spirit but revealed the deep feelings of fraternity that had developed among his group of friends and a desire to establish direction. The Senior Christmas, for him, was an opportunity for reflection and imagination, wherein seniors “are going to be thinking of what lies ahead and in which direction we will be headed as the Golden Dome and its icon fade into the distance.”
Cookies Continued from page 1
Contact Uyen Le at
Danny, now in his 12th year and teaching religion at Christ the King, said he keeps in touch w ith his students and their families, some of whom are “big Notre Dame fans.” His sister Katie, who taught at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis for 8 years, did much of the same. “We all love that our dad does this,” she said. Katie, a 2012 Notre Dame graduate who had transferred from Saint Mar y’s to pursue theolog y, described the cookies as “melt-in-your-mouth, soft and chew y.” “Somehow they would last all midterms and finals week in that same perfect texture,” she added. W hat K lee describes as a “labor of love” culminates in organized pickups at the beginning of each finals and midterms week. “Being a CPA [Certified Public Accountant], of course, I had to sit dow n and tr y and figure out just kind of a rough estimate,” K lee said. “So, I think it’s somewhere bet ween 500 and 550 dozen cookies over the last 17 years.” Danny ref lected on his father’s initiative to prov ide these baked goods to students. “He has always been such a generous giver,” he remarked. “I think it’s really a combination of just how generous he is, the heart he has and how thoughtful he has been.”
hle2@nd.edu, Spencer Kelly at skelly25@nd.edu and Chris Russo at crusso2@nd.edu
Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu
The observer | MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
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DOUGLAS ABELL | The Observer
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The observer | Monday, December 6, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Don’t live for lasts
What good does it do? Ellie Konfrst Butterfly Effects
Abby Patrick Viewpoint Editor
I’ve been thinking a lot about lasts lately. So have my friends. As a senior, it’s pretty natural to be at least a little preoccupied by endings — they’re everywhere. Last football games as students, last fall semester, last Christmastime on campus, last day of classes, even. I think the fall-to-winter switch lends itself to lasts as well, the subtle fading of the year helping me to wax always nostalgic about comings and goings and change. But the other thing I’ve noticed is how different everyone’s approach to lasts is. Some people are hyper conscious of lasts, trying to remember, document and make the most of every moment. One of my friends in particular finds the focus on lasts annoying — their argument is that if you are too focused on the fact of the “last” in the moment, what kind of memories are you making anyway? For others the lasts go relatively unmarked, just one more moment in the stream of life in a typically busy and bustling semester. It’s a question I’ve asked myself a lot, in light of my awareness of certain endings: What way is the best to react to lasts? I’m not big on change and tend to invest a lot emotionally in specific times and places, and even the look, feel or smell of those places in particular moments — my childhood room, a particular triangle of trees on campus, one specific springtime viewing of the 2005 “Pride and Prejudice” — inextricably tying them to my memories, cherished for their emotional value in my life narrative. In particular, I remember the Christmas of my senior year of high school. I’m the oldest in my family and the whole holiday I was so, so, so aware of it being my last Christmas — our last Christmas — at home before I was much more absent from my family’s dayto-day life. I moped around thinking about how we were never going to have Christmas like this again — very bleak and dramatic of me, being all of 17 and worried about the insurmountability of the passage of time (big sigh for effect) and the way we can never reclaim the past. Looking back at that Christmas now, it’s no wonder that the moping is what I remember most. Not the time I spent with my family, or the annual screening of our favorite three Christmas movies (because no other Christmas movies exist, right?), though I do remember those moments too. Instead, it’s the emotional turmoil of being acutely aware of this sort of created last Christmas that really stands out, leaving its imprint on those memories. And now, at Christmastime four years later, with a different graduation and set of life changes looming, just a little, I’m on the verge of falling down that lightly ridiculously fatalistic emotional rabbit hole once again, despite knowing that every Christmas since leaving for college has been just as merry and bright as those that came before. So what’s the solution? How do I keep from making every moment about what that moment stands for, rather than living in the moment itself? Everyone talks about presentness, that you want to be present in the moment. But what is that really? What is presentness? How is it achieved or defined? What does it feel like in the moment? Does an active striving for or awareness of presentness pull you out of the present moment such that you are no longer “present”? These are the sort of circles my mind runs around in, and I don’t have any answers (if anyone has advice, send it my way). If anything, perhaps this is just a little reminder to myself to be aware that maybe living for the feeling of the past, or wanting to make the past in the present moment isn’t the best philosophy, and makes for mopey Christmas memories. So yes, as a sort of fittingly irresolute resolution, the senior facing the end of her last-first-semester is preoccupied with endings. How cliche: It’s been done and done and redone and there will be many other columns, from other writers, in this reflective vein throughout the year — have no fear. We all tend to be conscious of at least the big lasts and the way they make us reevaluate our own