Print Edition of The Observer for Wednesday, October 28, 2020

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Volume 55, Issue 30 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Mass honors students Community gathers in honor of two first-years who died

By GRACE DOERFLER News Writer

Thousands of members of the Notre Dame community gathered Tuesday night to remember first-year students Valeria Espinel and Olivia Laura Rojas in a mass held in Notre Dame Stadium. Both students passed away early Saturday morning after being hit by a car.

Espinel, originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador, lived in Badin Hall and planned to study economics. Rojas, from see MASS PAGE 3

Observer Staff Report

GRACE DOEFRLER | The Observer

University President Fr. John Jenkins celebrated mass Tuesday in the stadium to remember Valeria Espinel and Olivia Laura Rojas.

Students react to Barrett’s SCOTUS confirmation

By EMILY DeFAZIO News Writer

On Sept. 26, Notre Dame Law School professor Judge Amy Coney Barrett was nominated by President Donald Trump for the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Barrett’s nomination was confirmed Monday evening, meaning she will fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s

position. Students throughout the tri-campus community had a range of reactions to these events.

On a whole, students reacted positively to Barrett’s nomination.

Several students believed that Barrett was the most qualified candidate.

“I was very impressed by the nomination,” sophomore Charles Yockey, a member of the College Republicans club, said. “I think

there are few, if any, more qualified judges in the country.”

Yockey said Barrett’s qualifications bring a new perspective to the Court.

“Her interpretation of the law is a little bit different, even from some of the conservatives who currently serve,” Yockey said.

In addition, Yockey said that see REACTIONS PAGE 5

Students, faculty reflect on Pope Francis’ statement

By GABRIELLE PENNA News Writer

Pope Francis was featured in the documentary “Francesco” at the Rome Film Festival on Oct. 21. Interviews included in this documentary addressed issues of poverty, migration, racial equality and environmental sustainability. In addition to addressing these issues, the pope vocalized support for same-sex civil unions, becoming the first pontiff to do so.

“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family,” Francis

news PAGE 3

Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to Supreme Court

said in the film. “They are children of God. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.”

Although Francis endorsed these policies while serving as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he never came out publicly in favor of same-sex civil unions as pope until now.

John T. McGreevy, American historian and dean emeritus of the College of Arts & Letters, earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Notre Dame and currently teaches a course titled “History of Global

viewpoint PAGE 7

Catholicism.” McGreevy shared what he believed this meant for Catholicism.

McGreevy began by noting his initial reaction to Pope Francis’ words.

“The words as reported by Pope Francis were quite beautiful,” McGreevy said.

Francis’ message was simple and beautiful, McGreevy said.

“What I loved about the statement was him insisting that gays and lesbians are a part of our families and need to be see UNIONS PAGE 5

scene PAGE 9

The U.S. Senate voted 5248 to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett as an associate justice on the Supreme Court Monday evening, finalizing one of the quickest confirmation processes in Supreme Court history as Republicans rushed to complete her appointment just eight days before the general election. She can begin work

Tuesday.

The confirmation advanced to the Senate f loor after passing in the Judiciary Committee 12-0 Thursday, when all 12 Republicans on the committee voted to advance the nomination and all 10 Democrats boycotted the vote.

Barrett, a Notre Dame law professor and circuit judge on see BARRETT PAGE 4

Faculty senate vote postponed Observer Staff Report

The Notre Dame faculty senate delayed an emergency meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday where a vote on a motion of no confidence in University President Fr. John Jenkins would have occurred.

A new date for the vote has not been set.

The meeting was postponed to avoid overlap with the scheduled memorial Mass

for first-year students Valeria Espinel and Olivia Laura Rojas who died Saturday morning, faculty senate chair Tom Stober said in an email to The Observer.

Faculty senate vice chair CJ Jones alerted the senators of the postponement in a Monday email, saying the community should have time to mourn together. see JENKINS PAGE 5

Students create pass/fail petition

By MAGGIE EASTLAND News Writer

Citing interruptions to lesson plans and added stress due to the coronavirus pandemic, several Notre Dame students drafted a petition calling for students to have the option to designate their classes as pass/no-credit.

As of late Sunday night, over 1,320 students signed the Google form petition, representing more than 15% of the undergraduate

ND W BASKETBALL PAGE 16

student body.

According to the petition, which began circulating Wednesday, Oct. 21, “Moving to an optional pass/no-credit grading system akin to that which was implemented in the spring semester 2020 would not only be more fair to students, but it would help relieve academicinduced student anxiety and improve the overall mental see PASS/FAIL PAGE 3

FOOTBALL PAGE 16

2

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

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junior Le Mans Hall “‘Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin.’”

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junior Le Mans Hall “‘The Nightmare Before Christmas.’”

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Students gather in Duncan Student Center to watch the ND Day broadcast, which began at 6:42 p.m. Tuesday. ND Day is an annual fundraising event that allows for clubs, student organizations, dorms and interest groups to raise money for their causes.

The next Five days:

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Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 11:30 a.m.

All are welcome to attend.

Snite-@-Nite: Snite Fright Snite Museum of Art 6p.m. - 7:30 p.m Live music and pumpkin decorating.

Lecture: “Voting Rights” virtual 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Featuring speaker Eric H. Holder, Jr.

The Big Draw: Exquisite Corpse virtual 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

A spooky-themed drawing competition.

Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

11:30 a.m., 5:15 p.m.

All are welcome to attend.

Film Screening and Panel Discussion virtual 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

View Skye Fitzgerald’s “Hunger Ward.”

ND Anti-Racist Theatre NOW virtual 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Come view scenes by BIPOC playwrights.

Film Premiere Notre Dame Stadium 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Screening the film “And There is Nothing New Under the Sun.”

Halloween Spooktacular campus-wide 5 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Halloween-themed activities and treats.

Film Screening virtual 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

The Higgins Labor Club is showing the film “On the Basis of Sex.”

News

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | The Observer

3

AMST course on pandemics offers perspective

By TRINITY REILLY News Writer

We’ve all been liv ing through a pandemic for months, but some students on campus are study ing them, too.

Laurel Daen, assistant professor of American Studies, is teaching a course this semester titled “Epidemics in America,” which meets over Zoom. The course covers illnesses from cholera, to smallpox, to HIV/AIDS and how they affected American life — relating the countr y’s storied past w ith disease to the current COV ID-19 pandemic.

A lthough campus may feel different this semester for many returning members of the Notre Dame communit y, it’s all Daen knows. This is her first semester teaching at the Universit y.

She first proposed the idea for a class on American epidemics while inter v iew ing for the position over a year ago, she said. At the time, she planned to teach it in the spring.

However, as COV ID-19

Pass/Fail Continued from page 1

wellbeing of the student body.”

Senior Michael Dugan of Dillon Hall, sophomore Connor Patrick of Dillon Hall, first year Ella Murphy of Flaherty Hall and senior Olivia Rubin of Cavanaugh Hall are sponsoring the petition and plan to bring a formal resolution before the senate.

(Editor’s Note: Dugan is a former News Writer and Systems Administrator for The Observer.)

The petition reached its initial goal of 500 signatures, “within five hours of the petition being released to the public.

“We then set a stretch goal of 1000 signatures, which we obtained in the early afternoon of

Mass Continued from page 1

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, lived in Cavanaugh Hall.

She intended to study in the Mendoza College of Business.

The community also held in prayer sophomore Eduardo Jose Elias Calderon, who was injured in the crash and remains hospitalized.

Family members and friends of Espinel and Rojas traveled to Notre Dame and attended the mass. Others attended from Bolivia, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic through a live stream of the service.

Vice president for student

spread globally and nationally and epidemics quickly became topical, Daen pushed for the class to take place this fall semester.

Classes combine histor y w ith currents events, she said.

“It’s really about bringing thinking about the histor y and culture of America both from centuries ago and the present day,” Daen said.

Students do t wo readings for class.

The first is historical, t y pically a primar y source; the second is a contemporar y news article that connects w ith the historical event, she said.

“If we’re thinking about medical discrimination and early America, we’re also going to be talking about medical discrimination w ith COV ID-19 today,” Daen said.

“There’s lots of connections through the readings.”

Junior Grace Scheidler and sophomore Martha Gluck are students in Daen’s class this semester. Both said they were struck by how many similarities COV ID-19 has w ith prior epidemics, from

leadership reaction to which groups are marginalized.

“I feel like I’ve learned so much that was just left out of histor y books,” Gluck said.

“I understand so much better how coronav irus works, but also how epidemics affect people in prett y much the same way, no matter the disease.”

Daen said this realization is one of the main takeaways she hopes students get from the class.

“If you’re thinking about the media today, or any thing you read, so much of it is talking about how unprecedented the pandemic is,” she said. “But there’s actually a lot of precedent for it. And so by analyzing past events, I think it gives students not only better context, but also better skills for understanding the complex it y of what’s going on today.”

One aspect of the class that puts the current epidemic into perspective, Daen said, is a journal that students w rite in t w ice a week. Ideally, she said, it w ill be a primar y source from this point in histor y, and at

the end of the semester, the anony mized entries w ill be placed in an archive.

Gluck said it’s interesting to look at her entries from earlier this semester and see what’s changed from then to now.

“We’ve been going back and ref lecting on our entries and, even though it’s only been t wo months, the change is so clear,” she said.

“So much has happened, and it’s really cathartic to w rite it all dow n.”

In fact, Gluck said her “Epidemics in America” work is the first thing she turns to as she sits dow n to study because she finds it so interesting.

Amid readings, journals and lectures, Scheidler and Gluck both said the class is an engaging way to get perspective on the COV ID-19 pandemic.

It’s encouraging, Scheidler said, to know this isn’t the world turning upside dow n because so many things that shock us about life in a pandemic are t y pical of epidemics across America’s histor y.

“I think something that

we as a class have found is that there’s a lot of comfort in learning about these past epidemics,” Scheidler said. “You would think learning about smallpox and the Black Death would be depressing, but there’s a certain universalit y to the experience of confronting a disease as a societ y and not really being equipped to handle it that makes COV ID-19 seem not as bad.”

Daen said she was not expecting students to find the class hopeful — her classes, which t y pically focus on disease and disabilit y, can often be heav y.

But, she said, it was a welcome surprise that has made teaching the class all the more enjoyable.

“The class is so relevant and so personal, because we’re all liv ing through a pandemic, and thinking about this histor y has been a really powerful thing for the students and for me teaching it,” Daen said.

Thursday, October 22,” Dugan said.

The petition remains open for additional signatures.

“We will continue to accept signatures until the University takes formal action on this issue,” Patrick said in an email.

The formal resolution says the Office of the Provost wrote the University would adopt a pass/no-credit grading system for spring semester 2020, “due to significant alteration to the manner in which classes were taught and course content delivered in this distance learning environment.”

Next, the resolution identifies the two weeks of online learning due a surge in COVID-19 cases on campus as a similar disruption to learning.

The document states, “the active and large outbreak of

COVID-19 that occurred in the University community early in the Fall 2020 Semester caused temporary but significant disruptions to the educational environment, both for students and faculty.”

The resolution also cites the negative mental health effects due to the stresses of the pandemic and the absence of fall break. It called Restoration Week a “good faith attempt,” but “not sufficient to adequately address the extraordinary levels of burnout and stress that are present in the undergraduate student body.”

Dugan said he was inspired to write this petition after noticing a high level of burnout among his peers this semester.

“The extent of this burnout and the severity thereof necessitate swift and sweeping action by the University,” Dugan

said. “Once again, we are calling for the University to take serious and decisive action to relieve student anxiety and to promote well-being, much as it did in the Spring Semester 2020.”

He also said that news of a recent survey, finding over 50% of all Notre Dame students fall into the category of “serious distress” according to the Kessler-6 test, broke only a few hours after the petition was released. Combined with the student senate’s previous resolution calling for a greater focus on addressing the pandemic’s negative mental health effects, Dugan said this survey confirms the need for pass/nocredit grading options.

Dugan also said the petition writers have informed the judicial council of their plan to submit the petition with the

full list of signatures to the student senate on Tuesday evening, making the resolution eligible for a vote in Thursday’s senate meeting.

If the petition is not included in Thursday’s agenda, the student senate will convene in a special meeting to discuss the petition within one week of its submission.

Senior Rachel Ingal, student body president, confirmed in an email that as long as the petition gathers the required 200 signatures, it will be discussed within the next week in the senate.

“I look forward to hearing the discussion at the meeting and hope that the dialogue can prove to be fruitful,” Ingal said.

affairs Erin Hoffmann Harding welcomed the community to the memorial service.

“We are grateful for your presence as we gather to pray for the eternal rest of two members of the class of 2024,” she said. “We believe that God is holding them gently and in immeasurable love.”

