Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, December 6, 2024
Faculty discuss global democracy
Experts identify faltering economies, poverty, colonialism as threats to democracy
By NAZRET DEGAULLE News Writer
On Wednesday, Notre Dame faculty gathered at the Hesburgh Center Auditorium to provide insights on global election results and their implications for democracy in key regions around the world, including Asia, Latin America, the United States, Europe and Africa. The lecture is part of a larger series sponsored by the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative.
The discussion featured six faculty members who are experts on the state of democracy in different regions of the world. Mary Gallagher, a specialist on China and the newly appointed dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs, moderated the event.
The consensus among the experts was that democracy today is declining. However, this was still a pivotal year for democracies, with over 70 countries engaging in elections — more than half of the world.
Europe
Assistant professor of democracy and global affairs Marc Jacob noted that political polarization in Europe differs from that of the U.S. because Europe, unlike the U.S., is not predominantly composed of two-party systems. He mentioned that across Europe incumbents are struggling, especially as a result of economic turmoil.
“Parties are having a hard time justifying to voters why the see DEMOCRACY PAGE 3
Professors debate
Trump policy
By SOPHIE HANAWALT Staff Writer
President-elect Donald Trump has discussed plans to implement a number of widespread changes to higher education, including increased taxation on university endowments and withholding of federal funding from universities with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, both of which could potentially impact the University of Notre Dame.
David Campbell, a political science professor and director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, shared that Trump’s proposed changes come as higher education has gone through an “erosion of confidence.”
Professor Geoffrey Layman, chair of the department of political science, echoed Campbell’s statement, saying that “hostility to higher education has become part
Students donate supplies to mothers in need
By AYNSLEE DELLACCA Saint Mary’s News Editor
To kick off the 2024 Advent season, Saint Mary’s student clubs Belles for Life and Fiat hosted a “Mother Mary Baby Shower” for mothers in need within the South Bend community. Fueled by virgin mimosas and dessert, students attended and built gift baskets for mothers in need.
Working in tandem with ecumenical chaplain Carrie Badertscher and her non-profit organization For the Good, the clubs first hosted a drive for supplies.
“We organized a baby registry and sent it out to alumnae, and then ... they shared it with their friends and so on, and then it just kind of took off,” senior Mary Bakke, Belles for Life committee chair, said.
The event was hosted on Wednesday evening from 7:308:30 p.m. in the Stapleton Lounge. Belles for Life and Fiat urged students to bring gifts and write notes of encouragement for the baskets. Donations, which were funneled through The Bump registry, included car seats, diapers, pacifiers, books, lotion, bibs, wipes and
more.
“Our idea was in hope to get enough purchases that we’d get the free items from just signing up for it, and then it turned into something way bigger than we ever could imagine, which is great,” senior Sara Caniglia, Fiat vice president, said. “I think that’s the beauty of the Saint Mary’s community, is that we can come together and still support. Once you’re a Belle, you’re always a Belle, which I think is really beautiful. A lot of alumnae donated, parents and then some students. I feel like a lot of prayers were answered.”
Bakke and Caniglia worked together to plan and execute the baby shower, and they both knew Badertscher and her organization would be the right third party to incorporate into the event.
“We want to do this baby shower, but we want a speaker, so Pastor Carrie was the obvious choice,” Bakke said. “We know that she walks with moms, has walked with them through choosing life, but also gets to walk with them afterwards. So, we thought it would be perfect for her to come talk to us, but then also here’s someone that we can give these to.”
The event began with Badertscher giving a small talk about For The Good and a short sermon about Mary’s “yes” to God.
For The Good began just over 10 years ago when Badertscher and her husband moved into an underresourced neighborhood in South Bend and recognized their neighbors were in need.
“We talked a contractor into building us a back room, and in the back room were two eight-foot tables with about 24 chairs. And then every night, at five o’clock, we would open the door for whoever didn’t have dinner that night,” Badertscher said.
The nightly dinners soon turned into starting a food pantry, a diaper pantry and a laundry service. Though the Badertschers have since moved from their original home, they’ve continued to offer these free services to their community members. Baderstcher specifically focused on The Gathering Space during her talk, a weekly daycare space for single moms to visit with their children and one another.
“I went to a church downtown
SAM GODINEZ | The Observer
Jenkins-Nanovic Halls house the political science department of the University of Notre Dame, across from the Cedar Grove Cemetery.
NAZRET DEGAULLE | The Observer
From left to right, professors Scott Mainwaring, Bernard Forjwuor, Dianne Pinderhughes and Marc Jacob each give insight into a specific region or country across the globe suffering democractic backsliding.
Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content.
The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the
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On Thursday at 3:30 p.m., the Notre
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Friday
Christmas Lecture: ‘The Hidden Reality’
Century Center
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Talk on James Webb Space Telescope.
ND Chorale: Handel’s ‘Messiah’ DPAC
8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Chorale and orchestra perform masterpiece.
Saturday
‘Organs and Origins’ Conference
Geddes Hall
9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Initial causes of life and the universe.
Men’s Basketball vs. Syracuse Purcell Pavilion
12 p.m.
Notre Dame takes on Syracuse University.
Sunday
Jazz Band Concert DPAC
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Two ensembles and a New Orleans brass band perform.
Christmas Madrigal Dinner Rice Commons
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Sing-along dinner with live performances.
Monday
Lecture: ‘The Path to Investing’ Jordan Auditorium
5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Talk on PJT, Tiger Global and Blackstone.
Ornament Making Event
Ave Brew Cafe
10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Make ornaments and hang them on tree.
Tuesday
Art Sale
216 Riley Hall
9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Panel:
Students participate in annual snowball fight
Observer Staff Report
After roughly six inches of snow fell throughout the day, students across the tri-campus knew, finally, the first snowball fight was imminent. Even before the stroke of midnight, hundreds of students from Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s gathered on South Quad for the annual tradition.
Students ran around chasing friends or strangers, screaming with delight over the sudden conflicts and rivalries. One student shouted, “Someone pelted me in the head, and I can’t find where they are.”
A snow castle was erected outside of South Dining Hall before the fight began by students from Baumer Hall, replete with the hall name etched in snow. The castle was destroyed before
economy is the way it is,” he said.
To succeed in Europe, Jacobs noted that parties must adopt moderate positions, as authoritarianism has proven ineffective. Additionally, a key issue in recent years was lack of distinct policy agendas from major parties, leading to voter frustration. Voters today seem to want a broad range of policy options. This is seen in countries like Hungary and Poland, where new splinter parties are emerging that offer voters more choices, Jacobs said.
Latin America Professor of political science Scott Mainwaring made it clear that the future of democracy in Latin America varies significantly by country.
“There are 20 countries, including three high-level democracies whose liberal democracy scores are pretty close to that of the United
States — Costa Rica, Uruguay and Chile — and then there are three of the most brutal authoritarian regimes on the planet — Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela,” he said.
Despite the diversity of political systems in the region, it was a pivotal year for elections in Latin America, with Mexico electing its first female president and the opposition in Venezuela briefly gaining power before being ousted by the 11-year-old Maduro regime.
As seen in Venezuela, many countries in the region have experienced significant setbacks, a phenomenon Mainwaring described as “democratic stagnation with big democratic deficits.”
While poverty has decreased in many Latin American countries, largely due to the rise of globalization, entrenched authoritarian leaders and organized crime continue to undermine progress, he explained.
He also said that proponents of authoritarian regimes in Latin
America, such as those in Venezuela and Nicaragua, often justify their positions with rhetoric about being “against the West and for the people,” even as these regimes similarly repress their citizens, as exemplified by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.
Mainwaring emphasized the complex and often contradictory nature of democracy in the region, where progress in some areas is offset by the persistence of authoritarian practices in others.
United States
Professor of africana studies and political science Dianne Pinderhughes gave her opinion of president-elect Donald Trump and his impact on a national and global level. She commented that while he did better than before, it was far from a historic success. While he was the first Republican to win the popular vote in two decades, he won by around 1.5% of the vote, a margin of victory smaller than any
midnight by a group wielding a Baumer flag.
Students were spotted wielding red and blue lightsabers and facing off while dodging snowballs from the crowd. Looking out across the quad, the light emitted from the blades stood out like Christmas lights.
The Notre Dame Glee Club sang Christmas carols together outside the Knights of Columbus clubhouse, brandishing foam swords. Christmas music rang from various loudspeakers and phones spread throughout the quad.
Another large crowd formed around a group that was participating in Oklahoma drills, where two people face off in a small space and try to get past each other. Shouts and cheers sprang from the mosh pit every few minutes.
U.S. presidential election in over 50 years. Pinderhughes viewed this as a crucial statistic to consider when looking at the direction of U.S. politics.
“Democracy is not what this president is interested in,” she said.
But what would a decline in democracy mean for the United States? Associate professor of political science Victoria Hui believed that if the United States lost democracy, it would also lose its dominance across the world.
Most people bundled up for the cold temperatures which were approximately 25 degrees Fahrenheit. However, a few were spotted donning skimpy wrestling uniforms and brawling in the snow. Others wore nothing but a simple sweater or even a tank top. A few male students chose to not wear a shirt at all.
Another two students created a makeshift pulley system with a bicycle and a desk chair covered in Christmas lights. One student sat in a chair, holding onto a rope, while the other struggled to pull him along the snow-covered sidewalks.
The snowball fight lasted roughly an hour. As the tumult began to die down, a student with her friends walked past the South Dining Hall and commented, “I can’t believe this is my last one.”
as there was a strong democratic tradition in Africa prior to the first colonial efforts. What many disliked, however, was the way democratic states have opened space for capitalist exploitation in Africa. In many ways, democracy made the people of the African continent vulnerable.