status quo. And I’m not trying to be bleak, dramatic 17-year-old me either, because I realize endings bring growth and the chance for new beginnings. For me at least, this column maybe gives me a little space to figure out how to acknowledge lasts and endings, to give them their proper moments, without letting the sense of last take over, giving them too much power. And with that in mind, I’m looking forward to this Christmas for the last that is, and for the time it will give me with my family, last or not. You can contact Abby at apatrick@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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A week before Thanksgiving, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt commuted the sentence of Julius Jones, a death row inmate set to be executed for a 1999 murder, in dramatic fashion. Advocates and attorneys for Jones spent weeks biting their nails after the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended his sentence be commuted at the beginning of November. Gov. Stitt granted Jones clemency via executive order a mere three hours before he was set to be executed, after his last meal and his final words to his family. Still, the commutation was a rare victory for anti-death penalty advocates, especially following the spree of federal executions at the end of the Trump administration. In 2020, the federal government executed 13 inmates — the most for any single year since the 19th century. In fact, in the last six months of 2020, the federal government executed more people than they had in the previous six decades. The last-minute clemency in Oklahoma, with the memory of last year’s frenzy of federal executions fresh in the minds of Americans, has, once again, raised the question of capital punishment in public discourse. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, arguing that it is unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment. Yet, the option persists as a punishment for capital crimes, federally and in 28 states, including Oklahoma. The federal executions in the latter half of 2020 weighed heavily on my heart, and reading stories detailing many of these inmates’ final moments is a bleak and dreadful affair. Most tell of heartbreaking childhoods of neglect and abuse, chances for redemption cut short and, most painfully, a distinct lack of closure for the families of their victims. Jones’ commutation is undeniably a victory, but it still rings hollow. The existence of the death penalty, at any level of government, is a stain on this country and makes a mockery of American ideals of justice and equality. If you Google it, you can find thousands of articles outlining the pros and cons of the death penalty, but analyzing it under a cost-benefit analysis is not exactly what I’m interested in today. The real question that has been plaguing me, which is central to the moral issue at the core of the death penalty discussion, is this: What good does it do? There are myriad practical arguments against the death penalty. It’s been empirically proven that lethal injection is more costly for the state than a lifetime of incarceration. There is also the empirically proven and abhorrent racial bias behind those sentenced to death: a fundamentally racist criminal justice system means that people of color, most often Black people, are significantly more likely to receive the death penalty than white people. Further, there is very little evidence of a correlation between the death penalty and lower crime rates, eliminating any argument for its deterrence effect. Despite this, it is impossible to ignore that everyone who receives the death penalty has already been convicted of a heinous crime, and there are people still suffering the consequences of their choices. I am grateful that I have never known anyone who has been the victim of a capital crime, and I cannot even begin to imagine the pain of those who have. If the death penalty was able to bring them
some sort of peace, or closure, perhaps it is serving its purpose as a tool of justice, and is worth ignoring its practical deficiencies. Unfortunately, the death penalty does no such thing. One study found that only 2.5% of those affected by the crimes of death row inmates said the process brought them any closure, while over 20% said the execution did not help them heal at all. For some, executions and the publicity surrounding them complicate the grieving process and polarize families, obstructing their ability to heal. Overall, the study found that families find better closure when their family members’ murderers were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, rather than the death penalty. Julius Jones and his attorneys claim true innocence to this day, citing issues with his trial including ineffective defense attorneys, a racially biased jury and alleged prosecutorial misconduct. Of the 13 people executed by the federal government in 2020, at least three presented signs of severe intellectual disability or mental illness. Many spent their time in prison and on death row repenting for their crimes, and used their last words to apologize to their victims and their families. Lethal injection, the mode of execution utilized for all of these inmates, is known to take at least 20 minutes to kill, creating excruciating pain and suffering and a feeling similar to drowning. None of these things excuse their actions, but they do raise the question: Is this what justice looks like? Federal executions take place in Terre Haute, Indiana, a mere three hours south from Notre Dame’s campus. Last year, Pope Francis declared the death penalty to be “inadmissable,” and argued that all Catholics should be fighting for its abolition. This is, frankly, an issue that is morally unacceptable for any Notre Dame student to ignore. The death penalty is unjust, racist and cruel, and it fails to provide any sense of peace or closure to victims or their families. President Biden issued a halt on federal executions, but his stance on the future of the practice remains unclear. Further, while federal executions skyrocketed, the overall number of executions in the United States declined in 2020, and the number of death penalties imposed reached its lowest point since 1991. However, until the death penalty is fully abolished, federally and in every state, people across this country will continue to suffer the cruel and unusual consequences of a society fixated on punishment without regard for human life. Even worse, those punishments will serve only to satisfy our most primal desire for revenge, without taking into consideration the needs of those most hurt by these people’s crimes. Continuing the practice of capital punishment is not only impractical and unwise — it is morally indefensible. Ellie Konfrst is a senior studying political science with a minor in the Hesburgh Program for Public Service. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, she’s excited people will once again be forced to listen to her extremely good takes. You can find her off campus trying to decide whether or not she’ll go to law school or bragging that Taylor Swift follows her on Tumblr. She can be reached at egloverk@nd.edu or @elliekonfrst13 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | Monday, December 6, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The spirit of Notre Dame is back There’s a (new) Magic in the Sound of Her Name ... There is a palpable energy on campus right now. You can feel it. I was able to go over there Thursday for a meeting and realized it was something we’ve been missing for a long time now. What is it? It’s that spirit of Notre Dame that we all carry in our hearts. When Marcus Freeman was picked as head coach, I was excited because he seemed to embody qualities we all desire to carry as members of the Notre Dame family. Then, I saw the video of him being announced into the locker room. That said it all. I get chills every time I watch it. What we saw is exactly what I just spoke about — the spirit of Notre Dame — and it just blew the roof off of that locker room. Marcus Freeman becoming Notre Dame’s head coach seems to have given all of us permission to reignite that spirit within us that we didn’t even know was dormant. Was this past week rough? Yes. I cannot even begin to imagine what the players went through, or how they felt. Nobody wants a punch in the gut. But I’m also a glass-half-full thinker. So here’s what I do know. I’ve been knocked down enough times, and been through enough storms to know if you trust God in the storm, He will always blow you away with His plan. Sometimes the wrong things have to happen so the right things can. Sometimes you’ve got to break down to break through. God is known for making beauty from ashes, and we are about to see what I think will be one of the best seasons of Notre Dame football
we’ve ever seen. I just wish my Dad was alive to see it. So we’ve got to trust that God has a plan. He knew the timing of all of this. He knew exactly who he wanted to be the next coach. He even knew Brian Kelly would leave. So you’ve got to thank the good Lord that He did what only He could do to get us what we needed. This wasn’t just about us getting a coach. It was about our team and our school getting its heart back, because that’s how our guys play on the field and how we all show up for life — with heart. So God (who sees our hearts) found a guy who has heart, to connect to the hearts of those team members. That is what I believe reignited the fire in all of our hearts for that spirit of Notre Dame. That is also what I believe makes this even bigger than potentially winning a national championship. God is in it and He’s given us our hope back. Think about this: When is the last time you saw players say they wanted someone to be their coach? I know in all of my time at Notre Dame I’ve never seen it. Now, there wasn’t social media when I was an undergrad. But still, to see some of these players post what they did on social media — “We want Freeman!” — and then to see it play out in the locker room? Powerful stuff. In fact, the only other place I could think of it was in the movie, “Rudy.” (Yes, I know, overplayed. But stay with me for a minute). Remember the scene when all the players walked into Dan Devine’s office, wearing their letter jackets? Each one of them comes in, dropping their jerseys on his desk and saying they want Rudy to play in their place. Now, this is a completely different situation
and person — but it’s the sentiment. In both cases, the team players were passionate about a person that displayed that powerful spirit of Notre Dame. In both cases, the players used their voices to stand up for what they wanted. This time, thankfully it was for Marcus Freeman and it seems because they wanted Him, he’s not just the team’s coach, he’s our coach because we are Notre Dame. Knowing that the players are behind him is one thing, but to then hear him echo that sentiment in his first locker room speech as head coach shows what an incredible leader he is and will be. He has a great reputation and I know some consider him an underdog because of his age and lack of previous head coaching. But that’s the beauty, because you know God’s going do something amazing in him! God’s favor is upon this team. He will do great things though them, through this coach and through our Notre Dame family because he just lit the fire in our hearts again. We’ve got the spirit back we didn’t even know we needed. We are all behind you, Coach Freeman and team. Thank you to whoever made this happen, especially to the football players for standing up for your choice. You’ve inspired us all. May God bless you on the field and beyond. May God bless you, Marcus Freeman. May God bless Notre Dame and may all of our hearts beat again as we hear the sound of her name. Meredith Terpeluk Schoeller class of 1999 Dec. 3
A Christmas column Andrew Sveda Church and State