University President Fr. John Jenkins presided at the mass, first thanking the families of the two students for traveling to campus. The mass began somberly as Jenkins reflected on the tragedy that occurred Saturday morning.

“Olivia and Valeria were with us for too short a time,” he said. “But I’ve heard from their

friends, their teachers and their families that they embraced Notre Dame and made it their home. We now gather to remember and pray for these two friends, students, classmates and family members who have been taken from us so suddenly, so soon.”

Director of Campus Ministry Fr. Pete McCormick delivered the homily at the service. He acknowledged the tragedy that had shaken the community, noting “the hardship that comes from losing two members of our Notre Dame family to an untimely death.”

McCormick’s homily focused on honoring how Espinel and Rojas deeply valued friendship

and family. He read from papers each student had written earlier in the semester about how to live a good life and celebrated the friendship between the two young women.

“To think that this relationship was somehow simply limited between Valeria and Olivia would be a big mistake,” McCormick said. “Together they built upon each other’s strengths to create a network of great friends and meaningful relationships.”

McCormick said sorrow is appropriate in response to these students’ deaths, but he invited the congregation to trust in God’s mercy.

“We commend these two

sisters of ours to a God who makes all things new — grateful for their lives, thankful for the ways that God has worked through them to give us a clear sense of heaven itself,” he said.

“We now commend our sisters to eternal rest.”

The mass included a mix of Spanish and English, including music in Spanish provided by Coro Primavera, the University’s Spanishlanguage choir. The rectors of Cavanaugh Hall and Badin Hall, Jo Cecilio and Sr. Susan Sisko, respectively, offered bilingual prayers of the faithful.

Contact Trinity Reilly at treilly@nd.edu

Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu

Contact Grace Doerfler at gdoerfle@nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Barrett Continued from page 1

the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, will occupy the seat left vacant by the death of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last month.

Barrett will shift the court to what many believe will be a 6-3 conservative majority, as most judicial observers believed Ginsburg to be the leader of the court’s liberal wing. At 48 years old, Barrett is the youngest justice on the bench, and her lifelong appointment will likely influence rulings for decades to come.

University President Fr. John Jenkins congratulated Barrett on the confirmation on behalf of Notre Dame.

“Recognized by experts from across the spectrum of judicial philosophies as a superb legal scholar and judge, she is an esteemed colleague and a teacher revered by her students,“ Jenkins said. “Justice Barrett becomes the first alumna of Notre Dame Law School and the first Notre Dame faculty member to be so honored.“ Barrett currently lives in South Bend, Ind., and commutes to Chicago for her judgeship. A native of New Orleans, La., Barrett earned her undergraduate degree at Rhodes College before graduating top of her class at Notre Dame.

She has taught at the University since 2002 and currently teaches one class titled “Statutory Interpretations,” a seminar-style course.

Third-year Notre Dame Law student Brandon Winchel described Barrett as a fair-minded professor and the course as conversational. “[Judge Barrett] wants to hear different perspectives about what people thought about the papers, what things they like, what things they disagreed with, and [she] just tries to foster discussion and moderates great conversation between all the classmates,” Winchel said.

Winchel said before the final Senate vote that confirmation would be “incredible for Judge Barrett as an alumnus of Notre Dame.” All eight current justices graduated from Yale or Harvard Law School.

“I think Judge Barrett’s confirmation to the court would go a long way towards showing the world that you don’t have to graduate from an Ivy League school to be successful or intelligent,” he said.

The confirmation hearing in front of a split Judiciary Committee Personal political agenda and Barrett’s Catholic faith were repeated concerns voiced by Democrat members in her four-day confirmation hearing process before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Committee chairman Lindsey Graham said Barrett was one of the most qualified people to be a justice on the Supreme Court.

“She will faithfully apply the law to the facts without personal agenda and fully understands the difference between an impartial judge and a political activist,” Graham said in a statement.

On Oct. 12, the first day of Barrett’s confirmation hearing, each senator on the 22-person committee received 10 minutes to

give an opening statement.

Graham, a South Carolina Senator, began by addressing the controversy of the nomination of a justice to the high court in an election year when some voting has already occurred, saying the “Senate is doing its duty constitutionally.”

“What will happen is my Democratic colleagues will say ‘This has never been done,’ and they’re right in this regard. Nobody, I think, has ever been confirmed in an election year past July,” Graham said. “There is nothing unconstitutional about this process.”

The controversy comes after former President Barack Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in early 2016 after Justice Antonin Scalia died, and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell imposed a blockade prior to that year’s presidential election.

“The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,” McConnell said hours after Scalia’s death. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”

A large focus of the first day was on Barrett’s stance on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which provides health insurance to millions of Americans with preexisting health conditions. Oral argument for Texas v. California is scheduled in the Supreme Court for Tuesday, Nov. 10 and will challenge the constitutionality of the ACA. “Most importantly, healthcare coverage for millions of Americans is at stake with this nomination,” California Senator Dianne Feinstein said. “So, over the course of these hearings, my colleagues and I will focus on that subject.”

Barrett responds to questioning on Catholicism, race and reproductive rights The second day of Barrett’s confirmation hearing, Oct. 13, featured public questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The committee members worked to clarify the judge’s

stances on various issues, including reproductive rights and race while questioning how Barrett’s religious views would factor into her decision making.

Barrett was questioned about her views on Roe v. Wade throughout the hearing. When prompted, the judge told California Senator Dianne Feinstein it would be inappropriate to comment on the precedent set by Roe or other cases like Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which established a standard of review for abortion laws.

“I don’t have any agenda,” Barrett said during the hearing. “I have no agenda to try to overrule Casey.”

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin asked Barrett if she had seen the video of George Floyd being killed by a police officer and how it made her feel.

“As you might imagine, given that I have two Black children, that was very, very personal for my family,” Barrett said.

She continued, saying it started difficult conversations with her children, and she and one of her daughters from Haiti “wept” together.

The judge acknowledged the role Catholicism plays in her life, but she assured South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham that it would not affect her decision making in the court.

“I have a life brimming with people who have made different choices, and I have never tried, in my personal life, to impose my choices on them,” she said. “The same is true professionally.”

Texas Senator John Cornyn asked Barrett if she could share her preparatory notes with the room.

The judge held up a notepad, blank save for the Senate letterhead.

Cornyn called the move “impressive,” while the internet ran to make a meme out of the moment.

Barrett’s questioning continued on day three of the hearing, Oct. 14, including questions on her originalist philosophy, a method that interprets the Constitution how it was written when ratified.

Barrett has compared her judicial

philosophy to the late Justice Scalia, who Barrett clerked for after graduating from Notre Dame.

Delaware Senator Chris Coons said he thinks the American people need to better understand what that means in their everyday lives.

He suggested that originalism could revert modern understanding of liberty and freedoms back to eighteenth and nineteenth century understandings.

Coons asked Barrett if she agrees with Scalia who believed that Griswold v. Connecticut, a landmark case affirming that a state cannot make the use of contraceptives illegal, was not right.

Barrett responded that she cannot express a view with respect to precedent.

“I think that Griswold is very, very, very, very, very, very unlikely to go anywhere,” Barrett said. “In order for it to go anywhere, you or another court would have to pass a law saying that birth control is illegal.”

Barrett asserted she would determine her own position, despite what Scalia supported during his time on the bench.

“Everything that he said is not necessarily what I would agree with or do if I was Justice Barrett, that was Justice Scalia,” Barrett said. “I share [Scalia’s] philosophy, but I have never said that I would always reach the same outcome as he did.”

Groups, individuals speak on Barrett Day four of Barrett’s hearings saw Republicans pushing to schedule a panel vote on her nomination for Oct. 22 and testimonies from outside speakers. Barrett was not present.

Members from the American Bar Association (ABA) said they had determined Barrett is “wellqualified” to join the Supreme Court. Randall D. Noel, the chairman of the ABA committee, said their rating speaks to the thoughts of those in the field who know her best.

“The standing committee

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concluded that Judge Barrett’s integrity, judicial temperament, professional competence met the very high standards for appointment to our Supreme Court,” Noel said.

Crystal Good, an abortion-rights activist, virtually testified, saying Barrett’s nomination could lead to decreased access to abortions.

At 16, Good was granted a special court order to receive an abortion without parental consent after her stepfather assaulted and impregnated her.

“President Trump has been clear that he would appoint justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade,” Good said.

“Unfortunately, through learning about Judge Barrett’s record, I understand why the President believes she passes that test.”

Laura Wolk, a 2016 graduate from Notre Dame Law, testified on the behalf of her former professor. Wolk is the first blind woman to clerk on the Supreme Court.

Wolk struggled when she first arrived at the University, worrying she would fail classes while struggling to establish friendships and a routine that worked for her.

She confided in Barrett, to which the judge responded: “Laura, this is no longer your problem. It’s my problem.”

After that conversation, Wolk said she was able to get the technology she needed that made it possible for her to succeed not only in law school, but also in her professional life.

“Those who have had the benefit of knowing Amy Coney Barrett understand that she possesses a boundless font of energy and a radical sense of love that she is ever ready to pour out,” Wolk said. “Judge Barrett will serve this country with distinction.”

Editor’s note: Maria Leontaras contributed to this report.

Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu

News

Unions Continued from page 1

welcomed as such,” McGreevy said.

While some critics of Francis believe his stance on same-sex civil unions threatens traditional marriage in the Catholic Church, McGreevy said he does not. To him, “it is sensible; there is not anything illicit about it.”

“Pope Francis is not saying anything about the theology of marriage,” McGreevy said, adding that Francis is not challenging any part of Catholic Tradition.

McGreevy also said Francis’ comments do not diminish the theology of marriage for

Reactions Continued from page 1

Barrett’s background living in middle America also makes her a unique candidate.

“I think it brings a little bit of a sense of normalcy to the Court, which I think is a positive thing,” he said. “I think that perspective is always going to be a welcome addition.”

President of College Republicans sophomore Adam Morys also said Barrett’s background makes her a good candidate.

“Having someone on the court who’s not from Harvard or Yale as a law school graduate is really nice,” Morys said.

“Having someone who’s very independent, who wants to interpret the law as written … who’s not going to be entangled in whatever political forces might be pushing her one way or the other in Washington … I think that’s a positive thing.”

Morys said he was very happy with President Trump’s decision to nominate Barrett.

“He mentioned her as a possible pick a few years back, when Brett Kavanaugh was selected,” he said. “I was hoping that if there was ever another vacancy on the Supreme Court that she would be picked.”

Sophomore Patrick Barrett also said he believed Barrett was qualified in 2018.

“I first heard about Barrett back when Brett Kavanaugh was being nominated, and I honestly thought she was the better pick, even back then,” he said. “I was happy when I heard that she would be Trump’s next pick for Supreme Court Justice.”

Jenkins Continued from page 1

“Please be patient as we work to find a new time at which Fr. John Jenkins may also be present to address us in person,” Jones said in the email. “In the meantime, we join you in sorrow and prayer for our students, their families and their friends.”

The motion of no confidence comes after Jenkins’

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | The Observer

5

heterosexual couples.

“I don’t think heterosexual couples’ marriages are devalued by giving legal recognition to same-sex partners,” McGreevy said.

McGreevy said Francis’ support for the LGBTQ+ community was a “positive step in the evolving relationship between the Church, gays and lesbians that are Catholic, and gays and lesbians that are not.”

McGreevy said he is hopeful about what this may mean for Catholicism.

“This may help push toward more social recognition and legal recognition of all relationships,” McGreevy said. “From my point of view, that would be a good thing.”

Junior Matthew Bisner also reacted positively to Francis’ recent vocal support of same-sex civil unions. Bisner serves as the judicial student president in the Student Union at Notre Dame, as well as the vice president of PrismND. PrismND is Notre Dame’s first and only official LGBTQ+ undergraduate student organization.

The organization is dedicated to embracing the campus LGBTQ+ community and raising awareness of their needs.

Bisner shared his experience with the Catholic Church and his reaction to the pope’s words.

“I am familiar with the Catholic church. I grew up in a Catholic family; I went to a Catholic school,” he said. “I know

that this kind of language is so important to LGBTQ+ Catholics, but also to the youth who are desperately trying to find their place in a church that they have not historically felt comfortable in.”

Bisner said he hopes Pope Francis’ remarks will bring nations who have not been as accepting of the LGBTQ+ closer to the values found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: compassion, respect and sensitivity. Critics of the pope must remember the greatest commandment, the commandment of love, Bisner added.

“This calls for holistic love, love free of exclusion based on that which God has made them,” he said.

Bisner offered words of encouragement to those experiencing and hearing criticism on Francis’ remarks.

