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Volume 55, Issue 24 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Paul Ryan discusses debt, healthcare Former Speaker of the House examines economics in the age of COVID-19 during virtual lecture

By ISABELLA LAUFENBERG News Writer

Former Spea ker of the House Paul Ryan gave a lecture to Notre Dame economics students and facult y on the intersection of economics and public policy Tuesday night.

Ryan, who hails from Wisconsin, ser ved as a member of the House of Representatives for 20 years.

During his time as a representative, he ser ved as the Spea ker of the House from 2015-2019. A fter his retirement from Congress, Ryan has gone on to create the A merican Idea Foundation. He a lso currently

sits on the board of the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities and is a v isiting professor at Notre Dame.

At the beginning of his lecture, Ryan told listeners about how his economics major from Miami Universit y in Ohio shaped a lot of his policy-ma k ing decisions.

Ryan said that he believes basic k nowledge of economics is rea lly inva luable to a policy ma ker.

“It’s rea l ly impor ta nt, a nd it helps you understa nd t he goings a nd t he comings of public polic y,” Rya n sa id.

ISABELLA LAUFENBERG | The Observer

see ECONOMICS PAGE 5

Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan lectured on the intersection between economics and public policy, as well as debt and healthcare during COVID-19 to University economics students and faculty Tuesday.

Bishop shares tips for voting

By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN Associate News Editor

On Tuesday evening, Saint Mary’s hosted Bishop Robert McElroy who spoke in a lecture titled “Voting as an Authentic Disciple” — a talk centered around voting and considering political issues as Catholic voters. The event was sponsored by Saint Mary’s Campus Ministry, the Office for Civic and Social Engagement, the Center for Spirituality, and University of Notre Dame Campus Ministry.

To begin the talk, Saint Mary’s campus minister Fr. Steve Newton introduced College President Katie Conboy who spoke about the importance of having honest conversations about voting, especially as a part of Saint Mary’s mission.

“Events like this one are so important as we enter the final weeks before the election,” Conboy said. “...These events serve as a great reminder, not only of Saint Mary’s mission to promote a life of social responsibility but also of the Sisters of the Holy Cross and their tireless

NEWS PAGE 4

work for social justice.”

Conboy then welcomed Bishop McElroy, the author of two books on religion’s place in civic discourse and several articles about Catholic social teaching, who currently serves in the Diocese of San Diego.

McElroy first spoke about how Catholic voters can feel isolated from a divisive twoparty system that does not accept all parts of Church teaching.

“The faithful Catholic voter is automatically homeless in our political world, never feeling at peace with the specific constellations that her party has chosen to accept and certainly never feeling at peace with the partisan tribalism in both Democratic and Republican cultures that forms our politics and our nation,” he said.

McElroy said voters must evaluate candidates based on the values found in Catholic social teaching. W hile some voters believe there is only one central issue in the 2020 election cycle, like abortion, climate change or racial see VOTING PAGE 5

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

Jenkins completes COVID-19 isolation period Observer Staff Report

A version of this story was published online Oct. 12.

Universit y President Fr. John Jenk ins has completed his medica lly recommended isolation period after contracting the coronav irus, Paul Brow ne, the office of public affairs and

communications v ice president, said in a press release Monday evening.

Jenk ins began his period of isolation t wo weeks ago on Sept. 28.

He initia lly entered quarantine of his ow n volition after receiv ing criticism over not wearing a mask or socia l distancing at the W hite House Rose Garden

nomination ceremony of Notre Dame law professor Judge A my Coney Barret Sept. 26.

Jenk ins tested positive for COVID-19 sometime bet ween Sept. 28 and Oct. 2, when his positive result was announced to students, facult y and staff. see JENKINS PAGE 4

Angela Davis addresses racial inequality in lecture

By MIA MORAN News Writer

Author, professor and activ ist Dr. A ngela Dav is was the key note spea ker at the 27th A nnua l Hesburgh Lecture in Ethics and Public Policy Tuesday, which honors former Universit y President and founder of the Kroc Institute Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh.

During the v irtua l lecture, Dav is conversed v irtua lly w ith students on the

SCENE PAGE 10

struggles of economic, racia l and gender justice.

The panel included moderator Dr. Dav id Hooker, associate professor of peace studies, junior Duncan Dona hue, Lenai Johnson, a first-year in the masters of globa l affairs program and A mar yst ParksKing, a second-year doctora l student in peace studies and sociolog y..

The lecture began w ithHooker ack nowledging Indigenous Peoples Day,

ND W SOCCER PAGE 16

which was Monday, and moved on to introduce the panelists and then Dav is as a distinguished professor emerita of histor y of consciousness — an interdisciplinar y Ph.D. program — and of feminist studies at the Universit y of Ca lifornia Santa Cruz. Dav is is a lso a well-k now n, accomplished author, penning 10 books.

Dav is said socia l see INEQUALITY PAGE 4

ND FOOTBALL PAGE16

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ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

On Tuesday night, the College’s Student Activities Board and Student Government Association held a Hocus Pocus movie night outside of Le Mans Hall. Festive themed t-shirts and popcorn were offered for students who attended the watch party.

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NEWS

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Professor wins NIH grant for cancer research

By MAGGIE KLAERS News Writer

The Nationa l Hea lth Institute (NIH) announced in October plans to give out nearly $251 million in grants over five years to 85 different scientists in their HighRisk, High Reward Research Program.

Notre Dame’s Katharine W hite was on the list.

W hite is an assistant professor of chemistr y and biolog y at the Universit y of Notre Dame, as well as a 2007 graduate from Saint Mar y’s, whose innovative research caught the attention of the NIH. She was awarded the Director’s New Innovators Award, a prestigious grant w ith a particular emphasis on supporting young researchers w ith big ideas.

“The award funds exceptiona lly creative, early career-investigators, so that’s people that propose innovative risk but a lso high reward

Inequality Continued from page 1

movements such as the ones for racia l justice and gender equa lit y are fundamenta lly intert w ined, and must be recognized by a ll activ ists as intersectiona l.

“Gender is race and race is gender,” Dav is said.

Dav is further emphasized the importance of intersectiona lit y in env ironmenta l justice, say ing that fighting climate change is the foundation for addressing other socia l issues.

“Env ironmenta l justice is the ground zero of a ll socia l movements,” Dav is said.

Parks-King said Dav is’ words are especia lly important during a year that the United States has been reckoning w ith racia l injustice and systemic racism, in addition to a globa l pandemic that has disproportiona lly affected Black A mericans.

“There has been so many unprecedented and precedented things that have been exacerbated by COV ID and by antiBlack ness and racia l injustice that this is a critica l moment to engage w ith A ngela Dav is,” Parks-King said. “I hope that

Jenkins Continued from page 1

Brow ne said Jenk ins learned earlier that week a colleague who he regularly associates w ith tested positive for the v irus. Jenk ins was then tested and received a positive result. As a result, he entered an extended period of

research,” W hite said. “It’s research that’s innovative, and risk y, but has a huge potentia l impact in human hea lth and improv ing human hea lth.

Broadly, and in this case, improv ing the treatment of cancer.”

W hite’s research focuses on comparing the relationship of the pH levels w ithin cancer cells to norma l cells.

“Our research platform in genera l is at the interface of chemistr y and cell biolog y.

We design new chemica l tools to manipulate cell biolog y,” W hite said. “Our focus is on understanding how intracellular pH dy namics [regulate] norma l cell biolog y as well as how dysregulated pH dy namics drive diseases like cancer.”

Junior Michael Sirok y, who has been work ing in W hite’s lab since June 2019, said this research has the potentia l to find new ways to reverse the effects of cancer grow th.

“We’re ver y interested in how the dysregulation of pH

people are able to hear what she has to say … especia lly right now.”

The lecture a lso entertained some audience questions, such as the va lue in the educationa l system and the carcera l state in Pa lestine.

Johnson said the heightened socia l consciousness to issues such as these is crucia l in mov ing for ward to fight racia l inequa lit y.

“People are starting to engage more w ith world events and recognizing the interconnectedness of movements and struggles for freedom and recognizing how there is a shared colonia l legacy a long a lot of countries,” Johnson said. “In order to combat that, working together in these socia l movements and recognizing those similarities [becomes] essentia l.”

Toward the end of the lecture, Dav is brought up capita lism and its contributions in cementing systemic racism in the United States and around the world.

In order to ta lk about how capita lism has affected disenfranchised communities, Dav is said that we, as a societ y, need to learn how to ta lk about slaver y.

“Colonia lism and slaver y were the foundations of

isolation.

“Since testing positive for COV ID-19, Fr. Jenk ins has experienced moderate sy mptoms that have lessened over time,” Brow ne said in a statement to The Obser ver on Thursday.

“He has worked remotely throughout. Fr. Jenk ins is grateful for the expressions of concern and good w ishes of

in cancer cells affects a lot of the ha llmarks of cancer, like grow th and metastasis and different metabolic adaptations,” Sirok y said. “We’re primarily focused on how those changes come about and to some extent like how to reverse them.”

There are many sma ller projects under the umbrella of W hite’s area of research.

Junior Jessamine Kuehn has been a member of W hite’s lab since spring 2019 and has been work ing on one of the sub-projects.

“My project was work ing w ith a particular mutation that’s found in 70% of gliomas,” Kuehn said. “It was a point mutation that changed an arginine, a rea lly basic amino acid, to a histidine, pH near-neutra l amino acid, that could actua lly function as a molecular sw itch to change, w ith sma ll changes in the intracellular pH of the cell, the function of the mutated protein.”

With the inf lu x of resources the grant w ill give her lab, W hite said she w ill be abled to dive into new avenues and sub-topics of her research.

In particular, W hite said she would be look ing into how heterogeneit y drives singlecell migration and metastasis events or how the diversit y of shape and function of cancer cells impacts their abilit y to spread in the body.

Furthermore, Sirok y said this grant w ill give the lab the power to increase the specificit y of their results and generate new opportunities to share their findings.

Receiv ing the NIH grant has been an aim for W hite since its inception. She said she believes her research is unique from other cancer research because it is the intersection bet ween t wo areas of study — apply ing the usage of chemica l tools to gain a better understanding of cellular behav ior.

“I think one of the key reasons my work is potentia lly highly innovative [is] because it ex ists at this interface bet ween chemistr y and cell biolog y,” W hite said.

Kuehn works closely w ith W hite as she learns new sk ills for the projects she ta kes on in the lab.

“I have a lot of one on one [time], like learning procedures w ith [W hite]. It’s rea lly nice that she’s available for that k ind of guidance. I rea lly appreciated that,” Kuehn said.

Sirok y said he is glad to see W hite’s hard work pay off.

“It’s prett y gratif y ing, especia lly k now ing how hard [W hite] works inside and outside the lab,” Sirok y said.

“She’s a lways fighting for a ll of these opportunities; it’s rea lly good to see one of them that’s this important pay off because she definitely deser ves it to the fullest extent.”

Contact Maggie Klaers at mklaers@nd.edu

MIA MORAN | The Observer

Author Angela Davis spoke to panelists from the University and answered audience questions on racial, gender and economic struggles at the 27th Annual Hesburgh Lecture in Ethics and Public Policy Tuesday. capita lism,” Dav is said.

Dav is said abolition is important because simply placing diversit y programs w ithin firms is only an “inv itation for minorities to participate in oppressive institutions,” rather than a solution to the structura l oppression capita lism inherently presents.

many.”

