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ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, February 5, 2021 | The Observer
Meet the Class of 2021 Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
Blake Fisher
ROCco spindler
Tyler Buchner
deion colzie
lorenzo styles
offensve tackle
offensive guard
quarterback
Wide Receiver
Wide Receiver
At least in the recruiting sense, Notre Dame defended home turf and the distinction of being “O-Line U” with the signing of Avon, Ind. offensive tackle Blake Fisher, the consensus highestranked player in the state according to Rivals, ESPN and 247sports. Rivals has Fisher as the 6th-best offensive lineman and 25thranked player overall nationally. Fisher was named one of three finalists for Mr. Football Indiana. He also earned an invite to the now-canceled 2021 U.S. Army AllAmerican Bowl in San Antonio. Fisher is one of 14 early enrollees for the Irish this spring.
Notre Dame adds another top offensive lineman in four-star recruit Rocco Spindler. Spindler , the son of Pittsburgh alum and nineyear NFL veteran Marc Spindler, was a four-year starter on both sides of the ball at Clarkston High School. He started every game of his high school career and did not allow a single sack. Spindler was a two-time All-American (2020 Under Armour, 2018 MaxPreps) and three-time first time allstate. He was also named the 2020 Anvil award winner, given to Michigan’s top offensive lineman or linebacker.
In December, Notre Dame signed four-star quarterback Tyler Buchner, the No. 6-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the country, per Rivals. He chose the Fighting Irish over 15 other offers, including archrival USC, Georgia and Alabama. Buchner transferred to Helix for his senior season, but never took the field for the Scotties as California delayed high school football to the spring. Even so, Buchner had a breakout junior season at the Bishop’s School, just one year removed from tearing his ACL in the 2018 season opener.
Notre Dame landed Colzie, a four-star wide receiver from Athens Academy, not once, but twice. According to Rivals, Colzie is regarded as the No. 20 wide receiver in the country and the 11th-highest rated player in the state of Georgia. Colzie recommitted to the Irish this past September after de-committing in March, choosing them (again) over the likes of Alabama, Florida, Michigan and the hometown Bulldogs of Georgia. He recorded more than 30 receptions in each of the last two seasons for a combined 20 touchdowns.
Central Ohio standout Styles committed to Notre Dame in October 2019 over his father’s alma mater, Ohio State, and 21 other strong offers, and formally signed with the Irish during the early signing period in December. The four-star recruit out of Pickerington Central who, in addition to football, ran track in high school, will add speed to the Irish offense at wide receiver and possibly the punt return game. Following his nine-touchdown senior year, Styles was named First Team All-State as well as Ohio Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
6’6” • 330 Avon High School Avon, In.
6’5” • 315 Clarkston High School Clarkston, Mich.
6’2” • 210 Helix Charter High School La Mesa, Calif.
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
6’4”•205 Athens Academy Athens, Ga.
6’1” • 170 Pickerington High School Central Pickerington, Ohio
gabriel rubio
prince kollie
cane berrong
audric estime
philip riley
defensive tackle
Linebacker
tight end
running back
Cornerback
Landing Rubio was a major win for Brian Kelly and the Irish. The four-star recruit is the 10thranked defensive tackle in the country and the second-best player coming out of Missouri in 2021, according to Rivals. Rubio had 20 other Division I offers and turned down big name programs such as Ohio State, Georgia, LSU and Oklahoma to become a member of the Irish. Despite a shortened senior season due to COVID-19, Rubio accumulated 40 tackles and two sacks in four games as a senior. He finished his career with 245 tackles and 22 sacks.
At 6-foot-2 and 205 lbs., Kollie looks like a near replica of Irish All-American linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. The highly coveted four-star Kollie ultimately chose the Irish over powerhouses such as Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas. Kollie was awarded the High School Butkus Award for his play, which is given to the best high school linebacker in the nation. Kollie and Owusu-Koramoah are the first pair of Irish linebackers to win the high school and collegiate Butkus awards in the same season since Manti Te’o and Jaylon Smith in 2012.
Notre Dame won a fierce recruiting battle when it managed to convince Berrong to sign, beating out college football powerhouses such as Oklahoma, Alabama and Clemson in the race to secure the three-star Georgia native’s signature. He joins an impressive recent lineage of Notre Dame tight ends. Berrong is the 35th-ranked tight end in the nation and the 46th-ranked player in Georgia, per Rivals. After going for 41 receptions, 390 yards and three touchdowns as a junior, Berrong posted 26 receptions for 305 yards and four scores in his final high school season.
The Irish add another talented playmaker to an already crowded running back room by signing Audric Estime. The four-star recruit is rated as the No. 6 running back nationally and the No. 3 running back in New Jersey by Rivals. Estime has showed impressive speed and elusiveness for a back his size, while also flashing some potential as a pass-catcher. He racked up more than 2000 allpurpose yards and found the end zone 24 times in his senior season while averaging 9.8 yards a carry. Estime originally committed to Michigan State in September but flipped his commitment to Notre Dame in December.
A safety from Valrico, Florida, Riley was originally committed to Notre Dame before decommitting in favor of arch rival USC in September. Come November, though, Riley flipped his commitment back to Notre Dame. Riley is rated as the No. 38 player in the state of Florida as well as the No. 24 cornerback in the nation per Rivals. A consensus four-star recruit, he is described as a very physical and aggressive cover corner, both in man and in zone. What he might lack in elite top speed, he makes up for in technique as well as his ability to read and diagnose plays with his instinct.
6’5” • 280 Lutheran High School of St. Charles County St. Peters, Mo.
6’2” • 205 David Crockett High School Jonesborough, Tenn.
6’4” • 225 Hart County High School Hartwell, Ga.
6’0” • 215 St. Joseph Regional High School Montvale, N.J.
6’0” • 190 Bloomingdale High School Valrico, Fla.
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Volume 55, Issue 39 | Friday, February 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Return may not cause local outbreak Experts say University protocols lessen potential for increased COVID-19 cases in surrounding areas By ISABELLA VOLMERT Associate News Editor
Within days of the start of fall semester, a COVID-19 outbreak among Notre Dame students caused a two-week shutdown. Students once again have returned after a 10-week break to begin classes, this time to a University with immediate prematriculation and once-a-week surveillance testing. Dr. Mark Fox, deputy health officer for St. Joseph County and COVID-19 response advisor to Notre Dame, told The Observer
there is a risk posed by the return of Notre Dame students to the South Bend and greater St. Joseph County areas, but not to a degree of great alarm. He also opposed the conclusion found by a recent study which concluded Notre Dame’s initial August outbreak was a potential superspreader event. The study concluded a potential correlation between Notre Dame and cases in the wider South Bend and St. Joseph County. During the fall semester, 14.5% of Notre see COMMUNITY PAGE 3
ELAINE PARK | The Observer
Students reflect on return to in-person courses By MEGHAN CAPPITELLI News Writer
Following a 10-week winter break, students returned to campus last week to begin classes for this spring. For some, this would be the first time since last March that they were physically back at Notre Dame. Medical and personal concerns took precedent on the decision-making front for many students who remained home during the fall 2020 term, opting to take online classes in lieu of in-person learning, or to take a break from classes as a whole. For sophomore Margi Antonio, the choice to stay home in Singapore was made just days before her intended departure for South Bend. After experiencing a sudden COVID-related death in the family and recognizing the current state of the pandemic in the United States she decided to stay, she said in an email. “I realized I could not leave my family at a time like this to go to a place where the virus was much more uncontrolled and prevalent,” Antonio said. Although Antonio was ultimately unable to participate in online classes this past fall due to complications with obtaining the necessary approvals, she is thankful for the time she got to spend with family in a comfortable and
NEWS PAGE 4
safe environment. “It turned out to be such a blessing. I essentially had no one to compete with, no grades to quantify my success and no real obligations,” Antonio said. “It made me realize what I genuinely wanted and love to do. I am also so grateful for all the time I spent with my family. I felt a lot safer being in a place like Singapore that took COVID extremely seriously and was really efficient about preventing the spread.” Looking forward to a semester of in-person classes and experiences, Antonio is optimistic and excited about this spring now that the trial run that was fall 2020 has run its course, she said. “I think the school has a better handle on the situation now that they have navigated the first semester,” she said. “I don’t have high expectations for gatherings and other social events, but I’m just happy to see my friends again.” Similarly, Anna Bowman remained home in California where she was able to juggle online classes, work at an internship and spend time in the warmer weather. “It was basically like a summer vacation but taking some classes,” Bowman said. “I did have an internship this semester too, so I think that was a great use of my time and definitely some great
SCENE PAGE 5
work experience, so I honestly wouldn’t change it.” While Bowman said that professors were accommodating and that she enjoyed their unexpected time spent back home, she is excited to make the transition back to in-person learning. “It’s definitely a kind of outof-body experience to be back on campus,” Bowman said. “It’s weird to grab your mask to go to the bathroom and stuff like that, but honestly, it’s really nice that you get to interact more with your classmates more than you would on a Zoom and just getting to remake those personal connections has definitely been a plus.” Yet students are still apprehensive about the uncertainty of protocols and current status of the pandemic. What might help ease tensions, Bowman said, would be the University becoming a vaccination hub. “I would absolutely love it if Notre Dame became a vaccination site,” she said. “I think that is maybe the number one thing they could do to make students feel safer. I don’t really expect that the masks or the social distancing policies will be going away any time before next fall, but I kind of just hope to settle back in and reconnect with people.” Contact Meghan Cappitelli at mcappite@nd.edu
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
Grad speaks on Black film talent By MIA MARROQUIN Saint Mary’s News Editor
Saint Mary’s kicked off Black History Month celebrations Thursday with a panel titled “Black Excellence in Film: A virtual conversation with film director Christine Swanson ND ‘95.” The conversation was moderated by Redgina Hill, executive director of Inclusion and Equity for the College. Following her graduation from Notre Dame, Swanson pursued
her Master of Fine Arts degree at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Swanson has since directed and written several award winning films, including “Two Seasons,” the winner of the HBO Short Film Competition and recipient of a Sundance selection. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Swanson attributes her cultivated resilience to her upbringing. “Navigating my Blackness in Detroit without a mother gave see FILM PAGE 3
The Observer elects new EIC Observer Staff Report Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Jan. 20. The Observer General Board elected News Writer and social media strategist Adriana Perez as Editor-in-Chief for the 2021-2022 term Jan. 18. “Adriana is deeply committed to reliable journalism and well-versed in many sections of The Observer,” current Editor-in-Chief Maria Leontaras said. “Her knowledge
ND M BASKETBALL PAGE 12
and compassion will make her a great Editor-in-Chief. I have no doubt that Adriana will only continue to grow and inspire others to work hard and take the paper to the next level.” At Notre Dame, Perez calls Farley Hall her home. She is a junior pursuing a major in political science with a minor in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy.