For those interested in politics, this is quite a special time of year — one of merrymaking, fun, laughter and, most importantly, that seasonal debacle in the culture war known as “The War on Christmas.” The controversies often seem rather silly, though some, like the use of the word “Christmas” vs. “holiday,” bear significance. But, in their own way, each of these cultural flashpoints is important. By focusing on something as a part of “The War on Christmas,” we are saying something about what exactly Christmas is. So often we talk about Christmas in vague terms: “the meaning of Christmas,” “the Christmas spirit,” “ruining” or “keeping Christmas.” But as in any good discussion, we must first define our terms. What is Christmas anyway? The dominant narrative in America seems to talk of Christmas almost as a bigger and better Thanksgiving, filled with parties and festivities, hot chocolate and warm fires, lights and decorations. Songs on the radio sing of love and romance, family and snowy weather and, of course, reindeer and sleighs and jingle bells. If you asked kids who Christmas is about, the vast majority would undoubtedly scream in delight, “Santa!”, that man with the bag who eagerly waits to serve every good boy and girl’s most fanciful wishes. A green pine tree stands tall in every living room with, best of all, presents underneath it —and an optional crèche off in the distance somewhere. All this is quite powerful imagery, and, if we are not careful, our imaginations will sweep us off our feet. But we must resist the urge and ask ourselves this question: What exactly are we celebrating here? Some might say family or friends but I really think it is a feeling. There is a desire every December to get into that exceedingly kind and warm feeling referred to as “the Christmas spirit.” This is usually achieved by soaking one’s self in all the nostalgic things we love about Christmas time. Sometimes we even convince
ourselves that, by feeling this way, we are changed men and women, that things are going to be different from now on. But when we turn off the TV and stop the music, we realize not only that we thought being “Christmassy” was primarily about feeling a feeling but also that there is something wrong with us, that we are broken on a fundamental level. And the vague “good feelings” we had did absolutely nothing to change that. Have you never come to this conclusion after being at a party, a concert, or a sports game? You’re talking with your friends, laughing and having a good time, but as you head back home in the silence of the night or wake up the next day, you understand that the festivities did not, to your surprise, deliver all you thought it promised. We search for feelings, we desperately desire “good vibes” because we think they’ll make us happy, that by them we’ll recover what we seem to have lost. But the supposed antidote falls agonizingly short. It’s like taking Advil over and over again, hoping that one day it will finally cure the cancer in your body. Or like trying to nurse a tree branch back to health, ignoring the fact that its root is already dead. Our condition is much worse than we’d care to admit. The modern conception of Christmas offers a vague and fleeting sentimentality but ultimately no abiding comfort to those who are suffering and weary. This Christmas is little more than a fair-weather friend, great when things are going well but nothing more than wishful thinking otherwise. Must we, then, become disillusioned with Christmas? Not at all. For this conception of Christmas was never the real thing but only a hollowed-out, cheap knockoff of what Christmas truly is. And what is that? It is the celebration that 2000 years ago God became incarnate and was born of a virgin in Bethlehem. That’s what Christmas is about. This is not some add-on to an otherwise secular holiday. This, and this alone, is why we should celebrate every Dec. 25. Not that friends and family and good songs and get-togethers are bad things — quite the opposite. But they become idols when we make them the main
thing. Some people may be quietly disappointed in hearing this. We often — to our shame — find God entering into His creation far less exciting than so-and-so’s party next weekend or figuring out what presents to get everyone. This reveals at least two things: 1) We don’t care about God as we ought and 2) We don’t understand Christmas as we ought. Christmas is not just about the birth of some cute, random baby in history that has really nothing to do with us. When many see nativity scenes, however, they doubtless think along these lines. But it is not so. He came into the world for a reason, a reason that was not decided some day when He was 30 but was decided before the Incarnation, before the world began in eternity past. The Bible does not leave us guessing the reason. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). He “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). He “came … to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He came “to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). He was born, in other words, to suffer and “[die] for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Christmas looks forward to Good Friday and Easter. They are intrinsically linked. If we don’t realize that, we’ll have a hard time understanding Christmas. Jesus, Christ the Savior, Immanuel, God with us, is born in Bethlehem! That was the message proclaimed 2,000 years ago, and the one we celebrate every Christmas. Not some mere sentiment or warm feeling. But a living and breathing Savior. A perfect and complete Savior. The spotless Lamb. Our great high priest. God Himself. Andrew Sveda is a junior at Notre Dame from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, majoring in political science with a supplementary major in theology. In his free time, he enjoys writing (obviously), reading and playing the piano. He can be reached at asveda@nd.edu or @SvedaAndrew on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Sports
The observer | MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
HOCKEY | 2-4, 5-1
MEN’S SOCCER | 1-1 ND ADVANCES ON PENALTY KICKS, 4-2
No. 8 Irish split weekend series Observer Sports Staff
The No. 8 Irish hockey team (11-4, 5-3-0-2-0-0 B1G) split their weekend series against the No. 18 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-5, 5-3-00-0-0 B1G). After losing their first game by a score of 4-2, the Irish bounced back to beat the Buckeyes by a convincing 5-1 scoreline.
Irish fall in game one On Friday night, the Irish outshot the Buckeyes 36-28, but the Buckeyes capitalized off of their chances to earn a relatively comfortable 4-2 win. The Buckeyes were two for five on the penalty kill on the night, while the Irish were unable to score on the power play. Ultimately, that proved to be the difference on Friday. Early on, it looked like the Irish were going to control this one. They dominated early on in the first period. Sophomore forward Ryder Rolston got the Irish on the board at the 7:41 mark of the first period with a wrister from the far boards. That goal was Rolston’s fifth of the year. He got assists from senior forward Graham Slaggert and senior defenseman Nick Leivermann. The Buckeyes were able to gain momentum at the end of the first period, however, and grabbed a 2-1 lead at the end of the period. This came from goals from Kamil Sadlocha at the 12:34 mark and Travis Treloar at the 15:27 mark. To start the second period, the Irish successfully killed off an Ohio State penalty with graduate student goaltender Matthew Galajda making a couple of big saves. The Irish had their first power play of the game, and sophomore forward Grant Silianoff had a great look, but he was denied by Michigan goaltender Jakub Dobes. The Buckeyes were then able to extend their lead to 3-1 in the middle of the second period. Georgii Merkulov slipped a shot past Galajda. The Buckeyes then scored another power-play goal a couple of minutes later to take a commanding 4-1 lead into the third period. The Irish were able to cut the Buckeyes lead to 4-2. They used an extra attacker at the 18:42 mark of the third period with junior forward Max Ellis scoring his 11th goal of the season. When all was said and done, though, the Irish were unable to mount a comeback and the game ended at 4-2.
Turning the tide on night two The Irish were able to right the ship on Saturday night and beat the Buckeyes in dominating fashion by a score of 5-1. The Irish got a 2-0 lead early in the first period. They used that momentum to dominate throughout the entire game. To start the game, the Irish were dominant, and they were constantly on the attack in the Buckeyes’ zone. After a couple of saved shots, Leivermann was finally able to score to give the
Irish an early 1-0 lead less than five minutes into the game. Minutes later, the Irish got their first power play of the game. The Irish capitalized immediately with Rolston finding the back of the net to give the Irish a 2-0 lead. The play was set up from a faceoff win in the Buckeyes’ zone with Leivermann and Ellis setting up the score. The Buckeyes showed some fight at the end of the first period. They scored off of a faceoff at the 7:37 mark of the period to cut the lead in half. The Irish generated another power-play opportunity later in the first period, but the Buckeyes held strong this time. Their hold forced the Irish to take a 2-1 lead into the second period. The Irish handed the Buckeyes their first power play of the night early on in the second period, but junior goaltender Ryan Bischel made a couple of nice saves to retain the lead for the Irish. Sophomore forward Landon Slaggert scored for the Irish midway through the second period to open up the score to 3-1. The goal was set up by Slaggert, who got a steal at the defensive blue line, which sent his brother Landon streaking towards the Ohio State goal. Graham then sent a pass that hit Landon in stride to set up a close-range goal. Later on in the second period, the Irish took a convincing 4-1 lead off of a goal from senior forward Cam Burke. Burke was assisted by graduate student defenseman Adam Karashik and freshman defenseman Jake Boltmann. The Irish found the back of the net again in the third period. This became possible as a Buckeyes’ goaltender interference call gave the Irish a power play. It was junior forward Jesse Lansdell that found the back of the net to give the Irish a 5-1 lead. Despite awarding the Buckeyes a couple of power plays in the third period, the Irish held strong to secure a 5-1 win and avoid the series sweep to the Buckeyes. Head coach Jeff Jackson said he was pleased with his team’s ability to bounce back after a disappointing loss on Friday. “I thought we played a good 60-minute hockey game,” Jackson said. “We’re getting scoring from every line; it was good to see the power play have success and the penalty kill got back on track tonight, and if you’re going to win you need to have good special teams.” With the win, the Irish remain fourth in the Big Ten standings, but they are now within two points of the Buckeyes, who sit third in the standings. The Irish will end their first half of the season next weekend against Michigan State. The teams face off at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 10 and 7:00 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the Compton Family Ice Arena.
Squad downs Pittsburgh, advances to College Cup By J.J. POST Sports Writer
Last night Notre Dame men’s soccer dow ned Pittsburgh on penalt y kicks in the NCA A tournament quarterfinals, advancing to the programs’ second-ever College Cup. The teams tied at the end of regulation but the Irish ultimately won on penalt y kicks, 4-2. The w in marked yet another milestone for an Irish team that has continually defied odds this season. In the preseason coaches’ poll, Notre Dame was selected to finish last in the ACC. But today, a little over three months later, the Irish stand as champions of the ACC and are t wo w ins away from taking home a national title. The quarter-final showdow n w ith the Panthers was a tense one. Pittsburgh took the lead early on the road despite being in front of a crowded and vocal A lumni Stadium. Just before halftime, fullback Jasper Loeffelsend fired a ball across the box from about 20 yards out. Then, attacking midfielder Guilherme Feitosa redirected it into the back of the net. The goal ended an Irish shutout streak that had lasted over 600 minutes to that point. The streak dated back to the first game of the ACC tournament. Then, the Irish beat the NC State Wolfpack, 1-0. But in the second half, Notre Dame came out firing and responded. After a freekick was earned just outside the Panther third, junior midfielder Ethan O’Brien stepped up and delivered a fantastic ball. The ser v ice found the head of sophomore fullback Paddy Burns, whose t w isting header beat Pitt goalkeeper Nico Campuzano. Though both teams would have their chances to end the game in open play, the match eventually would come dow n to penalt y kicks. A fate similar to Notre Dame’s conference quarterfinal against Louisv ille. After both overtimes, the Irish won off penalties, scoring three and allow ing none. Just as in the Cardinal match, the Irish shooters
did their job. Saturday, they converted on all four of their chances. First, senior for ward Jack Ly nn opened it up for the Irish, then Burns converted behind him. Followed by graduate student for ward Dawson McCartney and to close it out, senior defender Phillip Quinton netted his. Ultimately, though, it came dow n to sophomore goalkeeper Brian Dowd, who played hero in the net. After letting the first t wo through, Dowd saved the next t wo. He appeared to be in pain after his first save, walking out of the net like he had the w ind knocked out of him. But he shook off the pain on the next kick to make a big second save to w in the game for the Irish. “It’s December in South Bend, so I think I just landed funny on a patch of freezing cold ground,” said Dowd after the match. “But, honestly, after that, I wasn’t thinking about the pain at all. I just really wanted to stop ever y shot, so there wasn’t really much going through my
mind.” The Irish w ill now head to Car y, North Carolina, for a Friday night showdow n w ith another ACC foe. Notre Dame w ill face the Clemson Tigers as their semi-final opponent. Notre Dame has some prior histor y w ith the Tigers this season as well. The Irish grabbed their first major conference road v ictor y of the season in Clemson back in early October, w inning 2-0. But regardless of the opponent, the team’s mentalit y is the same as it has been all tournament. The Irish w ill continue their quest for the second-ever national title in program histor y. “To be honest, I don’t think anyone respects Notre Dame, even throughout the season as we picked up big, big results,” said Paddy Burns. “College [soccer] news sources never give us respect, so we’ve had a chip on our shoulder and that chip is going absolutely nowhere until we w in a national championship.” Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu
ANYA RUFFINO | The Observer
Irish sophomore goalkeeper Bryan Dowd takes a free kick during Notre Dame’s home win (1-1, 4-2 on PKs) over Pittsburgh Saturday. 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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ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | The Observer
Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Pay attention to detail. Listen carefully, verify information and assess situations before you make promises. Dedication and loyalty will help dismiss uncertainty and insecurity. Search for the truth, but don’t let disappointment and anger consume you. A smile and a positive attitude will help you achieve what you set out to do and encourage others to follow your lead. Your numbers are 3, 11, 19, 22, 26, 33, 42. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t let your ego get in your way. Be happy for others, and it will help you excel. Look at what you can achieve, not the impossible. Stay focused on what pleases you instead of trying to impress someone. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t overanalyze. Put a strategy in place that will help you achieve your goal without taking detours. An organized approach to life, love and responsibilities will help you overcome confusion, setbacks and mistakes. Put more thought and effort into a meaningful relationship. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Rethink your strategy. Size up your situation, and discuss your plans with someone you love. Knowing what others are willing to do to help will make it easier for you to plan your day. Weigh the pros and cons, then proceed. CANCER (June 21-July 22): A change of heart will take you down a positive path. Show someone how much you care. A kind or affectionate gesture will improve a relationship with someone you love. Reach out and be the first to let go of past regrets. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A steady pace and a willingness to let others do as they please will help you get through your day unscathed. Stick to the truth. Don’t promise more than you can deliver, and live within your budget. Indulgence will be your downfall. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Reserve judgment. Saying something critical will not be well-received. Offer compassion, hands-on help, love and understanding, and you will bring about positive changes that will be agreeable to everyone involved. Approach others with a positive and peaceful attitude. Romance is favored. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Touch base with people you miss. A conversation will bring you up-to-date and lead to plans that lift your spirits. Travel plans, social functions and home improvements are favored. Prepare for the end of the year. Tidy up loose ends. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Be observant; you’ll discover fascinating facts about the people around you. Knowing others’ likes and dislikes will help you get along with everyone. Mull over domestic changes, and accept the inevitable. Let go of what no longer works for you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Refuse to be dazzled by someone’s pie-in-thesky plans. Be realistic, innovative and intelligent, and you will far exceed your expectations. Believe in yourself and what you can do, not in someone who boasts but doesn’t deliver. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Review and redo. Take the time to reorganize, take stock and prepare for the end of one year and the beginning of another. Leave nothing to chance or in limbo; address personal matters and size up situations. It’s time to clean house. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A change of plans will favor you. Consider what you want to contribute, and make your presence count. The input you offer will help you gain respect and encourage others to give you credit and the rewards you deserve. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You can throw your weight around and make a difference. Sign up for something you believe in, and take charge. A change to how you earn your living will give you a new lease on life. Don’t fear change. Birthday Baby: You are demonstrative, clever and creative. You are energetic and powerful.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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Sports