According to Monday’s press release, Jenk ins currently does not have any sy mptoms of COV ID-19 and “looks for ward to resuming his norma l activ ities.”

“Father Jenk ins again thanked the many people who offered prayers and well w ishes for him over the last t wo weeks,” Brow ne said.

The lecture ended w ith Hooker recognizing that we a ll subconsciously or consciously understand that the “carcera l system is obsolete,” or the system of prisons that is part of the perpetuation of systemic racism and oppression in the United States.

A mericans, he said, need to proceed to “disentangle our

minds and hearts from [that] system.”

Dona hue said he hopes the lecture “help[s] bring more of these conversations that A ngela Dav is has been propagating her entire life to the campus communit y.”

Contact Mia Moran at mmoran23@nd.edu

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News

Economics Continued from page 1

“The better you ca n base your foundat ion of economics in rea l rigorous qua nt itat ive a na lysis a nd ev idence, t he better you’l l be as a policy ma ker, t he better you’l l be as a n economist, t he better you’l l be is a rea l eva luator of good polic y or bad polic y.”

Ryan said he encourages look ing at a data-based ana lysis to tr y to remove confirmation bias.

“I would encourage ever ybody in the field of economics to tr y and remove your confirmation bias as best you possibly can. A nd just look at data, and look at ev idence,” Ryan said. “[It w ill] rea lly help you form good decisions.”

W hen the lecture moved to a Q& A format, many questions centered around the Ryan’s opinion on economic policy decisions made during the COV ID-19 pandemic.

One question posed to Ryan asked what the USA can do to pull themselves out of this economic recession and if any policy should be put in place to protect against a pandemic

Voting Continued from page 1

discrimination, McElroy argued that one issue does not define how to vote correctly.

“It falls on the faithful Catholics in their ow n conscience to bring Catholic social teaching in its entiret y to bear on their voting choices to us deeply and w ithout partisanship or self-interest... There is no single issue, which in Catholic teaching constitutes a ‘magic bullet’ that determines a unitar y option for faith-filled voting in 2020,” McElroy.

McElroy said he believes voting requires ref lection on which candidates w ill further Catholic social teaching.

“Voting for candidates ultimately involves choosing a candidate for public office, not a stance, nor a specific teaching of the Church,” he said. “And for this reason, faithful voting involves careful consideration of the specific abilit y of a particular candidate to actually advance the common core [of Catholic beliefs] and in making this assessment leadership, competence and character all come into play, particularly in the election of a president.”

Speaking specifically on candidate character, McElroy noted the importance of the personal qualities of leaders, especially during the COV ID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic w ill be w renching at ever y dimension of our national life for a

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 | The Observer

caused recession from happening in the future.

Ryan said that a lthough our countr y a lready has unemploy ment benefits in place, he believes stimulus checks are the most important way to help our economy right now.

“We a lready have emergency unemploy ment — we a lready have excessive emergency unemploy ment,” Ryan said. “That’s one of the sticking points of this additiona l $ 600 a week benefit. Eight ythree percent of A merican workers were ma k ing more money in unemploy ment than they were in work ing ... So you’re basica lly deny ing the economy labor by say ing to a person, ‘Don’t worr y. We’ll pay you more than if you do work.’”

Ryan a lso said that in the future, Congress could create programs for a more targeted stimulus that only includes the people who truly need it.

A nother question Ryan received was on how to best handle the United States’ current debt crisis.

Ryan explained to the audience that better management of our hea lth care system

could fi x our grow ing budget deficit.

“I believe that we can have the best hea lthcare system in the world,” Ryan said. “We can have universa l coverage, we can guarantee coverage for people w ith pre-ex isting conditions, we can have a Medicare system that a ll those seniors can rely on and use and is comprehensive and we can get our fisca l house in order to not brea k the bank and not have a debt crisis. But it’s going to ta ke an ack nowledgment that the private sector needs to be involved in the prov ision of hea lth care.”

Ryan went on to explain that if principles of free market success can be applied to hea lthcare, the countr y can fi x the main problem w ith our current hea lth care system: hea lth inf lation.

“I think the answer [to fi xing hea lth inf lation] is to ta ke the principles that ma ke a free market rea lly work is successful,” Ryan said. “One of the best attributes that we have in market economics is that choice and competition can improve qua lit y and bring dow n costs.”

long time to come,” he said.

“The personal qualities of our president and congressional leadership w ill greatly impact whether these coming years w ill be a time of increased suffering and div ision or a time of healing and unit y.”

McElroy also condemned those who deny candidates’ Catholic identit y because of their stance on specific political issues.

“Being Catholic means tr ying to transform the world by the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said. “To reduce that magnificent multi-dimensional gift of God’s love to a single question of public policy is repugnant and should have no place in public discourse. In the end, it is the candidate on the ballot, not a specific issue.”

W hen pondering which candidates to vote for, McElroy suggests the use of the v irtue prudence.

“It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience and Catholic social teaching,” he said. “Prudence is called the charioteer of the v irtues. It keeps the v irtues all in balance and it prov ides insights of moral perspectives for the disciples confronting ethically complex problems.”

As long as prudence and prayerful consideration is used in voters’ decisions, McElroy states it is legitimate for Catholics to reelect President Donald Trump or vote for former Vice President Joe Biden.

“This is a decision which falls rightfully and fully to

the indiv idual and informed conscience of believers and — if exercised in this manner — w ill be a moment of grace for the voter and for our nation rebuilding our political culture,” he said.

McElroy posits that voters w ill not only be responsible for voting this year but also for looking into solutions to troubling national political behav ior.

“The primar y responsibilit y of the faithful citizen is to exercise their right to vote hav ing discerned in their conscience the choices presented to them in light of the gospel and the teaching of the Church,” he said.

“This year, there w ill be an additional and similarly paramount responsibilit y of faithful citizens which w ill occur after the election, in the imperative to transform and rebuild our broken political culture.”

To fix the countr y’s f lawed political culture, McElroy spoke about the importance of the v irtues of compassion, solidarit y, and dialogue. He noted that compassion is critical to tending to human suffering.

“We must follow the example of the Good Samaritan who had no connection of faith or blood to the beaten man by the side of [the] road who risked his ow n life by ministering to him when the robbers might still have been near and who only saw human suffering and that was enough,” he said.

McElroy argues that solidarit y is part of putting others before yourself in a world where ever y indiv idual is

Rega rding t he count r y’s cur rent polit ica l at mosphere, a quest ion was f ielded rega rding t he recent revea l of t he President’s ta x retur ns a nd if more shou ld be done to limit ta x loopholes for t he wea lt hy.

Ryan replied that there is a copious amount of ta x loopholes in our current ta x code and that more can be done to prevent the exploitation of those loopholes.

“We have too many loopholes in the ta x code,” Ryan said. “A nd the smarter way to raise revenue, w ithout doing more damage to the economy, is to plug loopholes. A nd then you can have lower ta x rates, which is better for the economy.”

During the presentation, the former Spea ker said a Notre Dame professor, Dr. Jim Sullivan, gave Ryan an idea which he had then turned into law.

“I came to Notre Dame for a footba ll weekend w ith my brother and attended a LEO seminar and got an idea,” Ryan said. “[We were] ta lking about how cha llenging it was to get data and ana ly tics and ana lysis on what works

5

or what doesn’t work in the povert y space … Even though we spent about a trillion dollars on povert y programs on the year, only 1% of that money is spent using ev idencebased ana lysis and then Jim Sullivan, an econ[omics] professor at Notre Dame here, said ‘You guys should do a commission on how to open up a ll this government data, so that researchers like us can go through it and find out what works and what doesn’t.’”

Ryan said Sullivan’s idea prompted him to w rite a bill — which has now passed into law — titled the Ev idence Act that promotes ev idence-based policy ma k ing.

Rya n encourage t he bui lding of more relat ionships bet ween law ma kers a nd people w it hin our ca mpus communit y.

“Inv ite more policy ma kers to campus to get to k now them and to share your thoughts, expertise and ideas w ith them,” Ryan said. “Maybe some of them w ill ta ke your ideas and ma ke them laws.”

Contact Isabella Laufenberg at ilaufenb@nd.edu

GENEVIEVE COLEMAN | The Observer

Bishop Robert McElroy spoke to the College community Tuesday evening about how to vote as a Catholic in the upcoming election.

connected to one another.

“It means continual w illingness to place the common good before our ow n self-interest,” he said. “It means recognizing the bonds which ties us to ever y man and woman and child in our ow n societ y and to the world as a whole.”

For McElroy, dialogue is an issue that can only be fixed w ith patience and understanding of other’s perceptive.

“We have parallel monologues seeking not understanding and encounter, but melody to defend our opinions, reinforce our prejudices and conv ince ourselves that we have been right,” he said. “A ll redemption of our political culture cannot begin until a genuine toleration of and thirst for dialogue enters back into the public square. The depth of our current national crisis w ill not be addressed on a substance of level, unless

we as a societ y engage more deeply, honestly and openly w ith those whom we disagree on important questions of culture, economics, partisanship and religious beliefs.”

At the conclusion of his lecture, McElroy took questions from his v irtual audience. In response to a question about the complicated process of voting, McElroy had a simple solution.

“One way to simplif y [voting] is when you’re sitting dow n to fill out your ballot, think of Jesus being there by your side as you go dow n the ballot,” he said. “Just think to him being there, watching you as you do it and think to yourself, ‘In the end, what I really think Jesus would want me to do in this case? ’ and if you do that authentically, that’s a great way to vote.”

Contact Genevieve Coleman at gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu

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The observer | Wednesday, October 14, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Voting by mail during a pandemic

Inside Column

Democratic socialism now

Blake Ziegler Crystal Ramirez

News with Zig

News Writer

It was during Bernie Sanders’ initial run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 that I became better acquainted with the term democratic socialist, and was intrigued by the idea of a socialist government. Bernie’s platform was especially appealing to an individual like me, a middle to lower class college student, in debt with no healthcare. However, I never took action over this newfound interest, and it was not until he ran again in 2020 that I better allocated myself with democratic socialism, and how it would look applied and established in U.S politics today.

I think what kept me from delving into the ideology, or even simply learning more, was the unconscious negative connotation I had of socialism. In my mind, socialism seems like something radical that could possibly take from U.S. freedoms and, at times, seemed to me to be too similar to the idea of communism.

It was during the spring semester of my freshman year that I decided I would learn more about democratic socialism and learn about the ways it works. That semester, I decided to attend a YDSA meeting over at Notre Dame. There was no particular reason behind attending a meeting — I was just interested in learning more. And the idea of being in an environment where others’ political views would be somewhat aligned to mine, as well as the opportunity for a civil, engaged and mutually respectful conversation over policy, was very appealing.

It was still a surprise that what was most compelling to me about this meeting — what I thought inherently was not going to happen — was exactly what I was met with. It was a different environment to what I am used to at Saint Mary’s, and knowing others were wanting to gather and take action towards change from the tri-campus community created a sense of solidarity that had a huge impact on me.

If you would have asked me a year ago what political party I aligned with, without a second of doubt I would’ve answered “Democrat,” and that would’ve concluded the answer. But thinking about it now, if someone would have gone a step further and asked me why, I wouldn’t have an elaborate, thought-out answer, and rather a general sentiment of “Republican bad, Democratic good,” on the basis that conservative foundations of the Republican Party are oppressive and go against my political agenda.

