Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Crowds overwhelm inauguration ball
Students hoping to attend the event were met with massive lines and a swarm of their peers
By SOPHIE HANAWALT News Writer
Students hoping to attend the inauguration ball on Friday night faced long lines and a large crowd near the event’s entrance.
The ball, held on the field in Notre Dame Stadium, began at 9:30 p.m. with doors set to close at 10 p.m. The event ended around 11 p.m., though the entry process caused delays.
Freshman Andrew Severino arrived at 9:30 p.m. and encountered a line stretching from the stadium gates to Hesburgh Library and around Clarke Memorial Fountain. Severino estimated he waited until 10:45 p.m. to enter.
“They advertised the drone show so much, but I
Community garden cultivates sustainability, education
By CAROLINE COLLINS and ALISIA TENEQEXHI Assistant Managing Editor and News Writer
Located just off campus along Ivy Road, nestled between Warren Golf Course and Twyckenham Dr., rows of metal planting boxes abound with flowers, fresh herbs and vegetables. The Notre Dame community garden is home to student and staff plots and is run by the graduate student government sustainability committee.
The garden was first conceived in 2010 as a partnership between food services, the Notre Dame Wellness Center, University Health Services and the Office of Sustainability. It was originally located at White Field on the far north end of campus before it moved to its current location at Ivy Road in 2017. In the years since, the garden has expanded to include
100 individual plots, two group-grow plots, two pickfor-free plots, a free library and spaces for students to enjoy the outdoors.
Plants like sunflowers, chrysanthemums and marigolds are grown in the garden in addition to herbs like basil, thyme and
oregano. Some fan-favorite vegetable plantings include tomatoes, peppers, corn, eggplants and lettuce.
Graduate student government sustainability co-chairs Suleiman
was in line for so long I never got to see it,” Severino said.
Another freshman, Megan Stecher, arrived around 10:15 p.m. and described a chaotic scene near the entrance.
“The line turned into a sea of people, not a line at all,” Stecher said.
She joined her friends in the crowd but still waited 45 minutes to get inside. Stecher attributed the wait to the crowded and cramped conditions.
“People were hopping over the fences and knocking people over,” Stecher said.
She said she saw a student being removed in a wheelchair after jumping a fence,
Fr. Dowd attends ‘inauguration build’
Observer Staff Report
On Tuesday morning, recently inaugurated University president Fr. Robert Dowd attended a kick-off event for the “inauguration build” in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. The project will see the construction of five new homes on Harrison Avenue in northwest South Bend.
The University expects as many as 1,000 volunteers to participate in the construction. Student participation in the event is being facilitated by the Notre Dame student chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
At the event, Dowd blessed the build and assisted in doing work on the houses. The homes were designed by Notre Dame architecture students.
community and this region. An important part of that is ensuring that all people, regardless of background, have access to safe, decent, affordable housing and the financial, social and emotional benefits that come with it,” Dowd said in a statement. “I am pleased to join with the entire campus community in this important project, and look forward to further strengthening our partnerships in South Bend and surrounding communities in the future.”
The project comes soon after Dowd emphasized his intentions during his inaugural speech last Friday to bring Notre Dame closer to South Bend and help “residents who struggle the most.”
“We know that Notre Dame shares a future with South Bend and the broader region,” Dowd also stated during his convocation speech last Friday. “In the long run,
see GARDEN PAGE 3 see DOWD PAGE 3
“Notre Dame’s continued flourishing is inextricably linked to the vitality and prosperity of our local
LIAM KELLY | The Observer
The inauguration ball, commemorating Fr. Dowd’s installation as University president, was held at Notre Dame Stadium, kicking off at 9:30 p.m. The event, which drew massive crowds, ended at around 11:15 p.m.
see BALL PAGE 4
CAROLINE COLLINS | The Observer
The Notre Dame community garden, situated between Warren Golf Course and Twyckenham Dr., features multiple staff and student plots.
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
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Anesu Matara
junior Keough Hall
“Exploring
Daniel Lu
junior Duncan Hall
“Exploring
Rose
junior Farley Hall
“Exploring
Justice walker
junior Farley Hall
“Exploring
Luke Scholler sophomore Dillon Hall
“Open to exploring
Grace Wikenheiser junior Badin Hall
“Exploring grad school opportunities.”
Today’s Staff
Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at editor@ndsmcobserver.com so we can correct our error.
CHANCELOR
Saint Mary’s SDB hosts annual mosaic event
By SAMANTHA GEBERT and ISABELLA GONZALES News Writers
On Thursday evening from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., students gathered on Saint Mary’s Alumnae Green for Mosaic Night, hosted by the Student Diversity Board. According to the student event website, Belle Tower, the event was for the campus community to “learn more about different clubs on campus that uplift diverse voices and have conversations to get to know one another.”
The theme of the Student Diversity Board this year was bees. A sign close to the Student Center read “buzz around, explore the hive” to encourage students to take place in the
event.
Senior Angelina Wright, vice president of the Student Diversity Board, explained why the event is called Mosaic Night.
“We are all different, but we all come together. That is what the stained glass in a mosaic stands for,” Wright said.
At the event, clubs and organizations spread out themed decorations on tables representing their respective clubs near the green’s sidewalks, each of them encouraging their classmates to learn about their clubs and what they stand for.
Some of the clubs included in the Mosaic event include the Asian American Pacific Islander Club, Black Student
Association, First Gen Fam, Nursing Students Alliance for Inclusion & Diversity, Feminists United, Sexuality and Gender Equality (SAGE), Spanish Club and Around the World Club.
Junior Ava Hess, a member of both Feminist United and SAGE, shared the “organizations are working hard to reach as many students as we can to create the most inclusive campus that we can.”
“To be able to come and spread awareness about the inclusive community … was what we were excited about,” Hess said.
Students who checked into the event received tickets they could exchange for food from the different food trucks that
lined up in the parking lot near the Student Center. Students could be seen sitting or walking with friends and eating food such as Caribbean wings, paletas, boba tea, fruit cups, chicharrones, corn cups and more.
Many students enjoyed the free food there, including sophomore Ava Swistowicz, who described the paletas, which are Mexican ice pops, as “so brat summer green.”
“The food is what got me here, but I am happy I got to learn about some of the clubs on campus,” sophomore Rose Lopez, said.
Others have expressed their positive thoughts about the event and being able to come together as a community.
Student Diversity Board president, junior Chinaza Ezechikamnayo, has also expressed her gratitude for the Mosaic tradition at Saint Mary’s.
“I’d like to thank the executive team, SDB and all the clubs and organizations on campus that came to support this event,” Ezechikamnayo said.
Mosaic has been a yearly event since 2015, making 2024 the ninth consecutive Mosaic Night at the College.
Wright shared that she hopes each year it “gets better and that more people know about it.”
Contact Samantha Gebert at sgebert01@saintmarys.edu and Isabella Gonzales at igonzales01@saintmarys.edu
Abdulsalam and Ozioma Nwachukwu said the garden is open to anyone in the Notre Dame community who wants to get involved.
No previous gardening experience is required and the garden is a space people can visit to spend time outdoors and enjoy nature.
“I found the garden interesting because it is another opportunity to connect with nature. It can be really therapeutic sometimes,” Nwachukwu said.
Abdulsalam feels drawn to the garden because it cultivates a sense of community.
“I was looking for community engagement, with nature and with people, so that’s one of the motivating factors and one of the reasons why I decided to join the garden,” he said.
The garden hosts work days once a month to tackle big projects, such as installing new garden beds or fixing the fence around the garden, and these work days also provide members with opportunities to connect with others.
“It gives a concrete time for gardeners to come together and just meet each other, have conversations and share gardening tips,” graduate student Julie Wilson said. Wilson was a previous co-chair of the sustainability committee and served in that position for two years.
