Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, September 1, 2023

observer sports staff predicts notre dame vs. Tennessee state

By Observer Sports Staff

Jos é S á nchez Córdova, Assistant Managing Editor

This game will be more interesting in the buildup and aftermath than it will be on the field. It’s a historic matchup and I’m glad n otre d ame are using their influence and the brand to give a big stage to a great hbc U ( h istorically b lack c olleges and Universities) in Tennessee s tate. b ut in sports terms, this won’t be close. n otre d ame will continue their stellar form from d ublin and take control early and keep T s U off the board all game. This will be a comfortable win for n otre d ame who will banish the ghosts of m arshall from the home opener a year ago. n otre d ame 52, Tennessee s tate 0.

J.J. Post, Associate Sports Editor

n otre d ame couldn’t have offered much of a better debut last week against n avy. The offense was clinically efficient. The defense didn’t

waver against the triple option. n otre d ame had the game well in hand by halftime and still kept pushing in the second half.

They’ll get a chance for an even better encore against an outmatched Tennessee s tate squad this s aturday.

The atmosphere for the 2023 home opener at n otre d ame s tadium after last week’s hope-inspiring performance should be buzzing. All the ingredients are there for the Irish to continue their smooth sailing, which is exactly what I expect they’ll do. Graduate student quarterback s am h artman gets in rhythm early, tossing a couple of early scores, including at least one deep shot to sophomore wide receiver Tobias m erriweather.

The Irish rushing attack stays in committee form and continues to thrive, with all five scholarship backs notching carries. m ultiple will exceed 100 yards. s ophomore quarterback s teve Angeli and the second unit enters the game late in the third quarter and mops up a comfortable win. At

mcGuinness: Irish make history

By ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

notre dame football games have been more than just football games for decades. The Irish have millions of fans across all 50 states and, as everyone was reminded of last weekend, the world. They have won the fourth-most championships of any team in the sport (and rank second if you exclude schools who haven’t won at least one title since 1930). They have a record seven heisman Trophy winners. From mind-boggling statistics to iconic moments to countless gameday events, few schools can rival the pageantry of a fall saturday in south bend. of course, notre dame’s history goes well beyond the gridiron. The Irish are the only college football team to have played in new York, chicago and Los Angeles, the three biggest cities in the U.s., in the same season. The Irish just returned from playing in Ireland for the third time. heck, the Irish have even played in Japan, which isn’t exactly a traditional football market.

some point during the day’s festivities, Tennessee s tate’s Grammy-winning band steals the show, at least for a few minutes. n otre d ame 48, Tennessee s tate 6.

Madeline Ladd, Associate Sports Editor

n otre d ame’s dominant win over n avy last weekend demonstrated their offensive strength as well as a strong defensive effort and team chemistry. h artman lived up to expectations as his veteran experience and game intelligence shined on the field, going 19-23 for 251 yards and four touchdowns, tying a n otre d ame record for touchdowns by a debuting quarterback. This week, the Irish take on the Tennessee s tate Tigers for the home opener. It will be a historic matchup, as n otre d ame will face an F cs opponent, as well as an hbc U, for the first time ever.

In terms of the game, I predict this will be an easy win for the Irish. Though Tennessee s tate is likely to be better than their previous season’s 4-7 record, the

Tigers still will not hold their own against the n otre d ame squad. I think h artman will continue to demonstrate his prowess in his pocket, leading the offense and a budding wide receiver room to make some impressive plays.

The defense will have a chance to show off and completely shut down the Tiger offense and even score a touchdown of their own. h ead coach m arcus Freeman’s crew will control the Tigers throughout the entire game to bring the score. b ring on the touchdown push-ups and more time for the backups. n otre d ame 59, Tennessee s tate, 3.

Matthew Crow, Associate Sports Editor

n otre d ame’s performance last weekend was about as good as you could ask for, and I don’t expect much to change. After h artman’s strong Irish debut, offensive coordinator Gerad Parker may dial up a few more deep shots and give him the chance to pick apart the Tigers’ secondary. Like n avy, Tennessee s tate

leans heavily on its rushing attack, though n otre d ame should hold the Tigers under 200 total yards. In their home opener, the Irish will break 60 points for the first time since 2019 and will shut an opponent out for the fifth straight season. n otre d ame 63, Tennessee s tate 0.

Tom Zwiller, Senior Sports Writer

n otre d ame was humming last weekend against n avy, and I expect that trend to continue this week. I also think it is entirely within n otre d ame’s ability to pitch a shutout or at least keep a clean sheet for most of the game, much like they did against n avy. In other words, don’t expect a repeat of m arshall. Freeman should win his second home opener comfortably.

And as this game should be a blowout, I will be curious to see when Freeman puts in Angeli into the game. h e got little action against n avy, so it will be nice to see what n otre d ame really has in its backup quarterback. n otre d ame 56, Tennessee s tate 0

Kiser looks to elevate Irish linebackers to new heights

And this global endeavor goes beyond football. The baseball team played in Wrigley Field last spring. Women’s basketball will take on south carolina in Paris this fall. The golf team will head to scotland to play the historic old course at st. Andrew’s the same weekend as the ohio state game. Ted Lasso may have spent his college football coaching days at Wichita state (which doesn’t actually have a football team), but he’d probably like notre dame as well, because the Irish are so much more than the wins and losses.

on the football side, a lot of this is a product, at least partially, of notre dame’s independence. That, of course, is not a new talking point. neither is college football realignment. That’s been happening since before the Irish won their first championship. but it’s clear that college football is in the midst of one of its most turbulent periods.

between the transfer portal and name, image and likeness (nIL) policy, player empowerment has never been higher. The

see hIsTorY PAGE 13

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA

Assistant managing editor

notre dame’s 2023 season got off to a flying start with a dominant 42-3 win over navy in dublin. Graduate student quarterback sam hartman and the offense earned most of the headlines with a nearly flawless performance. While the defense didn’t draw the lion’s share of the attention afterwards, they were just as dominant.

An Irish group with several question marks and newcomers, particularly at the defensive line and secondary, pitched a de facto shutout. The midshipmen managed a mere pity field goal in the waning moments of the fourth quarter when there was no longer any doubt in the outcome.

There were several standouts for the Irish in dublin, as one would expect. As usual, graduate student linebacker Jack Kiser was in the middle of the action all game. The fifthyear royal center, Indiana, native led the Irish with eight tackles and a Qb hit. he also

nearly recovered a fumble forced by fellow graduate student linebacker marist Liufau, but his foot was just barely out of bounds.

“It’s one of those things you learn from,” Kiser said about the near recovery.

“hindsight is 20/20, but looking back on film there’s a lot of notre dame football players around, so maybe next time I bat that in and let someone else get that ball.”

It’s a sentiment symbolic of the trust Kiser and this Irish defense have in each other. The linebacker corps returns all three starters and brings over 100 combined games of college experience. Though the secondary also returns three starters and features a preseason All-American, linebacker is the defense’s most important position group. They are already the heart of the defense, but that effect applies to the Irish to an even greater degree. It’s an experienced and talented group that put it all together in dublin to quiet navy’s unorthodox triple option.

“The communication on defense was great,” Kiser said. “Any time you get everybody on the same page you’re going to be able to play fast and be able to play at a high level. I think we did that on saturday.”

That leadership is important both on and off the field. The Irish flew back to south bend on sunday with their sights firmly set on the Tennessee state Tigers who come to town as the first Fcs opponent the Irish have ever played. notre dame’s veteran leadership has no plans to replicate last year’s week 2 buy-game upset against marshall. The team is looking forward to hosting an hbcU ( historically black colleges and Universities), Kiser said.

“It’s a big deal. notre dame has never played a team like [Tennessee state],” Kiser said. “We’re really excited to get them to notre dame stadium.”

even in the midst of the historic matchup, defensive

University publishes AI policy

Office of Academic Standards warns against academic dishonesty with AI

By NOLAN HINES n ews w riter

n otre d ame’s o ffice of a cademic s tandards issued a revised policy on generative artificial intelligence ( ai ) this Friday to conclude the academic year’s first week of classes.

The policy warned against using ai models in a manner that might interfere with the u niversity’s academic mission and included a clarification on what sort of ai usage might qualify as a violation of the h onor c ode. h owever, a rdea r usso, the office’s director, said she wished to make clear the u niversity was not “anti-technology.”

“There are some really incredible things that

c hat gp T, along with all generative ai , can do to enhance student learning, and i think we should embrace that,” r usso said. “ i think that it would be a mistake for the u niversity to say that no one can touch it, or that we can’t use it. That’s unrealistic.”

r usso, along with a group of peers that studied the current capacity of generative ai models at length, outlined in their policy how ai might be used to augment rather than detract from students’ learning experiences. The policy offered several examples of ways students could use generative ai as a resource rather

see ai PAGE 3

Blue moons may be more common

nd plans to compete in aau

Observer Staff Report

n otre d ame published its strategic framework for the next ten years w ednesday, highlighting the major goals and challenges facing the u niversity. The framework orients the u niversity as an institution committed to both its c atholic identity and a high standard of academic research as a member of

St. Joseph Beach opens after pandemic shutdown

By MACY VANCE news writer

s t. Joseph b each is open this fall for the first time since the covid -19 shutdown. h aving just opened its doors last week, the beach is fully stocked with staff, sand and sun for the tri-campus community to enjoy.

d uring the three years of off-time, r ec s ports gave this space a makeover.

By KELSEY QUINT

new writer editor

c ourt l ast night was the first time the sky saw a blue moon since 2021, with a second occurrence happening tonight, a ugust 31. b ut, what exactly is a blue moon? c ontrary to the name, a blue moon is no different in color than any other night –it is not blue at all.

valeria b autista m isakova,

a sophomore studying physics, explains blue moons are not as uncommon and rare as one may think.

“a blue moon just means that you have a full moon twice a month,” b autista m isakova said. “The second full moon of that month is called the ‘blue moon’. b ut what is rare is that it’s a super blue moon, meaning

see blue moon PAGE 4

“ w e took that opportunity to do basically a full upgrade and restoration of the beach as well as the dock,” said d rew l oso, the assistant director of Facilities m anagement and o perations of r ec s ports.

The original dock was a wooden structure attached to the shoreline, but the new dock floats in the water and stretches out far beyond where the original ever did. This new amenity is the first stage of a series of added perks that r ec s ports is continuing to

unveil.

The r ec s ports team collaborated with Facilities d esign and o peration, as well as a landscaping company to carry out their vision of beach restoration.

The beach is now open for as long as weather permits. veronica b allinger, the assistant director of c ommunication and e ngagement for r ec s ports said that safety is of the utmost importance for all the beachgoers and workers.

“ s afety, for us, is the number one priority. w e want people who are not only recreating down there to be safe, but also the folks we trust around the space to be safe,” b allinger said.

r ec s ports monitors precipitation and real feel temperature every day to determine whether the beach is safe for all users and workers on that day. The banner at the top of the r ec s ports website will stay updated on whether any of the facilities are shut down

for the day.

o nce winter weather hits s outh b end, the beach will shut down for the season but will reopen in the spring.

“ i t won’t be before spring break and then it will just depend on when [the weather] breaks,” which varies year to year, l oso said.

s t. Joseph b each is a free amenity for all n otre d ame, s aint m ary’s and h oly c ross students, faculty, staff and their families. o n the weekends from noon to 7 p.m., family hours allow free admittance to s t. Joseph b each when accompanied by a current member of the tricampus community with a valid i rish1c ard. c hildren are also welcome on the campus beach during family hours.

a ll people who wish to swim at the beach must sign the facilities

CHRISTINA SAYUT | The Observer

During the first week of classes, the University’s Office of Academic Standards on generative artificial intelligence.

Courtesy of Valeria Bautista Misakova

Photo taken at 10 p.m. at the Notre Dame Observatory while observing the moon under a 32 mm telescope Wednesday night.

Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com T HE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER COM

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p.m.

“The Sound of Found Objects” by Neill Prewitt.

CrimiVaroli |

Sofia

access waiver that covers all r ec s ports activities for the year. f or entry on the beach, the lifeguards need to see both a valid campus id and a signed digital waiver, but the waiver can be signed at the beach.

Loso said he has seen an improvement in the quality of the beach experience for the students and staff.

“The folks that are coming are not only enjoying it more, but also staying longer,” he said.

s ome halls and organizations have used the beach for years, and Loso said he expects them all to return to their lake traditions.

o ne club that utilizes the beach is the sailing club, where they practice m onday to Thursday. They share the space with recreational beachgoers as well.

n ot exactly in plain sight, s t. Joseph b each is tucked away around s t. Joseph’s Lake.

“There’s a set of stairs across the street from the s t. Liam’s parking lot next

to the fire station that leads straight down to the s t. Joseph’s trail. Take a right for quick and easy access,” Loso said.

b allinger assured that the lifeguards at s t. Joseph b each were well-trained and could be a resource for any runners on the trail.

“When we’re open, we’re always staffed with lifeguards. o ur lifeguards are c P r first-aid trained,” he said. There is also a bathroom in the white boathouse across the trail to the beach entrance, available to trail-goers.

s t. Joseph b each has a special meaning for b allinger, for she wants to broaden the definition of recreation beyond intramural sports or group fitness class.