Even still, Forjwuor believed that there was a path forward and that African states have the chance to redefine what democracy means to them.
“For the U.S. to maintain hegemony, it must maintain democracy,” Pinderhughes said.
Africa
Democracy in Africa was spoken of in terms of the aftereffects of colonialism on the continent.
This was because, as assistant professor of africana studies Bernard Forjwuor put it, “colonialism dictated democracy.”
Forjwuor highlighted that most people on the continent are not asking for the rejection of democracy,
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“In order to judge whether democracy is consolidated in places in Africa, we need to uplift the voices of Africans themselves. Bring the people into the political structure,” he said.
Asia
Hui highlighted that China is the largest trading partner for many U.S. allies and creates a complicated situation for the Western world in which the push for democracy comes into conflict with economic efforts.
China is not the only country in Asia that has faced political unrest. Hui also expressed her shock over South Korea’s recent declaration of martial law, initiated by President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday and quickly reversed by South Korea’s parliament.
“We thought South Korea was a stable democracy,” Hui said. “Japan, South Korea and Taiwan come to mind when you think about stable democracies. If it could happen in South Korea, where else could this happen?”
Hui called on people to pay closer attention to the world around them and remember the very real challenges many face. She encouraged students and activists to seek knowledge about global political realities.
“What media can do and what people outside can do is go find knowledge about what is going on around the world,“ Hui said.“This is what you as Notre Dame students can do to help promote and defend democracy.”
Contact Nazret Degualle at ndegaull@nd.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
Two students battle with lightsabers as one gets hit with a rogue snowball during the annual fight Thursday night on South Quad.
Student senate resolves vacancy issues
by MEGAN CORNELL News Writer
The Notre Dame student senate met Wednesday and voted to suspend a vacancy election and fix a naming mistake. The meeting also entertained future proposals to amend the constitution and discussed the future of the senate in light of the end of the fall semester.
Student body president Dawson Kiser began the meeting in prayer before secretary Eileen Berger began roll call. After attendance was taken, Miller confirmed that there were no executive announcements
and that proceedings could begin immediately.
First on the general orders agenda was an order to suspend an election to fill a vacancy on the First Year Class Council (FYCC). This order is based on Article XIII, Section 2(a) of the undergraduate constitution, which requires that after an elected position becomes vacant an election must be held within the next two weeks. The constitution further states that in “Cases of elections where there is one candidate/ticket running unopposed the Judicial Council may recommend that the Student Senate suspend
and withhold federal funds from those who, as he explains on his campaign website, are plagued by antisemitism.
of the MAGA brand.”
According to Trump’s campaign website, one of his main proposals is to greatly increase the taxation on large university endowments. He claimed that he will use this higher tax revenue to create a free online university for American citizens called the American Academy.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 enabled the largest university endowments in the country to be taxed at a 1.4% rate. As of 2022, 33 universities, including Notre Dame, are subject to being taxed.
Campbell said that while it’s hard to predict whether or not Congress would pass legislation to increase the tax, he sees it as a very likely possibility, given both a Republican devaluing of higher education and because increases are “almost always the way taxes work.”
Layman, however, noted that while marginal increases of an expansion of the number of university endowments being taxed are foreseeable, he understands the current taxes to be fairly unpopular and does not believe increases would pass in congress.
Political science professor Darren Davis shared that while taxes have been implemented for a while, “what’s new is the attack on DEI programs and wokeness.” Trump has threatened to go after universities with DEI initiatives
Mothers
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
called First United Methodist Church, and I pitched the idea to their pastor about utilizing a large room they have on the second floor that wasn’t being used as a day center for women and children,” she said. “And so, on Tuesdays, we get there, about nine set up, and women come from 10 to three and just interact with one another. Children are running around. There’s toys on the floor. There’s people laughing and screaming, sometimes crying, but it’s a place to be seen, talk about Jesus and talk about life.”
These mothers Badertscher sees every week will be among the
the election and the candidate/ ticket shall be declared the winner.”
The vacancy in question was for Carroll Hall’s FYCC representative. As the sole candidate, freshman Michael McDonald will fill the position.
“The aforementioned election be suspended and the aforementioned candidate be declared the winner of his First-Year Class Council vacancy election,” student union parliamentarian Thomas Musgrave wrote. The order was passed without questioning, debate or opposition.
Next, the senate moved to pass
it doesn’t seem to play the same at Notre Dame as it does at any private university or as it does at the public schools.”
Notre Dame receives federal funding via grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation and other organizations, meaning Notre Dame could be impacted if the Trump administration did decide to reprimand schools.
“The current taxes are a real cost to the University community, as the University is on the hook for millions of dollars a year that could be spent elsewhere on scholarships or other programs,” Davis said.
That being said, all three professors were in agreement that Notre Dame would not be a priority if schools were reprimanded, only potentially receiving attention due to its large endowment.
“I would not characterize Notre Dame as being woke. I don’t think that many people would characterize Notre Dame as being woke,” Davis said. “I guess it all depends on how people think DEI has influenced Notre Dame … ‘wokeness’ has become a catch all phrase to describe everything that conservatives dislike, so I’m not sure how this will play out.”
“Notre Dame as an institution has generally not been in the crosshairs of these issues,” explained Campbell, agreeing with Davis.
“Our president was not summoned to testify before Congress on antisemitism and yes, Notre Dame has made a commitment to DEI, but
recipients for the gift baskets made during the baby shower. Most of the material left will be put into the For The Good diaper pantry for other families to take. The rest will stay on Saint Mary’s campus for student mothers in need.
Senior Jocelyn Porter, president of Belles for Life, and Caniglia both expressed interest in making the baby shower event an annual tradition beyond their tenure.
“I think it would be beautiful to keep continuing on, especially as an Advent tradition … and to keep letting moms know that we want to walk with you,” Caniglia said. “It’s not just about saying yes to life in the moment, but it’s about saying ‘yes,’ as Pastor Carrie kept saying throughout the whole time, and if we’re asking them to keep their
another unanimous resolution to fix an oversight in an order from the last meeting. This order clarifies the names of student judicial bodies. The order amended the wording of Article XII, Section 2(a10) in the constitution to say “Student Union Ethics Council” instead of “Student Union Ethics Commission.”
There were multiple proposals placed in “new business” for the future, but they were not discussed during the meeting. The proposals included clarifying the role of the Club Coordination Council and creating a Committee on Historical Oversight.
To close the meeting, sophomore class president Aleah Applin announced a few upcoming campus events. Adopt-a-Family Initiative gift wrapping is on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Stepan Center and the Harmonia concert is Friday at 7 p.m. in Washington Hall.
The meeting was adjourned after approximately 10 minutes and student body vice president Maeve Miller reminded senators that next week is the last meeting before the end of the semester.
Contact Megan Cornell at mcornell@nd.edu
Layman noted that the pro-Palestine protests that happened here in the spring were extremely tame compared to those at other institutions, referencing Ivy League schools.
Campbell added that he’s not sure whether Notre Dame’s approach to DEI is all that different from those of other schools, but rather believes Notre Dame “just wasn’t the sort of school that [Republican representative and Trump UN ambassador nominee] Elise Stefanik and others on that [Congressional hearing on antisemitism] committee were seeking to target.” He noted that other top universities, such as University of Chicago and Vanderbilt University, were not targeted during the hearings either.
“Among elite universities, Notre Dame is relatively conservative,” Layman said. “I just don’t feel like Notre Dame is a place that Trump is going to go after,” further suggesting that this is especially true due a big core of his support coming from American Catholics, especially increased support from Latino Catholic communities.
He also noted that even out of Catholic universities, Notre Dame would be an unlikely target due to the large proportion of Catholic universities being Jesuit and therefore more progressive.
Additionally, Trump has proposed large-scale changes to the
pregnancy to that, we want to walk with you.”
After the event, Badertscher loaded the baskets and the remaining donations into her car. She will deliver them to each family during their weekly The Gathering Space.
“I think it’s quite something when you can love a group so much, and then when someone else chooses to love them without knowing them, it just sits pretty special,” Badertscher said. “And so as I walk down the table and look at all of the things we’ve collected, I know exactly who all those gifts will go to … and I feel like it’s going to be like Christmas morning on Tuesday when I give one to each couple.”
Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edu
Department of Education, suggesting it should be eliminated alongside the financial aid it provides. Davis said this stems from a belief that everyone should pay for college on their own.
Campbell emphasized that these changes could threaten the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which enables students to receive federal student aid and helps colleges to assess need. He noted that both Democrats and Republicans saw this year’s rollout of the new FAFSA as a disaster. While they might decide to upgrade and improve the FAFSA, the new administration might decide to rollback federal aid or decide to keep it complicated so they don’t have to disperse as much money.
Campbell believes the latter option would be very unpopular.
If FAFSA or similar initiatives were impacted by the new administration, Davis said, “Many students would not be able to afford to go to college. Many students would not be able to afford Notre Dame.”
Campbell suggested this would be unpopular as most Americans still believe in the value of a college education and that students coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds should have every opportunity to attend college.
Layman said he believes “the
idea of forgiveness for student loans is out the window,” despite some forgiveness being popular among American voters.
“It will be interesting to see how the relationship between the Trump administration and higher education works,” Layman said. “I think there has been some realization, even in the Democratic Party, that some things have gone too far when it comes to ‘woke-ism’ as far as public opinion goes … I think some major universities are realizing that they’ve just sort of moved too far a liberal progressive direction.”
“They’ve realized that they’ve become too political or not balanced enough in terms of providing a venue for both sides,” he added. “There will already be adjustments of higher education that will put it less in tension with the Trump administration.”