The garden’s sustainability goals focus on promoting organic gardening, fostering biodiversity and reducing waste by composting.
“We collaborate closely with Notre Dame landscaping, campus dining and the Office of Sustainability to make the garden as eco-friendly as possible,” Nwachukwu said. “These practices are important because they help minimize environmental impact and create a healthier, more sustainable campus community.”
The community garden is abuzz with adjunct assistant teaching professor of architecture Kai Hu’s innovative ideas for the garden and ways to make it more sustainable.
“[Hu] has been instrumental in bringing new ideas to the garden,” Nwachukwu said.
Hu is interested in permaculture gardening, a type of gardening that mimics nature and is
based on designing a garden around the local environment. This form of gardening considers the needs of the natural ecosystem and climate in addition to meeting human needs.
Permaculture gardening includes harvesting rainwater to reduce water use, building up soil and compositing in place of using chemical fertilizers.
In addition to these sustainable practices, the garden also manages a beehive that is overseen by chef Ralph Pieniazkiewicz. Nwachukwu said the beehive plays a crucial role in supporting pollination across the garden.
In terms of future growth, Nwachukwu and Abdulsalam have initiated the process to get the garden approved as an official University club and hope to see more people
use the garden as a community space.
That will “get us more resources, more funding … and also get more students involved,” Nwachukwu said. “We have this great [space] and so many people don’t know about it.”
Nwachukwu also discussed increasing educational outreach and using the garden as a classroom to educate people about sustainable practices and how they can implement sustainability in their everyday lives.
“[People] don’t necessarily have to have a plot in the garden, if they want to have a space in their home, or they can do something that contributes to environmental sustainability, like composting, just being aware of how our everyday lives affect the environment,”
Dowd
we will only attract the faculty, staff and students who desire that this community and all who call it home truly thrive.”
The Notre Dame 2033 Strategic Framework, released last fall, also stated as a goal of the University to improve “engagement with South Bend and the region.” Specifically, the framework highlights the School of Architecture’s “civic efforts to build more stable neighborhoods and a more walkable urban core.”
Notre Dame’s involvement in the build will continue through the week, concluding Friday, Sept. 20. The houses will be ready for residents to move in at some point next year.
she said.
This past weekend, a writing and rhetoric class visited the garden and helped garden members with weeding. Wilson said she was encouraged to see undergraduate students visiting the garden and wants to make the space more accessible for different groups.
Wilson said she wants to see the garden’s impact on campus continue to grow and part of that growth includes leadership and involvement from faculty and staff, as well as graduate students and undergraduate students.
”I would also love to see the space grow,” she said, ”to have undergrads involved, to have more events and to continue to be a community garden.”
Contact Caroline Collins at ccolli23@nd.edu and Alisia Teneqexhi at ateneqex@nd.edu
CAROLINE COLLINS | The Observer
Run by the graduate student government sustainability committee since 2010, the Notre Dame community garden has expanded with the goal of promoting organic farming and becoming an official club.
falling, and being trampled.
“I didn’t think every single person would be trying to get in through one entrance. It was very chaotic,” Stecher said.
Stecher and Severino witnessed students cutting the line.
Once near the entrance, students were asked to scan a QR code and enter their names. Students once they reached the entrance were not asked to show proof of filling out the form, and some were unable to scan the code due to the crowd.
Despite the delays, Severino and Stecher agreed the ball was very enjoyable once they were inside.
Notre Dame Police Department (NDPD) officers assisted with crowd control at the entrance. A request for comment from NDPD was forwarded to university spokesperson Sue Ryan.
“It was incredibly moving to see the outpouring of support from Notre Dame students at all of the inauguration events, especially at the Convocation and Student Ball,” Ryan
said. “The University responded quickly with guidance and assistance from Campus Safety and Notre Dame Stadium staff. The venue was expanded, and the event was extended to ensure all students had access and could engage in the festivities.”
Stecher, who stayed until
the ball ended at 11:30 p.m., expressed appreciation for the extended time.
The Student Activities Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Contact Sophie Hanawalt at shanawal@nd.edu
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
SMC unveils new STEM program
Observer Staff Report
Saint Mary’s College announced Wednesday the newest partnership with the University of Notre Dame for guaranteed admissions via email. This new program will guarantee admission to Saint Mary’s graduates with specific bachelor’s degrees into the master’s program for Engineering, Science & Technology Entrepreneurship (ESTEEM).
“SMC students with degrees in STEM, ART and/ or a minor in DPH are included in the program,” the statement from dean of Student Academic Services Karen Chambers read. Students must also fulfill the additional requirements supplemented in the Saint Mary’s to Notre Dame Accelerated Masters Programs criteria.
Any Saint Mary’s senior interested in the program must apply by the October 8 or December 3 deadlines in order to be considered
eligible. Other class years are instructed to fill out an interest form for the department of Student Academic Services to add “tracking details” to the student’s profile in the degree progress tracker, Degree Works.
ESTEEM is an 11-month master’s program within the Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship department at Notre Dame. According to the email, the program is “100% experiential” and “offers a series of student experiences that, together with the cutting-edge curriculum, provide a hands-on, world-class learning experience.”
ESTEEM reports a graduation class of 52 students for the class of 2025 and 100% of the participants received some level of scholarship, with the average scholarship amount falling at $36,000.
Chambers encourages any students with any questions about the program to contact the advising office at advising@saintmarys.edu.
2024 Dean’s Speaker Series Presents: BYRON SPRUELL
The Dean’s Speaker Series is sponsored by the Burns Family endowment.
LIAM KELLY | The Observer
The entrance to the inauguration ball was surrounded by a massive crowd stretching from the stadium gates to Hesburgh Library.
Sophia Anderson Transfer Tales
On dorm culture from the outside
Every night around 4 p.m., my remaining roommates and I at The 87 apartments sit around our island and excitedly open our daily housing update emails. As sophomore transfers to ND, we were placed on a waitlist to live on campus after spots ran out this summer.
Although we have been trying to form our own community off campus, the unofficial “87 dorm,” most of us are still desperately hoping to be let onto campus. Just last week, only barely into our freshly signed five-month lease, my roommate got offered a dorm spot. Within a few days of the offer, and despite the fact that she still has to pay rent for the apartment, she had moved in.
From an outside perspective, Notre Dame’s housing culture is kind of jarring. Coming from a university where my dorm was just a place to live (I had plans to spend my sophomore year in an eight-man apartment), I have to admit that at first I was unenthusiastic at the thought of two to three more years of community bathrooms and a lofted bed. After researching residential life here and seeing how passionate students are about it, however, the lure of a “sorority” type dorm life had me excitedly looking forward to receiving my housing assignment when I got my transfer acceptance letter in mid-June.
I, like about 60 other female transfer students, was disheartened when I discovered my waitlist position. As 54th, with about fifteen spots expected to open before the semester began, I never had much hope of getting onto campus. I was able to
accept quickly that I would spend at least my first semester here searching for a community outside of my living situation.
The sobering reality didn’t really set in until Welcome Weekend. In those three days, all while making the half-hour trek to and from campus in the 90-degree heat, I passed dorms hosting big “welcome home” events for their freshmen, met my tour guide to get lunch at the dining hall only to realize I didn’t have a meal plan to get in, and was one of the only students at every single event who wasn’t wearing a t-shirt announcing my new dorm.
Now that the regular semester has begun, trying to find the place on campus where I fit has been easy in some ways while challenging in others. It’s true what they say: people here are generally extremely friendly. Maybe it’s the Midwest in us (I used to go to college on the East coast), or maybe it’s just that everyone is genuinely happy and grateful to be here, but the person sitting next to me is always willing to chat before class starts or as they pack up their stuff.
Making small talk with every person you come across, however, is not a guaranteed way to make friends. I have faced several challenges trying to bond with non-transfer students, but the main one is simply the distance. There’s something strangely awkward about asking someone to walk five minutes to the library together knowing you will walk thirty minutes to meet at their dorm first. I thought I would love being only a few minutes away from the stadium, only for the gameday realization that I needed to go on campus to meet friends beforehand. Hanging out on campus at night is also a little less fun when you’re anticipating a long, dark and lonely walk home.
I know that there is more to the magic of Notre Dame than dorm culture. If living in close communities was all it took, every school with Greek life would be as beloved as Notre Dame is (which is clearly not the case!). Slowly getting acclimated to campus and forcing myself out of my comfort zone are ultimately going to be how I become a Notre Dame student.
I plan to continue doing everything in my power to connect with people despite not being a part of their dorms’ culture. I am truly sorry to all of my senior neighbors who have been stuck in our apartment’s elevator with me, anyone who sits next to me in one of my lectures and the poor freshmen I meet at every club interest meeting and intro class I’m taking: I will never stop forcing you into awkward conversations.
If there’s one thing I’ve heard constantly at all of the first-year programming our transfer group has been jammed into over the past month, it’s that the Notre Dame experience is different, but equally special, for everyone. Although unusual, I know my time off-campus will just be a blip in my unique ND experience, and I am sincerely looking forward to the three short years I have to spend here.
Besides, I am happy to say that as of Sept. 12, I am fifth on the housing waitlist. Watch out, fellow Notre Dame students; pretty soon, I might just become your new roommate.
Sophia Anderson is a sophomore at Notre Dame studying political science. She is a sophomore transfer and plans to go to law school. You can contact her at sander38@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The inaugural ball: A student’s perspective
The historic three-day celebration closed with the student inaugural ball Friday September 13th from 9 p.m.-11 p.m., a pretty little red bow placed on the gift that was “Dowd Fest.” The reason I am writing this article is for posterity — very often it happens that Notre Dame will host an event that people might forget a few months down the road, a few years down the road perhaps. This is my unsolicited contribution to the world: an inside scoop of the student inaugural ball, henceforth, “Dowd Ball.”
Conceptually, Dowd Ball is a reminder. A reminder to students that Notre Dame cares about them. It is also a reminder to Notre Dame to care about students. Practically, Dowd Ball was one of the few events of the weekend that students attended or were even invited to since there wasn’t a more than $1,000,000 donation paywall.
Though the ball begins at 9 p.m., the night begins at two different times for women and men. For women, it begins at 5 p.m. when “getting ready” commences. After approximately an hour, they will congregate with their friends by St. Mary’s Lake or the Dome for pictures. I am not exactly sure what takes place between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., but I estimate it takes about 25 minutes to drink two hard seltzers. For men, it begins at 9 p.m. when they decide that they will attend the ball. They will hastily toss on the suit they wore to high school prom or the khaki pants they wore to their Deloitte summer internship. Without checking the mirror to see if they are sufficiently groomed or bathed, they fly out the door with beverage in hand.
On this same topic, I truly commend the effort and precision it takes Notre Dame women to prepare for the Dowd Ball. Without compulsion, they
undertook a lengthy process of planning and executing their night — it was no small feat. However, I cannot commend the fashion decisions made by men that night. I think it goes without saying that tennis shoes never go with suits. Khaki pants paired with wrinkled blazers make you look like a frat pledge. Omit the tie because the occasion doesn’t call for one, not because you don’t know how to tie one. Also, perhaps trousers that are so tight and short such that they resemble skin-tight capri leggings, are ill-fitting.
Aside from the clothing, the most controversial aspect was the line to get into Dowd Ball. Imagine a line of people that was over four football fields, that is roughly 0.3 miles, spanning from the Knute Rockne statue all the way to the Clarke Memorial Fountain, that is, Stonehenge, in North Quad. Imagine numerous detachments of drunk college students jumping the queue and absorbing their bodies into the massive mob of hundreds in front of the gate. Imagine the fear in the hearts of the security guards and hospitality people as death by suffocation and trampling seemed likely.
There are a few logistical breakdowns that I would like to address in the form of questions. Do you really think that more than 4,000 drunk college students will efficiently flow through a single 15-foot-wide gate? Do you really think that a random voluntary Qualtrics survey to fill out before entering the ball is an efficient way of gauging attendance? Do you really think that a handful of police officers and zero metal detectors are sufficient security measures? Do you really think that one 15-foot-wide access point to facilitate the flow of thousands of people both to enter and exit the stadium is not or does not approach a hazard? Do you really think that around six food trucks could serve the mob of “hangry” and drunk students? With regard to the food truck fiasco, I propose the completely unfounded hypothesis that the same people
who organized the Library Lawn Dowd picnic also had some influence on the Dowd Ball.
Obviously, Notre Dame students and lines do not jive well.
In light of all my negativity, I have some positive things to say, for once. For one, the drone show was quite impressive. It is truly a human marvel that we have the ingenuity to create a drone show but lack the common sense and ability to figure out how to make lots and lots of people walk through a gate. Sorry, last time. Moreover, I appreciate the attitude of the University to attempt to put on something nice for us students — in theory, it was a fantastic event. The music and DJ were fine. There were a variety of songs, so I could balance covering my ears to Taylor Swift songs and jam out to songs that my parents grew up with.
To close, I propose a few solutions that could be considered for the next inauguration. Implement a fast pass for events, similar to that of Disney World or any amusement park. The level of how much you can jump the queue is proportional to how much your mother or father donates to the University. Find a way to make sure the students are safe inside the ball perhaps look into metal detectors and increased police presence. Finally, find a way to allow students to attend the Basilica Mass. I am hesitant about any barriers or paywalls, like tickets, for members of the Faith to participate in Catholic worship or life, and so did Martin Luther. I’m not very worried about all these adjustments. The University probably has more than 19 years to plan it all out.
Jonah Tran is a junior at Notre Dame studying finance and classics. He prides himself on sarcasm and never surrendering. You can file complaints to Jonah by email at jtran5@ nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Jonah Tran Amate et Odite Deo
A response to College Republicans
I was appalled at the College Republicans of Notre Dame’s column published Sept. 6. I felt that the letter presented a slightly toned-down version of the “great replacement theory” and was antithetical to the core of Christianity.
In particular, this sentence, quoted from their letter, I found to be ethnocentric, racist and xenophobic: “Rather, they are a deliberate attempt to undermine the fabric of American society through displacing the native population, importing a reliable voting base and distorting America’s traditional cultural practices.”
When I was at Notre Dame, many Republican politicians’ scapegoat was gay people. Paraphrasing, the line of attack went something like this: “If we accept them, if we tolerate them, if we let them marry, if we allow them to fully become part of society, they will poison the fabric of our great culture and ruin this country.”
In 2004, everyone had to rush to the ballot box to prevent gay people from marrying before it ruined society. A lot of those ballot initiatives passed. And I am one of those gay people the Republican politicians warned you about.
I did marry. My husband and I have a son. And the country is still here, and God still exists. I don’t think my family destroyed the fabric or culture of this country. I think we made it kinder, more empathetic, more Christian.
Now it is immigrants. Many Republican politicians want you to think that immigrants are a threat, a menace, a danger. Statistics show us, and Republican politicians well know, that native born citizens are much more likely to commit a violent crime in the US than immigrants are, documented or undocumented. Statistically, the most dangerous people among us are some of our native-born citizens, not immigrants.
Republican politicians also know that immigrants are vital to our economy and will become increasingly more important as the nation’s birth rate continues to slow. But why care when you need a scapegoat to sell your hate and get elected?
What the College Republicans also should know from the Bible stories is that Jesus was an immigrant. Jesus, Mary and Joseph fled Bethlehem and immigrated to Egypt to escape King Herod’s infanticidal campaign. Did Jesus and his family have the right documentation to move? If not, would the College Republicans condone his potentially irregular migration? Are they concerned about all the crimes that Jesus probably committed while being an immigrant in Egypt?
Beyond this — and the College Republicans of Notre Dame should know this — is the fact that
this University was founded by immigrants. This is all well laid out in Wikipedia for those who want more information, but briefly: Edwin Sorin, born in France, was offered land on the condition he build a college on it (and there was no nation-wide immigration documentation back then, so Father Sorin came to our great country completely unchecked through those dangerous “open borders” Republican politicians are worried about).
The land was bought by Stephen Badin, the first Catholic priest ordained in the United States, who was also an immigrant from France and who was (get this …wait for it …) WELCOMED by the native Potawatomi chief Leopold Pokagon to the area to minister to his tribe.
Think about it. This University exists today because the indigenous people of Northern Indiana welcomed another culture, a new religion and new people to THEIR land, were willing to let those immigrants buy that land, and allowed those immigrants to share their culture with the indigenous people.
Had the Potowatomi chief refused immigration to his land and built a wall around his lands to keep them out, as the Notre Dame Republicans are cheering on Trump to do, well then, the Notre Dame Republicans would not exist today.
Another potentially displeasing set of facts from history that the College Republicans might want to reckon with is that the University of Notre Dame was a very popular college for first generation Irish Catholics in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and back then, Irish Catholic immigrants we not necessarily warmly welcomed by the United States government or society. This was a predominantly protestant country, and again, the xenophobic refrain was that having all these Irish Catholics was going to “displace the native population and distort the traditional cultural practices of America.”
Also to note from history, the America First slogan that Donald Trump has adopted, was previously the slogan and name for an anti-war organization (the America First Committee) in the earlier 1940’s lead by prominent members who were antisemitic and Nazi-sympathizing, including Charles Lindbergh, who lobbied to prevent Jews from immigrating to the United States to escape the Holocaust.
Lindbergh’s rhetoric was abhorrent and disgusting, such these lines from his diary: “We must limit to a reasonable amount the Jewish influence ... Whenever the Jewish percentage of the total population becomes too high, a reaction seems to invariably occur. It is too bad because a few Jews of the right type are, I believe, an asset
to any country.”
I do not think that the America First Committee is the type of organization that the College Republicans would want to be associated with.
And finally, what is absolutely perplexing to me from a purely cynically electoral point of view is who the College Republicans are trying to exclude from our country.
Many — if not the vast majority of the immigrants at the southern border — are from predominantly CATHOLIC countries, and these immigrants tend to be more religious, more socially conservative and more wary of left-wing governments (due to the governments of the countries they are fleeing) than the average United States citizen.
It seems to reason that these immigrants, once obtaining citizenship, might be more interested in and/or persuaded to vote for Republican politicians, if Republican politicians would just stop treating them in such an un-Christian-like manner.
Preventing anyone from entering this country based on their religion is not only anti-American, but also anti-Christian. Donald Trump’s “Muslim ban” showed us all how disgustingly bigoted the man is and how he is willing to weaponize religion.
The College Republicans of Notre Dame made no objection to such hateful policies in their letter, and it surprises me that they seem to be okay with preventing Catholics from immigrating to the United States as well. I do not think the Catholic Church is going to condone the idea that some Catholics are better than others based on their nation of origin.
So no, as a Christian myself, I am not going to let go uncontested the College Republicans of Notre Dame’s claim that Trump will “fight for Christian values.” There is nothing Christian about hating your neighbor, blaming the immigrant or preventing people access to a country that could provide them more opportunities.
Immigrants of all religions, all ethnicities, all backgrounds and all other types of characteristics (race/skin color/gender/sexual orientation/ gender identity/nation), make our country better, and sharing culture makes us all better.
We are all God’s children, and all equal in God’s eyes. So, this “take care of yourself first” motto and the concept of excluding people based on where God chose for them to be born isn’t emanating from Christianity.
Matthew L. Chapman Class of 2002 Sept. 14
By CLAIRE WATSON Scene Writer
I have never really watched the Emmys. I have never had a connection to it, and the majority of the time, I do not know what is happening on it. But taking the time to watch this year’s Emmys really helped me. While I may not know the shows or the actors and actresses, the Emmys gives me a chance to try a new television show.
A lot of the awards went to actresses and actors from ”The Bear,” ”Baby Reindeer” and ”Shogun” at the Emmys. That being said, I have never seen or heard of those shows so I am curious as to how these shows and performers received nominations. The only two shows I recognized were ”The Daily Show” and ”True Detective: Night Country.”
I appreciated all of the comedic effort put into the Emmys. Hosts Dan and Eugene Levy started off with jokes about only being related as an iconic dad-son duo on television. They also teased some of the actors and actresses that were in the audience. Throughout the event, they kept me and the crowd laughing. Additionally, some of the people presenting the awards had effective jokes and small acts. Country star Reba McEntire and second presenter Melissa Peterman joked about having the entire script memorized, and Reba then “forgot” what to say next.
One aspect I did not enjoy was how the show identified its winners. After the winner walked up to accept, the broadcast displayed their name and what they won for only approximately five seconds. That made it especially hard for me, since I have to know how to spell the names and also occasionally missed a
winner’s first or last name. It was rather annoying having to go back and forth to catch all the information.
Overall, I really enjoyed this year’s Emmys. No one ran up on stage and smacked someone else. There was a lot of support for each winner, especially for the first time Emmy recipients. This was truly a night to remember.
Read the full list of winners online!
Comedy awards
Outstanding Comedy Series: “Hacks”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Smart (“Hacks”)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Liza Colón-Zayas (“The Bear”)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Ebon Moss-Bachrach (“The Bear”)
Drama awards
Outstanding Drama Series: “Shogun”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Anna Sawai (“Shogun”)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Hiroyuki Sanada (”Shogun”)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Elizabeth Debicki (“The Crown”)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in Drama Series: Billy Crudup (”The Morning Show”)
Limited, anthology series or television movie awards
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series: “Baby Reindeer”
Outstanding Lead Actress in Limited or Anthology Series or
Movie: Jodie Foster (”True Detective: Night Country”)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Richard Gadd (“Baby Reindeer”)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Jessica Gunning (“Baby Reindeer”)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Lamorne Morris (”Fargo”)
Outstanding Made for Television Movie: ”Quiz Lady”
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special: ”Jim Henson Idea Man”
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series: ”Beckham”
Writing and directing awards
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: Frederick E. O. Toye (”Shogun”)
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: Christopher Storer (”The Bear”)
Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Steven Zaillian (”Ripley”)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: Jen Statsky, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello (”Hacks”)
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: Will Smith (”Slow Horses”)
Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie: Richard Gadd (”Baby Reindeer”)
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special: Alex Edelman (”Just for Us”)
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
By PETER MIKULSKI Scene Editor
1999 contributed many names to the film canon — e.g. “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Fight Club,” “The Virgin Suicides,” “Girl Interrupted,” “But I’m a Cheerleader,” “The Blair Witch Project,” “The Sixth Sense,” “The Mummy,” “The Matrix,” “She’s All That,” “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.” The remarkable thing isn’t how long that list is, but the fact that I could keep going, if only I had the room. With such a docket, it’s no shocker that the moviegoers of 1999 let a masterpiece slip through the cracks. I think that “Jawbreaker,” which turned 25 this year and can now rent a car, deserves a spot in the canon alongside those other monuments of film.
Like “Heathers” ten years prior and “Mean Girls” five years later, “Jawbreaker” is based on a five character dynamic. It’s the old three-popular-girls-and-one-different-girl-plus-one-malelover gag.
If I had to venture a guess at why popular girls come in threes so often in high school movies, I’d take a pseudo-Jungian route: the archetype which birthed Hecate — a triple-bodied goddess of mystical female power — in the Greek imagination is the same as the one to blame for this phenomenon in our movies. Our
collective unconscious, via the subconsciouses of our screenwriters, is using the plastics to wrestle with an ancient aspect of the divine feminine. (Really, it’s just that every director who wants to make a teen movie essentially wants to make “Heathers.”)
Rose McGowan leads the trifecta in “Jawbreaker.” Her mannered, deliberate way of speaking, which usually gets on my nerves, works well for her cold, calculating character. Julie Benz and Rebecca Gayheart, neither of whom wound up being terribly successful later in life, play the talkative one and the pretty one. That’s usually how these three-pronged “longhouse” imagos end up shaking out. It’s always the leader, the talkative one and the pretty (i.e. dumb) one.
Judy Greer — who’s been popping up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe recently but whose best work has been in sitcoms, I feel — plays the outsider, who is literally named Fern. She isn’t written as your stereotypical fourth girl, however. In fact, she discovers that McGowan, Benz and Gay murdered the last fourth girl and uses that info to blackmail her way into the group. She also manages to squeeze a makeover montage out of them, rebranding as “Violette.” Chaos ensues.
The male lover, who is literally named “Chad Christ,” is fine but not breathtaking. If I remember correctly, he’s a Troy Bolton type — a hunk with a heart, a sports player who also acts or something. All the juice is in the female cast, although it’s worth noting
that the supporting cast (which includes Carol Kane, Pam Grier and Marilyn Manson) is also superb.
The production is incredible too, even though we’re not talking about a “Clueless” budget here. Still, director Darren Stein, who didn’t wind up being terribly successful either, manages to cram a lot of the wealth porn you expect from this sort of movie into the picture on a shoestring budget.
“Jawbreaker” is iconic in the literal sense. Its images have achieved the status of well-recognized visual shorthand, whether or not audiences realize where it comes from. Take the cliched shot of the clique walking down the hallway in ultra slo-mo to an awesome song — that starts with “Jawbreaker.”
The film is also iconic in the slang sense. The opening sequence that’s so gonzo I really can’t imagine anything like it making it to screen these days. The 90s rock soundtrack that’s worth listening to even if you never watch the movie. The scene where Pam Grier slams a jawbreaker against the metal table in the interrogation room to terrify her teenaged suspect. The fact that the high school is literally named “Reagan High” … Again, I could go on and on.
All in all, take any chance you get to watch “Jawbreaker.” Hopefully its belated 25th birthday is a good enough excuse.
Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu
FOOTBALL
History of the matchup: Notre Dame-Miami
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
This weekend, Notre Dame football will meet the University of Miami (Ohio) for the third time in program history. Though the Irish have developed a tendency to play down to opponents in the Mid-American Conference, the RedHawks have never given them trouble. Here’s a look back at Notre Dame’s two victories against the 136-year-old program.
Nov. 13, 1909: Miami 0, Notre Dame 46
The Notre Dame-Miami series began long before Notre Dame Stadium opened its doors in 1930. More than two decades earlier, the Irish and RedHawks played at Cartier Field, now the site of Notre Dame’s practice facilities. Head coach Frank Longman led the Irish to the largest win in series history during Notre Dame’s first season with the Victory March in use. The win followed Notre Dame’s first-ever defeat of Michigan and marked one of six Irish shutouts during their 7-0-1 1909 season.
In 1945, Notre Dame’s “B” team defeated Miami by a 13-0 score in Oxford, but the game does not officially count in the series record
books.
Sept. 30, 2017: Miami 17, Notre Dame 52
Notre Dame opposed both “Miami” schools in 2017, and the Ohio matchup went much, much better than the Florida game. In year one of Notre Dame Stadium’s completed Campus Crossroads renovations, the Irish equaled their previous season’s win total on the final day of September, improving to 4-1 with a home loss to national runner-up Georgia.
On just the second play from scrimmage, Notre Dame scored on a staple of the 2017 campaign staples – long touchdown runs from Josh Adams. The running back, who would finish the afternoon with 159 yards and two scores on only eight carries, took his first handoff of the day and ran it 73 yards to the house.
Miami’s ensuing first drive would briefly cross midfield by way of an Irish penalty. However, a fingertip interception of RedHawk quarterback Gus Ragland by linebacker Greer Martini set Notre Dame right back up in Miami territory. The Irish offense stalled for a moment, but a fourthand-11 completion from Brandon Wimbush to wide receiver Chase Claypool kept the drive moving. A few plays later, Wimbush ran the
ball down to the 1-yard line before pulling a read option and scoring with his legs.
The game’s high-flying start continued into the next Miami drive, as the RedHawks again moved into Irish territory. This time, they held onto the ball and punched it in as Ragland heaved a perfect deep ball to James Gardner for a 34-yard touchdown. Sure enough, Notre Dame would respond rapidly with another home run from number 33. Zig-zagging through the Miami defense with broken tackles left and right, Adams broke out for his second touchdown run, this one from 59 yards out. With Justin Yoon’s extra point, Notre Dame led 21-7 less than nine minutes into the game. Late in the quarter, consecutive punts would bring the ball back to the RedHawks, who set up another Irish score via a turnover. With Ragland stepping up in the pocket, Jerry Tillery sacked him and punched the ball free, leaving it available for a Jay Hayes recovery. Two plays later, Notre Dame found the end zone again on a 7-yard loft from Wimbush to Claypool. As the second quarter opened, the Irish
held a gaudy advantage of 28-7.
A RedHawk three-and-out kept the momentum on Notre Dame’s sideline to start the next Irish possession. Wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown completely took over the drive, making three catches for 42 yards and generating a pass-interference penalty to boot. His final grab, a 14-yarder, took him to the end zone on a crossing route. Miami would finally answer on the next drive, as Ragland and Gardner continued to foster their connection with a 14-yard touchdown on a jump ball.
Heading into halftime, Notre Dame put 10 more points on the board to go up 45-14. First, Yoon drilled a 43-yard field goal to pay off a 32-yard run from Tony Jones Jr. on fourth down. Moments later, the Irish took over at their own 19 with two minutes and 19 seconds remaining. A third-down run by Wimbush and a pass-interference call against Miami moved Notre Dame just short of midfield, where Wimbush dialed up a deep ball to wide receiver Miles Boykin for 54 yards and a touchdown. Wimbush would remain in the
game for two more drives to start the second half until Ian Book, the winningest quarterback in Notre Dame history, took over as the backup. With the Irish up 4517 in the fourth quarter, Book engineered an 87-yard touchdown drive, hitting wide receiver Chris Finke for 48 yards and scampering for a 26-yard gain to offset a holding penalty. Another 26-yard pickup from Deon McIntosh put the ball in the end zone and put Notre Dame north of 50 points. The game would go final at 5217, with only 10 total points scored in the second half. Under current head coach Chuck Martin, a former Notre Dame offensive coordinator, the RedHawks would go 5-7. Meanwhile, the Irish would ride their violent ground game all the way to the No. 3 national ranking before November losses at Miami (FL) and Stanford wrecked the season. In the end, Notre Dame finished 10-3 with a Citrus Bowl defeat of LSU and would make the College Football Playoff in two of the following three seasons.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
RICHARD TAYLOR | THE OBSERVER
Junior running back Jadarian Price finishes off a 70-yard touchdown run during Notre Dame’s 66-7 defeat of Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana on Sept. 14. Notre Dame’s rushing attack stole the show during the last Irish meeting with Miami (Ohio), producing a pair of touchdowns of 50 yards or longer during the first quarter alone.
Happy
A
of
your
and
or your routine will help you rejuvenate and lift your spirits. Consider what and who is important to you, and plan your life around what and who brings you joy. Your numbers are 7, 13, 24, 29, 32, 37, 48.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Determine what’s best and reserve judgment before acting. It’s best to focus on self-improvement instead of trying to change others. Criticism will distance you from someone you love. Reach out with kindness and consideration if you want to bring about positive change.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Choose to tie up loose ends. The less you leave undone, the better you will feel. A change of pace will give you a reason to consider taking on a new challenge or looking for ways to raise your income. Travel and communication are favored.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Relax, digest information, and determine what’s best for you. Don’t follow the crowd. Look at the big picture and consider how you feel and what you want to achieve before you commit to something that benefits someone else more than it does you.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Put your energy where it counts. Upholding your reputation by taking responsibility and living up to your commitments will help you lay the foundation for better prospects. Don’t risk your physical well-being; take the necessary precautions before you engage in events or activities. Home improvements are favored.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You’ll respond better to physical actions than empty promises. Take responsibility, verify information, and only change what’s necessary. Focus more on self-improvement and personal growth and less on what others choose to do. It’s up to you to create prospects and opportunities that serve you well.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Speak up and share your thoughts and feelings, but don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Sticking to the truth and being realistic if you want to make headway is essential. Honesty and integrity matter and will determine how others react to your requests.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Explore what’s available. It’s necessary to take the path that resonates with your soul and brings you closer to a place that offers comfort and peace of mind. Refuse to let others choose for you or manipulate your train of thought. Be true to yourself.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Pay attention to detail and to what others say and do. You’ll gain insight through observation that helps you make a decision that can improve your lifestyle and contribute to your creativity and overall attitude. Trust in yourself and your skills, and choose what you desire most.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Listen carefully. Someone will adjust the truth to suit their needs. A proactive approach to deciphering your position will help you break down what’s necessary. An optimistic attitude will make you appear vulnerable if you don’t set boundaries. Only agree to what’s feasible. Choose your words wisely.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ll get a clear picture regarding an investment or money management issue. Set a budget and plan, and you’ll look like a genius. Take the initiative and make the changes that suit you. Actions speak louder than words; do your part and take control.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Pay attention to how you feel and present yourself. A confident attitude will overcome any doubt someone may have in your ability to get things done. Don’t feel you have to make a move or change because someone else does. Your strength of character is your secret weapon.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t take on more than you can handle. Focus on what’s necessary and do your best. Discipline and hard work will pay off and help you avoid temptation and those trying to take advantage of you. Structure your day to achieve your goal.
Birthday Baby: You are articulate, persistent, and extraordinary. You are sensitive and unique.
What to know from Marcus Freeman’s presser
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
On Monday afternoon, Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman opened up about Miami (Ohio) week with his weekly press conference. Here’s a summary of what he covered as the 2-1 Irish prepare for their second home game of the season.
On Notre Dame’s 66-7 defeat of Purdue
“Overall, [I’m] just very pleased with the performance and the preparation by the football program. A lot of guys were able to play and performed at a high level which speaks to the depth of our football team. I was very pleased with both sides of the ball and how we were able to keep up the level of play in the second half after gaining that halftime lead. We won the turnover margin, rushing battle, third-down battle, explosive-play battle and time of possession. And as I said, last week, if you win those key areas, you’re gonna win a football game … And so, as always, when you watch film on Sundays, there’s areas for improvement, and we have to continue to attack those areas and then enhance in the areas that we performed well.”
On Miami’s program
“As we turn our focus to Miami (Ohio), who we know is a good football team — I think in both of their losses this year, they were one-score games going into the half. [I have] a lot of respect for [head coach] Chuck Martin and the job he’s done in 11 years there, and obviously he’s familiar with this place. They were the 2023 MAC champs, and so we have to understand the challenge we have ahead of us and get to work and prepare for this upcoming opponent.”
On injuries suffered at Purdue
“[Graduate defensive lineman] Jordan Botelho will be out for the season with a knee injury, [Junior center] Ashton Craig will be out for the season with a knee injury,
[junior right guard] Billy Schrauth will be out for a few weeks with an ankle injury and [sophomore wide receiver] Jordan Faison should be full-go. [Junior defensive lineman] Josh Burnham is still questionable depending on how he progresses this week.”
On senior Pat Coogan, who played left guard last year, backing up Craig at center
“He’s been doing really well and played well in his 20-something plays on Saturday. I hope [center] is his best position. It could be, we believe he could be a center or guard. Obviously you have to snap at center and make some IDs, but I hope this is the best position for him and he plays his best ball moving forward.”
On the look of Notre Dame’s offense at Purdue
“That was the offense that we felt gave us the best chance to succeed versus Purdue, and that fit [senior quarterback Riley Leonard’s] skill set and what we thought he did best. This week, we have to continue to do that in terms of what we feel will give the best chance for our offense to succeed, including Riley, versus this defense. It’s a different defense than what we saw last week, and every week as you go into preparation, you have to take into consideration what your guys can do but also what’s gonna help you have success versus the defense you’re going against.”
On Leonard’s development as a passer
“If we need to throw it to have success, I’m sure we’ll gameplan in a way that we’ll have to throw it. But it’s about what’s gonna have success against the defense you’re going against, and Riley did a great job running and making the throws. I think he was 11 of 16 in the first half and did a really good job of executing what we asked him to do. And so we’re not looking for stats. We’re not looking for how much we throw it [or] how much we run it. We’re looking for success against the opponent.”
On lesser-known players stepping forward against Purdue
“[Freshman defensive lineman] Bryce Young played really well. He’s a guy that’s different, man. He’s gonna continue to get more playing time, he’s a really good player and he’s young but he’s got a lot of talent. [Junior defensive lineman] Junior Tuihalamaka — you’ll see more of him. You’ll see [freshman defensive lineman] Loghan Thomas who did a good job in his reps that he got on Saturday.
That’s why I said that in the opening statement it was really good to see some twos and threes get valuable, meaningful reps versus an opponent — and a Big Ten opponent — and they played well, which to me speaks to their preparation. You never know going into a game if you’re going to be called upon or not, but you’ve gotta be ready. And there [were] guys on the scout team on both sides of the ball that played on Saturday that executed their job.”
On freshman safety Kennedy Urlacher standing out against Purdue
“He’s a ballhawk. He finds a way to find the ball [in] closed space. He’s a really good tackler … I’m gonna continue to challenge Kennedy to make sure you’re a great practice player too, right? And those are things that are hard as a freshman to learn how to practice at that standard and then perform at the standard that he’s performing at. But, man, he is a really good player and made some critical plays for us on Saturday, and we’ll continue to find ways to get him on the field.”
On what Notre Dame can take from the Purdue game
“It’s just the preparation, the mindset … to have the mentality we have to have mentally and physically to prepare the right way for an opponent. And so we have to be able to move past the previous game and really start the preparation the right way, starting today, as we meet with them this afternoon.
As I said last week, we can be a really good football team. We’ve got work to do. Let’s evaluate the film the right way. Let’s come up with a plan to attack and fix the issues that we have and continue to prepare and respect your opponent and know at any point you can beat any team you play and you can lose any team you play. That’s the beauty of college football. And so we’ve got to prepare and understand that as we prepare.”
On bench players performing well
“Credit to the depth. The job that Coach [Joe] Rudolph has done with that offensive line — to have Pat Coogan go in there and [graduate student] Rocco Spindler. I said this after the game, but two guys that didn’t get what they wanted after fall camp. They wanted to be the starters, they weren’t and they prepared and they were great teammates and leaders for that room, and now they’re in there, and we have a lot of confidence in those guys, but also some of the other guys. I thought Sullivan Absher played well. Guerby Lambert played well. Chris Terek played well.
You hate to lose Ashton for the year and Billy for a couple of weeks. But man, I have a lot of confidence in the depth of our offensive line.”
On coaching several sons of former NFL players
“Every once in a while I might hear from [the NFL dads], but it’s actually — you probably have a different relationship with the fathers that have played in the NFL [and] that have played the game because they get it, right? And they probably see it from a lens of team glory. That’s important to us, right? And not individual glory. It’s not, ‘What is my son doing? How can he be better? Why isn’t he playing more?’
They text you after the good ones and they text you after the bad ones. Your phone’s kind of quiet a lot of times after the bad ones, but some of those guys in the NFL, they get it. They understand … It speaks to the way we’ve recruited. [It] speaks to this university and the
value some of those NFL players see in Notre Dame in terms of the football program but also the education. And so it’s a great testament to this place.”
On working with graduate punter James Rendell
“James is a guy that has so much talent. He can do so many things with the football, and we really have to evaluate what we’re asking him to do. It gets [to] the same thing we talk about [on] offense and defense, like, as coaches, we know the talent he has — we haven’t put it all together in the game, so let’s evaluate what we’re asking him to do … What we’ve gotta do is call the things that he can do in the game, and that’s on us as coaches. We’ve got to put him in a better position and ask him to do the things that he does well, get experience and then we can have him do all these different types of punts.
And so we’ve gotta get him better in practice. We’ve gotta maybe be strategic in how we ask him to punt in practice. Usually in practice, you go punt period, right? And that’s about all you get, but we’re gonna probably scatter some punts throughout practice to say, ‘Okay, treat this like a game,’ right? You might be sitting on the sidelines for 20 minutes. Come back in now you’ve gotta execute … That’s the problem is that he can do directional, he can bang one straight down, but we can’t ask him to do all that until he can do it in the game … In practice, they can do a lot, but in the game, it’s different.
And so let’s tone it down and say, ‘Okay, let’s call the things that this guy can do well in the game — not just in practice.’ But we believe that, ‘Hey, we’ve got evidence he can do this well in the game,’ and then as he gets more confidence in doing that, now we can add all these extra types of punts. But that’s the challenge of a coach is that you can’t fall in love with just what they do well in practice. You’ve got to really fall in love with the things that you know they can do in the game.”
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Saints strike early, close out another shutout
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
As non-conference play dwindles to a close, the Holy Cross men’s soccer team has picked up some steam. The Saints won their second consecutive match by way of a shutout on Saturday, defeating Oakland City 2-0 for their first home win of the season. Holy Cross now owns a 3-31 overall record and a 2-0-1 mark in September with conference play awaiting within the next week.
Whereas the Saints used two goalkeepers to record their Sept. 7 clean sheet against Lourdes, they utilized just one on Saturday. German junior Sebastian Grimm played all 90 minutes, stopping each of the two shots he faced. Grimm had opened the season as the Holy Cross starter, but the team tested out different options after he allowed seven goals in his first three games. Look for Saturday’s match to rebuild some of Grimm’s confidence and get him back
on track.
After waiting until the 89th minute to score first in the Lourdes, Holy Cross started fast to gain an advantage on Oakland City. Senior forward Juan Perez deposited his fifth goal of the season just 104 seconds into the contest, cashing in an assist from sophomore right back Anthony Panayiotou. A pillar of consistency for the Holy Cross attack, Perez has now scored at least five goals in all four seasons he’s played with the Saints. However, he
has never reached the fivegoal benchmark in just six games as he has this year.
Holy Cross would finish the first half ahead 1-0 and leading by a 4-2 margin in the shot column. The Saints would attempt four additional shots in the second half, one of them finding the back of the net in the 72nd minute. Freshman winger Kai Lulic registered his first career assist and point, setting the table for freshman center back Cesar Vela’s first collegiate goal. The first-year
connection moved Holy Cross into a two-goal lead that would stand up through the final whistle. With just one goal allowed in their last three matches, the Saints will head to Saint Francis (Indiana) for their final non-conference tune-up at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. After that Holy Cross will host Governors State at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday to begin CCAC play.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
HCC MEN’S SOCCER
Belles win first Jamboree, set program record
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
The young season for Saint Mary’s golf ramped up in a big way this past weekend, as the Belles played on three out of four days. After starting the season in 10th place at the Lynn Schweizer Invitational, the team recorded two top-five finishes. At Thursday’s first MIAA Jamboree, the Belles took first with a single-round score of 303. Then, between Saturday and Sunday, they finished fourth among 19
teams with a two-round total of 608 at the Illinois Wesleyan Fall Classic.
For postseason-aspiring teams like the Belles, success at MIAA Jamboree events are paramount. Each of the four jamborees throughout the fall season factors into conference postseason seeding in the spring. Saint Mary’s took full advantage of its opportunity in such an event, outscoring second-place Calvin by eight strokes to win as a team.
Freshman Melanie Maier scored her first collegiate
win at the MIAA Jamboree, going 2 under par across her final seven holes. Overall, Maier finished with a 3-over par 75, tying atop the leaderboard with Trine’s Grace Dubec. Junior Julia Lizak followed her with a fourth-place 77 that included a team-best score of 37 on the front nine. Sophomore Colleen Hand (80), who carded two birdies during her round, and senior Katelyn Tokarz (81) also slotted into the top 10. Junior Breana Harrington and senior Georgie Kersman competed for the Belles, too.
Teeing off again just two days later at the Illinois Wesleyan Fall Classic, the Belles set a program record with their 36-hole score of 608. The previous record of 609, set at the UW Whitewater Fall Invite, had held up for five years.
Lizak paced the Belles this time, shooting a 1-over-par 73 in both of her rounds to finish in a tie for fifth. Her six birdies ranked fourth among all golfers. Maier found success once again, shooting a 7-over-par 151 to take 17th place. Harrington also found
the top 30 with a 23rd-place score of 155. Rounding out the active Belles, Tokarz and Kersman competed once again, while sophomore Colleen Hand got involved with a second-round 74 that put her in 32nd place. Up next, the Belles will look to defend their title at the second MIAA Jamboree on Sept. 24. Saint Mary’s will host the event at Elbel Park Golf Course on the western edge of South Bend.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Irish head to Virginia for first major road test
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
After a 6-1-1 start to the season, one of the highestranked teams in the ACC awaits Notre Dame women’s soccer this weekend. Virginia (8-1-0, 1-1-0 ACC) will host the Irish in a battle of ranked foes on Saturday evening in Charlottesville. As of right now, the match stands as Notre Dame’s toughest remaining road game while doubling as Virginia’s most challenging home date left on
the table.
Notre Dame well-rested after wild ACC opener
The Irish have plenty of time between games during the early part of their ACC schedule. They’ll enter the Virginia match with eight full days of rest since beginning conference play with a chaotic match at Boston College last Thursday.
In Chestnut Hill, Notre Dame’s six-match shutout streak came crashing down during the first half, as Boston
WRITE SPORTS
College scored twice in 61 seconds. Down 2-0, the Irish subbed in freshman forward Ellie Hodsden, who had returned from injury to make her collegiate debut just four days earlier against Marquette. Sure enough, Hodsden provided yet another freshman spark, scoring in both the 37th and 88th minute to complete a Notre Dame comeback. Between those goals, assistant coach Martin Rennie picked up a red card in the 86th minute when a potential penaltykick call did not go in Notre Dame’s favor. In the end, the Irish walked away with a share of the points despite outshooting Boston College by a 27-8 margin.