“ r ecreation is so much more powerful than that. r ecreating is also bringing a book down to the beach … and being able to fill your cup and your bucket in ways that help you take a break from the other stresses going on,” b allinger said.

s t. Joseph b each is open m onday through f riday from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.,

deliberate.

con T in U ed from PaGe 1

than an answer key.

n otably, the policy leaves a significant degree of freedom in determining students’ ai usage in each course to the University’s instructors. John b ehrens, director of the c ollege of a rts and Letters’ o ffice of d igital s trategy and the i dzik c omputing and d igital Technologies Program, has worked closely with r usso on the policy and thus confirmed this flexibility in its implementation to be

“ i n that policy, because the contexts are changing, we recommend faculty to engage these new tools and to start to get familiar with them,” b ehrens said. “The most important thing to me is that students and faculty start the dialogue about where it fits into the instruction and where it fits into the classroom.”

i n addition to serving on the task force, b ehrens, a professor of the practice of technology and digital studies, instructs a course on generative ai i ts primary

goal is to not only empower the students with these new resources but to teach them how to successfully evaluate the generated content as well.

s till, that doesn’t mean he’s making them completely reliant on these models, b ehrens said.

“ n o matter what happens in the next six months, two years, you’re going to need that larger framework of conceptualization, that larger framework of scientific method, a yet larger framework of understanding how computing works and

fits into society,” b ehrens said.

i n educating students of appropriate ways of using generative ai , he and r usso said they hope to enable students to share in the advancements the technology will inevitably bring.

“ i think it’s really important for our students to learn how to use generative ai in whatever their intended career path will be,” r usso said. “We’ve crossed the r ubicon, we are now in a world where everyone will use it as professionals. s o, we want our students to be

able to use all tools available to them to the fullest, to have their employers know that they didn’t cheat their way through college, that we’ve taught them ethical and responsible use vital to their industry.”

s till, generative ai has posed a major challenge to policymaking during its rapid development.

When faced with the possibility of their policy becoming unenforceable due to these advancements, r usso remained resolute. Taking note of the inconsistencies c hatGPT and other models are often prone to, she said she had full faith in the faculty. i t was through their expertise and professionalism, she said, that so many violations of the University’s h onor c ode were caught last semester, when generative ai models were just coming into the public sphere.

h owever, nothing lasts forever, especially when the technology is evolving so rapidly, b ehrens said. a s such, r usso has confirmed the University to be forming another generative ai task force that she will be on.

“We just have to watch the technology carefully,” r usso said. “Then we have to make sure that students are involved in the conversation regarding how it affects them and their learning and their career paths. We all just have to keep talking about it. a nd then we’ll revise the policy as necessary.”

Contact Nolan Hines at nhines@nd.edu

Paid a dverT isemen T

smc hosts mosaic Welcome for community

By MOIRA QUINN news Writer

s tudent d iversity b oard ( sdb ) kicked off the school year by hosting their eighth annual m osaic Welcome event Thursday afternoon. s ponsored by the o ffice of Inclusion and e quity and the o ffice of m ulticultural s tudent s ervices ( om I ss ), the entire s aint m ary’s community was invited to help themselves to food and learn about a variety of activities offered by the club. sdb invited local food vendors from around the s outh b end area to come to the event. o ptions ranged from churros to elote to boba. s everal other clubs on campus had tables with information for attendees

Blue Moon

con TInued From PAge 1

that it’s going to be at its full brightness and about 30% brighter than most nights.”

According to b autista m isakova, multiple factors played into Wednesday night’s full moon: its status as a blue moon, as well as what’s called a supermoon.

Professor Lauren Weiss, of n otre d ame’s d epartment of Physics and Astronomy, explains that the term ‘blue moon’ is largely a product of our cultural calendar system. In reality, nothing

to learn about how they prioritize diversity at s aint m ary’s.

Thalia m ora, a junior at s aint m ary’s and president of sdb talked about the club’s objectives and how they work toward making the c ollege a positive place for everybody.

“ s tudent d iversity

b oard’s mission is to create awareness of diversity in order to educate, provide, support and celebrate differences within the s aint m ary’s c ollege community through social events, educational programming and just anything that students want to see,” m ora said.

Lilian Lomeli, a senior and the vice president of the club, commented on the purpose behind Thursday’s

different is happening from an astrophysical standpoint.

“The time it takes for the moon to go from one full moon to the next is 29 and a half days,” Weiss said. “ s o, as you can imagine, if you’ve got a full moon right at the beginning of the month, then you can just squeeze in another full moon right at the end of the month — any month except for February.”

o nly about 3% of full moons are blue moons, meaning they occur roughly every two and a half to three years. h owever, as b autista m isakova explained, this

vision of c atholicism and promoting science and engineering for a world in need.

event and why it has now become an annual tradition.

“It’s to showcase the diversity here on s aint m ary’s campus, not just with clubs and organizations and the student body but also faculty and staff,” she said. “We want to share the vibrancy here and the collaborations that take place.”

m ora and Lomeli have both been a part of sdb for several years and they reflected on how it has impacted their college experiences for the better.

“I got involved with sdb my first year of college,” m ora said. “It just provided a good safe space and just a lot of people on campus who all kind of saw and value the diverse population here on campus. It makes

week’s blue moon is also a “supermoon.” Weiss said that this term just refers to the moon’s location in its orbit around e arth.

“The shape of the m oon’s orbit is what we call an ellipse, which means that in part of its orbit, it’s a little bit closer to e arth,” Weiss said.

“You can get a full moon at any point along the moon’s orbit around the e arth … a supermoon is just a name for when that full moon is happening near its closest part to e arth (the perigee).”

About 25% of all full

me feel like I am giving back to my community that provides me with so much support.”

The club has many future plans open to the s aint m ary’s community and is consistently posting updates on their Instagram account for others to stay in the know, Lomeli said.

“ n ext on our plans is h ispanic h eritage m onth coming up s ept. 15 to o ct. 15, and we will be sending out more info,” Lomeli said. “We are doing collaborations with La Fuerza and having some dance nights like s alsa and b achata.”

Aside from the m osaic Welcome, sdb has other annual events planned for the tri-campus community

moons are supermoons. According to n A s A, a supermoon can appear about 14% larger and 30% brighter than a ‘micro-moon’ (a full moon occurring at the furthest point from e arth in the rotational ellipse). n A s A compares this to the difference between a quarter and a nickel.

It’s time to debunk the idiom — “once in a blue moon” is really not all that rare.

“If you think about that, every few years or so there’s going to be a blue moon,” Weiss said.

“ s o ‘once in a blue moon’

that will take place during the spring semester.

“ e very spring semester we do a speaker series,” Lomeli said. “This year we want to tackle the intricacies of human connectedness and exploring the diversity of what makes us each human but connected at the same time.”

“We are trying to really celebrate the diverse regions within the Latin American region and not just a singular country or a singular identity,” m ora said. “We really want to showcase that through both fun programming like dance and educational programming.”

Contact Moira Quinn at mquinn02@saintmarys.edu

means, like, once every three years. You know, once in every college education, or whatever. o r maybe, once per oil change of your car!”

Weiss agreed that perhaps a more appropriate phrase might be “once in a super blue moon.” The true rareness of this week’s blue moon is rather its position as a supermoon. According to n A s A, the next super blue moon will not grace the skies until January 2037.

Contact Kelsey Quint at kquint@nd.edu

the Association of American u niversities (AA u ).

The task of the framework, according to the introduction, is for the u niversity to achieve its four goals of leading with its c atholic character, offering a complete undergraduate education, providing multifaceted graduate and professional programs and advancing research by “thinking as an institution,” despite the proliferation of centers and institutions across n otre d ame.

“

m ore than any previous planning effort at n otre d ame, this strategic framework identifies areas where colleges, schools and divisions working together will allow n otre d ame to make meaningful contributions to questions of national and international concern,” the framework reads.

The framework outlines three main directions for “where nd should go” — strengthening foundations, moving toward a global

To improve the international rankings of n otre d ame and the academic prestige of n otre d ame faculty, the u niversity plans to authorize and reallocate faculty positions with the “strategic plan in mind.”

“ o nly a few departments and programs can plausibly claim to be undersized,” according to the framework. “The challenge is to identify where the addition of a select group of faculty can catapult an already good program to excellence.”

The framework communicated that n otre d ame also aims to raise graduate student stipends to attract the most talented students.

With regard to student investment, the framework highlighted a growth of financial aid, multidimensional advising and a reconstruction of m oreau freshman programming, as well as a continued commitment to on-campus housing.

“ d eepening that

commitment — when off-campus alternatives possess considerable attraction,” the framework read, “requires continuing renovation of older residence halls and construction of new residence halls when renovation is impractical.”

The framework also said the u niversity remains committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, despite the overturning of affirmative action this summer.

“ b ecoming more diverse and strengthening the u niversity’s c atholic mission is a single project, not two parallel tasks,” it said. “This summer’s s upreme c ourt decisions will complicate, but not deter, our efforts to enroll a student body that reflects the diversity of experiences and gifts of the human family.”

According to the report, efforts to “diversify” the faculty and senior staff have faced continued challenges.

“ u ndergraduate students from underrepresented groups routinely attend classes for four years at n otre d ame without

enrolling in a course taught by someone who looks like them,” the framework read. “Aspirations for faculty and staff hiring and retention need to be articulated and programs to ensure an inclusive campus expanded.”

To promote their science and engineering goals, the report conveyed that the u niversity plans to expand facilities.

“In an era when team science involving many collaborators is increasingly the norm, these older facilities need considerable renovation, occasionally demolition, to advance research,” the framework read. “The costs of these projects, cumulatively, will be as significant as any academic capital projects in the u niversity’s history.”

s pecifically, n otre d ame plans to build a mental health facility in s outh b end focused on suicide prevention, trauma and substance use.

The report compared the u niversity’s percentage of international students to n otre d ame’s AA u peers. The average percentage of

international students in the AA u is 12.2. At n otre d ame, it’s 7%.

To improve this number in alignment with the model of global c atholicism, the framework said n otre d ame aims to improve international rankings and admissions outreach. Though admissions for international students is not currently need-blind, the framework said that step is one made by “distinguished company.”

The 2033 framework is also the first u niversity 10year framework to use the words “ s outh” and “ b end,” as well as “Indiana,” and it said that connection to the region remains a challenge.

“It is now clearer than ever before that for n otre d ame to thrive, the s outh b end region must also prosper,” the framework read.

u niversity President John Jenkins, Provost John m c g reevy and executive vice president s hannon c ullinan will host two student town halls for undergraduate and graduate students to respond to the framework.

nd senate kicks off year with first meeting

By ANNELISE DEMERS news Writer

a t 5:32 p.m. Wednesday night in the m endoza c ollege of b usiness, the first official s enate meeting of the year took place. n ew council members were chosen, a student union parliamentarian was elected and the role of executive cabinet director of LG b TQ+ advocacy was filled.

c layton c hauncey guided the group in prayer then the meeting began, led by student body vice president a idan r ezner.

The group unanimously approved the minutes from the last meeting on m ay 3.

r ezner discussed upcoming e xecutive c ouncil events, including the m cWell x s tuGov Wellness e xpo on Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m., and the s tudent Union s howcase next m onday from 8 to 10 p.m.

r ezner and other council members continued to stress the importance of FU e L, First Undergraduate e xperience in Leadership, and how anyone interested

should join. a pplications will be open until s ept. 6 and are for first year students only.

The meeting continued with general orders, including nominations for c ampus Life c ouncil and the c ommittee on the c onstitution.

The c ampus Life c ouncil is open to a maximum of three students. o ne must be from a female dorm and one must be from a male dorm. The other will be chosen by majority. d ue to an overabundance of votes, it will be announced at a later date who made the committee.

The c ommittee on the c onstitution was also voted on and requires a minimum of three members. Four senate members ran for the position: s am Godinez, b ella vasquez, Jayden e spinoza and m aura m eyers. a ll four applicants were voted in with no objections.

(Editor’s note: Sam Godinez is a former news writer for The Observer.)

The s enate next tackled the issue of there being no current student union parliamentarian since Griffin

m c a ndrew is seeking a leave of absence. The nomination and endorsement for the new student union parliamentarian was written by Koryn i sa, judicial council president. h unter b rooke, hailing from c arroll h all, put up his senate seat in order to run for this position. a fter questioning and debate, b rooke was officially voted in.

d uring the debate, b rooke was highly praised by his classmates and peers for his incredible work ethic and selflessness.

“ i ’m continually impressed by the amount of work that he puts in and also his keen understanding of the c onstitution and of what this particular role requires. i encourage everyone to vote yes for the nomination for parliamentarian and thanks for giving me some time,”said d errick Williams of Keough h all.

c ontinuing on, s am Godinez of d illion h all asserted that “The parliamentarian position should be served by somebody who is committed strongly for the

student union and who is willing to stand up for the truth, and i believe that that individual is h unter b rooke.”

Godinez said b rooke is “a man of unquestionable character” who served in FU e L as a freshman and as a hall senator.

With b rooks being voted in, his seat as senator of c arroll h all is vacant and will be filled within the coming weeks.

n ext to take the hot seat was Greg Gehring, who was nominated by student body president d aniel Jung for executive cabinet director of LG b TQ+ advocacy. Gehring shared his experience working for the LG b TQ+ community during questioning before the debate began. d uring the debate, Joey Kositzke, who is affiliated with Gehring from his time in FU e L, discussed his values and commitment to the program.

“ i just like to issue my support towards Greg. h e was a really, really great member of the cohort last year, always super energetic and eager at every meeting,

bringing people together from different groups, and i think he did a really great job of bringing new ideas to the table at every turn,” Kositzke said.

“ o n top of that, speaking as this year’s director of academic affairs, with some of the potential events that Greg has planned, i think he’s somebody who i ’d really love to work with. i know that he is really committed to this role, and i can’t really imagine any other person i ’d want to work with more,” Kositzke conitnued.

Gehring walked back into a room of people clapping, signifying he was elected. There were no objections during the vote.

The meeting concluded with discussions about off campus programming and hall events. s ome of these conversations included d illon h all’s s outh Quad pep rally on Friday at 5:45 p.m. and the launching of a new student-designed app, c ampfire, on Thursday.

Contact Annelise Demers at ademers@nd.edu

EDDIE GEORGE, Tennessee State University

Football Head Coach, Heisman Trophy Winner

NIELE IVEY ’00, Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Women’s Basketball Coach

DERRICK MAYES ’96, Notre Dame

All-American, Captain, and Patrick Industries Board Director

TOM MENDOZA ’73, former president and vice chairman of NetApp

The impossible task of talking about myself

Gabrielle Beechert Assistant managing editor

I had just landed in c hicago after my eight-hour flight from d ublin when I received a dreaded text. It was v iewpoint e ditor c laire Lyons reminding me (again) that it’s time to sign up for Inside c olumns. Ugh.

I would like to preface what I am about to say with an important point: This has absolutely nothing to do with c laire. c laire is great! n ot only is she an awesome person, but she’s also really good at her job. m ajor props to her for sending me reminders to sign up for a column even though she probably knew I was intentionally putting it off (and if she didn’t know then, now she does — sorry, c laire!).

This also has nothing to do with the Inside c olumns themselves. I love the idea of Inside c olumns! It brings me so much joy to open up a paper and read about what my coworkers and friends have on their minds. c hristina’s hot or not list? Love! m aggie’s welcome letter to the freshmen? s o sweet and so cute! As e ditor-in- c hief emeritus Alysa Guffey once tweeted: “ s orry babe can’t talk. n ew [ r yan Peters] Inside c olumn just dropped.”

The reason I don’t like writing Inside c olumns is entirely my own fault. I think it’s impossible to talk about myself.

To some, this may be a shock. I am a self-diagnosed, chronic oversharer. Last time I was writing an Inside c olumn, I almost overshared about a time I overshared. Thankfully, I took a step back before submitting my column and realized that I probably don’t want that tale documented in The o bserver archives for the rest of time. And thank God I did.

m y objection toward Inside c olumns has more to do with its vague, qualitative nature. Writing one of these feels like when you first meet someone and he asks you to “describe yourself.” e xcept this time, it’s 500-800 words that are accessible to anyone with the ability to Google my name. And, of course, the minute someone says “describe yourself” in my general direction, I have suddenly never had a thought, opinion or emotion in my life. I lose all concept of myself.

While in d ublin this past weekend, I was visiting with my good friend Isa s heikh, who is currently studying abroad. I was chatting

An Alumni dawg’s bark for help

with Isa and his friends when his friend John asked me to describe myself in three words. I basically went nonverbal. After an excruciating couple minutes of trying to answer, I resorted to asking for Isa’s help. We eventually landed on the words “nice,” “outgoing” and “ s wiftie.”

I’m not going to sit here and deny my identity as a s wiftie, but it’s not a very exciting description. There are probably better ways for me to describe myself, but I simply can’t do it.

When I was in high school, I met with one of my teachers who was writing one of my college recommendations. When we sat down at the table, the first question he asked me was “What makes you interesting?” I think this is a hard question regardless of who is answering, but I couldn’t think of anything. s o, I told him I wasn’t that interesting. h e laughed and told me he was going to start my recommendation with that part of the conversation. h e may have thought it was a bit — and while I do love a good bit — I was being so serious.

I’ve never been good at qualitatively talking about myself, and based on the way things went in d ublin, I never will.

Later in the evening, the question was revisited, but this time with both Isa and n ews e ditor Peter b reen. r ather than talking about ourselves, we went around and described each other in three words. r ight after, I told Isa that I thought he was extremely well-spoken, Peter went on to tell me that I was over-spoken. I told him that “talkative” would suffice next time.

I guess this was my really longwinded, over-spoken way of telling you that sometimes, it’s really hard for me to talk about myself.

b ut, I’ve given you a whole column about it, so the irony of this isn’t really lost on me either. n ow I can look forward to dreading the next one.

You can contact Gabrielle Beechert at gbeecher@nd.edu. The views of this Inside column are not necessarily those of The Observer.

Editor’s note: Gabby is a talented, kind, curious, honest, detail-oriented conversationalist with the ability to make anyone feel welcome. She can say something vastly interesting about nearly any topic — including the topic of talking about herself.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. We had emerged triumphant from our internment in the frigid wasteland of the n orth Quad, but our exile had been harrowing. We had been alienated from our beloved m ain c ircle, deprived of easy access to life’s most essential comforts ( d ave’s h ot c hicken). c ountless d oordash orders had been lost along the perilous trek to the Z*** prison, a journey more dangerous than the o regon Trail. The cold modernism of n orth d ining h all offered no respite, its soulless nature more apparent with each dropped cup and the brutal silence that followed.

And yet we prevailed over this hardship, growing stronger as a community, like Washington and his men at v alley Forge. o ur exodus home to the promised land was glorious, igniting an intellectual atmosphere never before seen since the e nlightenment. There was something electric in the air, a feeling of endless possibility, a potential to rediscover our roots and return to tradition. Like the words that hung over the Temple of Apollo, we felt we could finally “Know Thyself.” o ur r enaissance had begun.

And yet it was the worst of times, for very soon a harsh reality hit us across the face like a sweaty Welcome Weekend shirt. Upon our exploration of the new basement, we happened upon a devastating discovery. It was not what we found that scared us, but what we did not: the dryers were missing. In a riotous mood reminiscent of the Parisians in 1789, d awgs stalked the hallways, hungrily searching for those responsible for their plight. I had never before seen a mood so dark and conducive of mob violence than since the d awg Pizza Protests of 2021. s ociety was fraying at the seams, as we found our fundamental values of life, liberty and laundry to be under attack by a mysterious evil force.

A d awg diaspora began, as

countless d awgs embarked on their own quests to find working laundry. s oon enough, nearby dorms had to implement travel restrictions, desperately hoping to keep their washers and dryers available for their own residents. We felt we had hit rock bottom, but our situation only got worse. d awg Pizza lay idle as our pizza oven had not yet arrived, no doubt a dirty trick by the Keenan Knights to uphold their campus monopoly on pizza pies. o ur first d ive n ight in America (when we all go to the r ock pool and splash around) was deviously canceled by an awfully convenient meeting of the lifeguards. e ven the weather had taken its toll on us, forcing d awgs to sleep in air-conditioned lounges in the hopes of fighting off the devastating heat. (If you saw me sleeping by the door to m ain c ircle, sorry). This left us with only one possible culprit. Who else could pay off b ig Laundry, b ig Pool, the Keenan Knights,and even b ig h eat? A plot of this scale had all the hallmarks of my arch nemesis. I have feuded with b ig r etail d ining for many years. b ack when I was a senator, I had tried to destroy the corporate oligarchs of b ig r etail d ining with my b .I.G. ( b eautifully, Intelligent and Gigantic) r esolution, but my trust-busting had been thwarted and my resolution never saw the light of day. s ince then, b ig r etail d ining and their hordes of Grubhub robotic minions have scoured the e arth like the e ye of s auron, hoping to stop me from saving our hard-earned flex points. As president of Alumni h all, I am calling upon this campus to rise up and join the d awgs in fighting back not only against b ig Laundry, but against the biggest big of all, b ig r etail d ining. You can help us by donating to our cause.

James Baird Alumni h all president c lass of 2025 Aug. 31

The red Zone is certain. Safety after parietals is not.

At n otre d ame, most cases of rape occur within residence halls — the same buildings considered the source of community. And even though student government has publicized Safety after Parietals policies, the rules aren’t part of du Lac.

The tri-campus community thinks it’s different. We support one another. b ut when it comes to sexual assault and rape, we’re just like any other campus across the nation.

As the first week of class comes to an end, our tri-campus community enters the notorious “ r ed Zone“ — the period of time from the beginning of the fall semester to the beginning of Thanksgiving b reak when the majority of college campus sexual assaults happen, according to the nonprofit organization Preventing Awareness v ictim e mpowerment (PAve ).

Why does the r ed Zone exist?

When freshmen are exposed to college culture for the first time, they might have limited knowledge of consent and sexual violence — especially if they come from a high school that lacks comprehensive sex education.

Fortunately, both n otre d ame and Saint m ary’s offer orientation training surrounding sexual assault awareness and prevention. Approximately 80% of campus has participated in sexual harassment prevention education at n otre d ame through the required m oreau First Year e xperience class or Welcome Weekend programming. Similarly, Saint m ary’s includes discussion on the topic in all SPLL freshmen seminars.

b ut informing freshmen of the dangers of sexual harassment is not enough. d ata from the U.S. d epartment of e ducation shows sexual assault and harassment are as much of a problem at n otre d ame as any other college campus.

The fall semester puts everybody at risk. n ationally, the back-to-school season coincides with fraternity and sorority rush — a dangerous pressure cooker of excessive drinking and drug use, gendered power dynamics and uncontrolled spaces.

And although the tri-campus social scene lacks Greek life, it is no stranger to party and drinking culture. The first weekend of college

marks the beginning of “dis-o” or “dis-orientation” parties, somewhat akin to rush week, which welcome freshmen into their new dorms — often with copious amounts of alcohol. The rest of the fall semester, which includes football season, boasts similar opportunities at gameday tailgates and afterparties.

e xcessive drinking at parties increases the risk of sexual assault in two ways. First, alcohol can impair a student’s ability to consent to sex. n early 63% of n otre d ame rape survivors were unable to give consent because they were asleep or incapacitated due to alcohol or drugs, based on a 2020 campus climate survey. Plus, survivors are often victim-blamed for an incident if they were intoxicated, even though it isn’t their fault. Second, it can make students — especially underage students — hesitant to report an incident if alcohol is involved.

n otre d ame uniquely compounds this underreporting issue with its parietals policy.

Parietals prevent overnight guests of the opposite gender in any dorm on campus. Although this rule is intended to “respond to the safety, security and privacy needs of those sharing common living space,” the fear of breaking parietals and receiving an o ffice of Community Standards ( o CS) violation may counterintuitively lead to increased instances of sexual violence. n early a quarter of students say fear of violating University parietals and underage drinking policies would prevent them from intervening. Among non-reporting survivors, 21% claimed they didn’t seek to make a report for fear of receiving an o CS violation. h all staff cannot retroactively cite students for minor o CS violations. This does not change the fact that a number of survivors were put in these situations due to fear of a parietals violation.

There is nothing on du Lac’s website about parietals amnesty and its involvement with sexual assault prevention. The same proportion of students who don’t report due to retaliation also don’t report due to fear of o CS violations. Yet, there is a University policy concerning non-retaliation, and none for parietals amnesty.

d espite n otre d ame student government’s efforts to raise awareness about “Safety After Parietals,” parietals amnesty isn’t yet part of official University policy — which means a potential o CS violation is often up to the discretion of hall staff members. d espite the

presence of these posters in every dorm at n otre d ame, the rule could be enforced differently in each one of them. In many cases, the hall staff need a certain level of detail about the assault in order to implement the “Safety After Parietals” policy. The only public information about Safety After Parietals from administration The o bserver could find came in a 2021 letter from vice president for student affairs Fr. Gerry o linger.

“Students who feel unsafe in a residence hall after parietals should leave the hall, regardless of the time, without concern for a parietals violation,” Fr. o linger wrote.

The University has been making efforts to curb sexual violence and harassment on campus, but its measures often fall short. The Title IX process can be quite invasive, especially if you are a survivor reliving a traumatic experience.

n inety-four percent of rapes are never reported to the University.

Sixty-five percent of non-reporters did nothing because they did not want to go through the University Title IX process.

n on-consensual sexual intercourse occurs in n otre d ame residence halls more than anywhere else, accounting for 46% of all reported rape incidents.

As a tri-campus, our sexual assault awareness should be directed toward prevention, not after-the-fact band-aids. Green d ot has many bystander intervention trainings to help curb sexual assault on campus before it happens. n otre d ame has also partnered with Callisto to give survivors an option to confidentially record the incident and opt in to an offender matching system.

b ut what if nobody is around? What if a student is alone in a dorm with somebody they don’t feel comfortable with? What if they feel pressured to do something and they are too scared to leave?

The University needs to implement an official parietals amnesty policy to ensure consistency of enforcement across dorms and to encourage safe behavior. If we can do it to prevent alcohol poisoning, we can certainly do it to prevent sexual assault.

b ut until that day comes, we urge you to look after one another. Your safety is always more important than an o CS violation. b e each other’s first line of defense and get out of the red zone.

Weirdo colleges

“You better save my seat,” I warned my friend, Isaac. That night we had the c ronin Award d inner, the Program of Liberal s tudies’ (PL s ) annual end-of-year celebration that presents an award for the finest piece of writing from the past year, and I was going to be late for another commitment. When I arrived, thankfully my threats worked and his coat was sprawled across a chair for me.

For a b iology major or e conomics major, something like c ronin would be foreign. e very student and faculty member fits comfortably in a small dining room, wearing suits and dresses, eating from a gourmet buffet, being tended to by waiters and waitresses wearing suits and making toasts with sparkling apple juice. o ne by one, people walk up to the podium and speak about how much they love the program or some inside jokes directed toward people in the audience, like a sort of wedding. d uring one of those toasts, my jaw dropped as one student mentioned an article about h illsdale c ollege from The n ew Yorker. h e was so impressed that they mentioned n otre d ame’s little old PL s in a national publication. h owever, that student had forgotten some key context: The article quoted a history professor who dubbed PL s as part of “a group of ‘weirdo colleges’… that still believe in teaching a canon of great books.” As such, the article hardly complements PL s but rather criticizes it for its outdated, exclusive ways.

The n ew Yorker article is centered around h illsdale c ollege and all of its idiosyncrasies and challenges. A small c hristian liberal arts school in s outhern m ichigan, h illsdale c ollege has become a model for many conservatives — including r on d e s antis, r epublican presidential candidate and governor of my home state, Florida. d e s antis has been making steady efforts to proliferate h illsdale’s model in Florida, especially at n ew c ollege of Florida, where he has secured $34 million and a conservative board of trustees to transform into the “ h illsdale of the s outh.”

As someone who grew up in Florida public schools, PL s has been a dream. The seminar-style classes are small and intimate, the teachers are professional and intelligent and the community of people is unlike any other. A liberal education has allowed me to ask questions and have uncomfortable conversations that were largely ignored or left unanswered in my education growing up.

I joined PL s the way many people do: by accident. I applied to n otre d ame haphazardly, with no serious desire to attend. n ot knowing

what I wanted to study, I chose the Program of Liberal s tudies, thinking that it was an undeclared humanities option. When I was admitted and decided to attend n otre d ame, I received an email from the department advisor asking if I had any questions about the program that I had totally forgotten I had selected. As someone who always loved reading and writing, looking at the curriculum and reading lists, I grew increasingly excited and enthusiastic about the major I had unknowingly chosen. PL s was going to be a super e nglish major on steroids. I was instantly sold.

h owever, I didn’t understand all the baggage that comes with a classical, Western-based education, especially within the broader context of a midwestern c atholic university.

For one, there’s a lack of diversity in the classroom. A typical PL s classroom is filled with wealthy, white, c atholic, private school-educated students with a professor from a similar background. m any of the students have conservative c atholic beliefs, leading to challenges of inclusivity in the program, especially concerning the LG b TQ+ community.

And, of course, there is the issue of the Western canon. The program is rooted in six Great b ooks s eminars and thirteen tutorials, spanning from ancient Greece to mid-twentieth-century America, with some possible outliers here and there. Given the time frame and historical prejudices, most of the readings are written by white men from a limited range of intellectual backgrounds.

There is a lot to be asked about teaching the Western canon in the 21st century in PL s . Why do we read what we read? What are we not including in our discussions? Why do we attract a certain demographic? What can we do better? These questions are what are needed to make us better.

b ut as I sat in the luxury of a celebration dinner, in the glory that is the PL s lounge or in the comfort of the classroom, I am the beneficiary of PL s and a firm believer in everything that it has given to me. And, as such, I am a believer that in order to maintain PL s ’ liberal arts tradition — and to not be swept into the tide of the growing politicization of the Great b ooks programs — that tradition needs to reflect, adapt and grow.

Kat Regala is a junior studying the Program of Liberal Studies with minors in Computing and Digital Technology and Science, Technology and Values. She originally hails from Naples, Florida, but loves traveling. When not reading or writing, you can find her drinking coffee, practicing yoga or binge-watching reality television.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

on imposter syndrome

This year, I’ve come to the radical realization that I am not exceptional or extraordinary, and I don’t need to be in order to live a good life.

The words themselves — exceptional and extraordinary — are pretty interesting. For instance, “extraordinary” derives from the Latin ”extra ordinem” which means “out of the common order” and “beyond the regular kind.” The etymology of extraordinary calls for a certain “going beyond” — a stretching of the standard and typical. The mere existence of something beyond and greater than the ordinary suggests that ordinary is not desirable. If there’s something more to strive for, then why settle for ordinary, for mediocre?

A fear of mediocrity has followed me around throughout my entire life. I, and I’m sure many who read this column, have always felt an intense amount of pressure to be extraordinary — to get the 4.0, to win the sports competition, to be wellliked, to get into a “top” college, to get the “best” internship, to have the most amount of friends, to have a memorable college experience worthy of the “best four years of my life” and so on. The thought of not being — or at least striving — for exceptionalism, for perfection and for something more than “average” is a fear that is unhealthy and, unfortunately, rampant at a place like n otre d ame.

I single out n otre d ame because this is the place where I’ve struggled the most with my own mediocrity.

o n a campus full of valedictorians, varsity athletes and talented artists, where it seems (emphasis on seems) like everyone is happy and outgoing, beautiful and popular, social and brilliant, successful and charming, it sometimes feels like everyone here is exceptional. To be anything but exceptional is a recipe for disaster and misfortune. b eing a n otre d ame student as someone who’s shy and unsure, anxious and lost and struggling in the perpetual cycle of imposter syndrome and questioning of self-worth has led me to pursue much reflection and meditation on this dichotomy of exceptionalism and mediocrity.

m y fear of mediocrity — which was already quite high to begin with — escalated the second I got to s outh b end for the first time in the summer of 2020. As a Gateway student, I (wrongly) felt behind my peers who had gotten into n otre d ame the traditional way, and I set lofty goals with the purpose of proving myself. I wanted to prove

that I was good enough, smart enough and capable of success. At the time, I wasn’t really sure who I was proving myself to, but looking back, I know it was just myself who I was trying to impress. I really wish I could go back in time and tell freshman year m eg — who had no idea about the experiences, challenges and lessons ahead — that, in many ways, she is, in fact, average but that there’s nothing wrong with that.

s o, today, I posit that being mediocre is just fine. As I begin my senior year of college, I enter with the knowledge that I likely will not go on to change the world, to leave a legacy behind, to live an extravagant and Instagram-worthy life. I’m also not going to invent something that will change people’s lives, be on the news or travel the world.

I know and embrace now that I am not exceptionally smart or talented or cool, and I probably never will be. And, I’m okay with that. I’m learning that I no longer need to be, or even strive to be, exceptional or extraordinary in order to feel worthy of my place on e arth. I can live an ordinary life — one that involves just a few close friends, healthy relationships with those I love, a 9-5 job that’s enough to provide for my family and myself and maybe a cat — and still be happy. I can be an average person — who is just trying my best to live a healthy and happy life with people I love — and still be someone of value. As I get a little older, I’m learning that an ordinary life can be a good life and that ordinary people are just as valuable and capable of good as the “extraordinary.”

I didn’t want to end this column in a cheesy way, but life in itself is an extraordinary thing. The probability of each of our existences is pretty infinitesimal. I really believe that life is already extraordinary, even before we humans have the ability to do anything to merit that quality. s o, if my chances of even having been born were really 1 in 102,685,000, then I’ve decided that I’m no longer going to spend my days here worrying about not being extraordinary or exceptional. As long as I work hard, put my best foot forward and try to be good to the people and communities around me, I’ll be just fine. And so will you.

Meg Tamura is a senior majoring in Political Science and minoring in Data Science and Business Economics. Besides writing, she enjoys spending time with the people she loves, riding on public transportation and listening to good music.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Megumi Tamura subject to change

By ALLISON ELSHOFF scene Writer

There’s no doubt that the summer of 2023 was a win for girls everywhere. We participated in the cultural phenomenon that was “barbie,” heard oprah call beyonce’s renaissance World Tour “transcendent,” watched the love-triangle-turned-trainwreck in “The summer I Turned Pretty” and — arguably most importantly — witnessed Taylor swift take the world by storm on her eras Tour. spanning 53 dates, 20 stadiums and 10 studio albums, the eras Tour takes fans through a four-hour showcase of each of her different musical “eras.” The setlist includes a mixture of country, pop, folk and more. Fans (including myself) broke Ticketmaster last year just to get tickets, with thousands more snagging last-minute seats at infamously ridiculous prices. With the first leg of the American tour over, swift is currently going international before returning to the U.s. next year to play recently added dates.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or an occasional “shake It off” listener, everyone can recognize the enormous influence Taylor swift possesses. cities she played in saw local business boom from the thousands of concert-goers traveling there. In Glendale, Arizona, the opening night of the tour brought in more revenue for local businesses than last year’s super bowl. In the U.s. alone, the tour is projected to generate $5 billion in consumer spending. Internationally, analysts estimate the eras Tour will likely

surpass the $1 billion mark in revenue next month, making it the biggest tour in music history. so, what’s behind the craze? And an even better question, how does she do it all?

As someone who was lucky enough to attend, I can attest to the fact that the show lives up to the hype. I am a megafan, which may make me biased, but this also meant I had very high expectations. And did the show meet those expectations? of course.

The eras Tour experience begins before swift even comes on stage. Upon arriving at the stadium, thousands of fans were there early to wait in line for merchandise, take pictures and — very endearingly — trade handmade friendship bracelets. one gets the feeling of witnessing a large-scale fashion show as fans, significant others, moms and even dads walk around complimenting each other‘s carefully curated outfits. The atmosphere is one of anticipation, camaraderie and glamor.

This excitement reaches its peak as swift opens the show with “cruel summer” clad in a bejeweled bodysuit and sky-high sparkly boots. When the song ends, it’s hard to hear yourself think with the deafening sound of 72,000 swifties screaming (and probably crying). All the while, swift just stands there and smiles, taking in the moment and embracing the energy of her fanbase.

What comes next is a non-stop trip down memory lane encompassing 17 years worth of music. each era has distinct costume changes, stage props and visual effects. The stage itself is a massive screen with multiple moving

platforms which she struts and dances across. some of the most notable stage props include the moss-covered Folklore house and the 10 cages with dancers representing each era during “Look What You made me do.”

one of the most highly anticipated parts of the show is the acoustic set, where swift plays two “surprise songs” — those not a part of the regular setlist. videos of fans grieving their favorite songs getting played elsewhere swept TikTok, as swift didn’t repeat a surprise song at her shows twice unless she “messed up” during its performance or it was on her newest album, “midnights.” regardless, the acoustic set allows her to slow down the show and play songs she may have not played live in years.

I could make this article much longer than anybody wants, so I’ll give a few quick personal highlights from the show: The iconic “speak now” dress, the standing ovation after “champagne Problems,” getting lightheaded from singing all 10 minutes of “All Too Well” (wouldn’t have it any other way), the note change in “The one” and her dancers’ solos for “bejeweled.” one can’t help but be in awe of her stamina to sing and dance for that long — and look good while doing it. not only that, but it’s impressive how she makes a sold-out stadium show still feel intimate. Amanda Petrusich from The new Yorker described it as if she’s “speaking directly to you, confessing something urgent.” With a presence as commanding as hers, it’s hard not to listen.

Contact Allison Elshoff at aelshoff@nd.edu

By ANDY OTTONE scene Writer

As last semester came to a close, I noticed a trend in the videos my friends sent me. Across TikTok and Instagram, there were videos turning events into “Wes Anderson movies.” For those unfamiliar with the artist’s films, these videos would certainly give an impression of Anderson’s stylistic choices. These videos captured Anderson’s unique cinematography and framing. but beyond what these videos could quickly demonstrate, what makes a Wes Anderson film? Like most artists, Anderson’s style and techniques have changed over his career, but the fundamentals typically boil down to deadpan humor, a star-studded cast and a stylistic flatness in the film’s space. Anderson has carved out his own distinctive directorial and written style that cannot be mistaken for anyone else’s. his most recent film, “Asteroid city,” is the most Wes Anderson-esque film yet.

It’s not particularly easy to explain this film. There’s a frame story about a television show discussing playwriting, with these events presented in black and white. In color, we see the events of the play performed for the television program. however, as the film makes clear at the start, this play is not real and solely exists for the creation of

the television program. When shown in color, the characters act out the events of the fictional play set in the titular Asteroid city. In black and white, the characters are actors seeking to understand the art they’ve been given. during specific moments of the movie, the film’s complexity is obvious: Actors play actors for this television program where they portray actors for a stage play that does not exist.

The film’s cast, a wide and varied ensemble of actors, manage to make this convoluted premise comprehensible. As in many of Anderson’s recent films, he features a mix of megastars alongside stalwarts in Anderson’s past films, such as Jason schwartzman, whose acting debut was in Anderson’s “rushmore,” and Tony revolori, whose breakout role was in “The Grand budapest hotel.” Tilda swinton, Jeff Goldblum and Willem dafoe have featured in multiple projects of the director and have short but memorable presences in the picture. beyond these expected faces, the film features many notable and beloved actors: scarlett Johansson portrays a melancholy actress, Tom hanks plays a man grieving the loss of his daughter and margot robbie features in a small but pivotal role. In a film with such a large cast, it poses a challenge for any actor to stand out, but the stars of “Asteroid city” do not suffer from this. even the charming group of young astronomers (Jake ryan, Grace edwards, Aristou meehan, ethan Josh

Lee and sophia Lillis) all hold their ground alongside their more established co-stars.

Actors wouldn’t be able to perform these roles without an author to script them, though. Written by Anderson and frequent collaborator roman coppola, the script is as dry, funny and thought-provoking as usual. I’ve gone in depth on the film’s story already, but Anderson’s dialogue deserves praise solely for the way it can stick with you despite the direction constantly calling for deadpan delivery. some of the film’s final scenes present the script’s best lines, with a clear stand-out being the haunting, “You can’t wake up if you don’t fall asleep.”

Taste, ultimately, is subjective. nothing can prove that more than Wes Anderson movies. his movies are ones that I greatly enjoy, and “Asteroid city” is now among my favorites. however, I understand how some might view them as odd, confusing or even self-indulgent. because, in all honesty, they are. If you, as an audience member, do not like Wes Anderson films, this is not the movie that will change your mind. but if you enjoy his films, or wish to understand his films further, I feel that there is nothing that demonstrates what makes a Wes Anderson film “his” more so than “Asteroid city.”

Contact Andy Ottone at aottone@nd.edu

By PETER MIKULSKI scene Writer

“red, White & royal blue” is schlock. It’s a rom-com about a forbidden homosexual romance between the son of the American president and the grandson of the british king. The premise is awesome, but because the script sprints through some plot points while lingering randomly on others, it feels like poorly paced fan fiction. The acting is stiff — comparable to what you see on the hallmark channel but par for the course for streaming service movies.

no one turns on an Amazon Prime original because they’re hungry for craftsmanship, though. It’s unfair to judge a rom-com like it’s a Kurosawa picture. “red, White & royal blue” is artless, but it has mass appeal. It’s

took pride in the mainstream’s “two thumbs down.”

Queer cinema was peripheral — often by choice, but not always. Take John Waters. his early movies, like “Pink Flamingos,” are hailed as a peak in queer art. They’re constrained by small budgets because no one dared fund them, but they’re still hilarious. The casts are a handful of drag queens and scenesters Waters found hanging around in baltimore gay bars. The cinematography is ad hoc, just a single hand held camera. The movies are chocked full of blood and murder and feces and filth and camp.

once Waters got a little mainstream notoriety and a little mainstream money, though, his style shifted. Waters was able to cast bigger names like Tab hunter, and he could afford to bring in hollywood production crews. These later polished works are still pretty obscene, but they’re vanilla compared to the poop eating drag queens and baby murdering lesbians of “Pink Flamingos.”

The same Waters responsible for said drag queens and lesbians went on to make “hairspray,” which was adapted into a hit broadway musical and subsequently adapted into a blockbuster movie starring John Travolta

and Zac efron. While a lot of the best gay movies — and a lot of the best gay artworks in general — have been made on the outside, there’s also a desire to push further into the establishment, into the mainstream, into the conventional.

“red, White & royal blue” marks the fulfillment of that desire because there is nothing more establishment, more mainstream and more conventional than a crummy Amazon Prime original movie. once, if hollywood discovered you were gay, you were blacklisted from the industry forever. now, studios can crank out a movie like “red, White & royal blue” in a couple of months, and it’s no big deal.

To get a gay movie funded and made, it no longer needs to censor itself or bury its gay content under a million layers of subtext. It doesn’t have to be a disturbing indie art film or push itself to camp either. now, a gay movie can just be schlock. In this way — as schlock — “red, White & royal blue” is a profound achievement.

Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu

After a strong summer of releases, “Teenage mutant ninja Turtles: mutant mayhem” kicks off the school year with a bombastic reboot of the T mn T franchise. starring Jackie chan as splinter, nicolas cantu as Leonardo, micah Abbey as donatello, brady noon as raphael and shamon brown Jr. as michaelangelo, the film features a mix of celebrity and voice talent. but is the film appropriate for children? And how does it measure up to prior entries in the series?

In contrast to its predecessors, the animation in “mutant mayhem” is flashy and claymation-inspired, similar to films like “Paranorman” (2012), which makes it stand out amongst its contemporaries. The style suits the tone perfectly while retaining the conventions that make T mn T familiar. each turtle maintains his characteristic color and weapon, April o’neil (Ayo edebiri) wears a yellow jacket and splinter is clad in red. despite this familiarity, however, the film isn’t afraid to harken to older elements of the T mn T canon which youngsters may not know of. April’s ethnicity is changed to match her original comic book appearance, and villains bebop (seth rogan) and rocksteady (John cena) return from the ‘80s cartoon. This gives the film a sense of identity without forgetting to pay respect to its legacy.

Likewise, the characters are alive with personality, each bringing their own sense of humor to every scene. Their chemistry is a delight to watch, with my favorite character being the mutant fly, superfly (Ice cube).

Though he curses a lot for a PG villain, he’s full of charisma with a sympathetic backstory and a threatening presence. he and splinter share a human-hating philosophy, showing the danger of allowing radical ideas to be carried to their extreme as superfly prepares a weapon to mutate every animal on earth and annihilate humankind.

While the film has a lot of comedy and visual appeal, it’s stuffed with references past the point of cringe. nearly every line contains a nod to a famous movie, T v show, anime or game, most of which will fly over the target audience’s head with the exception of an “Among Us” reference early on. Additionally, there’s a running joke of splinter being afraid of the boys being “milked” by labs for their blood which is … uncomfortable. And while there are ties to earlier entries, the team’s origin is overhauled entirely. splinter is no longer hamato Yoshi, but a plain street rat, and shredder is replaced by the shady Techno cosmic research Institute. one of the most unfortunate holdovers from previous T mn T media is Leonardo’s unrequited crush on April, a subplot thankfully forgotten before the film’s last quarter. speaking of subplots, the film’s writing leaves something to be desired. The turtles crave acceptance from humans and earn it by defeating the villain, but this lesson in the importance of not judging a book by its cover can be misinterpreted and lead one to believe that acceptance is only granted to those who are worthy of it. humans, with the exception of April, are characterized as fearful and intolerant until the final fight with superfly, where their perspectives are completely

changed by a broadcast from April, who has no evidence to substantiate her claim that the turtles are the good guys. but even April has a tendency to be rude and dismissive of the turtles, and outright admits she wouldn’t befriend them if they did not help get her stolen scooter back. o verall, it feels rushed, in need of more time to show the good in humans and characterize the villains past their introductions. The film could be so much more cohesive if it made room for plot instead of cramming in references.

While there’s a lot to love in “mutant mayhem,” the mild swearing, references and inappropriate jokes could make it unpalatable to some families, and older fans may be left underwhelmed by the shallowness of the plot. but for those looking for a blend of action and comedy, “mutant mayhem” is the perfect way to kill a saturday night, preferably accompanied by greasy pizza and a younger sibling. You’d be hard pressed to find another film quite as energetically reverent for pop culture as a whole.

Contact Kait Milleret at kmillere@nd.edu

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”

Starring: Jackie Chan, Nicolas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Brady Noon, Shamon Brown Jr., Ayo Edebiri, Seth Rogan, John

Cena, Ice Cube

Director: Jeff Rowe

happy Birthday: Adjust to make your life less complicated, and make happiness and peace of mind your goals. Take the initiative to get what you want and add valuable people to your circle. Well-thought-out plans and details that address your specific needs will make your life productive and less stressful. Accommodate your needs, and everything else will fall into place. Simplicity will lead to happiness and contentment. your numbers are 7, 13, 25, 29, 31, 34, 46.

ArIES (March 21-April 19): Pay more attention to your health and appearance. Take time to rejuvenate and spend time with someone you love. Mix business with pleasure, adding to your camaraderie with people who share your vision. romance is in the stars.

TAuruS (April 20-May 20): use your imagination to devise a plan that puts you in the spotlight. Speak up and enjoy the banter with people who want to participate in your plans. The input will stimulate your mind and lead to bigger and better ideas.

gEMINI (May 21-June 20): Put your head down, and don’t look up until you feel you have accomplished enough. getting into a debate or letting someone interfere with your goal is a disservice to you. go about your business, and don’t look back.

CANCEr (June 21-July 22): Make your time and effort count. you can make a difference by directing your energy precisely where it counts. Call on experts if necessary, but don’t rule out your experience when getting what you want.

lEO (July 23-Aug. 22): revise how you handle your money, health and joint ventures. Communication will be the key to getting things done right the first time. Consider how you earn your living and what prospects are available to you. Jump at an opportunity to diversify your skills.

vIrgO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Be open to new beginnings, pursue knowledge and connect to people with something to offer. use your imagination and expand your mind, interests and friendships. A change of scenery or a reunion will impact how you move forward.

lIBrA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): reach out to someone in need and do your part to make a difference. A chance to earn more money using your skills and experience will become apparent due to outside input. When opportunity knocks, adapt what you can offer to fit the need.

SCOrPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Ask questions, find out what’s trending and adjust to ensure you get the most out of what’s happening around you. Taking advantage of an opportunity will require strategic timing and attention to detail to avoid costly afterthoughts.

SAgITTArIuS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take note of how others act and what they say, and adjust how you react to ensure you get the most in return. focus on what you can accomplish and refuse to let anyone use emotional manipulation to throw you off your game.

CAPrICOrN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Organize your space, pass along what you no longer use and simplify your life. An investment opportunity is apparent. Put together a plan that gives you leeway to expand your chance to reduce debt and secure a stronger financial position. Avoid overindulgence.

AQuArIuS (Jan. 20-feb. 18): Sit tight, even if someone prompts you to make a move. Busy yourself taking care of important details that are holding you back. keep your plans simple and affordable. Don’t try to please others; you must be content with your decisions.

PISCES (feb. 19-March 20): Show some bravado. Think outside the box, and you’ll attract attention and interest from someone who understands your goal. Trust in yourself, and you’ll feel good about your chosen path. Change how you handle money and career moves.

Birthday Baby: you are curious, sensitive and reflective. you are loyal and persistent.

Irish notch first win of 2023

By ANRDEW McGUINNESS sports editor

Though the notre dame men’s soccer team didn’t begin its season with a win, the Irish didn’t exactly get off to a bad start. coming away with a 1-1 draw against no. 2 Indiana was hardly a poor outcome. With a slate of easier nonconference opponents to follow, the Irish have a clear path to get back on a postseason trajectory after regressing in 2022 following a college cup berth.

on sunday night, the Irish indeed took that first step. Led by a hat trick from junior forward matthew roou, the Irish etched a dominant 5-0 victory over IUPUI. only twice in the last three seasons have the Irish won by such a lopsided margin.

“It was a good test,” said Irish head coach chad riley. “We knew it’d be a good game for us. I think for the most part it was [a] really good contest.”

For the second straight match, the Irish drew first blood, taking just over seven minutes to do so. Junior forward eno nto snuck behind the Jaguars’ defense and laced an excellent through ball from sophomore midfielder KK baffour past IUPUI goalkeeper Lucas morefield for the opening strike. Less than 15 minutes later, baffour was the one on the finishing end of an Irish tally. A ball into the box caromed off a Jaguar into his path, giving baffour his third career multi-point collegiate contest. The two goals not only gave notre dame the lead but forced IUPUI to change its playstyle.

“I think goals change the tactics of the game,” riley said. “And so I think the fact that they’ve got to come out [and be more aggressive] and then the second goal, maybe they have to come out even a little bit more, which creates a little bit more space, but I do think the first goal is always always something you want to get.”

The Jaguars came out focusing on being as defensively stout as possible. That allowed the Irish to control play, outshooting IUPUI 7-1 in the opening 45 minutes. As notre dame wore them down throughout the night, the game devolved into the matthew roou show. not only did the junior notch his first career hat trick, he scored in a different fashion each time.

“It’s just probing in probing out like, wearing them down slowly,” roou said. “You know, they were really good in the first half or the second and by the end they were just worn out out of energy.”

First, he put the game all but out of reach with some fancy footwork and a hard shot from just inside the box. In the 85th minute, he turned the night into his second career multi-goal game, knocking home the rebound of a blocked cross from senior defender Paddy burns. That goal could have easily been the exclamation point on a great night for roou and his team. but he maneuvered back into the box just a minute later, only to be tripped up by morefield. roou deliberately stepped up to the penalty area, picked his spot and smashed in the hat-trick goal.

“It was amazing. First career hat trick. It’s always great feeling great when undefeated so far,” roou said. When asked if he planned his PK or improvised on the spot, roou said, “I always have it in my head before I kick it so I knew exactly where I was going.”

The victory won’t turn any heads. IUPUI is far from the most formidable opponent the Irish will play this season. but to embark on a deep postseason run for the second time in three years, notre dame must go one step at a time. beating the teams they’re supposed to is step one. so far, so good.

game. A way to try and cling to the glory the program once held during its heyday before falling into an ongoing 35-year championship drought.

b ut as the futures of so many established programs are thrown into turmoil, suddenly n otre d ame’s hold on its past is the envy of the college football landscape. n otre d ame has changed plenty over the years, of course. The h ouse That r ockne b uilt got a massive upgrade in 2017. And it’s not like the Irish are avoiding the n IL scene entirely. A 24-year-old is starting at quarterback. h owever, the Irish have carefully threaded a balance between honoring the past and not being afraid to innovate and forge new paths.

c ase in point, s aturday’s opponent. Tennessee s tate is the first F cs team the Irish have ever faced. They’re also the first hbc U ( h istorically b lack c olleges and Universities) to play against n otre d ame football. It may not be the most exciting development of n otre d ame’s season, but it is an important one.

“We’ll make sure they are grateful for the opportunity to be able to do this,” said Irish head coach m arcus Freeman about his players on m onday. “I know that they are different universities, but they’re both distinct in celebrating their own way. I think at the core, the core values that both universities possess, they align.”

Joining a conference wouldn’t have made scheduling this game as much of a challenge as bigger concerns like maintaining yearly matchups with n avy,

U sc and s tanford (the latter two of which allow the Irish to end their regular seasons in c alifornia, a nice recruiting convenience). b ut the bigger point still stands. n otre d ame never wants to become just another college football team, even if those other teams may be very, very good at football.

That isn’t meant to undermine schools like o hio s tate or U sc and their illustrious legacies. b ut the aura around n otre d ame’s status is almost undeniably greater than it was even a few years ago because of how much everything has changed around it. s aturdays in s outh b end still have that warm, familiar feeling to them (and the equally familiar cold one once the calendar turns to o ctober and n ovember).

c ollege football isn’t going the way of the Titanic, of course. b ut a lot of schools and fans may find out the hard way that new doesn’t always mean better next fall.

When the opening kickoff sails through the air at n otre d ame s tadium a few minutes after 3:30 p.m. tomorrow, the Irish will make more history. Winning is important, but that’s what has long been the goal of n otre d ame football, and it doesn’t figure to change anytime soon. e aton h igh s chool. The s aints traveled to play the 0-3 m aple Leafs of Goshen c ollege for this crucial non-conference game early in the season. h oly c ross showed purpose and tact from the first kickoff, taking a quick 1-0 lead through the boot of forward Gabe n yenka. The senior scored the goal unassisted. h owever, the real hero of the first half was not n yenka. Through outstanding positioning, the s aints midfield dominated.

The m aple Leafs to a measly five shots in the first half, failing to put pressure on junior goalkeeper Armin m ahmutovic.

The score remained at 1-0 s aints going into halftime.

The defensive battle continued deep into a second half that saw h oly c ross consistently playing in the m aple Leafs defensive half and forcing tough plays from the Goshen center backs. Their line would finally break in the 75th minute. Freshman midfielder Anthony Panayiotou scored the insurance marker, giving the s aints a 2-0 lead. Junior defender m artin von Thun notched the assist.

The game would finish a decisive 2-0 for the s aints. m ahmutovic made three saves to hold down the fort. h oly c ross finished with 11 shots to Goshen’s seven. The m aple Leafs only managed to put three shots on net all game. h oly c ross took seven corners to Goshen’s five, as well. The s aints undeniably controlled the pace of the game and consistently executed at a pace Goshen struggled to match.

o ther notable performers included junior Isaac Filippo who recorded four shots on his own. von Thun recorded two of his own and was a rock on defense for the s aints.

The s aints have now improved their record to 2-1, albeit without any conference play thus far. The s aints will be back in action this s aturday at 2 p.m. at h untington c ollege. h oly c ross will look to continue building momentum before conference play begins. After falling 2-0 in their season opener, the s aints have outscored opponents 5-0 over the last 180 minutes.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Senior defender Paddy Burns fights for the ball in the Irish’s tough matchup against Indiana. Burns’ goal ended the game in a 1-1 tie.

Tsu’s band visits south bend

By JAKE MILLER s ports Writer

Tennessee state’s trip to s outh b end is historic in many ways. a slate of events this weekend honor notre dame’s first-ever matchup against an hbcu ( h istorically black c olleges and universities).

The Tigers are bringing their marching band, called the a ristocrat of b ands, along for the journey. Led by reginald mcd onald, the Tennessee state band gained prominence in 2022 after becoming the first collegiate marching band to win a grammy.

d uring the game, the Tigers will play tunes from the stands in between snaps as usual for visiting bands. for graduate student quarterback s am hartman, playing in a new stadium will already be a challenge. Playing in a new stadium with an elevated environment will add a wrinkle to that challenge.

History of the Aristocrat of Bands

many visiting programs bring their bands to s outh b end.

usc ’s Trojan marching b and always makes the trip. smaller schools, such as Toledo, have also accepted the opportunity. but the Tigers’ presence will be markedly distinct.

Tennessee state will take the field during halftime to perform a full field show with a higher level of pageantry than i rish fans may be used to. The a ristocrat of b ands is known for their energetic displays, diverse

musical repertoire including jazz, r & b and hip-hop and elaborate formations. i n contrast to the b and of the fighting i rish, the a ristocrat of b ands features an added emphasis on the performative aspect of the show. d rum majors are part of the show, rather than just acting as conductors, and engage with fans. The Tigers also have a dance team, the s ophisticated Ladies, that participates in the show.

A unique experience for fans

The two bands’ performances should make for a packed halftime. a dditionally, new this year, in most instances where a team gains a first down through an in-bounds play, play continues without the clock stopping.

The fan experience will be filled with action from start to finish.

Tennessee s tate head coach

e ddie g eorge’s team comes to s outh b end after putting together a 4-7 season in 2022, which included a 16-3 loss against former head coach d eion s anders’ Jackson s tate team. s ince 2016, Tennessee s tate has had a handful of matchups against fbs teams, including a win over g eorgia s tate. The Tigers have also faced m ississippi s tate, vanderbilt and m iddle Tennessee. Tennessee s tate pose a major threat to the i rish, but the weekend will bring a new display of tradition to s outh b end.

Contact Jake Miller at jmille89@nd.edu

Saints earn decisive 2-0 win at Goshen

By ADAM AKAN s ports Writer

The h oly c ross men’s soccer team came into their game Wednesday night with a 1-1 record, looking to build on a 3-0 win against i ndiana e ast on s aturday at e aton h igh s chool. The s aints traveled to play the 0-3 m aple Leafs of g oshen c ollege for this crucial non-conference game early in the season.

h oly c ross showed purpose and tact from the first kickoff, taking a quick 1-0 lead through the boot of forward g abe n yenka. The senior scored the goal unassisted. h owever, the real hero of the first half was not n yenka. Through outstanding positioning, the s aints midfield dominated. The m aple Leafs to a measly five shots in the first half, failing to put pres

sure on junior goalkeeper

History

sport’s landscape will change drastically in 2024 as several iconic programs such as usc , uc L a , o regon, Texas and o klahoma switch conferences. The c ollege f ootball Playoff will also expand next year to a 12-team format (one that could change based on all that realignment). o h, and the Pac-12,

a rmin m ahmutovic.

The score remained at 1-0 s aints going into halftime. The defensive battle continued deep into a second half that saw h oly c ross consistently playing in the m aple Leafs defensive half and forcing tough plays from the g oshen center backs. Their line would finally break in the 75th minute. f reshman midfielder a nthony Panayiotou scored the insurance marker, giving the s aints a 2-0 lead. Junior defender m artin von Thun notched the assist.

The game would finish a decisive 2-0 for the s aints. m ahmutovic made three saves to hold down the fort. h oly c ross finished with 11 shots to g oshen’s seven. The m aple Leafs only managed to put three shots on net all game. h oly

c ross took seven corners to g oshen’s five, as well.

a conference that currently includes a s tanford team the i rish have played in every non- covid year since 1997, is in the midst of a five-alarm fire, which is one more alarm than the number of members it’s slated to have after this year ends. n otre d ame’s status in college football has been perceived as entitled over the years. h ow dare the i rish have the audacity to not join a conference?

The s aints undeniably controlled the pace of the game and consistently executed at a pace g oshen struggled to match.

o ther notable performers included junior i saac f ilippo who recorded four shots on his own. von Thun recorded two of his own and was a rock on defense for the s aints.

The s aints have now improved their record to 2-1, albeit without any conference play thus far. The s aints will be back in action this s aturday at 2 p.m. at h untington c ollege. h oly c ross will look to continue building momentum before conference play begins. a fter falling 2-0 in their season opener, the s aints have outscored opponents 5-0 over the last 180 minutes.

Contact Adam Akan at aakan@nd.edu

e specially given that every other i rish sport is a conference member — hockey the b ig Ten, everything else the acc e ven the longest bigname holdouts like Penn s tate eventually relented to the appeal of affiliation. To n otre d ame’s detractors, this was an advantage that allowed the i rish to ease their football schedule and avoid a difficult conference championship

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con T inued from Page 14

sargeant have been at the heart of the spartans’ production. Wickes sits on a team-high three goals after her hat trick against northern colorado. sargeant, meanwhile, has tallied a goal and a team-best three assists. Like the irish, the spartan defense will look to respond after conceding twice in the loss to colorado. its record has been otherwise strong, only allowing one goal in its three other matches.

sunday should prove to be a competitive matchup between two teams off to formidable starts this season. The spartans will attempt to get back on track at home after their previous defeat. The irish, on the other hand, must once again call upon their resilience as they follow an emotional draw with a road test.

Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu

Paid a dverT isemen T

resilient Irish set for first road tilt at m ichigan state

By NOAH CAHILL s ports Writer

Through four matches, the 15th-ranked n otre d ame women’s soccer team has earned an undefeated start to the 2023-24 season, but it hasn’t been easy.

The Irish have already faced several tough tests, most notably against n o. 8 Arkansas. After going down 2-1, they scraped out a draw courtesy of an 85th-minute equalizer from senior forward e llie o speck. This was one of two draws, the other coming on the receiving end of a late equalizing goal in a 2-2 result against m ilwaukee to open the season.

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Golf

con TInued from PAGe 15

appearance.

h istorically, the Irish haven’t been a national powerhouse. In fact, the women have never won a national title, while the men boast a singular national title, won in 1944. The Irish will look to make strides this year especially, as neither the men nor women made the c oaches’ Poll top 25 at the end of last season. In last year’s Acc Women’s Golf c hampionship, the Irish finished dead last in 12th place. The men did not fare much better, finishing 10th above boston college and v irginia Tech.

The men have found some recent success under coach handrigan, but last year was not successful compared to years past.

“[We’re] coming back [this season] not even thinking about last year. They’re just thinking about what notre dame golf is,” handrigan said. “We know we are a championship program and championship team, and we are going to compete that way all year.” both programs will look to have better seasons this upcoming year. The incoming freshmen, coach serketich and graduate leadership could mark a turnaround for the programs as the men’s and women’s golf teams start their seasons.

Contact Ryan Eastland at reastlan@nd.edu

d espite settling for that disappointing draw, the Irish bounced back with consecutive, resounding victories over b all s tate (30) and b utler (4-1). They will need to maintain this identity throughout the season, especially as they approach conference play against what appears to be very

strong A cc competition. f or now, they will hope to maintain their undefeated status in e ast Lansing on s unday as they face off against the m ichigan s tate s partans. The Irish attack enters s unday with confidence after scoring 11 goals in its first four matches — almost three per game. That included two against an Arkansas defense that had yet to concede through its first two matches. The attack is spearheaded by graduate student forward m addie m ercado, who leads the team in shots. While she has only notched one goal so far, the floodgates are bound to open very soon. Graduate student midfielders Kiki van Zanten and e rin h ohnstein have emerged in setup roles, each sharing a team-high two assists with van Zanten providing a goal of her own. h owever, somewhat surprisingly, senior defender e va Gaetino leads the team in scoring with three goals, performing brilliantly on both ends of the field.

b eyond completing defensive duties, she has been an immense presence getting forward for set pieces, terrorizing opponents in the 18. The Irish defense will look to respond after conceding twice against a talented Arkansas attack. A clean sheet would be a wonderful confidence booster for a unit that has endured a couple of challenging matches. They will face a s partan attack that has compiled a strong start to the season statistically but still may have some question marks based on early performances. o n paper, 11 goals in four matches would appear as strong as n otre d ame’s scoring record. h owever, seven of these goals came in a 7-0 rout against n orthern c olorado. o therwise, the s partans have four in their other three matches, including none in their most recent loss to c olorado.

Jordyn Wickes and emerson

On Aug. 24, junior midfielder Sophia Fisher dribbles past Butler defenders. With a 2-0-2 record, the Irish set their sights on MSU. see msu PAGE 13

observer sports mailbag: Will receivers hold Irish back?

By J.J. POST Associate sports editor

for the first time (at least in my time at the o bserver), we’re doing a mailbag! You have questions about Irish athletics. I, in my infinite wisdom (and attendance record), will hopefully have answers. o ne disclaimer: All questions have been edited for clarity and brevity. And with that, off we go …

Is Sam Hartman good enough to win big games with a still-unproven receiver core?

more on this in this week’s Irish Insider! In short, my answer is yes. notre d ame’s receiving core showed promise last s aturday. b ut it comes with the important caveat that navy’s pass defense is a far cry from a high-level benchmark. This is a secondary unit that ranked 98th in passing yards allowed per game last season. Tennessee s tate probably won’t provide that test, but north c arolina s tate won’t be a pushover. We’ll probably have a better idea of where the Irish passing attack stands on s eptember 10th.

however, the flashes shown against navy do matter for a unit that struggled to generate buzz over the summer. s ophomore wideout Jayden Thomas is a unique weapon that can be used in a variety of roles by new offensive coordinator Gerad Parker. The value of a receiver who looks comfortable both in the slot and on the outside shouldn’t be understated. Junior wide receiver d eion c olzie carried over his strong end to the 2022 season with multiple key catches. f reshman Jaden Greathouse did as well with eight snaps as could have been reasonably asked (and then some)! s enior c hris Tyree had strong moments in his new slot role. The only receiver who didn’t chip in was sophomore Tobias merriweather, who struggled for involvement after an early drop and a long pass break-up.

merriweather remains the key to the group. Thomas will likely lead the group in both targets and catches. Greathouse should only get better as the year goes on. b ut neither of those players are traditional vertical threats. Tobias merriweather

could be just that for the Irish — the player that really opens up the passing game underneath. If teams have to account for merriweather, that’s less attention they can give to the likes of Thomas and Tyree.

e xpect m erriweather to garner targets early and often against Tennessee s tate for this exact reason.

At what fictional sport would n otre Dame athletics most excel?

In the h arry Potter canon universe, Ireland does have a quidditch World c up, so let’s go with that. Plus, the concept of interhall sports plays so well into the idea of competition between houses.

w ould Stanford joining the Big Ten sway n otre Dame to join a conference in full?

This was one of multiple questions from the mailbag concerning n otre d ame’s independence, but it took the most interesting (in the mind of this writer, at least) angle. s tanford joining the b ig Ten would certainly create an enticing offer for the

powers-at-be for the Irish to consider.

Almost all of n otre d ame’s yearly rivalry games would neatly align into one potential conference slate. Traditional rivalries with the likes of m ichigan s tate, Purdue and m ichigan could be revived as well. And the money would be lucrative, to say the least.

n otre d ame clearly thinks exceptionally highly of s tanford as a school and athletic program (justifiably so, with the c ardinal running a d irectors’ c up dynasty), highly enough to leverage any sway they have with the Acc to try and find them a home. b ut would they shed their treasured independence for them? I’d have to imagine it would be a step too far. As long as n otre d ame remains financially capable of staying independent and able to do so with a path to the c ollege f ootball Playoff, they’ll stand pat.

s ubmit questions for future o bserver sports mailbags at ndsmcobserver.com.

oBSERvER SPoRTS MAIlBAG

Huskies

of the 20 goals nIU scored last year, players who scored 15 of them returned. The huskies also brought in 12 newcomers, four of whom arrived through the transfer portal. Transplants such as junior forward Kevin Kelly, who leads the huskies with six shots, have made early impacts.

This past weekend, nIU split its

matches with Western Illinois and memphis. before defeating the Leathernecks 1-0 in the opener, the huskies had to overcome a strange circumstance. With the heat index exceeding 100, the teams were forced to play indoors at rockford. Thanks to senior defender dylan banker’s first collegiate goal, nIU pulled out the victory. but then, the huskies fell flat in sunday’s 3-1 loss to memphis. sophomore midfielder Angel rodriguez, who

also assisted in last Thursday’s lone goal, scored to break up the Tigers’ clean sheet.

Irish look to build on encouraging first weekend halfway through its opening non-conference stretch, notre dame has looked sharp. In the blazing heat of game one, the Irish hung with second-ranked Indiana, playing to a 1-1 draw. Though the hoosiers produced 17 shots, notre

dame earned seven corners and found the opening goal. chad riley’s side then took care of business sunday, thumping IUPUI 5-0. Junior forward matthew roou, a four-goal-scorer in 2022, potted his first collegiate hat trick. notre dame’s back line was sturdy as well, relaxing senior goalkeeper bryan dowd after a four-save effort Thursday. now, as their schedule thins out to three games in two weeks, the Irish

hope to keep their foot on the gas. considering notre dame opens Acc play with clemson, the conference’s preseason favorite, opportunities to build depth and rapport in the non-conference are paramount.

Friday’s match will kick off at 7 p.m. and stream live on Acc network extra.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

about, that’s been with us for a couple years but was out much of last year with some injuries [and] has looked great in practice this year, is Josh methner,” sparks said. “he was an All-American [in 2021]. he and [solomon] should be a great one-two punch, and they’re both very good leaders for the program.” but postseason races are frequently decided by depth. And high-level performers throughout the top seven are needed for a team to be competitive nationally. To fill those key roles, the Irish took two opposite routes, one of which was to bring in a pair of graduate transfers with big-race experience.

“[Graduate students vincent mauri] from Arizona state and Tyler [berg] from columbia are both guys that have experience on the national level. They were both top-100 at the ncAA meet,” sparks said. “so they will give us four guys that have competed on the high end on the national level.”

In contrast, the Irish will also count on several sophomores who lack experience but developed well in their first year on campus.

“We redshirted all the freshmen last year, and they really improved by leaps and bounds as a result of being able to take that year off and not having to jump in and compete immediately,” sparks said, mentioning sophomores ethan coleman, cJ singleton and daelen Ackley as standouts from the class.

“[We] expect all of those guys to push to find their way into our varsity top seven.”

Graduate transfers join impressive women’s veteran group

The notre dame women’s team tells a similar story. Graduate student olivia markezich, the team’s top runner last season and one of the best in the country, will lead it. markezich placed eighth at the ncAA meet in 2022 and followed that effort up in the spring by winning the ncAA title in the 3000m steeplechase and nearly qualifying for the World championships in the same event.

“It’s been amazing to watch her progression over the last four years,” sparks said about markezich. “she has such great composure in the big moments, and that’s infectious.”

her steady confidence and

“calm presence” extend to the entire Irish team. notre dame returns several runners who performed well last year and look to build off strong seasons on the track.

sparks pointed to senior erin strzelecki and junior siona chisholm, notre dame’s second and fourth finishers at last season’s ncAA meet, as runners who are likely to be out in front for the Irish along with markezich.

“There’s a confidence about the group this year that’s really exciting to see on the women’s side, with a very veteran group,” sparks said. “[strzelecki and chisholm are] returners that we expect to make a big impact.”

Part of that veteran presence comes from the team’s incoming graduate transfers, a group led by ericka vanderLende and Andrea markezich, twin sister of olivia.

“ericka vanderLende came from the University of michigan. she was an All-American for them a couple years ago,” sparks explained. “[Andrea markezich] is joining us from [the] University of Washington, and she’s run some of the fastest times in [Washington’s program history].”

The Irish have consistently

sought out graduate transfers, not only to find runners capable of making an instant impact competitively but also to add new leadership and fresh energy to the roster.

“It’s nice to obviously bring the performance on the track,” sparks said. “but the piece that makes it that much more special is the — I feel like the word culture is overused in sports these days - but just the change in energy that comes with bringing in a 22-year-old veteran leader of a team.”

Add all of the pieces together, and both Irish teams appear capable of surpassing last year’s national finishes: 15th for the men and seventh for the women. before they get the chance to do so, they will navigate a regular season that, according to sparks, “gets a little bit more competitive” with each meet. notre dame will start its season with the crusader Invite at valparaiso on Friday, an exhibition-like event that provides an opportunity “for some of the younger [runners] to put a uniform on for the first time.”

They will host two meets — the national catholic Invite and the Joe Piane notre dame

Invite — during september. The Irish will then close their regular season slate in mid-october with the Wisconsin nuttycombe Invitational, a highly competitive meet that sparks says “most emulates the ncAA championship.” From there, it’s on to the postseason with the Acc championship, ncAA regional and ncAA championship to follow. on the men’s side, sparks mentioned north carolina, v irginia and Wake Forest as teams the Irish will compete with for an Acc championship and a top-10 national finish. The women will look to challenge defending national champion nc state for top spots on the Acc and nc AA stages.

“We know what the top of the food chain looks like with nc state,” sparks said. “We’re chasing after them, so we can obviously only get better when the bar is set that high.”

The bar is set and the preparations are complete. The Irish are highly motivated and ready to get their season underway.

Contact

Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Irish golf ready to put disappointing 2022-23 behind them

By RYAN EASTLAND sports Writer

As the fall semester kicks off, both the men’s and women’s golf teams will be back in action during the first week of september. The ladies tee off their season at Purdue’s boilermaker c lassic on monday. The men will also tee off monday but at m ichigan state’s Folds of honor c ollegiate. While the women’s team will not play in south bend during the fall slate, the men will visit Warren Golf c ourse on oct. 1-2 for the Fighting Irish c lassic. both teams, however, will have a unique opportunity to hit the links abroad. The teams will make a trip to scotland to play at st. Andrews Links. one of the oldest courses in the world, it often hosts The o pen c hampionship.

“It is the home of golf, and for us to be able to play at the most iconic and probably best golf

course in the world, [it] speaks volumes for notre dame golf,” said men’s head coach John handrigan. The teams will take on st. Andrews from oct. 23-25.

A new season also means new faces for each team. both teams will introduce three freshmen this year. For the men’s team, that’s c hristopher bagnall (Pretoria, south Africa), Jacob modleski ( noblesville, I n ) and rocco salvitti ( canonsburg, PA). meanwhile, the women’s team welcomes m imi burton (Austin, TX), Anna heck ( memphis, T n ) and Alexsandra Lapple (Pinehurst, nc ). These freshmen will look to make an instant impact if they are selected for the fiveman roster.

“We have three new freshmen on the team, and all three of those guys are in a position to travel in the lineup, based on their score [Wednesday],” handrigan said. “It shows you we are a young team with

those three guys, but it just shows you how good they are if they have a chance to be in that very difficult lineup.” not all three will make the five-man roster for every match. but the fact that all three have the scores needed to make the cut speaks very highly of this talented, young team. It is safe to say that with the incoming class, handrigan has high hopes for his team this season.

Another new addition to both golf teams is Andrew serketich, who will be the new assistant coach and director of operations for both teams. serketich was hired from Queens University of c harlotte this August. serketich had great success at Queens. In Queens’ final season at the dII level, serketich’s team finished first at the s Ac c hampionship. This victory led the royals to an nc AA c hampionship

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI| The Observer

With hopes of improving last year’s performance, Irish golf begins their season on Sept. 4 at Michigan State’s Folds of Honor Collegiate.

Irish cross country looks to turn experience into success

by placing 18th nationally.

By MATTHEW CROW

Associate sports editor

As has become customary in recent years, last season’s notre dame cross country team was among the nation’s best on both the men’s and women’s sides. but with a strong group of returners at the helm, the Irish are confident in their ability to reach even greater heights in 2023.

“both teams return a very veteran-led group, with [last year’s top runner] for both teams back this year,” Irish director of track & field and cross country matt sparks said about the upcoming season. “both teams also return a solid nucleus of experienced runners to support them, so spirits are high on the first week.”

Solomon, Methner lead returning core on men’s side

For the Irish men, that top returner is senior carter solomon, who enters the season following a breakout year. solomon stepped into a lead role in 2022 and rose to the occasion, winning the individual Acc title and earning All-American honors

Hcc WoMEn’S SoccER

“[The departure of several top runners prior to last season] left a lot of spaces available in the top seven,” sparks said, “and that allowed carter solomon to really assert himself. he’d been here for a couple years but was never asked to really step up and be a front runner and be a leader. And so it’s really exciting for him to take that initiative and become that go-to guy for us last year.”

This season, the Irish bring back most of their core lineup, providing a sense of stability for a men’s program that sorely missed it last year.

“There was a lot of change last year from the direction of the coaching staff. We lost a coach and [assistant] coach [chris] neal’s now in his second year leading the men,” sparks explained. “so the team has a much better expectation of what practices and competition and just general philosophy look like.”

Also at the forefront of their “nucleus” is Josh methner. sparks expects the senior to join solomon, both atop the pack during races and as a team leader.

“Another guy we’re really excited

see Xc PAGE 15

Shaw scores again, but HCC fails to comeback

By JACK HORTON s ports Writer

The holy c ross c ollege women’s soccer team entered their game on Wednesday in high spirits after a thrilling last-second goal by freshman defender Abigail Fouts against Indiana e ast on s aturday. The s aints looked to build on this momentum in a road match in Goshen, Indiana, against the undefeated Goshen c ollege m aple Leafs.

The m aple Leafs came out on the attack and took three shots on goal in the first 16 minutes of play at the Ingold c omplex. Goshen then opened the scoring in the 18th minute when Katie s auder scored her first goal of the season off an assist from s eja Lang.

d espite an early deficit, the s aints stayed determined to bounce back. The team quickly marched down

the field in two minutes and eight seconds and responded with a goal from senior midfielder o livia s haw. s haw continued her hot start to the campaign with the goal, her third in four games this season. s he stayed very active throughout the remainder of the game, tallying five shots on goal.

d espite the goal by s haw, the m aple Leafs also refused to be rattled. m adalyne s wallow, who was substituted into the game just a mere five minutes earlier, entered the scoring party with her first goal of the season in the 29th minute. m idfielder Amy d rew recorded the assist.

From there, the rest of the first half became a defensive battle. h oly c ross managed only one shot on goal during the final 15 minutes of the frame. The two teams played to a standstill for the rest of the game. b oth

Irish take on Huskies at home

goalkeepers, h oly c ross freshman Payton Ladson and Goshen’s v ictoria n aylor, did not let another ball hit the back of the net for the rest of the game. The teams ended the game with nearly identical numbers of shots, saves and fouls.

The s aints did have three shots on goal in the final 10 minutes of the game. b ut n aylor came up big for the m aple Leafs down the stretch, saving all three of them to secure the win for Goshen.

With the loss, the s aints fall back to .500 at 2-2-0 on the year. Goshen, meanwhile, improved to an impressive 3-0-0. h oly c ross will get a week of rest before returning to the field to face Lourdes (1-0-0) on Wednesday, s ept. 6. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. from s outh b end.

Contact Jack Horton at jhorton6@nd.edu

By TYLER REIDY Associate sports editor

After an opening weekend full of positives, notre dame men’s soccer returns to action Friday. The northern Illinois huskies, fresh off a disappointing loss at home, travel to s outh b end for their first road match of 2023. In five previous meetings, the Irish have two wins to n IU’s one. The programs most recently met in August 2021, when notre dame scored twice and blanked the huskies at Alumni stadium.

b oth teams were at their best during that 2021 season. Under then-m Ac c oach of the Year r yan s wan, northern Illinois tied a program record with 15 wins, including one in the nc AA Tournament. o n the other side, notre dame pushed deep into the postseason, reaching the c ollege c up. however, both squads took a step back in 2022, combining

for a 13-15-6 record.

Amid conference shift, Huskies seek production and resurgence

The big story of the offseason in deKalb told of a conference change. After 26 years in the mid-American conference, nIU men’s soccer transitioned to the missouri valley conference in which they were picked to finish eighth this season. Fellow m Ac free agents, Western michigan and bowling Green joined the huskies in the mvc

Like notre dame, northern Illinois looks to goal-scoring to take a large step toward improvement from last season. The huskies’ top 2022 scorer, junior forward Taisei Arima, put just three balls in the back of the net. And that low peak followed the 16-goal 2021 of nick markavich, who is now thriving in the UsL championship. still,

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

At the 2022 Notre Dame Joe Piane Invitational, the Irish men’s cross country team finished first, the women’s team fourth. The Irish hope to carry results to this year’s meet, which takes place on Sept. 29.

nD MEn’S SoccER

coordinator a l g olden talked about the challenge of preparing to play a team they’ve never seen before.

“We have to keep our eyes on the challenge,” g olden said when asked about the unique matchup. “[They have] two talented quarterbacks, three running backs, a really big-time wideout…that’s where our focus is.”

head coach marcus freeman praised the linebackers’ performance against the m idshipmen last weekend. he mentioned Liufau’s forced fumble and a concerted effort to create turnovers. That stands in stark contrast to last season, when notre dame didn’t generate a turnover in its first three games. The unit generated two fumbles against navy, although the irish failed to recover one.

“You can see defensive guys being aware of the football, trying to get it out,” freeman said. “c redit to them, the turnovers and takeaways will come as long as we are constantly aware of where the ball is.”

Tennessee state’s offense marks a big adjustment for Kiser and the notre dame defense after months of preparation focused on denying navy’s triple option rushing attack. The Tigers’ passing attack is far from elite. but notre dame will still have to transition from a game that saw them defend just seven pass attempts. despite the adjustment, freeman foresees a seamless transition for g olden’s unit.

freeman pointed to preparation as a source of confidence in the defense, explaining that the first-team offense and defense practice against each other. The two sides practice “good on good,” meaning the starters get plenty of reps against a “normal” offense in the lead-up to navy. regardless, the coaching staff wants to keep it simple ahead of Tennessee state’s visit and focus on “letting great players play great,” freeman said.

“i think the adjustment from [ navy] to now won’t be a big one,” freeman said. “The thing is, we have to be smart about our preparation. You can’t go from the navy gameplan to a gameplan this week that is super complicated.”

Kiser said he too sees saturday as a chance for the defense to get back to the system they’re comfortable with: the system they’ve practiced all year and the system they’re counting on to lead them to great heights this season — Kiser’s final one at notre dame.

“schematically it’s a lot different,” Kiser said. “You have to adjust, but we practice this a lot more than the option so it’s a bit easier to go back to it.”

Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu

post: irish receivers answered questions in Week 1, but star power

By MATTHEW CROW a ssociate sports editor

This column was actually inspired by a question in this year’s inaugural o bserver s ports mailbag, so thanks to whoever submitted it.

Is [graduate student quarterback] Sam Hartman good enough to win big games with a still-unproven receiving corps?

i t’s a good question. o ne n otre d ame will need to have an answer for by the time they play the likes of o hio s tate and usc e veryone saw how great h artman can be last s aturday. h e was precise, deft-footed and confident, everything you’d want to see in a graduate student quarterback.

Junior receiver Jayden Thomas was expectedly reliable, posting four catches for 63 yards and a touchdown. Thomas leading the way in catches and targets is a pretty safe bet for n otre d ame this fall. h e’s a vocal leader and a (relative) veteran in a young unit. h e led all wide receivers in yards and touchdowns last year. h is stripes have been more than earned on the current i rish depth chart.

f reshman receiver Jaden

g reathouse flashed moments of excellence, turning eight snaps into two touchdowns. The highly-touted freshman has been a revelation since the b lue- g old game, showing early signs of being a major recruiting win at a position that badly needed one. h e’ll get a whole lot more than eight snaps as the season goes on. s enior c hris Tyree looked comfortable in the slot, which says a lot, given he

Greathouse

con T inued from page 4

more than 400 receiving yards in 2022, creating an opportunity for someone — anybody — capable of stepping up to do so. greathouse made a great impression in the blue-gold game. he finished with 11 catches for 118 yards, giving onlookers a glimpse of his talent and connection with graduate student quarterback sam hartman. even though both are new to the school, his chemistry with hartman was evident even then.

“he’s a tremendous player,”

hadn’t played the position until the spring. h e’ll continue to develop, attempting to use his speed to turn short catches into long ones in a hurry.

That said, neither Thomas, g reathouse nor Tyree fit the traditional mold of a team’s leading receiver. Think of a .T. p erry, h artman’s most recent top target at Wake f orest. p erry is long, fast,\ and prefers to play on the boundary. h e’s generally at his best sprinting vertically down the sideline running down deep throws.

a nd it’s not that Thomas, the team’s projected leading receiver, can’t do that. h is 46-yard catch in the b lue- g old game this spring showed evidence that a similar connection with h artman could emerge. b ut it’s not where he’s at his best either. Thomas’ strength lies in his versatility. h e’s a s wiss army knife, capable of lining up in the slot or on the boundary. a nd his value as a blocker can never be understated either.

n otre d ame has an emerging stable of receivers. b ut it’s difficult to see any being the deep threat p erry was for h artman last season.

The man who can potentially change that? f reshman Tobias m erriweather.

m erriweather has a unique profile in the receiver room. h e is, potentially, that vertical threat that n otre d ame needs. h e was also the only receiver in the starting rotation that missed the stat sheet in last s aturday’s game.

i t’s not for a lack of physical tools. m erriweather currently lists on the i rish roster as 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds with a background in track to boot. i t’s not for a lack of pedigree, with

greathouse said of hartman following the blue-gold game in april 2023. “all of our quarterbacks are, so it’s definitely relieving to have guys like that, that confirm in the ball. so, i’m really appreciative that we had those kinds of guys and i’m super excited for what comes next.”

The consensus four-star recruit was ranked as high as fourth among Texas receivers in his class and led his high school team to three state titles. he chose notre dame over powerhouses like Texas and oklahoma, helping to enhance and further build the irish recruiting pipeline to some of the best Texas

m erriweather arriving in s outh b end a consensus top-200 recruit. a nd it hasn’t been for a lack of opportunities. h is 35 snaps against n avy placed him second after Thomas. h e also accumulated over 100 snaps in 2022.

s till, m erriweather’s career stats for the i rish remain a single reception against s tanford. That lone reception, though, showed exactly the player he could become for n otre d ame. i n a game where the i rish completed just one other pass for a gain of more than 20 yards, m erriweather’s 41yard score gave n otre d ame their first lead of the contest. Therein lies the power of the vertical threat. a ll it takes is one strike a game to change the complexion of a game.

a breakout showing by m erriweather would benefit the rest of the room as well. b etween Thomas, Tyree and g reathouse, the i rish are well-stocked with options that can consistently keep the chains moving. n otre d ame’s receivers picked up seven first downs against n avy, none of which came on especially deep throws.

b ut teams will begin to key on this. Thomas and g reathouse in particular have shown a knack for finding space in opposing defenses, but those spaces will become less and less common as the i rish face opposition with more tape to study on the n otre d ame passing attack.

The benefit of a quarterback like h artman is, of course, it becomes easier for the i rish to mitigate such effects of stronger defenses, even if they do arrive this season. h artman’s poise and ability to go through his progressions make him

players in the country. greathouse’s size and skills make him a versatile player. The austin native’s speed characterizes him as a deep threat to opponents’ defense. his ability to go across the middle for a tough catch makes him an even greater asset for notre dame. he may have a few months with the irish under his belt. but greathouse’s dedication to the team is evident.

“it was amazing,” greathouse said after the navy game. “i’ve dreamt of this ever since i was young. The opportunity is finally here. i’m glad that i was able to make the most of it. my teammates out there helping me, i

an ideal candidate to break down even the most prepared secondary.

b ut a breakout from m erriweather would make h artman’s job considerably easier. a deep threat in the n otre d ame offense would force teams to throw out the current book on how to best defend the pass against the i rish. c ommitting more and more bodies underneath is far less advisable if n otre d ame has a player who can stretch the field on any given play.

o ffensive coordinator g erad p arker’s inaugural offensive display against n avy was surgical in nature. The i rish moved the ball with remarkable efficiency, skillfully blending a forceful running game with a confident passing attack. The efficiency shown last s aturday didn’t come against the best opponent but should scale up to match higher competition.

b ut there’s another gear this n otre d ame offense, and h artman, can find. i t’s one thing to be efficient. i t’s another to be dynamic. The i rish hope m erriweather’s emergence will allow h artman to sling the ball downfield more than he did in d ublin.

The i rish justifiably flew home last s unday feeling tremendously pleased with their opening offensive showing. b ut with the likes of o hio s tate, usc and c lemson on the schedule, it never hurts to have more weapons. a nd against a Tennessee s tate secondary playing its first game of 2023, p arker and c o. will no doubt look to get as many of those weapons up and firing as possible.

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

couldn’t have done it without them boosting me up and elevating my level of play. When we come back to the sideline, everybody is cheering. everybody is happy for each other. it’s really a beautiful thing.”

With the first home kickoff saturday, there’s still work to be done.

“We all have a job that we have to do, and so you have to step up to the plate,” greathouse said. “i’m so grateful my teammates and coaches have that trust in me.”

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

GREAThouSE FEATuRE

Greathouse in rare company after dazzling debut game

By MADELINE LADD

Assisstant sports editor

rarely is a freshman wide receiver a name to watch for a notre dame football team. but Jaden Greathouse may be an exception to that rule. The freshman wide receiver had a stellar performance in his debut game for the Irish, hauling in two touchdowns against navy.

Pulling off such a difficult feat is impressive for any freshman wideout. Let alone one in his first collegiate game. Greathouse’s effort placed him in the Irish record books, joining former wide receivers michael Floyd, equanimeous st. brown, davaris daniels and Will Fuller as the wide receivers to catch two touchdowns in a season opener. Three of those four went on to play in the nFL. Floyd won a super bowl. none of those talented receivers pulled that feat off in their freshman seasons. In fact, no one ever has for the Irish.

Greathouse’s first-ever collegiate touchdown was a thing of beauty, a 34-yard catch on a seam route in

KEYS To vIcToRY

stride in the second quarter, putting the Irish up by a comfortable 21-0 margin. This was followed by a 20-yard touchdown reception in the third after breaking off his route and getting wide open in the end zone on a hartman scramble.

Greathouse led all receivers in receiving yards with 68 and finished tied for second in receptions with three. his performance helped instill optimism in the youthful wide receiver room. It also sets the bar for the rest of the season for all of them to step up and make big plays for the Irish.

“To see Jaden Greathouse go up and score two touchdowns today, it’s a reflection of what hopefully [Wide receivers] coach [chansi] stuckey has done with that room because I think four wideouts caught a touchdown today,” Freeman said. “That room is continuing to improve.”

There was always a path to playing time for Greathouse due to notre dame’s thin wide receiver depth chart. no wideout recorded

see GreAThoUse PAGE 3

Keys to the game: Tennessee state

By MATTHEW CROW Associate sports editor

After a dominant win in dublin last weekend, notre dame football faces off against Tennessee state in its home opener saturday. The Irish are overwhelming favorites against the first Fcs opponent in program history. The game is unlikely to be competitive. but, in recent years, notre dame has not always been at its best when expected to win big.

The Irish notably lost to marshall and stanford at home last season and were lucky to scrape past Toledo in 2021. After notre dame’s last game in dublin in 2012, they barely eked out a 20-17 win against Purdue the following week. Tennessee state shouldn’t present the same challenge that those teams did. but notre dame would be wise not to overlook any opponent. here are the Irish’s keys to victory as they look to carry the momentum over from their impressive performance against navy to their home debut.

Get out of the gates fast

An important aspect of notre dame’s performance against navy was their fast start offensively. The Irish received the opening kickoff

and worked the ball down the field with a masterful 13-play, 81-yard touchdown drive. They would not be stopped during the entire first half, scoring touchdowns on all four of their possessions before the break. notre dame’s offense is capable of doing the same against Tennessee state and will aim to fire on all cylinders the second they step onto their home turf.

nothing dissipates the energy of a home crowd faster than a few three-and-outs to start the game. And nothing heightens that energy more than racking up big plays in the opening minutes.

Last year’s Irish team got a clear view of both ends of the spectrum. They consistently started slow at home early in the season, scoring just 14 first-half points in their first three home games combined. A huge part of notre dame’s second-half turnaround last year was figuring out how to score early in games. The Irish tallied 81 first-half points in the final three games of their home slate.

notre dame doesn’t want to wait that long to figure out how to start strong at home this season. saturday presents their first opportunity to quickly claim the momentum in notre dame stadium.

Whether it’s through a long run by junior running back Audric estime or a deep bomb from graduate student quarterback sam hartman, the Irish can take complete control of the game like they did against navy if they’re able to find an early offensive rhythm.

Force turnovers

If you’re looking for a defensive stat to explain notre dame’s aforementioned turnaround last year, turnovers are a good place to start. The Irish forced just two turnovers on their way to a 3-3 start. over their 6-1 finish, they took the ball away 13 times.

notre dame was nearly able to carry that trend into their opening game of 2023. In the first half in dublin, Irish graduate student linebacker Jack Kiser nearly recovered a navy fumble, but was ruled out of bounds. Later in the third quarter, navy fumbled on an errant pitch attempt and Irish graduate student linebacker Jd bertrand emerged from the pile with the ball. however, officials ruled that the midshipmen gained possession before bertrand’s recovery.

notre dame would ultimately come up empty for the game in

terms of turnovers. changing that won’t be any easier against a Tennessee state offense that prioritizes running and ball security.

“You watch their games, they don’t turn the ball over and they take the ball away,” Irish head coach marcus Freeman said about Tennessee state. “That’s the sign of a well-coached team.”

bertrand’s overturned recovery ended up having no real impact on the game’s outcome. Failing to force a turnover isn’t likely to be a death knell for the Irish on saturday. but the turnover battle can be what swings a tight late-season game. It would serve the defense well to come away with a few against Tennessee state. As was shown last year, once the turnovers start coming, they often don’t stop.

Spread the wealth

The standout play of notre dame’s wide receivers against navy came as somewhat of a surprise. An untested unit that was thought to potentially be a weak point of the offense disproved that narrative — at least for now.

Particularly promising was the effort from freshman Jaden

Greathouse, who finished with 68 yards and two touchdown receptions in his first collegiate game. Juniors Jayden Thomas and deion colzie combined for a pair of scores and more than 100 yards, exhibiting a strong connection with hartman.

“It’s still a really inexperienced room, so this game experience is so valuable for them, because they are talented,” Freeman said after the game. “now, to be able to show that they have the ability to do it in a game is, to me, what’s going to catapult that room.”

Facing another overmatched secondary, the Irish should again look to share the ball and find targets for their entire receiving corps. specifically, getting sophomore Tobias merriweather more involved after his quiet outing against navy should be a priority. notre dame will have to count on their young receivers in big games down the line. so taking advantage of every chance to provide them with in-game reps and build their confidence can only benefit the offense and the team moving forward.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

MEGHAN LANGE | The Observer

Freshman wide receiver Jaden Greathouse celebrates his first of two touchdowns in the Irish’s Stadium Series game against Navy. That night, Greathouse’s pair of tocuhdowns made Notre Dame history.