Today, if someone were to ask me how I align politically, I like to believe I would take a couple of seconds to ponder, then answer confidently: “Democratic socialist.” Not only that, but if asked why, I would assert that the government should meet the needs of the people it governs: basic human rights such as healthcare, free higher education and government aid during times of need.

Hard-working individuals and their families, no matter their socioeconomic status, are rightfully entitled to healthcare.

Future leaders and young adults who wish to further their education should be able to do so without drowning in debt, and the government should be able to provide basic human necessities like housing and nutrition in the face of economic instability.

It is now, with this newfound point of view and knowledge, that I urge for democratic socialism, more than ever. I look forward to a future — a tangible future — in which ecosystems and communities don’t burn in f lames, clean water is accessible to all and there are still agricultural yields.

A future in which we encourage future leaders and participating citizens not only through words, but through actions, such as free higher education. A future in which everyone who needs medical attention, no matter how small, has accessibility to care at little to no cost.

I await the day I can attend another NDYDSA meeting, as the school fails to acknowledge the group as an official club; but that is no problem, for they cannot silence our independent actions and words until the day we can gather, advocate and continue to create change. Until then I urge you to engage in civic participation and vote, not just party-line voting, but educating yourself on the candidates and their platforms to have the biggest impact through your vote.

You can contact Crystal at cramire8@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

As we move into the fall, coronavirus cases continue to rise. The United States is tallying over 45,000 new cases daily.

Deaths are expected to reach nearly 400,000 by February of next year, according to latest projections. With the presidential election only three weeks away, it is fairly common knowledge we will still be dealing with COVID-19 on Election Day. How will we facilitate a nationwide election during a global pandemic? With traditional polling places, voters may be discouraged from turning out due to fear of a potential outbreak.

The most likely contender is mail-in ballots. Mail-in ballot requests are surging in record numbers across the nation in anticipation of the election. In fact, Illinois is already seeing record numbers of requests for mail-in ballots. Sixty-five percent of Americans in a May poll supported mail-in ballots, including 66% of independents. However, President Donald Trump has come out adamantly against this measure. He has made multiple statements claiming mail-in voting would lead to widespread election fraud, even tweeting that mail-in ballots would make November “the most RIGGED Election in our nations history.” Attorney General Bill Barr agreed with the president, suggesting absentee ballots are susceptible to fraud, citing that foreign countries “could print up tens of thousands of counterfeit ballots” to inf luence the election. Additionally, 53% of Republicans are against mail-in ballots, according to a USA Today poll.

However, these claims of voter fraud and worry of election interference are unfounded and differ starkly from the truth.

The secretaries of state from almost 30 states affirmed the integrity and reliability of their state electoral process. Unique security protocols, including signature verification software, registration vetting, ballot barcodes unique to registered voters and other measures all work to limit the chances of voter fraud in any fashion.

Additionally, as explained by the Brennan Center for Justice, the use of secure dropoff locations, drop boxes and post-election audits serve to prevent any attempt at interfering with the election.

In fact, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington have conducted all-mail elections in the past and found no widespread instances of voter fraud “at levels greater than most other non-all-mail voting states.” If anything, this means that voter fraud in a mail-in election is no different than a regular election. Even still, the chances of voter fraud are incredibly slim. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has been recording instances of voter fraud since 1982. In that time, there have only been 200 cases of absentee fraud in all states. The facts show that mail-in ballots are not likely to lead to election fraud. This should remove any worry of misrepresentations in ballot counts or a rigged election.

Nevertheless, there are still valid concerns about a mail-in election. In many

states, absentee ballots are considered an afterthought, too small to sway the outcome of an election. However, the rising number of mail-in ballots due to coronavirus has strained the electoral infrastructure of these states, making it difficult to collect and count these ballots. New York was struggling to count the results of their June 23 primary, where 1-in-5 absentee ballots were expected to be disqualified; 40,000 to 50,000 voters in Georgia who requested an absentee ballot for the primary never received one, according to Georgia House Minority Leader Bob Trammell. Across the nation, we are seeing states that typically do not rely on a mail voting system failing to facilitate the democratic process during this health crisis. Even Michigan, a state that utilizes mail-in ballots regularly on a widespread basis, has clerks saying they will not be able to give election results on Nov. 3. If states do not rectify this and provide election officials with the proper resources and capacity to receive and count mailin ballots, this can spell disaster for November.

Additionally, voters themselves need to be aware of restraints on mail-in voting.

The tiniest mistake on the forms can lead to one’s ballot being uncounted. Whether it is not signing one’s name enough times, filling in the wrong box or even mailing the ballot late, the slightest error can rob one from participating in the democratic process. If half the electorate votes by mail, it is projected that over one million ballots will be rejected. This is especially true for young Black and Latino voters who are more likely to have their ballots rejected due to these errors, according to Charles Stewart, a political scientist at MIT. I implore voters across the country to be aware of their state’s mail-in procedures to ensure you can effectively participate in the election. Vote.org provides an easy form to request an absentee ballot, complete with deadlines and procedures for mailing your ballot. Additionally, this article outlines how to fill out your mailin ballot to avoid common errors.

Government officials across the country should be encouraging and providing the means for a mail-in election to accommodate Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the most efficient, reliable and safest method to exercise citizens’ democratic duty while providing for the common welfare and health of our nation. However, for this system to work, the electoral system must be equipped with the proper resources and training.

Citizens must also be aware of the deadlines and procedures to vote by mail to ensure the greatest participation among our citizenry.

Blake Ziegler is a sophomore at Notre Dame from New Orleans, Louisiana, with double majors in political science and philosophy. He loves anything politics, especially things he doesn’t agree with. For inquiries, he can be reached at bziegler@nd.edu or @ NewsWithZig on Twitter if you want to see more of his opinions.

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

The observer | Wednesday, October 14, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

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For the simps Sydni Brooks Everything is Fine

So you got played. W hether it was by a friend, a family member or a lover, things hit the fan, and the fan obliterated whatever the thing was.

You’ve been tr ying to put the pieces back together to formulate some resemblance of what things were to salvage the relationship you had, but half of the pieces are missing. The smart, healthy and responsible thing to is to learn and grow from the situation and move on from this experience.

However, no one said we were smart, healthy or reasonable in this situation.

My blessing and curse as an overly compassionate person is my ability to look outside myself and advocate for the prosperity of other people before giving myself the time of day. I will preach, “Girl, you don’t need him!” and, “You deserve better people around you, queen!” to anyone and ever yone suffering from losing a meaningful relationship, but when those same words grace my ears, my brain deliberately choses not to process them.

I have always thought the best way to show someone you love and care for them is to fight through the differences and fight for the relationship, but it is astronomically clear that isn’t necessarily the best option in all cases. Yet while I can detail that to others around me, I can never comprehend that message for myself.

Those cliché messages I regurgitate to anyone needing to hear them sometimes don’t actually connect to the root of the frustration of letting someone go. I can recognize that I don’t need another person to survive; I survived up until I met them by myself, and I will continue to survive without them in my life. I can acknowledge when someone treats me poorly, and I can actively chose to only involve myself with people that treat me with respect.

The tightest knots unwilling to unravel themselves in these situations are the emotional bonds we never thought we would have to let go of. It isn’t necessarily the act of letting that significant person go that causes so much pain — it is the concept you never thought you would have

to let them go that hurts the most.

Letting go of a relationship or friendship that no longer benefits us forces us to take responsibility for our well-being, but it isn’t the most desired method of self-care. Recognizing the lessons learned from a relationship or friendship is one thing, but taking accountability for the actions we must take to better ourselves is another.

The self control in not checking social media updates or asking for closure for the fourth time can feel agonizing and unfullfilling, but sometimes the back and forth of holding on is much more painful.

Removing ourselves from a relationship or friendship sometimes feels like we are giving up on the person, which feels problematic because we would hate for someone to give up on us.

However, we don’t recognize we aren’t giving up anything. The relationship has KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer already ended, and we are still holding up our end of the bargain by ourselves. It is ex hausting reliving the positive moments with the people we once loved to tr y and remind ourselves why the bad moments are worth sticking around for. It is so punishing riding an emotional rollercoaster with a person only to verbalize you have fought in a battle you know you are going to lose. It is absurd to be this tired over other people in our twenties.

Most of us haven’t legally consumed alcohol yet — why are we so pressed?

We are pressed because we care, and sometimes we care too much, or we don’t have the same magnitude of care for ourselves. We are so focused on what our life will look like at the end of the stor y of our relationship, we forget we are presently living in our own stor y in which we are the main character.

W hile I do believe that letting go of a negative relationship makes room for more valuable ones to foster, I want to stress the importance of letting yourself foster. Sure, there are plenty of fish in the sea, but what about our fins? W hat about our gills? We can waste time tr ying comprehend why the energ y we put into saving our relationship rendered fruitless, or we can value the efforts we made while stepping back from it for our own improvement. Letting go might leave a hole where the other person’s value once resided, but it creates the opportunity to fill that hole with our own self love and ref lection.

Sometimes we save room at the table for someone who already told us they weren’t coming to dinner. As we demand our peers to see themselves through our eyes by letting their toxic relationship or friendship go, we have to start articulating that same message to ourselves.

We hear the clichés, “You’ll be better off without them” and, “They’ll be jealous watching you thrive,” but letting go of a relationship or friendship that isn’t ser ving us isn’t necessarily about the other person’s feelings. It is about our own health and well-being. It is about regaining our own internal balance after pouring out so much of ourselves to someone who isn’t able to reciprocate it.

Sydni Brooks is junior at Notre Dame majoring in English with a supplemental major in pre-health and a minor in Africana Studies. Originally from Cincinnati Ohio, she has made Flaherty Hall her campus home.

She aspires to be a gynecologist to serve women from all backgrounds in the medical field. Sydni can be reached at sbrooks2@nd.edu or @sydnimaree22 on Twitter.

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

Biased viewpoints Justice Mory In the Interest of Justice

The human desire to be right is not necessarily a bad thing. This phenomenon drives people toward knowledge and truth, looking at evidence to make sense of it and forming views from it that are substantiated. However, what can be destructive is the competing human desire to have been right, in the past tense. Often, feeding into this line of thinking will cause not only stubbornness but willful ignorance even when presented with new information. Additionally, this only compounds the issue of confirmation bias, as all unfamiliar or novel information will only be looked at from angles that follow one’s preconceived notions. It is then less challenging for us to stay thinking the same way than to change, especially when we only see what we expect or want to see.

One of the paramount issues is the way views are formed, especially concerning political or social topics. Many people have beliefs or conclusions they accept based on the beliefs or conclusions of their family, friends, community or even their own initial reactions. If these views are held onto without any additional individual research or thought, then maintaining these views is doing it backward. Instead of reviewing available information

and doing any kind of research to find evidence to support a claim and draw conclusions, people are starting with results. When people begin with conclusions, it only increases the likelihood you are likely to only believe in, look at and accept evidence that supports these prior convictions. This cherry-picking of evidence only leads to biased viewpoints.

How can we get past this? Perhaps if we tried to form conclusions more like scientists, utilizing the scientific method we could reduce biases or prejudices. These steps include defining a KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer purpose, constructing a hypothesis, testing this hypothesis and collecting data, analyzing this data, drawing a conclusion and communicating this result. The only way to minimize ignorance is to look at the evidence before making a firm conclusion on an issue. By doing this, we can all be more informed and base our views less on assumptions or others’ views and more on reality. Additionally, there will

be less resistance to changing or adapting one’s judgments upon consideration of new information.