With Hodsen’s two goals last Thursday, Notre Dame now has 25 goals scored this season. An astounding 20 of them belong to freshmen. Furthermore, each of the
four Irish players with three goals or more this year are first-years.
Virginia in search of a bounce-back game
The Cavaliers marched out to a fabulous start to the season, winning each of their first eight matches. Along the way, they visited Penn State, a team ranked third in the nation at the time, and scored a 2-1 win. They shut out every other non-conference opponent on their schedule. After defeating Miami in its ACC opener last Thursday, Virginia had allowed only two goals in eight games, mirroring Notre Dame’s defensive start.
However, Virginia’s defense, like Notre Dame’s, gave up some ground last sime out. The Cavaliers endured a rough Sunday at home against Wake Forest, losing 3-0 on a trio of first-half goals.
Victoria Safradin, who had been rolling in her first full season as Virginia’s starting goalkeeper, truly struggled for the first time, making only one save against the three goals allowed. Maggie Cagle and Allie Ross, the top two Cavalier scorers and shooters, never got going, either. The duo combined to take just one shot against Wake Forest. Looking ahead, Virginia will need more output from Lia Godfrey, who joined Cagle on the Preseason All-ACC Team. During the first three years of her Cavalier career, Godfrey started 65 games and posted 56 points. In each of those seasons, she landed on a United Soccer Coaches AllAmerica team. However, she spent all of last season on the shelf with an injury and has not found her previous self since returning in the 2024 season opener. Virginia eased her back into the mix, playing her off the bench in the first five games before starting her in each of the last four. Still, she has not registered a point while going without a shot in each of Virginia’s first two ACC contests.
Historically, Notre Dame has struggled with Virginia, going 2-7-1 against the Cavaliers. The Irish have never won in regulation in Charlottesville, owning only an overtime victory from 2015. Notre Dame did, however, knock off Virginia in the two schools’ last meeting, winning 1-0 in South Bend on a late goal in September 2022. Last season, the Cavaliers finished seventh in the ACC — five spots behind Notre Dame.
First touch between Notre Dame and Virginia is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Klöckner Stadium in Charlottesville.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Stock up, stock down: Miami (Ohio) week
By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor
On Saturday, Notre Dame came up with a much-needed response in West Lafayette against their in-state rivals Purdue, cruising to a 66-7 victory over the Boilermakers. After taking a 42-0 lead into halftime, the Irish only needed their second and third units to run out the clock. The game was already over. Head coach Marcus Freeman’s team once again proved they can come back from a loss, but whether or not they can handle success remains a question. Returning to South Bend in Week Four to face Miami (Ohio), they will have another opportunity to get their first home win against a MAC school. If they want to give a home crowd left devastated in the opener something to cheer about, they best not waste it. Every game is a mustwin if playoff hopes are to be kept alive. Here are some of the team’s active strengths and weaknesses in this week’s edition of Stock Up, Stock Down.
Stock up: Jeremiyah Love and the rushing attack
After being the only bright spot in the loss against NIU, sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love’s stock continues to skyrocket. When Notre Dame beat writer for The Athletic Pete Sampson asked an NFL scout next to him in the press box who he was there to see, he responded with: “No. 4. Best player on the field, both teams.” Love is growing into a star week by week, and the college football world is starting to take notice. On just 10 attempts, he managed 109 yards and a touchdown, his best statistical performance of the season. But looking beyond the stat sheet, he showcased his vision and elusiveness between the tackles, as well as his blistering top-end speed during a 48-yard dash to the end zone. However, Love was not alone when it came to success on the ground. Senior quarterback Riley Leonard’s output was not far behind, totaling 100 yards on 11 attempts and a whopping three touchdowns. Junior Jadarian Price added 86 yards and a touchdown of his own, rounding out one of the more promising backfield partnerships in the nation. As a team, the Irish rushed for 362 yards in the game, with 278 of them coming in the first half alone, a truly dominant display. As the young offensive line continues to grow in confidence, look for
Notre Dame to continue leaning further into the rushing attack this weekend.
Stock up: the defensive line
One would not expect the offensive line of a MAC school to push around a Notre Dame defensive line full of experienced talent, but that is exactly what happened against NIU. They needed a better performance against a new and improved Purdue offensive line that allowed only two sacks in Week One, albeit against FCS competition Indiana State. Thankfully for the Irish defense, they came to play on Saturday, combining for four sacks and putting quarterback Hudson Card under pressure all afternoon. For a group that had only one sack thus far, it was a game of firsts for multiple Irish linemen. Graduate student Jordan Botelho, senior Jason Onye and sophomore Boubacar Traore all logged their first sack. Graduate student Rylie Mills’s pressure led to a pick-six that was hauled in by Traore, and Onye broke up a pass leading to another interception for freshman Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. The line wreaked havoc for the Boilermaker offense and will need to maintain their high level in the weeks ahead for this Notre Dame defense to be truly elite.
Stock up: the quarterback room
Controversy surrounding an injury to Riley Leonard’s non-throwing shoulder begged questions about his status for the game and whether or not his dual-threat ability would be limited. Leonard responded by rushing for 100 yards and three touchdowns. Despite having yet to throw a passing touchdown this season, Leonard decimated the Boilermaker defense with his legs and showed why the offense was built around him as the starter. With the game already out of reach, junior quarterback Steve Angeli took the reins coming out of halftime. In his five drives at the helm, he went 6 for 9 with two touchdown passes including Notre Dame’s first of the season. Sophomore quarterback Kenny Minchey got in on the action as well, throwing a touchdown pass in his first and only drive. Freshman quarterback CJ Carr, arguably the best prospect in the room, was the only one left out, kneeling and running out the clock on his only drive. However, the Irish not only got a Riley Leonard
resurgence but also a glimpse into an exciting future at the quarterback position.
Stock up: mental toughness
Exasperated Notre Dame fans have every right to ask, “Where was this last week?”
But with how embarrassing the NIU loss was for the Irish, it takes guts to respond in the way this team did, in a resounding fashion. While Freeman has a well-documented history of terrible losses, he seems to have just as many displays of resilience in the face of adversity. While the pressure to win is not going anywhere, and Notre Dame has a lot to prove before they are off the hook for their slip-up, taking over from start to finish against Purdue was a step in the right direction.
Stock down: health Notre Dame’s triumphant victory was massively tainted
by several important casualties on both sides of the ball. A right knee injury in the second quarter interrupted an outstanding performance from Jordan Botelho. On Monday, Freeman announced that he would be out for the season. The graduate student vyper was off to a great start in 2024, recording 12 tackles, a sack and three QB hurries. His injury, however, will mean more playing time for Traore who broke out on Saturday with a sack and pick-six. The sophomore has flashed throughout the young season leading the Irish in tackles for loss (3). On the other side of the ball, junior starting center Ashton Craig suffered a left knee injury that will also sideline him for the season. Junior starting right guard Billy Schrauth also went down with a right ankle injury that will keep him out for multiple weeks. The two had each started the previous
six games dating back to last season. Senior Pat Coogan replaced Craig, making his firstever start at the center position, and graduate student Rocco Spindler took over at right guard. While the Irish have the luxury of experienced depth at the position, losing two key pieces of the budding offensive line will be a significant blow, one they will have to overcome to create offense against better competition than Purdue. In three games, the Irish have swung from a monumental high, to a catastrophic low, right back to another high. To fulfill their playoff aspirations, however, they will need to become a steady winning machine for the rest of the season. That journey continues with an opportunity to get revenge against the MAC at home in Week Four.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
RICHARD TAYLOR | THE OBSERVER
Senior quarterback Riley Leonard seeks a running lane in Notre Dame’s 66-7 defeat of Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana on Sept. 14. Irish quarterbacks accounted for six scores in the game.