Layman noted that he believes Trump will find universities slightly less at odds with his ideas than he did during his first presidency, as he’s seen some pullback already on DEI initiatives after the push for universities to embrace DEI and anti-racism after the initial George Floyd protests.
Contact Sophie Hanawalt at shanawal@nd.edu
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The Casper tell-all special
things that end, the things that will end.
Kate Casper Outsider Instincts
I call this the “Casper Tell-All Special,” even though I don’t intend to tell you anything (at all).
What I will tell you is that I saw my first love at my hometown bar last Wednesday, and it got me thinking. It got me thinking that he looked exactly the same as I remembered him, only this time we weren’t 19 and 20; we were 21 and 23, and I didn’t feel anything for him like I used to.
It was liberating and sad, like a Little Death. I didn’t even say hi to him; I didn’t need to. I liked seeing him exist, even if he exists somewhere on the periphery of my world now, in O’Connell’s or otherwise. And he looked happy — well, he looked hammered, but also happy. It made me happy to see him happy (even if he was flirting with two other girls) (even if he was too hammered to notice me, standing in the corner with a vodka soda, probably talking to my cousin or Michael or my coworker from high school) (my coworker and I reminisced about our old POS system, and it made me feel warm and fuzzy and also very faraway from the people we used to be, very old).
I felt very faraway, very old, this semester, all these Little Deaths following me, like ghosts (really friendly ghosts). Seeing your first love at the hometown bar is one thing, but living all your lasts is another. The last home football game was a tease (thank God), but all the other lasts felt very real to me.
But I like to think with every Little Death, perhaps I become more keen to the Big Life we’re all living right now. A little more present to the changes, the
If I could sum up the past four months in two words, it would be that: Big Life.
It wasn’t easy this fall. It never is.
Sometimes, you find yourself talking to someone you adore in a Chicago bar or dancing the night away with your girlfriends in some honky tonk in Nashville. Other times, you find yourself trapped in your room, crying, watching “One Day” and eating a cold Impossible Whopper you ordered for $17 off of GrubHub (the Whopper was delivered, of course, to the wrong building).
I don’t intend to tell you why I was crying (remember, I don’t intend to tell you anything at all).
What I will tell you is that feeling sad is just a sign of life. It’s like turbulence — you might forget you’re floating in a chair in the sky if not for the small shake and drop of the plane from the rough air, which reminds you that you’re here, which reminds you that you’re human.
I promise, I did not feel more human than when I was crying that night with the cold Impossible Whopper. It felt nostalgic, like staying home sick from elementary school, just shutting yourself in your room in your pajamas watching TV shows for hours (only minus the hourly temperature checks from Mom or Dad). When you’re sick, you let yourself feel everything (and then you shower and then you heal).
Feeling everything is awesome (like, yeah, sure, sometimes it totally sucks, but for the most part it’s great).
Feeling everything is sitting in LaFun, texting someone you really really like, and you’re grinning down at your phone hoping this never ends. It’s going to Hammer & Quill after homework with
your closest girlfriends you never see and ordering fancy drinks, cheers-ing with the fancy drinks, then paying for those fancy drinks. Feeling everything is reading “Giovanni’s Room” for colloquium, and you underline every sentence that aches. Feeling everything is getting five words into your Italian presentation when your voice starts trembling and you forget everything you ever learned in Italian (so you say “I’m sorry,” then take a swig of water, then accidentally spill water all over yourself). Feeling everything is sitting with Clare at work before her shift ends or having visitors (so many visitors) for all your game day weekends; it’s flying to California; it’s “Shenandoah” on a cold rainy day; it’s a shamrock temporary tattoo on your thigh (which proved impossible to remove); it’s the quiet of your tiny living room, where girls on your floor enter in all states (happy, sad, just okay) and sit for a while and talk to you and also keep you company.
There’s something so funny about this Big Life we’re all living, something that makes me so unafraid of the Little Deaths to come, the things that end and break and hurt.
I figure, the things that send you to your bed crying with a cold Impossible Whopper will one day be the things you smile at, from afar, in some bar, just happy that they exist. There’s still more out there for us, and I probably won’t tell you anything about it (at all).
Kate Casper is a senior at Notre Dame studying English with minors in digital marketing and Italian. She strives to be the best waste of your time. You can contact her at kcasper@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Get an A+ on all your finals
If you’re stressed for this upcoming finals season, stop worrying. Here are seven study secrets that guarantee you an A+ on all your exams without studying more. Normal study guides won’t tell you these tips. 99.9% of students will fail their exams because they don’t know these secrets.
Be on Adderall without being on Adderall
We cannot change the fact that Notre Dame “WILL NOT TOLERATE MISUSE of stimulant drugs.” But what if I told you there was a way to get the effects of Adderall without actually taking it? This is a tip I learned from a friend a year ago and will now share with you. If you pretend you are on Adderall, you can trick your mind into actually thinking you are on Adderall. Many students have tried this and witnessed exponential improvement in their productivity. Just make sure you’re not pretending to take Adderall and pretending to drink alcohol at the same time.
Biohacking
Biohacking is the future of productivity so if you aren’t utilizing it, you’re living in the past. Entrepreneur and lifestyle guru Dave Asprey defines biohacking as “changing the environment around you and inside you so you have more control over your own biology.” From cryotherapy, sleeping on a spiky mattress and drinking coffee blended with butter to walking barefoot, taking 40 supplements daily and inserting microchips into your body, there are numerous ways to capitalize on your biological potential this exam season. Some people might roll their eyes, they may even call you crazy, but you’ll be the one laughing once your brain and body are a fine-tuned productivity machine. Does it work?
Just ask the 3000 Patagonia vest-wearing Silicon Valley entrepreneurs at Asprey’s last convention. According
to Asprey, “Most people have twice as much energy potential, but they’re doing hundreds of small things that hold them back.” So are you going to let these things hold you back this semester, or are you going to eat, sleep and breathe biohacking? I call on each and every one of you to leave behind the weak semblance of a student you are now and embrace biohacking.
Develop a gambling addiction
Gambling is a great way to let out your frustrations and boost your adrenaline before starting a study session. What’s great about gambling is how low of a time commitment it is. You can lose win $1000 in seconds then get right back to the books with a renewed energy boost. This makes gambling the perfect study break that actually maximizes your productivity.
Learning via osmosis
The secret Big Library doesn’t want you to know is that there are other ways to acquire knowledge besides active studying. Research shows that information can seep into your brain through contact. Therefore, by merely holding your textbook to your head, you can learn the material. Throw out your pillows and sleep on your textbook. Those eight hours previously wasted on sleep are now time you’re spending acquiring information. This will increase your knowledge acquisition rate by 33.33%. Other students will not be able to keep up.
Refuse to conform
The library is where everyone goes to study, so by going to the library, you will get the same grades as everyone else. If you study in English like most other students, you will get the same questions wrong. Attempt studying in Polish or Dutch. Finding niche study spots, languages and other techniques and keeping them a secret will maximize your academic edge over your classmates.
Maintain control
You need to control the narrative leading up to the exam date. The last thing you want to do is let your classmates know what you’re thinking, how you feel or how much you studied. Knowledge is power, so you must deprive them of it. Never show weakness. Always be one step ahead. If your classmate is making flashcards, you should already have a deck made. If a fellow student is going to office hours, you should already be getting dinner with your TA on Tuesday night. Never show your hand. If you don’t know the answer to an exam question, simply write: “This question is too basic for me to answer.” You cannot fail when you are in control.
Eat for success
According to science, certain foods increase brainpower. Because time is of the essence, I concocted the most effective recipe that combines all the brain foods in one meal. Better yet, all the ingredients can be found in the dining hall. To make this brain-powering meal, grab a spinach wrap from the sandwich station. While you’re there, pile on some leafy greens, broccoli and avocado spread. Next, hurry over to the leftover breakfast foods and pile on some eggs. For a bit of a crunch, add some walnuts and chocolate chips from the ice cream station. Finally, add whatever fish the dining hall serves that day and pour some olive oil. After that, take it to the sandwich press and cook on medium-high heat for one minute. And just like that you have a delicious meal that will make you smarter.
Allison Abplanalp is a junior finance and accounting major. If she could change one thing about the English language, she would make “a lot” one word. Her least favorite month is March because every year she is devastated when she fails to pick the perfect March Madness bracket. You can contact Allison at aabplana@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Allison Abplanalp Under Further Scrutiny
Gracie Eppler The Soapbox
The AirPod experience
Are Americans incapable of sitting in silence?
My AirPods broke for the five millionth time last Tuesday. I headed to the Apple store with a heart full of hope and a dream, only to have my soul crushed by a balding Genius Bar worker who demanded I buy a new pair (because mine were more broken than a New Year’s resolution in April). Replacing Apple products is an expensive and exhausting operation. Yet, I always find myself returning, knowing that, in just six months, I’ll have to do it all over again.
There’s something so addicting about the AirPod experience. When the phenomenon first began, I was back in high school, still stubbornly clinging to the slinky wires of my corded headphones. Everything changed when I had my first fully-immersed AirPod session. You’re telling me that now you can walk into a different room and the music will still be playing? Not only was this ordeal entirely wire-free, but it was also extremely intimate. With the noise-canceling feature switched on, I could block out anything and anyone around me. I’m pretty sure if you drove a firetruck straight at me with its sirens at full blast, I wouldn’t notice a thing, the clamor drowned out by the melodic voices of John Denver or The Weeknd.
The AirPod experience allows you to be totally free in a physical sense, and yet completely submerged in a mental sense. Physically, I can spin across my basement floor, leaping and twirling and high kicking without having to worry that my phone might go flinging out of my hands. Mentally, I can block out any annoying distraction, distasteful setting or big-mouthed
INSIDE COLUMN
co-worker and enter the realm of whatever song I select. Some days, I’m a jaded cowboy like Doc Watson. Other times, I’m effortlessly girly like Addison Rae or Sabrina Carpenter. And, most of the time, I’m somewhere trapped in 1977 with Fleetwood Mac or Electric Light Orchestra.
What happens when my AirPods break? Suddenly, I’m tethered to reality. Suddenly, I have to carry my phone wherever I go and make sure the wires of my earbuds don’t get too tangled up. Suddenly, I can’t block out every irritating clack of my classmates’ fingers or retreat into the psychedelic bliss of Tame Impala. I have to sit with myself and the noises of the world around me. It’s unnerving.
Think about the last time you were truly quiet — no computer whirs or background jazz or Grammarly ads. I have an inkling that most of you, like myself, cannot recall a moment when we ever forced ourselves to sit in undisturbed silence. Journalist and author David Foster Wallace thinks that Americans are afraid of silence, so much so that we pump sonic house beats or Christmas tunes into every boba tea shop and department store. We are uncomfortable when we must exist in a space in which we are left alone with our soundless thoughts.
My friend once told me that, on a decibel level, I was the loudest person she’d ever met. This isn’t entirely my fault, since to be heard at all in my household full of equally ear-splitting older sisters, I usually have to shout. I’m accustomed to announcing my opinions boisterously and breaking into song whenever I want. In America, we’re okay with being loud. But in Europe, that boisterousness didn’t fly. When my friends and I attended a Greta Van Fleet Concert in Paris, we shouted to each other over the blare of the band’s electric
guitars. I overheard one Parisian lean over to his friend and murmur, “Can these obnoxious Americans behind us shut up?” as if we weren’t at a concert — a place that’s sort of notorious for allowing people to vocalize. I think Europeans have somehow accepted silence in a way that Americans cannot. In fact, they often demand it. From my own experiences, I sometimes wonder if Europeans know that they are permitted to speak outside of their own bedroom, that speaking is totally an okay and usually welcome thing to do. In a cafe in Lake Como, Italy, I was mid-sentence when I pushed the doors of the tiny restaurant open. I had to halt mid-word to avoid rude glances by the six other customers, all of whom were tight-lipped. They wore no headphones. They sat side-by-side with their partners and friends. And they said absolutely nothing. Why is it that we always have to say something? And why is it that, when we say it, we have to be loud? We just can’t seem to sit there without anything to stimulate or distract us from the events around us. I’ve been without AirPods for over a week now, and I’m feeling a little stir crazy. But I’ve also noticed the hum of my roommate’s Keurig, eavesdropped on the chatter of two friends debating which Trader Joe’s meal was superior outside my window and listened to the spindly legs of a squirrel running up a tree. Both physically and mentally, I am tied to where my feet are. And I kind of like it.
Gracie Eppler is a senior business analytics and English major from St. Louis, MO. Her top three things ever to exist are ‘70’s music, Nutella and Smith Studio 3, where she can be found dancing. You can reach her at geppler@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Empty rinks and deep thoughts
Tyler Reidy Sports Editor
Few things in life stimulate my senses more than walking into an empty ice rink. The pristine sheet of white, the expanse of vacant seats and the gentle chill in the air set a scene of tranquility and promise for memorable nights to come.
Since I became the radio voice of Notre Dame hockey two months ago, I’ve seen a handful of empty collegiate barns for the first time. The wooden bleachers of St. Lawrence’s Appleton Arena and the outdated center-ice scoreboard at Clarkson’s Cheel Arena brought visions of old-school hockey to life. The creaking sounds of metal under my feet at Michigan’s Yost Ice Arena echoed with passion and tradition.
When on the road with the hockey team, I never miss a game day morning visit to the rink. I’ll sleep in and get my homework done on Sunday. Fridays and Saturdays will always belong to hockey. As the Irish take the ice to practice, I scope out every inch of the venue, taking in all vantage points and reading markers of history scattered throughout the concourse.
Last weekend, however, I didn’t need to do any of that. I was back at Michigan State’s Munn Ice Arena, a place I had already visited less than a year earlier. As I walked into the building for Saturday morning’s skate, I didn’t go upstairs to read about Ryan Miller’s Hobey Baker season or the Cold War game for a seventh time. I just picked out an empty seat behind the glass, sat down and began to think.
My first trip to East Lansing in December 2023
marked the beginning of a year that has changed everything. I pulled out of Lake Lot on an overcast Friday morning, frustrated by the previous month. I had been struggling with friendships, less than satisfied with the opportunities I was creating for myself in student media and dumbfounded that none of the eight Northwoods League baseball broadcasting internships I had applied for were amounting to anything.
Thankfully, the weeks and months that followed took care of those last two grievances, but the drive I made to Michigan State that December weekend wouldn’t be my last alone. Three hours to write for The Observer in East Lansing became five hours to call a game for student radio in Pittsburgh in January. Then four more hours to cover another February hockey series in Madison. And the magnum opus: a 22 hour round-trip to Albany to cover Notre Dame women’s basketball in the Sweet 16 over Easter weekend.
While I found a way to visit family on a couple of those trips, all of those miles on Midwest interstate highways I spent alone. As sophomore year wrapped up and I left home to spend the entire summer calling baseball games six hours away in Minnesota, I began to understand the dark side of chasing after the crazy life I wanted in sports media. Taking on the hockey position has forced me to accept it.
I didn’t go home for fall break because the Irish had a series in South Bend on both weekends. As this piece publishes, I’m not heading to Kansas City for a traditional Thanksgiving with my grandparents, but instead across the Atlantic Ocean to broadcast hockey games in Northern Ireland. With Notre Dame football likely to make the College Football
Playoff and hockey scheduled to play in Chicago just after New Year’s Day, I’ll be home for a week at most this Christmas.
I miss out on perhaps even more during the school year. Because the standard college hockey series covers Friday and Saturday, Notre Dame hockey almost never plays at home on football weekends. I haven’t been inside Notre Dame Stadium since the Louisville game. My head sometimes begins to spin when I hear the Victory March cut through the television in my hotel room, rather than the stadium air. Life looks very different now. Long gone are the slow freshman days of spending time almost exclusively around my dorm and covering hardly more sports than rugby. At times I feel as if I’ve put my college career on double speed, barreling into my post-graduation hopes with still so much left before I need to get there. It’s like I’m playing a push-andpull game with the present and the future. Stop to take a breath and regret the decision in 10 years, or attack the future and miss the chance to live right now?
Finding the right balance will challenge me more than any other broadcast assignment, production shift or exam over the next year and a half. I’ll spend plenty of time — too much time — questioning myself.
But I can count on one thing. When I step into that empty rink, be it down the street at Compton or across the pond in Belfast, I’ll have no second thoughts.
You can contact Tyler at treidy3@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
By ANDY OTTONE Scene Writer
Sometimes, you need to move on. For the last eight years, Michael Schur’s “The Good Place” has been one of, if not my favorite television series. Since the pandemic began, I’ve rewatched that series multiple times, adopting it as my “comfort show,” the one I turn to when I want something familiar and memorable. I would be content watching the show over and over. And then, Netflix released Schur’s latest work, “A Man on the Inside.”
“Inside” stars Ted Danson, known for his roles in “Cheers,” Schur’s “Good Place” and recently NBC’s “Mr. Mayor,” as Charles Nieuwendyk, a retired professor entering the next stage of his life: serving as an investigative assistant for a private eye. His employer, Julie Kovalenko (Lilah Richcreek Estrada), asks him to infiltrate a San Francisco retired living community, where Charles meets a colorful cast of characters ranging from other residents to the facility’s staff. Cast standouts include “It’s Always Sunny’s” Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Charles’s daughter, Emily, Stephanie Beatriz (reuniting with Schur after their work together on Brooklyn
99) as the managing director of the retirement home and “Gilmore Girls” recurring star Sally Struthers as the friendly Virginia.
The show spans a breezy eight episodes, all running between 25 and 35 minutes. In its roughly four-hour runtime, most characters have a prominent presence in the show. While some characters exist to be more comedic relief than anything, the characters that do receive development are done so expertly, demonstrating Schur’s expert touch with writing character-driven television. Through his spywork, Charles becomes close with Calbert Graham, a fellow resident played by Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Lady Bird,” “Lincoln,” “Dune”). This friendship, not introduced until three episodes in, becomes one of the show’s beating hearts. But that didn’t distract from any of Charles’ other bonds and dynamics. The show excels at performing a balancing act of the large ensemble cast, giving everyone a chance to shine. Despite being the central premise, the “spy” plotline is a small factor in the show’s overall plot, and an even smaller part of the overall impact. While thinking about the show, I think less of the spy antics and more about the heartfelt moment the premise opens the cast up to. Through the setting
of a retirement home, combined with Charles’ losing his wife after a battle with Alzheimer’s, the show tells a myriad of storiesabout living after loss, coming to terms with an illness, and the bonds we forge late in life.
I love “The Good Place,” and when I saw that Danson and Schur had reunited to work on a new show, I knew I’d love it. And I did. The best part of it all, is that it scratches the same itch that “The Good Place” did. Whether it’s heartfelt plot lines, stellar performances (I’ll take the time now to mention more of Schur’s regulars in the series, with supporting roles by Eugene Cordero and Jama Williamson, and a cameo playing on Danson’s time on “The Good Place”) and wellcrafted writing, Schur’s “A Man on the Inside” is another hit for his backlog, and another feather in Netflix’s cap. There are no announcements regarding the show’s renewal, and based upon Netflix’s history of high standards for shows to beat cancellation, the future of “Inside” is not certain. Whether it’s a season two, or an entirely new project (perhaps his proposed remake of “Field of Dreams”), I eagerly await whatever Schur does next.