This is because one ties his or herself less to preformed conclusions, putting more prioritization on evidence.

I will acknowledge political and social issues aren’t perfectly adaptable to science or experiments. This way of thinking is not perfect, and it will not eliminate all bias. We are human after all.

But by pursuing facts and truth before settling into our beliefs, we can build the best views we can, and that is enough. There will still inevitably be disagreements. Even if everyone looked at the same evidence and used the same method, people will come to different conclusions. However, conversations and debates where both sides are at least honestly informed and acting in good faith will be a lot more productive. By focusing less on who is right or wrong and more on sharing evidence and learning from one another, we will all be better off.

Justice Mory is majoring in Business Analytics and is part of the John W. Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. He is from Southern California and now lives in Duncan Hall. His main goal is to keep learning and to continue to become more informed. He can be reached at jmory@nd.edu or @JmoryND on Twitter.

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

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The observer | Wednesday, October 14, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Sexism is never OK (unless I think you’re wrong) Ellie Konfrst Consider This

It’s fair to say that these past few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind — I keep feeling like every day I need a recap of all the news from the previous day, like the ones they put at the beginning of TV episodes. Yet, through all the debates and discussions and COVID-19 diagnoses, I’ve found one thing that’s stuck with me, permeating all the noise. With women like Amy Coney Barrett and Kamala Harris sitting in the center of the political universe, I’ve noticed that sexism has snuck back into public discourse in a really sinister way.

As a female political science major, the sexism faced by women in politics often feels particularly personal. I’m hoping to enter a career in which my ideas are respected, my intelligence is acknowledged and I have access to the same opportunities as my male colleagues. While I recognize that politics is a notoriously exclusive field, I hoped that at the very least, I would be able to avoid outright misogyny.

Based on the events of the past few weeks, I’m feeling increasingly disheartened about that goal.

In case you’ve missed it, President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and there is only one biographical fact you need to know about her: She has seven children! The New York Post inadvertently summarized the sexist way Barrett’s nomination to the highest court in the land has been framed in the first line of their profile of her: “Judge Amy Coney Barrett is a wife, mother of seven, and a devout Catholic.”

The fact that Barrett is a wife and a mother are likely parts of her identity that she finds personally important, but they have next to nothing to do with her capabilities as a legal mind. Especially coming from those on the left who are opposed to her nomination, the repeated emphasis of her motherhood comes with an unspoken implication: How could she

possibly be a good Supreme Court Justice and a good mother?

The misogyny is perhaps more overt from the right, however. After Senator Kamala Harris’ participation in last week’s vice presidential debate, many Republican lawmakers commented on her performance in unmistakably gendered ways. Her colleagues in the Senate shared their thoughts on Twitter: Marco Rubio tweeted a joke relying on the sexist stereotype that women can’t be trusted with national security, and Chuck Grassley expressed his belief that Vice President Pence won the debate because he was more likable. President Trump, on the other hand, was more straightforward, calling Senator Harris a monster. Once again, critiques of Harris invoked her womanhood, in and of itself, as disqualifying.

At this point, I feel that it’s important to say that I don’t think Amy Coney Barrett would be a good Supreme Court Justice, and I don’t think her nomination is a step forward for women. Her legal and political beliefs are far more conservative than mine, and I tend to believe that her record restricting abortion rights would make this country much more dangerous for most women. Additionally, despite being more aligned with her views, I believe that Kamala Harris has a record worth critiquing, and that some of her past policies (like jailing single mothers for their children’s truancy) are decidedly bad for women.

What has always been odd to me about relying on misogyny to take down women in politics is that they usually have a substantial public record worthy of criticism. More so than any other public figures, women with a career in politics make decisions and enact policies that can be extremely controversial and debatable. By resorting to sexist attacks, all critics do is expose their own misogynistic tendencies and cheapen legitimate critiques of their targets.

Given both of their extraordinarily high levels of professional success, it seems pretty clear to me that Barrett can probably balance a career with seven

children, and that Harris’ hormones don’t influence her decision-making capabilities. They have earned the right to have their careers discussed honestly, and in good faith. In general, I don’t tend to subscribe to the notion that putting women in positions of power, regardless of the impacts they have, is a feminist act in and of itself. However, it is clear to me that making sexist arguments to prevent women from gaining political power is an inherently anti-feminist act.

The question may be popping into your head about now: Why does this even matter? These are both incredibly successful women who will survive a few mean tweets. That is absolutely true, and good feminism, in the same way that it understands that any woman gaining power is not progress, recognizes that the true struggle for equality happens on the ground level. It involves helping low-income women whose reproductive rights would be threatened by Barrett, or providing aid to the single mothers jailed

by Harris to help them pay for their next meal.

This conversation still matters, though, because we cannot permit sexism against any woman, even if we don’t like her, or even if we think she deserves it. We cannot continue to foster a culture in which sexism is seen as a political tool and not a rejection of women’s humanity. By the time I graduate from Notre Dame with my political science degree, I hope we have moved even one step closer to a world in which my gender is not innately disqualifying, and women like me can be assessed, for better or for worse, on our merits.

Ellie Konfrst is a junior majoring in political science, with minors in the Hesburgh Program for Public Service and civil & human rights. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, she’s excited that people will finally be forced to listen to all of her extremely good takes. She can be reached at egloverk@nd.edu or @elliekonfrst13 on Twitter.

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The law school faculty owe us an explanation and an apology Since the White House Rose Garden Ceremony two weeks ago, many newspapers, including The Observer, have focused on the behavior of Notre Dame President Fr. John Jenkins. However, Jenkins’ egregious maskless handshaking behavior wasn’t the only violation of Notre Dame’s COVID-19 policies that day. According to one source, 17 Notre Dame professors, administrators and spouses attended the event in addition to Fr. Jenkins.

While Fr. Jenkins’ apology may have been lackluster, the silence in the walls of the law school is deafening.

I am a third-year law student. I am also immunocompromised. And I am shocked, appalled and frankly embarrassed by the behavior of the law school faculty and staff who attended the White House Rose Garden event. The fact that they felt it necessary to attend the function in the first place goes against school policy, but I can understand that decision.

However, the fact that many of them took off their masks, sat right on top of each other, hugged and shook hands and then, when word got out that a number of the attendees tested positive for COVID-19, decided not to quarantine and did not apologize for their behavior is all beyond the pale.

It shows a lack of leadership, a lack of empathy and frankly, a lack of common sense. I am aware that many of them received rapid tests before the event, but clearly those tests were not effective, judging by the sheer number of people who tested positive mere days later. And even if they hadn’t, optics matter.

When asked by the New York Times about their decision to go mask-less, two anonymous members of the Notre Dame delegation said it stemmed from a “desire to politely blend in, as a guest at a cocktail party may remove a tie upon realizing everyone else was dressed business casual.” They also expressed regret.

This is not enough. Wearing a mask in a time of pandemic is nowhere near wearing a tie to a cocktail party. Wearing a mask is the best known method to contain the spread of a deadly virus — wearing a tie is a fashion choice. Wearing a mask saves lives — wearing a tie might save your shirt from a ketchup stain. Wearing a mask is an effective measure of protection — wearing a tie is a mere showing of elegance.

Maybe the next time a student is reprimanded for meeting up with friends without masks on, they should cite their recent negative COVID-19 tests and say they just did it to “politely blend in.”

And it should not escape our notice that their regret is anonymous and in a national publication. If they are truly regretful, why haven’t they reached out to students apologizing? If they are truly regretful, why have they not quarantined? If they are truly regretful, why have they not explained their actions to those they affect the most — those they may infect, should they test positive in the next few days?

Notre Dame puts itself out as a bastion of morality — but the behavior of the last two weeks has gravely tarnished that reputation. Professors concerned about their students would have at the very least worn masks. Moral leaders would’ve considered the message they sent by participating in this kind of event while students doing the same would be met with strict punishment. A school that cares about health and safety would require the same quarantining of professors who have been exposed as it does of students.

My law school classmates and I have received our administration’s message loud and clear: Do what we say HERE, but ignore what we do THERE. Allison Lantero third-year law student Oct. 8

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

ELLIS RIOJAS | The Observer

By AIDAN O’MALLEY Scene Writer

Not to be confused with Steve Carell — that’s a different 40-year-old — Radha Blank is an aspiring playwright in New York. Keyword: aspiring. Despite having won a “30 Under 30” award, the last decade of her life has been a rollercoaster ride with a lot more drops than climbs. These days, she’s teaching theatre at a Harlem high school and struggling to stage her dream project. She lives alone in an apartment she can barely afford, a patterned headscarf wrapped snug around her hair while she ceaselessly sips from a diet drink.

It was only a matter of time before a midlife crisis came knocking, but for Blank, it feels less like a last-ditch effort and more like a kind of second calling. Inspired by her students and her freestyling, high school glory days, Blank becomes a rapper. “Why my skin so dry?” she recites in the mirror. “Why am I yawning right now?” She wants to bring a 40-year-old perspective to the Brooklyn rap game, and in the semi-autobiographical “The 40-Year-Old Version,” she does much more. Recasting classic New York comedies with a Black woman front and center, Blank shows a side of the city that Woody Allen and the like have for too long ignored.

Having become only the second Black woman in Sundance history to win the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award (after Ava DuVernay), Blank sizzles both behind

and in front of the camera for her charming cinematic debut. The handsome black-and-white cinematography by Eric Branco evokes something akin to “Manhattan,” while his handheld camerawork roots the film in real life. The soundtrack is an inspired mix of Blank’s own beats — her stage name is RadhaMUSPrime — with classic hip-hop and jazz.

The film is also, of course, very funny. The staged quality of some of this humor comes into conflict with the otherwise authentic presentation — particularly toward the beginning of the film — but hey, these lines are too good to pass up.

Blank’s writing is also insightful, especially when her play, “Harlem Ave.,” is finally picked up by a producer.

Originally a genuine investigation into the cause and effects of New York’s gentrification, the play is co-opted

by Blank’s white producer and his choice for its (white) director. The result is a clumsy production that tries to “talk about race,” yet ultimately says nothing. Blank easily weaves between jokes about the play’s tone-deafness and pointed statements on how a white industry can compromise the vision of Black artists. It wouldn’t be so funny if it weren’t so true. (Cough, “Green Book.” What was that? Did you hear something?)

That having been said, “The 40-Year-Old Version” sometimes feels like Blank’s first film. Her script is funny and insightful, but also long; there’s no need for this movie to be two hours and four minutes, yet it is. Although it could

have used a little trimming, the editing by Robert Grigsby Wilson is otherwise solid. Drawing from the playbook of Mr. Spike Lee — whose “She’s Gotta Have It” was clearly an influence — Wilson and Blank make great use of photographic cut-ins and other kinds of cut-aways, which punctuate the film and keep the viewer on their toes.

As Netflix expands into the specialty market — snatching up indies from festivals like Sundance and distributing them to a much larger audience than they ever could have imagined — I urge that they continue choosing movies like “The 40-Year-Old Version.” Not just because it’s good, but because it comes from a place that Hollywood pretends doesn’t exist.

Welcome to the movies, Radha Blank. It may have taken 40 years, but we’re more than happy to have you.

Contact Aidan O’Malley at aomalle2@nd.edu

“The 40-Year-Old Version” Director: Radha Blank Starring: Radha Blank, Peter Y. Kim, T.J. Atoms If you liked: “Frances Ha,” “Appropriate Behavior” Shamrocks: 3.5 out of 5

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

By CHARLIE KENNEY Scene Writer

On Sept. 28, 2020, Barbici Italian Street Food closed the doors of its 104 North Eddy Street location for the last time.

Located just off of Notre Dame’s campus, the restaurant, once characterized by bike-themed décor and orange and yellow colored walls, now sits empty. A dim light casts a shadow on the stainless steel countertops of the open kitchen, and its permanent wooden tables sit empty, fruitlessly waiting for their next patrons. The two sheets of white paper that cover the location’s glass double-doors read: “Sadly, Barbici is no longer in operation. We have enjoyed these six years serving this community.”

For those of us who keep our eyes on Eddy Street, this abrupt closing came as no surprise.

If a restaurant wishes to survive on the financially unforgiving street that lies south of our campus, it must possess a certain combination of quality and capital.

For those locations tied to corporate brands, the latter can often outweigh the former. No matter how slow the business of a Chipotle, Five Guys or Blaze may be, their corporate backers will help them stay afloat. And even if the product they are selling is not particularly spectacular, business will still flow in, most likely due to name recognition alone.

Money can come from elsewhere when it fails to sufficiently pass into their registers.

Smaller, locally owned businesses are not so lucky and cannot afford to open slowly or rely on the power of a brand.

Every student or South Bend local who walks through the door must be actively convinced to spend their dollars there rather than at the chain next door. And, often, even

consistently delivering quality food is not enough. The Cajun offerings of Yats won widespread praise from students, as did the tapas-like environment present at The Livery; however, both closed their doors no less than two years after opening them.

The majority of students in the ND/SMC/HC community spend relatively little money off campus, eating the large majority of their mealsin the dining halls. To patronize a restaurant and spend one’s own money doing so is a decision of consequence and it appears that, more often than not, reliable, trustworthy brands win out over new, local ventures.

If a third element allows for a business’s survival on Eddy Street, then it is alcohol. Brothers and O’Rourke’s are, by no means, national brands. Students don’t go to them because they know the quality will be high. But, college-aged individuals have a certain itch and those establishments scratch it.

Barbici seems to have been an attempt to reconcile the demands of Eddy Street with local ownership.

The restaurant felt like a chain. A clean-cut logo, clever ad campaigns, a unique focus on bicycles and a do-it-yourself approach to Italian food. I constantly found myself, and saw others, checking to make sure that its Eddy Street location really was the only one. And, if that was not enough, Barbici Italian Street Food offered alcohol options throughout its tenure, providing the services of a bar without the accompanying atmosphere.

Barbici seemed to be a test run for an idea that had the potential to expand much farther than South Bend. After all, brands like Sweet Green and Chipotle began with nearly the same idea — seeking to expand the Subway model into

another cuisine — and saw nationwide success as a result.

How had Barbici identified a glaring vacancy within the market and still failed?

The answer lies in that Barbici sought to fill a vacancy that never existed and had, in fact, been occupied for years by its neighbor just down the street.

The ordering process at Blaze Pizza and Barbici Italian Street Food is not so different. A type of bread/pasta is chosen as the base, options for sauce are provided and then cheese, vegetable and protein options are picked from. The difference lies in that one provides a pizza dish while the other provides a pasta one.

The American people are more attracted to pizza as a quick meal. I don’t need to prove that to you. Blaze cooks all its ingredients upon order instead of opting for the preheated, buffet-style that Barbici employed. Further, Blaze had a history and funding while the restaurant in question did not.

Barbici Italian Street Food never had a chance on Eddy Street. Six years is impressive, truly, but a single event was always going to come along and sweep them off their feet (in a bad way). In this case, COVID-19 dealt the final blow.

Perhaps if Barbici had placed its first restaurant in a location where a direct competitor didn’t already have an established foothold, then it could have expanded more — seven, maybe eight restaurants across the greater Michiana area could have been a possibility. But, like Icarus, Barbici flew too close to the sun and desired a spot on the ever-busy Eddy Street. Glue melts off feathers just as easily as customers flow out a door.

Contact Charlie Kenney at ckenney@nd.edu

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

The year is 1985 — or is it 1955? Marty McFly stands over his sleeping father, dressed in a hazmat suit and armed with a Walkman. He’s Darth Vader from planet Vulcan, and he has one chance to prove that he’s from outer space. The name on his cassette is all he needs, music so futuristic and alien that it could only have come from outside the Milky Way. Marty presses play, sending his father on the same journey countless music fans have experienced since 1979 — all thanks to one Edward Van Halen.

Born in Amsterdam and raised in Pasadena, Eddie Van Halen was groomed to be a concert pianist until a chance encounter with Cream’s version of “I’m So Glad” inspired him to pick up the electric guitar. Along with his drummer brother, Alex, Eddie bounced around the Los Angeles music scene from his adolescent years before settling into what would become Van Halen in the early ‘70s. From there, Van Halen (the guitarist and the band) rocketed into the stratosphere, becoming the premiere stadium rock act of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, even while switching lead singers and sounds.

Eddie — who died last week at 65 after a prolonged struggle with throat cancer — was the band’s one constant, an enigmatic guitar god who reshaped the sound of an entire genre in his own grinning image.

Even if he’s not the full-stop greatest rock guitarist of all time — general opinion points to Jimi Hendrix; my vote would be for Jimmy Page — Eddie is probably the most imitated. Which isn’t to say he was ever truly replicated; the droves of guitarists on YouTube who can play “Eruption” note-for-note still can’t hope to duplicate the exact feeling of that song. Running a mere 105 seconds, “Eruption” is the most significant rock guitar solo in history, introducing the finger-tapping technique — with origins in flamenco guitar and violin methods — to millions of fans and copycats worldwide. Coming on Van Halen’s eponymous 1978 debut album, the song’s footprint is so massive that the Billboard Charts can’t do it justice; only the Richter Scale could measure the impact of “Eruption.”

That same album basically functions as a greatest hits compilation, opening with “Runnin’ With The Devil” and

burning through “Eruption,” “You Really Got Me,” “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” and a handful of other classics in short order. It’s tempting to look at the LP as the summation of Van Halen’s appeal; the opening of “You Really Got Me” is to guitar riffs what “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” is to novels, so simple and so obvious as to mask its genius.

The hallmarks of the band’s first iteration are all here: Eddie’s revolutionary technique, Alex’s metalhead-withswing drumming, bassist Michael Anthony’s golden backing vocals and, most of all, frontman David Lee Roth’s inimitable drawl, blending Buddy Holly squeaks with Rat Pack louche. The tracks themselves are timeless, whether it’s the onomatopoetic guitar wails on “Jamie’s Cryin’” or the problematic, propulsive “Feel Your Love Tonight.” The band could have retired after “Van Halen” and still made a name for themselves in the annals of rock history; an album released only a year later, though, shows that Eddie and the crew had loftier goals in mind.

1979’s “Van Halen II” is one of those sequels — like “The Empire Strikes Back” or the New Testament — that improves in every way upon its already-legendary predecessor. The harsh, angular singles of the first album are replaced here with the eternal-summer feel of “Dance the Night Away” and “Beautiful Girls”; these are Pantheon songs in the classical sense, as if Zeus condemned Atlas to do a keg stand for eternity instead of holding up the heavens. Opening with an unrecognizable take on Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good” is “Van Halen II” in a nutshell; you’ve heard these kinds of songs before, but you’ve never heard them quite like this.

The group’s next three albums — 1980’s “Women and Children First,” 1981’s “Fair Warning” and 1982’s “Diver Down” — all carry the same reputation: middling LPs with moments of effortless brilliance like the tribal sparseness of “Everybody Wants Some!!” or the way Roth asks “have you seen Junior’s grades?” on “And the Cradle Will Rock.” Two years later, Eddie’s burgeoning interest in keyboards led to the album that cemented the band’s place in the mainstream while ensuring the demise of its original lineup. “1984” finds Eddie playing the rudimentary opening chords of number-one hit “Jump” with one hand while pushing Roth out the back door with the other, the group’s

By LEXI KILCOIN

which witch you are.

By JAKE WINNINGHAM Associate Scene Editor

increasingly synthesizer-laden sound alienating their proudly retro frontman.

The behind-the-scenes strife is nowhere to be found on the album itself, though; in retrospect, it may be the band’s most complete effort. “Hot For Teacher” isn’t the best Van Halen song, but it may the “most” Van Halen song, especially when it comes to Roth; while his tales of childhood crushes and backseat trysts were always tongue-in-cheek, “Hot For Teacher” finally tells us whose tongue is in whose cheek.

“Panama” is immortal, and with good reason: the beginning of the song should come up when you look for “riff” in Merriam-Webster.

Roth’s departure cleared the way for radio-rock mainstay Sammy Hagar, whose sleek, anthemic albums with the band have always left me a little cold. Van Halen’s popularity only increased with Hagar at the helm, though, and tracks like “Why Can’t This Be Love” and “Finish What Ya Started” retain much of the original lineup’s charm. The group wasn’t immune to the shifting tides of pop music, and the dual waves of grunge and rap rendered hard-rock bands like Van Halen obsolete in the eyes of pop radio. They continued to tour, though, and occasionally turned out a solid single (2012’s “Stay Frosty” is what “Ice Cream Man” would be if the latter song was as funny as Eddie and Roth obviously thought). At the time of Eddie’s death, the group was debating the merits of taking on a new tour with both lead singers — true to form, most of the discussion seemed to be happening in public interviews.

Van Halen wasn’t originally named after its lead guitarist; instead, the band initially went by Genesis, unaware of the British group with the same name. It was as Genesis that Eddie first began performing “Eruption” live, working through the song before audiences in real time. Eddie whittled down those ten-minute-plus performances piece by piece until it became the tight, 1:45 solo that would make Van Halen (née Genesis) famous. The band’s original name wouldn’t have fit anyway — it took God seven whole days to make the world, but it only took Eddie Van Halen a minute and a half to change it.

Contact Jake Winningham at jwinning@nd.edu

ELLIS RIOJAS | The Observer

Scene Writer

Come little children, I’ll take thee away into a land of enchantment … is what I would say if I was an evil Sanderson sister from Salem, Massachusetts. You heard me right. It’s officially spooky season!

Halloween might look a little different this year than most, however we can’t let that stop us from having a great October. In honor of Halloween being a mere 17 days away, let’s dive into the tale of “Hocus Pocus” witchery and discover the true witch in all of us.

For my non-Halloween lovers, “Hocus Pocus” takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, home of the witch trials some 300 years ago. Sanderson sisters Winifred, Sarah and Mary were accused of witchcraft as well as eating children to enhance their beauty. They were then hanged in the trials. Three hundred years later, a virgin, Max, lit the black flamed candle while trying to impress a girl, Allison, and brought the sisters back from the dead. The two teens, plus Max’s little sister Dani, had to save Salem once again from the evil Sanderson sisters. But spooky season is all about, well, being spooky. So let’s find out

Winnie Sanderson Do you ever feel like you’re the smartest person in the room? Well if this is the case then you’re in luck because you might have a ghoul-sister. Winnie Sanderson is extremely talented and enjoys the spotlight. Her stubbornness is typically what drives her to make her decisions, especially when it comes to her 300-year grudge about her dead boyfriend. She is the witch in charge, and if you mess with her, you might as well be dead meat.

If you find problem-solving easy, enjoy casting spells, or if you particularly like to bask in the limelight, or moonlight, I’d encourage you to embrace your inner Winnie.

She’ll be sure to have you saying “bow down witches” in no time.

Sarah Sanderson Is your inner child is ready to come out and play? Sarah Sanderson would say, “Yes please!” This free spirit loves to flirt and can be a bit of a ditz, in a good way of course. She is fascinated by everything giving her a childlike innocence. While her childlike personality can be charming,

she is also a pivotal part in the capture of children by enchanting them with her beautiful singing voice.

If you like to embrace your inner five-year-old and aren’t afraid of others’ judgments, Sarah will help you creep it real.

Mary Sanderson Do you have a keen sense of smell … for children?

Probably not, but this witch does. Mary Sanderson is extremely loyal as well as a key part of her ghastly team by tracking down children with her super sense of smell that can not only find children but can also decipher their age. She can seem a bit strange at first, but when you get to know her, she is charming in her own special way.

Often staying back to observe from behind, she is a bit of a wallflower.

If you are a team player with a bit of a crazy side you and Mary will surely brew up a storm.

By now you have an idea of which witch you are, but if you’re eager to know the truth, take this Buzzfeed quiz and find out for yourself.

Contact Lexi Kilcoin at lklicoin1@saintmarys.edu

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ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 | The Observer

Crossword | H. David Goering

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Tie up loose ends. Get rid of clutter, and prepare for new beginnings. A change of scenery will spark your creative imagination. Think big, but don’t exceed your budget. Hesitation will lead to regret and uncertainty. Know what you want, and be honest with those who will be affected by the decisions you make.

A financial gain looks promising. Your numbers are 3, 9, 20, 27, 33, 39, 49.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Learn, explore and research. The better prepared you are, the less aggravated you will become. Stay calm, and focus on what you want to accomplish. Don’t take offense if someone is difficult. Keep the peace, and go about your business.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make a change that will give you the boost you need to try something new. Discuss your intentions with someone close to you, and it will help give you a different perspective on life, love and the meaning of success.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Think twice before you get involved in someone’s business. Protect your reputation, stick to your principles and avoid compromising situations. Take care of personal problems and responsibilities, and let others fend for themselves. Avoid gossip.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Make fitness and health priorities. Fix up your space to fit your current lifestyle. Let others know your intentions, and share your thoughts and feelings. Spend quality time with someone special. Love is on the rise, and romance will enhance your life.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take time to do your own thing. Don’t let generosity put you in a difficult position. You cannot buy love, respect or loyalty. If someone uses you, know enough to walk away. Concentrate on self-improvement and personal gains.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Embrace change and what life has to offer. Be part of the solution, not the problem. Set high standards, and express your opinions. Follow your heart, and don’t back down from adversity. Enjoy life, show love and strive for happiness and peace of mind.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Frustration and anger won’t help you solve problems or get ahead. Expand your mind, restructure your plans and distance yourself from situations that are holding you back. Make your position clear, and put the past behind you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A last-minute change will favor you. Your patience, consistency and honesty will encourage others to support your efforts. Don’t give up or give in. Pursue your goals. Clear up an emotional situation with an honest discussion. Romance is favored.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep your thoughts to yourself, and focus on your responsibilities. Leave nothing to chance or in someone else’s hands. A change at home or work will have pros and cons. A moderate approach and a tight budget will help you stay on track.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Discuss your intentions before you start. The suggestions you receive will have an impact on the way you proceed. A joint venture and a financial gain look promising. Aim to make personal improvements, and choose peace and love over discord.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep your money and possessions out of sight. Expect an added expense due to someone else. An intelligent approach will be more effective than getting into a dispute over something that has already happened.

Choose your words wisely.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Stand your ground, and get things done. The changes you suggest will draw attention as well as encourage exciting offers. Expect a financial change, gift or proposal to come your way. Prepare to commit. Celebrate with someone you love.

Birthday Baby: You are powerful, determined and secretive. You are inventive and tenacious.

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Sports Authority

Column

LeBron is the new definition of GOAT Thomas A. Zwiller Sports Writer

The Latin name for goat is capra aegagrus hircus, a member of the family bovidae, the order artiodactyla, the class mammalia, the phylum chordata — I could go on but I’ll spare you the time. I believe the classification of ‘goat’ now needs a change.

The domain of GOAT (greatest of all time) is now the domain of LeBron James.

By securing his fourth Championship, and his fourth Finals MVP, the GOAT is now LeBron James. James has finally overthrown Michael Jordan for the title, and here’s why:

Ring counting: Yes, Michael Jordan is a six-time NBA Champion and yes, James is a four-time NBA Champion. Yes, I am aware that six is two more than four and that Michael has more rings than James. But by that logic, Bill Russell is the true GOAT with his impressive 11-ring count. Yet still, Jim Loscutoff and Robert Horry with seven rings are better than Michael Jordan, and they haven’t even been inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame. While yes, ring counting is a good way of determining who great players are, it should not be the be all end all of who is the GOAT. Otherwise, Jordan is only the 12th-greatest player to play in the NBA, and I don’t think anyone thinks that. I think James’ rings, frankly, are more impressive the Jordan’s in some regards.

James won two with the Heat, which is fine to me — those were good years in Miami. But then he came home to Cleveland and brought them their only NBA championship and the city’s first title after a long drought.

Not only did he do that, but he did it coming back from being down 3-1 to the Golden State Warriors. These just weren’t any old team however, these Warriors were the defending champs, and had just completed a 73-9 season the best in NBA regular season history. Then you look at James’ title in Los Angeles with the Lakers, the most historic championship ever.

It tied the Boston Celtics, who had a record of 17 championships that the Lakers have now tied. James ended

a playoff drought and a title drought for the Lakers in one fell swoop. It was done amidst a pandemic and social justice issues. It was done in the name of Kobe Bryant, who had died just nine months before. It was done in a season, counting the preseason, that was over a year long. It was done in a bubble, isolated from fans, friends and family.

What James doesn’t have in quantity, he makes up for in quality.

Jordan is 6-0 in the Finals: Another argument that perplexes me in the GOAT discussion is the fact that Michael Jordan is 6-0 in the Finals is treated like Jordan went 1,000-0 in the Finals.

This compared to James going 4-6 in the finals is being treated as an indelible mark against James and his career.

Remind me, why are we punishing James for making it to the Finals more times than Jordan? Instead of weighing their records in the Finals, why don’t we look at the record of the two making it to the NBA Finals? Jordan played for 15 years, 13 for the Bulls and two for the Wizards. He went to the Finals six times, meaning his record of making it to the Finals is 6-9, and even if you take away the Wizards years, he went 6-7. James on the other hand has played for 17 seasons and made the Finals 10 times. That gives James a 10-7 record in making the Finals. Winning a conference championship is incredibly hard, and James has four more of them than Jordan, which in my mind counts for something. If you’re the GOAT like Jordan, shouldn’t you have been able to roll through the playoffs? James could carry his teams deeper into the playoffs, doing more and getting farther. Are you really going to knock James for doing more than Jordan?

Finals MVPs: One of the biggest storylines to come out of the NBA Finals was that James is now the first player in the history of the NBA to win Finals MVP on three different teams for a total of four. While yes, I am aware that Jordan has six Finals MVPs, and yes, I am aware that six is two more than four, I still think that James’ Finals MVPs are more impressive, for the reason above. No player has ever taken three separate teams

to the Finals and then won while being the Finals MVP. Jordan has six, and yes that is impressive in its own right, but they were all won with the same team. The Bulls were a good team — even without Jordan they were a playoff-caliber team. The year Jordan stepped away and played baseball with the Birmingham Barons, the Bulls went 55-27 and made it to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, losing narrowly to the Knicks in seven Games.

Jordan’s absence was not the end of the team, the team could play on and win without him to be fair Jordan did elevate them.

When James left a team, however, it had devastating consequences for them. In his last year with the Cavaliers before leaving for the Heat, James led to them to a 6121 record and a conference semifinal. When James went to the Heat, the Cavaliers literally did a 180, going 19-63 and missing the playoffs by 43 games. When James went back to the Cavaliers, they returned to winning form, going 53-29, and going all the way to the Finals. Meanwhile, the Heat fell to 37-45, missing the playoffs altogether. When James left the Cavilers for the Lakers the Cavilers had just gone 50-32 and made an NBA Final, the Lakers had just gone 35-47 and missed the playoffs. The following year, the Lakers went 37-45, largely due to a James injury, but more tellingly the Cavaliers had gone 19-63.

In conclusion, James simply changed the math by winning four Finals MVPs for three separate teams. He may never win six Finals like Jordan did, but the fact that he has now done it for the Heat, the Cavaliers and now the Lakers shows he can do it anywhere. James isn’t done either, the Lakers are currently favorites to win the NBA Finals next year, and even if they don’t win, they will make some serious noise.

I expect to see James hoist the trophy at least one more time.

As James said, “I want my damn respect,” I suggest you listen to the man and recognize your new GOAT. Contact Thomas A. Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Game on for the ‘friendly derby’ Greg McKenna Sports Writer

When I became a soccer fan and developed my fandom for Liverpool Football Club, in the spirit of the so-called “friendly derby” (well actually, just to get under my skin), my brother naturally chose to support Everton.

By electing to support the city’s smaller, less successful team that eventually became dubbed “the People’s Club”, he gave himself the opportunity to brand me as the “bandwagon” fan.

He suggested that I become a Warriors fan as well more times than I would have liked, but his moral superiority could only go so far to dull the pain of consistent mediocrity. When the two clubs situated less than three-fifths of a mile apart meet in the 238th edition of the Merseyside Derby Saturday, it will be precisely a decade since the Toffees last beat the Reds — a 2-0 win at Goodison Park, the site of this Saturday’s clash.

Current Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta scored for Everton that day, while then-Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is now trying to deny Celtic’s pursuit of 10 straight league titles in Scotland as manager of Rangers. The managers at the time, Roy Hodgson for Liverpool and David Moyes for Everton, have worked a combined seven different jobs since.

For the first time my brother and I can remember, however, it will be Reds chasing the Toffees in the league table. It may be the fifth game in each side’s 2020 campaign, but the madness before the international break adds tremendous significance to Saturday’s match.

Normally, a college football Saturday sans Notre Dame means I make time to consume EPL action on Sunday, but I fortunately spent my Saturday two weeks ago watching Alabama and Georgia smack Texas A&M and Auburn, respectively. The following afternoon, I thankfully missed Liverpool become the first defending champions of England to let in seven goals in a single match since 1953.

On a day when the football world was already in shock after a listless Manchester United conceded six times to Tottenham Hotspur at home, Liverpool practically said “hold my beer” with a 7-2 loss at Aston Villa, who avoided relegation last year by a single point.

Liverpool has had one of the best defenses in Europe over the past two years, largely thanks to the acquisition of man-mountain Virgil Van Dijk, but Jurgen Klopp’s men became the first Liverpool side to concede seven times since a 1963 loss to Spurs.

Everton, meanwhile, are basking in the brilliance of three-time Champions League-winning manager Carlo Ancelotti. For

the last half-decade, Everton has spent plenty of money despite their “People’s Club” moniker, but have been unable to avoid chronic underachievement. The signing of former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder James Rodriguez already looks like money well spent after three goals and two assists in four Premier League games, but he has not even been the real revelation.

