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Volume 55, Issue 34 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Election continues with uncertainty While President Trump declared an early victory, millions of ballots in key states remain uncounted
MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer
Students watch election results come in Tuesday at an event sponsored by ND’s College Democrats in the Dahnke Ballroom.
In an election night marked by uncertainty and tallying absentee ballots, the American people will still be waiting for a clear victor on Wednesday morning and likely until the end of the week. While former Vice President Joe Biden picked up several key swing states Tuesday, including Arizona and Minnesota, President Donald Trump won Florida, Ohio and Texas, states he also won in 2016. As of early Wednesday morning, many of the states that will likely decide the election — including Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina — are still too close to call. see MORE ELECTION INSIDE
ADRIANA PEREZ | The Observer
First years Abraham Figueroa and Joseph Kiely pose at the Notre Dame College Republicans election night watch in DeBartolo Hall.
Group uplifts minority Belles DIANE PARK | The Observer
Fr. Malloy and the 1992 vote of no confidence By EVAN McKENNA, CHRIS RUSSO, SARAH KIKEL and UYEN LE From the Archives Reasearchers
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Nov. 2. Following University President Fr. Jenkins’ controversial attendance of the Sept. 26 White House Rose Garden ceremony, conversations across campus have centered around questions of consequence: Is a simple apology sufficient? Are these actions grounds for resignation? Will other members of the University administration do their part to ensure accountability? We might soon know the answer to the final question. Although the emergency meeting set for Oct. 27 was postponed, the Notre Dame faculty senate is set to vote on a motion of no confidence in Fr. Jenkins sometime in the near future. But while many students and
NEWS PAGE 3
faculty consider the motion a step in the right direction, it is still a source of confusion for many: What is a vote of no confidence, anyway? We were pretty confused too — so we did some research. This week’s edition of From the Archives retells the story of another vote of no confidence against another University president — the 1992 vote against Fr. Edward Malloy . Senate to consider vote of no confidence in leadership of Fr. Malloy
April 2, 1992 | David Kinney On April 2, 1992, the faculty senate announced that they would consider a vote of no confidence in former University President Father Edward Malloy on April 7. The vote was set after months of debate regarding the faculty’s role in the governance of the University, particularly in academic issues. The faculty senate
VIEWPOINT PAGE 8
based their decision in two primary points of contention: Fr. Malloy’s opposition to increasing faculty representatives on the Academic Council from 18 to 24, and the Board of Trustees’ failure to allow faculty to review the appointment of University Provost Timothy O’Meara before he assumed office. The Observer’s David Kinney covered the announcement of the vote, reporting reactions and opinions from both sides of the controversy. Professor David O’Connor and Professor Philip Quinn admitted that the motion had been proposed in the wake of unsuccessful deliberations with University representatives. In the final draft of their resolution, which forwarded the vote of no confidence, faculty senate members asserted that “The 1991-92 school year has revealed for all to see that the see ARCHIVES PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 9
By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN Associate News Editor
This year, Saint Mary’s Student Government Association (SGA) created the new Campus Inclusivity Committee to build community among traditionally underrepresented Belles. Committee co-chair and junior Adriana Salgado spoke about the importance of fostering inclusivity on campus.
“The mission of Campus Inclusivity is to work towards creating a more welcoming and united campus,” Salgado said. “As a student of color, I struggled a lot finding my place at [Saint Mary’s] and know I am not the only one who felt this way. The issue of inclusivity has become prominent not only on campus but globally. I believe this committee has the potential see SGA PAGE 4
Moreau shifts focus to diversity By LYRIC MEDEIROS News Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Nov. 3. A two-semester, graded course sequence, the Moreau First Year Experience helps new students integrate their academic, cocurricular and residential experiences. This year’s class of first years recently completed their diversity and inclusion unit. However, the lesson plan
FOOTBALL PAGE 16
appeared different from that of past years. Andrew Whittington, one of the co-directors of the Moreau program, said one great differences between this year and last year is all those involved in coordinating the course hoped to create a streamline for talking about inclusion and the value of diversity throughout the entire semester. “Regardless if our topics are see MOREAU PAGE 3
ND MEN’S SOCCER PAGE 16
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Students attend Prism ND and Diversity Council’s joint event promoting stress relief during the 2020 presidential election in Coleman-Morse on Tuesday. The groups offered hot chocolate and had painting and other crafts in their “safe space.”
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Lecture: “Beyond Reality and Fiction: ‘Congo Vivo’” virtual 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Please register online.
2020 Conway Lectures: “Race in the Middle Ages” virtual 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. All are welcome.
“Algorithmic Bias: Sources and Responses” virtual noon - 3 p.m. Featuring Cathy O’Neil.
Football Pregame Festivities South Lawn, North Quad, Library Lawn 3:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. Live music and food.
Mass of Full Communion, Confirmation Basilica 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Prayer opportunity.
Leveraging LinkedIn Learning Lab virtual 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Learn how to refine your LinkedIn profile.
Virtual Webinar virtual 4 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Webinar discussing Winter Session opportunities.
Lecture: “COVID Racial Data Tracking” virtual 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Featuring speaker Rachel Lee.
Scholar Series Snite Museum of Art all day Watch an old lecture from psychology professor, discuss.
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Baumer to host plasma drive for South Bend By MAGGIE EASTLAND News Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Nov. 3. Baumer Hall, the newest men’s dorm on campus, is sponsoring a plasma drive called “Domers R Donors” to be held Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the LaFortune Student Center ballroom.
Those who have tested positive for coronavirus in the last three months and have been symptom free for 14 days are eligible to donate, Baumer Hall president and first year Patrick Buck said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) website, those who have contracted and recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies in their blood, specifically in their plasma, that can help treat people in the early stages of the virus. “The hope is that anyone [who is eligible] will donate their plasma so that their antibodies can be used at local South Bend hospitals to help people who are fighting off the pandemic,” Buck said. Anyone who is eligible to donate can sign up by calling 574204-4466, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to reserve a time slot. Since Baumer Hall was built in the summer of 2019, the hall has not yet established a signature charity event. The Dillon Hall community was housed
last year in Baumer during the renovation of their home dorm. The idea for this charity event originated with Robert Duncheskie, a sophomore in Baumer Hall who said he wanted to make a difference despite the rising case numbers. “As we’re a new dorm, we don’t have a traditional charity event,” Buck said. “We’re always encouraging our guys to come up with stuff, and [Duncheskie] took the lead on this and put in a ton of work.” In an email, Duncheskie said he was inspired to find a way to make a positive impact when Notre Dame’s positive cases began to rise dramatically and many students feared getting sent home earlier this semester.
“I wanted to find a way to make the most of out of this unfortunate situation,” Duncheskie said. “I knew that there had to be a way to turn the pandemic into a positive change.” Duncheskie said the event is an exciting step for the Baumer community. “The Baumer Hall community is excited to sponsor this event, as it will be one of the dorm’s first major events since its creation,” he said. Both Buck and Duncheskie said the event is important to help those in need and support the local community. “Our local community is in serious need of plasma donations considering the number of new cases we see every day,”
Duncheskie said. “The more plasma that is donated, the more that we can help the people of our community in this ongoing fight against COVID.” Buck said the plasma drive is a way of putting the University’s call to be a “force for good” in action. “This is a really great way to be that positive force,” Buck said. “Fifteen or 20 minutes of your time donating plasma is literally going to save somebody’s life. It’s a really easy thing to do for a person who’s tested positive for COVID. It’s a great way to give back to our South Bend community and help the local people here.” Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu
University students make sustainability pledge By GABRIELLE PENNA News Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Nov. 3. The University of Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns (CSC) aims to enact Catholic social teaching through community-engaged research, teaching and learning. This fall, the Energy, Climate and Social Change seminar course challenged students to educate the Notre Dame community on issues of sustainability.
Students Connor Delaney, Nathaniel Hiott, Chiara Smorada, Keenan O’Brien, Matt Sahd, Meghan Bolinger and Bill Powers used this opportunity to address energy usage on campus. Working with Professor Adam Gustine through the CSC and Caitlin Jacobs in the Office of Sustainability, these students were able to initiate the Notre Dame 2020 Energy Campaign. This campaign strives to educate the Notre Dame
Moreau Continued from page 1
explicitly on belonging at Notre Dame, or academic success or academic rigor, the spirit of inclusion is present in that conversation even if it is not specifically titled that,” Whittington said. Moreau advisers have been trained to use a dosing technique in which they are constantly introducing language, the Notre Dame community values and ways to engage in difficult conversations throughout the entire semester, so that when they move into more specific discussions, the topics are not entirely brand new to the first year students. Lauren Donahue, co-director of the Moreau program, explained her team has decided to take more of the
community on the importance of action to mitigate climate change. It highlights the urgency of the climate change issue, as noted on its website, in hopes of inciting the Notre Dame community to act in ways that align with the Catholic values of creation care and the option for the poor and vulnerable. “Climate change is going to put a lot of vulnerable people at risk,” sophomore Nathaniel Hiott, a member of the campaign, said. For Hiott, this is why taking action is so important. He said it is about “understanding there are things that can be done personally to ensure reduction of wastes.” In Hiott’s experience, once a person makes a commitment to doing something, they are more likely to do it. So, to uphold personal and community responsibilities to the environment, Hiott and other members of this group created a pledge. The Notre Dame Sustainability Pledge, as Hiott
explained, is about people reading the mission statement and provided infographics, understanding there is a need to live more sustainably and then holding themselves accountable for making the changes necessary to do so. After a week of advertising, the Energy Campaign received 215 signatures. The responsibility the Pledge calls for “gives people a sense of personal empowerment to take action,” Hiott said. Hiott said it is only with individual action and collective action that the world will become more sustainable. As the Energy Campaign grows, Hiott said members hope to see “Notre Dame commit to becoming a carbon neutral University as quickly as possible in addition to committing to other sustainability goals.” Even so, Hiott noted some resistance he has already been met within discussions with the Office of Sustainability and other organizations around campus. Hiott said he has been
told it is impossible for the University to make big sustainability commitments because they do not know if they can achieve them. This, to him, is “a very fair point on their side.” Even so, Hiott wants his group’s data to show the University that students care about sustainability and renewable energy. At the end of the semester, Hiott and other members of the Energy Group will present their final data — the total number of signatures they receive and the preferred actions students want to see the University take — to the Office of Sustainability. Members from this office will then use this information to guide the administration in their rewriting of the University’s long-term sustainability goals, which occurs every four to five years. To Hiott and other members of the Energy Campaign, climate change poses a very real threat. “It is something we need to combat now because if we do
not combat it now, it is going to affect a lot more people in the future,” Hiott said. Considering a significant amount of carbon emissions come from a small number of large organizations, Hiott said he believes change will only come when people act on the desire to live more sustainably. To create the change necessary for environmental recovery, he said the Notre Dame and global communities must “put pressure on large corporations.” Hiott said imminent change is necessary to prevent the communities most likely to suffer from the effects of climate change from being ignored. For this to happen, he and other members of the Energy Campaign call for action in the Notre Dame community. “We have the power to come together as a Notre Dame community and care for people halfway across the world,” Hiott said.
micro lens to approaching diversity, which prompts students to conduct a deep introspection look into who they are, their identities and what is most salient for them. “This self-awareness enables them to be more open and to consider other identities and experiences, and how they differ from them[selves],” Donahoe said. In addition to starting at that micro level and talking about the students’ identities first, another change this year is when the course addressed implicit bias, which is usually taught in the spring semester. Donahue believes introducing topics early on, then revisiting them, allows the first years to have a more foundational, shared experience. “Last week’s lesson on diversity and inclusion has been really helpful in transitioning into a
community that I am not used to,” first year Caroline Bender said. “It’s taught me a lot about how to live in a community with so much diversity and how to grow in this community.” She said her Moreau class focused on talking about different strategies, like having civil discussions with people who may not share similar beliefs or are from different backgrounds. Bender said one thing her class really emphasized was civil discourse and how to have respectful conversations to foster growth not division. Bender and her classmates were provided various strategies on how to speak with people from different backgrounds in a respectful manner. She learned conversation tips she had not previously considered. “I think it really helps to have these strategies, so that we are able to use
them in everyday conversations,” Bender said. First year Eleanor Rey also spoke highly of last week’s course material, saying it was different, but eye opening. Rey said her professor placed an emphasis on microaggressions, teaching what they are and how people tend to frequently overlook them. “I realized how much I use microaggressions in daily life and how easy it is to stop using them, and to use a different type of language if you are curious about someone else’s culture,” Rey explained. “By doing this, you avoid hurting someone else’s feelings and invite communitybuilding, instead of breaking down another with microaggressions, which most of the time are made without ill intentions.” While the topic of diversity and
inclusion can be a sensitive subject for some students to speak about, Rey and Bender said their Moreau advisers had done a great job in making their discussions comfortable for them. Rey said her Moreau teacher has made it easy for her and her classmates to talk in class. She said he always speaks first after posing a question to the class, making the students feel comfortable in what can be a very nerve-racking period for the new college students. “We are really open in our Moreau class. We talk about everything and anything,” Rey said. “My adviser is the best. I find it extremely easy to share my thoughts with the class, and I think they feel the same way.”
Contact Gabrielle Penna at gpenna@nd.edu
Contact Lyric Medeiros at lmedeiro@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Archives Continued from page 1
Administration of the University has a deep distrust of all meaningful participation by faculty in the governance of Notre Dame.” More specifically, O’Connor noted that the vote of no confidence was not a personal gripe with Malloy — rather, it was about addressing “the policy direction that his administration is pursuing.” Despite O’Connor’s framing, other faculty members disagreed with the vote of no confidence and the logistics of the resolution. Frank Castellino, former dean of the College of Science, elaborated on the potentially harmful implications of the vote. The passing of such a resolution would be a “fairly destructive event,” he told Kinney. “There needs to be a longer history of problems between faculty and administration to take such a huge step.” And Dean Eileen Kolman, formerly of the Freshman Year of Studies, corroborated much of Castellino’s sentiments, arguing that the vote would be a “premature” step. “Is this the only thing that can be done?” she asked. In response, supporters of the resolution were quick to point out that this vote came after years of debate concerning the structures of academic governance at the University. Malloy maintained that the University has been working with
SGA Continued from page 1
and power to allow students to find their place and truly feel a part of the Saint Mary’s community.” Co-chair and junior Akpedze Balo said the committee was first started last year as the Community Justice Committee. “It was kind of hard to get our feet off the ground since we are a fairly new committee this semester,” Balo said. “I believe it was not made until last year when it was called Community Justice [Committee], so it was hard to figure out what we wanted to do exactly when it came to events. But we have the wonderful support of interim vice president for student affairs Gloria Jenkins and executive director for inclusivity and equity Dr. Redgina Hill.” Salgado said she wants people to engage with the committee, beginning with the group’s introductory event Friday. “My goal this year is to gain exposure for the committee as it is new and has not really had the chance to gain popularity,” Salgado said. “Our upcoming event on Friday, Mug Mania, is to establish ourselves and show that we are here to help students de-stress and have fun. I want to provide a judgment-free zone for students to come and feel relaxed, especially since this week is already stressful for multiple reasons.“ According to Balo, the committee also worked in cooperation with other groups this fall. “Luckily we were able to sponsor events for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/
faculty members and addressing their concerns, concluding “I think we are; some may disagree.” He vocalized concerns about the optics of the vote, reasoning that it would “create a sense of crisis that could have other implications” in the public eye. Kinney noted that faculty’s general support of a vote of no confidence came as a result of an “increasingly adversarial relationship between the faculty and the administration.”
Faculty senate postpones vote of no confidence, hopes for cooperation from administration April 8, Zavestoski
1992
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Stephen
At their meeting on April 7, the faculty senate elected to postpone their vote of no confidence in Father Edward Malloy for two weeks until they would reconvene on April 22. Professor David O’Connor, a member of the faculty senate, stated that the proposals made during the months of debate between administration and faculty were “insufficient,” but recognized the importance of administration engaging in conversation after three years of avoidance. O’Connor believed that the discussion between the faculty senate and Provost O’Meara gave rise to the potential of increased faculty representation, despite
Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and La Fuerza, which was great during this semester,” she said. Next semester, the committee plans to host events that lift up the experiences of historically marginalized groups. “We plan to have a speaker series or panel next semester and are hoping to draw attention and awareness to minorities on campus,” Salgado said. “For example, we want to have a speaker for Black
administrative reluctance. In the interim, the time would allow for considerable progress in determining favorable results. O’Connor said that he believed the majority of the faculty supported the vote of no confidence and disagreed with Malloy’s article in the South Bend Tribune, in which the President asserted that only a small number of faculty were leading the movement. The next day, the Observer reported that, according to Professor Paul Conway, the chair of the faculty senate, both Malloy and O’Meara were communicating their willingness to cooperate with faculty. O’Meara mentioned the potential of ad hoc committees within the Academic Council in order to increase the faculty’s role in academic decision making. In a letter to the faculty senate members, Malloy proposed the creation of a third body of the Academic Council, of which about 32/50 would be members of the faculty. Despite these new developments, faculty members remained vigilant. Conway asserted that the vote of no confidence was still not off the table. “It depends on whether we get something specific,” he concluded.
Faculty senate withdraws vote of no confidence in Fr. Malloy April 23, Zavestoski
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History Month and an LGBTQ+ speaker to come and talk to students who feel underrepresented.” Balo also wants to launch an Instagram page that gives resources and a platform for students to share their experiences of discrimination. Salgado hopes that she can gain a better understanding of how to advocate for minorities as a leader of the committee. “One of my personal goals is to gain a better perspective on how
After a two-week delay, on April 22, 1992, the faculty senate opted to withdraw the motion for a vote of no confidence in University President Fr. Malloy. A nearly unanimous vote, the decision came after Malloy promised increased administrative openness and a restructuring of the Academic Council. His proposal, however, did not include a shift in proportionality. Many senate members believed that taking a vote of no confidence would hinder the progress towards faculty inclusion in governance of the University. “Confrontation is not terribly useful now. We need to try a new approach,’ said Professor V. Paul Kenney. In contrast, other senate members contended that the motion for a no confidence vote was a justifiable response to the Malloy administration’s exclusion of faculty in decisions concerning the University, and specifically, in academic issues. These members asserted that Malloy’s refusal to change proportionality in the Academic Council indicated his distrust in the faculty. Ultimately, the Faculty Senate withdrew the motion for the vote of no confidence in the hopes of increased dialogue between the administration and faculty. As a result of the no confidence proposal, during the summer of 1992, faculty and administration held sessions to promote inclusion of faculty in University decision-making. Consequently,
an advisory committee to the Provost for academic planning was created. The summer meetings contained five representatives appointed by Malloy, seven faculty senate members, Provost Timothy O’Meara and Malloy himself. Discussed were proposals for a University forum, a President’s Advisory Council and a faculty committee to the Provost. Though the first two were dismissed, the administration approved the faculty advisory committee, wherein committee members could offer policy recommendations directly to the Provost. This committee was especially important to Provost O’Meara. “If you keep ignoring the people who are advising you,” he said, “they will eventually stop offering you advice.” The decision to withdraw the motion of no confidence was a result of the mutual desire of both faculty and administration to engage in discussion. Professor David O’Connor, a member of the faculty senate’s executive committee, concluded: “The president has stepped forward to receive input. This is a good opportunity to move on to a normal state between the faculty and administration.”
minorities on campus feel and how we can improve on their college experience,” Salgado said. “I want to be able to take action against bullies and oppressors.” She said she recognizes the relevance of the committee’s role during a very tumultuous time in the world. “I believe this committee is important due to all of the events going on around us,” Salgado said. “We have found ourselves in a really difficult year, and like many
people, I find myself scared of what the next few months hold. I think that it is important to show the SGA cares about all of the students at Saint Mary’s and is willing to listen to their concerns and take action against inequality.” The committee invites all interested students to join the organization on Belle Tower and attend their Mug Mania event.
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The observer | wednesday, november 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
LETTERs TO THE EDITOR
Refocusing the debate on Justice Amy Coney Barrett Dear Notre Dame, I write to address the campus debate and multiple open letters currently circulating regarding the nomination and confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court (“SCOTUS”). To promote transparency, I am a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, a practicing private sector attorney, a proud Democrat and I voted for Joe Biden. I also endorse the confirmation of Judge Barrett. To begin, I urge the Notre Dame community to criticize and then forgive University President Fr. John Jenkins for the dereliction of leadership he demonstrated during the Rose Garden nomination event. Notre Dame’s president is a man of God and a mortal man. He sins and makes mistakes. I have no doubt Jenkins is sincere in his apologies before God and our community. He made a mistake, apologized for that mistake and is atoning for that mistake. I disagree with Jenkins on policy issues, but he is a credible and well-intentioned man. His years of committed stewardship of Notre Dame weigh in favor of forgiveness and moving forward. I find calls for Jenkins’ resignation disturbing and, frankly, unprincipled rabble-rousing. I will now address Justice Barrett. Members of our community have invited me to sign “open letters” denouncing or otherwise asking Barrett to withdraw from the confirmation process. I have not signed any of these letters. I do, however, applaud anyone holding a reasonably held belief who commits their convictions into writing. Nevertheless, campus is having the wrong debate, conf lating politics, personal religious beliefs and jurisprudence. I humbly submit the Notre Dame community should refocus the debate to:
one, eliminating the politicization of the Nation’s independent judiciary, starting with Senate precedent; and two, voting. Barrett and I hold diametric views on most legal issues. Our disagreement, however, is not “liberal” or “conservative” in the political sense. Rather, our differences relate to the manner in which we interpret the Constitution. Barrett believes in originalism, and I see the Constitution as a living document. Both interpretations are valid and reasonable. The Constitution brings me to why I endorse Barrett’s confirmation. The Constitution endows the U.S. president with the power to nominate individuals to the SCOTUS. Likewise, the Constitution imposes upon the Senate the duty to provide advice and consent on the president’s nominee. The Constitution does not identify qualifications for SCOTUS Justices, and the Constitution does not strip either the president or the Senate of their respective powers in election years. In point of fact, the only qualification to which Justices have ever been held is whether they are eminently qualified to serve on the SCOTUS. Barrett is eminently qualified to serve on the SCOTUS and deserves confirmation. Although I regret deeply that President Trump and GOP Senate leadership hold their respective powers, both parties have exercised their constitutional duties appropriately. Now follows the counter-argument: Based on Senate precedent, it is an election year, and the voters should choose the president who will fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat. Senator Mitch McConnell argued this point in 2016
when President Barrack Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to the SCOTUS. Irate Democrats are now arguing the same point in 2020, calling Senator McConnell a hypocrite for breaking with Senate precedent. In response, the GOP argues that unlike in 2016, the GOP presently controls the White House and Senate — distinguishing 2016 from 2020. Let us be clear: Senate precedent means nothing. Senate precedent is not law, and it does not derive from the Constitution. It is simple politicking. As an attorney, nothing makes me more apoplectic than seeing political interference in our independent judiciary. Unfortunately, such interference is now commonplace. Both parties share the blame. (Although, President Trump’s politicization of the Rule of Law is a horrifying development). We are a nation of laws. We are not a nation of whoever holds power interpreting Senate precedent. Neither Democrats nor Republicans are correct to rely on Senate precedent. I, for one, do not want the politicization of Senate precedent to overshadow the Constitution and become the new norm for either party. Under the Constitution, President Trump and the GOP “won this round.” Amy Coney Barrett deserves to be Justice Barrett. There will be other rounds, however, and I implore the Notre Dame community to refocus their attention to the Constitution and refuse partisan politics to jeopardize the integrity of our independent judiciary. At bottom, vote. Sam Mitchell class of 2013 Nov. 2
The case against Amy Coney Barrett Justice Barrett, You should be ashamed to bear a title so at odds w ith the manner in which it was acquired. Your appointment to the Supreme Court was an injustice, and not merely an ethical one or by some matter of opinion, but by the plain and public facts of its circumstances. Reprehensible as the act of confirming you was, the United States Senate’s inaction on the single issue of urgency before them was an omission v ile in its intention and murderous in its effect. In lieu of any semblance of attention to securing aid for the millions of your fellow citizens threatened one way or another by the impacts of the COV ID-19 pandemic, Senate
majorit y leadership, in a naked last grab for power and dominion over our countr y, used your nomination and confirmation to fill the void then call it quits. Americans w ill suffer for that choice. For lack of deser ved assistance, they w ill lose jobs, they w ill lose homes, they w ill loved ones and they w ill lose their lives. Americans w ill die. Americans w ill die, and you had the power to stop it. I w ill not assume your motivations, but neither can you protest your innocence. You knew. You knew you could stop it. You knew and you did nothing. For that, by today’s laws you get to assume the title of “Justice” for your lifetime appointment to parody that word.
Your cowardice is painful to ever y principled, compassionate alumnus of our universit y, the sort who takes pride in histor y’s accounts of our stands, sometimes at personal peril, against injustice to our fellow Americans and fellow human beings. Offered your opportunit y to save others, you chose the vanit y of hollow ambition and the conceit of dubious distinction, accepting their cost in human miser y and human lives. Resign. Chris Hoffman class of 2003 Oct. 26
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Inside Column
Put yourself out there
Context matters, but there is no excuse Ashton Weber Living Relig-ish
Alysa Guffey Associate News Editor
Everyone is always trying to give you advice — I know — but hear me out on this one. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I know how scary the advice “put yourself out there” can sound. However, at the end of the day, you get out of life what you put in, so let’s unpack. First, what does “putting yourself out there” mean? The phrase gets thrown around often, typically in the context of dating and relationships, but it can be applied to every other corner of life. Essentially, putting yourself out there means stepping outside of your comfort zone — from relationships to careers to friendships to that side hobby you’ve always wanted to try. The act of stepping outside your comfort zone leads to an increased vulnerability of yourself to the world and that can quite frankly be scary. A former coach of mine told me that I should do one thing that scared me every day. That was a terrifying thought. Why would I want to do that? Initially, I was skeptical of this advice, if you cannot already tell, but when I started thinking about incorporating it into my everyday life, I realized how many things scared me when I thought about doing them. Most of them were little things — talking to someone new or telling someone a personal detail about myself. I realized I did not like how many things scared me and started pushing myself to commit to doing things I would have not previously thought about doing. One of these being auditioning for a one-act play my senior year — which I and every member of my family were in shock that I did. One of the best leaps I took was walking into the basement of South Dining Hall last year as a first-year to go to my first Observer news meeting. I had no idea what to expect or what was going on for that matter, but a year later, my college experience has been extraordinarily better because of the step I decided to take. (If you are scared to come join The Observer, don’t be. It’s a great place.) I can’t imagine not making that decision and I had nothing to lose, so why did I have a small ounce of fear before? This is what always seems to trip me up — why we tend to shy away from going after things that we know could be amazing. From reflecting on reasons I did so earlier in my life, I have come to the conclusion that as humans, we settle. We settle in our own little bubble, where we know how things work and more importantly, we know who we are and how we should act. Think about it: Do you really like that show on Netflix enough to rewatch it four times or is it just a comfortable feeling to watch your all-time favorite television? And when we settle into comfort, we become content with the fear that pops into our heads when we think about reaching outside our bubble. The possibility of regret comes along with that fear. When you think you might regret doing something, imagine how you would feel if you regret not doing it. The thought of putting yourself out there doesn’t have to be coupled with the possibility of failure or bad luck. Even if it does end in failure, it can strengthen your confidence in the future because you know you have been there before and had the courage to go after what you wanted. With that, I leave you with a quote from Pope Benedict XVI: “The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” Go for greatness and put yourself out there — your future self will thank you. You can contact Alysa at aguffey@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Every year around Halloween, I love seeing throwback pictures of my friends in their cringiest childhood costumes. It’s always funny to see the people you know so well in a context that you’ve never seen before. But, when it comes time to share my worst Halloween costume, I have to preface with a self-deprecating joke about how much my politics have shifted. Why? Because, in 2008, I dressed up as Sarah Palin. Something I value a lot is context. I like to know where people are coming from and how they ended up where they are. It’s incredibly important to look at the bigger picture before you can make moral judgements of an entire human being (even though it’s often much easier to just judge). From some of the context I have shared in past columns and the fun costume fact I just shared, you can probably guess that I grew up very conservative. Obviously, as an eight-year-old, I couldn’t hold my own political views, and my outward displays of conservatism were reflections of what I learned from my environment. But, as I grew older, it took me a long time to finally reject conservatism and embrace progressivism. So, it’s historically been easier for me to have mercy on people my own age and older who actively embrace political agendas that seek to completely debase my human rights and those of many of my peers. In the past, I’ve been quick to think about why someone might be making a certain political decision through the context of their family life, social circles, career aspirations, etc. Even if I didn’t agree with the choice someone made, I tried my best to understand why they were making it. However, this year feels different. In the past weeks, I’ve seen many posts on social media that claim things like “if we’re friends and you vote for Trump, we’re still friends. If we’re friends and you vote for Biden, we’re still friends.” Where I was able to “see both sides” in 2016 and 2018, I no longer have the emotional capacity to understand people who vote for a man who cannot even denounce white supremacist domestic terrorists. Since arriving at college, I have shifted much farther to the political left and, this year, I have finally made friends who are active in leftist discourse on campus. Through research and conversations with my peers and professors, I have come to recognize that the Republican party in the U.S. has become dominated by right-wing extremists and that what they call the “radical left” (aka Joe Biden and Kamala Harris) should actually be called the center. All this is to say that Biden is not my ideal candidate either. He doesn’t support the Green New Deal or believe that the police need to be defunded. There are multiple accusations of sexual harassment and assault against him and he’s failed to defend LGBTQ+ rights in the past.
But, Joe Biden does not pose nearly as much of an “existential threat to the future of our people, our nation and our planet” as Donald Trump does. I could spend hours discussing how detrimental another four years of Trump America would be, so I’ll leave these resources here if you need more information. I think I’ve made my political position very clear, and that’s not what I want to talk about in this column anyway. This past week, when I was at the demonstration against Jenkins’ support of Amy Coney Barrett, I saw some peers and professors marching in a counter-protest to congratulate her confirmation, and their presence felt like a slap in the face. There I was with my friends and peers, feeling more supported and welcome at this school than I ever have in five semesters, and an entire crowd of people decided to make it known that they don’t believe we should be included. What I want to address is the fact that today is a particularly painful day that signifies the end of a particularly painful election season, in the midst of an extraordinarily painful global crisis. Those who already exist outside of the societal norm have been pushed further to the edges of society, while those who typically prosper have become even more profitable. We’ve watched our University align itself with a Supreme Court nomination that could harm the rights of thousands of members of the Notre Dame family, once again limiting the scope of who truly belongs HERE. Where I may have previously been able to understand those counter protesters (because I would have probably been one of them in 2008), the excruciating detail to which the Trump administration’s failures and bigotry have been documented makes it clear to me that people are choosing to ignore truth and justice in favor of party lines. So, if you’re someone who will be most impacted by the aftermath of this presidential election, I want to name that you are allowed to feel angry that your peers, your University, your family, your friends and your fellow citizens may have voted against you. Yes, everyone has the capacity to learn and grow and make better decisions in the future. But, at this point, your immediate mental health and personal safety are the most important things. You do not need to stay close to people who don’t respect you enough to vote in your favor. Yes, context matters, but there is no valid excuse for voting for Donald Trump. Ashton Weber is a junior with lots of opinions. She is an econ major with minors in sociology and gender studies, and can often be found with her nose in a book. If you want to chat about intersectional feminism, baking blueberry scones, growing ZZ plants or anything else, she’d love to hear from you. Reach Ashton at aweber22@nd.edu or @awebz01 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Dear 2021 Gabriel Niforatos The Road Less Traveled
Dear 2021, I’m writing you a bit early this year, so forgive me. You cannot blame me for wanting you to come with all haste. It would be a yawning redundancy to recount the distresses of 2020 to you. Few, if any, could have predicted the extent to which the entire globe would be riveted by general social and political unrest, the clutches of the pandemic and lives that we lost globally and here on our beloved campus. We even had a blue moon on Halloween. Would it surprise anyone if I told you I saw the silhouette of witches f ly across it as well that night? Probably not. But in all seriousness, I am writing to you because I feel that you will be one of the most important years in recent memory. I know. I sound like every alley prophet in the days of Shakespeare’s England, prognosticating doom from the dusty scraps of paper they swore spoke the future to them. Everyone always seems to be saying we are on the edge of history, but this time it seems like they might be right. I am writing to you as one of the most important presidential elections is taking place, an election with the ability to extensively change who you will be depending on who wins. I always begin every year with a childlike anticipation of the sheer size of the days and possibilities ahead. The first days of January always feel like anything is possible, like the opening act of a play that was acted
majestically and you know the main act will be even better. I do not know if I can say I hold the same excited anticipation for you, but maybe the fact that I am writing to you at the start of November betrays my hand. The fact is that I am anticipating the joys you will bring with the firm hope that the sorrows will not match the yearlong winter we are presently weathering. I am not writing to you as a bitter senior ruing that their last year was stolen by the pandemic. But I will tell you that it felt hard to feel Irish at times this year. I’m not talking about the sea of empty seats at the football games (I am thankful that we had football in any capacity this year), the emptiness of LaFun, the plexiglass dividing us at the dining halls. I am talking about the general feeling of hollowness within the faces of my friends that you could tangibly feel even behind our shamrock-dotted masks. If I have learned anything in my near four years at my beloved university, I know that the resolve of the Fighting Irish is tenacious. One of my classes this semester takes me past the stadium three days a week, and I am greeted by legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne’s nearly f lawless record every time I walk by. I hope that you remind me what it means to feel Irish and that I will finish my university education with the same tenacity that Notre Dame lives and breathes. W hatever you bring, 2021, and I hope that it is some form of normality, I hope that you will bring it with basic human decency. I hope that we can heal the wounds that 2020 wrenched open (or, more properly, longstanding issues that 2020
brought back into the forefront of our dialogue). I hope that whoever loses the election concedes power to the victor and chooses not to strain American democracy any further than it has been up until this point. I also hope you bring de-politicization of basic human necessities. Saving lives and wearing our masks should not be political, and I hope you remind us of that. I know that you are still in hibernation, and I hope that 2020 does not hear me writing this in the other room. We still have two months to go before your arrival, but I can hear your far-away call. I hope that your entry is strong and yet full of grace. I hope to greet you as you enter the door, welcoming you as an old acquaintance and inviting you inside to get warm as the snow swirls around your frame. We will say goodbye to 2020 at that time, watching as its footprints become gradually filled with snow, but we must not forget the frost that we endured during this time. But if it so happens that 2020 was a prologue of sorts; if you will not bring spring but rather 12 more months of winter, then I have a warning for you. Here come the Irish. Godspeed. Gabriel Niforatos is a senior majoring in political science with minors in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service and Theology. He is passionate about giving a voice to the disenfranchised and writing is the muse he is persistently chasing. He can be found at gniforat@nd.edu or @g_niforatos on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Bring it in 2021/leave it in 2020: ND edition Ella Wisniewski Consider This
Well, this is it. My final column of the semester. W hat a time it’s been! Between scathing social commentar y, genius financial analysis, topical fashion critique and a single actually serious column, I’ve explored so much over the past few months. I’ve even received a couple of rude comments from Facebook randos. Truly a semester of firsts. To my beloved readers — and by this I mean my grandparents and the three friends I text my articles to ever y other Wednesday — thanks for putting up w ith my silly little stories. I thought a fitting column to round out the year would be something like to Nathan Zed’s “BRING IT/LE AV E IT” series on YouTube, where each Januar y he identifies trends or ideas that he thinks should or shouldn’t get carried over into the new year. In a semester like this one, w ith lots of stuff to look for ward to and even more to leave behind, I thought I’d make the definitive BRING IT/LE AV E IT list for spring semester 2021.
BRING IT — the lawn furniture In spite of all the questionable decisions the administration has made this year, they really knocked it out of the park w ith Librar y Law n and South Law n. The Adirondack chairs? The little fire pits? The string lights? A ll-around impeccable v ibes.
experience. W hoever is in charge of these, please stop interupting my dejected walks across campus w ith your empt y gestures and meaningless inspiration. Just let me listen to Phoebe Bridgers on my way to SDH to get a chicken pot pie in peace.
BRING IT — Fruit Roll-Ups™ Blastin’ Berry Hot Colors There’s not much to this one. They’re just good; that’s all. I would appreciate it if they came back.
LEAVE IT — ND in the news I think it would be nice if we stopped doing embarrassing things that garner national attention.
BRING IT — Cafe de Grasta It’s been nearly eight months since I’ve seen the face of God, and by that I mean it’s been eight months since I’ve eaten a chicken w rap from Cafe de Grasta. I can’t even begin to articulate the things I would do for a jalapeño cheddar w rap w ith honey sriracha chicken and boom boom sauce right now. In spring 2021, I just wanna be back in Grace Hall listening to yacht rock and seeing Dr. Ed Stech from a distance. Is that too much to ask?
LEAVE IT — Smashburger
LEAVE IT — motivational sidewalk decals
Is this a controversial opinion? I don’t know. As much as I love going up to the cashier and asking them to give me a Classic Smash®, I just feel like the qualit y of the food doesn’t justif y how high the prices are.
No thank you. They aren’t helping. Don’t tr y to turn this whole thing into a learning
BRING IT — a town crier
Instead of the HERE dashboard, all coronav irus-related news should be delivered v ia tow n crier. They can go out onto God Quad ever y morning and yell out the new case count, along w ith other high-profile information. I just think we should really lean into the whole plague aesthetic.
LEAVE IT — house parties I mean, are you guys serious? The coronav irus is still out there and some of y’all are still risking it all for Kamchatka. I promise you w ill still be able to drink Claws w ith Katie from just outside Chicago after the vaccine drops.
BRING IT — SDH bees We’ve had our disputes in the past, but I’m w illing to set them aside. Let’s work out a deal, SDH bees. Maybe we’re not so different, you and I.
LEAVE IT — Permacloud Some people might say that this is “ridiculous” or “meteorologically impossible.” I say that if I don’t see the sun soon I might forget it ex ists. Let’s get rid of it!
BRING IT — me You heard it here first, baby. 2021 is my year. I think I’m finally going to learn how to read. Ella Wisniewski is a junior studying English and economics. She tries her best not to take herself too seriously. You can reach her at ewisnie2@nd.edu or @ellawisn on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | wednesday, november 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
What the anti-ACB protest says about student political activism Clark Doman BridgeND
W hen my close friend told me that he was planning an anti-Amy Coney Barrett protest, I initially was impressed w ith his determination but skeptical about how the protest would actually go. I thought maybe 50 people would show up and at best the protest may raise a few eyebrows in the administration. I certainly did not expect there to be over 350 students gathered on Librar y Law n expressing their disapproval of ACB and Universit y President Fr. John Jenkins’ statement of congratulations. Moreover, I did not anticipate that a large number of facult y would line the sidewalks in support, nor did I env ision that the local South Bend news would give the protest as much coverage as it did. In short, the protest was a much bigger deal than I thought it would be. As someone who disagrees w ith most of ACB’s political v iews but still thinks her confirmation was legitimate, I decided not to join my friend at the protest. I was a bit confused about what the protest was actually against and what its goals truly were. At the time, I thought that it made sense for Jenkins to congratulate an alumna and professor of Notre Dame Law School on becoming a Supreme Court Justice, so I didn’t want my presence at the protest to represent outright disapproval. I now understand that many people took issue w ith Jenkins’ statement because it makes it seem like the entire Notre Dame communit y supports Barrett, which was and still is clearly not true.
KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer
Looking back, I do not necessarily regret not getting involved w ith the protest, but I do regret not w itnessing the largest show ing of political activ ism our campus has experienced since I became a student last fall (besides the possible exception of the Black Lives Matter protest this past summer). Regardless of my prior opinions about ACB and Jenkins’ statement, the sheer number of attendees proves to me this issue is critically important to a large portion of our campus communit y. The protest’s size also shows that members of the student body can and w ill organize a legitimate protest when an issue that people are passionate about arises.
Furthermore, the fact that a smaller but still fair amount of students organized a pro-ACB protest in response conveys the variation of political v iews students hold and that multiple groups w ith different v iews have the confidence to publicly proclaim their respective opinions. This intensified student political activ ism occurs amidst a global pandemic that has sent the world into a new age of social distancing and Zoom class, Black Lives Matter protests that have been prominent across the United States and abroad and a stressful election season. A ll of these factors have filled the American social landscape w ith uncertaint y, and students seem to be using this uncertaint y as an opportunit y to push for change through enhanced political activ ism on campus. It w ill be interesting to see if any protests occur in response to the outcome of Tuesday’s presidential election. The anti-ACB protest showed the level of protest our campus communit y is capable of and depending on who w ins the election and the countr y’s reaction, we could see an even larger show ing of activ ism in the coming weeks. Clark Doman a sophomore and is the director of marketing for BridgeND, a non-partisan political education and discussion group that seeks to bridge the political divide and raise the standard for political discourse at Notre Dame. BridgeND meets at 5:15 p.m. in the Notre Dame room in LaFortune. You can contact the club at bridgend@nd.edu or learn more at bit.ly/bridgendsignup The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
It’s OK to not be OK I don’t think I have to convince anyone that our campus community is suffering. From COV ID concerns to injustices against POC, declining mental health, incessant academic demands, heightened political tensions and the tragic loss of two of our peers and the serious injury of a third this past weekend, we all have plenty of reasons to feel overwhelmed. Personally, I am not OK. The saying “it’s OK to not be OK” is something that I have to remind myself of daily, but it is a difficult truth to grasp when it seems like most people around me are doing just fine. I’ll
be the first to admit that this semester has been challenging. I feel as though I am not able to give 100% to anything anymore because of the number and depth of things requiring my attention. I have felt disconnected from friends, family and God. But I also know how blessed I have been in the midst of all these difficulties. W hatever you are feeling these days, whether you’re sad, grieving, grateful, hopeful, overwhelmed or any number of other perfectly valid feelings, know that you are not alone. We all handle these things differently, and it really is OK to not be OK. So be gentle with
yourselves, friends. Things are hard, but not because you are doing something wrong or because you are not enough. They are just hard. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to seek help. Reach out to the people in your corner. Be here for yourselves and for one another and remember to be grateful in the midst of the struggle. We owe ourselves and each other that. Cheyenne Schuster senior Oct. 29
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ELLIS RIOJAS | The Observer
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
By AIDAN O’MALLEY Scene Writer
I love Sofia Coppola. I love all of her movies, even the ones that people hate. I love the texture of her films — their intimacy, their insight. I love her impressionist color palette and her eclectic needle drops. I love how she blurs comedy and drama into a kind of lived-in melancholy. She doesn’t make movies; she collects and captures moments. Her films are like holding in a breath. And sometimes, I love her movies even more than I love her father’s (him being, of course, Francis Ford Coppola, the director of “The Godfather,” “Apocalypse Now” and “The Conversation”). I mention Francis — Can I call you Francis? — not to drag Sofia Coppola back into her father’s shadow. The two might come from the same family, but as filmmakers, they hail from separate planets. I mention him only because her latest film, “On the Rocks” on Apple TV+, seems, in part, to have been inspired by him. The film reunites Coppola with her “Lost in Translation” star, Bill Murray. The man needs no introduction; watching “On the Rocks,” it’s as if he isn’t acting. Rest assured, he is — Coppola’s patient close-ups seize his every last subtlety — but the role itself could call for no one else. He plays Felix, a geriatric New York playboy who can talk his way into a party just as smoothly as he can talk his way out of a speeding ticket.
By RYAN ISRAEL Scene Editor
Some time between sundown and sunup, the blackon-black meeting of the narrow winding road and the hollow, empty horizon is broken up by the stanchions of modernity, the piercing neon pronouncements of business and the arrival of civilization. The static on the car radio gives way to the friendly canned sweeper of your favorite station, one oh six point something. But the noises that travel through the airwaves and eventually emanate from the stereo are not ones of Top 40 hits, classic rock or pointless banter; they are radiating synths, shimmering piano, chopped vocals; they are the sounds of the road and the night, one balancing on top of the other; they are the music of Daniel Lopatin, the creations of Oneohtrix Point Never. As Oneohtrix Point Never, Lopatin has spent the last decade and change moving through an underground world of experimental and electronic avant-garde music, steadily accumulating acclaim and notoriety. He has made hard pivots in style (from “Replica” to “R Plus Seven,” for instance), soundtracked the films of indie brethren the Safdie Brothers’, “Good Time” and “Uncut Gems,” and collaborated across the board, working with Alex G, FKA Twigs and, most recently, The Weeknd on his extravagant album “After Hours.” Lopatin’s latest work, “Magic Oneohtrix Point Never,”
But the movie isn’t about him. It’s about Laura, his daughter, played by Rashida Jones of “Parks and Recreation.” Laura is uptight and unhappy, and we get to know her not through dialogue, but through detail — the way she carefully arranges every paper on her desk, how she stares out the window of her chic New York apartment at nothing in particular. Laura is a writer, but perhaps “trying to be a writer” is a better description. She’s not feeling herself, and she’s beginning to think that her husband, Dean (Marlon Wayans), isn’t feeling her, either. It’s not long before she begins to suspect an affair, and Felix — a male chauvinist who knows a thing or two about affairs — convinces her to drop what she’s doing and spy on her husband with her old man. The film is a comedic caper turned father-daughter adventure. It’s also a love letter to New York, a version of the city that no longer exists and probably never did, unless your average night on the town ever involved eating caviar in a retro Alfa Romeo convertible. But it’s also rather slight — a 90-minute pleasantry that feels almost like an afterthought compared to Coppola’s iconic film canon. Still, “On the Rocks” is clearly personal for Coppola. While her father might not be a womanizer, his socialite status in Hollywood and frank conversations about romance were said to have informed Murray’s character. Murray, of course, is perfect, but Jones is just as magnetic. Channeling her dramatic work in underrated
indies like “Celeste & Jesse Forever,” Jones is luminous, and the warmth of her performance makes you care about her character before you know anything about her. But the film overall disappoints. In much the same way that I fail to find the words to describe the Coppola films that I love, I can’t quite put my finger on why I don’t love this one. The tricky tonal shifts are choppier than they’ve ever been before, and the non-ending makes the movie feel meaningless. The best Sofia Coppola films disguise existential meditation as quotidian farce, but “On the Rocks” is the reverse: a studio comedy that adorns itself with her aesthetic without going much deeper than that. Oh, well. It was worth the free trial!
presents the artist in summation, melding the aesthetic and sonic appeal of Oneohtrix Point Never into a grand mid-career album. Across 17 songs, Lopatin generates and operates within a futuristic, digital soundscape equally occupied by the synthesizer and the collected melodies of faded memories. The vibe is eerie; the cold, calculated and metallic sounds of technological modernity, harkening back to ’80s new age music, borderline vaporwave and reminiscent of the “Stranger Things” theme, leave little room for calm. From the warped vocals and clashing, discordant nature of “I Don’t Love Me Anymore” to the shimmering chimes of “Bow Ecco” and ever-shifting patterns of “Tales From Trash Stratum,” the music of “Magic Oneohtrix Point Never” is one of cybernated sounds. But spaces of comfort form within the cold; any hints of alienation give way to familiarity. It’s in the vibrating strings and fluid vocals of “Long Road Home,” the cinematic conclusion to “Lost But Never Alone” and the transcendent chorus of “No Nightmares,” sung by The Weeknd himself, that “Magic Oneohtrix Point Never” finds its heart. The chirping songbirds of the album’s penultimate track, “Wave Idea,” lead into the atmospheric intro of the closing track, “Nothing’s Special,” which ends in a chaotic, disquieting flurry. It’s a small transition which captures the two thematic sides of the album as a whole. Completing the aura of “Magic Oneohtrix Point
Never” is the visual work of Robert Beatty — the artist responsible for the album’s dripping hexagonal cover and accompanying inner sleeves — preserved in the digital landscape through Spotify’s Canvas feature. His catalogue of album art, discussed in depth with Stereogum and including the iconic cover of Tame Impala’s “Currents,” crosses psychedelic and retro borders, matching Lopatin’s ultramodern energy as Oneohtrix Point Never. Lopatin based his pseudonym on Boston radio station Magic 106.7, misheard as Oneohtrix Point Never, and draws on radio conventions for the album’s four interludes. Thus, it seems fitting that “Magic Oneohtrix Point Never” is an eponymous project; it tunes the radio to a station which picks up and rearranges the key elements Lopatin’s previous work as Oneohtrix Point Never.
Contact Aidan O’Malley at aomalle2@nd.edu
“On the Rocks” Director: Sofia Coppola Starring: Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans If you liked: “A Very Murray Christmas,” “While We’re Young”
Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu
“Magic Oneohtrix Point Never” Oneohtrix Point Never Label: Warp Favorite Tracks: “Long Road Home,” “No Nightmares” If You Like: The Safdie Brothers, Aphex Twin, Computers
MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer
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Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Look at the possibilities and what’s positive in your life, and use your strengths to get ahead. Dismiss negativity and people who drag you down. Clear a path to a better future. Adopt what’s trending, and turn what you have achieved into something spectacular. Balance and integrity will determine the success you achieve. Strive for respect, honor and leadership. Your numbers are 8, 13, 22, 26, 33, 42, 48. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take a closer look at places you want to visit or courses you wish to take. Expanding your options and adding to your resume will broaden your chance to follow a path that suits your personality. Romance is in the stars. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll be offered invalid information from someone you thought to be trustworthy. Verify what you hear before you pass along information that will make you look bad. You are only as good as your word; stick to what you know. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your charm and flirtatious ways will work wonders for you as long as you don’t break promises along the way. Mean what you say, and avoid giving someone the wrong impression. Make personal improvements, fitness and health priorities. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t get upset over things you cannot change. Concentrate on what you can do and honing skills that will benefit you. Taking a unique approach to your responsibilities will set you apart from any competition you face. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Align yourself with the people you know and trust to have your back. How you deal with information will make a difference to the outcome. Be direct, and refuse to make a decision or move without verification. Self-improvement is favored. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): How you relate to others will make a difference moving forward. Offer suggestions, but don’t force your opinion on others. It’s crucial to maintain peace and integrity going forward. If uncertainty sets in, back away. Don’t mix business with pleasure. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take care of matters that concern your future. Learn all you can, and look for ways to improve your health, appearance, knowledge and relationships with others. Distance yourself from individuals who are demanding, excessive or disruptive. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Control will be necessary. Walk away from situations that appear risky or people who are trying to take advantage of you. Gather the facts, and question inaccuracy and cover-ups. Think twice before you donate or get involved in a costly venture. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Make domestic changes, and improve the relationships with the people you live with or work alongside. Keep an open dialogue, and it will offset accusations of evasive behavior. Don’t let a money matter get out of hand. Joint ventures are discouraged. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Think before you act. If you say something in haste, you will have regrets. You are better off biding your time and listening to what others have to offer. You may want change, but sound judgment and proper motives are essential. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Make positive changes at home that will add to your comfort and convenience and bring you closer to your loved ones. Put muscle behind your plans. Do the work yourself, and the rewards will be greater than anticipated. Romance is favored. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Defuse your emotions until you have all the facts. If you are too quick to react, you will upset someone you love. Make a change that can help you get back on track or encourage a better way to earn a living. Birthday Baby: You are charming, energetic and proactive. You are playful and entertaining.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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Sports Authority
Sports Authority
Trifecta looks unlikely for LA Matt Smith Sports Writer
The city of Los Angeles just enjoyed one of the greatest sports months in recent memory. After the Los Angeles Lakers captured their 17th NBA title on Oct. 11 with a 4-2 series victory over the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Dodgers ended a 32-year World Series drought on Oct. 27 by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in six games. Los Angeles is on top of the sports world right now with champions in two major leagues, but that joy might fade quickly based on the play of the city’s two NFL teams. Though not as bad as the Atlanta Falcons, the Los Angeles Chargers are a close second for the title of biggest chokers in the league. Up 24-3 in the third quarter against the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon, the Chargers’ defense completely fell apart and allowed quarterback Drew Lock and company to storm back for a game-winning touchdown as time expired to hand the Bolts a 31-30 loss. Although the loss is devastating by itself, according to ESPN, this is the third time this season that the Chargers have blown a lead of 17 points or more. Those kinds of losses are incredibly demoralizing for a team and its fanbase, and it is hard to believe that head coach Anthony Lynn hasn’t figured out how to adjust his game plan to turn those leads into wins. If it is any consolation for Chargers fans, at least the team has been consistent with its losses. For Los Angeles Rams fans, it has been a completely different story. The Rams are much better off with a 5-3 record on the year, but it is hard to tell how good they truly are. The defense has been stout so far this season, giving up the second-fewest yards per game and fourthfewest points per game in the league. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald has also continues to feast on opposing offensive lines, as he is tied for first in the league with 9.0 sacks on the year despite being double-teamed on most plays. However, the
offense and quarterback Jared Goff have had a difficult time establishing a rhythm. Facing the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon with rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa making his first career start, Goff was the player that looked like he was new to the league. Goff had four total turnovers on the day with two fumbles and two interceptions, resulting in a 28-17 loss for Los Angeles despite the team outgaining Miami by 326 total yards. Goff will certainly need to pick up his play in the coming weeks if he wants to keep the Rams in the playoff hunt, as they have an incredibly tough four-game stretch going up against the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. The Rams have the skill position players to compete against all four squads, as speedy wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods can blow past opposing defensive backs while running backs Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson Jr. provide a strong two-man punch in the backfield. Yet Goff needs to drastically improve upon his 23rd-best total quarterback rating of 60.2 for the Rams to have a shot at upsetting some of the hottest teams in the NFL. Angelenos have been living the dream lately with the immense success of their sports teams throughout October. As a Chicago sports fan, I must say that I have been feeling extremely jealous, as the Bears, Bulls, Cubs and Blackhawks have all been letting me down. Los Angeles may be coming back down to earth soon though, as it appears unlikely that the coming months will bring the same kind of joy based on how the Chargers and Rams have been playing. But if the Chargers can learn how to keep their leads under 17 points, then we may have to get ready for yet another championship celebration in the City of Angels. Contact Matt Smith at msmith88@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Mid-Season NFL Awards: MVP goes to Wilson Thomas Zwiller Sports Writer
After the first four games of the NFL season, I had wanted to do a quarter season awards show, but as I looked over the data, I realized that it was simply too early in the year to do so. So much could change through the remaining three-quarters of the season, that it was too early to pick awards. However, now that the NFL season is approaching the halfway point (some teams have played seven games, some have played eight) and the body of work from teams and players is taking shape, it seems more appropriate to start voting for candidates.
Most Valuable Russell Wilson
Player:
The narrative all year has been Russell Wilson has never had a single MVP vote in his entire career, a career which has seen him in two Superbowls and hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Those years were different, years where he didn’t deserve the MVP. He was being carried by the Legion of Boom, an elite defense who had become the story in Seattle, a defense that essentially carried Wilson. The situation has changed now. Wilson carries a defense that is one of the worst in the league. Through seven games, he has a 72% completion percentage, 2,100 yards, 26 TD and only six INT, leading his squad to a 6-1 record. While people want to give the MVP to Aaron Rodgers (who is deserving), they often cite him already having won the award twice before and Wilson never before. That is a terrible argument. Give the award to the best player! Rodgers through seven games boasts 66% completion, 1,900 yards, 20 TD and two INT with a 5-2 record. I think these stat lines are incredibly similar; Rodgers has fewer TDs, but he also has fewer INTs. The tiebreaker for me is the ground game. Rodgers has 48 yards from scrimmage and averages 4.4 per touch, Wilson has 260 yards from scrimmage and averages 7.4 yards per carry.
Offensive Player of the Year: Alvin Kamara As much as I was tempted to give the award to Patrick Mahomes, I find it fitting to give it to a non-QB; the MVP is almost always a QB. Alvin Kamara, through seven games has 7 TDs, and 987 yards from scrimmage rushing for 431 yards and receiving 556 yards. His closest competition
is Derrick Henry with 856 yards from scrimmage but has eight touchdowns in seven games. The difference to me is that Alvin Kamara has an 83% catch percentage, while Derrick Henry only has a 56% catch percentage. While yes, Henry may have more rushing yards, (775 to 431), to me, Kamara more evenly distributing his yards between rush and reception makes him a lot more valuable.
Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald Aaron Donald currently has nine sacks in eight games, which is tied for first and makes him on track to have 18 sacks in the season. He also is tied for fourth in Tackles for loss with 13. Donald also has three forced fumbles — tied for second — and even recovered one of his forced fumbles. Donald does lack in the tackle area however, he has 15 solo and 11 assists, but he makes up for this by simply being such a dominant force. He forces teams to game plan around him, often able to eat up double teams and ruining blocking schemes. Look for him to continue to be a force this season.
Rookie of the Year: Justin Herbert Justin Herbert came into the league behind Tyrod Taylor, but due to the injury and then medical complication of Taylor, Herbert was given the start. Since then, Justin Herbert has never looked back. He has posted a 67% completion percentage, has a 3-1 TD-INT ratio at 15-5 and has 1,800 yards! That, to me is better than…
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Joe Burrow Joe Burrow was the No. 1 pick in the draft after his rockstar year at LSU, where he won a national championship, and he has proved that he was worth it. He is clearly the QB of the future for the Cincinnati Bengals. That being said, he isn’t the rookie of the year because his stats simply aren’t as good as Herbert’s, still good but not spectacular. He also has a 67% completion percentage and more yardage at 2,300, but only has 11 TDs and five INTs. There is still time for this to flip-flop, but I think since Burrow plays against both the Ravens and Steelers defense, he will have the tougher opponents.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Patrick Queen Patrick Queen was drafted
in the first round at pick No. 28 by the Baltimore Ravens. He has been stellar for the Ravens through eight weeks, while he has yet to record an INT, he has one defended pass and has two forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered. On those recoveries, he averages 25 yards, and one of them was a scoop and score. He has two sacks and five QB hits, so he is able to apply pressure to the passer. He is also able to make tackles, he has 35 solo tackles and 13 assisted tackles, for a total of 48. The Ravens are arguably one of the best defenses in the league, and Queen is one of the cornerstones of that defense.
Comeback Player of the Year: Alex Smith Alex Smith was injured last year while playing for the Washington Racial Slurs. This injury not only put his football career in jeopardy but his life. To try to repair his injury and salvage his leg, Smith contracted Necrotizing fasciitis, a flesheating bacterium. To stop the spread, he had to have skin and muscle tissue removed. Alex Smith came back and was able to stand, then walk and then run. He came back, and played against the Rams in Week 5, defying the odds of staying alive, let alone playing football.
Coach of the Year: Mike Tomlin In my opinion, Mike Tomlin should have gotten the coach of the year award last year. He led his Steelers to an 8-8 record, narrowly missing the playoffs, with a backup QB, no, a third-string QB. Tomlin has also lost Levon Bell, (who since leaving the Steelers has declined) and Antonio Brown, (who since leaving has had off the field issues) who were core components of the team. Tomlin has continued that success and built upon it coming into this year, with the Steelers leading the league at 7-0. He also has been able to navigate the problematic season of COVID-19, while his team wasn’t affected, his opponent was, causing his bye week to change and forcing him to adapt. Despite this, the Steelers have a top-3 defense, and have a quality offense and a league-best record, despite facing unprecedented challenges. Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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OBSERVER FANTASY CORNER
Observer Fantasy Corner: Week 9 Elizabeth Gasiorowski, Jamison Cook, Andrew McGuiness and Sam Ouhaj Sports Writers
How’s your fantast y week going? Take a look at some of the moves our staffers are making this week.
talking about how great it is to play all three and that they could put up immense points. That is not the case any more, and I would avoid the Cowboys w ide receivers until further notice. It is a shame this is the case for what is no longer the Cowboys’ strong suit.
Sam Ouhaj Who to pick up: Must start: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions George Kittle and Zach Ertz are both hurt and are out presumably till the end of the season. This has left fantasy ow ners scrambling for a new tight end, and the answer to that is T.J. Hockenson. Hockenson has established himself as TE-1 in Detroit and is currently averaging 12.4 points per game. This is not great, but Hockenson has been ver y consistent in putting up the same numbers. Hockenson is set to face Minnesota this week and has a favorable matchup going in. I adv ise picking up Hockenson and starting him due to the vast amount of injuries we have seen this season. Starting him is overall just a safe play.
Must sit: all of the Cowboys wide receivers Since Dak Prescott went dow n, the Cowboys entire offense has gone to shambles. After only posting one touchdow n over their last three games, the Cowboys have no answers. As a result of poor play from both Andy Dalton and Ben DiNucci, the Cowboys’ receivers have suffered immensely. At one point ever yone was
M Soccer Continued from page 16
team,” Riley said. McFadden had another great opportunity in the 18th minute, but he fired it wide again. Virginia Tech (2-2-1, 2-2-1 ACC) found their footing in the last 15 minutes of the half, testing Notre Dame senior goalkeeper Keagen McLaughlin, but the two teams went into the break scoreless. “Virginia Tech’s a very good team,” Riley said. “You’ve got to make sure you take your chances when you get them, so [we were] a little bit frustrated not to go into halftime up a goal.” After the break, the Hokies finally capitalized on a chance. Following an Irish turnover, Virginia Tech forward Jacob
Matt Brieda, RB, Miami Dolphins (Ow ned in 20% of fantasy leagues)
Andrew McGuinness Must start: Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots It’s historically difficult to get a gauge on Bill Belicheck’s plans for his backfield, but Harris should be given plent y of opportunities w ith Sony Michel still on injured reser ve despite being removed from the COV ID list. Harris put together his best performance of the season in Week 8, rushing for triple-digit yardage for the second time this season and also producing his first score. The fact he did as well as he did w ithout catching a single pass is also impressive. Even if Michel returns to take away some of his carries, a likely resurgence in the passing game combined w ith the fact that he’ll be play ing the Jets make Harris a solid option.
leading rusher during Fournette’s absence put up a paltry 23 yards each on the ground and through the air. Fournette received just over twice as many carries as Jones did against the Giants (15-7), out-snapping Jones by a wide 51-17 margin as well. Part of that may have been a frustration benching by head coach Bruce Arians after a Jones fumble (albeit one that Tampa Bay recovered), but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that Fournette is the Bucs’ lead back for good. And on the fact that Tampa faces a sting y Panthers defense on Sunday afternoon, and Jones’ odds of a strong Week 9 performance don’t exactly look sky-high.
Who to pick up: Mar v in Jones Jr., W R, Detroit Lions (Ow ned in 49% of fantasy leagues)
Must sit: Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys Cowboys star W R Amari Cooper was targeted by not Dak Prescott nor Andy Dalton, but third-string QB Ben DiNucci a pathetic one time for a 5-yard catch in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles. A ll hope for Andy Dalton’s return from the concussion suffered t wo weeks ago and improvement in the Cowboys’ offense shattered Tuesday morning as Dalton was placed on the reser ve/COV ID-19 list, so again be war y of this offense. If the DiNucci-Cooper pairing couldn’t do much against Philadelphia, I wouldn’t be too confident that they’ll be able to do much against the undefeated Steelers this weekend.
Elizabeth Gasiorowski Who to pick up: Must start: J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens
The return of Leonard Fournette to the Bucs backfield has been more trick than treat for Jones owners, who saw the league’s
With veteran RB Mark Ingram II out last week for the Ravens, rookie J.K. Dobbins carried a careerhigh 15 rushing attempts for 113 yards alongside a decent performance from fellow RB Gus Edwards against the Steelers. Ingram’s high ank le sprain should keep him sidelined for at least a couple more weeks, which might give Dobbins the chance to continue improv ing his yards as the Ravens battle the Colts in Indianapolis this week. Against the Steelers’ strong defense, Baltimore looked to keep the ball on the ground to rack up 264 total rush yards, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they continue to focus on running the ball
Labovitz found the back of the net from a strong cross. “We had a number of opportunities to defend better and we didn’t,” Riley said of the goal. “We don’t feel that’s a goal we should give up.” The Irish put pressure on the Hokies for the remainder of the match, including a last-minute set-piece opportunity, but couldn’t find a way to score. “[We want to use] our positioning to be a little bit more dangerous and to go forward instead of just keeping it at times,” Riley said of the attack. “I thought we got into dangerous spots and we didn’t try to penetrate their backline.” Notre Dame’s record drops to 3-3 with the loss. “I think there’s a few key moments in the game that we would have wanted to handle
better and likely could have got a different result,” Riley said. “But I think overall there were enough positives to take out of it, even when we didn’t probably have our best day.” Notre Dame plays their final regular-season game of the year Friday night against Louisville. The game will essentially serve as a play-in for the ACC tournament. The top four teams in each region advance to the tournament, and Notre Dame currently sits fourth in the region with six points, and Louisville is fifth with four points. An Irish win or draw would see them through to the tournament, while Louisville needs a win to advance. “It means everything,” Riley said. “This is what you prepare for. The guys know what it means, and I think they’ve put
Must sit: Ronald Jones II, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
against the top-ranked Colts.
Ryan Izzo, TE, New England Patriots (Ow ned in 0.1% of fantasy leagues)
Jamison Cook Must start: James Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars Coming off a bye, Robinson will be rested and ready to go against a Texans defense that should not offer much resistance to the impressive rookie. The Texans defense ranks 31st in the league against the run, allowing 165.9 rushing yards per game. They are also giving up 31 points per game, third-worst in the NFL. With backup QB Jake Luton set to start and fellow running backs Chris Thompson and Ryquell Armstead out
a lot of work into putting ourselves into a good position with something to play for.” This will be the second matchup between the two teams this year. Notre Dame was defeated 2-1 on the road on Oct. 3. “You can certainly learn some things, but at the end of the day I think both teams are probably in quite different places than we were from that game, but certainly some familiarity is nice,” Riley said. “We want to change the outcome for this game, so it’ll be a lot of motivation regardless to get a victory on Friday.” The game kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday at Alumni Stadium and will be televised on RSN. Contact Liam Coolican lcoolica@nd.edu
at
due to COVID-19 complications, Robinson is poised to carry a huge workload for the Jaguars in upcoming games. He does not have any single-digit point games this season. Expect that trend to continue for the rest of the season.
Must sit: Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts Taylor rushed for a measly 22 yards and only caught two passes for nine yards last week, and was significantly outperformed by fellow backs Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins. The Colts now face one of the league’s top rushing defenses in the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are giving up just over 100 rushing yards per game, good for seventh in the NFL. The Colts will most likely be playing from behind for the majority of this contest, meaningless carries and more passing attempts. Given the contested backfield and the difficult matchup, I would stay away from Taylor for the week.
Who to pick up: Corey Dav is, W R, Tennessee Titans (Ow ned in 52% fantasy leagues) Contact Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu, Elizabeth Gasiorowski egasioro @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.
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Adams Continued from page 16
the ball back. After Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech, Notre Dame is allowing less than a 25% conversion rate on third downs. The defense surrendered less than 10 points for the third consecutive game (the offense gave up a scoop ’n score that allowed the Yellowjackets to record 13 points on the day). It’s not the most talented defense Lea has had, but it has a couple of guys (Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Kyle Hamilton) with higher ceilings than any other Leaera players. Those kinds of X-factor contributors can and probably will be the difference in this game. That said, it doesn’t mean that they can do it alone. The odds are very low that safeties, pick-6s and scoops ’n scores give the Irish a win. The offense has to make plays.
Ian Book / Because Ian Book is due to finally play at the level needed to beat a top level team This is going out on a limb. It would be incredibly welcome (and overdue) for him to be the one to put the Irish over the top, but to date Ian Book has proven to be at his best against the worst competition and at his worst against the best competition, and his best and worst can be worlds apart. I can’t see Book being the deciding factor in this game. I have to personally witness him throwing/running for
the game-winning touchdown from my own little corner of Notre Dame Stadium.
Belief! Love your optimism. Last time a No. 1-ranked team came to Notre Dame Stadium on a 36-game regular season winning streak, it was 1988. That game and season turned out pretty well for the Irish. We’ll see how this one turns out.
Now on to the negativity… Reasons for a Loss Inability to stretch the field offensively / Ian Book has failed to show he has the game necessary to beat a top level team / The offense, dude Book is a game manager. Officially. You can take it to the bank. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the offense will hold them back, dude. There’s certainly potential for that with the lack of a Miles Boykin or Chase Claypool type of threat at receiver, but there are weapons at tight end (if Book can see them/not overthrow them on touchdown opportunities, but I guess that goes to your point, doesn’t it…). You’re absolutely right that Notre Dame is going to have to bang at least one play (and probably more) over the top of the Tigers defense to keep them honest. They can do that if Book and the pass catchers are on their games. But remember, if Kyren Williams or Chris Tyree manages to record a 75-yard catch and run on a screen pass, that’ll also make the defense adjust, too.
Choke I honestly wouldn’t put it past almost any Notre Dame team that I’ve seen in the last four years to choke away a win against a top-5 team. That said, let’s be clear about what we are defining as choking. Last year against Georgia, Notre Dame was up 10-7 at halftime. They ended up losing 23-17 in a game that — despite the fact Notre Dame was driving in Georgia territory with a chance to win in the fourth quarter — wasn’t really as close as the score suggested. Was that a choke job? I could hear an argument for it considering Book threw two interceptions (more turnover discussion coming momentarily) against the Bulldogs, but it was a max lead of just seven points and the Irish only took the lead because of a f luky muffed punt recovery in the red zone. Their offense really didn’t belong on the same field as that UGA defense last year. So what qualifies as choking against Clemson? Let’s say Notre Dame gets out to a two- or three- touchdown lead late in the second quarter or early third quarter (unlikely, but possible) before losing. That’s probably a choke job where the Irish get conservative and try to drain the clock (but that strategy could work for this rushing unit...) or they give up an onside kick. (Side note: why can’t they recover onside kicks? One of life’s great mysteries I suppose). If the Irish get a onescore lead on the Tigers and eventually lose in a similar fashion to Georgia last year, that’s a grey area. But what if they score a go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes and Clemson manages to march downfield and win on a field goal or touchdown — and let’s say for sake of argument that the Irish were down by more than three, so they couldn’t take a knee to keep Clemson’s offense off the field and kick a field goal as time expired? That’s what happened to the Irish against Stanford in 2015, and it arguably kept them out of the Playoff. It was probably a choke job against the Cardinal as good as they may have been. Against Clemson, even a Trevor Lawrence-less Clemson, I think we can give the defense at least a little bit of a pass — assuming they didn’t already surrender 30 or more points by then.
Turnovers
Ann Curtis | The Observer
Irish junior wide receiver Lawrence Keys III completes a catch against Navy on Nov. 16. Keys III had one reception that game for 11 yards.
Notre Dame absolutely cannot afford to commit turnovers in this contest. That hasn’t been a big problem this season considering Book has only thrown one interception and it came in the season opener. However, the
running backs have gotten a little fast and loose with the ball, especially with Kyren Williams coughing up two fumbles, one of which was returned over 90 yards for a touchdown against Georgia Tech. I think that actually could benefit him against Clemson because he’ll take better care of the ball with that mistake fresh in his mind. Conversely, maybe this respondent was referring to the lack of turnovers that the Irish have been generating. They lost the turnover battle 2-1 to Georgia last year and lost the game by six. They drew even with the Bulldogs 2-2 in turnovers in 2017 and lost by one point. They lost another 2-1 margin against Clemson in 2018 and the Tigers won by 27. Sensing a pattern? Whichever way you choose to look at it, the turnover battle is going to be a barometer for this contest.
Brian Kelly air show Not totally sure what this is supposed to mean. I assume it’s a dig on Kelly for being in love with the passing game. If that’s the case, then this individual has either not been paying attention to Notre Dame’s offense this season or is taking the whole “Notre Dame is saving its best hand for Clemson” idea to a new extreme. Do you think the Irish have been building a strong running resume just to make the Tigers think they’ll run it, but they’re actually going to come out slinging it Mike-Leach-air-raid-style? Do you think the passing offense has actually been elite in practice, but this is one elaborate long con trying to make Clemson think that it is a weakness? If so then no offense, but that is an asinine viewpoint. For all Brian Kelly’s faults, he’s a smart guy and football coach. If that’s what he’s been planning, then I’m sure it won’t work out and, were I not a broke college student, I would personally write the check for Jack Swarbrick to buy Kelly out of his extension through 2024. However, I’m pretty confident that Kelly has realized his strengths are his offensive line, tight ends, running backs and defense, and I’m also confident that he intends to lean on those in this game.
Underestimate DJ [Uiagalelei] I highly doubt that Notre Dame is going to underestimate a quarterback who, in first career start as a freshman, went 30-41 for 342 yards and two touchdowns and led his team to an 18-point comeback, the school’s biggest in a home game since 1966. Couple that with Brian Kelly commenting
in his Monday press conference about how the last time they faced Clemson, the Tigers also had a freshman quarterback starting. His name is Trevor Lawrence. You might have heard of him. Granted, Lawrence had been starting since the fifth game of the season in 2018 and Uiagalelei will be making just his second start in a trip to South Bend with all the eyes of the college football world trained on this matchup. The Irish are probably dealing with two competing thought processes: relief over the fact they don’t have to face Lawrence and concern over the lack of game film they have to break down Uiagalelei’s tendencies. So no, I don’t anticipate them underestimating him, even if the national pundits and haters will try to make this a lose-lose for the Irish — blaming them for not being able to beat Clemson without Lawrence or for only being able to beat them because he wasn’t playing.
What I think: No one mentioned the offensive line or running game! Are you people daft? As I alluded to, Notre Dame’s current approach to winning — which has been to bully teams into submission and drain the clock at the end of the game — is a double-edged sword. The downside is their offense is not built to make a comeback if a team gets out to a big lead. That hasn’t been an issue to this point, but most certainly could be against Clemson. Conversely though, imagine Notre Dame gets a lead in the range of one or two touchdowns. I mentioned last year’s game against Georgia wherein the Irish had the lead into the third quarter. They ended up turning the ball over twice through the air, largely because they were forced to throw 47 times because the running game was non-existent. This running game is far better than it was, and it’s going against a defense that isn’t as good against the run as the Bulldogs’. Getting conservative is a real issue, but in this case, it’s also been the strength of the team. If Notre Dame is going to win this game, it will not be in a shootout, but by mucking it up and eking out a close one. And I for one can’t wait to see them make it ugly. That’s everything. Thanks to everyone who took part in this. Can’t wait to hear the reactions next week to whatever happens on Saturday. Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Kelly Continued from page 16
to the program. “Nick, although had a lot of snaps, I think he needed to really get a sense and feel for what our strength and conditioning program was about,” Kelly said. “Each program has its ow n kind of standards, if you w ill, and I think he’s done a terrific job of meeting those standards here and fitting in ver y well.” McCloud recently had his first interception for the Irish against Pitt, a game which Notre Dame won 45-3. Another player that came up was Aver y Dav is. “Aver y Dav is has been really good for us,” Kelly said. “I think there had been times where we felt like he hadn’t played as fast as he actually is. He’s play ing a lot freer, a lot more confident. That’s a good thing for us, because when he gets the ball in his hands, he can rip some runs for us.” Kelly also commented on Jafar Armstrong and his move to the w ide receiver position. “We felt like where we are in the program at this point that the three backs that we have are prett y constant and consistent,” Kelly said. “We think that Jafar can be much more of an impact player for us at the w ide receiver position. And he w ill continue to work there. And eventually, I think when he gets a little bit more time there, he’s going to impact us and help us w in football games.” Still, most of the questions focused on the Irish’s match-up against No. 1 Clemson. “Ever y thing they do, they do well,” Kelly said
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | The Observer
about their opponent. “Consistency is really what is amazing about this football team and in what Dabo [Sw inney] has done. So again, just in all phases, they’re well-coached, prepared for ever y thing.” About the consistency of his ow n team’s play, Kelly said “we’re certainly well on our way to checking that box. We’ve show n incredible consistency as a football team of w inning week in and week out.” Saturday w ill not bring the Book-Law rence matchup that was anticipated, due to Trevor Law rence testing positive for COV ID-19 Wednesday. Instead, freshman quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei w ill lead the Tigers against the Irish. Kelly was asked how he w ill handle facing a young quarterback. “D.J. w ill be well prepared for the number of things that we’ll show him. The most important thing is to make sure that he’s not comfortable back there,” Kelly said. “You’ve got to get a great pass rush. You’ve got to get him to move his feet. You’ve got to make sure that they don’t get in a rhy thm, which is really the case for a lot of quarterbacks.” As for the defense, Kelly said, they need to “make [Uiagalelei] do some things that he doesn’t want to do.” Kelly also commented on the defensive line as a whole, and how the best way to judge their caliber is not always w ith their counting stats. “I really think it’s about keeping people off the scoreboard, keeping the points dow n, and our defense does a really good job of eliminating big plays,” Kelly said. “And when you do that, I think that those are the most
important statistics, when you really look at it. I mean, the rest of those things end up coming out as indiv idual stats. This is a team unit, it’s a brotherhood of 11 guys play ing together. And that makes it a dangerous defense.” Notre Dame’s defensive line w ill be an important factor in the game this weekend. Even w ith a backup quarterback, Clemson is still a formidable opponent for Notre Dame, making this game its biggest of the season. According to Kelly, that fact does not phase the team much. “Look, this game, it’s not the end all for us,” Kelly said. “We’re still in pursuit of a conference championship.” Kelly also spoke on the added pressure the undefeated matchup could bring. “We’re not a team that’s easily overcome w ith the moment. So, we’ll be just fine,” Kelly said. “So you’ve got to execute, you’ve got to play well in the moment. But this team has ex hibited that they’re not a team that’s going to back away from a challenge, and when they’re dow n, they’ll certainly pick up their pace and answer any challenges that are in front of them. I have no question about that.” Kelly also mentioned several times that Saturday’s game may not be the only time the Irish w ill face Clemson this season. Kelly said that, although the team is excited, they need to keep sights on the bigger picture. “If you empt y the tank this weekend, and you don’t have any thing left for BC, they’re going to beat you f lat out,” Kelly said about their upcoming games. “So there has to be a measure of emotional master y here where
you understand the opponent, you’re excited about it, but you’ve got to play your best. And that’s what we’ve been building up for, is that competitive greatness on Saturday, but still understanding that there’s a lot of football still in front of us.” Kelly assessed that the Irish are “at a great level to play and beat Clemson.” In 2018, follow ing the Clemson playoff game, Kelly had similar faith in his team when he said that they were on the brink of something “special.” “I just felt like we had a lot of young players that were going to continue to grow in our program, and we played an outstanding football team,” Kelly said. W hen asked where he thinks the program is today, Kelly presented the media w ith facts. “We’re 29-3 in our last 32 games. I don’t know, we’ve won 22 consecutive games at home. We went 12 in a row,” Kelly said. “I don’t know, you guys decide.” The team is taking off Tuesday after the NCA A mandated no team events on Election Day. This disrupted the team’s normal practice schedule for the week. “It really makes it difficult because we’re on a testing regimen that makes it difficult because we don’t get all our testing back at the appropriate time,” Kelly said. “There are some realities to this that make it difficult. We’ll work through it. … I don’t think there’s any bad intent here. We’re all kind of dealing w ith the times that they are, and we’re reacting to it.” Kelly said the football program has made an effort to be involved in voting. “We’ve been at this for
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15
about a month now, registering our players,” Kelly said. “I think 90 of 114 of our players have already voted by absentee mail-in voting. We’ve already encouraged them to, again, use their voice. W hen we started this, in terms of being socially active, part of it is to do something about being involved in making a change, and so they can make a change by voting.” Kelly said players who choose not to vote have the right to do so. “But, clearly, when you have 90 out of 114 guys voting, this was ver y important to them,” Kelly said. “So we’ve prepared for that. We’ve been extremely active in it.” Even w ith the eventful week that lays ahead for the team, Kelly remains focused on the task at hand. “Really all that matters is that we get an opportunit y to play Clemson this Saturday and compete against them. And who knows, it might not be the only time we play them this year,” Kelly said. Though he knows Clemson w ill be working hard, Kelly said Notre Dame has plans to w in this weekend. “We feel prett y good about where we are. We’ll continue to develop our players in the manner that we feel is best for Notre Dame. Dabo is going to continue doing a great job of developing the players that he has and in the manner that he has. But we have different business plans,” Kelly said. “We’ll do what we’re doing, and should make for a great game on Saturday, I can tell you that.” Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd men’s SOCCER
Football Column
Clemson game according to fans
Defense / The Defense, dude
much of a no brainer as no Trevor Lawrence, dude. Defense has been and will continue to be the strength of this Notre Dame team throughout this season and pretty much every season that Clark Lea continues to grace the Irish defensive coordinator position. If Notre Dame is going to win this game, the defense is going to have to keep this one in the 20s, because it is hard for me to see this Irish offense putting up 30 or more (although that’s partly based on what I think is a winning strategy; more on that later…). Say what you will about Notre Dame’s defense giving up 30 points to Clemson two years ago, but Alabama gave up 44 to the Tigers a game later. And seven of the 30 that the Irish surrendered were on a back-breaking run by Travis Etienne where the defense sold out to try and get
A couple of people pointed this out, and it’s almost as
see ADAMS PAGE 14
Hayden Adams Sports Editor
Well, we made it. In the words of grad student defensive end Daelin Hayes, “it’s Clemson week, baby.” We asked Notre Dame fans for one reason they felt the Irish would defeat or lose to the Tigers, and here’s what they came up with:
Reasons for a Win: No Trevor Lawrence Yeah, don’t think this one needs explaining. If you don’t know why (and I can’t imagine you don’t if you’re reading this), I would point you to highlights of Notre Dame vs. Clemson in the 2018 Cotton Bowl, highlights which are still too painful for me to watch.
Irish fall 1-0 to Hokies, prepare for Louisville By LIAM COOLICAN Sports Writer
ANNA MASON | The Observer
Irish junior forward Jack Lynn dribbles through two defenders during Notre Dame’s home 4-1 win over Xavier on Sept. 25, 2018.
On a cold, windy afternoon Monday at Alumni Stadium, the Notre Dame men’s soccer team fell to Virginia Tech 1-0. Head coach Chad Riley described the result as “frustrating.” Notre Dame (3-3, 2-2 ACC) began the game on the attack, dominating the possession in the opening 20 minutes. Notre Dame had two great chances in the 14th minute. Junior forward Jack Lynn had the first shot on goal for either side but was denied by a great save, and senior midfielder Aiden McFadden followed that effort with a header that was just wide of the mark. Lynn led the Irish with three shots in the game and leads the team with three goals on the year. “He’s certainly a goal scorer but he’s more than that, and [he] really brings a lot to our see M SOCCER PAGE 13
football
Kelly previews top-5 match up with Clemson By EMILY DeFAZIO
Observer Sports Staff
Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Nov. 2.
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Nov. 2. Head coach Brian Kelly spoke w ith the media Monday ahead of the upcoming home game against Clemson on Saturday. The press conference followed another w in for Notre Dame against Georgia Tech on Saturday, making their record 6-0. Both the Irish defense and offense held their ow n against the Yellow Jackets, w ith graduate students Daelin Hayes and Ian Book leading their respective lines. In the press conference, Kelly discussed several other players and their contributions to the team this season. He commented on graduate student Nick McCloud’s improvement since his transfer see KELLY PAGE 15
Wardlow transfers out of program
CONNERY MCFADDEN | The Observer
Irish graduate student quarterback Ian Book looks to throw during Notre Dame’s 40-7 win over Boston College on Nov. 23.
In a t weet sent out Tuesday night, Notre Dame defensive end Kof i Wardlow announced his intent to transfer out of Notre Dame’s footba ll program. “A fter deliberate consultation w it h my family, I have decided it is in my best interest to enter t he transfer porta l.” Wardlow said in t he t weet. “I want to t hank Coach Kelly, Coach Elston, Coach Lea, t he strengt h coaches, at hletic trainers, support staf f and t he Universit y of Notre Dame for t heir support of my success, I have great ly enjoyed my time playing for t he Irish, and t he communit y and relationships I have formed here w ill a lways be specia l to me.” A t hree-star prospect and
t he No. 57 wea k-side defensive end in t he countr y per 247Sports Composite, Wardlow appeared in one game as a sophomore, against Virgina Tech, and t wo as a junior, w it h zero appearances t his season. The 6-foot-2, 230 pound, senior from Washington D.C. recorded one tack le in his entire Notre Dame career last season against Boston College on Nov. 23. The Irish went on to w in t hat game 40-7, and f inished t he season 9-2. He had only played footba ll for t wo years prior to enrolling at Notre Dame and was t he No, 9 overa ll recruit out of D. C. for t he class of 2017. His of fer list included such Power Five schools as Mar yland, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Boston College. Wardlow w ill receiver his bachelor’s degree from t he Universit y after t he fa ll semester.