“There absolutely is a place for you within the Church and if you believe in communion with God and with Jesus, you are not wrong or corrupt just because you are LGBTQ+,” Bisner said.

Bisner added that Francis is showing love to the LBGTQ+ community.

“For Catholics, the highest commandment is love,” Bisner said. “Pope Francis is showing us what that means for the Catholic Church’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ community.”

He also said he likes how Barrett infuses her faith into politics.

“As a Catholic living in America, it is nearly impossible to find a person in government who has views similar to mine,” Patrick Barrett said. “If the goal of the Supreme Court is really to be a non-partisan steward of the Constitution, then having a person like [Barrett], who represents a minority of people in American politics, can only be a benefit to all. If she holds to her faith, as it seems that she will, I anticipate her becoming a force that both challenges and supports conservatives and liberals alike, making the Supreme Court more effective as a whole.”

First year Lauren Leidenix also spoke to Judge Barrett’s faith.

“As shown by her previous court decisions, Barrett’s Catholic faith by no means overrides her commitment to the American people or her commitment to upholding the Constitution,” Leidenix said.

“Instead her faith serves as a moral code which guides her to act justly in regards to respecting the dignity and rights of the human person.”

Leidenix said Barrett, by infusing her values into her work, is representative of the principles of the University of Notre Dame.

“The Notre Dame mission is to ‘be a force for good,’ and I believe Judge Barrett is living out this mission by using her career to make a positive difference in our nation,” Leidenix said.

“Notre Dame strives to develop not only the minds, but also the hearts of its students, and

Judge Barrett personifies this mission.”

Leidenix also said Barrett “provides an amazing role model for women, showing that women can have high achieving careers and be mothers as well.”

Senior Teresa Breckler shared this sentiment.

“It’s kind of this perfect blend of two sides,” Breckler said. “It’s like you have to either be ultrafeminist and have no kids, or super conservative, so its this really cool blending of both sides.”

Breckler said she thinks Barrett would be a positive addition to the court.

“Most people are like ‘Okay, so she’s conservative, so she wouldn’t care about African Americans,’” Breckler said.

“She does care. So it’s just really beautiful how she has this blend where she can really, actually bring thoughts about these things on both sides to the issue.”

When asked about what this means for the Notre Dame community, Breckler said it could be a positive change.

“At Notre Dame, I feel like we all get polarized, and I think that it’s because we’re all passionate, and we all try and take the gifts that we have and use them,” Breckler said. “But I’m hoping that the University can draw together behind her, and even if they don’t agree specifically with her, hopefully the University can, through her being nominated, somehow become less polarized, just because she brings together a lot of these things from different spectrums.”

Several others reacted negatively to Barrett’s new role in the

Supreme Court.

Saint Mary’s first year Abby Yontz said she was not happy to learn of Barrett’s nomination.

“From what I have heard, she is very Christian,” Yontz said. “I am worried about the chance of bias in her practice of law, and I personally would like to keep church and state separate.”

QuestBridge scholar and Notre Dame first year Madeline Kroner said she did not fully support the nomination.

“I would say I was surprised,” Kroner said. “I wasn’t super excited to hear another conservative was on the Supreme Court, but in the sense of being a student related to the University, I thought it was interesting.”

Second year law student Cesar Estrada said Barrett’s nomination was not necessarily good for the nation.

“From the very beginning, I was very skeptical that this would be a good thing for the country right now,” Estrada said. “[They] shouldn’t do it because we’re in such a politically tumultuous place. I think Republicans are doing it to gain political power.”

Estrada said that he would not be surprised if Barrett’s nomination changed the role of the courts.

“Conservatives have had a grip on the Court for the last 50 years, or since the ‘70s, and they’ve been able to moderate,” he said. “So they might give you the shiny, ‘Here, see? We’re doing progressive things.’ But in the background, they’re doing all of these nefarious things.

And with Justice Barrett on the court, I think that progressives aren’t even going to get the bits here and there anymore. And I

think that’s going to really bring an awakening.”

Barrett’s nomination might invite more division when it comes to the courts, some of it warranted, Estrada said. He doesn’t hold anything against Barrett personally, he added.

“I do think she’s qualified, at least as well qualified as other justices,” Estrada said. “I think we’re looking at bigger issues right now, and one of them is just the legitimacy of the Supreme Court. So I was kind of disappointed that they were going to go through with it now. I think she’s more of a symptom, not the cause.”

Even though she is qualified, Estrada said, Barrett would not necessarily be a positive addition to the Court.

“I think it’ll hamper any sort of progressive agenda, so, no, I don’t think she’ll be a positive light on the court,” Estrada said. “I think that unless the Democrats do something to reform the courts, she is going to be consistently the fifth vote, if not the sixth vote, to undo any sort of progressive policy that might come forward, and any progressive policy that I think we’re deeply in need of.”

As for what her nomination means for Notre Dame, Estrada said he had mixed feelings.

“Outside of the political context, obviously, having a Supreme Court justice graduate from Notre Dame reflects well on the school and reflects well on the caliber of education that we receive here and the possibilities that graduates from our school have,” he said.

controversial attendance of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination ceremony in Washington D.C. in late September, WSBT reported Monday.

At the nomination event, Jenkins failed to wear a mask or socially distance, actions he later said he regretted in a statement the following day. He tested positive for the coronavirus that week and announced his recovery Oct. 12.

The Notre Dame student senate passed a formal motion condemning Jenkins’ actions Oct. 8, after initially rejecting a resolution calling for his resignation.

The faculty senate postponed the motion Oct. 6 by a narrow vote of 21-20. According to WSBT, Jenkins has requested to speak to the Senate during the Zoom meeting.

The meeting will be held in Executive Session, and no students or press can attend. Stober

said he’s “treating this with the utmost seriousness.”

The motion starts by citing the University’s policies on essential travel and then cites Washington D.C.’s protocols regarding the visitors quarantining period of 14 days and its mandatory mask order.

“Jenkins failed to abide by the University policy that the travel he engage in be essential and of immediate importance to the University’s core mission of

teaching and research,” the motion said in its conclusion.

A second motion, drafted by senate members in opposition of the no confidence vote, will also be discussed at the meeting. This motion would inform “Jenkins and his team” of the senate’s appreciation for the University’s presence on campus this semester and for continuing to provide testing. Any final resolution will be posted on the faculty senate website.

Contact Gabrielle Penna at gpenna@nd.edu

Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu

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The observer | wednesday, October 28, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

My top five favorite Timothée Chalamet movies Allison Thornton Photo Editor

The 24-year-old actor has had my heart since day one. The first movie I ever saw him in was “Call Me By Your Name” and after watching it I was hooked. He is brilliantly talented and seems like a very genuine guy. For this Inside Column, I asked my roommates for ideas, and together we procrastinated on our homework and compiled a list of our favorite Timothée Chalamet movies. Please enjoy and I am sorry if there are any spoilers!

1. “Little Women” In this movie, Chalamet played Laurie, the character that falls in love and proposes to Jo March (played by the queen Saoirse Ronan), but is turned down. Chalamet does an amazing job of growing with his character throughout the film. When he is pouring his heart to Jo on the hillside, you can’t help but feel his pain. He made the character so real through the screen. Now when many picture Laurie, they think of Chalamet. That’s when you know he did a good job.

Plus this movie is an American classic; it was one of the best movies to come out in 2019.

2. “Beautiful Boy” For this film, Chalamet took on a very hard role. He plays a methamphetamine addict and you see his journey of becoming sober. This movie has you crying practically the entire time. Chalamet’s performance was out of this world.

His chemistry with Steve Carrell (who played his father) was perfect. Nothing bad can be said for this movie. If you are looking for a good cry, this is the perfect movie for you.

3. “Call Me By Your Name” As stated in the introduction of this article, “Call Me By Your Name” has a special place in my heart. It was the first movie I saw with Chalamet in it. Located somewhere in northern Italy around the 1980’s, the audience follows the love story between Oliver and Elio. Chalamet plays Elio, a teenager trying to figure out his life, just like we all are. It’s a coming of age love story; it portrays a summer where two people fall in love. This indie film was a turning point for his career. The raw emotions he portrays in this movie are like none other.

4. “The King” Okay, all I need to say is Timothée Chalamet has a British accent. That should sell everyone to watch this movie honestly. But in reality, Chalamet plays a brilliant young Henry V and the movie follows him through war and treachery. These are big shoes to fill and Chalamet sets the bar.

Throughout the movie, you can see clear character development. Set in the 1400’s the movie touches on very interesting political aspects. He carries this movie with ease and yet another outstanding performance.

5. “Lady Bird” This is also a coming of age film starring Saoirse Ronan.

Although Chalamet was a minor character in this movie, I want to give it credit. It was brilliantly directed and connected a lot with its audience. Both Ronan and Chalamet had perfect chemistry and were able to tell an amazing story along the way.

You can contact Allison at athornton01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Need for guaranteed civil representation Justice Mory In the Interest of Justice

In the U.S., a citizen’s ability to secure favorable legal outcomes largely depends on the proficiency of legal representation. In the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright, the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee a right to legal counsel for all accused of a crime. This ensures a fair trial and due process for the accused person standing against his or her accusers. It is established then that the right to a fair trial can only be protected if a person has access to adequate legal representation, regardless of his or her financial status.

However, while the American legal system upholds fair trial protection in criminal cases, the same cannot be said for most civil cases.

This is a clear ethical flaw in terms of the system adequately protecting the rights of all U.S. citizens. With civil legal counsel not being guaranteed by the Constitution, those without the financial means to obtain adequate legal advice are forced to fend for themselves in cases involving contracts, including those related to property. The ability to navigate the civil legal system depends greatly on an individual’s financial status, and this must change.

In civil law cases in the U.S. legal system, people with the financial means, resources and flexibility can seek desirable outcomes, while many others are left in the dust. Some may argue that guaranteeing the right to counsel in criminal cases is enough, and that perhaps expanding this to civil cases would be too impractical, or that civil cases are simply not as important to people or their livelihoods.

However, this viewpoint neglects the reality of civil cases, as well as the associated costs that are a barrier to fairness.

The first step in litigation is often consulting an attorney to seek qualified legal advice.

The national rate for an attorney is $225 per hour. In comparison, approximately 42.4% of U.S. workers make less than $15 per hour. It should come as no surprise then that for many people, coming up with the money to deal with legal disputes is not only unaffordable, but unfeasible. According to The Atlantic, a Clarus poll resulted in 67% of respondents saying that “the time and trouble it takes to file a lawsuit discourages many people with legitimate cases from going to court.”

Everyday people are deterred due to cost and lack of expertise. Additionally, there is no national system for civil representation or assistance that meets the needs of many Americans.

These barriers to representation for low income Americans coexist in the same system where wealthy people, who have the luxury of utilizing the resources needed to win a dispute, have direct disputes against these poorer people.

A figure provided by Pew shows that 54% of civil litigation involved suits by businesses against individuals, comprised of debt collection, landlord-tenant and mortgage foreclosure cases. Are the defendants of these types of

cases in situations where they have the financial capacity to adequately respond to these claims? People in debt? Tenants? People at risk for a foreclosure? These people are in vulnerable positions and without access to an attorney, they will have a tremendous burden in defending themselves. This is a shortcoming of the current system where access to fair civil trial is not guaranteed. These cases are not insignificant either, with basic necessities at stake, such as maintaining a place to live.

Many people are forced to represent themselves, setting themselves up for legal failure.

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) released a report which found that “at least one party was self-represented in more than threequarters of the cases.” The number of people without fair representation is high, and under consideration that many do not even file for civil cases due to the costs and requirements, even higher. A Boston Bar Study about housing disputes found that “full representation therefore allowed more than two-thirds of the tenants in this pilot to avoid the destabilizing consequences of eviction, including potential homelessness.”

“Represented tenants also received almost five times the financial benefit (e.g., damages, cancellation of past due rent) as those without full representation,” the study reported.

Adequate civil representation matters, and this study shows just how dire the consequences are when people are not given a fair shake in the American civil legal system. The ramifications are real, including research suggesting that a continuous cycle of concentrated poverty could be the result of this lack of civil legal representation.

The American legal system is failing to protect the rights of all U.S. citizens due to the lack of access to a fair trial with counsel. There needs to be a better understanding of the severity of civil cases. Many of these cases are too important not to incorporate under the right to counsel. By forcing a large chunk of U.S. citizens to be inadequately represented in the civil legal system, the U.S. is failing to uphold due process. To ensure all U.S. citizens have equal protection and ability to stand a fair chance in civil cases, there needs to be a major reevaluation of which types of cases should include the right to counsel. The legal system must work for all people, regardless of financial status and this starts with expanding the right to an attorney to civil cases, especially cases concerning basic needs.

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.

Follow us on Twitter: @ObserverViewpnt

The observer | wednesday, October 28, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

This November, a call for humility Ellie Konfrst Butterfly Effects

It’s a tale as old as time — or, at least, as old as cable news. Americans are more politically divided than ever, and traditionally unifying places, such as the Thanksgiving table, have become battlefields filled with impeachment-shaped land mines. The conversation about American political polarization is more salient than ever as the country approaches the most divisive election in modern history: Earlier this year, Gallup recorded the largest ever party gap in the presidential approval rating.

The poll showed 91% of Republicans said they approved of President Trump’s job performance, while only 2% of Democrats said the same, revealing a whopping 89-point gap based on party affiliation.

The problem extends beyond electoral politics, too: Democrats and Republicans show stark disagreement on issues of identity, education and even the COVID-19 pandemic.

As party polarization has reached new heights, the issue has become almost as pervasive in political discourse. Why are we so divided? Who’s to blame? Is it even a problem? If it is, how do we fix it? These questions dominate our Twitter feed, the New York Times Opinion Section and, if you run in circles like mine, the lawn outside North Dining Hall.

Even those who consider themselves relatively apolitical have a stake in this debate. For many, polarization has spilled outside the voting booth into our personal relationships — in fact, recent polling from the Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats wouldn’t consider dating someone who voted for Donald Trump in 2016, and 47% of Republicans say the same about those who voted for Hillary Clinton.

Regardless of your opinion on the relevance of polarization in bringing us to our current political moment, most people don’t want to harbor a burning hatred for their neighbors.

While this campus certainly has its problems, I’ve always found the political climate at Notre Dame to

be uniquely tolerant of a diversity of political opinions. In my experience, Notre Dame students place a rare premium on tolerant political conversations.

Still, we’re not immune from the effects of political polarization — it’s not uncommon for participants engaging in supposedly tolerant dialogues to retreat back behind party lines once the conversation ends.

With a week to go before Election Day, I want to challenge everyone in this community to think about reaching across the aisle in a new way: with humility.

To be honest, I’ve always been kind of skeptical of pleas to cross the political divide. It seemed like it could only go one of two ways: Either you honestly go in looking for common ground and end up compromising some of your core values and beliefs, or you approach the conversation in a condescending way, assuming the other person is wrong but trying to understand why they think that way. Recently, though, I realized there was another way — one that might actually make a difference.

The funny thing about political beliefs is that, by definition, everybody thinks theirs are correct. For the most part, not only does everyone think that they’re correct, but they also find it impossible to understand how someone else, with all the same facts and assumptions, can come to a different conclusion.

That might seem like an obvious statement, but think about how often you’ve approached political discourse assuming that the person you’re talking to is wrong, they just don’t know it yet. Most people believe that there is some capital-T Truth about politics and that they’re tuned into it, while those across the aisle are somehow delusional.

The big revelation for me was that, no matter how much I think I’m correct in my political opinions, people who think exactly the opposite are just as confident in the Truth of their beliefs as I am. Beyond that, unfortunately, there is no omniscient being to tell us who is right and who is wrong. To a large extent, there is no Truth — we are all just looking for the best solutions to the problems we face, and because of our various political socializations, we all think differently about what those are.

Now, none of this is to wax poetic about the value of unity and your obligation to have discussions with those who refuse to converse in good faith. Everyone is absolutely entitled to set their own limits for their political engagement, and you are not obligated to enter into conversation with anyone, especially if they offend you personally. Instead, it’s simply an appeal for everyone, when thinking about their political beliefs, to recognize that they might be wrong.

If you do choose to enter into the dreaded discourse, do so without hubris, and instead with a legitimate recognition that someone else might actually have a good point. Humility is a necessary prerequisite to productive political discourse — without it, you might as well be screaming into the void.

A lot of this might sound like wishful thinking, having grown up in the most divisive political environment of the modern era. And maybe it is, maybe we as a society are beyond saving and are doomed to let hate push us further and further from each other until our divisions become insurmountable. I don’t think that’s true though, and I don’t think it’s particularly productive to think that way. I don’t think we’re past the point of no return — I think we find ourselves at an inflection point.

With one of the most consequential elections of our lives approaching, all of us will have ample opportunity to engage with those with whom we disagree, and we all have a choice in how we do so. I challenge everyone, in these next few weeks and beyond, to approach political discourse with all humility — our future (and yours, if you’re dead set on dating that Republican from Dunne) may depend on it.

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 hamster wheel of life Megumi Tamura Middle GrouND

“The hamster wheel of life.”

Do you ever read something that perfectly puts your thoughts into words? That’s how I felt when I was scrolling through Instagram and came across this phrase.

This semester has consisted of its many ups and downs, but, overall, it’s been rough for a lot of people. Of course, nobody expected to go back to normal college life in the middle of a pandemic. And, as a student in the Gateway Program, I knew even without the coronavirus that my first year of college wouldn’t look like everyone else’s. But I’m also sure nobody could have predicted all of the anxiety, national news headlines and tragedy these past few months have brought about.

From the initial boom in positive COVID-19 cases which occurred just a few weeks into the start of in-person classes, to the controversial nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court and a petition for the resignation of University President Fr. John Jenkins when he tested positive for COVID-19 after not wearing a mask at the Rose Garden.

From the hundreds of students struggling in social isolation, to the unbelievably tragic and shocking news of the deaths of two first-year students on the morning of Oct. 24. So many news-making and/or horrible things have happened in the span of three months that it’s almost impossible to wrap our heads around it all.

All of this occurs amidst a presidential election, a political climate more contentious, scandal-filled and polarized than usual, a national “racial reckoning” as social injustices

continue to bring to the surface many institutional flaws which exist in our country and, of course, a global health crisis that’s nowhere near its end with daily cases reaching higher numbers than ever before.

While we watch all of this happen on campus and on the news, we go through an accelerated fall semester with zero days off, no fall break and an abnormal amount of stress over schoolwork, extracurriculars and — I’m sure for many upperclassmen — post graduate employment.

I say all of this not to complain because I’m extremely lucky to be able to go to college and especially to be able to experience it in-person. Rather, I say this to bring me back to that quote: “the hamster wheel of life.” The “Hamster Wheel” describes a sort of cycle which a lot of us find ourselves in sometimes. It’s basically when we get caught up in our personal “to-do” lists and in the busyness and chaos of our world. Each day starts to blend together, and we begin to feel like we’re living the same day over and over again.

With all of the events of this past semester and the increased stress over our academics, the political climate and our individual and public health, we start to feel numb, like we lack meaning in the everyday, like we are being controlled by our lives and what’s going on around us, rather than the other way around, and like we’re forgetting what really matters. Living on the Hamster Wheel can seem like life — let’s say that’s the hamster wheel — is going by fast and out of our control and we — the hamsters in this metaphor — begin to feel exhausted trying to keep up.

In my last column for the semester, I hope to write about this sense of repetitiveness, increased and sometimes overwhelming stress in the particular strange times we’re living in and this feeling of being on the Hamster Wheel of Life

to, again, not complain, but in the hope that someone else can read it and feel like they’re not the only ones. Becoming aware of the fact that we’re experiencing prolonged feelings of exhaustion, stress and unhappiness is actually a really good thing because it opens the door for conscious and active change: We can either stay on this hamster wheel and continue running in circles or we can choose to get off, slow down and take back the reins.

Going forward with the final four weeks of the fall semester consisting of what will undoubtedly be a stressful and chaotic presidential Election Day, as well as final exams, let us try not to get too caught up in our wheels of stress and cycles of to-do lists. Let us remember to be kind to ourselves and others, breathe, find time to do things we enjoy which don’t have to contribute to some achievement-oriented goal, get outside and take in the last few weeks of the beautiful fall weather, prioritize spending time with loved ones and making sure to take care of ourselves and those around us.

May we remind ourselves that life is about more than the obligations, to-do lists and confusion of the external world and feel the freedom which comes with self-reflecting, reevaluating and leaving the hamster wheel into more fulfilling lives.

Megumi Tamura is a first year in the Gateway Program. She is originally from Ridgewood, New Jersey, and enjoys going to museums, watching political debates and eating Jersey bagels. She can be reached at mtamura@nd.edu or @megtamura on Twitter.

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

8

The observer | wednesday, October 28, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Reform the Supreme Court, but don’t pack the Court Blake Ziegler News with Zig

Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court after a contentious confirmation process. Since her nomination, Democrats have frequently threatened reforms to the Court in an effort to minimize the victories Republicans have gained in the judiciary. In particular, Democrats have suggested court packing, where they increase the number of justices on the Court to offset the 6-3 conservative supermajority and garner a liberal majority.

Vice President Joe Biden has avoided a clear stance on court packing, only saying he would establish a commission as president to study potential reforms for the Court. Regardless, progressives are clear they will pressure a Biden administration to expand the Court, revealing that court packing is likely in the Democrats’ agenda.

However, court packing does not work. If Democrats are in control of the White House and Congress after November, their expansion of the Court will be to surmount the new conservative supermajority and establish a liberal majority.

Republicans would feel the need to act similarly once they are in power again, and the cycle will continue until the Court is just another political weapon utilized in every election.

This tit-for-tat strategy may serve short-term political goals, but would also diminish any public opinion that the Court is separate from politics, void of partisan shams and political gameplay. We cannot afford the nation to lose faith in its judiciary, especially at a time when our democratic institutions are being undermined by foreign inf luence.

Moreover, court packing has dangerous legal implications. The notion that the Court’s rulings can be overturned when a new party comes into power, placing a new majority on the Court through court packing, undermines the legitimacy of the judiciary’s rulings and trust in the Court. If Democrats are confident they will win the next election, why would they see the need to enforce Republican court rulings that will seemingly be overturned in a few years?

A Democratic president might refuse to enforce such conservative rulings, hoping to garner a liberal majority in the Court that rejects those rulings

through a Democratic Congress. Such maneuvering threatens the jurisdiction of the Court and faith in the execution of its rulings. A judiciary riddled with court packing is one marked by partisan tactics and a disregard for constitutional integrity, making a mockery of the sacred role many associate with the justice system.

Still, there are issues with the Supreme Court.

The highly politicized nature of the last three nominations have demonstrated the need for reform.

Past nominees were confirmed with much greater margins than the slim simple majorities we have seen recently. Confirmation votes are determined by how well a nominee aligns with a senator’s political views, not the qualifications of the nominee.

We should work towards a system that limits partisanship while maximizing the opportunities for qualified voices at the highest level of the judiciary.

First, we should pass a constitutional amendment that limits the Court to nine justices. Historically, efforts at expanding or downsizing the Court have been to pursue political ends. Such efforts only promote greater partisanship, not cooperation.

There is nothing intriguing about the number nine, it simply happens to be the current number of justices. We should avoid attempts to increase or decrease this number to prevent greater politicization of the Supreme Court.

Additionally, such a measure would eliminate the Court as an election issue (to an extent), further reducing partisanship on this issue. There is support for the measure on both sides of the aisle, as seen in the House and the Senate. In fact, even current Democrats in the Senate oppose measures to expand the Court.

Second, Congress should pass legislation installing 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices.

These nominations would rotate every two years, ensuring each president has two nominees, and four nominees if re-elected for a second term.

When the Constitution was adopted, lifetime appointments for Supreme Court justices were seen as the only way to preserve the integrity of the Court. However, today’s partisanship demonstrates that these lifetime appointments play a greater political role than any Founding Father could have intended.

Deaths and retirements of justices become politicized and this atmosphere f lows into the confirmation process. Justice Ginsburg was hoping to retire

under a Democratic president, ensuring her replacement would be of liberal views. The same can be said of Justice Kennedy, a Republican-appointed justice who retired under President Trump.

Because the minority party, whether Republican or Democrat, is unsure if they will be able to nominate a Supreme Court justice in the short term, each confirmation battle is fought with greater pressure. This slowly makes the judiciary a more political aspect of American life. Creating term limits and staggering them would allow us to know when a nomination is coming and ensure a fair process for all parties. It would no longer become an election issue. Such a solution has support among legal scholars, Republicans and Democrats.

We should endorse this proposal to promote greater discourse and less polarization in our confirmation process.

Third, the Senate should require 60 votes to confirm a Supreme Court nominee, not a simple majority of 51 votes. In 2013, then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) lowered the requirement to confirm presidential appointments from 60 votes to 51 votes, which now-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) expanded to Supreme Court nominees in 2017. This is known as the “nuclear option.”

We should revert back to the 60-vote requirement as a gesture towards bipartisanship, working towards ensuring that nominees to the Supreme Court are qualified, fair and balanced. Such a move might also work towards nominating moderate nominees, reducing the chances of a partisan Court.

These reforms can surely be explained more, but that requires more columns. My goal here is simply to introduce these changes. There is surely opposition to these ideas, but my hope is that such disagreements create a fruitful discussion towards a stronger Supreme Court that preserves the integrity of our institutions.

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.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Why we feel helpless We read nutritional labels looking for the two or three values that make a food “healthy.” We often assess learning in neat categories with established titles and well-defined precedents. We admire bold acts and risk-taking as aspirational models. Many times, we express surges of emotion with grand acts that feel commensurate with their intensity ... And when we cannot, we are thrown out of our comfort zone and we feel helpless, trapped and desperate.

Just as micronutrients we get from whole foods are needed by our bodies, and fresh ways are needed to assess the microgrowth that happens in real learning … microwork is crucial to a community’s well-being — always — and especially in a time of crisis.

When we say, “I feel helpless …” it is often because we are not able, in the moment, to see the value of the microwork that we do. Our feelings are so overwhelming, our ideas racing at 2,000 miles an hour … we want something that feels as intense to pour ourselves into… and we can — when we understand our own value and the value of small actions. When we reach out to a friend or colleague to sit quietly next to them, if that’s what they need, or listen to them talk about what they are experiencing — this is important microwork. When we still ourselves and ref lect or pray and allow ourselves to be fully present — to ourselves or to others — this is valuable microwork. When we tell a joke, get someone out for a walk, send a text, watch a movie, have a dance party or offer an established routine like a

class or homework — this is crucial microwork.

So let us create a living, loving monument to the two young women, Valeria Espinel and Olivia Laura Rojas, whom we lost this weekend, and let us create a supportive network to facilitate the healing of Eduardo Calderón — body, heart and soul — in a mosaic of threads of connectedness through microacts of friendship.

Extraordinary pain and weariness call for bold acts of courage together with microacts of love. We, as a community, are capable of both.

Elena Mangione-Lora professor of romance languages and literature SMC ‘90, ND, MA ‘98 Oct. 26

Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

By MARIAH RUSH and CLAIRE RAFFORD Managing Editor and Assisting Managing Editor

Hello Bachelor Nation, and welcome to the Claire and Mariah aftershow! We decided to get together and share our thoughts with you all instead of just each other and Twitter.

There’s no time to waste, so let’s get started.

Back in 2014, director David Fincher — in a rare public apHello Bachelor Nation, and welcome to the Claire and Mariah aftershow! We decided to get together and share our thoughts with you all instead of just each other and Twitter.

There’s no time to waste, so let’s get started.

This week started where the last episode ended — Clare is still wearing one of her many disco ball dresses, and Yosef of week one’s Dollar Store Tyler C. drama is upset about the strip dodgeball game. For some reason, Yosef thinks last week’s game was an “atrocity” as if he’s never seen any Bachelor franchise show before. For everyone watching at home, take a drink every time Yosef uses his daughter as an excuse to act like a douche on national television. Anyway, Yosef confronts Clare, and of course it doesn’t go over well.

We aren’t going to give Classless Yosef any more space here but just know … He says some awful, sexist things to Clare and leaves the show. Of course, Frontrunner Dale swoops in and acts like the Prince Charming he is in Clare’s eyes.

We’re going to fast forward through a boring rose ceremony because we need to get to the main event: Apparently someone died and made Dale king of all of the show, and he asks to pull Clare aside at the start of a cocktail party, and gives some nonsensical speeches about “brotherhood.” He promises it will only be five minutes and … An hour later …

Dale and Clare are still “busy” in her room. Don’t you love watching a group of eight twenty and thirty-somethings get sexiled? Yeah, us neither. Understandably, the other guys are pissed, and it doesn’t improve from there.

After a one-on-one that ends with Zach J. getting dumped by proxy by Chris Harrison, the next group date is a roast

— of the other guys in the house. What could possibly go wrong? Of course, the other contestants in the house make some lighthearted jokes about Dale and Clare, and much like Michael Scott’s poor reaction to his coworker’s jokes from “The Office,” it went over badly, to say the least. Clare then spends the entire cocktail party asking her dates to gossip with her about Dale — because talking with the girl you’re dating about the guy she likes is always such a good time for everyone involved. The night ends with Clare giving the rose to herself, because, you know, that’s how this show works.

Somehow Clare is allegedly the most “mature” and the most juvenile Bachelor franchise lead we’ve seen in a long time. Where does this leave us? Impatiently awaiting Tayshia’s arrival. Seriously, it can’t come soon enough.

Since most of the people on this season are acting like they’re in high school, let’s go over some yearbook superlatives from this week’s episode.

Most Classless: Yosef. Clare may be immature and terrible at feigning interest at anyone who’s not Dale, but speaking to someone like that is never acceptable. Thankfully, he left before he could become this season’s Luke P. Best Contestant Who’s Also a Party City Costume Model: Dale Worst Actress: Clare. Allegedly, she’s waited literal years for the opportunity to date 30 men at once and she can’t even pretend she’s interested for one measly cocktail party?

One of the Many WTF Moments: Why is Clare smelling Dale’s pants? Seriously, that’s the atrocity here. Along with everything else she forced us to watch this episode.

Class Clown: Eazy. Our straight-up king gave us some much needed comic relief in a frustrating whiplash rollercoaster ride of an episode. Thank God for his patterned polo and meme-worthy facial reactions for saving us from the Clare and Dale simp show.

Best Roast: Hands down, Bennett. He said what we were

all thinking and delivered a well-deserved roast of Dale.

Thank you for your service, our chiseled god.

Best Impression: Jason, for the spot on dazed and confused Dale impersonation.

Most Likely to Look Exactly like his Job Title: Kenny, the boy band manager. Do you think he could get us One Direction’s phone numbers? Just kidding … unless?

Villain of the Season So Far: In a historic first, Clare is both the lead AND the v illain in her ow n season.

Best Thing About This Episode : Tayshia in the last 10 seconds !

The Quotes Keeping Us Up at Night “You’re not fit to be a mother to my child.”

— Yosef “I can’t believe it’s not even the second rose ceremony and I’m so falling in love.” — Clare “There’s going to be a true crime podcast about you guys” — absolute hero Margaret Cho “Since when are men allowed to point out red f lags on this show? ” — Mariah “I … uh … I … just got confused.” — Dale, while “tr y ing to find the bathroom” and instead making out w ith Clare against a wall “Can the Bachelor contestants unionize? ” — Our friend Emma “My fiance” — Clare, after t wo weeks about Dale Contact Mariah Rush at mrush@nd.edu Contact Claire Rafford at crafford@nd.edu

ELLIS RIOJAS | The Observer

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

By AIDAN O’MALLEY Scene Writer

Back in 2014, director David Fincher — in a rare public appearance — spoke at San Diego Comic-Con at a panel celebrating the 15th anniversary of his cult film turned classic, “Fight Club.” While there, the two-time Oscar nominee shared a story. ”My daughter had a friend named Max,” he said. “She told me ‘Fight Club’ is his favorite movie. I told her never to talk to Max again.”

Fans of “Fight Club” have long been the butt of the joke among film majors, but usually as a caricature: the pretentious, flannel-clad jack-ss who will mansplain Quentin Tarantino to you if you’re not careful. But leave it to the director of “Fight Club” himself to get to the heart of the matter.

“It’s a satire,” Fincher said. “Many don’t get that.”

I have a feeling that Sacha Baron Cohen knows a little about that pain. The English comic exploded into the American pop culture consciousness with his 2006 mockumentary, “Borat,” subtitled “Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.” Cohen, disguised as the dim-witted Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev, duped dozens of unsuspecting Americans into exposing their deepseated bigotry on camera, and it was a smashing success with critics and audiences alike.

But 14 years later, I’ve come to the conclusion that many fans of “Borat” don’t understand “Borat.” The film has evolved from an Oscar nominee to a frat boy favorite, and when I

By SOPHIA MICHETTI Scene Writer

This Halloween, you won’t be hearing Linus explain how “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” In a new deal with WildBrain, Peanuts Worldwide and Lee Mendelson Film Productions, Apple TV+ has acquired the rights to all “Peanuts” specials and future film rights, as stated in a recent press release.

As a result, any movie or television special on the classic “Peanuts” characters will be exclusively found on the Apple TV+ streaming service. In other words, the timeless specials that have been on cable television since the 1960s — “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” — will only be available on Apple TV+.

Apple TV+ isn’t just going to be holding a monopoly over “Peanuts” specials for bragging rights, though.

It will be expanding upon the “Peanuts” universe to produce new shows and specials. According to the press release, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the gang will be returning for specials celebrating New Year’s Eve, Earth Day and Mother’s Day, as well as going back to school.

The streaming service will also release the second season of Daytime Emmy-nominated show “Snoopy in Space,” as well as “The Snoopy Show,” a 70th anniversary documentary on the “Peanuts” franchise, and

listen to white guys quote it like the Bible, I have to wonder: What do they think the joke is? Do they realize it’s satire? Are they laughing at the absurdity of, say, antisemitism, or are they laughing at Jewish people? There’s a difference.

Sacha Baron Cohen seems to agree. In “Borat 2” aka “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” the satirist abandons subtext altogether. The film is overtly political, skewering Donald Trump, his party and, in one particularly painful sequence, Rudy Giuliani.

The reaction from “Borat” super fans has, predictably, been mixed. How do you rationalize the realization that you’re probably one of the chumps that Cohen is trying to expose?

But for fans of the original who actually possess some critical thinking skills, “Borat 2” presents a different kind of challenge: Is the film any fun when you’re being talked down to?

I don’t think anyone expected “Borat 2” to be better than the original. But in 2020, I also don’t think anyone’s surprised that the premise has lost its bite. In our current political climate, you don’t need to don disguises or use hidden cameras to catch people saying vile things; all you have to do is watch the news. Nothing is shocking anymore.

Furthermore, the popularity of the Borat character means that Cohen has lost his greatest asset: anonymity. Now, every joke involves costumes upon costumes, where complicated set-ups are diluted by predictable punchlines. Some of it is still very funny, but unlike last time, there are breaks in between all the laughter. And at a paltry 96 minutes, breaks aren’t something “Borat 2” can afford.

Cohen, of course, remains a gifted character actor, and he’s joined this time by Bulgarian newcomer Maria Bakalova as his daughter. Despite the banality of this setup — must every long-awaited sequel introduce the main character’s children? — Bakalova is a real find, a fantastic character actor herself who not only keeps pace with Cohen’s quick-witted improv, but carries some of the film’s most shocking sequences solo. Her character arc, spurred by moments both staged and spontaneous, is surprisingly poignant. And speaking of the script, the last-second twist is a knockout.

So don’t be mistaken: “Borat 2” didn’t just happen to release in 2020. It is a product of 2020 — an unapologetic refutation of it. The film ends with a title card, written in Russian: “Now vote.”

Now vote.

the Daytime Emmy Award-winner “Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10.” Needless to say, the “Peanuts” universe is going to establish a loud presence on Apple TV+.

While this news shocked the internet, it shouldn’t be too surprising that a streaming service has taken over such an iconic franchise. Over the last decade, services like Netflix and Hulu have become the hub of the entertainment industry. Many households are trading in cable television for streaming apps. Within the past couple of years, individual cable networks have been announcing their own streaming services for their television shows, such as NBC’s “Peacock” app, and new television shows and movies are being produced for viewing exclusively on streaming platforms. Given all this, it’s no wonder that a streaming service has acquired the rights to the holiday specials that have been a defining feature of American pop culture for decades.

It’s amazing to think about how far streaming services have come in recent years. Netflix may have been founded in the late 1990s, but it didn’t become a household name until at least 10 years later. And with the internet becoming an increasingly essential part of people’s lives, so, too, have streaming services grown to new levels of prominence in the entertainment industry.

Many people will not watch television or movie premieres live because they know the shows will be put

on a streaming service sooner or later. Older television shows and movies have been brought back into trending conversations as streaming services provide easy access to shows from years ago. “Friends” is a great example of a show that was a hit in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but is still a hit with teenagers today because it was later made available on Netflix.

The most important takeaway from this transition to streaming services is that it really amounts to the beginning of a new era. Many people from our generation think of watching the Charlie Brown holiday specials on TV as a tradition that our parents started when they were children. However, Apple TV+ is trying to appeal to general audiences by offering the three most well-known specials for free for a few days at a time. “It’s a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” will be free on Apple TV+ from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” can be accessed for free from Nov. 25 to Nov. 27, and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be available from Dec. 11 to Dec. 13.

Still, logging onto a laptop to watch a holiday special within a certain window doesn’t create that same cozy, nostalgic, even magical effect of watching it on television. It’s unfortunate to think about how the next generation will not have those same experiences without paying a monthly membership fee for Apple TV+.

Contact Aidan O’Malley at aomalle2@nd.edu

“Borat Subsequent Movefilm” Director: Jason Woliner Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova, the Republican Party Favorite Episodes: “Iceland,” “France,” “Lima” If you liked: “The Dictator,” “The Brothers Grimsby”

Contact Sophia Michetti atsmichett@nd.edu MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

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ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Let your imagination lead the way. You’ll crave change and jump at the chance to learn something new. Set your sights on a new adventure that will encourage personal growth, enlightenment, the desire to eliminate what is no longer working for you and the urge to pursue what makes you feel passionate.

Love, peace and happiness are within reach. Your numbers are 4, 16, 20, 26, 30, 37, 41.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep secrets to yourself. Share what’s necessary, and gather the information that will help you maintain your position, reputation and status. Take proper care of your health, and stick to a budget. Patience will pay off.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll gravitate toward trendy options and set the pace for those who look up to you. Your input will hold weight and position you for advancement. Turn an idea into something spectacular and lucrative. Selfimprovement is favored and will boost your confidence.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Think twice before you act on a random comment someone makes. If you let your emotions rule your head, someone will mislead you. Look inward, assess your situation and choose to focus on fitness, health and personal gain.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Put your creativity into play at your place of employment, when working on your resume or at an interview. Separating yourself from the competition will help you stand out. Personal gain is apparent. Celebrate with someone you love.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Be careful what you wish for. If you meddle or get involved in gossip, it will lead to setbacks. Pour your energy into doing your own thing. Strive for perfection and personal gain, not helping someone else get ahead.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): People and situations that you can relate to will gravitate toward you. Share your thoughts and beliefs, and you will build a solid base for projects. Opportunity and hard work will result in positive change. Romance is in the stars.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Refuse to let anyone dominate you or stand in your way. Channel your energy into what’s important to you and into meaningful relationships. Don’t make a move or buy into something because of peer pressure.

Do your own thing.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your intelligence will play a role in bringing about change, and good fortune will follow if you are proactive in turning your thoughts into reality. Demonstrate how you want things to unfold, and you’ll set a high standard.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep your guard up when working in conjunction with others. Someone will be underhanded in a situation that can affect your position. Be private regarding your beliefs, ideas and intentions. Stick close to home, and you’ll avoid interference.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A unique project will interest you. Consider the changes you will have to make to accommodate what you want to pursue. The result will be satisfying and bring you good fortune. Share your plans with someone you love.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Stop listening and start doing. Refuse to let someone lead you in the wrong direction. Consider what you want and follow your heart. It’s up to you to protect your freedom to pursue your dream. Let go of the past.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’ll motivate and inspire others to do what’s right and best for everyone. Put your leadership qualities to work and make a difference. Your courage and kindness will help you gain respect. Romance is featured, and a lifestyle change looks promising.

Birthday Baby: You are creative, kind and knowledgeable. You are motivated and curious.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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Sports

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Sports Authority

SPORTS AUTHORITY

Recapping Big Ten football Nate Moller Sports Writer

My full allegiance is with Notre Dame football, but as a Midwesterner, Big Ten football also holds a special place in my heart.

With the Big Ten finally starting their season this past weekend after canceling their season this past August, there were lots of surprises and of takeaways to be had. Obviously, it’s only one week of football, but with the eight-game regular season, every game is extra important. Here are my takeaways from this weekend’s Big Ten action.

1. What is wrong with Penn State?

Not many people would have guessed that Penn State would lose their opener to Indiana, yet here we are.

Although the Hoosiers only had 211 yards of total offense against Penn State, they were able to take advantage of the Nittany Lions’ mishaps and convert them into points.

All of a sudden now, Penn State is looking at starting the season 0-2, unless they can pull off an upset against Ohio State on Halloween night. Honestly, I think Penn State is a solid team and if it weren’t for the three turnovers and 100 yards of penalties, they would have won by two touchdowns against a solid Hoosier team. Look for them to battle Ohio State tough this weekend.

2. The West is Wisconsin’s to lose … wait, never mind Wisconsin absolutely obliterated Illinois this past Friday 45-7 behind an outstanding performance from redshirt first year quarterback Graham Mertz.

The defense looked good, too, and it seemed nothing was standing in the Badgers’ way after their typical West foes in Iowa and Minnesota struggled mightily on Saturday.

That all changed, however, this Sunday when it was announced that Graham Mertz tested positive for COVID-19. Per Big Ten protocol, Mertz will need to miss three weeks. This means Mertz will likely miss Wisconsin’s showdown with Michigan Nov. 14, and it leaves a lot of question marks for the Badgers going forward, considering they will now have to turn to their thirdstring quarterback.

3. Ohio State is really, really good

Although the Buckeyes did start sluggishly against Nebraska, once the wheels started rolling at the end of the first half, there was no looking back for the Buckeyes.

Justin Fields was near perfect for the Buckeyes, completing 20 of 21 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown as well. After Saturday, it was evident that the Buckeyes are the clear best team in the Big Ten, and the title will be theirs to lose this season.

4. Michigan is good, but not that good The Wolverines surprised me Saturday. I honestly thought Minnesota would at the very least keep the game close, if not win the game outright. The Wolverines used their prolific run offense, however, to rush for 253 yards and sink the Gophers in the process.

Michigan’s offense also took care of the ball and quarterback Joe Milton seemed to be a decent fit.

While I am impressed by the Wolverines, I am not by any means sold. They should take care of Sparty next week, but after that, they will face Indiana and Wisconsin.

Until then, I will consider Michigan as a top tier Big Ten team, but they are not contenders until they prove themselves in another bigtime game.

5. Rutgers wins!

Normally one win isn’t that big of a deal, but it sure was for the Scarlet Knights this weekend in their upset over Michigan State. Before Saturday, the Scarlet Knights had lost 21 straight Big Ten conference games dating back to 2017. Rutgers gets Indiana and Ohio State the next two weeks, so they might still be in for a rude awakening.

With the Big Ten season in full swing, it finally feels like college football is almost normal. As far as playoff aspirations go for the Big Ten conference, they better hope they have an undefeated team.

With only eight regular-season games and a conference championship, there is simply no room for mistakes. An Ohio State loss to Penn State this weekend, for example, could prove catastrophic for the conference.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Why the New York Jets will be the next 0-16 team Thomas Zwiller Sports Writer

In an incredibly close game, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Tennessee Titans 27-24 to stay unbeaten in the NFL. This is now the 6th time that two teams who were both 5-0 or better played in the Super Bowl era. The winner in the first five matchups all went onto the Super Bowl, boding well for the Steelers. While Pittsburgh was avoiding a close scare in surrendering its perfect record, another team also avoided a scare: the New York Jets.

The Jets played the Buffalo Bills in Week 7, and while they were a 7-point underdog, the Jets jumped out to a 10-point lead. At this point in the game, ESPN had given them a 75% chance of victory at 6:40 in the second quarter.

However, these are the Jets; no lead is ever safe, and the Bills scored 18 unanswered points and were able to keep the unwinning streak going.

I have good news for you Jets fans, your team will soon enter the ranks of the elite, they will join the company of the 2008 Lions and the 2017 Browns — the Jets will go 0-16.

Team rankings: The Jets are truly awful, and you need only see their team rankings to know it.

They rank 32nd in offensive yards per game, 32nd in passing yards per game and 32nd in points per game.

Their one bright spot was their run game; they rank 23rd in rushing yards per game, which will probably decline with the release of Le’Veon Bell. Defensively, they really don’t rank much better. They are ranked 24th in total yards per game against the pass, 20th against the rush and 25th in points per game allowed with 29.

Long story short, the Jets aren’t going to score a whole lot of points, but they are going to give up a lot of points on defense. Here’s how the rest of their schedule is going to go:

Jets record: 0-8

Week 9: vs Patriots The Patriots are favored to beat the Jets by a touchdown and have a 70% chance of winning. While Cam and the Pats are struggling with a 2-4 record, this would be the perfect time for a bounce-back game.

Jets record: 0-9

Week 10: bye week While the Jets aren’t slated to play anyone in Week 10, this could easily be the week Adam Gase, the Jets head coach gets fired. It would allow for the new coach to get used to new responsibilities and make changes he or she sees fit in preparation for…

Week 11: @ Chargers The Chargers are favored by seven over the Jets and have a 74% chance of victory over the Jets. Justin Herbert for the Chargers is looking quite good.

Look for him to dominate the Jets poor pass defense.

Jets record: 0-10

Week 12: vs Dolphins The Jets lost to the Dolphins in Week 6, 24-0. 538 expects a similar result: It gives them a 59% chance of winning the game, but only by a field goal.

This game is pretty dangerous to the Jets 0-16 hopes, it is by far the highest chance they have of winning a single game. However, I think 538’s model isn’t accounting for something: Tua. I honestly think that Tua will be playing pretty well at this point, and it will be a better game than average for him as he lights up a weak defense.

Jets record: 0-11

Week 13: vs Raiders The Raiders come to New York with a 71% chance of victory over the Jets, and they should win by a touchdown.

I do think that because the Jets have an OK rush defense, they may be able to slow down Josh Jacobs, but I think Derrick Carr is going to have a big game and utilize the play action against the Jets.

Jets record: 0-12

Week 14: @ Seattle Week 8: @ Chiefs The Jets (according to 538) have a 92% chance of losing and are 17.5-point underdogs. The Chiefs just rolled the Broncos 43-16, a team that is incredibly comparable to the Jets.

The Jets make the crosscountry journey to take on the Seattle Seahawks and have the best odds of beating the Jets since the Chiefs back in Week 8. They have an 88% of winning and are 2-TD favorites. While Seattle has a

terrible defense, (they allow the most yards per game) they won’t need it they have the best offense in the NFL in both yards per game and points per game.

Jets record: 0-13

Week 15: @ Rams The Rams follow up Seattle, finishing the Jets schedule against NFC West opponents.

The Rams are pretty comparable to the Seahawks, they have an 87% chance of winning the game, and are a 13-point favorite. This game will probably be really important, not to the Jets of course, but for the LA Rams.

They are in an extremely competitive division in the NFC West, and with their opponents all netting a win vs the Jets, the Rams will need this to keep hope as a wildcard team alive.

Jets Record: 0-14

Week 16: vs Browns The Browns come to MetLife Stadium as a touchdown favorite over the Jets, and have a 76% chance of victory over the New York Jets. In a similar story to the LA Rams, the Browns will likely be in a close playoff race with both the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

They are probably going to need this game and should succeed in getting it, keeping both their playoff hopes alive and the hope for a Jets winless season alive.

Jets Record: 0-15

Week 17: @ Patriots In Week 17, every team plays a divisional opponent, often a hated rival. As the Jets go up to Gillette Stadium to take on the Pats, the eyes of the sports world will be on them. Can they do it, can they become the third team to go 0-16? 538 gives them a solid chance to do so if they were still undefeated at this point — it favors the Patriots by nine points and gives them a 77% chance of victory.

Jets Record: 0-16 538 is slightly more optimistic about the Jets’ future than I am. It has them going at 2-14 and just falling short of the coveted 0-16 they’ve been working so hard for. However, when you look at the probability of going 0-16, you get about a 10% chance of it happening. Good luck NY Jets!

Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

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Sports

Ivey Continued from page 16

talking about. Notre Dame is a special place for me, and so just ever y day is a blessing for me. So that’s where all my smiles are coming from.”

Ivey served as the starting point guard on Notre Dame’s first national championship team in 2001 and, after a brief stint in the WNBA, returned to South Bend as an assistant in 2007. She was eventually elevated to recruiting coordinator in 2012, and every one of the program’s nine Final Four occurred during her 17 years as a player and assistant with the Irish.

Last season, Ivey took a break from the collegiate ranks to make a return to the pros, this time as an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. It was a one-year stint there affording her the chance to work with one of the league’s youngest and most promising teams, including Rookie of the Year Ja Morant, before Ivey supplanted her former coach and boss as just the fourth coach in Irish program histor y.

“I’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time,” she said. “And so stepping on that court, the first day, felt like full circle for me being back here at Notre Dame.

But also, you know, just having that dream come true, really.”

Ivey said that despite a shortened offseason, she’s already begun working to implement the program culture she wants.

“I think that was the number one thing coming in, I

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | The Observer

wanted this team to learn how to compete,” she said.

“Coming off of last year, we have a young team. And that was the first thing, that was the main thing I was trying to build coming back, is great habits and culture. And I feel like the identity of this team is that they work really hard. They are very coachable. They come in every day with a hunger. They want to get better. And that’s exactly the culture that I wanted to bring coming back.”