“I owe The Observer and its people so much, and I feel see EDITOR PAGE 4
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TODAY
The observer | Friday, February 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
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What was your favorite show or movie you watched over break?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Maria Leontaras Managing Editor Mariah Rush
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“‘Gilmore Girls.’”
“‘The Wilds.’”
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“‘Letterkenny.’”
“‘Grey’s Anatomy.’”
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“‘The Walking Dead.’”
“‘Pride and Prejudice’ (2005).”
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webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com 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 either 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 views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Maria Leontaras. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077
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Courtesy of Grace Dennis
Sisters Grace (left) and Gaby Dennis pose to celebrate the first day of school at Saint Mary’s on Monday. A photo station set up in first-year dorm McCandless Hall allowed Belles to take photos to commemorate the beginning of spring semester classes.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
‘10 Years Hence’ Zoom 10 a.m. - noon Lecture on fake news, first in an eight-part series.
Drive-Thru Ice Cream Family Resource Center 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. For ND’s parenting or married students.
Mass in Spanish Basilica of the Sacred Heart 4 p.m. Weekly Mass celebrated in Spanish.
‘Propaganda and Personality Cults’ Zoom 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. A virtual discussion on authoritarian leaders.
International Networking Tea Time Zoom 3 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Learn more about global tea culture.
Irish Gardens succulent sale LaFortune basement noon - 4 p.m. Shop from a wide variety of succulents.
Farm of the Child Information Session virtual 3 p.m. Consider post-gradute service in Honduras.
Super Bowl Watch various locations 6 p.m. - 11 p.m. Watch the game with others in common areas.
ND Women’s Rowing Tryouts Zoom 7:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Informational meeting. Register online.
Social Concerns Fair virtual 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Connect with community-based organizations.
News
Community Continued from page 1
Dame students were infected with COVID-19 and the infection rate in St. Joseph County was 7.8%, compared to the Indiana infection rate of 6.5% and national average, at the time, of 5.3%. The study published by Stanford University on Jan. 13 also concluded out of 30 universities studied, Notre Dame had the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the fall. Fox said he was unable to duplicate the report findings as they applied to St. Joseph County and Notre Dame, WSBT reported. Fox said after the initial return of Notre Dame students in the first few weeks of the fall semester, he found a 38% increase in cases in St. Joseph County. However, Fox told The Observer that St. Joseph County includes Notre Dame COVID-19 cases in its count. After the outbreak, the county quickly recovered to “preNotre Dame baseline” in less than a month. WSBT reported Notre Dame Vice President Paul Browne said, “Dr. Fox said that if Note Dame was a superspreader, he would have expected to see a decline in the county after students left for their extended winter break. Instead, there was an increase.” Fox said the dramatic decrease of cases in the county after the outbreak was largely due to the response by the University. Notre Dame professor and Eck Institute for Global Health Faculty member Dr. Alex Perkins
ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, February 5, 2021 | The ObserveR
also refuted the findings of “superspreader potential” in the Stanford study. Perkins is familiar with about four other studies which have tried to connect campus and local community spread and does not find any of them particularly convincing, he said. Perkins, who specializes in infectious disease dynamics, also noted how St. Joseph County counts Notre Dame’s COVID-19 cases into its figures and said this discrepancy could be the case with other institutions in similar surveys as well. “That alone is already a major issue,” Perkins said. He continued that any problem with the studies is the variety of reasons community transmission occurs, such as lifted restrictions and reopenings in some localities rather than in others. Additionally, Fox said there is no current contact tracing nor sequencing methods to trace exact strains of transmission from Notre Dame students to the community. “But because the county numbers overall recovered to their premium Notre Dame return baseline in that same time period [in the fall], it seemed like there was relatively little spillover from the campus,” Fox said. Currently, the seven-day rolling average of cases and hospitalizations in St. Joseph County has been as low as it has been since September, according to Fox. In regards to the spring semester, Fox was more concerned with possible transmission and introduction of the newer and
more contagious variants of the virus — such as the U.K. variant B.1.1.7 — as opposed to the fall semester when the University was concerned with students traveling from hotspots of virus contaminant. The COVID-19 variants have not been identified in St. Joseph County. The Notre Dame saliva lab is able to identify the specific U.K. variant, which is the most prevalent in the U.S., Fox said. “For the U.K. variants, there’s one genetic marker that drops out,” he said. “Somebody who’s positive with the U.K. variant will still show up as positive, but one marker will be missing.” Concerning the once-a-week mandatory surveillance testing, Fox said the University is in a different place than it was at the start of the fall semester. “I think [the surveillance testing] puts the University community and then by extension the county in a very different place,” he said. Fox continued to stress the risk of transmission that comes with congregate living environments, especially since college students are often asymptomatic. “Surveillance testing once a week is a dramatic improvement, and yet someone still could be infected, between their surveillance tests … you can do a lot of damage in that time frame,” he said. Perkins said there is a connection between the responsibility of students in relation to COVID transmission into the surrounding county, but said there is currently nothing other
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than isolated incidents of this situation. “I do think what happens on the campus has consequences for the community,” Perkins said. “I’m just skeptical of studies that have tried to pin the blame on universities as sort of being the major cause.” Fox expects an initial rise in University COVID-19 cases because of the nature of congregate living, but he said the surveillance testing positions the University differently than in August. Fox went on to say even though many Notre Dame students were infected with the virus last semester, it is yet unknown how long immunity lasts, especially in younger populations. “The bottom line is, in really significant ways, the students have control over their destiny,” Fox said. “I hope that students recognize that they’re the biggest driver in terms of campus transmission dynamics, and their behavior and decisions have the biggest impact on that. To preserve that semester, graduation in-person and things like that, students play the biggest role.” Notre Dame junior Cole Carpenter expressed concern over the behavior of college students returning to live together. Carpenter, a New York state native, was a public health assistant over the winter session in Warren County, N.Y. and worked as a contact tracer and COVID-19 investigator. Carpenter said the biggest increase in COVID-19 cases in his home county was during the
holiday season, consequently also during the time many college students returned home. Last semester, Carpenter said he observed a direct relation between students’ actions and the level of messaging and steps to mitigate the virus from the administration. “I think when we first returned to campus, there wasn’t as much … strictness and that led to our first outbreak,” he said. “Then I think, once we got that scaled back down, and some of the restrictions were lifted again, I think that led to our second outbreak.” Carpenter was also pleased to see the newly implemented surveillance testing. “I think the stance the University is taking now is more proactive both in case management and case identification as well,” Carpenter said. While he understood the motivation for the new Campus Compact, Carpenter was skeptical of its effectiveness. “I think that students are still going to go to bars, I think students are still going to go to restaurants,” he said. He continued to say the status quo of student culture and University standards were set last fall and it might not be enough to prevent another outbreak. “I’m hesitant to believe that it’ll be enough to curb a similar trajectory in the spring,” he said. “I’m hopeful but we will have to wait and see.”
Film
school that I had a great desire to see these people reflected on the big screen,” Swanson said. “I have an obligation to Black excellence because I was raised by great Black people who overcame a lot of hardships for me to do what I do with relative ease compared to what they had to deal with.” Swanson acknowledged that learning can come in many forms, especially when you least expect it. “I spent a lot of early years doing the jobs that came to me,” she said. “But every opportunity and work experience taught me something that I didn’t know previously.” Her most recent project was the record-breaking film, “The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel.” During its production, Swanson was reminded of her passion and desire to get into filmmaking in the first place. “Some of the biggest lessons in life are the ones you can’t anticipate or prepare for,” she said. But the biggest lesson Swanson took from the project was that humanity is ever-present in all subcultures, she said. In addition to her screenwriting and directing, Swanson spends her time teaching the next generation of filmmakers. “I teach out of necessity to be of service to others,” she said.
Contact Isabella Volmert at ivolmert@nd.edu
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me all the ingredients to build resilience,” she said. It wasn’t until her freshman year at Notre Dame when Swanson recognized the film industry as a viable career path for herself. Following a visit by director Spike Lee to campus, Swanson changed her major from finance to what is now known as film, television and theatre. When Hill inquired about the moment that confirmed Swanson found her purpose, Swanson again reflected on her undergraduate experience. “I really didn’t feel that while a student at Notre Dame because I had no exposure to hands on production, but all my peers did,” she said. “It wasn’t until I transitioned into more theoretical courses on film language and film theory that I fell in love with those courses as well. Especially the critical examination of film language as it pertained to Black people.” Swanson then built upon the power of images and the power of storytelling and seeing accurate representation in film, especially among the Black community. She felt compelled to capture the essence of Black culture because there was a lack of reflection in media of the kinds of people she knew, she said. “I knew when I went to film
Contact Mia Marroquin at mmarroquin01@saintmarys.edu
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NEWS
The observer | Friday, February 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Scholars talk Trump impeachment By CHRISTOPHER PARKER News Writer
At an event marked by the semester’s firsts — first day of classes, first panel from Notre Dame’s department of Constitutional Studies — scholars joined to discuss the second impeachment of America’s 45th president, Donald J. Trump. Benjamin A. Kleinerman, Jeffery Tulis and John Yoo each gave their opinions on the possible trial during the Wednesday discussion, entitled “The Second Trump Impeachment,” co-hosted by The Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison’s Montpelier. Kleinerman, a professor of political science at Baylor University, and Tulis, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin, both advocated for a second impeachment trial, their arguments based both in the history of the process and in its implications for the future. Yoo, a professor of law at the University of California at Berkeley, argued that the case for impeaching a former president is not grounded in the Constitution. Kleinerman drew extensively on the Federalist Papers as he outlined the dichotomy of the
impeachment process, a legal trial carried out not by the Supreme Courts but by U.S. Senators acting as objective jurors rather than partisan politicians, he said. The implications, he argued, are that impeachments should ask whether a president broke his oaths rather than broke the law. “At a fundamental constitutional level, we need to think of impeachment politically because the nature of presidential authority itself is outside the law,” he said. “Their oath demands that they ‘preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.’ To do this, they might sometimes have to take actions that if done by a private citizen, would be simply illegal.” Because the impeachment centers around behavior more so than legality, Kleinerman said “the Trump impeachment must set a precedent to ensure such behavior is never permitted again.” Tulis built on this, citing Trump’s very serious political crime that included lies about the outcome of the election and the mobilization of protest as grounds for impeachment, he said. He also addressed the potential unconstitutionality of impeaching a former president by explaining the history of the process. “The irony is most Americans
think that the whole point is removal, and this addendum is disqualification, but in the actual historical construction of the Constitution, it was just the opposite,” Tulis said. “Many of the state constitutions didn’t even allow for removal … until after the person was no longer governor of that state. … A somber and wellhandled trial can be a win in the long run by setting a powerful precedent.” Yoo condemned Trump’s actions as unpresidential but still cautioned against an impeachment trial that he considered an overreach. He argued that the power of the vote could provide the exact same protection as an impeachment trial could. “I think the only thing that impeachments are for is primarily to remove someone from office who is a threat to constitutional order, which was effectively done by the American people on the Nov. 4 election,” he said. “The American people are the ones who can really render a verdict on whether to disqualify President Trump.” Like Tulis, Yoo also spoke about precedents that could alter relationships between the executive and judicial branches moving forward. He worries that if this trial goes ahead, later presidents could Paid Advertisement
be tried by hostile Congresses long after they leave office. He pushed back on the House’s charge of incitement to riot, which has a high burden of proof after the 1969 Supreme Court case Brandenburg v. Ohio. “You actually have to show the words, where the speaker actually calls for violence. The House, in its rush, actually did not conduct any kind of hearing or investigation to show whether that occurred,” he said. Taken with other issues of wording that he pointed out, Yoo said the constitutionality of this trial is dubious and might backfire. Questions from the 90-strong Zoom audience followed — asking the experts to elaborate on earlier points. They debated what might happen in different scenarios of the trial, including abstentions from Republican senators and the possibility of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding. The next event from the Department of Constitutional Studies, a lecture on slavery and the Constitutional Convention by former professor Michael Zucker, will take place Feb. 25. Contact Christopher Parker at cparke22@nd.edu
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honored and humbled to have this opportunity to lead it in serving the tricampus community in the coming year,” Perez said. “I am incredibly grateful to the outgoing Editorial Board for the trust they have placed in me, as well as for their constant guidance and encouragement. I will do my best to live up to the great work they have accomplished.” Though she was born in Miami, Florida, Perez has lived her whole life in Guayaquil, Ecuador, from where her family hails. Perez began working for The Observer’s From the Archives project in 2019 and then became co-host of the paper’s Viewpoint podcast, The Sixth Seat, in early 2020. She also began writing for the Notre Dame News department last spring. In the fall semester, she became a social media strategist, helping to manage the newspaper’s Twitter account. Perez will begin her term as Editor-in-Chief on March 7.
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The observer | Friday, February 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By JAKE WINNINGHAM Associate Scene Editor
The Golden Globes have become, without fail, the most surprising of all the entertainment awards. The Oscars, in their adherence to tradition and an inflated self-image, are easy to predict, and the Emmys have recently embraced their status as signifiers of unchanging middlebrow taste. (The Grammys are singularly terrible, and have been for their entire existence.) The Globes, though, are infinitely harder to get a grasp on. Rather than the thousand-strong voting bodies of the other three major awards, the Globes are awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a group of only 100 journalists that has been historically prone to stargazing and endearingly baffling decisions. This year’s nominations — released Wednesday morning — were no different, kickstarting 2021’s awards season with the Globes’ usual flair. For the first Trophy Hunter column of 2021, I’ll react to the nominations and give some early predictions — only for the Best Motion Picture categories, though.
Best Motion Picture — Drama Of the Globes’ two Best Picture categories, Drama is usually the more predictable of the two, leaning toward
By RYAN ISRAEL Scene Editor
When I love something, I write about it — not quite love letters, but tributes. I love when celebrities can be connected to Notre Dame, so I draw the dots — and then connect them — between Taylor Swift and the Golden Dome. Or, I obsess over Leonardo DiCaprio wearing a hat. There are a lot of albums that I love and play on repeat all week, shows that I binge and try to live out, movies that I tweet about and tell my friends to watch and cultural happenings that I talk about incessantly. Over the past three and a half years, I’ve written reviews, interviews, thinkpieces, lists and guides, constantly finding different ways to format an article on whatever thing I loved at the moment. Editor’s notes is a new format, a bi-weekly “column” or what these days is called a Substack. It’s my unreserved ramblings on the celebrity I can’t get out of my mind, the song that’s just too good or the movie I love to hate. I’ll admit it — they’re 600-or-so-word love letters.
Don’t talk to me unless you want to talk about ‘Industry’ on HBO Like any good Scene writer, I watched a lot of TV over break. Of the five or so shows I binged, my favorite was “Industry” on HBO. It wasn’t the funniest (“What We Do In the Shadows”) and it didn’t have Nicole Kidman (“The Undoing”), but the new HBO drama was definitely the hottest — and likewise, my favorite. “Industry” focuses on a cohort of young graduates
films that are already shoo-ins for Oscar nominations. Netflix dominated here, landing two nominees: Aaron Sorkin’s painful, weightless “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and David Fincher’s Old Hollywood diatribe “Mank.” Those two films are joined by Chloe Zhao’s festival-and-critics darling “Nomadland,” the Anthony Hopkins-Olivia Colman acting showcase “The Father” and — in a semi-surprise — Emerald Fennell’s debut feature “Promising Young Woman.” The latter selection is the most significant, propelling the film to the forefront of the Best Picture and Director Oscar races; moreover, the Carey Mulligan-led thriller is the kind of timely, star-studded movie that the Globes love. Don’t be surprised if “Promising Young Woman” carries its momentum all the way to a win in this category. Prediction: “Promising Young Woman” Spoiler: “Nomadland” Snubs: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “One Night in Miami”
Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy Yes. Yes. YES. This category is the chaos that the Globes live for — the bland film musicals, the single broad, studio comedy, the movie that absolutely no one had on their awards radar before the Globes decided to nominate it. This is the category that decided
vying for a full-time position at London’s top fictional investment bank with a name, Pierpoint & Co., that sounds non-fictional. In the same vein as fellow HBO hit “Succession” as well as all other movies and shows based in the business world — “The Wolf of Wall Street,” in particular — “Industry” gets into all the seedy parts of corporate culture. There’s manipulation, harassment, backstabbing and the like, drunk confrontations and plenty of drug-fueled party scenes. The show plays these things up, but it doesn’t romanticize them because that would involve making finance seem better than it is. If anything, “Industry” makes things look worse. Still, all that drama, deceit and treachery make for really good TV. And back to its superlative as the hottest TV show, “Industry” finds the five main characters — who are all young, dumb and full of love — in countless hookups, both with each other and a large cast of peripheral characters. Nobody does it like Robert though, the party boy who goes above and beyond to win over Yasmin in a scene that pushes even HBO’s boundaries.
that “The Martian” was as good and as funny of a comedy as “The Hangover.” The anything-can-happen feel of the Globes hinges on the Musical or Comedy trophy, and 2021’s nominations delivered in spades. Streamers once again flexed their muscles in this category. Netflix’s garish, horrendous “The Prom” fulfilled its promise of being the rare “Globes-bait” film; Disney+’s filmed version of “Hamilton” somehow qualified here instead of the TV Movie category; and Hulu’s charming, vapid “Palm Springs” snagged a nomination despite having the earliest release date of any realistic contender. The Globes’ biggest curveball for this category, though, came in the form of Sia’s basically-unseen directing debut “Music.” I have not seen “Music” — has anyone? — but I love the nomination nonetheless. Please, Globes, give us this level of insanity every year. Oh, and the last nominee in this category? Sacha Baron Cohen’s surprise “Borat” sequel, only one of the year’s most vital, hilarious movies. Prediction: “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” Spoiler: “Hamilton” Snubs: None. Long live the Golen Globes and this perfectly imperfect award. Contact Jake Winningham at jwinning@nd.edu
a maximum of five lines of dialogue in “Good Time”; Guy Pearce, who was a great faux Brad Pitt in “Memento”; and Ryan Gosling, who revived his role as a guy in love with his vehicle in “The Place Beyond the Pines.”
Vampire Weekend is a jam band Everyday Ezra Koenig and Co. take one step closer to becoming a jam band. First there was “Father of the Bride,” Scene’s favorite album of 2019, and then their live shows, appropriately recorded as bootlegs, which included plenty of extended versions of the band’s best songs. Now there’s “40:42,” an EP that features two 20-minute-and-21-second covers of their barely minute-and-a-half song “2021.” The better of the two covers is done by true jam band Goose, who keep the original’s memorable melody. I interviewed Goose guitarist/keyboardist Peter Anspach in April for W VFI’s Radiothon and we both had the poster from the “Father of the Bride” vinyl in our Zoom background, so you know he’s a real head.
The weekend @ ND Riz Ahmed dyed his hair blonde and therefore deserves a Golden Globe My new favorite actor Riz Ahmed bleached his hair blonde and then delivered a phenomenal, awardsworthy performance in “Sound of Metal,” available now on Amazon Prime. He follows in the footsteps of other male leads who went bleach blonde and then absolutely killed it: Robert Pattinson, who delivered
The Snite Museum of Art, the least stressful and also my favorite place on campus, is open till 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. A certain someone — me — curated a playlist last year to accompany a grouping of works on the second floor, so bring your friends and your headphones. Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu ELAINE PARK | The Observer
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The observer | friday, february 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
COVID semester 2: Electric boogaloo Ryan Israel Scene Editor
From the creators of the HERE™ campaign and the studio that brought you the smash hit “COV ID Semester One” comes the long-awaited sequel “COV ID Semester Two: Electric Boogaloo,” arriving this Februar y. The second installment in the budding franchise has onlookers at the edge of their seats, as they eagerly prepare to post trendy memes or write lengthy Facebook comments about the upcoming film’s strengths and weaknesses. Fans of the stunning, blockbuster debut will remember its action-packed, jaw-dropping thrills and chills. Our characters, both friends and foes, ventured far and wide. At the infamous Rose Garden, misplaced trust and a near-fatal error in judgement led to a sticky situation for ever yone involved. Under the bright lights of national television, our protagonists vanquished the evil Dabo Swinney after storming the field of battle — but that was hardly the clima x. “COV ID Semester One” ended in dramatic fashion. Political intrigue emerged as a surprise stor yline and included a wrestle for power and the chilling declaration “I am the senate.” The curtain closed as our heroes were on the run, narrowly escaping after their enemy claimed victor y at Legacy Village and advanced onto campus a second time. Luckily, they f led in the nick of time, leaving those on the home front to deal with consequences and retreating for long enough to lick their wounds and attempt to forget the trial and tribulations they had faced so far. But who could forget such epic events? “COV ID Semester One” pushed the boundaries of what people could expect, constantly one-upping itself and proving that nothing was too outrageous to occur. Not only did writers jump the shark, they proved that they would also do a backf lip through a ring of string lights on the Librar y Lawn if necessar y. And that’s not to mention that they did all this in unrelenting fashion, giving the audience not a second to rest or recover from the onslaught of ridiculousness. “COV ID Semester Two: Electric Boogaloo” promises to be bigger, better and somehow crazier than its predecessor. The stor y picks up not far from where it left off, but now the enemy is both stronger and quicker, and infighting seems destined to tear our band of heroes apart. Audiences can expect the unexpected — if that’s even possible. To outsiders, it may seem that the making of this sequel goes against the better judgement of literally ever yone, but what more can you expect from Holly wood? W here you see green numbers on a dashboard, they see green dollar signs, and because they turned a profit on the last one, they’ll do it again. In the end, there’s no telling what’s in store this time, so buy a ticket and take the ride, do your part and if ever ything goes according to plan — which let’s be honest, it probably won’t — we won’t have to make this a trilog y. Due to circumstances beyond the studio’s control, “COV ID Semester Two: Electric Boogaloo” will not play in theaters, but will instead be made available on streaming platform Sakai. You can contact Ryan at risrael@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The power of Notre Dame’s Christian left Clark Bowden Snowflake Standpoint
It’s not always easy to be a progressive student at Notre Dame. Some of our school’s rules, like the lack of available birth control and parietals, can be difficult to explain to those who haven’t gone to “Catholic Disneyland.” Trying to argue that Notre Dame is in fact a progressive space, deeply rooted in a call to social justice, can become even more difficult when Notre Dame crafts its national image around an ex-football coach spouting hate speech at the RNC and putting forward a conservative Supreme Court Justice, while simultaneously having its University president attend and contribute to a Trump-endorsed Covid superspreader event in the Rose Garden (two birds, one stone!). And lest we forget the image of a massive “God, Country, Notre Dame” flag at the Capitol Hill insurrection just a few weeks ago. So the question arises: How does a university which claims to be “one of the most powerful means of doing good in this country” end up so firmly on the wrong side of history? A deep dive into the institutional structure of our University will only cement the narrative of our University not as one of a social-justice centered, progressive space, but rather as a conservative Christian university that is often hesitant to change and even more opposed to activism. Despite what the administration of Notre Dame continues to extort, an examination of the student body will bring strikingly different results. While most people may not be able to tell, Notre Dame’s student body is actually fairly progressive. In student government’s mock presidential election last year, the vast majority of students supported Biden over Trump. Further, it was the students (most publicly the football team) that organized rallies, sit-ins and class strikes in response to the racially motivated killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubrey and George Floyd, and countless others over this past spring and summer. And when Donald Trump was elected President and threatened the rights of DACA students, it was the student body and faculty who staged walkouts and protests. These are just a few of the instances where the mass of Notre Dame’s students showed their true ideological colors. Beyond these specific instances, every day you will find most ND students encouraging diversity, working to strengthen their community, serving the less fortunate and respecting each other’s personal, private and biological selves — actively living out the core tenets of Catholic Social Teaching. While our greater institution may not always meet this standard, the vast majority of students do. And yet even with all that, Notre Dame still manages to uphold the image of a conservative Christian university. Why? Because the Christian left within our student body is painfully disorganized. I can think of at least four student groups on campus that center their purpose around conservative Christian causes and not one that
rallies around the Christian left. The Christian left at Notre Dame needs to embrace their faith in conjunction with their politics. More of us need to be willing to say, “I am progressive because I am a Christian,” and those people who do say that need to have organizations that will amplify their voice. There are tons of us out there spread across the quads; it’s time we organize and start making a tangible difference. Think of the ramifications if Notre Dame were to send more people to the Women’s March than to the March for Life, or if we fought back until Notre Dame officially released a statement condemning Lou Holtz’s remarks at the RNC and the presence of the ND flag at the Capitol Hill riots. What if we pushed until the student health center offered birth control and other reproductive health services? Or what if, and I can’t believe I even have to write this because it is such a bare minimum, we brought Notre Dame to finally include “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” in its notice of non-discrimination, so that the faculty, staff and students who are members of the LGTBQ+ community could be legally protected against discrimination? More importantly, what if we did all these things not just in the name of progress and equality, but in the name of Christ? What if we stood up for women’s rights, condemned rightwing hate speech, offered students and faculty the freedom to control their own bodies, and stood up for our LGTBQ+ peers because we are compelled to do so by our faith? Is that not a powerful message? [Quick side note regarding reproductive health services: A cornerstone of the Catholic faith is that God gave men and women autonomy over their own bodies and the freedom to act however they choose. By offering birth control and other reproductive health services, who does that hurt? I hear all the time from gun-rights advocates, “If you don’t want a gun, then just don’t get one!” Um, ok, well, “if you don’t want a condom, just don’t get one!” Providing students with birth control is not going to encourage sex, but banning birth control on campus will certainly encourage unsafe sex.] The Christian left at Notre Dame needs to start thinking of themselves in terms of Redditors on Wall Street Bets. If we actually organize ourselves and speak with a clear voice with a consistent message, we can start to influence real change. Narrative matters. Our image and public standing matter. It is time for us to take control of our identity and show the world what Notre Dame truly stands for. Clark Bowden is a senior political science major. When he is not sleeping through his alarm or reminding people that he studied abroad, he can be found having heated political debates or watching the Washington Nationals play baseball. He can be reached at cbowden@nd.edu or @BowdenClark on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Flip the script Krista Akiki Inquisitor of the Unconventional
I think it’s safe to assume that at least once before we’ve all been in a situation where we were consumed by doubt and anxieties. Our professional, academic and personal projects are often clouded by self doubt and fear of failure. Van Gogh once said, “If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” This is definitely easier said than done. So does being over whelmed with fear or anxiety in difficult times equal lacking confidence and faith? A quick Google search brings up the definition of faith “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” I personally disagree with this statement. Faith, no matter what you believe in (yourself, karma, God…) isn’t something that you just have or do not have. Faith is a process through which we sometimes grow and at others diminish. Faith is a choice peppered with victories and setbacks. Self-doubt is always portrayed as the villain undermining one’s ability to move for ward and succeed. Deemed as a traitor to success and even the worst enemy to creativity, we are often advised to silence the voices in our heads and steer clear of doubt and shut down our anxieties. Recently, however, a new perspective on doubt has emerged. In fact, when properly managed, self-doubt can help combat complacency and improve performance. W hen we take the time to question ourselves, we trade a faster result for a more thoughtful, long-term one. It drives us to question results, experiment with new strategies
and be open to alternate ways to solve problems. “But self-doubt isn’t only a performance enhancer,” says Rich Karlgaard. “It’s also a recipe for being a wiser leader, teacher, parent and friend, because coming to terms with it makes us more compassionate and gives us greater insight into ourselves and others.” The key to harnessing the power of self-doubt starts with learning not to fear self-doubt but to embrace it as a naturally occurring opportunity for growth and improvement. It all starts with understanding and exploring self-efficacy. And in order to achieve that all you need to do is talk. Yes, just talk to yourself and channel your inner cheerleader. Psychologists and researchers call this voice “self-talk.” Self-talk shapes our relationships with ourselves, allowing us to tr y to see things more objectively. Positive self-talk and its relationship to self-efficacy has been a topic of intense study for sports psychologists. Researcher Antonis Hatzigeorgiadis and his team at the University of Thessaly in Greece studied water polo players and how self-talk affected their ability in throwing a ball for accuracy and distance. The players using motivational self-talk significantly improved at both tasks versus the others, and the study showed that motivational self-talk dramatically increased both self-efficacy and performance. The power of self-talk has been conclusively demonstrated in fields beyond sports, including management, counseling, psycholog y, education and communication. It is also important to note that how we refer to ourselves in our self-talk can also make a difference. Ethan Kross, director of the Self-Control and Emotion Laborator y at the
University of Michigan, has found that people who speak to themselves as another person — using their own name or the pronoun “you” — perform better in stressful situations than people who used the first-person “I.” By using external pronouns, we view ourselves as a separate person, enabling us to give ourselves more objective advice. This is because we are able to self-distance — we can focus on ourselves from the distanced perspective of a third person. “One of the key reasons why we’re able to advise others on a problem is because we’re not sucked into those problems,” explained Kross. “We can think more clearly because we have distance from the experience.” By using external pronouns, we view ourselves as a separate person, enabling us to give ourselves more objective advice. Positive self-talk is not self-deception. It is not mentally looking at circumstances with eyes that see only what you want to see. Self-talk is about recognizing the fundamental truths regarding the world and yourself, one of which is the fact that none of us are immune to mistakes and mishaps. Self-talk is not simply about hyping yourself up. It’s about objectively ref lecting on your next step while learning to f lip the script in your mind from doubt and fear to self-efficacy. Krista Akiki is a sophomore at Notre Dame majoring in Business Analytics. Coming from Beirut, Lebanon, she always enjoys trying out new things and is an avid travel-lover. She hopes to take her readers on her journey as she navigates college life and stands up for the issues she believes. She can be reached at kakiki@nd.edu or via Twitter @kristalourdesakiki. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
We said hello goodbye Gabriel Niforatos The Road Less Traveled
Dear Notre Dame, I feel as if I am w riting too many letters these days, but maybe that is because I’m getting older. W hat am I say ing? I’m entering my eighth and final semester of college, but it feels as if I have been here an eternit y. It’s funny. I tell all my friends that the second I set foot on campus after a period of stay ing away, I feel as if I have been here all my life. Don’t get me w rong. It is difficult being one of the you-could-count-the-total-number-of-Jew ish-students-at-Notre-Dame-on-bothhands, one of the students who is dramatically below the median income level. I don’t want to lie to you either. There were times during my first year when I entertained transferring schools, times when I would go to the Grotto for the certain comfort that silence and ref lection bring. But ever since my older sister’s Welcome Weekend when I was a high school senior, I felt that you were different in a way. The last time I w rote to you was the end of freshman year, and I feel that it is appropriate to w rite you as the prologue to my epilogue of my time at Notre Dame. Or a final chapter, if you w ill. I’ve planned on w riting you again ever since I w rote that letter, w riting a sentence here and there so that the final product would be a mosaic of myself across four years. My apologies for taking so long to reply, but that is life I suppose. The truth is this letter started w riting itself at the end of last semester as I sat on the plane on the way home. Really, it has been w riting itself for four years as I became acquainted to the shapes, sights and scents of this school. It found its way to paper on occasion, but most of the time you
put yourself to canvas in ways that are hard to describe. I feel conf licted at this point in time. I feel as if I must hold my head up high to catch the detail of ever y last building I enter, that I must hold my gaze for just a second longer than I normally would to memorize the exact shape of ever y memor y and moment that I make this final semester. Hesburgh becomes the Librar y of A lexandria, and DeBart is the eighth wonder of the world. Ever y step I take, ever y blade of grass I fracture, has a clock attached to it, and I can hear the ticking in the deep recesses of my mind. And yet, I don’t want to treat this semester as any different than the ones before. And I don’t want to romanticize the end and draw it out either. But I know I’m not the only one who feels that graduation is a bittersweet thing. There it is, that word. I know you w ill stay w ith me even as I receive my diploma and turn the tassel on my cap, and that I must look for ward to new horizons that w ill bring their ow n trials and beaut y. But I feel caught bet ween t wo worlds, and it is difficult to let you go although I know it is, in fact, you that beckons me to push out into an ocean unknow n. Goodbyes are impossible, and I hate them because there are no perfect words. There is no way to encompass the weight of that moment and hold it perfectly bet ween your lips, and believe me I’ve tried. So this time, I won’t tr y. Instead, I w ill live my goodbye in the way the light falls into the side room of a secret study space that I won’t name, in the ref lection of the dome in the puddle of water right outside LaFun. I’ll live it in the w ind tunnel that picks up in front of South Dining Hall, the way that the sun filters through the leaves of McGlinn fields, the cracks in the sidewalk leading up to Geddes. I’ll
live it in the perfection of those unexplainable moments, because life is a summation of the indescribable. I suspect I w ill w rite you again before the curtains close and scene is called. But until then I w ill let the music compose itself and sit back to listen to your sy mphony. Sincerely, Gabriel Niforatos
KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer
Gabriel Niforatos is a senior majoring in political science with minors in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service and Theology. He is passionate about giving a voice to the disenfranchised and writing is the muse he is persistently chasing. He can be found at gniforat@nd.edu or @g_niforatos on Twitter.The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Classifieds
The observer | Friday, February 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Will Shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Pick your battles carefully. You can choose to be disruptive, or you can become part of the solution. How you address personal and professional matters will make a difference in the way others view you. Use your intellect to convince others to see things your way. Force will deter you from reaching what you set out to do this year. Your numbers are 6, 17, 22, 26, 35, 39, 43. ARIES (March 21-April19): Check out what’s available and affordable. How you manage your money will make a difference in achieving your long-term goal. Trust and believe in what you can do, and don’t let temptation entice you. Treat a meaningful relationship with respect. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Cut your losses and move along. Know when you’ve exhausted your reserve, and you’ll figure out the best way to salvage what you can and proceed. Refuse to let what someone else does interfere with what’s best for you. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Play by the rules. Don’t mess up when dealing with institutions or bureaucratic organizations. Stay focused on learning, acknowledging and stepping up when an opportunity comes your way. You have plenty to gain if you are honest and do your very best. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Lay out your plans and see who responds. Don’t waste time on those who procrastinate or downplay what you are trying to do. Stay focused and intent on making the most of what you have and those who offer support. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Sit tight. Don’t make changes that are complicated or have the potential to fail. Know what and who you are up against, and wait until the time is right. Don’t let your restlessness lead to a mistake. The right opportunity will come along. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Look over your options, gather information and put your plans in place. An unusual partnership will interest you, but before you sign up for something unfamiliar to you, take your time to explore the possibilities. Time is on your side. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take care of unfinished business, put the past behind you and consider what your options are. Handle an unexpected loss carefully. Don’t jump to conclusions or lose out on what’s rightfully yours because of emotional fallout. Put practicality first. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Easy does it and control your emotions. An unexpected turn of events will leave you in a quandary. Look over your options, take charge and do what’s left undone. If you remain calm, you will end up reaping the rewards. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Refuse to let anyone interfere with your plans. Keep your money and possessions in a safe place and your feelings tucked out of sight. Reveal nothing, and you’ll have nothing to fear. Be a good listener; it will pay off. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Put more time and effort into your relationships and the way you live. Get situations out in the open, and clear up matters that have been lingering on for too long. Make your objective be to build a peaceful environment. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Listen and observe, but don’t get involved in situations that are disruptive or cause problems with a friend, relative or neighbor. Uncertainty will prevail if you are evasive or stretch the truth. Live up to your promises. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’ll gain support. Be sure to give accurate information, or you may end up liable for something you cannot afford. Crunch the numbers and proceed with caution. It’s easier to do things right the first time than to pay the price later. Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, tenacious and convincing. You are confident and relentless.
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Sports Authority
A beginner’s guide to sports transactions David Kramer Sports Writer
With the new year comes a deep-seated and pressing urge to fix things. Recalibrate the stock market by any means necessary. Roll out the vaccine at an almost impossible pace. Regain homeostasis in Washington from top to bottom. Mend any lingering damage to our mental health. No other objective in 2021 feels more critical than a collective restoration of sorts, and any invitation for Americans to participate in this objective seems more intriguing than ever before. The sharp power divide so commonly embraced by our most firmly established industries, however, leaves many of us with little direct influence on large-scale decisions, the very decisions that we would bend over backwards to implement. Since its inception, the sports industry has championed this very power chasm between team executives and their fanbases. Perhaps this almost insurmountable gap makes it all the more entertaining to “fix” teams from afar. People love to play general manager, to live vicariously through the sports transactions of our favorite teams. Even after its reduction in size last season, the professional baseball pipeline poses a daunting challenge for aspiring sports executives. As Crash Davis can attest, sometimes only one “dying quail” — a poorly hit fly ball that falls for a single — per week separates a player from the league above or below him. The margin for error in baseball dealings becomes even smaller when prospects specializing in multiple positions, cash considerations, and the infamous “player to be named later” provisions are involved. With seemingly countless levels of play, vast imbalances in MLB teams’ purchasing power and an average of over $4 million in annual guaranteed money per player — second only to NBA players — the role of vicarious baseball GM feels unnecessarily intricate. But if you can master the art of a good baseball transaction, you can tackle transactions in any sport Any finance bro with half of a brain will tell amateur traders to buy low and sell high or, better yet, buy high and sell higher. While
far from experienced in the MLB landscape, I offer a quip of my own as you vicariously pillage for the next landmark sports transaction: Keep it short, and when in doubt, keep it short. As the coronavirus continues to disrupt the market for major sports, the risk of any investment in athletes is extremely high. Professional baseball, for instance, saw the entire minor league season cancelled last year, and as a result, general managers no longer possess up-to-date insight into the real value of their minor league players. After suspending all games below the MLB for nearly a year, executives across the league have inaccurate or, at best, outdated statistics about how minor league prospects perform at their respective levels. Even after treating COVID-19, as more and more minor league teams collapse, the opportunity to evaluate players with reliable in-game data like batting average, slugging percentage and fielding percentage narrows. The shift of focus from scouting to player development brings even greater risk to the table. Sports organizations now embrace datadriven coaching staffs devoted to developing active players throughout the pipeline. The unexpected short-term performance growth that made athletes like Trevor Bauer outliers is now far from unusual in 2021. Highly unnoticed prospects frequently enter the farm system, actively embrace the newly widespread development resources made available to them and soar to stardom. Veterans comfortably locked into blockbuster long-term deals prevent small-market teams from financially holding these rising players (see Miguel Cabrera). So, if you intend to sign a free agent or re-sign a key player with strong upside in a market as volatile as the MLB, keep it short. In fact, keep the contract under four years in length for a select few star players and under two years in length for your role players. If a player’s agent insists on a contract longer than four years, run for the hills. Agents know best of all that players must “buy in” to the team’s workouts and off-season development to earn or fight for their position on the roster. Protecting players for more than four years precludes the need for them to buy
in. Don’t let them have that luxury. As the old saying goes, there is no such thing as a bad one-year deal. You vow to make short-term free agent deals. Great! So why not avoid trades altogether and only scoop up free agents with your available payroll? Wrong! Sure, given that they involve sacrificing a combination of budding prospects, cash and future draft picks, sometimes trades can become even riskier than free agent pickups. But applying the same low-risk strategy to trades may free up valuable salary space and save your organization from years of financial turmoil. If, as a vicarious general manager, you find the missing puzzle piece to your championship roster, but over two years on his contract remain, look for another option or, at the very least, wait until his contract reaches that mark. Suppose a five-tool third baseman emerges in Detroit. The Tigers (per usual, I might add) sign him to a 10-year, $250 million contract. Four years into the deal, he slashes his way to a 1.000 OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage), 20 home runs and 60 RBIs during his first 100 games of year five. As tempting as it may sound to trade for him and solidifying your playoff push before the deadline, resist the urge. Compete for a third baseman with two years or fewer remaining on his contract. You don’t want five years of potential regret to follow a championship season. You want a dynasty. Dynasties require flexibility, low risk and minimal financial commitment. All things considered, be patient with players locked into long-term contracts, and keep free agent signings or re-signings short. Assume no more than two years of pre-existing contracts, and form new contracts for four years or shorter. In a painfully complex industry, make your sports trading philosophy simple: keep it short, and when in doubt, keep it short.
Continued from page 12
shooting 49.5% from the floor and 39.4% at the line. Despite having to be sidelined for 10 games due to a foot injury, Dodson was still able to appear in 26 and start in 13, doubling her average points and averaging 3.1 boards, 1.6 blocks and 20.6 minutes of playing time per game. In her junior Dodson’s foot injury continued to impact her season, having her miss 24 games. She recovered in time to play in the last nine games of the season and started in the final seven, where she averaged 5.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks, averaging about 19 minutes of playing time. Following Lili Thompson and Marta Sniezek, Dodson is the third Cardinal women’s basketball player to transfer to Notre Dame in the past four years.
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“Stanford and Notre Dame players are just student-athletes,” Irish head coach Niele Ivey said. “The culture of both programs is very similar as far as [having] academically high rigor. Character-wise, we kind of recruit the same type of player, same type of person. So I just think it’s turns out to be almost like a perfect transition for Stanford players, to be honest, because they’re looking for the same type of things that Notre Dame provides. “She is high character, highly motivated, highly driven,” Ivey said. “She’s a rim protector, she can shoot the three, she can shoot off the bounce, she can [play] high-low, she can post-up defenders, she can guard one through five so she can do it all. She reminds me a lot of Brianna Turner. But the impact that she will have in these programs will be huge.” Contact Emma Butler at ebutler6@nd.edu
Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Former Irish guard and Stanford transfer Marta Sniezek looks to pass during Notre Dame’s 68-62 loss to Virginia Tech on Feb. 20.
Contact David Kramer at dkramer2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The Obser ver accepts classifieds ever y business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Obser ver reser ves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
wanted Labor of Love Childcare serving the South Bend/Mishawaka area is looking to expand our team. We are looking to hire a Full-time Nanny for a family of 2 girls. Candidates must have at least 6
months of childcare experience and be willing to sign a 1 year employment contract. Apply by sending your resume to: director@laboroflovechildcare.com. Visit our website for more information about our program at: www.laboroflovechildcare.com
Please allow me to introduce myself / I’m a man of welth and taste / I’ve been around for a long, long years / Stole million man’s soul an faith And I was ‘round when Jesus Christ / Had his moment of doubt and pain / Made damn sure that Pilate / Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish junior transfer and former Stanford guard Cormac Ryan shoots a layup during Tuesday’s 79-58 win over Wake Forest.
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The observer | Friday, February 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Sports
Hockey
Irish to hit road, take on Buckeyes Observer Sports Staff
Notre Dame hockey will take on Ohio State this weekend in a Big Ten showdown. The Buckeyes (5-12-1, 5-11-0-01-0 B1G) come into this game in a slump, losing six of their last seven games, all by two or more goals. The Irish (8-9-1, 6-7-1-1-2-1 B1G) hope to take advantage of that and continue a more flattering streak of their own, having won five of their last six games on the road, including series sweeps of then-No. 3 Michigan and then first-ranked Minnesota. The Irish went to overtime in both of their games against Penn State last weekend, losing the first 2-1 before taking the second 3-2. Junior forward Alex Steeves scored a goal in both games, taking his goal streak up to three. Notre Dame has already faced Ohio State this season, taking a game apiece at the Compton Family Ice Arena. Notre Dame grabbed a 3-0 win before losing a heartbreaker, taking a 2-0 lead before conceding three consecutive
powerplay goals. The Irish hope to stem that issue here, as they have gone 12-12 on the penalty kill this season while on the road. These two teams have a history of being evenly matched. Ohio State holds the slight edge in the total matchups (39-38-11), but Notre Dame has reversed the trend since joining the Big Ten (8-6-1). This has been a bit of a down year for both programs, especially considering their recent success. Since Notre Dame joined the conference, at least one of these two teams has finished in the top two of the Big Ten, with Notre Dame capturing the last two Big Ten championships. As it stands right now, Notre Dame is in fourth in the Big Ten, while Ohio States sits in sixth. Both teams will be hoping to use this series as a way to bounce back to the level they would expect. The puck will drop for the first game of the series Friday at 4:30 p.m. and action will continue will continue with the second game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on BTN.
Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish freshman forward Landon Slaggert looks to score during Notre Dame’s 5-4 win over Arizona State on Jan. 9. Slaggert had two goals in his first game back from the World Junior Hockey Championships. Paid Advertisement
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W Bball
M Bball
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Continued from page 12
Ivey is confident in her team. Furthermore, despite the possibilit y of an Irish loss, Ivey believes the Irish w ill learn a lot as they begin to build their momentum back up. “We have a huge challenge on Sunday — the underdog going into a great contest w ith a great program,” Ivey said. “I know it’s going to make us better, regardless of the outcome on Sunday, and it’s going to make us better as a program and me as a coach.” In addition to discussing Louisv ille, Ivey also discussed the new addition of graduate student Maya Dodson, who w ill join the team starting next season after transferring from Stanford. Dodson signed her National Letter of Intent on Tuesday after she opted out of the 2020-21 season. “She is phenomenal in all aspects,” Ivey said of Dodson. “She is high character, highly motivated, highly driven. The hardest worker … the impact that she w ill have in this program w ill be huge.” The addition of Dodson is set to help the Irish as they continue to build the team back up. In her three years w ith the Cardinal, Dodson nav igated to spots in the programs all-time top-10 lists for both blocks (74) and career field goal percentage (.497). She w ill look to help an Irish frontcourt that may or may not be seeing the departure of senior for ward Mikayla Vaughn follow ing the 2020-21 season. “After the 2019 season, we lost the entire starting lineup,” Ivey said. “So last year was a complete rebuild. We had some players that didn’t play substantial minutes, that are now forced to be play ing bigger roles, hav ing bigger minutes and required to do a lot more offensively.” Ivey also fielded a question from the press regarding National Girls and Women in Sports day, which was Feb. 3. “This is a dream come true for me to be in this leadership role,” Ivey said. “I know how impactful this is for young girls ever y where. For Black girls ever y where, I know representation matters. I’m just honored and blessed to be in this role. I’m hoping that I continue to inspire my players. I tr y to empower them as much as I can. Learning from one of the best, hall of fame coach Muffet McGraw, I know how impactful seeing a strong woman and a strong leader means in the lives of young girls, so I’m blessed.”
lead the Irish to v ictor y. Irish head basketball coach Mike Brey attributed his team’s recent success to the defense, as it has led to a better rhy thm on offense. “It’s great to see the reward of getting a stop and a defensive rebound or a steal or def lection and being able to come dow n the court a little quicker,” Brey said. “Maybe it’s not a fast break, but early offense, where the defense is not set, and it’s really helped us I think. The carrot is they’re seeing what we can get offensively, and it’s a fun way to play.” Brey believes the emphasis on stop-scores has brought another level of energ y to the team in recent weeks. “It’s great for them to see the value of the stock on the other end of the f loor that we can get into early offense and stretch and move it,” Brey explained. “W hat happens is guys run because they know if they run, they’ll get the ball. W hat you see a lot of times is guys w ill stop running because they think that guy is not gonna throw it to them. We run because we know we’ll get the ball.” With the recent v ictories, Brey believes his team is back w ithin striking distance of postseason competitions such as the NIT and NCA A tournaments w ith his team’s NET rankings rising significantly. Of course, an NIT berth is contingent on the team finishing the seaosn w ith a w inning record, something they do not currently possess. “The one thing we’ve done in the last t wo weeks is our NET has got us w ithin
Contact Madelyn Stout at mstout2@nd.edu
striking distance,” Brey said. “It’s 72 I believe today, which is up from a 105 before the Pitt game. We’re getting into the v icinit y last year’s team got to — their net was 52 at the end of the day. Most likely that team was a NIT team. but they made a run to the edge of it, and that’s kind of the territor y we’re in this season.” After play ing Georgia Tech, the Irish w ill stay on the road to face Duke next week as well, a team that bested the Irish in their conference opener on Dec. 16 behind a stellar shooting performance. Brey hopes that his team can use this road trip to improve their place in the ACC standings, as both Georgia Tech and Duke are currently ahead of the Irish in the standings. “For this road sw ing, we’ve got opportunities against teams above us in the standings,” Brey said. “So you know, we’ve climbed a little, and we could continue to climb.” The Yellow Jackets are coming off a double digit loss to Louisv ille on Monday. They did knock off then 16th-ranked Florida State, however, by 11 points last weekend. Last season, the Irish recorded t wo narrow v ictories against the Yellow Jackets by scores of 78-74 and 80-72. One of the challenges for the Irish on Saturday w ill be limiting the production of Yellow Jacket senior guard Jose A lvarado. A lvarado has averaged 17.5 PPG this season while shooting over 50% from the field and over 40% from the three-point line. The Irish were successfully able to hold A lvarado to seven points in their first v ictor y against the Yellow Jackets last season. In the second
game, though, A lvarado erupted for 25 points. Brey discussed how the Irish know the Yellow Jackets well, but they have become a more offensiveminded team as of late. “We know them a lot. It’s interesting to see how they have become a little bit more of an offensive group. They’re shooting and scoring, and A lvarado really makes them go,” Brey said. “Our defense, which we have tried to be more committed to, w ill be challenged.” Stopping A lvarado w ill be a key for the Irish on Saturday. “We have played against some good guards, and we have to have that awareness when [A lvarado] uses a ball screen to stay w ith him a little longer to trap him a little bit and to get it out of his hands to make some
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other people make plays,” Brey said. “So, again, I think [A lvarado is] an ama zing challenge for our defense.” With school starting back up, the Irish are back on their normal practice schedule and academic routine. “We’re back practicing at 3:15 instead of maybe noon like we’ve done for a while,” Brey explained. “I think it helps the kind of guys we get here, when they have an academic routine during the day and then come to practice. I think a little bit too much idle time can make you a little lethargic. So we’re back and being active.” Saturday’s game w ill tip off at 8 p.m. EST and can be v iewed on the ACC Net work. Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu
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The observer | Friday, February 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd men’s basketball
ND Women’s tennis
ND set to face Kentucky Observer Sports Staff
After notching its fifth win on the season with a 7-0 victory over DePaul (2-1), the Notre Dame women’s tennis team will head down to Lexington, Kentucky, on Friday to take on the Wildcats (7-0). The Irish (5-2, 2-1 ACC) will be entering the contest on a three-match winning streak while Kentucky boasts a seven-match win streak that has seen them beat opponents by a combined 46-3. Notre Dame’s only losses as a team this season have come against North Carolina and Old Dominion by scores of 4-2 and 4-0, respectively. Along with Depaul their three-game winning streak consists of wins over Toledo and Ball State, and all three victories have been clean sweeps. The Irish are looking to continue their strong doubles play having only dropped the doubles point once in their previous five matches. Notre Dame will need solid performances
across the board, especially at the No. 1 doubles slot made up of the 19th ranked pairing of sophomore Page Freeman and senior Cameron Corse who notched an impressive victory over eight ranked junior Yulia Starodubsteva and sophomore Alesya Yakubovich of Old Dominion on Jan. 23. The Wildcats also have a ranked doubles team of their own in in 57th ranked redshirt senior Lesedi Jacobs and fifth year Anastasia Tkachenko. In singles, Notre Dame will also need stellar play and will rely on the play of some of their upperclassmen. Senior Ally Bojczuk has been exceptional for the Irish, winning six of her last seven matches. Senior Cameron Corse has also been exceptional having earned a ranking of 109 in all of Division 1 women’s tennis. Doubles is set to begin at 11 p.m. followed by singles directly after at the Hilary J. Boone Varsity Tennis Complex in Lexington.
Irish to begin road stretch against Yellowjackets By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer
Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish junior forward Nate Laszewski forces a contested layup over two defenders during Tuesday’s 79-58 win over Wake Forest.
The Irish w ill travel to Atlanta this weekend to take on Georgia Tech (86, 4-4 ACC). After starting the season w ith a 3-8 record, the Irish (7-9, 4-6 ACC) have won four of their last five games. That five-game stretch included double digit v ictories over Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Miami and Boston College w ith the only loss coming to then 20thranked Virginia Tech. In their most recent v ictor y against Wake Forest, the Irish opened the second half on a 16-0 run to record a comfortable 79-58 w in. Graduate student for ward Juwan Durham was the top scorer for the Irish w ith 18 points off of a seven of nine effort from the field. Junior guard Cormac Ryan added 13 points off the bench to see M BBALL PAGE 11
ND basketball
nd women’s basketball
Squads add Ivey talks prep for matchup with No. 1 Cards graduate transfers By MADELYN STOUT
By EMMA BUTLER
Sports Writer
Sports Writer
In lieu of the Irish heading to Louisv ille for their next game Sunday, women’s basketball head coach Niele Ivey held a press conference Wednesday. Ivey answered questions from the press regarding National Girls and Women in Sports day, game prep for a date w ith the topranked Cardinals, building the program back up in her first season and the new transfer from Stanford, graduate student Maya Dodson. The last game the Irish played was against the Sy racuse Orange on Jan. 31, which resulted in a 6981 Irish loss at Sy racuse’s Carrier Dome. However, the Irish are still currently 6-5 in the ACC and 8-7 overall this season as they prepare to face off against the Cardinals (16-1, 9-1 ACC). Despite the challenge that the upcoming match poses,
Both Notre Dame men’s and women’s basketball teams have each acquired graduate student transfers for the 2021-2022 seasons: Yale’s Paul Atkinson and Stanford’s Maya Dodson. Yale graduate transfer Paul Atkinson announced over Twitter on Jan. 3 that he will be joining Irish head coach Mike Brey’s team next season. Atkinson, a 6-foot-10 power forward, was named the Iv y League’s co-Player of the Year for the 2019-2020 season, along with Penn’s A.J Brodeur. For the same season, Atkinson was a unanimous first-team All Iv y League selection. Atkinson graduates this spring, making him immediately eligible for next season. Joining the transfer portal in October, Atkinson immediately received over a dozen offers, ultimately cutting down the list to five schools in December, including NC
see W BBALL PAGE 11
Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish freshman forward Maddy Westbeld looks to drive off the bounce during Notre Dame’s 81-69 loss to Syracuse on Saturday.
State, Texas, Miami, Iowa and Notre Dame. “I think, you know, we talked about it, can you hit a Grand Slam in that spot that Juwan [Durham] is leaving with returning experience around him? And I think we pretty much did,” Brey said. “That was the best fit for us on all fronts, certainly being a Yale grad.” In his last season, Atkinson averaged 17.6 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Bulldogs, with four double-doubles and six 20-point games. In his final game, Atkinson scored 23 points and six boards in a loss to Harvard. In his freshman year, he averaged 9.3 points a game and 9.1 as a sophomore. Stanford’s Maya Dodson, a 6-foot-3 forward signed her NLI on Tuesday, confirming she will be playing for the Irish next year after opting out of her senior season. In her freshman year, Dodson immediately had a strong presence on the team, see TRANSFERS PAGE 9
Insider
ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, February 5, 2021 | The Observer
3
Meet the Class of 2021 Joe alt
Mitchell evans
offensive tackle
tight end
Alt chose Notre Dame over seven other Division I schools. The choice came down to Iowa, Minnesota and Notre Dame, with Alt eventually choosing the Irish. Alt’s father, John — an Iowa alum — made the switch from tight end to offensive tackle, and Joe is expected to make that shift in positin as well.
The three-star Evans will join a deep group of tight ends in South Bend. Evans chose the Irish over 23 other Division I schools. Evans will return to his original position of tight end at Notre Dame after playing quarterback during his senior season, compiling 2,131 passing yards and 25 touchdowns.
logan diggs
Ryan Barnes
6’7” • 270 Totino-Grace High School Fridley, Minn. Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
Photo courtesy of Rivals.com
6’7” • 240 Wadsworth High School Wadsworth, Ohio
jayden thomas
caleb johnson
khari gee
wide receiver
Offensive tackle
safety
A two-sport athlete who intends to play both collegiate football and baseball, Thomas will bring physicality and versatility to the Notre Dame wide receiver corps. A standout wide receiver and safety for Pace Academy in Atlanta, Thomas committed to the Fighting Irish in October. He passed over offers from 22 other schools including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Penn State. Ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 47 wide receiver prospect in the nation according to Rivals, Thomas reeled in 25 receptions for 399 yards and five touchdowns during his senior season.
Originally committed to the Auburn Tigers before de-committing on Nov. 19 to join the Fighting Irish the same day, Caleb Johnson is the son of former Ball State and NFL offensive lineman Aaron Johnson. The younger Johnson, a 4-star recruit, is the No. 33 offensive tackle and No. 50 player in the state of Florida, per Rivals. His honors include an Ocala StarBanner All-County first-team selection as a junior for helping to create a 2,200-yard rusher and make the regional finals of the 3A class, and a MaxPreps Preseason All-State Second-Team offense selection before this past season.
Gee, a four-star safety recruit (per Rivals) hailing from College Park, Georgia, committed to the Irish on Dec. 18 after being previously committed to LSU. As a rising star at Woodward Academy, Khari earned 35 offers as the 25th-ranked player in the state of Georgia. At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Gee projects to be a physical and talented safety under Marcus Freeman’s new defense. In his senior year, Gee tallied 37 tackles, with five of those being for a loss, along with two interceptions. His commitment to Notre Dame is a big win for the Irish, helping bring talent to the secondary.
running back
cornerback
In Logan Diggs, the Irish add another capable running back to what is already a deep position group. The three-star recruit is listed as the 19th-best running back in his class by Rivals Diggs stuck with the Irish despite nearly flipping to in-state LSU on National Signing Day.
Joining the Irish secondary next season is three-star recruit Ryan Barnes. From Gettysburg, Maryland, Barnes arrives as the 60th-ranked cornerback nationally according to Rivals, bringing his agility and explosiveness to the Notre Dame defense by committing in early June of this past year.
Chance Tucker
Justin Walters
Devin Aupiu
will schweitzer
Kahanu Kia
cornerback
Safety
defensive end
defensive end
linebacker
The Irish secured a commitment from the three-star Tucker despite interest from 20 other Division I schools. California delayed the high school football season to the spring, but Tucker recorded 58 tackles, 10 passes defensed and three interceptions during his junior season in 2019.
A three-star recruit out of Bolingbrook High School in Illinois, Walters is ranked as the No. 36 safety in the country and the No. 8 player in Illinois per Rivals, Walters received offers from 23 schools including Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and Northwestern before committing to Notre Dame last February.
Aupiu committed to Notre Dame in December after receiving scholarships from 10 different schools, including UCLA, who he was committed to for eight months before switching to the Blue and Gold. Rivals rates Aupiu as a three-star recruit and the 37th-best weakside defensive end in his class.
After previously being verbally committed to Nebraska for two months, Schweitzer committed to Notre Dame in August nearly a week after his first campus visit and formally signed with the Irish in December. The three-star recruit is ranked as the No. 30 weakside defensive end and 43rd-best player out of California.
Kia attends the same high school as that of Marist Liufau and former Irish players Manti Te’o and Robby Toma. Kia’s time with Notre Dame will likely be interrupted. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he intends to take a two-year mission trip after the 2021 season.
pat coogan
jason onye
jojo johnson
Josh Bryan
ron Powlus III
offensive guard
defensive end
athlete
kicker
quarterback
Coogan, a three-star offensive line recruit from Chicago, committed to Notre Dame back in April. He earned 29 offers before choosing the Irish. Coogan is projected to be an offensive guard, but has the size and versatility to fill various spots along the offensive line
Onye is ranked the No. 1 overall player from Rhode Island per ESPN and the No. 44 strong-side defensive end nationally per Rivals.com. The three-star standout from Bishop Hendricken High School had 10.5 sacks, 68 tackles, 12.0 TFL’s and five forced fumbles as a junior.
The 5-foot-11 Johnson received offers from 18 programs before settling on the Irish. In addition to ballhawking in the secondary (17 tackles and seven pass breakups as a senior), he was an all-purpose weapon in high school, tallying 49 receptions for 895 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final season.
The Irish brought a second scholarship kicker into the fold by signing Bryan, the sixth-best kicker in the nation, per 247Sports Composite. His range extends beyond 60 yards, but his accuracy has room for improvement after going 8-14 on field goals as a junior and 11-19 as a senior.
The Irish gained a second signal caller from the Class of 2021 in Ron Powlus III. Powlus III, the son of former Notre Dame quarterback and current associate athletics director Ron Powlus, is rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals. Powlus played football for Penn High School in Mishawaka.
6’2” • 205 Pace Academy Atlanta
6’1” • 170 Crespi Carmelite High School Encino, Calif.
6’5” • 300 Marist High School Chicago, Ill.
6’7” • 290 Trinity Catholic High School Ocala, Fla.
6’2” • 185 Bolingbrook High School Bolingbrook, Ill.
6’5” • 248 Bishop Hendricken High School Warwick, R.I.
6’3” • 190 Woodward Academy College Park, Ga.
6’5” • 225 Pacifica High School Oxnard, Calif.
5’11” • 170 Merrillville Merrillville, In.
6’0” • 191 Archbishop Rummel High School Metairie, La.
6’4” • 215 Los Gatos Los Gatos, Calif.
6’1” • 185 Sierra Canyon School Chatsworth, Calif.
6’2” • 195 Quince Orchard High School Gaithersburg, Md.
6’2” • 205 Punahao School Honolulu, Hi.
6’3” • 230 Penn High School Mishawaka, In.
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Insider
The observer | Friday, February 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Football Column
5 questions that will define ND’s 2021 recruiting class Aidan Thomas Sports Writer
When recruiting classes become official, it’s almost like the earliest form of preseason rankings. Undoubtedly, many of the teams that reeled in the top recruiting classes will be national contenders in the coming years, with many familiar names atop the rankings. Alabama’s topranked 2017 class led to two national championships, and Wednesday they landed the highest-rated recruiting class in NCAA football history, according to 247Sports. However, while high recruiting rankings are nice, they don’t solidify a team’s final ranking for the next few seasons. So what exactly can we glean from Notre Dame’s No. 9 ranking (by 247Sports) in the 2021 recruiting classes. Here’s a look at five questions, the answers to which may determine whether Notre Dame can translate another impressive recruiting effort into sustained success, and maybe — just maybe — a drought-snapping national title.
Is Tyler Buchner the answer at quarterback? Ian Book took a huge step for the Irish at quarterback. However, in two Playoff appearances, Book appeared somewhat overwhelmed by the moment. Between two CFP games and an ACC Championship appearance, the Book-led offense mustered a combined 27 points. The offense needs to take the next step, as elite quarterback play is an absolute must-have for national championship contention. Incoming QB recruit Tyler Buchner offers hope that he may be the answer for the Irish under center. He’s a top100 prospect and the No. 3-rated dual-threat signal-caller. However, Notre Dame has had elite recruits at this position before. Phil Jurkovec, Malik Zaire and Brandon Wimbush were all ranked within the top five of their position, yet none elevated the Irish to the next level.So what makes Buchner different? He put up jaw dropping numbers in California high school ball, but he also missed his senior season, along with most of another year with a torn ACL. Is Buchner the real deal? His success is easily the biggest X-factor within this latest recruiting class for the Irish.
Is Lorenzo Styles or Deion Colzie another great Notre Dame receiver? There are two parts to this question, to be quite fair. One is what is asked: Can Styles and
Colzie step up and emulate the success of some former great Irish receivers? And, secondly, will Brian Kelly be willing to play them, if they prove to be electric talents for Notre Dame? The Irish have had some dynamic receivers over the years, with speedsters like Will Fuller (now on the Houston Texans) and physical specimens like Chase Claypool (a 2020 second-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers) complementing their oft-bruising rushing attack and ever-plentiful stable of tight ends. This past season, the Irish struggled to generate production from receivers, as they lacked a consistent downfield threat which limited their versatility on offense. Tyler Buchner could be a world-beater under center, but if Styles and the rest of the Irish receiving corps are not making plays… elite quarterback play might not be enough in South Bend. Last year, we frustratingly watched five-star freshman receiver Jordan Johnson barely touch the field all season, despite his tantalizing potential and the overall struggles of the passing game at times. Will that trend continue with Colzie or Styles, who both rate as top-20 receivers and Notre Dame’s fourth- and fifth-best recruits in their class, respectively? Notre Dame fans will cross their fingers and hope they bring some dynamic playmaking to this offense.
Can Philip Riley and Ryan Barnes solve issues at cornerback? The secondary was the clear point of weakness on an otherwise very strong Notre Dame defense this past season. True freshman cornerback Clarence Lewis took over for junior TaRiq Bracy midway through the season, while graduate transfer Nick McCloud was solid, if not spectacular, in a starting role. As much as the Irish need more potency on offense, they need to be able to compete with the powerful offenses that Clemson, Alabama and the like bring to the table. Notre Dame didn’t bring in a top-20 corner, as Riley (No. 25 at the position, No. 304 overall) is its best get at the position. Barnes (247’s No. 44 prospect) is the other Irish commit at the position, and the major question is what they will bring to the table in 2021 and beyond? The Irish have an AllAmerican safety in Kyle Hamilton, but they suffered from clear matchup issues on the edge all of last season. And, with their defense suffering a multitude of losses, most notably linebacker Jermiah
Owusu-Koramoah — likely a first-round NFL Draft pick — the secondary needs to step up soon. Whether Riley and/ or Barnes can answer the bell is a huge question that the Irish hope will be answered with a resounding yes.
How soon does the new offensive line gel? The obvious strength of this recruiting class — as it often does — lies in the offensive line for Notre Dame. Offensive tackle Blake Fisher and guard Rocco Spindler represent the Irish’s top two recruits this season, while Caleb Johnson adds another four-star to this group. Fisher, Spindler and Johnson bring immediate reinforcements to Notre Dame’s offensive line, but how soon do they gel and become another dominant unit in the trenches for Notre Dame? The Irish have clear areas they need to improve, but they need to ensure they stay dominant where they already are strong, and the Irish took a good step towards doing that with this recruiting class.
Who succeeds Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree? Considering they spent a majority of the recruiting period heavily chasing No. 1 all-purpose back Will Shipley, the Irish did a fantastic job in recovering to land two quality running backs, after they lost Shipley to Clemson early in the summer. Four-star Audric Estime leads the class, while deadline day commit Logan Diggs is an upper-level three-star that scouts are very high on, lauding his potential as a future Power-5 starter. While Notre Dame has a fantastic tandem of backs right now in rising redshirt sophomore Kyren Williams and soon-to-be true sophomore Chris Tyree, the Irish face the very real possibility that both of those talented speedsters will be leaving after three years in South Bend. That leaves an uncertain third year, of which Estime and Diggs will have a definite chance to assume a workhorse role. These two players could both contribute in the next couple seasons, spelling Tyree and Williams on occasion, but they have the potential to take over as the starter without the Irish missing a beat. That ability will be key if Notre Dame wants to turn this No. 9 ranked 2021 recruiting class into its first national title-winning one since those leading up to 1988. Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Irish staff talks 2021 cycle By CHARLOTTE EDMONDS Senior Sports Writer
Notre Dame football welcomed 27 new members to its program Wednesday on National Signing Day. The group — ranked ninth nationally — was comprised of a record-setting 14 early enrollees, while another 13 players will be welcomed to campus in the fall. Despite the unusual recruiting circumstances of the past year, head coach Brian Kelly said he was proud of the way his coaching staff and recruits both rose to the occasion. “We really required our staff to do their due diligence and getting information and I think they did a great job,” Kelly said. “And, you know, we had to make some educated decisions as well along the way, but I thought our staff did a great job of sticking to our traits in terms of what we’re looking for and making sure that we valued those and making our final decisions.” Kelly emphasized the cross-department collaboration between the football program and the admissions office as being essential to the successful recruiting cycle. “I thought we developed a great plan for telling our story digitally, and our excellence presentation became a staple of the process that we put together.” Special teams and recruiting coordinator Brian Polian reiterated Kelly’s thoughts about the numerous people who contributed to the football program’s success. “That thing was built from scratch,” he said. “There were a lot of partnerships throughout the course of campus that helped us put that thing together.” While Kelly left no doubt that he’s anxiously awaiting for the return of on-campus visits, he said several of the adjustments made this past year are likely to stick around for the foreseeable future. “I think I can be much more available to the recruits through Zoom,” he said. “And, I think it creates a better relationship than just text messaging. At least I feel that way. And I know our coaches do. So I really think that that’s not going to go away. Certainly, we want them on campus.” Polian commented on the importance of these long-term adjustments considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recruiting availability will almost certainly affect the class of 2022 as well. “It will continue to be for the ’22s because we lost all of those evaluation opportunities in the spring and in summer camp,” he said. In addition to the technological advancements made this past year, Kelly said a key component of building a strong relationship with prospective players was being realistic about the state of recruiting at the time. “Each one of them, I tried to alert to them that they had to get
their mind around the fact that in this unique recruiting process this year, that they were going to have to make a decision without visiting so I got involved in it, you know, with the individuals themselves and talking to their families about the reality of it,” Kelly said. In addition to the various departments across campus who made this season possible, Kelly and Polian both identified Bill Rees as an x-factor in their recruiting efforts this past year. Rees, in his second year as director of scouting, is the father of offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and has earned a reputation for valuable in-depth analysis. Kelly said he understands the playing philosophy of the program and has a natural eye for talent. “He’s just really looking at talent and an eye towards projecting some talents as well. I mean, it’s not all about ready made,” Kelly said. “What I like about him is that we share some similar visions in terms of looking at a guy and saying, well, he could play another position, and he’s a running back, but he could play corner or, you know, this is a guy that’s 6-foot-7 and could grow into playing another position.” Polian said he has both the time and patience to provide “discerning eyes to help us on those guys.” All of these efforts combined produced a really successful recruit haul, headlined by 12 four-star commits. One of those commits, offensive tackle Blake Fisher committed over a year and a half ago and emerged as a leader throughout the process. “There is that guy in every class, and he’ll, you know, he’ll message you, ‘Hey, man, hey, coach, just talk to this guy. And he’d be really interested. And I think it’d be awesome.’ And meanwhile, we’ve seen that guy’s transcript and we know it’s not necessarily a fit. So there is a little bit of ‘A slowdown, we appreciate you.’ But that is much better than having a class of 24 or 25 and there’s no ringleader,” Polian said. Quarterback Tyler Buchner, a fellow four-star commit and arguably the player with the biggest name recognition also earned a shoutout from his future coaches, who expect he’ll be a natural fit for the program. “He’ll get big enough, we loved his energy, great smile, bounce, just that it factor that you’re looking for in quarterbacks.” Polian said. Ultimately, Kelly expressed confidence in his staff’s performance and said he feels like the program is in a good position going forward. “This University, this culture, this football program, I think we addressed the needs,” he said. Contact Charlotte Edomonds at cedmond3@nd.edu