Contact Andy Ottone at aottone6@nd.edu
By HARRY PENNE Scene Writer
My favorite book is “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. What is there not to love? It’s a ghost story for Christmastime with time travel, beautiful prose, memorable characters, plenty of humor and deep Christian themes of redemption and charity. I distinctly remember my first exposure to the story: I was in the first grade, at my grandparents’ house for the holidays and my older cousins were watching “The Muppet Christmas Carol.” I entered right after the Marley visitation and was hooked. As my cousins filled me in, I watched Scrooge and the spirits journey through time as he changed his miserly ways. The next Christmas, my grandma gave me a copy of “A Christmas Carol” and I have read it every year since. Jumping forward, senior year of high school, I played Ebenezer Scrooge in our fall show. In preparation for the role, I watched many film adaptations and re-read the book too many times to count; however, I kept returning to the version that ignited my love for the story: “The Muppet Christmas Carol”.
“The Muppet Christmas Carol”, the first Muppet project released after Jim Henson’s passing, was directed by Henson’s son, Brian Henson. Michael Caine stars as Scrooge and accepted the role to be in a movie that his daughter could watch. Caine’s Scrooge is one of my favorite interpretations of the character. Despite being surrounded by puppets, he plays the part seriously as if he were acting beside human beings. He brings comedy when needed but does not shy away from embracing the more menacing and emotional moments required of the character. As for the Muppets, it features Kermit
as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig (punning Fezziwig), Statler and Waldorf as the Marley brothers and Gonzo as Charles Dickens. The three spirits were portrayed by new Muppets created for the film.
Last Christmas, I went to the second of two sold-out screenings of the film at a local cinema. It is quite a testament that a 30+ year old family movie can sell out an entire theatre twice! For many like myself, it was their introduction to Scrooge’s story, but how faithful of an adaptation is it and does it hold up? I believe the second part is answered by the sold-out screenings. In terms of faithfulness to the book, it is one of the most accurate adaptations I have seen. With the frame of Dickens narrating the movie, the script incorporates direct quotations straight from the novel. As a Dickens-nerd, I greatly appreciate this; just because a movie has a child audience in mind does not mean it has to avoid exposure to classic literature. Yes, the movie does feature classic Muppet slapstick comedy, but the heart and message of the original book are retained.
I argue “The Muppet Christmas Carol” was the first truly “cinematic” Muppet project, as films prior to this felt smaller in scope due to the cameras being limited by having to hide the animators. This project marks the first time a Muppet production used green screen technology to hide the animators, and the sets were created with this in mind. As a result, the Muppets truly look and feel in place and the camera is far more dynamic in its range of motion. No details were missed by the production team. An example is Gonzo’s costuming. For much of the film, he wears a bright red overcoat. Charles Dickens, the great serious author, was notorious for wearing bright, colorful clothes, much to the dismay of his friends. As
for the spirits, they were achieved through practical puppets, in-camera effects and clever cinematography. Some of these tricks included placing Christmas Yet to Come on a railroad track to give a gliding effect and separately filming Christmas Past underwater and superimposing it over the film to give an otherworldly appearance.
A staple of “The Muppet Christmas Carol” is its music. The film contains many Broadway-like musical numbers written by Paul Williams that are complemented by a somber score from Miles Goodwin. Personally, I am partial to the score in this film as I love the brass-heavy Victorian Christmas carols, however the songs are lots of fun and work well thematically. Discussing the music, I must mention “When Love is Gone” and its odd journey. The theatrical edit included the song, but Disney removed it from most home releases. Strangely, a few select DVD editions did include the song, but only in the full screen format. Back and forth between Henson and Disney ensued for years about keeping the song, but the future looked bleak when Disney claimed the original negative was lost. During 2022’s D23 conference, the company announced it found the footage and would add it to the Disney+ release of the film, finally allowing audiences to stream the original theatrical cut.
Concluding this retrospective, I would like to wish you a wonderful holiday season. God bless us, everyone!
“The Muppet Christmas Carol” will be showing in the Browning Cinema at DPAC on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 1:00 p.m.
Contact Harry Penne at hpenne@nd.edu
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Guiliano talks Olympics, program suspension
By MADELINE LADD Assistant Managing Editor
Chris Guiliano’s recent journey has been a whirlwind, shifting from Olympic hopeful to gold medalist, to losing his college team and transferring schools — all within a few short months. He opened up about the events that have defined his path.
The Olympic Trials
For Guiliano, qualifying for the Olympic team wasn’t a matter of “if”, but “how”.
“Heading into the trials, I was super confident I was going to make the team, especially in 100, that was my bread and butter,” Guiliano said.
While favored in the 100 and 50 freestyle, Guiliano shocked the field in the 200 freestyle. Entering 29th with a best time of 1:48.75, he crushed expectations with a 1:45.38 from lane 1 to finish second and punch his ticket to Paris.
“To go out there into the 200 and get second out of lane 1, it was a huge relief,” Guiliano said. “Making the team, getting that out of the way. The 200 was an event I wasn’t too experienced in, but I just kept telling myself go out there, do something special, ‘cause why not? Out of lane 1, no one even expected me to be in the final, so I felt I had nothing to lose.”
He carried this momentum into his signature 100 freestyle, touching first (47.38), beating out top performers like gold medalist Caeleb Dressel.
“Seeing all my teammates and a ton of alumni come out sitting in a box for that 100 free final, and to pull out the victory in that one was incredible,” Guiliano said.
Guiliano added a second place finish in the 50 freestyle (21.69) to become the first American male since Matt Biondi in 1988 to qualify for the Olympics in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle. Guiliano was also the first Notre Dame swimmer to qualify for the Olympics.
“In the 50, it was like ‘why not?’ Competing in the 50, 100, 200, that hasn’t been done since 1988. I’d heard that circulating before the 50 free, so I just kept telling myself, nobody’s going to beat me here tonight. It was nice to get another individual out of that.”
The investigation Riding high from the trials and ready to celebrate his 21st birthday, Guiliano traded cake and candles for news that the Irish men’s team
was under investigation.
“We first learned that we were being investigated two days after the Olympic Trials. We learned that on June 25, which, you know, what a great birthday present for me,” Guiliano said sarcastically.
The team was not made known as to why it was being investigated, leaving the swimmers speculating over the reasons and potential outcomes.
“We didn’t learn any details about what it was about, so we were just kind of lost,” he said. “We didn’t really know what was going on. That had us speculating like what could have been.”
Guiliano, already facing the pressure of preparing for his inaugural Olympic games, felt the stress and uncertainty of the investigation creep in.
“It weighed me down, I’ll be honest, right after Trials as I’m trying to gear up for the Olympics,” he said. “I had that living in my head up until we found out in August what it was about. I tried to play it off the best I could but at the end of the day, it was always in the back of my mind.”
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games
Despite his college team’s precarious status, Guiliano represented Team USA in Paris, bringing home gold in the men’s 4x100 free relay and silver in the men’s 4×200 free relay (prelims). However, his individual performances fell short of his expectations, where he placed 8th in the 100 freestyle, 17th in the 50 freestyle and 19th in the 200 freestyle.
“I haven’t really had time to unpack my whole Olympic experience, Guiliano said.
“In this sport it’s very easy for us to focus on the negatives, and I didn’t really feel my best out there. I didn’t really make the finals in two of my individuals. To me, I feel a little disappointed in my individual performances.”
Still, the 400 free relay stood out as a highlight as the first gold for Team USA.
“Jack [Alexy] has been an awesome young gun there. Hunter [Armstrong]’s been on the scene for a little bit,” Guiliano said. “And, you know, I’ve always looked up to Caeleb [Dressel] and to be able to walk out on the deck with those three guys, it just meant the world to me. As soon as that team was assembled, I was like, we are winning this thing no matter what.”
The aftermath
After a surreal Olympic
experience, Guiliano was slammed with the outcome of the investigation.
“It was just devastating to hear. We were all very lost. It was just a very quick zoom meeting.”
Representatives from both Ropes and Gray LLP and the University of Notre Dame attended the meeting, which was said to be brief, leaving more questions than answers. Media was notified of the team’s suspension on August 15, 2024, but much remained quiet from campus. Swimmers spoke little to no public word on the topic, and swimmers like Guiliano face mixed emotions.
“While I respect the decision of the athletic department and how they think this was the best move, I also disagree with the move — feeling like it was a bit extreme,” Guiliano wrote in a text to The Observer. “Ultimately, it’s left many talented athletes out to dry with limited action to help them and find a time and place to make sure they’d be able to perform at a top level next year. It’s killed the passion and drive that many had, forcing them to pick up other activities.”
Guiliano was reinstated with training restrictions, initially limited to a small group of male swimmers before joining broader practices with the women’s team and freshmen men. This created barriers in the training schedule, making the adjustment difficult.
“I got reinstated pretty quickly, because I did not bet on swimming,” Guiliano said. “We still had to wait out a couple weeks. There were seven or eight of us who got reinstated. We had to work out all the kinks before we could reintegrate.”
Guiliano immediately missed the presence of his usual teammates, many of whom he considered best friends and key for his love of the team.
“It’s been really hard not seeing guys that I’ve been used to seeing on a daily basis,” Guiliano said. “They’re all my best friends and there’s been weeks where I’ve gone several days without seeing them, and I’m used to seeing them 20 hours a week.”
The transfer Guiliano’s uncertainty and loneliness ultimately led him to enter the transfer portal, a difficult decision he announced earlier in the semester.
“There was a long time here, in that gray area, where I wasn’t happy,” Guiliano said. “Where I was missing all the friends here. I just felt it was a decision for me mentally as well, just because I didn’t have everybody here.”
Recruiting proved more difficult for him the second time around.
“Talking to other schools and just entering the portal was really tough on me,” Guiliano said. “I’ve never really been that vulnerable emotionally, and it really put me through how much I love this place.”
Leaving Notre Dame also meant grappling with his legacy, and what it could have continued to be.
“Having a legacy here at ND has always meant so much to me,” Guiliano said.
“It’s crushing to see with everything we worked toward this past year. It was our highest finish in program history — 10th — and then with everything that happened over the summer ... All my love goes out to the staff and the team.”
After time in the portal, the 2024 five-time NCAA All-American announced his official transfer to the University of Texas at Austin on Nov. 6.
“It was tough to leave this university before I ever intended to,” Guiliano said. “I feel like I made a four year commitment here and now, you know … Just kinda going through those calls, it’s not something I ever really wanted. I never wanted to go through that process again.”
Despite the difficulty of leaving the Irish, Guiliano mentioned the optimism centered around his debut at Texas.
“With where I’m at in my career, I like the group they have down in Austin, working with Bob Bowman,” Guiliano said. “I’ve always kinda wanted to have a little stint in Texas. I just like the idea of it, I’ve only heard great things about the city of Austin, so.”
Texas men’s swim and dive has been led by the legendary Bowman since April 2024. Bowman was the former Arizona State head coach (2024 NCAA Champions) who has mentored several swimming greats, most notably Michael Phelps. Guiliano will join Bowman and the Longhorns for their spring season, adding freestyle sprinting depth to a program with 45 consecutive
conference championships and 15 NCAA titles, its most recent in 2021.
“I’m gonna burn the last year of eligibility in the spring,” Guiliano said. “I hope all goes well for 2028 down there, that’s kind of the plan right now. We’ll see how things end up but I’m super excited to get to work down there and I think it’ll be the best thing for me.”
Guiliano still intends to graduate from Notre Dame, something he regards with great importance.
“The classes I take down in Texas, those credits will be able to transfer back,” Guiliano said. “I think I have to submit a couple e-forms and I should be good to go. All I need is one upper-level econ course. That and maybe two electives.”
When asked what he would want to say about his time at Notre Dame, it was hard for him to know where to start.
“I feel like I have a lot of things to say,” Giuliano said with a long pause. “I just love this place so much. It’s going to be tough to leave even in the dead of winter, going down there where it’s 70s and sunny in the winter.”
He praised the resiliency and composure of Notre Dame’s staff and team.
“I can’t stress this enough — I’m really impressed with the way the staff has handled all of this, how the women have handled this, not having us around, how the freshmen guys have handled this. And the fifth-year transfers sticking it out. I love all those guys,” he said.
But, Guiliano knows rebuilding the program won’t be easy.
“Trying to bring this program out of the weeds is going to be a tough task at hand, but I fully believe in the staff to get the job done, especially with the incoming talent we have,” he said.
Before fully settling in at Texas, Guiliano will compete for Team USA in the 50 and 100 freestyle at the 2024 Short Course World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Afterwards, he’ll return to South Bend for his “Economics of Climate Change” final, on the quest for his Notre Dame degree. Then, it will be down to Austin where Guiliano will trade “Go Irish” for “Hook ‘Em” and join the Longhorn men as they vie for an NCAA Championship in 2025.
Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu
Happy Birthday: Keep moving, act, and manifest opportunities. It’s your life, and capitalizing on the choices you encounter will determine how good or bad things turn out for you this year. A passionate approach will encourage others to weigh in, giving you a boost that will catapult you to your chosen destination. Bypass the grifters and users and abusers and station yourself amongst the movers and shakers that get things done. Your numbers are 4, 9, 17, 26, 35, 43, 48.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Interact with someone who offers an unusual perspective regarding something of interest, and you’ll discover the best way to participate. The knowledge you receive and the opportunity to use your skills accordingly will put you in a prime position. Align yourself with like-minded associates and prosper.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Know what you want and set a course for success. Trust your instincts and micromanage the input you receive from outsiders. Changing how you present yourself and what you offer will make a difference in how others respond. A flirtatious gesture will be misleading and costly. Protect your assets.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): An emotional plea will help you get your way; don’t promise more than you can deliver to get what you want. Simplify matters, stick to the truth, and offer a valid proposal that’s easy to understand and fulfill. An updated look will help you stand out and attract progressive supporters.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Listen carefully. An offer will be falsely inflated to tempt you. Be bold, ask questions, barter on your behalf, and ask for what you want in writing. A savvy approach will get you what and where you want to go. A romantic gesture will pay off.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Network, socialize, get into the hustle and bustle that emanates as we approach the festive season. Reunions can be fun but also a reminder of days gone by. Reach out to old, familiar faces and make a point to let go of what no longer resonates with you press forward.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Clear unfinished business to make room for people and pursuits you want to embrace. Put out a welcome mat for those you haven’t seen for a while, and adjust your schedule to accommodate the events and activities you want to attend. Love is on the rise.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Tidy up in preparation for what’s to come. Don’t hesitate to host an event or change your living arrangements that are conducive to your happiness. You can resolve a financial or health issue by setting a budget or changing your diet. It’s the time for new beginnings.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It’s easy to overspend at this time of the year. Think twice before you shop or pledge your time or money to something you cannot afford. Discipline and ingenuity will help you devise a plan to bring loved ones joy at a price you can afford.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take the initiative and make things happen. Keep an open mind, but don’t buy into someone else’s dream when you have your own to bring to fruition. Get the lowdown, verify facts, and take advantage of an opportunity to excel. Avoid joint ventures and paying for something you don’t need.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Dress your surroundings to suit your mood and needs. The functionality and convenience you gain will offer more downtime to focus on self-improvement and pursuing what makes you happy. Refuse to let others make decisions for you. It’s your life, your choices. Romance is favored.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Do what comes naturally. Be proactive and follow through with your plans. A physical response will bring the best results. Don’t hesitate to change or let go of what you don’t like. Declutter and redefine how you want to live and the best way to move forward.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Sit back, observe, and you’ll figure out your options. Greater involvement in a cause you believe in is worth your time and effort. You can make a difference and, in doing so, have an impact on others as well as yourself. Someone you encounter will pique your interest.
Birthday Baby: You are spirited, resourceful, and engaging. You are generous and fickle.
JUMBLE
FOOTBALL
Conference championship week implications
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
With Notre Dame already locked into the College Football Playoff, several more teams will jockey for positioning this weekend in conference championship games. The Irish only have a few possible seeding positions to land on, but their first-round opponent remains well up in the air.
The four strongest conference champions will earn a first-round bye in the top four spots, meaning that Notre Dame in the fifth, sixth or seventh spot can either draw a low-end conference champion or an atlarge team. Before we dig into those scenarios, here’s a breakdown of each conference title game relevant to the Irish this weekend.
Friday night pits No. 20 UNLV (10-2) against No. 10 Boise State (11-1) in the Mountain West. The winner makes the College Football Playoff, Boise State likely as the No. 4 seed, and UNLV as the 12th and final team in as a two-loss conference champion.
This game’s outcome will impact the destination of the Big 12 champion, either No. 16 Iowa State (10-2) or No. 15 Arizona State (10-2). The Cyclones and Sun Devils will meet at noon on Saturday in another “win and in” conference championship game. With a Boise State win, the Big 12 champion claims the No. 12 seed and hits the road in round one. If UNLV gets it done, the Big 12 sends its winner to the second round with the No. 4 seed.
The formula isn’t quite as simple for the remaining
ND MEN’S BASKETBALL
three power conferences.
At 4 p.m. on Saturday, No. 5 Georgia (10-2) and No. 2 Texas (11-1) will meet for an SEC rematch after the Bulldogs dismantled the Longhorns in Austin during the regular season. Four hours later, No. 3 Penn State (11-1) and No. 1 Oregon (120) will collide in the Big Ten. Like the Mountain West and Big 12, these are two conferences that will directly influence one another’s championship reward.
An Oregon one indisputably puts in the No. 1 seed, giving the Texas-Georgia winner the No. 2 spot. If Penn State wins, it slots into No. 2 behind Texas with a Longhorn victory but likely goes to No. 1 ahead of No. 2 Georgia with a Bulldog win. All four teams from the Big Ten and SEC championship games would make the playoff at large with a loss on Saturday
The final conference title game features No. 17 Clemson (9-3) and No. 8 SMU (11-1) out of the ACC. Clemson must win to slide into the postseason as the likely No. 12 seed. An SMU win would move the Mustangs into a first-round bye, but a loss would lead to an interesting conversation between two-loss SMU, twoloss Miami (FL) and threeloss Alabama.
The most likely scenario
Looking purely at the odds related to each conference championship game, what’s the most likely College Football Playoff bracket?
Boise State would beat UNLV and bump it out of the running, Arizona State doing the same to Iowa State.
Oregon and Texas would each win and lock up the top two spots, while SMU would knock out Clemson and capture a first-round bye.
In this event, we’re looking at unbeaten Oregon and one-loss Texas as the respective No. 1 and No. 2 seeds. SMU then claims the No. 3 position with one loss ahead of one-loss Boise State in the final bye position at No. 4. With its second loss of the season, I think Penn State should fall behind Notre Dame, a one-loss team with more quality wins, and Ohio State, whom it lost two at home in November, but it can’t envision the committee pulling that trigger. From fifth to eighth, Penn State, Notre Dame, Georgia and Ohio State would host first-round games.
Down to No. 9 would go Tennessee. Indiana would most likely follow at No. 10, then three-loss Alabama at No. 11 and the weakest conference champion, Arizona State, would claim No. 12. The opening round would send Tennessee to Columbus, Indiana to Athens, Alabama to South Bend and Arizona State to State College. Third-seeded SMU would await the Irish in the second round.
As the sixth seed, Notre Dame most likely draws Alabama or SMU in the event of a Clemson ACC Championship and a correct committee decision to kick Alabama out. If the committee determines two-loss Penn State not worthy to stay ahead of the Irish, Notre Dame would take the fifth seed and host Arizona State in this scenario. Other possible fifth-seed opponents
include Iowa State, Clemson and UNLV.
What else can happen if Notre Dame lands below the fifth spot?
All of the hypothetical brackets we’ve seen so far place Notre Dame in the No. 6 or No. 7 position, as Penn State hasn’t yet taken a second loss to warrant falling past the Irish. If Penn State beats Oregon on Saturday and Texas handles Georgia, Notre Dame would certainly end up at sixth, as the Ducks would have a better win (Ohio State) and loss (Penn State) than Notre Dame (Texas A&M and Northern Illinois).
In that situation, Notre Dame would once again definitely draw the team it ended the regular season projected to face: Alabama. The result that might throw a wrench into that possibility is Clemson beating SMU. In that case, Texas and Penn State would join Boise State and the Big 12 champion with first-round byes. We’d still have Oregon and Notre Dame at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively, then some combination of Ohio State, Georgia, Tennessee and Indiana from seventh to 10th. Clemson would claim the 12th position, leading to the inevitable debate between SMU and Alabama for the No. 11 spot. I’d choose SMU, particularly if Texas beats Georgia to degrade Alabama’s best win, sending the Mustangs to South Bend.
Things could get even weirder if both Penn State and Georgia upset their higher-ranked foes. The committee would surely keep Oregon ahead of Notre Dame, but
what about a Texas team with two losses to Georgia?
Let’s assume, for the scenario’s sake, that Notre Dame slides all the way down to No. 7, behind the Ducks and Longhorns. Now you’re looking at Ohio State in the No. 8 position in front of No. 9 Tennessee and No. 10 Indiana, giving the Irish an in-state matchup against the Hoosiers.
My final prediction
Boise State takes care of UNLV in the Mountain West. Arizona State, easily the hotter team than Iowa State right now, wins the Big 12 title. Georgia knocks off Texas for a second time this year in Atlanta, while Oregon remains unbeaten in Indianapolis. Finally, SMU downs unimpressive Clemson to cap off the weekend.
The bracket I’d expect from this combination would lend first-round byes to Oregon, Georgia, SMU and Boise State. If the committee isn’t ranking two-loss Georgia over Notre Dame right now, I don’t think it should keep two-loss Texas ahead of the Irish, either. But I once again don’t expect a conference championship loser to receive much punishment, so Texas stays ahead of Notre Dame. Give me Texas at No. 5, Penn State at No. 6, Notre Dame at No. 7, Ohio State at No. 8, Tennessee at No. 9, Indiana at No. 10, Alabama at No. 11 and Arizona State at No. 12.
Applying the logic I expect the committee to use, Indiana comes to South Bend.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Irish to open ACC schedule against Syracuse
By BEN HICKS Sports Writer
Still in the midst of a disappointing five-game losing streak, Notre Dame men’s basketball will begin the ACC schedule this Saturday by welcoming the Syracuse Orange to South Bend for the first highprofile home game of the season. With the Orange and the Irish each taking 20-plus-point losses earlier in the week in the ACC/SEC Challenge (SEC won 14-2), both sides are still searching for a marquee victory to build their resume. Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry’s group will once again go into battle without its best player, as preseason All-ACC firstteam honoree Markus Burton will miss his fourth straight contest with a knee injury. The sophomore guard from Mishawaka,
Indiana had averaged over 22 points a night prior to going down early in last Tuesday’s overtime loss to Rutgers in Las Vegas.
As expected, the Irish’s offensive efficiency has tumbled in the absence of their lead guard.
In Burton’s six starts the Irish were averaging nearly 83 points per game, but that number has dropped all the way to 59 points per game in the three games without Burton.
To break free from this multiweek team-wide slump, Notre Dame will need the trio of Braeden Shrewsberry, Tae Davis, and Matt Allocco to step up.
Shrewsberry, a sophomore guard from Granger, Indiana, has been the team’s leading scorer behind Burton at 15.2 points per game, but his three-point efficiency has drastically decreased from his
freshman season, as he is converting on just 31.9% of shots from beyond the arc. Davis, a junior forward and former Seton Hall transfer, has enjoyed a breakout campaign with more touches, as he is totaling 14.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while Allocco, a Princeton transfer and graduate guard, has had to take control of the offense without Burton, while also shooting an exceptional 47.9% from three-point territory.
Across the sideline, Syracuse is also led by a second-year head coach, as former Orange player and longtime assistant Red Autry took the reins from legendary bench boss Jim Boeheim following the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. The Orange won 20 games in Autry’s inaugural season and returned star guard JJ Starling for
his second season in Upstate New York, following his freshman year playing for former head coach Mike Brey at Notre Dame.
Starling is averaging nearly 20 points per game, but he is not expected to play on Saturday after suffering a hand injury last week against Cornell. Syracuse will need to dominate the interior in Starling’s absence, as the Orange boast a deep frontcourt consisting of three players scoring in double-figures. Leading the way will be stretch forward Chris Bell, who is averaging over 13 points per game this season. Bell, a junior from Concord, California, has struggled from deep this season, connecting on just 28% despite shooting roughly 42% from three a year ago.
This will be the first of two meetings between Notre Dame
and Syracuse this season, as the Irish will head to the JMA Wireless Dome on Jan. 18. Syracuse holds the edge in the all-time series, with 34 victories to Notre Dame’s 23. Syracuse has claimed three straight over Notre Dame, including last February’s 88-85 instant classic, in which Burton nearly led the Irish to their biggest comeback in program history, as Notre Dame tied the game with a minute to play despite trailing by as many as 29 points earlier in the game.
Saturday’s contest inside Purcell Pavilion also marks the first of four “Irish Wear Green” games for the 2024-25 season. Tip-off is set for noon and will be broadcast on The CW.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
FOOTBALL
Postseason roundtable part one: the playoff
By Observer Sports Staff
As conference championship weekend approaches, Madeline Ladd, Matthew Crow, Annika Herko, Tyler Reidy and Noah Cahill of The Observer’s football beat break down what the College Football Playoff might look like for Notre Dame.
Which team would you most want to see Notre Dame hosting in the College Football Playoff’s opening round?
Madeline Ladd, Assistant Managing Editor: Arizona State, under the assumption they were the No. 12 seed, would be an ideal matchup for Notre Dame in the opening round. Facing the Sun Devils would likely mean the Irish enter as the No. 5, securing the smoothest path to the title game. That said, the idea of hosting Alabama at Notre Dame Stadium is thrilling — it’s the kind of marquee matchup that would fuel the team’s ambition and energize Irish fans.
Matthew Crow, Sports Writer: An in-state duel between Notre Dame and Indiana in South Bend would be a lot of fun. Surprisingly, the programs have met just once in the last 66 years, with an Irish win in 1991 improving their record in the series to a dominant 23-5-1. This is not the same Hoosiers’
team of years past, though, and this would represent a heavyweight battle between a pair of 11-1 teams that are ranked in the top seven nationally in both scoring offense and defense. A key matchup to watch would be Indiana’s juggernaut run defense which has ceded just 70 rushing yards per game, best in the country — taking on the Irish’s star running back tandem of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, as well as mobile quarterback Riley Leonard.
Annika Herko, Associate Sports Editor: Whoever the No. 12 seed is. I appreciate all the arguments for an interesting matchup like Alabama but I’d like to see Notre Dame blow someone out and get a lot of confidence going into the next round.
Tyler Reidy, Sports Editor: While others run from them, I’m engraving an invitation to South Bend for the Alabama Crimson Tide. I’m not in the business of praying that Notre Dame draws the easiest possible matchup in the first round. If the Irish want to win a national championship, they’ll have to play one or two of the nation’s most talented teams at some point. Why not get right to the point and beat one of those teams in game one?
The last decade-plus of Notre Dame football contains a long list of disappointments against college football elites. Georgia
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in 2017 and 2019. Ohio State in 2015, 2022 and 2023. Alabama in 2012 and 2020, Notre Dame’s last College Football Playoff game. I’d love to see the Irish strike back at Notre Dame Stadium. Noah Cahill, Associate Sports Editor: It’s always “We want Bama” until Alabama actually comes to town. However, this is no longer Nick Saban’s Alabama, a program that the future Hall of Famer built into an empire during the 2000s. I have full belief that this Notre Dame team can beat Alabama and play with any team in the country. With that said, regardless of how exciting a matchup with the Crimson Tide could be, I would much rather see a team that poses less of a threat, a team with less talent and a lower ceiling than Alabama. My dream matchup would be with Miami, who currently sits controversially behind Alabama at No. 12 in the most recent CFP poll. Not only would the matchup be more favorable for the Irish, but it would renew one of the most exciting rivalries in college football, the Catholics vs the Convicts. I like the idea of bringing a team in Florida up north to face the winter weather of South Bend in late December, an environment I don’t expect this Hurricanes team to be prepared for. While they pose a threat offensively with Heisman candidate Cam Ward, their defense is
a middle-of-the-pack unit and their performance against a soft schedule has been far from convincing. The two teams will meet in next year’s season opener, but an early preview in the playoff would be the dream.
Regardless of matchups, what’s the most likely outcome for Notre Dame in the CFP?
Ladd: Realistically, Notre Dame is more than well-positioned to win their first-round game, but advancing further will depend on execution and a bit of sheer luck. There’s no team in the field they can’t compete with, and their roster depth gives them a legitimate shot at the title. The Irish faithful are ready to believe and so am I … Why not win it all?
Crow: I fully believe that this Notre Dame team has the potential to win the national championship, but given all the chaos that’s gone on this season and the high level of parity that’s prevented anyone from truly separating themselves from the pack, I don’t think any team can realistically claim that their most likely outcome is to go all the way by winning four consecutive games against some of the nation’s top teams. Given the Irish’s likely advantageous seeding that could see them host their first-round matchup before facing off against one of the lower-seeded conference champions at a neutral site in round two, I think it’s most likely that they keep rolling all the way to the semifinals before falling one game short of the national title game. However, apart from possibly Oregon and the winner of next weekend’s Texas-Georgia SEC Championship, I’m not sure any team has a better chance than Notre Dame of surpassing that outcome and reaching the championship game.
Herko: Given the right circumstances and the right path, I could see Notre Dame winning the National Championship. However, I think everyone agrees Oregon is the team to beat this year and the likely No. 1 seed. If Notre Dame is the No. 5 seed and wins the first two rounds (as I expect them to), they’ll play Oregon in the semifinals. I’m nervous about how that game could go for Notre Dame.
Reidy: I wouldn’t call you crazy to believe in a Notre Dame national championship this year. No team in college football appears head and shoulders above the rest. Even undefeated Oregon looked awful just three weeks ago at Wisconsin, and numerous dominant programs from playoffs past are backpedaling into this year’s tournament with bad losses in the regular season’s second half. All the while, Notre Dame has run the table over the past two months and enters the postseason as
hot as any team in the country. I keep some concerns that, at a neutral, climate-controlled venue, a playoff-season program will expose Notre Dame’s defensive injuries, but I also have reasons to believe the Irish can overcome something like that. Give me a semifinal appearance as the floor and a national championship victory as the ceiling.
Cahill: I believe that college football chose the perfect year to expand the playoff field. In a year with no standout contender, I fully believe that this Irish team can win a national championship. While the schedule has come with few tests, Notre Dame has left no doubt on their ten-game win streak to close out the year, beating the ten teams by a combined 314 points. Along the way, the offense has evolved from a non-existent passing attack with a questionable offensive line to a team with a clear identity: establish the ground game and build the passing attack off of it. The growth of a Joe Moore Award semifinalistnominated offensive line and the emergence of sophomore superstar Jeremiyah Love in the backfield have contributed to this evolution, but the ceiling continues to be set by quarterback Riley Leonard, who has developed in offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s offense every week after the devastating NIU loss. Pair that with one of the most dominant defenses in the country and home-field advantage in round one, and this team can undoubtedly make a run. I believe the best scenario for this run to happen ride on the outcomes of the SEC and Big Ten conference championship games next week. The outlook for the Irish gets a lot brighter should Texas win and Penn State lose if it means Notre Dame vaults Clemson en route to the No. 5 seed, a real possibility considering Penn State’s questionable resume heading into a matchup with undefeated Oregon where they open up as underdogs against the Ducks. In this scenario, Notre Dame would likely face the Group of 5 conference champion in round one and the No. 4 seed in round two, likely the Big 12 champion. Both of those matchups are extremely favorable and would pave a clear path to the semifinal in Atlanta. From there, as I mentioned, the Irish can compete with any team, especially if their defense performs how they have all season. This team, like every team in the nation, has several question marks, the kicking game being a glaring one, but I feel their chances are as good as any if things break right. My honest prediction is an appearance in the CFP semifinal where they will fall short to a top seed, but third-year magic for head coach Marcus Freeman could be on the horizon.
ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Irish outlast No. 4 Texas in overtime classic
By HENRY LYTLE Sports Writer
With consecutive losses against No. 17 TCU and unranked Utah, Notre Dame women’s basketball needed a victory to get back on track. The stage was set against top-five opponent Texas as Notre Dame took on the toughest home matchup of the season so far. In a back-and-forth game going to overtime off a miraculous Olivia Miles layup, the Irish closed out overtime on a 12-0 run to win 8070. Sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo finished with her seasonhigh of 30 points.
“She lives for these moments,” Irish head coach Niele Ivey commented of Hidalgo after the game.
Opening the game in a zone defense, the Irish game plan was forcing the Longhorns to shoot three-pointers; they had only shot 26% from three-point range as a team throughout the season. Hidalgo scored the first basket for the Irish on a three-pointer, which was only the start of a season-high scoring performance. Sophomore and leading scorer for Texas, Madison Booker, hit a jumper with 4:22 left in the first quarter to give the Longhorns their first lead of the game, 10-8. She would extend the Texas lead to six points with a three, and the Irish trailed, 22-16. Booker was a handful for the Irish throughout the game, scoring 20 points. As time expired in the first quarter, Hidalgo hoisted a buzzerbeating three-pointer that swished through the net, but the Irish still trailed, 22-19.
Hidalgo’s three-pointer helped give Notre Dame a huge boost of momentum as it sparked a 10-0 run to open the second quarter. Graduate guard Olivia Miles stepped back for a smooth threepointer, and Hidalgo finished an acrobatic layup to regain the lead to 29-22 to begin the quarter. Texas senior Shay Holle kept the Longhorns in the game and went blow for blow with the Irish in the first half, scoring 14 points with a career-high four three-pointers to help Texas close the lead within two points. Hidalgo scored a layup with 3:33 left in the second quarter that would be the last Irish basket in the first half, and defense would help them hold a 39-34 lead entering the break. Despite the Longhorns shooting 46.3% from three-point range in the first half, Notre Dame led by five points in large part to winning the turnover battle 11-7 through two quarters, which was a theme that persisted in the second half.
“We didn’t play well. We had 23 turnovers against a 2-3 zone. Everyone had three or four turnovers,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said after the game.
The Irish began the third quarter
slowly, but inside of the final six minutes, the offense began to take back off. Notre Dame opened the game back up with back-to-back three-pointers from senior guard Sonia Citron and Miles. Citron stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven steals, hounding Booker all game long. Texas continued to fight back with consecutive layups, bringing the Irish lead to just three points at 49-46 with 3:21 left in the third quarter. Graduate forward Liatu King sank an off-balance layup to bring the lead back to five points.
The Irish led 53-48 after Miles and Hidalgo stopped the last shot opportunity from the Longhorns, which held them to less than 50 points through three quarters for the first time in the season.
The Irish knew a big fourth quarter from Hidalgo was the necessary ingredient to propel them to a win. Hidalgo answered the call and began with the first basket after finishing scoreless in the third. Booker tied the game at 55-55 with eight minutes left in the fourth. Five-star freshman forward Kate Koval regained the
lead for the Irish at 59-57 off a bank shot as time expired. Seesawing back and forth, free throws from the Irish gave them the lead again, 61-60. Koval earned her fourth foul with 5:14 left in the fourth and was subbed out for only a minute. The 6-5 freshman post player dominated defensively with five blocks and was critical to holding Texas senior Taylor Jones to eight points.
“Kate is growing up right before our eyes,” Ivey remarked.
Inside of three minutes in a tight game meant every moment mattered for the Irish. The Irish regained the lead once again off of a third Hidalgo steal and dish to Miles for the layup. Citron had an open three-pointer opportunity that rimmed out with 31.5 seconds left in the game. Texas senior Rori Harmon responded out of the timeout with a difficult jump shot over Hidalgo that tied the game at 66 with just seven seconds to go. With a last-shot opportunity, everyone in the building knew the ball would end up in Olivia Miles’ hand as she made an unbelievable buzzer-beater against Louisville two seasons before. Miles dashed
into the lane off of the timeout play in isolation and rolled a layup in with two seconds left to give Notre Dame the lead, 68-66. Miles finished the game with 18 points, none more critical than the final basket in regulation, along with six assists and two rebounds. However, with two seconds left, Harmon was fouled and hit both free throws to tie the game, 68-68. Upon review, the stadium erupted in boos, the fans vocally disagreeing with the last foul. Hidalgo had one last look from three-point range to win that missed long. Overtime.
The last overtime game for the Irish was against Florida State a season ago, ending in a victory. This time at home, overtime began with a Texas basket to take a 70-68 lead. Facing a deficit to begin the period seemed to motivate the Irish as they caught fire and finished the game on a 12-0 run. Hidalgo and Citron made consecutive three-pointers, and Hidalgo reached her season high of 30. The building exploded in cheers as these shots gave the Irish a 76-70 lead with 2:33 left, and the defense
held Texas scoreless throughout the rest of the contest. Notre Dame went on to win 80-70.
Commenting on the near-sellout crowd, Ivey said, “I want to thank the crowd. The energy was amazing. We were so excited to be home. We feed off their energy. They were our sixth man on the floor tonight.”
A signature win against undefeated and fourth-ranked Texas gives Notre Dame a huge confidence boost in dealing with injuries, playing big minutes and being outmatched in size. Despite the foul trouble down the stretch and only playing six players, the Irish responded with a signature win to defend home court.
“We were outmatched with size, but not in our toughness and heart,” Ivey said.
Notre Dame will take on Syracuse on Sunday for the ACC opener on the road, followed by hosting No. 2 UConn next Thursday in what is sure to be one of the most anticipated games of the season.
Contact Henry Lytle at hlytle@nd.edu
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Graduate guard Olivia Miles (5) swings a pass from the paint to the left corner during Notre Dame’s 80-70 defeat of Texas at Purcell Pavilion on Dec. 5, 2024. Miles posted 18 points and six assists in the overtime win, sinking a go-ahead layup with two seconds remaining in regulation.