Even so, taking on one’s first head coaching job, and at a program as prestigious as Notre Dame’s no less, comes with its fair share of learning curves. However, Ivey is fortunate to have the aforementioned Hall of Fame coach right down the road from her.

“Coach McGraw, I actually tried to meet with her once every week if I could during quarantine,” Ivey said. “I’m always a person that wants to learn and be a sponge, especially with Coach McGraw … I got her advice over certain things that I’m trying to implement. Some things just culture-wise, leadershipwise, so picking her brain about some things.”

Ivey confessed McGraw is even rubbing off on her in some ways.

“This past weekend, my staff, they said, ‘You even stand like Coach McGraw.’

It was just really funny that they mentioned that,” she said. “I definitely feel that there’s a lot of Coach McGraw that rubs off on the things that I say, and how I coach.

I haven’t had a ‘what would Muffet do’ conversation with myself yet, but I’m sure it’s

HANNAH HUELSKAMP | The Observer

Irish senior center Mikayla Vaughn hauls down a rebound during Notre Dame’s 76-53 victory over Miami on Jan. 19 at Purcell Pavilion.

going to come.”

At the same time, the reality is that this is a very different experience than any college coaches or players are accustomed to, and it is taking a toll. Junior forward Danielle Cosgrove announced nearly two weeks ago that she would be taking a leave of absence from the team and University to focus on her mental health.

“Ver y unfortunate for Danielle not to be with us, taking a leave of absence,” Ivey said. “But we have a great relationship, she has a great relationship with our team. And, as a coach, I just wanted to make sure she had all the resources she needs in order to get better, to get healthy. Mental health is one of the number one problems with college student-athletes right now.”

Ivey said she has dedicated time and resources to helping all of her players cope with the mental burden of being full-time college students and full-time athletes in the midst of a viral pandemic.

“My whole goal, especially coming back, was to make sure that I was helping them in all forms and fashions, not just basketball,” Ivey said.

“Sometimes, that could be bringing somebody in to talk to the team. We practice meditation and yoga as a team. W hatever resources that I think will be beneficial for them, I’m going to continue to do that throughout the season.”

Ivey also confirmed that Cosgrove was back in town to visit practice and stay connected with the team.

“Danielle and I have a great relationship,” she said. “She was just back in town this weekend and came to practice. I wanted to make sure that she’s staying engaged with his team, and for her to understand that she’s still part of it.”

Despite the reality of COV ID-19 protocols and a changing of the guard at head coach, the press conference still had f lashes of normalcy.

W hile she did touch on such topics as figuring out seating capacity during home games and putting the final touches on an abbreviated, four-tofive game non-conference schedule, Ivey discussed such relatively “mundane” topics as what her team will look like with several players returning from injury and a new crop of talented recruits. “[Senior forward] Mikayla Vaughn, I’ll start with her.

She’s coming back from her ACL, doing really well,” Ivey said. “She’s going about 50% capacity right now.

She’s seven months postoperation and so we should hopefully have her back in another month and a half …

Sam Brunelle is progressing well. Had a little bit of tendinitis last year, had a

13

HANNAH HUELSKAMP | The Observer

Irish junior guard Katlyn Gilbert drives into the paint during Notre Dame’s 76-53 victory over Miami on Jan. 19 at Purcell Pavilion.

little bit during the summer and quarantine, and so she’s transitioning back on the court with us. I’m super excited for her.”

Ivey also made note of sophomore guard Anaya Peoples, who is coming back from a shoulder injur y last season.

I recruited [Anaya] since she was in sixth grade, seventh grade,” Ivey said. “And this year, having her come back from her shoulder injury, and just seeing her development and her growth, is incredible. She is playing at a very high level. She’s in better shape, she’s worked on her game. Coming back from two knee injuries [myself ] here at Notre Dame, I know the feeling of coming back from an injury, how much you grow from sitting out and watching. And I could tell that right away the first workout.”

Finally, Ivey brought up junior transfer guard Dara Mabrey, younger sister to former Irish guards Marina and Michaela, the latter of whom currently serves as an assistant. Ivey said that beyond Dara’s proven three-point shooting ability at Virginia Tech — which lends itself to Ivey’s desire to run an upand-down style — the youngest Mabrey brings so much more to the team.

“She’s a great leader, she’s very vocal and she understands and knows the value of her voice,” Ivey said of Dara.

“She brings the intangibles.

She’s tough. She brings the swag. You know, the entire Mabrey family — as you know Marina and Michaela — she definitely brings that energ y and confidence, and I think that’s something that is going to be ver y beneficial for our team.”

It’s fair to say that a chaotic year is in store for all of college basketball. It would be surprising if it didn’t affect a first-year head coach taking over a program that just last season was on track to miss the NCA A Tournament for the first time in over two decades.

Despite the fact that Ivey most certainly realizes that, the permanent upbeat emotion she displayed in her first fall press conference suggests she is undaunted.

“It is a joy to be here and I understand how blessed I am. I hope that it always exudes ever y where, ever y moment of ever y day, especially in practice,” she said.

“I just love being around the team … they always put a smile on my face. We always start the day with something good and we always end the day with something good.

So that’s important to me.

These young women mean a lot to me. So it’s easy to have a smile on my face working with them.”

Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu

14

Sports

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

OBSERVER FANTASY CORNER

Observer Fantasy Corner Roundtable: Week 7 Gavin Aitken, Jamison Cook, Elizabeth Gasiorowski, John Kalemkerian, Andrew McGuiness and Sam Ouhaj Sports Writers

Sam Ouhaj Must play: Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers Justin Herbert has been on a tear since taking over the starting role in L A. My favorite to win OROY, Herbert perhaps is having the best rookie quarterback season we have seen since Patrick Mahomes (2018) and Dak Prescott (2016). W hile Herbert’s success has not equated to wins, which is not his fault, Herbert has averaged 25.1 points through his first five games as a starter. The Chargers are facing a Broncos defense that has been iff y at best. I am confident that Herbert will continue his success against the Broncos and even come out with the win. I also want people to take notes that Herbert may still be on your waiver wire and is my must pick-up in every league.

Must Sit: T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts The T.Y. Hilton and Phillip Rivers connection has not worked out this season.

Averaging 7.4 fantasy points this season, Hilton has yet to post a 100-yard game or even score a touchdown. This has been a surprise for many, as just two years ago, Hilton had reclaimed his status as a top-10 wideout — granted he was playing with Andrew Luck. Hilton is set to face the Detroit Lions this week, and while this may be a favorable matchup against a weak Lions secondary, it is not worth the risk in my opinion. I advise trading or dropping Hilton when you can get the chance as unless he and Rivers start connecting, it is going to be miserable for owners to have success.

W ho to pick up: Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants (Owned in 38.4% of fantasy leagues) Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Fransisco 49ers (Owned in 27% of fantasy leagues)

Gavin Aitken Must play: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Carolina Panthers Teddy Bridgewater’s season has been very up and down so far, but if you dig into the details, it’s actually quite easy to predict his good days versus

his bad days. Against teams in the bottom half of the league in terms of pass defense, he averages around 23 fantasy points per game, which is not shabby in the slightest.

Against pass defense in the top half of the league, he averages around 15 fantasy points per game, and even that number is boosted by a 26-point outlier against the Arizona Cardinals. Knowing this, it’s clear that Bridgewater’s opponent affects his performance more than most QBs. Luckily for him, his next opposition is the team ranked dead last in fantasy points against — the Atlanta Falcons. Expect a big day from the Louisville alum.

Must sit: James Connor, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers After a blazing start to the season, Connor has settled down into a pretty consistent role. However, the undefeated Steelers are going up against their strongest challenge yet in the form of their biggest rivals — the Baltimore Ravens.

While Connor has managed to get serious production against other big time run defenses, I believe the Ravens are going to start this game off by stacking the box and forcing the Steelers’ pass game to make a difference. This combined with my prediction of a strong game from Lamar Jackson and co., and I can see Connor getting his usage cut as the game goes on.

Who to pick up: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers (Owned in 10.8% of fantasy leagues) Carlos Hyde, RB, Seattle Seahawks (Owned in 2.8% of fantasy leagues)

Elizabeth Gasiorowski Must play: Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills Okay look, I’m a lifelong Patriots fan, but even I can admit that last Sunday’s performance was shaky, to say the very least. This week, the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills take on the, uh, struggling Patriots. To start the season, QB Josh Allen was consistently hitting the 30 fantasy point threshold, and though he has evened off in the past month, has still stayed as a solid option. This week (as much as it pains me to say it), look to Allen to put up some good numbers against the Patriots. He’s coming off of a solidly mediocre week against the Jets with no TDs and 307 yards, is healthy and is poised to rebound against

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New England.

Must sit: Scott Miller, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Buccaneers WR Scott Miller has been an on-again-offagain target for veteran QB Tom Brady this season, and though he’s coming off of an exceptional week against Las Vegas, I wouldn’t count on him to maintain his peak performances. In Week 4, he had a decent five receptions on seven targets for 83 yards, then did absolutely nothing the next week! If the variable patterns in his performances in the past weeks are any indication of how often Tom Brady will target this rookie, then stay far, far away from Miller this week. Take it from my personal experience: Don’t be tempted by the 23 fantasy points from this past week else be prepared to get a whole lot of nothing from Miller.

Who to pick up: Carlos Hyde, RB, Seattle Seahawks (Owned in 0.5% of fantasy leagues) Richard Rogers, TE, Philadelphia Eagles (Owned in 4% of fantasy leagues)

John Kalemkerian Must start: A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals Green, who was selected to seven straight Pro-Bowls to start his career, got off on the wrong foot with Bengals rookie QB Joe Burrow, even going as far as appearing to ask for a trade on the sideline mid-game during Week 5 against the Ravens. However, something has clicked since then and Green has averaged a team-high 12 targets over the past two games, racking up nearly 100 yards in each. This week, playing against a Titans defense that has surprisingly let up the third-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, Green should be in all fantasy lineups.

Must sit: Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants One. That’s the number of games over 200 passing yards that Giants QB Daniel Jones has since Saquon Barkley went down with a torn ACL in Week 2. This definitely doesn’t bode well for Slayton’s fantasy value, especially considering another Giants wideout, Sterling Shepard, returned and outperformed him this past week. Slayton has been boom or bust this season, turning just under seven targets into only four

receptions per game. Nothing inspires confidence about the Big Blue offense, especially an upcoming Monday Night matchup against a stif ling Buccaneers defense. Slayton should be riding the fantasy pine in this week.

Who to pick up: Boston Scott, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (Owned in 47% of fantasy leagues) Corey Davis, WR, Tennessee Titans (Owned in 30.2% of fantasy leagues)

Andrew McGuinness Must play: Melvin Gordon III, RB, Denver Broncos After missing Denver’s Week 7 contest with a noncoronavirus illness, Gordon put up a strong return to Denver’s backfield in Week 8, rushing for 68 yards on 17 attempts and also finding the end zone. W hile the Chargers run defense has been solid this year, what puts Gordon over the top for this week is that his main competition, Phillip Lindsay, could very well be out. Lindsay suffered a concussion on Sunday and has entered the league’s concussion protocol, according to head coach Vic Fangio. If Lindsay sits, Gordon should get another week as Denver’s bell-cow back, making him an attractive option at RB2 or Flex.

Must sit: Marquise Brown, WR, Baltimore Ravens Brown has had an up and down season so far, starting strong in Week 1 before delivering a pair of unimpressive showings. But Brown may have f lipped the switch in Week 4; he’s recorded at least six targets and 55 receiving yards in each of Baltimore’s last three games, adding a score in one of them. Only Adam Thielen and Calvin Ridley have more receiving yards through the air (not counting yards after catch) than Brown’s 674, and he’s facing a Steelers secondary that has struggled for most of the season this week. I’m also a fan of starting players after bye weeks because of the extra time to rest, and sure enough, Brown and the Ravens are coming off theirs.

W ho to pick up: Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots (Owned in 47% of fantasy leagues)

Jamison Cook Must Anderson, Panthers

start: WR,

Robby Carolina

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Robby Anderson should be in your starting lineup every week that he takes the field. Anderson has had double-digit fantasy points every week and has had at least four catches and five targets in every contest so far this season. He has done all of this without having a touchdown reception since Week 1, giving him incredible upside if he does start to haul in more touchdown passes. The Panthers host the Falcons this week, giving Anderson the opportunity to face an Atlanta defense that has given up the second-most passing yards and touchdowns to wide receivers per game. The game is on Thursday, so make sure to get Anderson into your starting lineup before it’s too late.

Must sit: Tua Tagovailoa/ Dolphins’ WRs, Miami Dolphins If you are desperate enough to have picked up Tua and plan to start him, let me offer a word of caution. Tua has attempted just two passes in his NFL career, and he has the privilege of facing the Rams defense in his first NFL start. The Rams defense is giving up just 212 passing yards per game, which ranks fifth in the league, and surrendering just over 100 yards rushing per game, which ranks seventh in the league. They also have this guy named Aaron Donald.

Taking all this into account, it could be a rough afternoon for Tua, which also means a tough game for his receivers. Maybe I will be wrong, but I would steer clear of the Dolphins QB and receiving corps until Tua proves he is ready for the big stage.

W ho to pick up: Carlos Hyde, RB, Seattle Seahawks (Owned in 7.1% of fantasy leagues) Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers (Owned in 27% of fantasy leagues) Contact Gavin Aitken at gaitken@nd.edu, Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu, Elizabeth Gasiorowski at egasioro@ nd.edu John Kalemkerian at jkalemke@nd.edu, Andrew McGuiness at amcquinn@nd.edu, and Sam Ouhaj at souhaj@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | The Observer

Team reports two COVID-19 cases Observer Staff Report

Two members of the Notre Dame football team tested positive for COVID-19 last week, the team announced in a statement Tuesday morning.

According to University Physician Dr. Matt Leiszler, the two positive tests came from a total of 248 COVID-19 tests

Adams Continued from page 16

he offers more in the vain of Skowronek and McKinley.

Where this really gets interesting (for lack of a better word) is the slot receiver/ second tight end spot. Avery Davis has been consistently listed as the starter at the X position this season.

Lawrence Keys III is backing him up, and each of them can do some good things on jet sweeps or quick outs, but they haven’t proven to be ultrareliable guys.

The Irish could opt for — and have already frequently implemented — two-tight end sets at the expense of the slot receiver. That’s not a bad option considering the fact that Michael Mayer is a S-T-U-D Stud, and Tommy Tremble’s blocking/pass catching versatility is solid. However, without speed guys like Austin and Lenzy on the outsides to stretch the defense, they’re limited by the lack of burners.

A lineup of Tremble, Mayer and any two of Skowronek/ McKinley/Wilkins is not going to develop routes quickly or incentivize Clemson to unload the box until they make plays downfield against their corners.

Lastly, this could be

administered to Notre Dame football student-athletes from Monday to Sunday, the statement said.

According to the statement, neither of the two student-athletes who tested positive traveled for Saturday’s game at Pittsburgh, and no close contacts were identified. As of Monday, three players are in isolation and another player

is in quarantine as a result of being identified as a close contact, the statement said.

The undefeated Irish (5-0, 4-0 ACC) are coming off one of their most convincing performances of the season after routing Pitt 45-3 at Heinz Field and are ranked No. 4 in this week’s AP and Coaches’ polls.

Notre Dame travels next to

Atlanta, Georgia to take on Georgia Tech (2-4, 2-3 ACC) at Bobby Dodd Stadium this Saturday.

Notre Dame’s campus has experienced an increase in COVID-19 cases during October. In the week leading up to the Pittsburgh game, the number of new cases peaked Tuesday with a total of 28 positive tests, according to the University dashboard.

something, but take it with a grain of salt. Ian Book offered praise for Jordan Johnson at Tuesday night’s Notre Dame player media availability, saying the freshman receiver made some really good catches in practice. Since we’re at the point where the Irish have only one more opponent before facing the Tigers, it seems like wishful thinking that new faces without any significant playing time or actual catches (like Jones, Johnson and Xavier Watts) would get involved. It would certainly be welcome, and maybe the coaches really are working on getting Johnson up to speed.

Alternatively, it might just be some gamesmanship. Maybe Book was told by the coaches or took it upon himself to try and help Johnson’s confidence after a difficult first semester for the St. Louis product.

Regardless though, aside from the tight ends, the running backs will also need to play a role in the passing game. Chris Tyree and Kyren Williams have to get involved in screen passes and wheel routes to keep the Tigers on their toes. Maybe Nov. 7 is when the coaching staff resurrects the 75-yard screen to Williams that we saw against Duke. Or maybe they get another running back involved…

Why can’t Ian Book throw over 6 yards?

Did you watch the game Saturday?

Granted, Book’s ‘development’ at quarterback over the last three seasons has been nothing short of bizarre.

He’s gone from an accurate and precise pocket passer who feasted on the short-tointermediate game (although less so the intermediate) to flat-out bad in the intermediate and very good on deep throws (when he had Chase Claypool to sling it to) to a game manager struggling to see open pass catchers but seemingly growing as a dualthreat quarterback.

I assume that what you are getting at here is Book’s general lack of accuracy downfield. I really can’t explain that, or any other aspects of his regression, as anything other than a mix of the pressure of the Notre Dame starting quarterback job, defense’s having enough film to game plan for Book, a lack of physical ability to throw downfield without some strain and the lack of receiving threats that can get open and make contested catches against any defense. But the thing is that Book has also been struggling on short throws this year, as could be seen with a couple of low throws to Avery Davis

against Pitt.

It’s really difficult to pin down what exactly Book’s problem is, and he’s definitely got a few of them. But for what it’s worth, as a starter (and I know Brian Kelly is a broken record with this), Book is 25-3 and undefeated at home. He is now tied for third in career 300-yard passing games at Notre Dame (7), is second in total offensive yards (8,343) and career touchdown passes (63), behind only Brady Quinn (11,944 and 95), and may pass Quinn, Tom Clements and Ron Powlus for career wins as a starter (29) barring an unforeseen conclusion to the season.

Say what you will about him, but he is a winner, and all that really matters is whether or not Notre Dame beats Clemson with Book starting under center. Which gets us to our final comment…

RETURN TO GLORY!!!

Let’s wait until about 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 to determine the validity of that statement.

Then we can reevaluate on Dec. 19.

That’s all for this week. I can only imagine what it will be like next week, so have those hot takes ready. It’s gonna be a fun one.

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Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu

15

Kelly Continued from page 16

as their first scheduled away game against Wake Forest was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak within the locker room.

Now it seems the Irish are getting into the groove of a season, even if it is a season different than any other. The Irish are looking to keep the ball rolling following one of their most convincing wins of the year against Pitt. Kelly looked ahead to the team’s next competition at Georgia Tech. “[Georgia Tech head coach Geoff] Collins has done a great job of transforming a triple-option team into a pro-style offense in a very short period of time,” he said.

“He’s got some of the bigger offensive linemen that we’ve seen.

And we’ve thought we had big offensive linemen. But these are so different than what Georgia Tech obviously has had in their program. Now he’s got some transfers from the SEC, some big physical offensive linemen, he’s got a young freshman who is going to be an incredible talent at tackle. So he’s recruited very, very well and making this transition to a pro-style offense. It should be a great football game and one that we need to continue to ascend and play at the level that we played at last week against Pittsburgh.”

One question that Kelly may not have been expecting to field after his first resounding win was one he has been being asked all year, about his wide receiving corps.

“I’m not here to make apologies, there are no excuses — you gotta be ready to play with what you have and the fact of the matter is no one really cares, so we weren’t going to sit up here and complain about what our situation was, we were gonna deal with the situation that was at hand,” he said. “A lot of them were because of injuries and not having the continuity, but you know everybody has problems and you deal with it and you work through it. We’re gaining some continuity and I said it many times — I believed in this group when we got continuity within the offensive structure and particularly the passing game, it would look better and it would get better and Ian would feel a lot more confident getting the ball out on time.

We’re getting there and we’re getting better. We have another level that we need to get to and we hope to continue to work on that in practice so when we get to Georgia Tech this weekend we see another level that we get to.”

Kelly was also asked about the progression of sophomore punter Jay Bramblett, who played quarterback at Hill Crest high school.

“There were times last year that he did too much because he wasn’t used to not being fully engaged in a practice setting, he was used to being a starting quarterback,” he said. “There were clearly some times where he punted his leg out and coming into a Saturday he was tired. I just think the maturation, the understanding of how to prepare himself is being to show itself.”

Contact Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu

16

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND FOOTBALL

nd Football

Recruit charged with trespassing Observer Staff Report

Notre Dame football commit David Abiara, 18, a member of the class of 2021 and strong side defensive end for Mansfield Legacy High School, has been charged w ith criminal trespassing in Southlake, Texas, as first reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Abiara was charged along w ith Southlake Carrol High School offensive lineman Marquette Seaton, 18.

Further details have not yet been released as it is an open case.

Abiara, a four-star Mansfield, Texas product, per 247Sports Composite, committed to the Irish back in March, but news had since sw irled that he was at risk of f lipping to Ok lahoma. He is listed as the No. 20 strong side D-end in the nation and thew 47th best player in the state of Texas. Abiara chose Notre Dame over 23

other schools, including Ok lahoma, A labama and Texas.

Abiara and Seaton were first booked on Sept. 30.

They were originally under suspicion of burglar y with intent to commit a felony for an incident which reportedly took place on Sept. 27.

However, charges were filed under trespassing, a misdemeanor offense, and the two were eventually released on $10,000 bond.

This news comes just barely over nine months since the football program revoked the scholarship of 2020 threestar defensive back and thenNotre Dame signee Landen Bartleson of Danville, Kentucky. Bartleson and two other teens were arrested for shoplifting nine firearms from a gun shop in Danville.

Bartleson has since quit football.

Notre Dame has yet to make a comment regarding the charges Abiara is facing.

Kelly talks Pitt win, looks ahead to Georgia Tech

By JIMMY WARD Associate Sports Editor

CHARLES LeCLAIRE | USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly spoke to the media on a Zoom call on Monday after his team’s 45-3 victory over Pitt. Kelly and his team are looking forward to another road game next weekend when they meet Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta.

Kelly shared his immediate thoughts following the victory in Pittsburgh.

“Certainly coming off an improved performance, we want to build on that against a Georgia Tech team going on the road for a second week in a row,” Kelly said.

“We certainly learned about the procedures necessary to have an effective road game during this pandemic, so we feel a lot more comfortable certainly being able to take our team on the road after going through it last week at Pittsburgh.”

Last week was the first time the Irish have hit the road this season,

Irish junior placekicker Johnathan Doerer kicks a field goal during Notre Dame’s 45-3 victory over Pitt on Saturday at Heinz Field.

see KELLY PAGE 15

Football COLUMN

nd women’s Basketaball

Head coach Niele Ivey gives first press conference

By HAYDEN ADAMS

Questions from ND’s big win Hayden Adams

Sports Editor

Sports Editor

Notre Dame media were treated to a new look Monday media session. Immediately follow ing head football coach Brian Kelly’s week ly press conference at noon, women’s basketball head coach Niele Ivey took the Zoom spotlight for her first press conference since being named successor to Hall of Famer Muffet McGraw back in April.

It’s been unique circumstances for a first-year head coach to inherit, but Ivey nevertheless had an almost constant smile on her face and offered profuse gratitude for the position in which she currently finds herself throughout her meeting w ith the media.

“Super excited to be back here at Notre Dame, my first press conference,” Ivey said.

“A lot of smiles because of where I am and what I’m see IVEY PAGE 13

HANNAH HUELSKAMP | The Observer

Irish graduate student guard Destinee Walker drives against a defender during Notre Dame’s 76-53 win over Miami on Jan. 19.

Not a whole lot of questions this week after Notre Dame beat Pitt 45-3. But that’s OK. It just means we can go more in depth on what we got. Enjoy.

Does ND have the abilit y at receiver to compete w ith Clemson after 2 injuries?

Love that you’re already looking past Georgia Tech.

Let’s hope the team doesn’t.

To answer your question, at receiver alone, no. They don’t have a guy of Chase Clay pool or Miles Boykin’s caliber to strike fear into the heart of Clemson’s defense. It has to be a by-committee approach w ith tight ends and running backs chipping in significantly.

Ben Skow ronek and Javon McKinley have t wo combined touchdow n catches, both coming from Skow ronek against Pitt.

Clemson isn’t going to let a guy like Skow ronek do

what he did this weekend; he’s going to have to be the move-the-chains, steady hands kind of guy we saw against Louisv ille. They’ll also probably give McKinley more problems than he had w ith Louisv ille, and look how he handled that.

Backing those guys up is Joe Wilkins Jr. Aside from his drop against Florida State, Wilkins’ lack of production is partly a product of him not being able to create separation, but mostly Book over- and underthrow ing him on endzone targets in prett y much ever y game. Maybe a guy like Micah Jones makes his way into the t wo-deep w ith his 6-foot-5 frame. He has no career catches, so it would require him bursting onto the scenes like Wilkins against Duke, but I wouldn’t hold my breath at this point, especially because the Irish are lacking speed (more on that in a second) and see ADAMS PAGE 15