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VOLUME 58, ISSUE 27 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Students abroad react to Stand-up comedy Israel-Hamas conflict club brings laughs Evacuated students discuss their experience fleeing Israel By MEGHAN LANGE Saint Mary’s News Editor
Notre Dame study abroad students in Jerusalem woke up on Saturday, Oct. 7 under different circumstances than the typical study abroad student. The students at the University’s Global Gateway at Tantur, located on the southern edge of Jerusalem, heard air raid sirens early that morning and were evacuated to a bomb shelter immediately. Senior Zachary Zong, who was studying at the gateway at the time, said in an email that the students had about 90 seconds to head to the shelter.
“Jerusalem is quite far away from Gaza; we got about 90 seconds to go into the bomb shelter. Residents in Tel Aviv or the southern part of the country only had about 50 seconds or even less,” he said. At least one explosion was within earshot of Zong and the students, he said. “I was scared. One of the first rockets landed about one mile from where we were living, and we all heard the explosion. That very weekend some of us were planning to go on a sea-to sea hike, Dead Sea to Mediterranean sea, and praise God for keeping us from
doing so,” he wrote. In a National Catholic Reporter article Fr. John Paul, rector of Tantur Ecumenical Institute at the University of Notre Dame at Tantur, also said a missile landed “about a mile and a half to the west” of the campus. Junior Leah Moody, another Notre Dame student in the Jerusalem program, said in an email that Saturday morning came as a sudden shock. “Everything was very unexpected. Friday was a normal, quiet day. We didn’t know what had happened until we see ABROAD PAGE 4
By PETER BREEN Interim Notre Dame Editor
A g r ou p of c om e d ia n s g a t h e r e d i n 213 D eB a r t olo H a l l Mond a y n i g ht , t e l l i n g j ok e s a b ou t t h e i r m ot h e r s , g e t t i n g old a nd l i f e a s t h e m id d le c h i ld . St u d e nt St a nd-u p s of Not r e D a m e [ S S N D ] c onv e n e s w e e k l y t o w or k on id e a s a nd p e r f or m s a b ou t on c e a m ont h in Wa s h i n g t on H a l l’s L a b T h e a t r e . T h e c l u b’s H a l lo w e e n s h o w w a s O c t . 26. S e n ior a nd S S N D pr e s id e nt A id a n Tom p k i n s s a id h e f ou nd ou t a b ou t
S S N D on A c t i v it ie s N i g ht du r i ng h is f i rst semester on c a m pu s . A c c or d i n g t o Tom p k i n s , S S N D’s t a b le a t t h e c l u b f a i r w a s n’t a l l t h a t g l a m or ou s . “A l l [ S S N D ] h a d w a s a m ic r op h on e a nd s p e a k e r, a nd t h e y w e r e j u s t h e c kl i n g p e op le t h a t w e r e w a l k i n g b y,” h e s a id . Tom p k i n s , w h o t r a n s f e r r e d t o Not r e D a m e a ft e r on e y e a r a t V i l l a n o v a Un i v e r s it y, s a id h e s i g n e d u p f or t h e c l u b b e c a u s e s t a nd-u p c om e d y was s om e t h i n g h e s or t of a lw a y s t h ou g ht a b ou t d o i n g . He w e nt t o a f e w S S N D see COMEDY PAGE 4
DIANE PARK | The Observer
Notre Dame in Jerusalem By THOMAS DOBBS From the Archives Leader
A m id t he ongoi ng v io lenc e a nd t u r moi l of 202 3 i n I sr ael, t he Un i v er sit y of Not r e Da me’s endu r i ng c on ne c t ion to Jer u s a lem t a ke s on ne w fou nd sign i f ic a nc e. Dat i ng bac k to t he e a r l y 19 6 0 s, Not r e Da me emba r ke d on a v ision a r y ende av or by i nv e st i ng m i l l ion s of dol l a r s i n t he c r e at ion of t he E c u men ic a l I n st it ute ne a r Jer u s a lem . T h i s a r t ic le del v e s i nto t he r ic h h i sto r y of t he u n i v er sit y ’s t ie s to Jer u s a lem, e x plor i ng moment s of i nter r upt ion a nd r e v i v a l i n it s st ud y a br oad pr og r a m at t he Ta nt u r E c u men ic a l I n st it ute. Fr om t he c h a lleng i ng de c i sion s m ade du r i ng p er io d s of ge op o l it ic a l u nc er t a i nt y to t he
I n t he e a r l y 19 6 0 s, a s t he w or ld g r a pple d w it h r i si ng c ost s, bud get c ut s,
a nd d w i nd l i ng s upp or t for e duc at ion, Not r e Da me emba r ke d on a r em a r ka ble ende av or t h at w ou ld for e v er l i n k it s n a me to Jer u s a lem . T he Un i v er sit y i nv e ste d m i l l ion s of doll a r s i n t he c r e at ion of t he E c u men ic a l I n st it ute, a v i sion a r y pr oje c t sit uate d ne a r Jer u s a lem . Fe w on Not r e Da me’s c a mpu s at t he t i me r e a li z e d t h at t he y h ad ju st b e c ome t he pr oud ste w a rd s of t h i s I n st it ute. A s a c omp el l i ng a r t ic le f r om S c hol a st ic Ma g a z i ne i n 19 6 4 note s, t he que st ion hu ng i n t he a i r : “A m id a t i me of r i si ng c o st s, bud get c ut s, a nd d i m i ni s h i ng s upp or t for e duc at ion, w h at on e a r t h i s t he Un i v er sit y doi ng , bu i ldi ng a mu lt i m i l l ion- dol l a r I n st it ute i n Jer u s a lem ov er w h ic h it h a s no ac adem ic
c ont r ol ? ” T he a n s w er, a s s o of ten h a pp ene d at Not r e Da me, c enter e d a r ou nd a c h a r i sm at ic f ig u r e — Fr. T he o dor e He sbu r g h, w ho s e i n f luenc e w ou ld le av e a n i ndel ible m a r k on t h i s v ent u r e. T he E c u men ic a l I n st it ute w a s not a mer e w h i m but t he br a i nc h i ld of Pop e Pau l V I h i m s el f . I n 19 6 4, t he Pop e env isione d a n e c u men ic a l i nst it ute i n Jer u s a lem a s a te st a ment to h i s me eti ng w it h t he B y z a nt i ne Pat r i a rc h, At henogor a s, a nd to c ont i nue t he e c u men ic a l s pi r it ig n ite d by Vat ic a n I I. T he phy sic a l emb o d iment of t h i s v i sion w a s no le s s i mpr e s si v e. D e sig ne d by Fr a n k Mont a n a f r om Not r e Da me’s D epa r t ment of A rc h ite c t u r e, t he I n st it ute’s bu i ld i ng
e a r ne d ac c ol ade s a s t he mo st b e aut i f u l C h r i st i a n st r uc t u re c on st r uc te d i n Jer u s a lem si nc e Wor ld Wa r I. T he I n st it ute w elc ome d s c hol a r s f r om v a r iou s c or ner s of t he g lob e. A h a nd f u l of r e sident s c hola r s m ade Ta nt u r t hei r home for e x tende d p er io d s, w h i le s en ior s c hola r s g r ac e d it s h a l l s for s hor ter st ay s. Fr. C h a r le s She e d y, a Not r e Da me pr e s enc e, to ok on t he r ole of r e c tor. I n it s e a r l y ye a r s, t he I n st it ute was pr i m a ri l y a C h r i st i a n ende av or, yet t her e w a s a w h i s p er of hop e. Fr. He sbu r g h b e l ie v e d t h at , ov er t i me, a c om mon u nder st a nd i ng w ou ld emer ge a mong t he r e sident s, pav i ng t he w ay
SCENE PAGE 5
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
SWIMMING PAGE 10
M SOCCER PAGE 12
r e c ent r e op en i ng of t he pr og r a m, t he n a r r at i v e w e av e s toget her t he u n iv er sit y ’s endu r i ng c omm it ment to i nter f a it h le a r n i ng a nd c u lt u r a l e xc h a nge w it h t he c omple x bac kd r op of t he M idd le E a st ’s c ontemp or a r y i nst a bi l it y. It ’s a stor y of Not r e Da me’s st ud y a br oad pr og r a m i n I sr ael — a jou rne y m a r ke d by a s pi r at ion a nd ad v er sit y, w it h e c ho e s t h at st r ong l y r e s on ate i n t he t u mu lt uou s pr e s ent of 202 3.
Beginning of Tantur in 1960’s Nov. 3, 1972 | Scholastic Magazine Staff | Jan. 26, 1978 | Observer Staff | Nov. 6, 1977 | Observer Staff |
see JERUSALEM PAGE 3
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S SCENE PAGE 5
2
TODAY
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SOFIA CRIMVAROLI | The Observer
The first snow of the season hit campus Tuesday morning as part of a cold Halloween. The earliest measured snow in South Bend was on Sept. 25, 1942, according to the National Weather Service. Campus is not expecting snow for the remainder of the week.
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Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Film: “R.M.N.” (2022, Romania) Browning Cinema 7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Enjoy a film in Romanian.
Lecture: “Wise and Holy Women” Carroll Auditorium 5 p.m. Br. Mickey McGrath gives a talk.
Drag Performance Philbin Studio Theatre, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. Drag Performance.
Special Olympics Flag Football Game Ricci Field 1 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Notre Dame vs. Purdue flag football game.
Byzantine Mass Malloy Hall 10 a.m. Celebrate the Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy.
Día de los Muertos Reignbeaux Lounge 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Make traditional ofrendas and enjoy Mexican pastries.
“Art for Social Change on Ignatian Lines” Conversations 7 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. Conversations with playwright Erik Ehn.
Chorale Concert Leighton Concert Hall 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. Fall concert including works in six differnt languages.
Asian Allure: Carry the Legacy Washington Hall 7 p.m. - 9:15 p.m. Enjoy a cultural showcase.
“Into Life” Study LaFortune Dooley Room 306 3:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Watch “Into Life” films and discuss.
NEWS
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 | THE OBSERVER
Jerusalem CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
for i nter ac t ion w it h ot her g r e at w or ld r el ig ion s, pa rt ic u l a r l y t he t w o i nd ige nou s to t he a r e a : Jud a i sm a nd I s l a m . T he 1970 s a nd 8 0 s s aw Ta nt u r, a s t he I n st it ute c a me to be k now n, e v ol v e i nto a h av en for t he olog i a n s a nd s c hola r s f r om d i v er s e bac kg r ou nd s. E ac h e v en i ng , t he pic t u r e s que c h a p el ov er lo ok i ng Jer u s a lem a nd Bet h lehem e c ho e d w it h t he v oic e s of s c hola r s, i nc lud i ng Ken net h S eit z , a Not r e Da me g r adu ate st udent w ho fou nd i n s pi r at ion i n t he i nterdenom i n at ion a l v e sp er pr ayer s le d by f i v e Bene d ic t i ne mon k s f r om Mont s er r at , Spa i n . S eit z , w ho s e stor y u nfolde d i n t he ac adem ic ye a r of 1977-78, w a s not a lone. Ta nt u r ’s a l lu r e t r a n s c ende d b order s, att r ac t i ng s c hol a r s f r om 38 c ou nt r ie s a nd r epr e s enti ng 21 r el ig iou s denom i n at ion s. It b e c a me a c r uc ible of le a r n i ng , c u lt u r e, a nd f a it h .
1988: A Tumultuous Hiatus in Jerusalem Jan. 14, 1988 | Cathy Stacy | Feb. 1, 1988 | Bradley Galko| Nov. 1, 2000 | Kate Nagengast | A s t he w or ld t u r ne d t he pa ge s of t i me tow a rd s t he l ate 19 8 0 s, t he Not r e Da me st ud y a br oad pr og r a m i n Jer u s a lem fou nd it s el f n av ig at i ng t he t r e ac herou s w ater s of ge op ol it ic a l t u r moi l . I n t he w i nter of 19 8 8, I s a b el C h a r le s, Not r e Da me’s a s s o c i ate pr o v o st a nd d i r e c tor of t he for eig n st ud y pr og r a m, del i v er e d d i s he a r ten i ng
ne w s. T he Jer u s a lem foreig n st ud y pr og r a m s l ate d for t h at s pr i ng sto o d c a nc ele d, a de c i sion m ade i n r e s p on s e to t he e s c a l at i ng v iolenc e a nd ten sion s t h at g r ipp e d t he r e g ion . T he del ic ate sit u at ion in t he M idd le E a st , w her e Not r e Da me’s E c u men ic a l I n st it ute at Ta nt u r sto o d on t he pr e c ipic e b et w e en I sr ael i a nd Pa le st i n i a n f ac t ion s in t he We st Ba n k , pr ompte d a pr a gm at ic c hoic e — a n er r i ng on t he side of c aut ion . A s C h a r le s s uc c i nc t l y put it , “I felt t he sit u at ion w a s ju st to o ten s e to s end a g r oup of y ou ng p e ople (to Jer u s a lem) .” T he foreig n st ud y pr og r a m h ad a l w ay s h a r b or e d c onc er n s a b out ter r or i sm si nc e it s i nc ept ion i n 19 8 5, yet pr e v iou s i nc ident s h ad b e en i s ol ate d . T he hol id ay s e a s on i n t he w e ek s le ad i ng to t he f atef u l C h r i st m a s of 19 87 h ad s et of f a l a r m b el l s, m a r k i ng a t u r n i ng p oi nt t h at le d to t he u npr e c e dente d c a nc el l at ion . For t he st udent s w ho h ad e a ger l y a nt ic ipate d t h i s jou r ne y, l i ke s opho mor e Pete Mor g a n ( ‘9 0 ), t he a br upt c a nc el l at ion c a r r ie d a m i x t u r e of d i sa pp oi nt ment a nd r el ief . “It ’s to o bad it h ad to h a p p en now,” mu s e d Mor g a n, e c hoi ng t he s ent i ment s of h i s p e er s. For m a ny pa rent s, t he ne w s br ou g ht a pa lpa ble s en s e of r el ief, h av i ng g r a pple d w it h t he i n her ent a n x iet y of s endi ng t hei r lov e d one s i nto t he he a r t of a v ol at i le r e g ion . W h i le t h i s c a nc el l at ion m a r ke d a s ob er i ng mo ment i n t he pr og r a m’s h i stor y, hop e p er si ste d on t he
hor i z on . I s a b el C h a r le s r e m a i ne d opt i m i st ic a b out t he f ut u r e, e x pr e s si ng her e x p e c t at ion t h at t he foreig n st ud y pr og r a m w ou ld r e op en i n t he f a l l of 19 8 8. A m id this s et bac k , t he s u m mer pr og r a m at Ta nt u r c ont i nue d to offer a g l i m mer of c ont i nuit y. Fr. Pat r ic k G a f f ne y, a pr og r a m c o ord i n ator, a ss u r e d t h at st udent s pa rt ic ipat i ng i n t he Jer u s a lem Su m mer St ud y P r og r a m w er e not e x p e c te d to b e i n a ny g r e at d a nger. D e s pite t he s u s p en sion of t he s eme ster pr og r a m, t he s u m mer pr og r a m for ge d a he ad, b e c kon i ng st udent s to a n en l ig hteni ng jou r ne y f r om Ju ne 11 to Au g u st 7. This s u m mer pr o g r a m, t he br a i nc h i ld of a c on s or t iu m c ompr i si ng fou r C at hol ic u n iv er sit ie s — Not r e Da me, Ford h a m, G e or getow n, a nd V i l l a nov a — of fer e d a c omp el l i ng opp or t un it y. It i nv ite d st udent s to i m mer s e t hem s el v e s i n t he r ic h c u lt u r a l t a p e st r y of t he r e g ion, st ud y i ng a nd r e sid i ng at t he Ta nt u r E c u men ic a l I n st it ute, ne st le d ju st outside t he h i stor ic c it y of Jer u s a lem . T he I n st it ute, ov ers e en by t he Un i v er sit y of Not r e Da me a nd or ig in at i ng i n t he m id-19 6 0 s u nder t he au s pic e s of Fr. T he o dor e He sbu r g h, h ad b e c ome a s y mb ol of i nter f a it h le a r n i ng a nd sha red e x p er ienc e s. A lt hou g h t he Jer u s a lem Su m mer St ud y P r og r a m h ad gone u n not ic e d by Not r e Da me st udent s t he pr e v iou s ye a r, t her e w a s r ene w e d hop e of at t r ac ti ng a g r e ater nu mb er of pa r t ic ipa nt s. I n 20 0 0, Not r e Da me’s
Jer u s a lem st ud y a br oad pr og r a m f ac e d c a nc ell at ion due to t he S e c ond I nt i f ad a . “ We ke ep r et u r ni ng to t he d i lem m a : i f w e w ou ld h av e to s e que ster t he st udent s i n Ta nt u r, ou r pr og r a m of w ide r a ng i ng ac c e s s to b ot h c u lt u r e s a nd a l l t h r e e r e l ig ion s w ou ld b e s e v er el y c u r t a i le d,” s a id Fr. Dav id Bu r r el l, t he pr og r a m’s d i r e c tor. T he pr og r a m t y pic a l l y ac c om mo d ate d a r ou nd 15 Not r e Da me st udent s, of fer i ng c ou r se s at lo c a l i n st it ut ion s l i ke Hebr e w Un i v er sit y, Bet h lehem Un i v er sit y, a nd t he R at i sb on ne I n st it ute. St udent s pl a n n i ng to joi n t he Jer u s a lem pr o gram w er e g i v en t wo a lter n at i v e s : pa r t ic ipati ng i n a Me d iter r a ne a n pr og r a m i n At hen s t h at s pr i ng or a ppl y i ng for t he Jer u s a lem pr og r a m i n s pr i ng 20 02 . Me g a n Sw e ene y ( ‘01), a s en ior i n t he C ol le ge of S c ienc e w ho h ad pa r t ic ipate d i n t he Jer u s a lem pr og r a m t he pr e v iou s s pr i ng , emph asi z e d t he h ig h ten sion i n t he r e g ion, st at i ng , “It ’s ju st to o u npr e d ic t a ble at t h i s t i me.” P r ofe s s or Su s a n Sher id a n, c onduc t i ng r e s e a rc h in Jer u s a lem, s upp or te d t he pr og r a m’s c a nc el l at ion, fe a r i ng t h at t he pr e v a i l i ng t u r moi l w ou ld ov er s h adow it s e duc at iona l b enef it s.
ReopeningandContemporary Instability Oct. 8, 2008 | Emma Driscoll | Oct. 11, 2023 | Gabrielle Beechert| I n a s u r pr i si ng t u r n of e v ent s, a f ter a n i ne -ye a r h i at u s, t he Un i v er sit y of Not r e Da me de c ide d to
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r e v i v e it s st ud y a br oad pr og r a m at t he Ta nt u r E c u men ic a l I n st it ute i n Jer u s a lem . T h i s de c i sion m a r ke d a sig n i f ic a nt mo ment i n t he pr og r a m’s h i stor y, of fer i ng eig ht to ten st udent s t he c h a nc e to i m mer s e t hems el v e s onc e a g a i n i n t he v ibr a nt a nd c omple x c it y of Jer u s a lem . T he O f f ic e of I nter n at ion a l St ud ie s ( OIS ) u nv ei le d t he Jer u s a lem Su m mer P r og r a m for t he s u mmer of 20 0 9, r ek i nd l i ng hop e s for a n ac adem ic a nd c u lt u r a l e x c h a nge u nl i ke a ny ot her. L i z Mu rdo c k L a For t u ne, A s si st a nt D i r e c tor of OIS a nd P r og r a m C o ord i n ator for t he Jer u s a lem Su m mer P r og r a m, e x pr e s s e d her ent hu si a sm for t he pr o g r a m’s r e v i v a l . “I’m r e a l l y g r atef u l t h at w e h av e t he opp or t u n it y to s end st udent s t her e b e c au s e t her e’s ju st r e a l l y not hi ng qu ite l i ke it ,” s he r em a r ke d . She emph a si z e d t he u npa r a l lele d v a lue of eng a g i ng w it h t he p e ople a nd c u lt u r e of Jer u s a lem, an e x p er ienc e t h at t r a n s c ende d t he b ou nd a r ie s of a t y pic a l c a mpu s e duc at ion . D e s pite t he h i at u s, st udent s h ad c ont i nue d to e x pr e s s ke en i nter e st i n t he Jer u s a lem P r og r a m . O v er t he ye a r s, t he St ate D epa r t ment ’s t r av el w a r n i ng r em a i ne d i n effe c t . St i l l, L a For t u ne b e l ie v e d t h at t he ov er a l l s e c u r it y sit u at ion h ad i mpr ov e d i n t he a r e a . T he u n i v er sit y w ou ld r e de sig n t he s u mmer pr og r a m w it h a heig htene d fo c u s on st r uc t u r e d ac t i v it ie s to minimize risk a nd en s u r e t he s a fet y of pa r t ic ipa nt s. T h i s re s u r r e c te d pr o g r a m w ou ld c ont i nue to op er ate f r om t he Ta nt u r E c u men ic a l I n st it ute, lo c ate d on t he r oad b e t w e en Jer u s a lem a nd Bet h lehem . T he i n st it ute, or ig i n a l l y ac qu i r e d by t he Vat ic a n a f ter t he S e c ond Vat ic a n C ou nc i l, h ad r em a i ne d on le a s e to t he Un i v er sit y of Not r e Da me. T he de c i sion to reop en t he pr og r a m a ff i r me d t he c onv ic t ion t h at l i v i ng a nd st ud yi ng i n Jer u s a lem of fer e d Not r e Da me st udent s a n u npa r a l lele d opp or t un it y. L a For t u ne s u m me d it up s uc c i nc t l y, st ati ng , “Si mpl y st ate d, t her e i s no ot her lo c at ion t h at of fer s t he opt ion s a nd r e s ou rc e s t h at a r e av a i la ble to Un i v er sit y of Not r e Da me st udent s i n Jer u s a lem .” Contact Thomas Dobbs at tdobbs@nd.edu
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NEWS
THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Abroad CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
woke up to air raid sirens on Saturday,” Moody said. At first, she did not understand the scope of the situation, she said. “I was scared during the missile attacks, but did not realize how severe the situation really was. It quickly became evident that we would probably need to evacuate,” Moody said. All students were transferred to London to continue their study abroad experience. Moody described what the process was like to evacuate out of Jerusalem. “Initially, the plan was to try and fly out of Tel Aviv. However, NDI (Notre Dame International) ended up determining that the safest plan was to hire a security team to drive us to Jordan and then fly to London from there,” Moody wrote. Zong said he felt it was less stressful to evacuate than some people might think. Notre Dame International rolled out an evacuation plan about 15 hours after the first wave of rockets, he said. The transition from a war zone to London has been strange at times, Moody
said. “I recognize that I am incredibly lucky, still it is strange to be in London now. It doesn’t feel right to just start ‘having fun’ again after leaving a country at war.” She added that she was grateful for Notre Dame International’s response, saying they “have done everything possible to make sure we are safe.” To get through the ordeal, Zong said he leaned on his faith and humor to help cope. “I wasn’t too stressed in the first place. First, where we stayed were fairly safe compared to other regions of Israel,” he said. This experience has not deterred Moody and Zong. Both said they would like to return to Jerusalem once it is safe to do so. When asked if he would want to go back to Jerusalem, Zong enthusiastically said, “For sure! I haven’t been able to go to Nazareth yet.” Zong said this experience has “totally changed” the way he looks at politics. He said he now has a “deeper understanding of war and geopolitick” and he is a stronger pacifist as a result. Contact Meghan Lange at mlange03@saintmarys.edu
Comedy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
meet i ngs a nd sta rted p e r f or m i n g b y t h e e nd of s op h om or e f a l l . A c c or d i n g t o Tom p k i n s , s t u d e nt s w h o a r e i nt e re s t e d i n s t a nd-u p c ome d y a r e f or t u n a t e t o h a v e t h e s t r u c t u r e of S S N D b e c a u s e m o s t c om e d i a n s out i n t h e r e a l w or ld g e t t h e i r s t a r t b y g oi n g t o op e n m ic s . A t op e n m ic s i n p l a c e s s u c h a s Ne w Yor k C it y, c om e d i a n s p a y $ 5 f or f i v e m i nut e s on s t a g e , Tom p k i n s s a id . “I d e s c r i b e [ op e n m ic s ] a s : it ’s a l m o s t l i k e y ou’r e a u d it ion i n g f or a r ole t h a t d o e s n’t e x i s t , a nd y ou’r e d oi n g it i n f r ont of a l l t h e ot h e r p e op le w h o w a nt t hat r ole ,” Tom p k i n s s a id . “ T h o s e a r e t h e p e o p le j u d g i n g y ou r a u d it ion . S om e t i m e s it w i l l b e v e r y s u pp or t i v e a nd g r e a t , a nd s om e t i m e s it [ w on’t b e ] .” T he s t a nd-u p c ome d y c l u b’s g a t h e r i n g s , c om p a r e d w it h op e n m ic s , a r e g r e a t f or s om e b o d y j u s t s t a r t i n g out , Tom p k i n s ex pla i ned. He s a id S S N D’s Mond a y n i g ht m e e t i n g s a r e op e n
s p a c e s i n w h ic h s t u d e nt s ca n test t he waters. “It ’s mu c h b e t t e r t o b om b i n h e r e i n f r ont of l i k e e i g ht p e op le w h o c a n t h e n g i v e y ou f e e d b a c k t o g e t b e t t e r, i f y ou r e a l l y w a nt t o c ont i nu e t o w or k on t h a t j ok e , t h a n t o d o it i n f r ont of t h e [ n e a r l y 10 0 ] t h a t a r e u s u a l l y a t ou r s h o w s ,” Tom p k i n s s a id . A lt h ou g h SSND p e rf or m e r s d on’t h a v e t o pu t u p w it h t h e d r u n k h e c kle r s of t h e Ne w Yor k C it y op e n m ic s c e n e , d oi n g s t a nd-u p i n Wa s h i n g t on H a l l c om e s w it h it s o w n c h a l le n g e s , a c c or d i n g t o Tom p k i n s . “ W h e n y ou d o [ s t a ndu p ] a t Not r e D a m e , y ou k n o w y ou’r e g oi n g t o s e e t h o s e p e op le i n t h e f ut u r e pr ob a b l y,” h e s a id . “ T h e r e’s b e e n t i m e s w h e r e I’v e b e e n w a l k i n g t h r ou g h D eB a r t olo … w h e r e I’m w a l k i n g p a s t a k id a nd I k n o w h e w a s a t on e of t h e s h o w s t h a t I j u s t b om b e d a t . A nd I’m pi s s e d a b ou t it .” O n s t a g e , Tom p k i n s i s a l s o a l it t le bit n e r v ou s a b ou t g e t t i n g h i s s u pp or ters i n t he crowd to laug h, he added. “A lot of p e op le i n t h e
a u d ie n c e a r e f r ie nd s of y ou r s or f r ie nd s of a not h e r g r ou p m e m b e r a nd t h e y a r e t a k i n g t i m e ou t of t h e i r d a y t o s e e y ou ,” h e s a id . “Ho w I f e e l , a t le a s t , i s : I w a nt t o m a k e s u r e t h a t t h e i r t i m e i n v e s tm e nt i s w or t h it .” Tom p k i n s s a id most S S N D r e g u l a r s d on’t t a k e t h e c l u b t o o s e r iou s l y. “For a lot of p e op le w h o c om e ou t t o t h i s , m a n y of t h e m a r e s e n ior s w h o h a v e a l w a y s b e e n l i k e , ‘I w a nt t o t r y t h i s ,’ bu t h a v e n e v e r d on e it ,” Tom p k i n s s a id . “A nd t h e y j u s t k i nd of g i v e it t h e y e a r.” For t h o s e h opi n g t o br e a k i nt o c om e d y pr o f e s s ion a l l y, s t a nd-u p i s a v e r y a c c e s s i b le p oi nt t o d o t h a t , Tom p k i n s a d d e d . “A l l y ou n e e d i s a m ic r o p h on e ,” h e s a id . At S S N D’s meet i ng Mond a y n i g ht , s t u d e nt s w e nt a r ou nd t h e c l a s s r o om b ou n c i n g j ok e s , t h e g o o d a nd t h e b a d , of f on e a n ot h e r. T h e y a l s o w a t c h e d a YouTu b e v id e o of B a pt i s t p a s t or s r e c e i vi n g t h e Hol y G h o s t f or c o m e d ic i n s pi r a t ion . Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu
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2023 Dean’s Speaker Series Presents:
DAN HELFRICH Chair & CEO, Deloitte Consulting LLP
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. • Fri., Oct. 27 Jordan Auditorium Mendoza College of Business Lecture is free and open to the public. The Dean’s Speaker Series is sponsored by The Eugene Clark Distinguished Lecture Series endowment.
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THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
By ANDY OTTONE Scene Writer
Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie How do I summarize “Five Nights at Freddy’s?” I wouldn’t know where to start, primarily a consequence of my unfamiliarity with the series. Despite growing up when the series was at its highest popularity, I have never touched a game in the franchise. However, I have plenty of friends who were interested in the series, so I’ve picked some facts up along the way. From what I understand, Freddy Fazbear is an animatronic frontman and gang leader who is possessed by a child’s ghost. His friends and fellow animatronics exist in a similar manner. This is all put incredibly simply, but it is all I knew going into the movie and all you really need to know. Unlike diehard fans, I could not anticipate characters and settings they know and love, dampening my enthusiasm. All I could look forward to was the general idea of “What if Chuck E. Cheese was evil?” My biggest source of excitement in the lead-up to the film’s release was the involvement of the Jim Henson
By LUCIA AGUZZI Scene Writer
Taylor Swift’s first full pop album has finally joined the “Taylor’s Version” ranks of re-recordings, and I would like to say that blondie did not disappoint. “1989” has been referred to as a “pop bible” by many since 2014, so recreating what I would consider a near-perfect hit album, especially without its original producers, was a prospect that scared many fans. I sat down at 12:05 a.m. on Friday (after Spotify stopped crashing) to immerse myself in the first listen, and the synth sounds of “Welcome to New York” lovingly embraced me like a hug. One thing I can say without a doubt about “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” is that Jack Antonoff’s tracks were improved at the re-recording. Antonoff has worked closely with Swift for years, but the original “1989” was where their creative journey began. Listening during the early morning hours of Friday, I was amazed by the improved production of songs like “Out Of The Woods” and “I Wish You Would,” both of which were already in my top-5 tracks from the album. I do not long for the original versions of these two songs. Continuing with the theme of improvement, two fan favorites in which Taylor’s vocals are now more
Company. These craftsmen — creators of iconic characters such as the Muppets — expertly designed the film’s villainous animatronics, which looked accurate to an uncanny degree. At times, I questioned if the effects were real or animated. These games also appeal to a younger demographic than might be expected from a horror franchise. The film’s PG-13 rating definitely creates availability to wider audiences, but the film at times feels hampered by the awareness that children are watching. Violence is typically cut away from to show only the aftermath, with one exception. The film’s most notable “scary” moment is when a character is sucked into the mouth of an animatronic as we see their silhouette bit in half. This genuinely well-done and well-executed kill should be representative of the film’s tone, but instead feels jarring and unfitting compared to the rest of the movie. The film referenced things other than just the original source material. Horror movie icon Matthew Lillard stars, known for his roles in films such as “Scream” and the live-action “Scooby-Doo” movies. At one point in the film, his character handles a knife in a manner clearly reminiscent of his villainous turn in
“Scream.” The casting of Lillard as the film’s villain is a brilliant decision, as the manipulative demeanor of his character is showcased in his great and dynamic performance. In true horror movie fashion, his character yells “I always come back” before he is dealt the killing blow. This is, apparently, another reference to the games, but I anticipate his inevitable return in a sequel. I am not the target audience for this film. I am fully aware of that, and I am also aware that my separation from the source material impacts how I view the movie. That being said, I find it hard to appreciate the movie on its own merits. I was rarely scared. The film’s most impressive kill left me uncomfortable due to the tonal shift rather than the disturbing sequence which had just played out. The central creatures did not leave me shocked or scared, but rather simply in awe of the impressive practical effects. However, I had a fun time watching it, and sometimes that is all that matters. If you’re a fan of the series I am certain you will enjoy it. Even if you don‘t, hop along for the ride — it’s a fun trip.
pronounced and better are “Clean” and “You Are In Love.” I will admit that I was never particularly attached to either of these because, while the lyrical content is beautiful, the distant and breathy vocals weren’t my style. I can say, however, that I will be playing their Taylor’s Versions much more than the originals, seeing as Taylor doesn’t sound as hidden as she did before. Swift brought back producer Imogen Heap for “Clean” and Antonoff produced “You Are In Love” again — as he did on the original. The thread we see here is that for the tracks that were produced by their original team, there are notable improvements that make Taylor’s Versions that much more valuable. That, however, is where much of the thread ends for me. If “1989” was a pop bible, “Style” and “New Romantics” could be considered the pop gospels, and the absence of pop production kings Max Martin and Shellback is definitely felt in Taylor’s Versions. While Antonoff did a fine job, I personally think the magic of the originals is slightly missing. The clearer guitar sound in the intro of “Style” just doesn’t release the same serotonin that the muffled sound on the original does for me. Antonoff was all over this album, which makes it unsurprising that he was the producer on all five
of the vault tracks. As per usual, he was all over the synths on the tracks, giving them an aura of the “Midnights” album — of which he also produced a large portion. My personal favorite is “Is It Over Now,” mainly because I too would jump from a very high height to watch 2013 Harry Styles running to me. The lyrics on the vault tracks all have similar themes as many other songs on “1989,” namely the satire of the media calling Taylor a “Slut!” and Harry Styles being a messy boyfriend. I personally enjoy the tracks, and after a few listens they continue to grow on me, but in my opinion, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” continues to have the best vault. Overall, the goal of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was largely accomplished. Swift even gave the fans the re-recorded version of “Bad Blood” featuring Kendrick Lamar, a fan favorite, and successfully made an album that sounds close enough to the original to the point where the nostalgia hits the same way. Whether I will ethically listen to downloaded versions of the original “Style” every once in a while is up for discussion, but I will definitely solely listen to “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” all the way through for the foreseeable future.
Contact Andy Ottone at aottone@nd.edu
Contact Lucia Aguzzi at laguzzi@nd.edu ETHAN CHIANG, ANNA FALK | The Observer
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THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
INSIDE COLUMN
An ode to family costumes
INSIDE COLUMN
The definitive Halloween mixtape, annotated
Kathryn Muchnick
Peter Mikulski
Associate News Editor
Viewpoint Copyeditor
A college campus is supposedly t he best place to celebrate Ha lloween. Indeed, t he parties, t he costumes at footba ll games and t he genera l buzz of Ha lloweekend are exciting. A renewed excuse to go “a ll out” for a holiday t hat might have been dormant since childhood. But ever y year on Ha lloween, I am overcome by an acute wave of homesick ness. I miss t he lame ritua l of trick-or-treating and my grandparents’ grill out. Let me explain: Since I was about ten, my family has done group Ha lloween costumes each year. I can’t even remember how it started, but it is perhaps my most treasured family tradition. My dad is t he rea l champion of our costumes. He combs over screencaps from t he mov ies we imitate, noting ever y detail of ever y piece of clot hing required. He has ver y high standards for t he t y pe of costume we choose: it must be 1) recognizable and 2) not trendy. A ny t hing overdone t hat year is immediately out of t he question (so, regrettably, no Barbie and Ken t his October). A nd any t hing too simplistic leads him to t hink we won’t stand out. In our inaug ura l year, we did “Back to t he Future.” My youngest brot her, t hen probably four years old, was Mart y McFly in a miniature red vest, and a ll t he girls wore poodle sk irts. We’ve done “Harr y Potter,” “Charlie and t he Chocolate Factor y” and “The Goonies,” w it h my youngest brot her dressing up as Dobby, Aug ustus Gloop and Chunk, respectively. (He is usua lly t he butt of t he joke — sorr y Reid.) Our best costume was “Nationa l Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” complete w it h Todd and Margo, t he boss in his pajamas and a stuffed squirrel attached to my dad’s back. For my dad, t he big test is t he moment we wa lk up to t he neighborhood part y. Before Ha lloween night, my siblings and I are sworn to secrecy. Our family costumes are sacred, planned at t he k itchen table or in hushed tones in t he ma ll. No one can k now because my dad wants to see if our family and friends w ill k now what our costume is immediately. They usua lly don’t. My grandmot her, t hough she tries, is not t he most in touch w it h pop culture, and my neighborhood has more elderly couples t han k ids. We are reduced to pointing at t he most obv ious costume and waiting for a f lash of recognition. I t hink it brea ks my dad’s heart a litt le ever y time we aren’t recognized, but to me, t hat’s far from t he point. The point is doing somet hing k ind of embarrassing as a family. I hadn’t chosen my ow n Ha lloween costume for nearly a decade until I moved to college, but if I had to wear an illf itting w ig or obnox ious meta llic tracksuit, t hen t hat was my fate. In t he words of my w ise mot her: “It’s Ha lloween, ever yone’s uncomfortable.” I couldn’t be embarrassed about my costume when my dad dyed his beard bright orange or my sister wore a fa ke mustache. Each year, t he camaraderie eased my teenage apprehensions. Like ever y family, we arg ued a ll t he time about “forced family f un” — someone has friends to hang out w it h or someone has practice. But I can’t remember ever arg uing about Ha lloween costumes. It was a lways a given, and since mov ing to college, I rea lly miss it. Of course, group costumes at school are ver y popular. I t hink it’s for t he same reasons — it’s okay to have a stupid or f unny costume if a ll your friends are in it w it h you. But when my friends agree to dress up w it h me, t he reminder of what I’m missing at home brings a litt le more heft to t he planning process. At t he risk of sounding saccharine, my friends become my family each Ha lloween. In college, our friends are like family year-round, prov iding support and someone to eat dinner w it h, but t he feeling rings truer for me on Ha lloween. So t hanks, g uys, for dressing up w it h me t his year. It meant more t han you k now. You can contact Kathryn at kmuchnic@nd.edu. The views expressed in this Inside column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Christmas playlists are too easy. Thanksgiv ing playlists are impossible. The Ha lloween playlist, however, lies right at the Spotif y connoisseur’s sweet spot. There’s enough Ha lloween music out there to get you started, but after just a little while, you have to start getting creative and stretching your definitions if you want to ma ke a satisf y ing full-length playlist. Here’s what might be my masterpiece: the definitive Ha lloween mi xtape, annotated. “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach. Popularized by the transcription for orchestra featured in “Fantasia” and by its use in “The Phantom of the Opera,” this piece has become a musica l by word for ev il and for peril. Google “organ song that goes DA DA DA” or “scar y organ song” — it’s the first result. The piece was origina lly intended as a prelude, meant to k ick off a concert and to give the organist a chance to f lex his chops. The gripping toccata needs a sensitive touch, and the fugue needs v irtuosic precision. Hence, it k icks off this playlist. “Vamp Anthem” by Playboi Carti. Work of genius that it is, Bach’s Toccata is a lso a ten-minute piece of classica l music — we need to get the energ y up. Thus, Playboi Carti’s signature hit. The fact that it opens w ith a riff on the prev ious track is an added plus. “Monster” by Lady Gaga ; “Cannibal” by Kesha ; “She Wolf ” by Shakira. None of these dance-pop songs are technica lly Ha lloween music, but there’s enough monster imager y in them that I think they ma ke the cut. “I Want Candy” by Bow Wow Wow. According to the strictest definitions, “I Want Candy” isn’t a Ha lloween song either. Still, it matches a child’s manic passion for trick-or-treating so perfectly that it feels fine to include it. The track comes off of a 1980 a lbum by Bow Wow Wow titled “We are the 80s.” Sadly, they were not (in fact) the 80s — they were a one-hit wonder. “Friday I’m in Love” by The Cure. Just like Bow Wow Wow, The Cure is an 80s band from the United Kingdom, but what’s the Ha lloween connection? They’re goth, and ever y day is Ha lloween when you’re goth. “Spellbound” by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Here’s another old school British goth track, one w ith extra Ha lloween relevance because of the sorcer y motives happening in the ly rics and the w itchy aesthetics Siou xsie and the Banshees have got going on in genera l. “Scar y Monsters and Nice Sprites” by Skrillex. This dubstep classic rounds off the playlist’s goth detour. W hile goth started in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the 1980s as an outgrow th of punk and post-punk music, I think if you ask most A mericans to imagine a goth, they’ll either picture a vampire, Marily n Manson or that v ideo of those cyber-goths dancing to techno music under a bridge.
Thus, “Scar y Monsters and Nice Sprites” ma kes it into the goth section of the Ha lloween playlist — w ith bonus points for the word “monsters” in the title. “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush. It’s a song about a ghost, in fact, a song narrated by a ghost. That’s prett y spook y! Spook y enough for this playlist, at least. This track is off of Bush’s debut a lbum “The Kick Inside,” and you should listen to that a lbum’s opener, “Mov ing.” It’s a sleeper hit, and it’s a lso hilariously about Bush’s dear mime teacher — yes, Kate Bush took forma l mime classes ! “‘The Addams Family’ Theme”; “‘Ghostbusters’ Theme”; “‘The Munsters’ Theme.” Next up is a medley of the most iconic Ha lloween-y mov ie and telev ision theme songs. “The Munsters Theme” in particular goes needlessly hard, and I genuinely listen to it year-round. It’s an idea l hy pe song. “Psycho Killer” by The Talking Heads. A la “Wuthering Heights,” here’s another song whose ly rics have a scar y spea ker — the titular psycho k iller! “‘The Shining’ Theme”; “‘Psycho’ Theme.” A nother medley: t wo of the most ominous pieces of film music ever composed. “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder. The throbbing Dies irae sy nths from “The Shining” and the screeching dissonant strings from “Psycho” aren’t exactly the most danceable pieces of film music ever composed, though, so to ba lance them out, we need a bop. Therefore, “Superstition.” “This is Halloween” from “The Nightmare Before Christmas”; “The Phantom of the Opera” from “The Phantom of the Opera.” Tim Burton and Ha lloween are inextricably linked, and while I’m more of a “Corpse Bride” man myself, this selection from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a nod to him. “The Phantom of the Opera,” its musica l’s title track, has some spook y organ riffs that a llude to the Bach Toccata which the playlist started w ith, signa ling that we’re coming to a close. But there’s still one essentia l banger we haven’t covered: “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. This is the big fina le before the playlist w inds dow n, a feast for ears and eyes. (In an idea l rea lization of this playlist, you would nav igate off of Spotif y and onto YouTube in order to enjoy a ll 13 glorious minutes of the origina l music v ideo.) “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” by Vince Guaraldi. To tie things off, we ta ke a deep breath, and then we sw itch on perhaps the most autumna l piece of music in the world from perhaps the best of a ll the “Peanuts” holiday specia ls. Savor the lilting f lute melodies, the mournful trumpet harmonies, Guara ldi’s t w ink ling piano play ing, a throbbing guitar solo and a k iller drummer-bassist duo. Ta ke another deep breath, and then get to work on your Christmas playlist. W hether you’re a day-after-Thanksgiv ing hardliner or a whenever-I-feel-like-it radica l, the time’ll be here before you k now it. You can contact Peter at pmikulsk@nd.edu. The views expressed in this Inside column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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How to think about Israel and Palestine Sam Marchand BridgeND
In the context of the extremely violent past century in the Middle East, the conflict between Israel and Palestine has taken a central place in the American public’s mind. Given the level of vitriol surrounding the recent events in the region, it’s important to develop a framework to clearly evaluate the situation and not quickly jump to conclusions. October has not been kind to the Holy Land. Since Hamas decided to lob 5,000 explosive rockets over the border from Gaza toward Israeli civilians, their foot soldiers have murdered an estimated 1,400 people, and thousands more have been wounded or taken hostage. Israel’s actions in response have displaced an estimated 1.1 million people and killed thousands of Hamas fighters and Gazan civilians, with the IDF’s ground operations in Gaza expected to raise that number significantly. Understanding the immediate history of the area is critical to forming an informed opinion on this contentious issue. “Palestine” isn’t one place. It’s a set of noncontiguous territories located around the borders of Israel. Contrary to popular opinion, Palestine is functionally a country. The State of Palestine has UN-recognized full jurisdiction over the West Bank, which is east of Israel, and the Gaza Strip, a narrow stretch of land on the Mediterranean coast between Israel and Egypt. In response to decades of sectarian violence, all of this territory is under de facto Israeli military occupation, although the Palestinian Authority (Palestine’s government) is in full control over things like education and medical care. The Palestinian Authority (PA) is funded by Israel, which runs tax collection on their behalf because the PA has proven to be too corrupt to handle that basic function of government in the past. In 2007, Hamas (which is considered by the U.S., E.U. and other nations to be a violent terrorist group) won a majority of the seats in Palestine’s legislature and then proceeded to wage a war of assassinations and bombings against Fatah, Palestine’s other large political group, seizing total control of Gaza from the Palestinian government. Hamas’ charter is decidedly antisemitic with lines including “Israel will exist and continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it” and “[t]he Day of Judgement will not come until Muslims fight Jews and kill them.” Hamas has provoked two full-blown wars against Israel in 2009 and 2014 — each killing thousands of civilians — and engaged in a campaign of terror against Israeli civilians for nearly 20 years. This is the backdrop of the current issue. There are several ways to interpret events here. First, we can look at which side in the conflict respects
human rights and democracy. Israel is a multiethnic nation with full religious freedom, is by far the most developed country in the Middle East and is the only functioning free democracy in that region. Muslims, as do all citizens of Israel, have full constitutional rights and sit on Israel’s supreme court and in the Knesset, Israel’s legislature. The stated position of the Israeli government fully allows for Palestine to exist as a state and actively supports that state in numerous ways. Israel guarantees full rights to people of all ethnicities and gender identities while Palestine does not. Jews and Christians face tremendous religious persecution in Gaza and the West Bank. Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ, has seen almost all of its Christian population vanish over the last century. When surveyed, 59% of Palestinians deny Israel has the right to exist. The same survey goes on to show how 40% of Palestinians see violence displayed by Hamas as the best way to resolve the conflict in the region. Unlike terrorist groups such as ISIS or Al Qaeda who were fringe organizations that used extremism and crime to pursue their goals, Hamas is different in that it was elected to power and is widely supported by Palestine’s population. In Palestine, specifically Gaza, minorities both ethnic and otherwise have virtually no protections. The LGBTQ+ community there faces some of the harshest persecution anywhere in the world, infamously being executed in the street. This shows how ironic the “Queers for Palestine’’ narrative truly is. Palestine’s government uses antisemitism as its base justification for legitimacy. When we analyze events through this lens, the picture is clear. Israel is by far the better actor when judged on grounds like human rights and democracy. Second, we can see which party has caused the most human death and suffering over the course of the 80-year conflict. The conflict has killed more than 30,000 people since its inception. Hamas, as well as other similar Islamic militant groups, partake in a degree of barbarism incomparable to the principled conduct of the Israeli military. We can see the civilian deaths brought on by Hamas activity in Gaza, a territory Hamas claims to defend. The al-Ahli Arab Hospital suffered a massive explosion on Oct. 17, killing between 100 and 300 people according to U.S. estimations. Hamas blames Israel for the explosion, but examination of camera footage and terrorist activity in the area led Israel as well as the U.S. military to conclude that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a U.S.-designated terrorist group allied with Hamas, fired a rocket that malfunctioned and landed on the hospital. This shows one instance of how blind Palestinian aggression resulted in hundreds of civilians dying a fiery death. Saturday, Oct. 7 was the deadliest single day for Jews since the Holocaust. Hamas has now paralleled Hitler in their capacity for hate. The Israeli military is not without fault either, but combat deaths and
civilian casualties are often deeply apologized for by the Israeli government and soldiers receive training to minimize collateral damage when fighting terrorism. The campaign of West Bank settlements conducted by Israel is viewed by some in the international community as illegal, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Hamas executing civilians for simply being Jewish. Although many civilian casualties have been Palestinian, it is aggression from the so-called “Palestinian liberation” movement that has continued nearly a century of brutal violence and refused to negotiate beyond terms calling for the destruction of Israel as a state, tacitly rejecting a two-state solution. When considering the body of history, the levels of human rights and democracy, and the overall death toll, the result is clear: There is no moral option but to support the people of Israel. Motivated by Islamic fundamentalism and antisemitism, the Palestinian people elected and continue to support a full-blown terrorist group and have helped feed the lie of the “Free Palestine” movement. Hamas’s blatant and widespread violations of human rights and antisemitism cannot be tolerated, and peace in the region can only be accomplished by their undoing. The destruction of Hamas has proven to be necessary for Israel’s national defense, the exercising of which is their right as a sovereign nation, whether the Palestinian people duly elected them or not. Dictatorial and abusive regimes throughout history have sometimes been democratically elected. Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany after being elected and becoming Germany’s chancellor. Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party rose to power in 1960s and 1970s Iraq with widespread public support. Both Hitler and Hussein were democratically elected, and both became genocidal dictators whose violent effect on the rest of the world was the cause for their military removal. The same is true of Hamas. The campaign of terror and violence waged by Hamas against the Israeli people is just cause for their elimination, and Israel is fully justified in executing this function of its national defense. Sam Marchand is a freshman from Beaumont, Texas living in Keough Hall studying Finance and Political Science. He can be reached for questions or comments at smarcha3@nd.edu. BridgeND is a multi-partisan political club committed to bridging the partisan divide through respectful and productive discourse. It meets bi-weekly on Mondays at 7 p.m. in Duncan Student Center Meeting Room 1, South W106 to learn about and discuss current political issues, and can be reached at bridgend@nd.edu or on Twitter @bridge_ND. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Oars and memories: Our Notre Dame journey at the Head of the Charles Regatta Lara Novaes Victor Diary of an International Student
As soon as you join the rowing world, one of the first regattas you hear about is the legendary Head of the Charles. This regatta is not just another rowing competition; it is a celebrated tradition and a true test of skill and teamwork. Every October, rowers from around the world gather in Boston to participate in this world-renowned race, and this year I was part of the crew that represented Notre Dame. This was an immense honor, but also a challenge. A few days after nationals in May, the focus of our team fully shifted to one goal: securing a spot in the boats that would represent us at the Head of the Charles. For the boys, this meant committing countless hours to erging during the summer, all while juggling demanding internships and travel schedules. Their unwavering dedication was a testament to their commitment to this race and to representing Notre Dame the best they could. For me and the other coxswains, preparation meant knowing this complicated course like the palm of our hands. Navigating the winding path of the Charles River would require us not only to memorize the course but also to develop a deep understanding of the often weirdly angled bridges and the best path to go through them because winning or losing would come down to our overall course. As we got back to school and the semester started, the lineups for the Head of the Charles Regatta began to take shape. What
once felt like a distant event, almost like an abstract concept, was now becoming a tangible reality. The excitement and anticipation among the team grew with each passing day, and with that so did the sense of purpose and commitment. We knew that we weren’t just racing for ourselves, we were racing for our teammates, family, friends and Notre Dame. When the day of the regatta arrived and we got to the Charles River, it felt like a vibrant, bustling hub of rowing enthusiasts from every corner of the globe. The riverbanks were filled with colorful tents and buzzing with activity. Teams from far and wide were preparing their boats, fine-tuning their equipment and wearing their distinctive uniforms, each one representing a unique story and a shared passion for the sport. As my boat and I launched, I couldn’t help but feel like we were part of something truly special. The water was alive with the strokes of countless oars and the echoes of cheers from the sidelines. It was as if the very river itself had come to life, mirroring the intensity and dedication of the rowers from universities across the country and even from the national team. But with this feeling of being part of something bigger than ourselves, also came the weight of expectation. The spectators lining the riverbanks, the other crews battling for good positions through the bridges and the legacy of the Head of the Charles itself pressed upon us. We knew this was the moment we had all worked tirelessly for, the culmination of months of dedication and preparation. The stakes were high, and the pressure was palpable. However, we reminded ourselves of the countless hours of
training, the early mornings and the late evenings we put in when we pushed ourselves to our limits. We remembered the commitment of our teammates, the support of our families and friends and the pride we felt in representing Notre Dame. And just like that, we knew we were ready. As the race started, we leaned into the water, finding strength from the sense of purpose and the collective spirit of all the rowers on our team. The challenge was immense, but we were ready. We knew that, at that point, it was time to give our absolute best and embrace the opportunity to make memories that would last a lifetime. In the midst of that electrifying atmosphere, we rowed with all our hearts driven by the unity of our team and the pride of representing Notre Dame. The Head of the Charles Regatta was not just a race; it showcased our hard work and our love for the sport. As we crossed the finish line, we realized that we had not only participated in a unique event but also made lasting memories that would always remind us of the camaraderie, effort and honor of being part of this rowing community and Notre Dame. Lara is a member of the class of 2026 from Taubaté, Brazil with majors in economics and Chinese. When she is not complaining about the weather, you can find her studying in a random room of O’Shaughnessy with her friends or spending all her flex points in Garbanzo. You can contact Lara by email at lvictor@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
SPORTS AUTHORITY
FOOTBALL GRADES
Miller: A great holiday ended Jake Miller Senior Sports Writer
Tuesday, October 31st, 2023 marked the last time the world will ever get the amazing opportunity to celebrate Rankings Day. Of course, 10/31 is home to some other irrelevant holiday as well. But the holiday I speak of, Rankings Day, is the annual tradition where Boo Corrigan, chair of the College Football Playoff selection committee, comes on our TVs and informs us what the committee thinks of the season so far. Sure, next year, Rankings Day will still exist to some level. For those who don’t know, next year, the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams. The committee will continue to release weekly rankings on ESPN. But those rankings won’t really matter. At the end of the day, any good one-loss team will be a lock for the playoff. There will be ample spots. Right now, there are not enough spots. Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State, Washington, Georgia and Oregon all stand out as among the best teams in the nation, yet only four of those six teams will get in. Because of that, fans like myself have the opportunity to debate for hours on topics like strength of schedule, eye test and non-conference opponents. In the current setup, every game is a playoff game for every team. Unlike any other sport, one regular season game can change a team’s season. A minor slip-up, like a muffed punt or a defensive holding call, can change the course of the league. Next year, fans will still have the opportunity to watch the
most volatile American sport. Teams will still try to win every game. However, the regular season will mean less. Before the College Football Playoff, during the BCS days, the best teams in the country were determined by computers. Currently, a group of individuals — many of whom make mistakes — determine which teams are the best in the country. In the future, those individuals will still rank the teams, but in reality, the field will just play out. Maybe there’ll be controversy at the 11th and 12th spots. But for the most part, the field will be clear. Undefeated teams and good one-loss teams will be locks for the postseason. Tuesday night’s rankings were shocking and the drama leading up to them was fun to watch. The committee dethroned Georgia, king of the college football castle since 2022. There’s a chance (albeit small) that the SEC could be left out of the party. Just think the SEC, the premier college football conference in the country, might not have a representative in the game’s postseason. I love it. It’s wild, fun and gives the small guy (we’ll call Florida State “small” for the sake of this argument) a legitimate chance to play semifinal games in front of 80,000 fans and many more watching on TV. This is a great day. We should rejoice and be glad in it, as unfortunately, it’s ending soon.. Contact Jake Miller at jmille89@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Defense, special teams make several big plays By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Editor
Even t hough t he Irish put up 58 points in t heir v ictor y over Pitt on Saturday, it is a bit misleading when it comes to how t he of fense actua l ly played. The sa me ca n’t be sa id for how t he defense fa red. If a ny t hing, it played better t ha n t he seven points a l lowed to t he Pa nt hers wou ld indicate. The Irish forced severa l turnovers a nd conta ined Pitt f rom sta r t to f inish. It was a not her smot hering per forma nce f rom A l Golden’s unit, as t he Irish defense has become t he driv ing force of t he tea m’s success. Here’s how each posit ion g roup fa red aga inst Pitt.
Defensive Line The Irish held a st r uggling Pitt of fense in check sta r t ing f rom t he t renches out. Senior Jorda n Botelho notched one of Not re Da me’s t wo sacks in t he ga me, which was a lso one of si x tack les for loss on t he day. Graduate students Howa rd Cross III a nd Javontae Jea n-Bapt iste notched a hurr y as wel l. Not re Da me held Pitt below its a lready pit if u l 3.4 ya rds per ca rr y average, holding t he Pa nt hers to just 2.8 on 19 ca rries for a tota l of 53 r ushing ya rds. That was t he fewest for a ny opponent aga inst t he Irish t his yea r. Not re Da me conta ined Pitt sta r t ing qua r terback Christ ia n Vei l leu x all ga me. Not re Da me’s four qua rterback hurries a re solid, but t he Irish defensive line made a bigger impact. The Irish defensive line racked up four qua r terback hurries a nd w rea ked havoc on ot her occasions. The pass r ush direct ly led to Vei l leu x over t hrow ing a receiver on his second pick of t he a f ternoon.
Week ly Grade : Season Grade : B
B+;
Linebackers The Irish linebacker room f i l led plent y of categories on t he stat sheet. Graduate student JD Ber t ra nd was t ied for t he tea m lead w it h f ive
tack les, a n Irish-best four solos a nd a qua r terback hurr y. Graduate student Jack K iser had a hurr y himself a nd a pa ir of tack les. Fel low g raduate student Ma rist Liufau had just one tack le, but it was for a loss, a nd he a lso reg istered a pass brea kup. It was more of a quiet ga me for t he Irish linebackers as ot her g roups were more in t he spot light on Saturday.
Week ly Grade : Season Grade : B+
B;
ga me a nd g raduate student cornerback Ca m Ha r t for most of it. A nd focusing solely on turnovers misses out on ot her sta ndout per formers, li ke g raduate student sa fet y Thomas Ha r per, who had a tea mhigh t wo tack les for loss a nd was t ied t he tea m-high w it h f ive tack les overa l l. It was a ba nner day for t he Irish seconda r y f rom sta r t to f inish.
Week ly Grade : Season Grade : B+
A+;
Special Teams Secondar y It’s ha rd to have a better per forma nce t ha n Not re Da me’s seconda r y did on Saturday. The Irish held Vei l leu x to a 14-for-29 line for just 127 ya rds a nd no scores. Even more impressively, t he Irish picked of f t he redshir t sophomore not once, not t w ice, not t hrice but four t imes. Senior sa fet y Xav ier Watts, f resh of f a t wo-intercept ion ga me aga inst USC, picked up right where he lef t of f. Watts showed of f his pass-catching sk i l ls as a former receiver on t he f irst pick, ex per t ly a ngling back to snag a lof t ing pass in f ront of t he Irish sideline. The second was a bit easier, as Vei l leu x overshot his ta rget, sa i ling t he ba l l right into t he chest of Watts. The Oma ha, Nebraska, nat ive returned t he t wo intercept ions a combined 31 ya rds as wel l. Watts wasn’t t he on ly one gett ing in on t he turnover f un, t hough. Sophomore cornerback Jaden Mickey a l l but put t he ga me out of reach w it h a pick-si x on Pitt’s opening drive in t he t hird qua r ter, t he f irst t ime t he four-sta r recr uit has found t he end zone w it h t he Irish. If t hat didn’t put Pitt away, f reshma n cornerback Christ ia n Gray’s acrobat ic, juggling intercept ion t wo plays later cer ta in ly did. It’s a lways a good sig n when you force nea rly as ma ny turnovers as t he number of points you a l low. Oh, a nd t he Irish did t his w it hout sophomore cornerback Benja min Morrison for t he ent ire
Golden isn’t t he on ly coach who’s li kely smi ling ea r to ea r a f ter Saturday. Once aga in, Ma r t y Biag i’s g roup had a sig nature moment, t his t ime t ha n ks to Chris Ty ree. It looked li ke t he senior w ide receiver wou ld be bott led up shor t ly a fter f ielding Pitt’s f irst of ma ny punts on t he day. However, Ty ree shook a pa ir of immediate tack le attempts, w iggled past a couple more attempts to w rap him up a nd t hen hit t he jets. Ty ree’s 82-ya rd return was Not re Da me’s f irst punt return score since 2015 a nd t he f irst return touchdow n of a ny k ind since a k ickof f return aga inst Wisconsin in 2020 by Ty ree. Ty ree wasn’t t he on ly one show ing of f his elusiveness, t hough. Freshma n w ide receiver Jorda n Fa ison a lso made a couple of defenders look si l ly on a 20-ya rd t hird-qua r ter punt return. Nor was Ty ree’s return t he on ly specia l tea ms touchdow n of t he day. The whopping four intercept ions were bookended by a f umble recover y by senior sa fet y Ra mon Henderson on a bobbled punt forced in pa r t by t he pressure of g raduate student r unning back Dey v n Ford. Graduate student Spencer Shrader made his lone f ield goa l, a 23-ya rd chip shot, but did miss a n ex t ra point. In fa irness, when you have to k ick seven in t he sa me ga me, it’s understa ndable.
Week ly Grade : Season Grade : B+
A+;
Contact Andrew McGuinness
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DAILY
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 | THE OBSERVER
CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ
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HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA LAST Happy Birthday: Choose what makes you passionate and head in that direction. Seize the moment and you’ll find extraordinary ways to turn your thoughts into a reality. Your determination will shine through as you conquer your dreams, hopes and wishes through the changaes you make and the new beginnings you embrace. Stand tall, speak your mind and follow the path that makes you feel alive. Your numbers are 7, 15, 21, 27, 33, 38, 46. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Monitor and maintain joint ventures and investments. Getting along with your peers will be critical to get ahead. Sharing your personal or political thoughts will leave you in a precarious position. Silence is golden; let your actions speak for you. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t waste time on things you can’t change. Focus on trends and how to use your attributes, funds and peers to reach your goal. A physical show of confidence and presentation will encourage others to join your team. Don’t lose sight of your dreams. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t be fooled by someone’s bravado. A closer look will portray what’s coming down the pipeline. Take notes, verify information and look for opportunities that don’t include questionable people. Your reputation will be poor if you leave your fate in someone else’s hands. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Use connections to help you do things in record time. Your performance will prompt others to mimic you. Have patience with someone close to you. An obstruction will cover up what’s happening around you. Tune in to body language, and don’t act in haste. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Observation can spare you grief. Watch what others do and say, and you’ll make better decisions. You can resolve problems at home with mutual change. Don’t let love cost you if you find it difficult to say no. Know when to walk away. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Pretense and emotional meddling require silence and contemplation without revealing your intentions. Go about your business, get things done on time and treat yourself to something you enjoy. Don’t cater to others; set priorities with yourself in mind. Honesty leads to change. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Learn all you can, ask questions, test theories and do your best to get along with everyone. Patience will pay off when dealing with negotiations and considering changes that can influence your financial, medical or contractual status quo. Don’t display your feelings. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A change can prompt opportunity if it concerns a cause or a partnership. Look at the possibilities and put a strategy in place. Preparation is vital, and being secretive until you are ready is necessary. Protect your assets and make common sense a priority. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Pay attention to what’s happening around you. A situation based on pretense will take advantage of you and your kindness and hospitality. Please don’t ignore the truth or let someone tell a lie to benefit themselves. Speak up and share valid information. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Choose a lifestyle that frees up enough time to enjoy the people and pastimes that make you happy. It’s up to you to redirect negative energy and take advantage of opportunities. Don’t fold under pressure or let anyone take advantage of you. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Distance yourself from people heading in the opposite direction. Talk is cheap; someone you least expect will make allegations that can hurt your reputation if given the chance. Focus on home, family and what makes you happy, and you’ll gain stability and trust. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t give in to someone using emotional blackmail. Take the initiative to dance like no one is watching, and invest more time and money in the people and pastimes that make you happy. Personal growth, money management and a change of heart are looming. Birthday Baby: You are persistent, calculating and quick-witted. You are ambitious and protective.
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SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
SWIM AND DIVE
‘Why not now?’: Irish catapult into new season with goals of postseason dominance
COURTESY OF CHRIS GUILIANO
Irish junior Chris Guiliano cuts through the water in a freestyle race. Guiliano was named ACC Swimmer of the Week on October 24th following winning performances in Notre Dame’s matchups against Pitt and Penn State. Guiliano is currently ranked top three nationally in all of his individual events: 50 free (third), 100 free (first), and 200 free (second). By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor
After a successful season testing the waters last year w ith new head coach Chris Lindauer, Notre Dame sw im and dive walked into this season “star v ing” to hit their extremely big goals of postseason dominance. Achiev ing second in the ACC and cracking the top-10 rankings were goals mentioned by the team, in addition to developing a level of consistency. Focused on “controlling the controllable” and managing a holistic student-athlete approach, Lindauer has created a culture of accountabilit y among the team. “There’s a whiteboard up in the weight room that metaphorically says, ‘Are you satisfied, are you hungr y or are you star v ing? ’” Lindauer said. “We are star v ing, even though last year was a phenomenal year for us across the board. You ref lect and you want to embrace and celebrate those moments of achievement. But you also want to level up and dream big. It’s a level up mindset mentalit y and something we are constantly focusing on — how can we get a little bit better ever yday? ” The Irish have swam a slate of four dual meets thus far — Wisconsin, Purdue, Penn State and Pitt — w ith the men dominating 4-0 and the women splitting 2-2.
Men’s Swim and Dive The No. 17 men have a perfect record so far on the season, dominating Wisconsin, Purdue and Penn State while eking out a narrow w in over Pitt. Early performances from Irish returners such as sophomore backstroker Tommy Janton and junior freest yler and captain Chris Guiliano propelled the Irish toward these w ins. Graduate freest yler Abdelrahman ElAraby, a Louisv ille transfer, also put substantial points on the board. The most recent 177.5-175.5 v ictor y over the Panthers resulted from w ins in all four relays and dominant indiv idual performances when it counted most. Guiliano said the team started out slow but eventually turned it around and got the energ y in the pool back up. “We lost a couple close races, and one thing I really wanted to do was get the momentum back for us,” Guiliano said. “Hav ing the 50 and 100 [freest yle] was a great way to shift that momentum and let the guys know, ‘Hey, we’re going to do this.’ We had a guys’ team meeting that really fired us up and there was just something like, ‘we should not lose this.’ We are here at Notre Dame and this is what we do.” And w in they did. Graduate student diver Carlo Lopez Hernandez also contributed to the v ictor y, finishing second in the men’s 3-meter and fourth in the 1-meter.
These finishes continued his strong performance for the Irish since coming over from Missouri. Though Pitt was a test, the Irish were able to pass. Lindauer emphasized the importance of moments like this. “Getting tested early and often allows you to build character and grow th. And that allows that grow th to be applied dow n the road to the main focus,” Lindauer said. “For us, that’s ACCs and NCA As. I certainly want to w in dual meets and certainly want to be competitive, but ever y thing we do is focused on the postseason.” A likely standout in the postseason w ill be Guiliano, who wasted no time making headlines again this year when he was named ACC Sw immer of the Week on Oct. 24. Last year’s 200 freest yle ACC champion won a total of seven events against Pitt and Penn State, posting the fastest 100 freest yle time in the NCA A this year. Guiliano also ranks third or better in the nation in all three of his events: 50, 100 and 200 freest yle. His experience on the world stage competing at the 2023 World Aquatic Championships in Japan is something Guiliano feels changed his approach for the better. “This season compared to the other t wo seasons, this is the most confident I’ve ever been,” Guiliano said. “Coming into this year it’s also the most motivated I’ve ever been. Now that I’ve made the world stage, I just
want to stay there. Ever y time, before I go up for a race I just remember ever y thing I’ve done in the past, and I know what I’m capable of. It just gives me the confidence to go up there and w in.” Lindauer said Guiliano’s strong performances have helped him grow as a leader. “Guiliano is one of those guys that is world-class, and he leads w ith his abilit y to perform. And he’s one of the hardest workers in the pool. It’s exciting to pour in that work because he sets the standards,” he said.
Women’s Swim and Dive The Irish women are currently 2-2 on the season, hav ing regrouped w ith decisive v ictories over Penn State and Pitt. Junior freest yler Maggie Graves was a double event w inner at the most recent meet in the 1000 and 500 freest yle, notching a personal best in the 500. Graves remarked on the mindset shift post-Purdue that she believes allowed the Irish to notch their t wo recent v ictories. “We’ve done the training, we’ve prepared and ultimately what came dow n was a mentalit y shift and believ ing in ourselves a little more,” Graves said. “I know that sounds a little cliche, but we know we are a better team than we are performing. We also got a little confidence boost suiting up against Pitt and Penn State.” The t wo-day nature of the meet was an advantage for
the women’s team, Graves said, as they found their confidence early and stayed consistent throughout the duration of the competition. “We had some great relays [to] start off and the energ y, we all got a little bit more hy ped,” Graves said. “I think ever yone was just a little bit more rested, rela xed and ready to go for Pitt and Penn State.” Graves said the sy nerg y bet ween the men’s and women’s teams has greatly improved since the coaching change last year. “We have a great men’s program, and they have a lot of talent and energ y they bring to our overall team,” Graves said. “They support us and we support them. We practice w ith one another, which is a really big motivator. Seeing their success motivates us as well. The coaches want one big team, and they do a good job of taking into account the different needs of each team.”
Looking ahead: Louisville and midseason invite After a weekend off, Notre Dame prepares to take on Lindauer’s collegiate and coaching alma mater dow n in Louisv ille, Kentuck y. The Cardinals, ranked No. 12 for the men and No. 3 for the women, have consistently competed well in the sw imming world each year. Notre Dame w ill need all hands on deck this see SWIM PAGE 11
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NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 | THE OBSERVER
Nto CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
ROMINA LLANOS | The Observer
Irish junior forward Eno Nto moves the ball downfield against Michigan State. Nto has10 goals on the season, tied for the team lead.
Swim CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
weekend, but the team is embracing the challenge. “It’s another great challenge,” Lindauer said. “But also, w ith ever y one of those challenges, what do we learn from it? We want to apply whatever that is mov ing forward to the next meet so that ultimately we can get better from it.” Beyond Louisv ille, the Irish look toward the annual three-day, mid-season inv itational at Ohio State beginning Nov. 16. Divers w ill compete the same weekend at IUPUI, further preparing their lineup for ACCs and gaining more experience. For Lindauer, eyes are on the NCA A prize — especially in
terms of relay cuts as early and often as possible. “It’s a great opportunit y to put up NCA A standards and qualif y,” Lindauer said. “The formula for top 10 and top five at NCA As is relays. So obv iously getting A cuts in our relays midseason is a huge goal of ours. We didn’t get an A cut in the relay until the ver y last opportunit y at ACCs last year, so I want to get that out of the way earlier this time around. Let’s go get qualified for NCA As — why not now? ” Riding off of their recent v ictories, the Irish w ill face off against Louisv ille on Friday at Ralph Wright Auditorium in Louisv ille at 4:30 p.m. Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu PAID ADVERTISEMENT
international student and captain of the 2021 team Mohamed Omar. Nto described him as an older brother who shared valuable adv ice w ith him, particularly about making the transition to college life in the U.S. Nto remains in contact w ith him to this day and aspires to follow in his footsteps. Now as a junior himself, Nto steps into a similar leadership position. “I feel like it’s just taking the experiences that I’ve been given and passing them on to the younger guys on the team just so they can feel more welcome and feel like this is their home as well,” Nto said. “I’ve shared a lot of tough moments as well as good moments, so I feel like I’ve definitely got some experiences to share w ith the
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points on Pitt. In total, it was the most points Notre Dame has scored since it hung 66 on New Mexico in Week 2 of the 2019 season. The score meant Tyree became just the fourth Notre Dame player ever to score a rushing, receiving, punt return and kick return
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young guys. I take that as a challenge for myself to lead the young guys through their tough spells too.” Nto has grow n into a more consistent starting role this season. He attributes much of this grow th on the field to the support he received from his teammates and the coaching staff, particularly learning during his freshman year on the immensely successful 2021 team. After his brilliant performance against Pittsburgh, he mentioned the work that he put in alongside this group. “I feel like, for me, it was just a matter of time — just hav ing that belief that the goals w ill come as long as I put the work into other areas of my game,” Nto said. “In my first year, we had a ver y successful year and had some amazing players. I was able to take notes off of them and apply
them to my ow n game.” Nto’s improvement has come at a perfect time for an Irish team that has put together an outstanding season, one that far out weighed expectations entering the year. He sees great potential in this team and several similarities to the 2021 team that achieved so much when he was a freshman. In particular, he highlights the strong unit y he sees in both teams and how ever yone connects on and off the field, always celebrating and lifting each other up. He hopes to use his experience w ith the 2021 team, now as an upperclassman, to lead the Irish to similar success both in the ACC and NCA A tournaments. Nto and the team look more ready than ever to do it.”
touchdown in their career. He joins Irish legends Tim Brown, Raghib “Rocket” Ismail and Julius Jones. A running back throughout his first three seasons in South Bend, Tyree has scored eight rushing touchdowns in his Irish career. He also had four receiving scores in his time as a running back. His move to slot receiver before this year has naturally meant many more opportunities through the air, already amounting to three receiving scores this season. His kickoff return came two years ago against Wisconsin in a 41-13 Shamrock Series blowout at Soldier Field. Tyree took the ball 96 yards to give Notre Dame a 17-13 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. Much like Saturday, that special teams score in Chicago was the catalyst for a big Notre Dame burst on the way to an impressive victory.The achievement is a perfect encapsulation of Tyree’s versatility on the football field. On Saturday alone, he had the big punt return and added 62 yards on just three catches. He even got a carry on an end around. No matter how he got it, good things happened when Tyree touched the football on Saturday against Pitt. “Growing up playing football, that’s what I did,” Tyree said. “They would just give me the ball and tell me to go run. As simple as that, but it’s something that I really take pride in. I want to be able to add value to the team as much as I can and whether that’s catching the ball or running it, returning and things like that, I’m going to do it to the best of
my ability and I’m trying to show it each and every play.” In his Monday press conference, Marcus Freeman had nothing but good things to say about the running back turned receiver. “[Tyree] just continues to work at it,’” Freeman said about the position change. “It is a great example of, I want to say resiliency, but even anti-fragile, right? As a guy that can move positions, have setbacks and get better because of it.” The Irish will have to rely on Tyree even more as they move into the last few games of the season. He’s currently the team’s second-leading receiver with 417 yards, behind only tight end Mitchell Evans. Monday’s announcement that Evans will have to undergo season-ending surgery for an ACL tear means others will have to shoulder more of the offensive load. Freeman talked about other tight ends Holden Staes and Eli Raridon stepping up in Evans’ absence, but presumably, this will also see Tyree’s target share increase. He’s only had 19 receptions in nine games this year, but he’s made the most of them, averaging 21.9 yards per catch. Despite the tremendous efficiency, Freeman believes there’s more potential for Tyree to tap into at his new position. “I think he’s still getting better,” Freeman said. “He’s a guy I hope will come back for another year. He’s just starting to scratch the surface of how good he can be as wide receiver for our program.”
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu
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THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023| NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
ND FOOTBALL FEATURE
Wide receiver Chris Tyree shows versatility against Pittsburgh, joins Irish legends By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Assistant Managing Editor
ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer
Irish senior wide receiver Chris Tyree springs into action on the field in a home matchup against Pitt. Tyree returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown, contributing to the Irish’s 58-7 win over the Panthers.
Half way through the first quarter, Notre Dame needed a spark against Pittsburgh. The Panthers entered the game with a 2-5 record, but they held a win over No. 15 Louisville, a team that beat Notre Dame less than a month ago. Pat Narduzzi’s defense had already shown some fight early in the game, too, picking off Irish quarterback Sam Hartman on the team’s opening possession. Enter Chris Tyree. The wide receiver and former running back stood back deep to field a punt from Pitt’s Caleb Junko. As the punt spiraled through the air, Tyree settled under it and fielded it at Notre Dame’s 18-yard line, under duress from two would-be tacklers. Tyree absorbed the first hit and slipped under the second. A few more Pitt players
put their hands on him, but Tyree’s speed was too much. In the blink of an eye, he had burst free and by the time he crossed the 40-yard line, he had a convoy of blockers behind and nothing but green turf ahead. By the time he crossed into the end zone, Tyree became the first Irish player since C.J. Sanders against UMass in 2015 to return a punt for a touchdown. Asked how he escaped all the Panther tacklers on his way to scoring, Tyree kept it simple. “Don’t think, just run,” Tyree said. The punt return touchdown turned out to be just the opening act of what ended up being a masterclass on all three sides of the ball for Notre Dame after a shaky opening quarter. After Tyree’s score, the Irish went on to score another 51 see TYREE PAGE 11
ND MEN’S SOCCER FEATURE
Eno Nto emerging at right time for Irish soccer By NOAH CAHILL Spor ts Writer
Through his first t wo years at Notre Dame, junior forward Eno Nto has climbed the ranks of a talented Irish squad. As a freshman, he earned 12 starts and played in 19 matches as both a midfielder and a for ward for a team that won the ACC tournament and was a penalt y shootout away from the College Cup final. He finished that season w ith five goals, ranking fourth on the team, which included one in his starting debut against NIU and three for his first career hat trick against Trine. In his sophomore season, Nto played in all 17 matches, notching t wo goals and three assists. In his junior season, his best in an Irish shirt, Nto has played in all 16 matches and scored ten goals, which is tied for a team-high. He has been especially prolific of late, scoring eight goals in his last eight matches. These included pivotal
goals in massive ACC v ictories over Virginia and NC State, w ith the highlight performance coming against No. 20 Pittsburgh. Nto scored four times in a breathtaking 6-0 v ictor y for the Irish, helping to seal the one seed in the ACC Tournament. His contributions have him tied for the second-leading goal scorer in the ACC and have led Notre Dame to its first undefeated ACC season. The road to this point has come w ith ups and dow ns, but Nto is hitting his stride after years of hard work and improvement through adversit y. Hailing from Derby, England, Nto showcased his talents at Derby Count y FC Academy. There he helped lead his club to a U18 Premier League Championship and was a 2019 Academy Player of the Year Nominee. Despite this success, Nto decided to search for a new opportunit y in the U.S., one that would prov ide a stronger balance bet ween academics and athletics. “In the U.K. and Europe in
general, you kind of have to choose bet ween sport and education at a young age,” Nto said. “I wanted to look for other pathways that would allow me to extend my experience on an academic level.” Nto learned about Notre Dame and its culture after the Irish played Derby Count y in the final match of their U.K. tour. With this opportunit y to make the transition to America, Nto decided to apply and has not looked back. Upon joining the Notre Dame communit y, he had to adapt to college life in a new countr y, which came w ith its challenges both on and off the field. But the team and Notre Dame communit y were prepared to welcome him w ith open arms. “Mov ing to America is a huge, huge difference,” Nto said. “I really feel like the team, hav ing a family around me really helped me settle in early. Definitely, I feel like this is my home right now.” He notes the mentorship he received from fellow see NTO PAGE 11
ROMINA LLANOS | The Observer
Junior forward Eno Nto jockeys for positioning against a Michigan State defender in the Irish’s matchup against the Spartans on Sept. 12.