Sports
Freeman Continued from page 12
we’ve got great leaders in this room.” Freeman said the team wouldn’t be changing, but instead enhancing what they do. He said they would lean on the leadership within the team and find a way to do everything they wanted to. “We’re gonna set high expectations and we’re going to do everything in our power to
ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | The Observer
make sure we equip ourselves to reach them. And then the next mission’s gonna occur,” Freeman said. The final College Football Playoff rankings break on Sunday, Dec. 5, which will determine the bowl or playoff game the Irish will attend. Freeman said regardless of who the opponent is, in 48-hours they will have one goal in mind: finish the season strong. “This isn’t about the future, let’s be clear. That’s a disservice to this group,” Freeman
said. “This isn’t about the future. This isn’t about next year. This isn’t about five years from now. This is about right now. It’s about finishing this season off the right way for your seniors. I don’t care about anything else. We’ve all got a job to do. I care about us and this group and this coaching staff and this football family finishing this off the way we have to.” Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu
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SPORTS AUTHORITY
MLB lockout plan David Kramer Sports Writer
With the enforcement of the MLB, lockout comes haunting questions about the future of the game. Of course, concerns over the resumption of baseball activity this season are legitimate, but the proposals of the lockout hold much greater bearing on how baseball will modernize itself. For the first time in nearly 30 years, the MLBPA-owner dynamic holds the fate of baseball in the balance. Here, the operational strategy of small-market teams takes center stage. Struggling small market organizations drowning in the collective swim for financial leverage in a saturated pool of free agents or trade candidates at the deadline will release top assets on a whim if front office algorithms prove that their season is in jeopardy. Socalled “tanking” and “trusting the process” create an ever-increasing chasm between playoff contenders and their divisional opponents. No matter the sport, this phenomenon comes into play far more often in small-market franchises. Given the scheduling structure of Major League Baseball, the level of ease and lack of retribution involved in tanking causes a cascade effect between contenders and their divisional punching bags. Top teams face the two worst rosters in their division 38 times in a season. The former “hot stove” of the trade deadline is growing drier, often attributable to the small number of heavy-hitting buyers stimulating the market. Made evident by the unusually huge stir of excitement surrounding the latest insurgence of pre-lockout trades, free-agent signings and contract extensions, fans crave a change. In most cases, offering incentives is more attractive than enforcing punishments. In the recent discussions between
MLB players and team owners, this reality becomes painfully clear: Both parties love the idea of expanded playoffs and a universal designated hitter, but imposing restrictions on revenue-sharing for “tanking” teams feels difficult to evaluate and counterproductive for spending on players. The primary focus of the MLB lockout should be these added incentives. First, they need incentives for more teams to feel that they have a dog in the fight when the trade deadline approaches. Then, incentives for more teams to fill the designated hitter position with electrifying talent at the plate. Thirdly, incentives for teams to protect their current assets instead of investing in future ones. Lastly, there need to be incentives for players to stay loyal to small-market teams that struggle in the short run due to the expanded opportunities of a championship in the long run. Based on World Series wins, the era of true baseball “dynasties” is assuredly over. Far more than its popular professional sports counterparts, the ebb and flow of MLB franchise successes are wildly turbulent. With no back-toback World Series champion in 20 years and 17 teams earning World Series bids in the last 14 years, large-market teams still hold an advantage, but the landscape is far from irreparably lopsided. The MLB Players Association seeks a major overhaul of baseball’s free agency, service time, and arbitration structure. The motivation to loosen the restrictions on a player’s service time requirements at the Major League level lies, at least in part, in the rise of young players in years past. The game is certainly younger than ever. But simply stripping team owners of the ability to limit the compensation of young players should not be the main point of contention in the lockout. A “perfect” pay structure in a league with low annual revenue would make the differences between player salaries pretty negligible. Equipping a men’s softball league with a contract-only pay structure would be trivial. The most important point of discussion during this lockout needs to be protecting the profitability and popularity of the game. A general effort to boost the attractiveness of baseball — meaning expanded playoffs and a universal DH — will continue to grant owners the revenue to invest and reinvest in their players. This will be especially true for small market owners. The gradual decline in viewership and fan engagement throughout the game might keep specific compensation rules relevant for now. But that reality could easily take a different shape if the profitability of the league dries up. When in doubt, keep things simple. Contact David Kramer at dkramer2@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Irish enter Freeman Era Marcus Freeman named 30th Dick Corbett head football coach as Irish prepare for Fiesta Bowl
Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
On Friday, James E. Rohn Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick named Marcus Freeman the 30th Dick Corbett head coach of Notre Dame football. Freeman, pictured here with his family, addressed the team saying “We’ve all got job to do. I care about us and this group and this coaching staff and this football family finishing this off the way we have to.” By MANNION McGINLEY Sports Editor
After a turbulent two days, Notre Dame named defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman the 30th Dick Corbett head football coach.
The search The search started Monday night after news broke that former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly had left to fill the head coach vacancy at LSU. He signed a 10-year deal worth $95 million including incentives. University Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics, Jack Swarbrick, found himself in the throes of a head coach search Tuesday and Wednesday. Freeman was the defensive coordinator this year at Notre Dame, at Cincinnati for four years and at Purdue for four years. He was a linebackers coach at Kent State before that. On Wednesday night, around 8 p.m., Twitter started buzzing again. Per sources, it was seemingly confirmed that Jack Swarbrick had offered Marcus
Freeman the head coaching job.
It’s official Friday morning, Notre Dame made the news official, with support from University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. “Marcus Freeman has not only proven himself a superb football coach, he has shown — both in his time at Notre Dame and in my conversations with him this week — that he is a person of highest integrity who cares deeply about our student-athletes and is committed to their success in the classroom as well as on the field,” Jenkins said. “I am excited to welcome him as our new head football coach, and to have his wife, Joanna, and their six beautiful children in the Notre Dame family.” Swarbrick made a statement as well, listing his reasons for choosing Freeman and what set him apart from other potential candidates. “Marcus’ ability to connect with people, his fit at Notre Dame and the way he coaches young men set him apart as we went through our search
process,” Swarbrick said. “I can’t wait to see how the culture created by these remarkable student-athletes continues to grow under the tutelage of Marcus and his staff.” Freeman expressed gratitude towards filling the position. Additionally, he outlined some of his goals for the rest of the season. “It is an honor to be named the head coach of Notre Dame Football,” Freeman said. “I am eternally grateful to both Father John Jenkins and Jack Swarbrick for giving me the opportunity to lead the exceptional men who make this program what it is. Notre Dame is a very special place and I look forward to pursuing a national championship with the most outstanding student-athletes, coaches and staff in college football.”
Spreading the news After the announcement, Irish social media spaces broke out in excitement. The Notre Dame Football Instagram posted a video of Director of Football Performance Matt Balis announcing Freeman to the team officially. Freeman entered the room to join an
energetic mosh pit for his first meeting as head coach. The entire room was yelling and jumping, with Freeman at the center of it. The post was captioned “a player’s coach,” celebrating the outpouring of support Freeman received from recruits and players even before any decision was made. The support continued after the announcement with players like Kyren Williams tweeting “#Freemanera” and others simply retweeting the video. The defense especially had something to say. Players like Kyle Hamilton, Cam Hart and Kurt Hinish had been vocal throughout the process, but with the news official, more comments poured out. Senior defensive lineman Jayson Ademilola tweeted “We Got Your Back!!! #Freemanera” once the news broke, with a picture of him and Freeman. Junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey, who has had a breakout sophomore season under Freeman’s direction, tweeted “#Freemanera starts now!! Finish the season Strong”
official statement as head coach in a press conference on Monday at 2 p.m. However, after they celebrated, Freeman addressed the players for the first time as head coach and was quick to thank Swarbrick, Jenkins and the University. He said though, that while they facilitated his promotion, they’re not the reason he received it. “This is the first time I get to address you guys, and it’s been a long — it seems like centuries — that I’ve been at home after me and Jack had this conversation,” Freeman said. “I, first off, want to thank Jack for this opportunity. He’s the one that made this decision. Somebody had to make a decision and he gave me this opportunity. Father Jenkins gave me this opportunity. But the reason why is because of you. Everybody understand that? The reason why I’m standing here is because of you.” “It is unbelievable how powerful you guys are, alright? It’s unbelievable how powerful your voices are,” Freeman continued. “That’s why we’re gonna do great things, ’cause
Telling the team Freeman will make his first
see FREEMAN PAGE 11