Joining Villa as the only other team still with an 100% record, Everton currently sit atop of the table as they look to maintain a historic start to the season. If they beat Liverpool for the first time in 23 tries on Saturday, Everton will have won their first eight games in all competitions, which they last accomplished in the 1894-95 season. The result of that eighth game? A 3-0 victory in the first official Merseyside Derby, of course.

Everton has struggled notoriously at Anfield, where they last won in 1999, but should feel due for a big result at home. The last two times Liverpool has made the journey across Stanley Park to play Everton at Goodison, the Toffees have held the Reds to scoreless draws, no small feat considering Liverpool picked up a total of 196 points out of a possible 228 during the last two league campaigns.

Of course, the debacle at Villa Park might only awaken Klopp’s dynamic machine that Liverpool fans like me have come to know and love, and there has been some very encouraging news on the injury and illness front. Captain Jordan Henderson is set to return after a thigh problem, while Sadio Mane and Thiago Alcantara are back from isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the month. All three missed the Villa game, but they should all feature in some capacity on Saturday.

Regardless, soccer fans everywhere will be salivating over the genuine possibility that one of the world’s oldest derbies will be the showdown it should be once again. Liverpool’s decade of dominance took some sting out of the rivalry, but Klopp’s men will definitely have their hands full come Saturday. Unfortunately, the two terrific fan bases will not have a real opportunity to contribute to the spectacle put on by two top teams led by two famed managers.

However, divided households in England’s northwest, and around the world, should be in for a treat.

There are not many things I would wake up at 7:30 on a Saturday for, but it will be worth it if I am the one gloating to my brother over FaceTime after the final whistle.

Contact Greg McKenna at gmckenn2@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 | The Observer

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ND m Soccer

Notre Dame prepares to build momentum in road game against Virginia Tech Observer Sports Staff

The Irish (2-2, 1-1 ACC) are headed to Blacksburg, Va. to take on Virginia Tech (0-1, 0-1 ACC). Notre Dame will look to build momentum off of their 1-0 win over Syracuse. Now 0.500 on the season, Notre Dame is out to make a statement at Thompson Field this Sunday.

When asked about what he wanted to improve upon following the win, head coach Chad Riley said, “When we go up by a goal, we should be a better possession team I think we could have done better with the ball in the last twenty minutes.”

Passing is also high on Riley’s priority list for practice.

“There were moments where we could have been a little bit sharper with our passing to create a few more chances,” said Riley.

At the time of publication, Virginia Tech has only played one game this season, taking a loss against No. 2 Pittsburgh last Saturday. Senior Kristo Strickler tallied the two points for the Hokies in the 2-4 loss to

the Panthers. Virginia Tech will play Virginia this Wednesday before facing the Irish.

The Hokies hold a three-game win streak in their last three meetings with the Irish but are down 3-6-1 all time in the contest. The Irish are in desperate need of a win, not only to keep their momentum rolling, but also to legitimize a chance of earning a spot in postseason competition.

Riley mentioned Strickler when talking about the upcoming match, saying “he’s their player to watch.”

Riley also said this weekend’s contest is crucial in terms of Notre Dame’s chances of earning a coveted spot in the ACC Tournament.

The Irish will seek to repeat their strong defensive showing over Syracuse. Senior goalkeeper Keegan McLaughlin had four saves in the match, and junior midfielder Mohamed Omar was mentioned by Coach Riley as having a strong game.

Notre Dame faces off against Virginia Tech this Sunday at 11 a.m, the game will be broadcast live on the ACC Network.

FOOTBALL

Now former Notre Dame linebacker Jordan Genmark Heath announced via Twitter Sunday night that he will be joining the UCL A Bruins.

Hailing from San Diego, CA, Genmark Heath, a three-star safety recruit per 247Sports.com, was converted to linebacker and saw action in a rotational capacity each of his first three seasons in South Bend. He recorded 16 tackles in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns, and posted 10 tackles, including his first career tackle for loss, in his junior season. The best statistical performances of Genmark Heath’s career came via a six-tackle showing at Northwestern in 2018 and a five-tackle performance against LSU in the 2017 Citrus Bowl.

With current senior linebackers Drew W hite and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah — both of whom tied for the team lead in tackles last season with 80 each — helming the starting Mike linebacker and rover positions, respectively, Genmark Heath looked to fill the void left by former Irish buck

Irish senior midfielder Aiden McFadden dribbles the ball during Notre Dame’s 1-0 win over University of Denver on Sept. 8, 2019 at Alumni Stadium. Junior forward Jack Lynn scored the game-winning goal.

nd w basketball

Heath to transfer to UCLA Observer Sports Staff

Allison Thornton | The Observer

linebacker Asmar Bilal.

Bilal, who exhausted his eligibility after last season and signed with the Los Angeles Chargers this fall, struggled his first three seasons to live up to his billing as a former four-star prospect and No. 7 inside linebacker recruit nationally, but broke through in 2019 after moving from rover to buck, finishing third on the team in tackles with 79.

Notre Dame fans hoped that defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Clark Lea would be able to spark a similar development in Genmark Heath going into this season.

However, a lack of spring practice left Genmark Heath without sufficient time to solidif y a starting role. Despite rumblings that he may have managed to earn that spot in fall camp, he failed to crack the two-deep Notre Dame depth chart ahead of their season opener against Duke.

Genmark Heath promptly announced that he would transfer the same day that the depth chart was released.

Barring a redshirt, Genmark Heath will have one year of eligibility remaining with the Bruins.

Cosgrove announces leave of absence Observer Sports Staff

Notre Dame women’s basketball forward Danielle Cosgrove announced Tuesday via Twitter that she would be stepping away from the University for the remainder of the fall semester citing mental health reasons.

“There is nothing more important than mental health, and I have been struggling with mine for quite some time,” Cosgrove said in the tweet. “After talking it over with my family, teammates and coaching staff, I have

decided that I will be taking a leave of absence until the second semester. During this time away focused on my wellbeing, I am hopeful on getting myself to a place to be a healthier person.”

A 6-foot-4 junior from Holbrook, New York, Cosgrove was a member of a four-player 2018 class that featured her along with guards Jordan Nixon, Katlyn Gilbert and Abby Prohaska. Nixon has since transferred to Texas A&M. Cosgrove was a freshman on the 2018-19 Notre Dame team that finished runners-up nationally

after a one-point championship game loss to Baylor. During that season she appeared in 27 of 39 games as primarily a 3-point specialist. Her playing time increased last season as she appeared in all 31 contests and started four for a rebuilding Irish team.

It is unclear when Cosgrove will attempt to rejoin the women’s basketball program, but she did express her intent to do so.

“I remain committed to my teammates, and I’m excited to support them as they prepare for the upcoming season,” she said.

Kendra osinski | The Observer

Irish junior forward Danielle Cosgrove dribbles the ball during Notre Dame’s home loss to Minnesota on Dec. 4. Cosgrove recently announced she will be taking a leave of absence for her mental health.

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Sports

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Roundtable

Observer Fantasy Football — Week 6 Aidan Thomas, Nate Moller, Liam Coolican, Patrick Gallagher Sports Writers

It’s time for another rendition of the Observer Fantasy Football Corner. No time for small talk.

Let’s get to it.

Sam Ouhaj Must Start — Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans In what feels like a lifetime, the Titans finally played their first game in two weeks against the Buffalo Bills last night.

However, this game counts for week five in fantasy, and that is not the matchup we will be looking at. Derrick Henry is set to face the Houston Texans week six, and I am almost certain he will have a big game. The former Heisman winner has finally found a groove in the NFL since last season and up until the Titans’ COVID-19 outbreak, was continuing this.

The Houston Texans have been rather disappointing after starting the season 1-4 and in a divisional battle in which Jacksonville almost came back, there is little doubt that the Titans won’t dominate them.

The Texans defense has given up six rushing touchdowns to opposing running backs and an average of 4.7 yards per carry.

Henry is averaging 3.9 yards per carry but due to the limited amount of games the Titans have played (three), this number should be overlooked. In Henry’s last game against the Texans, he rushed for 211 yards and three touchdowns which makes him my favorite play this week. Expect Henry to have another great game and continue his blooming career.

Must Sit — Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals Joe Mixon is having a much better start to the season than he did last year. Averaging 4.1 yards per carry, Mixon’s success has not translated to wins for the Bengals. Granted the Bengals are still a developing team with a rookie QB and a poor offensive line, it makes sense as to why they are about a year from competing in a stacked AFC North. Mixon is set to face one of the leagues best defenses in the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts’ defense has allowed only

one rushing touchdown and 432 yards to opposing running backs this season which is pretty impressive. This defense is legit and was my sleeper pick to be among the top five units in the NFL. Do not play Mixon this week even if he is among your top backs as he will probably have less than 10 fantasy points.

This is just a bump in the road for Mixon, and any other week I would have no hesitation to start him.

Who to Pick up?

Andy Dalton, QB, Dallas Cowboys (owned in 0.2% of leagues) Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers (owned in 35.6% of leagues) Andrew McGuinness Must Start — Jonathan Taylor, RB Colts Taylor continues to chug along in the midst of a solid rookie season for an equally solid Colts offense that has over 20 points in four of their first five games. The Colts starting running back and second round pick has rushed for over 55 yards each of the last four weeks, scoring a touchdown in three of them. Indianapolis doesn’t have an overly difficult matchup this week against the Cincinnati Bengals, and with Indy having a bye week following that matchup, expect Taylor to be used maybe a little bit more than normal thanks to the scheduled extra rest after.

Must Sit — Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams Higbee was a surprise superstar in week two with a threeTD showing against the Eagles (while sitting on my bench, unfortunately), but he hasn’t found the end zone since. Against a Washington defense that isn’t exactly stout, especially when it comes to defending tight ends (fourth best matchup for TEs, according to Yahoo), Higbee had a season low 12 receiving yards on just two targets (tied with week three for his season low), as the Rams offense hummed to a 30-point performance and win over Washington with him contributing much. To make matters worth, Higbee will have a much tougher matchup this week against the 49ers on Sunday Night Football. Better off passing on Higbee for the time being, at least until he shows signs of getting his groove

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Vikings

back in the Rams’ pass game.

Who to pick up?

WR Chase Claypool (owned in 17% of leagues) Jamison Cook Must Start — Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings Thielen has been one of the few bright spots for a struggling Vikings team, and following Stefon Diggs’ departure in the offseason, Thielen has become the clear number one receiver in Minnesota. He has seen eight or more targets in four out of five games this season, with double digits targets in both of the last two weeks.

Thielen has caught a whopping six touchdowns through five games, which is tied for the league lead with Mike Evans, and has scored over 26 points three times in Standard PPR leagues. Next week the Vikings host the Falcons, another enticing matchup for Thielen in the passing game. Atlanta ranks 31st in the league in passing yards given up per game at 335.8 and 30th in points given up per game at 32.2, providing plenty of opportunity for Thielen to get loose and find the end zone.

Must Sit — Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons Ryan has now had three abysmal weeks in a row after finishing with a singledigit performance against the Panthers. The Falcons are now 0-5 and their offense, which many saw as loaded with talent coming into the season, has been producing less and less as the season progresses.

Ryan also seems to have a knack for throwing interceptions at crucial junctures within games, and his interception in the end zone this past week was a tough pill to swallow for his fantasy owners. A matchup with Minnesota, who likes to chew up the clock with long, run-heavy drives, is not very appealing, so it is best to keep Ryan on your bench until he rediscovers his early season form, especially with Julio Jones potentially out with an injury.

Pick up: Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (owned in 17% of leagues)

Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings (owned in 41.6% of leagues) John Kalemkerian Must Start — Jamison Crowder, WR, New York Jets Despite missing two games early in the season, Crowder has been the only bright spot on an otherwise talent-deprived team.

He has eclipsed 100 yards and been targeted at least 10 times in each of his three games played so far in 2020, two with Sam Darnold and one with Joe Flacco at quarterback. Facing a weaker Miami defense this upcoming week, Crowder will once again be able to pace the Jets wideouts in targets and perhaps extend his 100-yard game streak to four on the season. The hamstring injury that forced him to miss weeks two and three is firmly in the rearview mirror, so feel confident putting Crowder in your starting lineup this week.

Must Sit — Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Football Team This may come as a surprise, given the outstanding season Scary Terry is having so far for the newly minted Football Team. However, things have changed significantly in Washington since the first four weeks of the season, over which McLaurin averaged nearly 100 yards per game with Dwayne Haskins under center. McLaurin’s chemistry with Haskins was undeniable, but the projected starter this week, Kyle Allen, holds much less promise. The matchup poses another problem, as the Giants have a surprisingly good defense for an 0-5 team. McLaurin figures to be shadowed by lockdown corner and DPOTY contender James Bradberry for most for most of the game, severely limiting his already reduced upside and should be riding the pine for your fantasy team this week.

Must Add: Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (owned in 17% of leagues) Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Miami Dolphins (owned in 20% of leagues) Gavin Aitken Must Start — Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota

Justin Jefferson has been one of the standout rookies this season, already boasting two games with over 75 yards despite limited targets in four of his five games. However, this play isn’t really about that. What makes Jefferson such a surefire start is the team his Vikings will be playing next week. Through five games, the Atlanta Falcons have been an absolute dumpster fire, and their defense is a big part of that. They’re the second worst pass defense in the NFL, and with Dan Quinn’s firing this last week they’re unlikely to be any more organized than before.

Expect a total air raid attack from the Vikings, with Jefferson being a huge beneficiary of this matchup.

Must Sit — Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers This one might feel like a stretch. After all, this is Aaron Rodgers, one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game of football. The same Aaron Rodgers who, after finally showing the first glimpses of Father Time last season, has bounced back for a resurgent year to start this season. However, I feel like his start is a mirage, and last year’s Rodgers is what we’re going to start to expect moving forward. Of the four teams he’s gone up against so far, three of them rank among the top seven worst defenses in the NFL thus far, while the fourth (New Orleans Saints) gives up the fourth most fantasy points to QBs in the country. Sorry, but I think his upcoming matchup with a destructive Tampa Bay defense might expose some of the flaws we saw from him last season.

Who to pick up: Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (owned in 9.4% of leagues) Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Miami Dolphins (owned in 22.8% of leagues) Contact Sam Ouhaj at souhaj@ nd.edu, Andrew McGuiness at amcguinn@nd.edu, Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu, John Kalemkerian at jkalemke@nd.edu and Gavin Aitken at gaitken@ nd.edu.

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

Sports

Kelly Continued from page 16

“There were some factors that were unique in that we had a lot of guys that were not practicing during the week, and it showed that you have to practice this game to be at your very best,” Kelly said. “There were some uncharacteristic defensive lapses that occurred that we do not normally see. We will address those and they’ll be corrected for this weekend.”

Before Kelly turned his attention to specific players, he stressed the importance of doing what is best for the team as a whole with the wildly fluctuating circumstances. When asked about sophomore running back Kyren Williams, Kelly expressed pride in his transformation and his self-awareness to seize his opportunity in the backfield.

Kelly has been impressed with the running back committee’s ability to run between the tackles and their “ability to pick up tough yards.”

Patience, maturity and toughness have been three characteristics this season that have stood out to Kelly regarding his young backfield. Kelly attributed it to how the running backs worked over the offseason in their strength and conditioning program.

“It started with understanding that he had to change the way he was living and how he was taking care of himself,” Kelly said about Williams.

“Then Coach Bayless, obviously, improved him with our strength and conditioning program.”

Speaking of Jerimiah OwusuKoramoah, Kelly praised his ability to cover receivers in man coverage as well as effectively rush the passer.

Regarding the image of Liam Eichenberg’s heavily bruised and swollen eye from the FSU game, Kelly expressed that this exact mindset is what makes the tackle a superior leader and presence in the locker room.

“I think all of our guys in the locker room after the game had a lot of respect for him anyway, but I think it just solidifies the kind of respect that they had for him as a leader on our football team,” he said. “He is gritty and is always fighting through to get back out on that football field.”

Kelly hopes to take this grit and toughness into upcoming weeks of the season, but is not interested in in looking too far ahead.

When asked about the standings, Kelly responded that he only pays attention to the teams on the schedule, but did admit (to some chuckles) that Clemson is, in fact, good. Kelly said he just wants to live hour to hour and stay week to week, focusing on the road ahead so that the Irish can be in a good position in the final weeks of the season.

Contact Taylor Kelly at tkelly25@nd.edu

ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, october 14, 2020 | The Observer

15

ND W VolleyBall

No. 5 Irish prepares for 3rd series against No. 11 Panthers Observer Sports Staff

The No. 5 ranked Notre Dame volleyball team is gearing up for their third series of the season against No. 11 Pitt this weekend. The Irish (3-0) have only given up one set through their first three games of the season. They shut out Louisville in their first game of the season, but the second game of the series was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.

The following weekend proved to be a major test for the Irish, however, as they played host to the then-fifthranked Syracuse Orange.

Junior outside hitter Charley Niego led the way throughout the weekend with 34 combined kills in the two games. Sophomore outside hitter Caroline Meuth followed closely behind with 32.

Junior setter Zoe Nunez racked 51 assists and 12 digs in the last game.

Nunez’s performance has been consistent this season, as she is currently ranked third in the country averaging 12.6 assists per set with her 126 total assists through ten sets. Trailing behind her is freshman libero Hattie Monson with 12 assists total. The Irish are currently leading the nation in assists per set with 148, thanks to the stable base

Observer File Photo

Irish junior outside hitter Charley Niego jumps to hit the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-1 victory over Syracuse on Nov. 17 at Purcell Pavilion. Niego has a combined 34 kills against Louisville and Syracuse.

that Nunez is providing.

The Panthers, on the other hand, are led by senior outside hitter Kayla Lund, who has 76 kills on the season and also leads the team with four aces on the year.

Pitt ranks sixth in the country in hitting percentage

at .277 and is sitting two spots ahead of Notre Dame, who sits at eighth with .261.

Pitt is sitting at 2-2 on the season but both of those losses came to No. 8 Syracuse in their season opener. They were able to respond with two

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wins over Boston College the next weekend though.

The first game of the series will be on Friday at 7 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion on ESPN2, and the second matchup is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m., broadcast on ACC Network.

16

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Football

Kelly talks Louisville, Irish backfield to press

By TAYLOR KELLY Sports Writer

Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly spoke with the media Monday, analyzing key players in the Irish’s 42-26 win over Florida State while also looking ahead to Louisville and the rest of the ACC schedule in light of the pandemic.

Kelly stressed that Louisville is a much better football team than their record indicates, saying that the Cardinals are a “talented team,” and much better than their 1-3 record represents.

He commended Louisville’s coaching staff and quarterback Malik Cunningham, saying he is well-coached and surrounded by some talented offensive players, and does a great deal of running the offense.

Kelly went on to explain that Louisville has a dynamic rushing attack featuring Cunningham and running back Javian Hawkins, who are, in his opinion, near the top of the ACC in terms of skill. “[Cunningham] is probably as good as we’ve seen in space, as a skill player, complemented with [Dez] Fitzpatrick and

[Justin] Marshall,” he said.

“Then you look at the running game and Hawkins, I think he’s third in the country, best in the ACC, and arguably one of the best if not the best in the country. [All in all], its a very talented offense.”

Kelly said he is also conscious of Louisville’s athletic 3-4 defense with talented linebackers.

“Certainly athleticism is — when you look at their defense — the thing that shows up the most,” Kelly said. “They can run, they are athletic, they’ve got some experience in the back end. From a defensive personnel standpoint, we’ll have to do a really good job against their three-four defense and create some unique situations for us. They are a well-coached football team, that, in my opinion, could very easily be on the other side of that 1-3 record.”

Kelly admitted that Notre Dame’s defense needs to have a better performance than it did last weekend against Florida State, but acknowledges that this particular week was a unique situation with the COVID-19 regulations. see KELLY PAGE 15

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish sophomore running back Kyren Williams carries the ball during Notre Dame’s 42-26 victory over Florida State on Oct. 11 at Notre Dame Stadium. Williams scored two touchdowns during the game.

ND w SOCCER

Undefeated Irish team looks to extend winning streak against Demon Deacons

By LIAM COOLICAN Sports Writer

ALLISON THORTON | The Obeserver

Irish sophomore forward Kiki Van Zanten runs down the field during a game against Iowa on Sept. 15, 2019 at Alumni Stadium.

The Notre Dame women’s soccer team will be looking to win its fourth consecutive game Thursday, hosting Wake Forest.

Following a 5-0 season opening defeat on the road to Florida State, the Irish (3-1, 3-1 ACC) have bounced back with three consecutive wins.

However, the three teams the Irish defeated, Miami, Boston College and Syracuse, are a combined 0-11 to start the season. Wake Forest (14-1, 1-3-1 ACC) is also near the bottom of the standings, notching just one win thus far.

The Irish are ranked 14th in the country, according to the United Soccer Coaches Poll.

It is the only poll this season due to the number of universities not playing fall sports.

Including this matchup, Notre Dame has just four games left until the ACC championship tournament, which

begins Nov. 10 in Cary, North Carolina. The top eight regular season teams qualify, and with just an eight-game season, each match means a great deal. The Irish have two more home games, before finishing the season with two games on the road. Last year, the Irish were defeated in the first round by eventual conference champions North Carolina.

Notre Dame will likely continue to rely on the production of forwards Kiki Van Zanten and Sammi Fisher. Van Zanten, a sophomore, has played exceptionally through four games, scoring six goals. She scored once in each half in the Irish’s 2-0 win against Syracuse in the Irish’s last time out and scored a hat trick in the Irish’s 6-0 win over Miami. Van Zanten is second in the nation in goals scored.

Fisher, a senior, has also been impressive so far, scoring three times, including a brace in win over Miami. Notre Dame is third in the nation in scoring

offense, averaging 2.5 goals per outing. Junior goalkeeper Mattie Interian has played well; since the loss to Florida State, she hasn’t conceded a goal while making five saves.

Wake Forest scored five goals this season while conceding 14. The Demon Deacons are led by senior forward Ryanne Brown, who has scored twice this year. They are 0-2-1 on the road, while the Irish are 2-0 at home.

The Irish, who haven’t played since their 2-0 home win over Syracuse on Oct. 4, will be well rested for this game, whereas the Demon Deacons are coming off of a 2-0 road loss to Clemson on Sunday.

The match kicks off at 7 p.m. Thursday night at Alumni Stadium. Continuing with University policy, no fans will be permitted, but the game will be televised on ACC Network Extra.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu