Clubs recruit students at Activities Night
Students explore opportunities, from Model UN to Baraka Bouts, in Notre Dame Stadium concourse
Morrissey Manor hosts game watch for students
By ANNELISE DEMERS
Associate News Editor
Students gathered on South Quad Saturday evening to watch the Fighting Irish football team beat Texas A&M, bringing out picnic blankets and dorm furniture to get a comfortable view of the big screen.
The event was hosted by Morrissey Manor and drew a crowd of around 2,000 to 3,000 students. Students were treated to free hot dogs, bratwursts and cookies.
Hall president Patrick Murphy and Paul Mattiola, both juniors at Morrissey Manor, explained that the game watch is the dorm’s signature event. “We budget for about 2,000 to 3,000 people,” Murphy said. “We bought about 3,000 hot dogs and brats and 1,500 cookies for this specific event. It cost close to $3,000.”
Another Morrissey Manor senior, Sean Mullery, shared his experience as part of the grill team.
“The grill team is great. We have cookouts most Fridays during the fall, so we’re always out there making burgers and dogs,” Mullery said. “It’s just a great time for all of us to come together in community. I love the Morrissey game watch, it’s like one of the biggest parts of our culture.”
The grill team plays a vital role in making the game watch a success, and Mullery expressed his excitement about their contribution.
“We’ve been out here grilling since 5 p.m. We’ve cooked 1,200 hot dogs and 800 brats. We’ve been killing it. It’s going to be a great event,” Mullery said.
The tradition of the game watch began around six years ago, started by a
rector of Morrissey Manor who wanted to create a larger event for the Notre Dame community.
“It used to be just Morrissey guys hanging out, watching the first away game,” Mattiola said. “Our old rector said we should just do this big [event], and now it’s turned into an annual thing.”
In addition to the projector showing the game, the event featured a field goal contest where students could participate for a chance to win prizes.
“If someone makes a field kick, they get a raffle ticket,” Murphy said. “The raffle ticket goes into a pool, and that person could win a $50 gift card for Yaz’s. We’re trying to evolve this event into something bigger than ourselves.”
The game watch also
By GABRIELLE KILE News Writer
As classes and schedules are finalized, it is time for students to branch out beyond their credit hours and into clubs and student organizations, which tabled in the concourse of Notre Dame Stadium last night for the annual Activities Night.
From section seven to 34 of the stadium’s concourse, academic, social service, performing arts, cultural, community-based and athletic clubs advertised their organizations, hoping to appeal to potential members. Tables of information, and sometimes candy or merchandise, lined the concourse path as students filled the space, signing up for email lists and learning more about organizations of interest to them.
After browsing the fair, freshman Emily Rowe realized that she would need to make two trips through all the tables.
“Everyone was super welcoming,” Rowe said. “[The table leaders were] very excited when talking about their clubs.”
Rowe signed up for the Model United Nations Club of Notre Dame before heading through the clubs for a second look in search of more opportunities. According to Rowe, it was difficult to decide where to stop.
Beyond more academically focused clubs such as Model UN, the activity fair hosted a wide array of organizations. Cultural clubs like Japan Club, French Club and New Jersey Club offer students access to various cultural and geographic communities on
Student-run cafe reopens for fall
By MADYSON CASIANO News Writer
Just in time for the approach of the fall season, Off the Ave, a cafe at St. Mary’s College, reopened yesterday morning.
Board members, baristas and young professionals eager to open their passion project filled the space during the grand reopening.
The cafe, located on the second floor of Spes Unica Hall, contains a commonplace area, barista bar and connected outdoor deck overlooking campus.
Off the Ave adds new items to their menu each season, and top fan favorites from previous seasonal menus can be
MADYSON CASIANO | The Observer
An Off the Ave employee hands a Saint Mary’s College student an iced matcha latte during the early morning of Off the Ave’s grand reopening.
GABRIELLE KILE | The Observer
Students enter the Notre Dame Stadium concourse for Activities Night with the aim of exploring various clubs and student organizations. Activities Night occurs at the beginning of each fall semester.
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Policies The
Raymond Hmuifoo sophomore Dillon Hall
“I
Gaaya Binoj sophomore Pasquerilla West Hall
“I saw a squirrel drinking water out of a puddle.”
George Ferris O’Neill Family Hall
junior
“I came home and my roommate gave me a big hug.”
“My roommate threw her freshly washed blanket on me while I was sleeping to keep me warm.” Have a
Jeffrey Podjasek
sophomore O’Neill Family Hall
“My friends and I played basketball at the Rock”
Natalie Sheridan sophomore Pasquerilla West Hall
“I went to P-Dub mass for the first time this year.”
Solbee Kang
Welsh Family Hall
sophmore
The Observer The Notre Dame Alma Mater is performed at the end of every Notre Dame game, win or lose. Players gathered with fans to
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Help out at the SMC sustainable farm.
Architecture Lecture Manfredi Family
Auditorium, Room 109
5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
Paolo Coen speeks on Roman architecture.
Thursday
Women’s Soccer Game
Alumni Stadium
7:00 p.m.
Notre Dame vs. Northern Illinois.
Board Game Night Room 1 North W1234
7:15 p.m.
Join Board Game Club for board games and cheerful friendship.
Friday
Lecture Book Signing
Andrews Auditorium
4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Ross Douthat, “Is There Hope For America’s Future?”
Wine Tasting
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
John Bargetto, owner of Bargetto Winery joins for wine tasting.
Sober Tailate
11 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Join Zero Proof for Chick-fil-A and activies on game day.
ND vs. Northern Illinois Football game
Notre Dame Stadium
The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. Football Game.
10 a.m.
Morning Mass offered in the Tridentine Latin.
Organ Concert Basilica of the Sacred Heart
GRAY NOCJAR|
BEYOND THE DOME:
INSPIRATION FROM THE 2024 DOMER DOZEN
Meet, mingle, and learn from some of Notre Dame’s most accomplished young alumni!
WHEN: Friday, September 6
TIME: 12:30 – 2 p.m.
WHERE: Duncan Student Center, Meeting Rm 1 South W106 WHAT: Network and connect with awesome ND young alumni — and enjoy free pizza!
The Domer Dozen is an annual YoungND and Alumni Association program celebrating alumni who have displayed extraordinary dedication to faith, service, learning, or work. Learn more at domerdozen.nd.edu.
Activities
campus. The fair also hosted social service clubs, like the club Special Friends of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s which works with people affected by autism spectrum disorders in the South Bend area.
Athletic clubs, ranging from Sailing Club to Climbing Club, allow students to continue their athletic passions and pick up new ones. Baraka Bouts, Notre Dame’s women’s boxing club, allows students to train and compete in the fall tournament. Sophomore Kylie Staebler participated last year and plans to continue boxing this year.
Staebler shared Rowe’s sentiment that the activity fair could be overwhelming, especially if you are unsure what kinds of groups to look for. When asked how her approach to Activities Night has changed since her freshman year, she called upon her connection to a major.
“Now that I am committed to a major, I know more of what kinds of clubs to look for,” Staebler said.
While pushing through the crowded pathway, junior Owen Roesch advocated for a different approach to the fair. While he no longer uses the fair to sign up for clubs, Roesch is active in the Notre Dame Glee Club, an organization that he signed up for at a past Activities Night.
“[My night includes] going to see all of my friends that are working tables and saying ‘hello’ to them,” Roesch said.
Sophomore Frankie Calabrese Barton was an advocate at the table for GreeND, a club focused on sustainability.
“[I am] glad to see so many people excited about signing up for clubs and getting involved,” she said.
Contact Gabrielle Kile at gkile@nd.edu
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 serves as an opportunity for freshmen to get involved early in the school year.
“This is a great opportunity for freshmen to come out, watch the game together with the entire campus,” Mattiola said. “It’s a chance for everyone to come together, have free food, watch the game and just have a good time on a Saturday night.”
Despite the occasional flying hot dog or unexpected sprinkler shower, students remained in high spirits throughout the night.
“Everyone is welcome— there’s free food, you bring your futon, you have a good time, you watch the game, and hopefully, the Irish win,” Murphy added.
Contact Annelise Demers at ademers @nd.edu
Divestment debates on campus over time
By THOMAS DOBBS and CADE CZARNECKI Assistant Managing Editor and From the Archives Researcher
The spirit of activism at Notre Dame is not new; historical campaigns like the six-year boycott against Campbell’s Soup and debates on nuclear weapons divestment exemplify a long-standing tradition of student-led advocacy with varying success. The campus now debates whether the University should divest from companies linked to Israel during their ongoing war against Hamas.
Notre Dame’s Boycott of Campbell’s Soup Products
Feb. 26, 1986 | Amelia Munoz | Feb. 27, 1986 | Cliff Stevens & Frank Lipo | March 7, 1986 | Frank Lipo | Researched by Cade Czarnecki
Notre Dame student groups have long seen their efforts make an impact in the world beyond South Bend. Such was true during the campus’ sixyear boycott of Campbell’s Soup Company products, an effort initiated by a newly formed student group.
In 1980, the Notre Dame Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) Support Group was formed in solidarity with and support of the FLOC’s efforts to improve working conditions and wages for Midwestern farm workers. These workers labored on tomato and cucumber farms which sold their produce to Campbell’s Soup Company at a fixed price set by Campbell’s.
Highlighting injustices in conditions and pay, the student group persuaded the University to officially end the
sale and consumption of all Campbell’s products until Campbell’s signed an agreement with FLOC to improve working conditions and wages.
Notre Dame was the first major academic institution to enact such a boycott. The boycott at Notre Dame would last six entire years. During this time all Campbell’s products were pulled from the shelves of The Huddle and both dining halls ended their relationships with the company.
Finally, after years of negotiation, FLOC signed a Feb. 21, 1986 agreement that, among other benefits, recognized FLOC as an official union, raised wages from $2.50 per hour to $4.50 per hour, granted one paid holiday per year and provided insurance for farm workers.
The monumental moment was celebrated by Baldemar Velasquez, president of FLOC, at Notre Dame. In a speech, he officially ended the nationwide boycott of Campbell’s products and vehemently thanked the Notre Dame community—and the FLOC support group in particular—for their impactful efforts in bringing about the end of farmworker mistreatment by the Campbell’s Soup Company.
Divesting from Deterrence: Notre Dame’s 1984 Debate on Nuclear Weapons Investments
Feb. 7, 1984 | Jane Kravcik | May 18, 1984 | Michael Brennan | Researched by Thomas Dobbs
In Feb. 1984, the student senate called on the University to divest from nuclear weapon manufacturing, protesting nuclear
proliferation amidst the Cold War. “A policy calling for the divestment of University funds from companies which manufacture nuclear weapons and their components was passed 10-3 at the Student Senate meeting last night,” reported Jane Kravcik ’87.
The policy crafted by Michael Brennan ’84 was unambiguous yet selective; it targeted companies deeply enmeshed with the Department of Defense, those that derive over half their revenue from defense contracts and those involved in producing nuclear weaponry. Brennan clarified, “The three guidelines are very limited. The University only supports one company which meets these – Lockheed.”
Assistant student body treasurer Bob Gleason ’84 presented a counternarrative, underlining the role of nuclear weapons as a deterrent, asserting, “I personally don’t see anything wrong with investing in defense. Nuclear
weapons should be a deterrent. If we are pulling out, we are pulling out of defense.”
The dialogue transcended mere financial investments, touching on ethical questions about the role of an educational institution in global military engagements. Brennan commended the University for creating a “Nuclear Dilemma” course and for offering peace studies as a second major.
Brennan’s criticism, however, was steeped in a broader philosophical dissent. He referenced the stance of the U.S. Bishops in their pastoral letter, affirming, “Our government has set the priorities of our society ... I think the reason for Notre Dame divesting is to say we disagree with this policy.”
The bishops’ letter, as outlined by Brennan on a later date, critiqued the “first use” strategy of nuclear deployment and advocated for stringent controls against the proliferation of these
formidable arms. Brennan insisted on aligning the University’s fiscal actions with its foundational values, suggesting that where and how Notre Dame invested its substantial endowment—$250 million—was itself a declaration of University priorities and values, akin to its earlier stance against apartheid through adherence to the Sullivan Principles. Despite the vigorous student-led initiative, the proposal met its demise at the hands of the investment committee, showcasing a stark disconnect between student activism and institutional apathy. Clashes over divestment are once again relevant at Notre Dame, compelling us to scrutinize the moral obligations tied to investments and to reassess the true impact and appropriateness of divestment strategies.
Contact Thomas Dobbs at tdobbs@nd.edu and Cade Czarnecki at cczarne3@nd.edu
found in this year’s Back to School menu. The cafe also sells pastries from the South Bend business Ragamuffin.
Off the Ave was started by six Class of 2023 marketing students and one Class of 2024 marketing student in the spring 2023 semester. The
cafe is operated by a student board, which senior Libby Rogers serves on.
“[Off the Ave] gives women the space to create and run their own business … and the freedom to explore a side of business that nobody sees unless behind closed doors,” she said. “[Off The Ave] is something really special and a great way to make
friends.”
Libby Rogers specializes in finance on the board. When asked about the history of the cafe, the board members called upon senior lecturer Jim Rogers.
“This all started with a luncheon conversation between myself and Hannah Shoemake,” he said. “She wanted to show the capabilities marketing students [at
Saint Mary’s] have to offer.”
Jim Rogers aided a team of marketing students in getting the cafe started through a presentation to the official college board and then setting up shop. The founders attributed part of their success to their business classes when Off The Ave opened on Feb. 20, 2023.
The syrup flavors, for example, where selected based on a survey for marketing research assignments for founder Erin Harrington. The cafe is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Contact Madyson Casiano at mcasiano01@saintmarys.edu
Feb. 7, 1984 | Observer Archives
Demonstrators in Amsterdam hold signs protesting the French nuclear tests in the Pacific. The Notre Dame student senate called on the University to divest from nuclear weapons manufacturing in February 1984.
Sustaining a legacy of growth requires faith
Redmond Bernhold
We’re at the inception of a historic moment: new construction at the rubbled 1950s-era Pangborn and Fisher Halls. A new transfer quarterback strengthens faith in a relentless football tradition. A new first-year cohort is the most selective to date. A new dorm adorns East Quad. And there’s a new University president.
For the past 72 years, Notre Dame has had only four presidents assume office. Sept. 13 will host the third presidential inauguration of its kind, when Fr. Robert Dowd will publicly undertake the legacy of three monumental leaders who sustained and matured the University’s intimate community, first-string academics and Catholic pulse.
But each presidents’ legacy and inaugurations were distinct.
Fr. John Jenkins shared tales of his undergraduate experiences, referenced Main Building’s 1879 fire and enunciated Notre Dame’s challenge to preserve its Catholic identity while expanding research.
Fr. Edward “Monk” Malloy stressed academics over athletics, emphasized professor’s dedication to teaching and articulated Notre Dame’s primary asset being its “distinctiveness as a religious institution.”
Hesburgh’s trailblazing
Fr. Hesburgh didn’t have an inauguration.
He was handed a single-sex campus that mustered a $9 million endowment, strong athletic program and lax academics. On the cramped, antiquated campus, he envisioned — and executed change.
One of the most significant changes was the introduction of coeducation. When women officially enrolled in 1972, The Observer ran an eight page feature, including an interview with then assistant to the provost Sue Roberts.
“The University is growing with the times and speaking to a demand and a need that’s been voiced by its students
and brought by its administration,” Roberts said in the feature. “And it just isn’t the women who are pioneers, we’re all pioneers.”
Roberts, an optimistic driving force behind coeducation, was right.
Hesburgh was an unconventional university president. Under his progressive plan, administrators became pioneers. Because of them, Notre Dame became.
Supportive, accomplished leaders
When Hesburgh ended his 35-year term on July 1, 1987, Malloy assumed his role. During his 18-year term, Malloy continued Hesburgh’s developments while helping to create the South Bend Center for the Homeless, increasing research funding fivefold and growing the endowment to over $3 billion.
Jenkins’s assumption was supported by his predecessors. His term carried their legacies: he created Notre Dame International, guided a $300 million development in South Bend and grew the endowment to nearly $20 billion.
“Personally, Fr. Hesburgh and Fr. Malloy were very supportive of me and gave me great advice. I’m deeply indebted to both of them,” Jenkins said in an interview with The Observer in May. “And that doesn’t always happen in institutions where the new guy comes in and the old guy is shoved aside, and I hope I will be the same sort of help to my successor, Fr. [Robert] Dowd.”
Each president has sculpted the university into something greater, expanding on the undertakings of his predecessors. In the same light, faith is the dynamic force that institutes change and distinguishes Notre Dame.
Dowd’s beginning
In an exclusive interview with The Observer shortly after his appointment, Dowd emphasized his yearning to be an approachable, accessible president who diversifies the student body.
In executing these plans, Dowd will likely take after past leaders by furthering Notre Dame’s commitment to
service, academics and faith through various projects. However, as Roberts said during coeducation’s implementation, the University is growing with the times and should meet the demands of students.
Students remain concerned about Notre Dame’s environmental footprint, investments and involvement in international incidents. Dowd, at a time where dividing opinions conflict on how a Catholic university should act, will have to decide what is Notre Dame’s future.
So will he trailblaze an unknown? Drastically alter student life? Interject in national and international affairs?
“He [Dowd] will lead the University to being even more powerfully a force for good in the world,” Jenkins said in a statement.
“Informed by our Catholic mission, we [Dowd and Jenkins] will work together so that Notre Dame is an ever-greater engine of insight, innovation and impact, addressing society’s greatest challenges and helping young people to realize their potential for good,” Dowd said in the same statement.
Dowd has already overseen numerous campus institutes, broadened internationalization and founded the Ford Program in human development studies and solidarity.
Dowd, along with university executives and administrators, can bolster future projects, plans and policies to materialize nearly any Notre Dame. But for any monumental change to precipitate from Dowd’s presidency — and to hold the attention of students, alumni and the world — the Notre Dame family must bestow faith.
Redmond (Reddy) Bernhold is a junior studying biochemistry and journalism. He originally hails from Minster, OH but calls Siegfried Hall his home on campus. When not writing, he explores South Bend coffee shops and thrift stores. You can contact Reddy at rbernho2@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
An Irish blessing to start your semester
Gracie Eppler
The Soapbox
It’s never easy getting old. My recently graduated friend has been bombarded with an endless stream of inquisitors who insistently ask: “How are you doing?” Her reply is always: “I’m not dying.” And yet, as my final year looms closer, the reality of my dwindling time and my inescapable graduation sometimes makes me feel like I am, in fact, dying. Late in spring semester, we extended our palms over the Flaherty senior class of 2024. They gathered near the altar below our outstretched arms, like our prayers could shower down on them. They stood, most of them crying, others just staring at their feet. I thought about how soon I would be the one standing up at the altar, probably wailing myself. Before I knew it, I would be bathed by the prayers of the underclassmen, ready to be released into the world.
We sent the class of 2024 off with an Irish blessing. As this is my first column of senior year, I thought I’d give my readers this blessing along with the Irish wisdom I’ve gained these past three years … May the road rise to meet you, May you, young underclassmen, always find your way back from Legacy in one piece. May you trot along Angela Boulevard and Juniper Road with your Chipotle bowl in hand and always know which way the Dome is. May you never be crushed by the impending whir of an electric scooter and the campus royalty that sits atop its back. May the Asian stir-fry line always stay true and straight and never
take too long. May you make the journey safely back from Hesburgh Library in the wee hours of dawn and may you never fall off your lofted ladder. May your twin-XL bed and its unwashed sheets rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May your backpack never be left halfway unzipped, strewing all your pencils and papers across God Quad. May you wear the merch of your chosen hall, student club or academic college proudly across your trapezius. May you never let the weight of the Duncan Smith machine on your shoulders crush you. May you never let the weight of your two 10-page essays and four exams on your shoulders crush you.
May the sun shine warm upon your face, May your parka protect your cheeks from the bitter South Bend wind. May you never get caught in the Corbett wind tunnel, just clambering your way to try to make it to the Compton Family Ice Arena. May you relish in the disingenuous spring that emerges in early April and never let your hopes be squashed by the mid-April snow and gloom that will inevitably follow. May you lay across North Quad on a picnic blanket and absorb the UVs and may you ignore any lingering glances from the passersby heading to the dining hall.
And the rains fall soft upon your fields.
May you always remember, that without the late nights locked up in the Mendoza basement, the nights spent on the Newf’s dance floor would never be possible. May you think fondly of your broken freshmen year friendships, promising yourself that your sophomore year bonds will be worth it. May
you never feel like an imposter and always remember that you are here for a reason — that you have been chosen to enter this campus and to leave it changed. May your mind be filled with wisdom, may your heart be enlarged with love and may your soul be aflame with faith.
And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
To the recently graduated class of 2024, who are already imbued with this Irish wisdom, may you never let your time at Notre Dame be forgotten. This isn’t goodbye and you aren’t dying. There is so much life left to live beyond these quads.
To my classmates, as well as all the underclassmen, let us soak up our time left here. May we not let our four years here fly by so quickly as to forget why we were so eager to go here in the first place. Crouching by the grotto, listening to the bells of the Basilica that chime out our Alma Mater each night at 10 p.m., I am reminded of the little girl I once was, so eager to be here on this campus, so ready to be kneeling in that very spot. The warmth of the Notre Dame community hugs me close, keeping me upright, reminding me that I am kept safe in the palm of God’s hand.
Until we meet again, dear readers.
Gracie Eppler is a senior business analytics and English major from St. Louis, MO. Her three top three things ever to exist are ‘70s music, Nutella and Smith Studio 3, where she can be found dancing. You can reach her at geppler@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Born Reddy
In Defense of ‘Olympia’
Peter Mikulski Scene Editor
I’m in Bitondo’s, eating a slice of pizza and watching the Olympics on a cable TV nestled in the corner of the shop. The staff is very Italian — stained wife-beaters, emphatic gesticulating, improbably thick accents given how long ago they emigrated, the whole nine yards — and they’re doing that thing Ellis Island whites love to do: rooting for the athletes from “the motherland” whenever there are no Americans to cheer for. An Italian swimmer wins his heat, and they’re ecstatic.
As I’m watching the coverage (sponsored by Ozempic, by the way), I’m struck by the fact that I’ve seen these images before. The underwater camera, the tracking shot, the bird’s-eye view, the triumphant close-up. We see them every four years, of course, but I’m thinking of the time I sat down with a bag of microwavable popcorn and watched “Olympia” — Leni Riefenstahl’s documentary film of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
The way athletics are shot really hasn’t changed since Riefenstahl basically authored the sports photography playbook in “Olympia.” The underwater camera, the tracking shot, the bird’s-eye view, the triumphant close-up. It all starts there, and in exceedingly tasteful blackand-white too. She even manages to make track and field (i.e. running in circles, running in lines, jumping one way, jumping another way, throwing a long thing, throwing a small thing, over and over and over again, on and on and on) not only visually stunning but narratively compelling as well. It’s a masterpiece, a coup, a “gesamtkunstwerk”!
Leni Riefenstahl is — rightfully — recognized as a cinematographic pioneer, but most people only recognize her name (if they recognize it at all) in connection to “Triumph of the Will,” her documentary film of the 1934 Nuremberg rally which is acknowledged as the pinnacle of propaganda filmmaking. Riefenstahl, of course, denied that she intended it as a piece of propaganda at all, instead insisting that she had been pressured by Hitler and Goebbels to cover the event and that she had merely shot it as she would any other assignment — meticulously and alluringly, that is.
Still, “ye shall know them by their fruits.” Whether Riefenstahl was an ideological actor or not (as she insisted), it doesn’t change the fact that “Triumph of the Will” is an ode to Nazism — a wonderful and horrible one. Its choreography is splendid, and its cinematography is revelatory, so much so that it is capable of transforming the coughing, fidgeting Hitler of reality into the ubermensch he claimed to be. Craft-wise, it is a great achievement; morally-speaking, it is a great sin.
It is a specious maneuver, however, to argue that the existence of “Triumph of the Will” must preclude any enjoyment of “Olympia.” While it’s impossible not to confront the stench of Nazism when watching “Triumph of the Will” (it is a
film about Nazism, after all), it’s unfair to read fascism into “Olympia.”
We should try to understand “Olympia” as its audience understood it, and its audience did not understand it as Nazi propaganda. “Olympia” was received warmly across Europe — even in Germany’s soon-to-be enemy, France — in a way it never would have been had it really been a piece of Nazi propaganda. Its release in America, however, was interrupted by news of the Kristallnacht. Still, the ensuing censure of “Olympia” was a response to this historical circumstance and not to the content of the film, which was quietly released here in the 1940s.
Because of these facts of its reception, the only way to damn “Olympia” left to its detractors is to truffle hog through the film itself. This is the sort of tack they take: ”Unlike ‘Triumph of the Will,’ which is explicitly fascist, ‘Olympia’ is implicitly fascist.” Hidden under the veil of sportsmanship and apoliticism, they claim, lies a rightist message inherent in Riefenstahl’s glorification of athletic bodies and valorization of human beauty on film.
Artistically, this argument is dishonest. It attempts to connect Riefenstahl’s desire to create attractive pictures — and what director doesn’t have this desire? — to Hitler’s eugenicist “master race” project. The problem is that there’s no trace of it in “Olympia.” Riefenstahl’s camera flatters bodies from Europe, Asia, South America and Africa alike. “Olympia” obviously celebrates the German victories, but it also depicts their defeats — like at the hands of Jesse Owens (America’s black track star) and the “boys in the boat” (America’s rag-tag rowing team).
Moreover, this argument is a political blunder. Is it wise to write off human beauty as fascist? Only an idiot would cede the use of as powerful a weapon as beauty to his enemy.
All in all, I like “Olympia.” I also acknowledge that “Olympia” includes a brief Hitler speech and that there are swastikas in the backgrounds of some of the shots, because of course there are. Those were features of Berlin in 1936, and it is a documentary after all. They’re there in the artless American newsreel footage too, and they would’ve been there even if Riefenstahl hadn’t made the picture.
See, the point of “Olympia” is neither Hitler nor swastikas. If the Nazi flags are the only thing in “Olympia” that capture your attention, and not — for example — the divers soaring through the sky in beautiful slow motion and psychedelic smash cuts, you’re probably warped and frustrated. The point of “Olympia” is the same thing that glued me to the crummy TV in that greasy pizza shop as I watched the Olympics this summer: the literally awesome feeling of witnessing incredible human accomplishment and the art of capturing it on screen.
You can contact Peter at pmikulsk@ nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Detroit Red to X
Dear comrade, Welcome to yet another phase in this “struggle” of life. It is tempting to open with overtures like ”you must love to read books,” but you already know that — you are a student here. Of the plethora of books out there, (auto)biographies easily reign supreme. Bundle memoirs and histories do as well. What are histories but the biographies of societies? Societies are living beings that must evolve.
Biographies chronicle people’s lives. They speak to the psychologies of men and how they respond to the vicissitudes of life. These have a stubborn tendency to rebound and stay consistent. The more you study the lives of men, the more you observe the patterns and cross-cutting principles that govern this procession. This is one of the reasons you should take your Bible seriously. The Bible contends that there’s nothing new under the sun. It diagnoses a universal condition and offers an eternal remedy foreclosing the need for an update.
Biographical materials teach you seemingly immutable life principles. They contend that there is no experience you will go through that is that novel. The same goes for your four years here. The mistake we young people normally make is to think we are the first people to walk this earth. Homo sapiens have a thing for uniqueness. When we mope, we want to believe our challenges are so peculiar. Biographies quickly disabuse you of such notions. You may be unique, but apparently, you are not that special. We’ve seen you before. So read, engage, ask for help and use it when it’s given.
In Africa, the case for the wisdom of age — respect for gray hair — has been belabored, sometimes exaggerated. One ignores the counsel of elders at one’s own peril. Old people have this uncanny tendency to have the last laugh in our lives. There’s an African saying that what your parents can see sitting down, you cannot see standing up. Such is the place of experience. This changes our conception of maturity, which becomes the collective revelation and realization of old wisdom. Growth then would be the progressive realization that your parents and teachers were right after all.
This is why revolutionary movements invest in political education. Folks must be equipped with a coherent theory to guide praxis. The theory would be drawn from the collective experience of the group in question — their history, their biography. It would comprise an analysis of where the group is coming from, where it is now and on that basis, where it is going. The theory thus has a predictive element to it. Our collective human experience in the era of electricity would suggest that holding a live wire with wet hands would give you an involuntary breakdancing class. Worst case scenario, you meet your maker. Ignorance thus can be fatal. Failure to educate themselves politically has landed many populists in hot soup. They promise the wananchi (Kiswahili for masses) that their forebears are the problem. “Put me in power and your fortunes will change overnight.” They get there and reality (structural conditions) slaps sense into their heads. More on this in a future column.
The mainstay of biographies is the evolution of men. It goes without saying that man
evolves physically and in his ideas. Marx and his disciples are correct, to a certain degree, in their case for where ideas come. Their assessment, however, of the place of eternal ideas does not stand up to historical scrutiny. Many of us live the way we do because of some ideas we are beholden to. We essentially act out our self-understanding. In the aisle of biographies, up there is ”The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Alex Haley. When I came to America, I was surprised to discover it’s not daily bread on the menu of school kids. The story is too complete, too rich, too rewarding — the exegesis of dialectics in human life — to not be essential reading. It is easily the ultimate story told of the evolution of a man and his ideas. Malcolm Little, Detroit Red, Malcom X (Nation of Islam) Malcom X (Organization of Afro-American Unity). Egg, larva, pupa adult. A colonized black boy with a neurosis to a man who gains a sense of identity then straightens his back. A politically apathetic man, then one who sees no chance of black and white America ever cohabiting and ultimately advocate for harmonious coexistence. The only literary problem with the story is that it ends too soon. Give him 10 more years and el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz would have surprised many with where and who he would have ended up. Evolution is the constant.
The story also reveals something about growth and change — it’s a painful process. Real substantial revolutionary changes, in life and elsewhere, are costly. A price has to be paid. In the book, X narrates the story of drug addicts forced to go cold turkey by the NOI. For a moment, one doesn’t recognize oneself. There’s uncertainty. Uncharted waters. Unbeaten paths. But that’s the point. Something has to give if one is to evolve. The seed must die for a seedling to emerge. For a new life on earth, the birth pangs of a mother. It’s cold, in the heated sense, but it must happen.
There’s nothing revolutionary about stagnation. This goes for people who want to reenact history as well. Particularly those who romanticize histories that have never existed. Baldwin channeling Neil Galwin said something: “I’d be a fool to think that there was someplace I could go where I wouldn’t carry myself with me or that there was some way I could live if I pretended I didn’t have the responsibilities which I do have.” Be sure you will live with yourself these four years and the rest of your life. It’s imperative you figure out who that is. The learning and application is on the job. So persuaded by new progressive evidence, permit that revolution fomenting in your soul. The view from the double-giraffe shows that it should be a fulfilling process.
It’s apt to close with an except from our University President’s recent homily. “Growth whether spiritual, social, or intellectual requires that we move beyond the familiar, ... , the comfortable.” Something or someone must die. In many cases, in this case, there’s a high probability it is the old you.
Olemo Gordon Brian is a senior at Notre Dame studying political economy. He is deeply interested in Africa’s development and the emancipation of man. You can contact Olemo at bolemo@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Olemo Gordon Brian The Double-Giraffe View
By PETER MIKULSKI Scene Editor
The first time I saw “Challengers” was at my hometown’s AMC — not the nice one in the surprisingly-still-vibrant mall, but the grimy one behind the Menard’s. It sort of feels like “The Stanley Parable” in there, or the parts of a Mod Quad dorm which’ve managed to avoid getting remodeled. For such a big multiplex, it’s always ominously quiet; more often than not, the staff outnumber the patrons.
It was me and a flock of three tweenage girls watching “Challengers” that night. Usually, when you’re a friend group in a theater that empty, it feels like you’ve got the golden ticket — you can talk through the movie with abandon. But they (and I) sat there reverently through all 131 minutes. It was that good.
I overuse this word, but “Challengers” really is a gesamtkunstwerk. It’s a total work of art, all its different media striving together toward one end — it’s Wagnerian.
The cinematography is great, particularly all the different ways to shoot tennis that director of photography Sayombhu Mukdeeprom comes up with (from “Mario Tennis Aces” bird’seye views to the insane “POV: you’re the ball” and the less successful “POV: you’re Mike Faist” sequences). Most people don’t watch tennis — it’s essentially a country club sport and objectively less riveting than college football, the NBA, F1, etc. — but Mukdeeprom makes you see tennis the way a rabid fan does. Thescoreisgenius.Atonemoment,it’sdrivingtechnomusic.At the next, it’s a haunting piano strain that kind of sounds like “The
Turn of the Screw” by Benjamin Britten. Every once in a while, it tosses in a hymn sung by a children’s choir just to keep you on your toes. (Emerald Fennell attempts something similar when she uses “Zadok the Priest” in the “Saltburn” soundtrack because it seems like a very directorly thing to do that emulates what Kubrick does in “A Clockwork Orange” or what Anderson does in “Moonrise Kingdom,” but it doesn’t work. Unlike “Challengers,” “Saltburn” doesn’t earn its dramatic musical flourishes.)
The acting is superb, from the top of the cast list to the bottom. Josh O’Connor’s Patrick Zweig and Mike Faist’s Art Donaldson are insufferable but insufferable with irresistible charm and great chemistry nevertheless. Zendaya is at her best not when she’s making that “Look, internal conflict is happening!” face that every director has made her do since “Euphoria,” but when she’s playing off O’Connor or Faist in flirty conversations and gutwrenching arguments. Director Luca Guadagnino is also great at filling his worlds with a fun variety of character actors and colorful extras.
I loved “Challengers” enough to see it a second time. Last weekend, the Browning Cinema at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center offered five showings — which were, as far as I could tell, fairly well-attended despite the competing “Flick on the Field,” Texas A&M game and off-campus disos those nights.
Upon a second viewing, though, I was shocked. I had missed something entirely: “Challengers” is hilarious. When I saw it in the almost empty, completely silent AMC, it read as drama — a high drama, a masterpiece. When I saw it at the Browning and people started giggling, I was initially indignant. “The West has
fallen!” I screamed in my head. “Americans have forgotten how to appreciate movies with sex scenes. They’re laughing like bashful little school girls! Don’t they realize that the film is genius? Don’t they realize that the director is Italian?”
But I gave it five minutes and realized they were right. “Challengers” is just as much a sex comedy as it is a romantic drama. In a theater howling with laughter, scenes that I had thought were transcendental became something even better: funny. There’s a lot of talk about how movies aren’t sexy anymore. There’s also a lot of reactionary work that claims to want to “bring sexy back” (“The Idol” and “Saltburn” come to mind). These projects usually turn out sexually explicit — sure — but hardly sensuous at all. There’s nothing sexy about a movie with an agenda, so the problem remains.
Maybe the solution lies somewhere in movies like “Challengers,” movies that are sexy but not so self-serious about it that they can’t leave room for laughter. Perhaps that’s why “Challengers” and, in a similar vein, Jennifer Lawrence’s “No Hard Feelings” work. (I find the ironic wink-wink-nudge-nudge attitude that pervades everything sexual in Marvel films insufferable, however.)
In the end, I was wrong about Guadagnino’s “Challengers.” It’s a whole hell of a lot more like an Italian opera — e.g., Rossini’s “Le comte Ory,” a genuinely beautiful melodrama that also happens to feature a hilarious threesome scene — than anything by Wagner.
Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu
By ANDY OTTONE Scene Writer
In 2012, Disney Channel debuted a new animated series called “Gravity Falls.” Focusing on the mysteries of the titular town through the eyes of twin protagonists Dipper and Mabel Pines, the show was a success on the various Disney cable channels until its conclusion in 2016. The show gained notoriety for its maturity and themes darker than those typical of Disney productions, and it gathered a fandom of audiences of all ages.
On a personal note, the show matters a lot to me. Without “Gravity Falls” I would not have my love for horror movies or consider television as a medium for meaningful storytelling. If you’ve read my other reviews published in The Observer, I’ve certainly gathered a lot to say about both horror and TV over the last few years, so you can thank the folks behind this show for that. But also, more importantly, I share the same birthday as the central characters of the Pines Twins, and to a young me, there was nothing cooler than that.
The show operates on a deep level, featuring codes and cryptic teases scattered throughout episodes to create a narrative that becomes fully visible once fully watched. To supplement this, Disney published a version of the main character’s in-universe “Journal,” whose contents and author fuel many of the misadventures seen in the series. This was published in July 2016, around half a year after the finale’s airing.
And then there was nothing. I was 11 when the tie-in book was published, and I read it so many times. To a young fan like me, it was mind-blowing how so much of the story could be told in a narrative that wasn’t even necessary to enjoy the show itself! Fun fact about the “Journal”: It is the only place to learn Dipper Pines’s real name. He is one of the two central protagonists of the series, and this was saved for the goofy book that came out after. But to fans of the show, this “Journal” was more than a goofy book; it recontextualized the dynamic between central villain Bill Cipher and enigmatic author Ford Pines, great-uncle to the main twins. Through his journal, we learn how close and twisted the relationship between these two looming figures really was before the show’s start, all of this six months after the show ended.
And then there was nothing. Well, not literally nothing. Reruns on Disney Channel and more tie-in books (though none as formal or impressive as the “Journal”) kept the fandom engaged, if not bored. It was hard to speculate and make content about a show with nothing new to offer. Then, something crazy happened this summer. Showrunner and creator Alex Hirsch announced “The Book of Bill,” a pseudo-sequel and spin-off of the show in book form. It’s hard to top an eight-years-post-finale book announcement in shock value, but Hirsch managed to: He later announced that the book was not for children.
The fandom is comprised of older viewers now, but they were young back when it was first airing, and it remains entertaining for children still. And, despite the horrors and dread the show
was known for, it worked well for younger audiences. How does a show go from TV-Y7 to R-rated, no admission under 17? The simple answer: Make subtext obvious.
A horrifying notion of any adventure show for children is how close these protagonists are to death on a near constant basis. “The Book of Bill” addresses this by showing various illustrations of all the ways the central twins could have died throughout the show (in a nice touch, every single one references an actual episode or villain). But maturity is not limited to just death; the intense friendship between Ford and Bill is not explicitly stated to be a romantic relationship, but the book implies it was an intensely toxic and abusive relationship between the two, so much so that Bill has to go to literal therapy to process it. There’s a joke where he shows up to a drive-through inebriated, and the subtext is obvious: The clash between the two wasn’t a battle between good and evil. They’re just exes.
Now, confirming a relationship between two characters, even as subtly as the book did, will reignite any formerly active fandom. I turned 20 on Saturday, Aug. 31. Becoming an adult is a horror greater than any monster in the show and a greater adventure than animation can contain. But, as I approached the birthday I share with these fictional children, seeing the fandom creating new and fresh art and content to appreciate the show helped me feel like a little kid, even if I won’t be one ever again.
Contact Andy Ottone at aottone@nd.edu
Cahill: Notre Dame’s week one triumph was an affirmation for Marcus Freeman believers
Noah Cahill Associate Sports Editor
As the Notre Dame players stood in the tunnel looking out at over 100,000 Texas A&M fans, one would think nerves had to be creeping in. But staring down the barrel of College Station, head coach Marcus Freeman had not a shred of fear, and he made sure his players didn’t either. As passionate as A&M fans can be, I doubt any single one was louder than the clapping and roaring Freeman as he prepared to lead his team out of the tunnel. The belief was palpable. This game was going to be different.
Freeman was hired to build a unique culture for Notre Dame football, one that would bring the Irish back to college football’s upper echelon. The video still replays in my head to the day he was hired and entered the locker room to meet his team for the first time. Seeing the way he was received in that moment, it was clear that every player would be playing for more than himself — they would be playing for him. That meant something. Fast forward two years to the scene in the tunnel, and the impact of that kind of culture becomes all the more impactful. This was a team of players who were prepared to play anyone anywhere, even at one of the most imposing venues in the sport.
Fielding two classes in his first two years that rivaled former head coach Brian Kelly’s best, the culture that has been set in place is one recruits want to be a part of. It was always going to take time for Freeman’s recruits to get established, but now in year three, he is starting to find his guys. When the depth chart was revealed on Monday afternoon, there were a couple of eye-openers. The choice to start true freshman left tackle Anthonie Knapp and sophomore left guard Sam Pendleton was the headline, but sophomore safety Adon Shuler being preferred to sixth-year transfer Rod Heard in the secondary was also a big surprise.
While the young offensive line, which came into the game sharing only six starts between them, had its struggles, it grew into the game and powered the rushing attack in the second half. 133 of Notre Dame’s 198 total rushing yards came after halftime, as did the only two Irish touchdowns, both coming on the ground. Facing one of the best edge rushing talents in
the country in Nick Scourton, Knapp allowed only one pressure the entire game. Shuler also shined, getting his first career interception in the second quarter and playing at a high level all game.
“Our coaches have put us in this position at practice every day, so just go out there execute, do your job and let things come to you,” Shuler said when asked about the defensive mindset late in a close game.
The redshirt freshman points straight to the coaches, a reflection of how the staff prepared this group. Freeman made the gutsy decision to lean on the young talent he brought in, and it more than paid off.
Recruits are not the full extent of Freeman’s talent acquisition capabilities, however. His ability to evolve with the changing college football landscape and utilize the transfer portal is becoming a major strength. Senior quarterback Riley Leonard stepping in as the team’s new leader on offense. Fifth-year receiver Beuax Collins making an enormous catch on the sideline during the final drive. Graduate kicker Mitch Jeter going 3-for-3 on kicks and icing the game from 46 yards out with 30 seconds remaining. Each of the players that were brought in through the portal played a massive role in the victory.
When asked about how validating it was to see the effort he had put into building this team come to light on the big stage, Freeman emphasized the importance of finding the right guys.
“When we talk about bringing in transfers, they have to be really good players or great players, but they have to fit the culture we have,” Freeman said. “That was a sign of what you saw out there. Guys that are really good players that fit this place and this culture.”
While Freeman had started to build a foundation of onfield talent from day one, he did not always have the support he needed off the field, particularly from the staff around him. That’s no longer the case. The hires of offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and defensive coordinator Al Golden were home runs, and both coaches called outstanding games on Saturday. For the Irish to win, Denbrock’s scheme would have to be a big reason why. And while the offense was far from explosive, it played within itself while doing enough to win.
“This was exactly the gameplan for our offense this
game. We had to be smart versus a really good defense, and we executed really well,” Freeman said when asked about the offensive approach.
Denbrock’s unit avoided any detrimental mistakes and turnovers all night. When it came time to go out and win the game, they executed a perfect game-winning drive.
As for Golden’s defense, it more than delivered, holding A&M to 246 yards of offense and forcing two turnovers. Most importantly, it generated stops in the pivotal moments, including before and after the game-winning drive.
The game’s unsung hero has to be first-year strength coach Loren Landow. Another Freeman hire, Landow prepared this team to endure the Texas heat. By the end of the game, it was the Aggies that looked haggard while the Irish continued to play at top speed, with not a single player suffering from cramping.
As a head coach, you play the role of CEO, and the people you take on board can make or break the business. Freeman’s coaching hires have bolstered the staff and greatly increased the ceiling for this team.
But for as much as the recruiting and programbuilding shined on Saturday, Freeman was always going to do that at a high level. He did in his first two years and will continue to do so. However, questions remained about his ability to manage a game. Heading into the
season, one could argue, as I did, that Freeman had yet to win in a truly high-stakes moment. He also has, up to this point, a checkered history of costly mistakes in these games dating back to game one, where Notre Dame surrendered a 28-0 halftime lead to Oklahoma State in a 37-35 Fiesta Bowl loss. In his second season, he takes some blame for the heartbreaking loss to Ohio State, where the Irish defense fielded only 10 men on the infamous final play of a Buckeye game-winning drive. Later that season, he had a hand in several questionable o-line substitutions in the middle of Notre Dame’s worst offensive display of the season in a loss to Louisville. Texas A&M was a different story.
Barring a wasted early timeout in the second half, Freeman’s decision-making was spotless all game. On fourth downs, he was aggressive at the right times, while taking the points on the opening drive, a decision that avoids the potential to give a hungry defense the chance to turn the ball over on downs and ignite the crowd. What stood out most, however, was the management of the fourth quarter, particularly the final drive. When asked about it, Freeman described his thought process in such a high-pressure moment, and how he prepared his running backs if they had the chance to score with time on the clock.
“If something happens where we break it, do we tell him to go down or do we score? I didn’t want to put that in his head. I didn’t want to take points off the board,” Freeman said.
The choice to go against the analytics requires a consideration of what is best for the player as well as the numbers. Freeman found that balance perfectly. After the defensive stop, he had one more decision to make: kick the field goal and end the game or pin them deep up a touchdown. He chose right again, relying on the leg of Jeter, who delivered the knockout blow from 46 yards out, capping a brilliantly coached game.
The win was a prove-it moment for Freeman, and it set the team on an upward trajectory for the season. There are still 11 games remaining, and we have yet to see this team stay consistent across a full season, but the third-year head coach has Notre Dame positioned better than it ever has been during his tenure. And regardless of whether this season brings the year three magic that it has for so many Irish coaches of old, Notre Dame football is in good hands. This game gave fans a glimpse of what the Freeman era might hold.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
GRAY NOCJAR | THE OBSERVER
Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman yells to his fans after a 23-13 Irish defeat of Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas on Aug. 31, 2024. Freeman is off to a 1-0 start in his third season.
SUDOKU | THE MEPHAM GROUP
Happy Birthday: Don’t take anything for granted. Do your homework and set and stay within boundaries. Talk is cheap, so follow through and complete your plans to avoid being misunderstood or ignored. Make this the year of transformation, not innuendos. Step out of your comfort zone and commit to doing what you say. Revise your calendar to project the outcome you want to achieve. Your numbers are 8, 11, 15, 23, 31, 36, 44.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Look at a situation closer before you act. It’s important to know what and who you are up against and direct your energy appropriately. A misconception will give you a false sense of what’s possible. Consider how timeconsuming it is, along with the emotional and financial costs, first.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Adjust to the changes around you. The less fuss, the easier it becomes to satisfy your soul and put your heart into something that matters to you. It’s how you perceive and respond to situations that make the difference. Actions are proof that you follow through.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Distance yourself from what you cannot change and focus on improving your life. Adjusting your skills and attributes to blend in flawlessly with new trends will open doors. Make sure everything you promise is doable to avoid criticism. Sign up to learn something new or expand your qualifications.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Establish what you enjoy doing most and find a way to turn it into additional income. Get your house in order, and you’ll feel at peace. Put money matters to rest by selling items you no longer use. You have more resources than you realize.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take the uncertainty out of any situation by asking direct questions and giving straight answers. Facts are your route to reform, replacement, and revitalizing your path forward with honesty and a chance to make a positive difference. Personal growth will help transform your life.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Monitor what others do and say. A problem at work or in your community influencing your position or reputation is best averted quickly. Control your emotions and speak the truth; you’ll overrule anyone trying to make you look bad. Don’t let uncertainty interfere with authenticity.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): An open mind and compassionate heart will get you through anything you encounter if you aren’t gullible. Use common sense and bounce your ideas off people you trust to give you an honest opinion. Stop worrying about your approval ratings and start trying to please yourself.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): As long as you keep changing your mind, it is best not to make a move. Focus on getting things done before you venture down a new path. Check out an activity or event that captures your attention. What and who you encounter will offer valid considerations.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Rethink your plans and eliminate any action fueled by someone else’s wants. It’s you who must be happy with your path forward. Choose what makes you happy and content with yourself, your lifestyle, and the company you keep. Self-improvement is within reach.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take the train that leads to financial gain, a better lifestyle, and a healthier attitude. Don’t abuse yourself to amuse others or to fit in with the wrong crowd. Surround yourself with positivity and a plan that ensures you do and achieve the best outcome possible.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Spend more time sourcing how to look and feel your best. Whether you implement a healthy, active daily routine, give yourself more time to unwind or recover, or concentrate on something that brings you joy, it will encourage greater clarity and footprint to follow.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A shift will help you avoid a run-in with someone. Expect matters to get blown out of proportion and no improvements made if anger takes over. Use your imagination, be innovative, and do your best to get along or offer others the freedom you want in return.
Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, helpful, and ambitious. You are changeable and timely.
| DAVID HOYT AND JEFF KNUREK
JUMBLE
Kasica earns first win, freshman duo extends tear as Irish shutout streak stretches to four
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
The No. 9-ranked Notre Dame women’s soccer is in an early-season groove. The 4-1 Irish, paced by a freshman class achieving ahead of schedule, are on a fourgame win streak and have not conceded a goal since Aug. 15. Their streak’s length doubled over the weekend with shutout victories at Michigan and Butler.
Kasica collects first win as Irish handle business in Ann Arbor
Coming off the high of a 4-0 home win over top-15ranked TCU last Sunday, Notre Dame hit the road and faced Michigan on Thursday. A year prior, the Wolverines had handed the Irish their only home loss of the entire season. This time around, Notre Dame had its way in a 2-0 victory on the road.
Freshman goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica, on the way to her first collegiate win and shutout, set the tone for the Irish. She made five saves, including a diving stop in the 35th minute,
ND FOOTBALL FEATURE
during a scoreless first half. Meanwhile, the Irish attempted seven shots but couldn’t put one on goal. Their fortunes, however, would change drastically after halftime.
Before that happened, Michigan nearly broke through less than 10 minutes into the second half. A blocked Wolverine shot in tight nearly bounced home off a Notre Dame defender, but the Irish cleared away from danger. Moments later, they created and cashed in on some danger of their own. A left-to-right cross from graduate midfielder Ellie Ospeck ramped up and landed at the top of the 18yard box for Charlie Codd. There, the sophomore forward stepped into a leftfooted strike, which rose inside the left post for the night’s opening goal.
Within six minutes of Codd’s first tally of the season, Notre Dame struck again. This time, in the 63rd minute, sophomore midfielder Morgan Roy sidestepped a Wolverine defender and opened up a service lane from the right
side. Her cross bounced off the head of freshman forward Izzy Engle, settling for freshman midfielder Grace Restovich, who stood just 12 yards from goal. Sensing oncoming defenders, Restovich tried a half-volley with her left foot, sending the ball into the top left corner for her second goal of the campaign.
From there, the Irish sailed smoothly into the win column, picking up their first road win against a powerconference opponent this year.
Engle-Restovich duo shines again as Irish best Butler
While Notre Dame’s freshman class has exceeded expectations in totality, no two individuals have turned more heads than Engle and Restovich. The two have combined for 20 points in just five games. As a team, Notre Dame has 41 points this season.
On Sunday in Indianapolis, Engle and Restovich took responsibility for all three of Notre Dame’s points. In the 18th minute, Restovich made
a left-angled run with the ball through the midfield. Ahead of her, Engle veered toward the right, forcing a switch from the Butler back line. That change freed Engle inside the 18, where her low shot brushed past the sliding Bulldog keeper. Engle now sits among the nation’s leaders with six goals and leads the Irish by a mile with 13 points.
Notre Dame kept the pressure on Butler for the rest of the evening, outshooting them by a 16-8 margin. Though they ultimately didn’t need one, the Irish nearly snatched a second goal when junior midfielder Laney Matriano stepped up for a 36th-minute penalty kick. Matriano had scored on a PK just a week ago, but this one fell victim to a correct goalkeeping guess by Anna Pierce.
Speaking of goalkeeping, Notre Dame sophomore Atlee Olofson held Butler at bay with two saves in each half. Her biggest stop came in the 60th minute, as the Bulldogs threatened her with a direct free kick on goal. When the match
went final, Olofson had her third clean sheet in as many games started to open the season.
Beyond the work of their freshmen, another developing Irish storyline centers around the team’s performance with three key players away at the U20 World Cup. Notre Dame is a perfect 3-0 without freshman forward Annabelle Chukwu, junior midfielder Leah Klenke and sophomore defender Clare Logan. Even more impressively, the Irish have outscored their opponents 7-0 with the stellar trio out of the picture. The games will get tougher in late September, but Notre Dame certainly has done no wrong in the face of significant personnel changes.
For now, the Irish enter a homestand that has 2-0 written all over it. They will face mid-major program Northern Illinois at 7 p.m. on Thursday before hosting 1-4-1 Marquette on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. The Irish will then start ACC play.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Graduate transfer kicker Mitch Jeter’s precision in debut anchors Notre Dame win at Kyle Field
By MADELINE LADD Assistant Managing Editor
Stepping into the towering, 110-foot-tall Kyle Field, surrounded by over 100,000 fans and a deafening roar loud enough to send an Apple Watch into panic mode, would be a nightmare for most kickers. But for Irish graduate transfer Mitch Jeter, it looked like just another day at practice. The former South Carolina Gamecock was flawless on Saturday evening, delivering a perfect 100% accuracy across three field goals and two extra points.
“I think this is my third time playing here, so I’ve gotten to see it a couple times, and some other place in the SEC too, so it compares like none other,” Jeter said.
Jeter was the sole contributor to the Irish’s six points in the first half — perfect from 26 and 46 yards — to tie up the game each time and set the stage for a momentum shift. He added two extra
points in the second half and nailed another clutch field goal on Notre Dame’s final possession, sealing a decisive victory against Texas A&M. Had he missed the 46-yarder, the Aggies would have taken over at midfield with a chance to tie the game. Jeter’s performance was a true save, having put nearly half the points on the board.
“Mitch was big-time,” head coach Marcus Freeman said.
“That was clutch. There was a lot of thought going into that field goal, whether to go for it on fourth or kick the field goal. Ultimately, we made the decision to kick it, and that was clutch.”
Freeman named Jeter one of the Players of the Game at Monday’s press conference, alongside Riley Leonard and Xavier Watts. Jeter made sure to acknowledge his teammates at the post-game presser who made their first Notre Dame start against the Aggies.
“I really want to give some credit to my long
snapper and my holder — Rino Monteforte and Chris Salerno — both those guys, being able to go out there in their first games for Notre Dame as starters,” Jeter said.
Jeter took to the field 46 times at his previous university, and was a reliable asset who boasted a 92.9% field goal percentage and a 96.3% extra point percentage. His longest made kick as an undergrad at South Carolina was 53 yards. Last year against the Aggies, Jeter
had perfect accuracy as well.
Now wearing blue and gold, Jeter was inspired to join Notre Dame for its balanced mix of academics and athletics.
“Whenever I was kind of looking around, it was really what was like the best opportunity for me as a graduate student to be able to go to a school that I could get a really good master’s degree from and play top-tier football as well,” Jeter said. Given his standout
performance against arguably the toughest opponent on the schedule, the Irish are undoubtedly glad to have Jeter’s steady leg anchoring their special teams.
“Obviously Notre Dame has got a great team and has great recruits coming in all the time, so I feel like we’re able to just have a positive outlook on every single year,” Jeter said.
Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu
ND FOOTBALL GAME WRAP
‘It was a true four-quarter battle’: Irish march on to victory in Week One against Texas A&M
By MADELINE LADD Assistant Managing Editor
The obvious and overused cliche to describe this game is to call it a rock fight. But nothing else seems to describe the way the Irish came into the hostile atmosphere of Kyle Field and emerged with a hard-fought, 23-13 victory, racking up 356 yards in the process. The stadium literally shook with the energy of 107,315 Texas A&M fans, each roar urging the Aggies on. Yet by the end, the chants of “Let’s go Irish” drowned out the 12th Man as Marcus Freeman’s squad defied expectations, securing a statement win in its season opener Saturday evening.
As Freeman aptly put it, this game was a true “fourquarter battle.” And battle the Irish did, shaking off a sluggish offensive start to orchestrate an eight-play, 85-yard drive in the final eight minutes — oddly reminiscent of their last clash with a Mike Elko-led team in Duke.
“It wasn’t pretty,” Freeman said. “The defense played lights out. Our offense did a great job of trying to move the chains and win the battle of field position.”
The first half was lowscoring, with the Irish and the Aggies locked in a puntheavy exchange, nearly matching each other in yardage (139-127, respectively). However, penalties plagued the Irish, as they racked up seven flags for 59 yards before halftime (11 for 99 yards in the game), stalling drives and erasing potential scoring chances. But, this made the half a showcase of defensive prowess.
Both teams opened with field goals on their initial drives, with graduate kicker Mitch Jeter nailing his debut attempt with the Irish, a 46-yarder, to put the Irish on the board. Though new to Notre Dame, the former South Carolina kicker is no stranger to the SEC environment.
“I think this is my third time playing [at Kyle Field], so I’ve gotten to see it a lot, and some other places in the SEC too,” Jeter said.
As the game progressed, Notre Dame and A&M traded punts, but gaps in the Irish
defense allowed the Aggies to notch another field goal early in the second quarter. A timely interception and 12-yard return by sophomore safety Adon Shuler gave the Irish the confidence to drown out the noise of the opposing crowd.
“[It was] a huge tone-setter,” Shuler said. “There’s no other place to play, and here, the hype is kind of what we want.”
However, a still sluggish offense relied on Jeter, whose 26-yard kick meant he accounted for all six of Notre Dame’s points in the first half.
Graduate defensive lineman Howard Cross’s thirddown sack midway through the second quarter forced the Aggies to punt, giving Notre Dame an opportunity to make a move. Junior running back Jadarian Price ripped off a big run, but it was called back 37 yards due to holding. Sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love then broke loose for a 29yard rush, though the drive ultimately stalled, ending in another punt.
In the final minutes of the half, graduate safety Xavier Watts stepped up, showcasing the Irish defense and exposing cracks in Aggie quarterback Conner Weigman’s decision-making.
The offense, however, was fighting a bit more to move the chains. With contributors like senior tight end Mitchell Evans not seeing the field much and sophomore wide receiver Jordan Faison out early due to injury, there were holes that could be filled. But, they managed to keep battling.
“They didn’t turn the ball over,” Freeman said. “There’s a lot of things we have to work on. They did a great job trying to move the chains and trying to move the battle. They didn’t make any detrimental mistakes.”
Senior quarterback Riley Leonard kept the Irish moving with a mix of passing and rushing despite several mistakes. He finished his Notre Dame debut with 63 rushing yards and 158 passing yards (18-for-30), proving he could get the job done.
“I think this was an opportunity to prove to my teammates that not only can I
lead them off the field but I can lead them on the field as well when it really matters,” Leonard said.
He also had even more to play for than just Notre Dame versus A&M.
“I feel like there was a game within a game playing [Elko] … He threw up some really good stuff, so I’ll have to go back and watch it. There’s a rivalry there, between me and coach, but it’s all love at the end of the day.”
The offensive line, though battling through its inexperience, struggled at times against A&M’s defense. At halftime, the game was tied again at 6-6.
With the Irish in possession to begin the second half, they earned a first down on a fourth-and-short conversion from Leonard. Three plays later, Notre Dame faced another fourth-and-short situation, but this time A&M’s defense held firm, stopping Leonard inches shy of the first down line in a controversial call.
The Aggies couldn’t capitalize, though, as back-toback tackles by graduate defensive end Jordan Botelho and a critical stop by Shuler forced A&M to come up short on their own fourth-down attempt. Graduate linebacker Jack Kiser and Botelho anchored the defense, with Kiser tallying eight tackles (four solo) and Botelho
adding six (three solo).
Notre Dame was in possession again, with Leonard connecting with sophomore tight end Cooper Flanagan and graduate wideout Beaux Collins. The transfer wide receiver had a game-high 62 yards on five catches. Price breathed more life into the offense, dodging two tackles and turning on the jets with a 47-yard touchdown over halfway into the third quarter. The Irish claimed their first lead of the game, further igniting their fire to win.
“We want to be aggressive,” Freeman said. “We want to attack … We had a plan going into the game, and this was our plan. If it’s one yard in the situation we are going for it, if it’s two yards for the situation we are going for it. I want to be aggressive, but I want to be smart.”
A false start on an Aggie fourth-down attempt gave the Irish another chance. Though their drive stalled, A&M’s next possession resulted in a 65-yard march and its first — and only — touchdown, tying the game at 13-13. With the crowd roaring, the pressure was on Notre Dame to respond. And respond it did. Leonard connected with sophomore wide receiver Jaden Greathouse for a crucial third-down conversion and then with Collins for
20 yards and another first down. Love kept the chains moving and eventually broke free for a 21-yard touchdown. Jeter’s extra point extended the lead to 20-13.
“[Leonard’s] a competitor,” Freeman said. “I have a lot of confidence in a guy like Riley Leonard at the end of the game.”
The end was in sight, but the job was not yet complete. Notre Dame’s defense locked in. Sophomore cornerback Christian Gray broke up the final pass attempt of A&M’s next drive, and after a few more plays to drain the clock, Jeter sealed the victory with a 46-yard field goal. The Aggies’ last drive proved fruitless, with junior linebacker Jaylen Sneed delivering the final tackle.
Saturday evening’s win against A&M — in Aggieland nonetheless — proved Notre Dame was the better-conditioned team and set a promising tone for the rest of Notre Dame’s season. This win not only boosts their potential playoff prospects but sends a strong message as they demonstrate their championship intentions.
“That was a huge victory for our program,” Freeman said. “That is an impressive football team that is going to win a lot of football games.”
Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | THE OBSERVER
Sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love steps through a tackle during Notre Dame’s 23-13 defeat of Texas
A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas on Aug. 31, 2024. Love rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown.