Print Edition of The Observer for Monday, September 21, 2020

notre dame 52, south florida 0 | monday, September 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Dominant on both sides Despite 8 absences, Notre Dame shuts out South Florida for 20th straight home win

Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish senior running back Jafar Armstrong makes a cut during Notre Dame’s 52-0 victory over South Florida on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. Armstrong had seven rushes, including one for a touchdown, as well as an 18-yard reception during the shutout win. Last season, he was the fourth-leading rusher for the Irish, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.

Irish finally recommit to play-action Colin Capece Sports Writer

After watching Notre Dame have to grind out a victory against Duke last Saturday, with the Blue Devils keeping it a game for three quarters before the Irish pulled away in the fourth, I had disturbing flashbacks to the 2019 season.

While last Saturday turned out to be a beautiful fall day for college football — albeit one with a pregame chance of thunderstorms — I couldn’t help but recall a cold, wet, October night in Ann Arbor last year. In the most embarrassing loss the Irish have endured in a while, Michigan utterly dominated Notre Dame in every facet of the game, but their see CAPECE PAGE 2

By ELLEN GEYER Senior Sports Writer

A familiar sight returned to Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday afternoon as quarterback Ian Book looked long, tucked it under, sprinted wide and pranced his way into the edge of the end zone, recording his first touchdown on the ground of the season.

The score, which concluded the opening Irish drive, took just seven plays and less than three minutes — and it set the tone for the day early.

“Really proud of our football team and the way they responded this week in terms of getting off to a quick start,” head coach Brian Kelly said postgame. “That was our point of emphasis, and doing so really put South Florida on their heels, scoring four out of the first five possessions.

Defensively, taking away the run — any time you shut anybody out in college football, it’s something to really be excited about.”

The shutout happened in spite of the eight absences the Irish had in the lineup today: Junior cornerback TaRiq Bracy, sophomore quarterback Brendon Clark, sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton, sophomore and junior linebackers Marist Liufau and Shayne Simon, junior receiver Lawrence Keys III, junior defensive end Ovie Oghoufo and junior running back Jahmir Smith. But Kelly said his team reacted to the absences — many of them notable — admirably.

“I think our players responded well,” Kelly said.

“Our coaches were prepared and they responded well. You hate to see anybody not be available, but it’s the reality that we live in and our guys did a great job. And it’s why we’ve prepared so deep in the ranks in terms of giving guys reps and opportunities to be prepared. I know it’s clicheish, but it’s next-man-in mentality that we have built and we trust our guys and they

trust us, and we know that their preparation is going to be such that they are going to be ready to play.”

The first quarter was almost seamless for Notre Dame. After forcing a threeand-out for the Bulls on their first try, the Irish marched down the field a second time, only slightly slower. Behind seven plays yet again, Book and his offense gained 43 yards in 3:24 of game time as freshman running back Chris Tyree barreled across the line for the second Irish score, 14-0.

Things looked more promising for South Florida on the second try as Bulls sophomore running back Johnny Ford split a seam and made a 42-yard gain, but the drive’s potential stopped there. The Bulls tried a fake punt, but it failed miserably and returned the ball to Irish, who used it to go three-for-three, stretching an 11-play drive into the see VICTORY PAGE 3

Kiser goes from scout team to leading tackler

By ELLEN GEYER Senior Sports Writer

Jack Kiser was on the scout team this week.

The sophomore linebacker didn’t have much expectation for getting minutes. He played four snaps against Duke. He played four games last season.

Saturday he started. And he found out about it just hours before the game began.

“Playing on scout team, your goal is always to make it up and get to the next level. When I found out [that I was playing] it’s mentally: alright, let’s go. I knew the game plan,” Kiser said. “That’s one thing Coach Lea does a really good job of during the week — it’s making sure every guy in the room knows the game plan, no see KISER PAGE 3

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Capece Continued from page 1

advantage was particularly glaring in the trenches. The Irish gained just 47 yards on the ground the entire night, wilting under the relentless pressure applied by the Wolverines‘ defensive line. It was like the Wolverines knew exactly what was coming on every single play. Well, actually, they did know exactly what was coming on every single play.

Early last year, as it has usually been under Brian Kelly, the Irish offense was built around running the football.

Who wouldn’t want to tote the rock with one of the nation’s best offensive lines to run behind? In the beginning of the year however, quarterback Ian Book was still given the green light to sling the ball down the field on first and second down. Like the 2018 version of quarterback Ian Book that unlocked Notre Dame’s passing game, the 2019 version was firing lasers down the seams to tight end Cole Kmet and chucking bombs deep down the sidelines to Chase Claypool. Opponents couldn’t stack the box on early downs to stop the run because they still had to respect the pass.

Towards the middle of the year however, something went awry with Notre Dame’s playcalling. The Irish reverted back to the boring, Brian Kelly, move-the-chains offense, running the ball early and often.

The Irish inexplicably limited their playbook, telegraphing their offensive scheme to opposing defenses. All of a sudden, teams began stacking the box, but the Irish didn’t adjust. They ran the ball on first down. They ran the ball on second down. They threw the ball on third down. They punted the ball on fourth down.

The refusal to let thensenior signal caller Book cook doomed the Irish against the Wolverines. It’s difficult for me to express how frustrated I was standing in the Big House in bone-chilling temperatures and torrential downpours watching the Irish run the ball up the middle on first and second down. Current junior and former Irish running backs Jahmir Smith and Tony Jones Jr. went absolutely nowhere running into the teeth of the Michigan defensive line. Book could do little on third down with the Wolverines expecting

the pass, blitzing from every direction to send the quarterback running for his life.

The Irish offense picked up right where it left off against Duke last Saturday. Run on first down. Run on second down. Pass on third down.

Punt on fourth down. The Irish didn’t pick up a first down until the second quarter, and it came off of a fake punt. The offense was so dismal, I heard fans yelling for Ian Book to get a real job.

All of that changed on Saturday against USF. Maybe the coaching staff wanted to get Book to regain his confidence after a mediocre passing performance. Maybe the Irish just wanted to trounce a cupcake opponent as quickly as possible. Whatever the motive, the Notre Dame offense rediscovered its most important weapon: the play-action pass. Book came out firing on the first possession, completing three straight play-action passes before scrambling for a four-yard touchdown to open the scoring. The next drive was more of the same, starting

with a 22-yard completion to Braden Lenzy.

While it’s easy to throw the ball against a terrible team like USF, it was still encouraging to see the playbook opened up.

Notre Dame showed exactly what its offensive game plan should be going forward. At least early on, instead of trying to pound the ball on the ground, the offense needs to let Book run play-action on the first and second downs.

Don’t get me wrong, the strength of this team is still its rushing attack. Sophomore Kyren Williams showed against Duke that he can be a workhorse and find the end zone just fine. True freshman Chris Tyree also looks like he’s going to be a dynamic changeof-pace back for the Irish, averaging eight yards a carry and dashing to pay dirt in the first quarter against the Bulls. Even junior C’Bo Flemister showed his talent on Saturday, rushing for 127 yards and a touchdown.

If Brian Kelly wants to establish the run however, he needs to do it with the playaction pass. Every team that

Notre Dame will face this year knows how dangerous this rushing attack can be and will be defending against it from the onset. If the offense starts with play-action though, it will completely open up the field and give these formidable backs the space to maneuver.

Teams won’t be able to stack the box if they know that Book is a threat to beat them downfield. The third-year starter missed a few open receivers on Saturday, but he’s starting to look like the 2018 Ian Book that finished with a top-10 completion percentage in college football. If Book can start to heat up and the ground game is humming like it usually does, this Irish team can challenge Clemson for the ACC title this year.

While we’re on the topics of the Irish offense and Clemson, it’s important to point out that the Irish can do even more to spread out their offense. Notre Dame pulled out a couple of trick plays against USF, but it needs to do more of that before facing the Tigers in November.

There are likely to be games

this year that the Irish will have control of in the second half. If they throw in a few wrinkles to their play calling, it will only serve to benefit them later in the season. They certainly have the personnel to do it with the blazing speed of Lenzy and Tyree on the roster.

Notre Dame may not run any unique sets against the Tigers, but showing them earlier in the season will make Clemson prepare for it. It won’t be easy to move the ball against one of the nation’s best defenses, but spreading out the offense will at least keep the Tigers guessing.

In this strange year of college football, I hope the Notre Dame offense also decides to try something new. Becoming unpredictable will be the key that opens the door to the College Football Playoff for the Irish in 2020.

Contact Colin Capece at ccapece@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish sophomore linebacker Jack Kiser gets ready to make a tackle during Notre Dame’s 52-0 shutout of South Florida at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday. Kiser only played in four games during his freshman season, but he recorded a team-best eight tackles, seven of them solo.

Play of the game

player of the game

jordan botelho recovers a blocked punt for a touchdown

Notre Dame linebacker jack kiser

Near the end of the third quarter, yet another South Florida drive stalled out, and the Bulls were forced to punt from their own 45-yard line. For the second time, the snap sailed over the head of punter Trent Schneider, and Irish sophomore linebacker Osita Ekwonu blocked Schneider’s punt. Freshman defensive lineman Jordan Botelho grabbed the ball and dove into the endzone for a touchdown.

Sophomore Jack Kiser got his first career start Saturday, as linebackers Shayne Simon and Marist Liufau were unavailable. He took advantage of the opportunity, leading the team with eight total tackles, including two tackles for loss, also tallying a quarterback hit. Head coach Brian Kelly honored Kiser with the game ball following the shutout win.

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Volume 55, Issue 14 | Monday, September 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Lyons residents undergo COVID testing Community members participate in surveillance testing after traces of virus found in wastewater

By SERENA ZACHARIAS Notre Dame News Editor

After wastewater samples suggested the presence of COVID-19 in Lyons Hall Saturday, all residents in the dorm were required to report to sur veillance testing Sunday as a precautionar y measure, according to an email obtained by The Obser ver.

In the past week, Notre Dame began testing wastewater of a select number of dorms for the presence of COVID-19 genetic material. This is part of an ongoing initiative led by associate professor in the

college of engineering Kyle Bibby to develop methods of v irus detection in wastewater.

Most people infected w ith the v irus, regardless of sy mptoms, excrete an inactivated form of COVID-19 in their stool, Bibby said. By measuring wastewater, researchers can collect data from an aggregate communit y sample to potentially prov ide an early warning to the presence of COVID-19 w ithin a population.

“As we all know there have been challenges w ith see LYONS PAGE 3

ERIN FENNESSY | The Observer

Lyons Hall residents were required to be tested Sunday after wastewater samples showed possible traces of COVID-19 in the dorm. The wastewater detection initiative aims to prevent outbreaks on campus.

Professor discusses racial wealth gap, discrimination

Jenkins releases statement on Justice Ginsburg Observer Staff Report

SERENA ZACHARIAS | The Observer

UCI law professor Mehra Baradaran examined the racial wealth gap during the fifth lecture in the “Building an Anti-Racist Vocabulary” virtual series presented by the Klau Center Friday.

By SERENA ZACHARIAS Notre Dame News Editor

Discussing the racial wealth gap in America, law professor Mehra Baradaran said the A merican economy does in fact discriminate despite popular belief.

Baradaran is a professor at Universit y of California Ir v ine and author of the acclaimed book “The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap.” She spoke at a reoccurring webinar series hosted by the

NEWS PAGE 3

K lau Center for Civ il and Human Rights Friday.

“To say that our public policy efforts to eradicate the wealth gap had been a total failure would be an understatement,” she said while explaining the share of Black Wealth to total wealth in the United States in 1865 to the present day.

At the time of emancipation, Black people ow ned 0.5% of the nation’s wealth, she said. Today, Black Americans ow n 1-2% of America’s wealth.

VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

In 2016, the Federal Reser ve reported white families have a median family wealth of $171,000, while Black families have a median net worth of $17,600. Hispanic families net worth was $20,700.

The biggest challenge to closing the race gap, she said, is the promise that the free market does not discriminate. W hile free markets are thought to operate w ith equal opportunit y see WEALTH GAP PAGE 4

SCENE PAGE 5

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a trail-blazing advocate for women’s rights, died at the age of 87 on Friday after serving on the court since 1993. University President Fr. John Jenkins recalled Ginsburg’s visit to Notre Dame in 2016.

“Combining intellectual rigor with playfulness and candor,

Justice Ginsburg discussed policy, politics and the struggle for women to find their rightful place in the administration of justice,” he said in the release.

“It was a personal privilege for me to take her on a tour of campus and witness her kindness and courtesy to everyone she met.”

Ginsburg was the second see RGB PAGE 4

Alum shares career advice in webinar

By MAGGIE EASTLAND News Writer

Helen Adeosun ’07, CEO and founder of CareAcademy, a digital training platform that trains thousands of caregivers, shared her entrepreneurship journey and tips for success via a Zoom webinar Friday.

ND W SOCCER PAGE 12

Following a brief introduction from vice president and associate provost for innovation Bryan Ritchie, Adeosun took the virtual stage to share her experiences as an entrepreneur.

After immigrating from Nigeria as a child, attending see WEBINAR PAGE 4

ND CROSS COUNTRY PAGE 12

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University President Fr. Jenkins poses with students Saturday, when the Irish beat the Bulls 52-0 in a shutout game. To allow for social distancing, only tri-campus students, faculty and parents of football players were allowed in Notre Dame Stadium.

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Students discuss new outdoor area at SMC

By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN News Writer

After the positive feedback garnered from Notre Dame’s outdoor sitting area Librar y Lawn, Saint Mar y’s responded by providing a similar spot for students to gather.

In an email sent last week, Saint Mar y’s Student Government Association (SGA) announced the availability of a new outdoor area between Le Mans Hall and Moreau Center for the Arts would be available for student use.

The space is complete with decorated tables, patio chairs and lights strung through the surrounding trees.

According to another email, SGA will host its first event “Mugs Under the Moon” at the new site Friday at 7 p.m., offering students warm beverages and reusable mugs.

Lyons Continued from page 1

administering enough tests for early detection to avoid outbreaks, so t his is a possible tool t hat’s being explored,” he sa id.

Bibby received a Rapid Response Resea rch g ra nt f rom t he Nat iona l Science Foundat ion to beg in col lect ing sa mples a nd r unning tests in t he reg ion, a nd t he Universit y administ rat ion suppor ted t he insta l lat ion of a cont inuous autosa mpler at t he main sewage outtake on campus in July.

The continuous autosampler collects samples of

Belles have been using the area throughout the week and reacted to the new gathering area.

Sophomore Bella Burke praised the new on-campus location.

“I really like what [SGA] has done with the place,” Burke said. “The seating arrangements and lights have definitely added to the quarantine mood.”

Burke said she also enjoys the variety of things she can do in the space.

“I definitely find myself out here a lot more — doing homework, getting stuff done,” Burke said. “It is also nice getting dinner with friends when it’s dark out and the lights are pretty.”

Junior Lauren Bock likes having a new space to study and eat outdoors.

“I like it a lot,” Bock said.

“I think it’s a good space for eating while it’s nice outside.

I really like studying with the lights. It’s just a ver y nice

place to be able to sit, and I’m glad [SGA was] able to make it happen.”

Sophomore Elnora Mariner said she enjoys the opportunity to explore campus in a safe way during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think it’s a great way to getting us out of our rooms and onto campus,” Mariner said. “I [prefer this] than being cooped up in your room. ... [It’s] kind of restoring normalcy in a way.”

Sophomore Moira Boyle is pleased with the space, citing her improved concentration while studying outside.

“I love [the area],” she said.

“I love studying outside. I feel like it’s more rela xing. I can focus better. So, I really like the space [SGA] set up. I really enjoy it out here.”

Boyle said she would also be interested in movie screening events in the space.

“I know Notre Dame does movie nights at the football

stadium, so if there was a way to have something out here like with [the Christian Culture Lecture], that would be fun,” she said.

First year Hayley Helt supports the new space as it gives her a quiet place to go on campus.

“I like it a lot,” Helt said.

“It’s really pretty with the lights, and it’s just ver y peaceful. I see that we just got fireplaces, so that’s pretty cool. I’m ver y excited for that. It’s really rela xing and nice that you can just come out here and sit and do your homework. It’s ver y quiet and serene. I like it a lot.”

First year Gretchen Brauer said she is excited about the chance to be outdoors during favorable weather.

“It’s better than sitting in your dorm or in a study carrell,” Brauer said. “You get to take in the nice weather and the WiFi actually works out here.”

First year Rachel Tapealava-Boulger likes the peaceful environment the space provides.

“It really aesthetic and quite pleasing and rela xing,” she said. “The lights are my favorite part.”

Tapealava-Boulger said she hopes the area will host more outdoor events.

“It would be nice to use this space to host a book club or somewhere to come and play music at,” she said.

Sophomore Sam Swanson said she is proud of SGA’s execution of the space.

“My room looks right out on it, and it’s super cute, especially at night,” Swanson said. “W henever I look out, there’s always people there. It’s just a really great idea amidst this pandemic for people to hang out outside with their friends while being distanced.”

the wastewater ever y 30 minutes to two hours. Bibby’s lab analyzes composites of samples tw ice a week by running digital droplet PCR to detect small portions of v iral RNA. With the new technolog y, Bibby said his team is still working to consider complicating factors in interpreting the data.

“One question would be if somebody was recovered from the v irus, but never knew they had it, they might still be excreting it in their stool,” Bibby said.

W hile the data collected from the autosampler for the past two months has not yet been published, Bibby said the levels tended

to trend w ith the number of obser ved cases reported by Notre Dame’s COVID-19 response unit.

“That’s a good thing — that means they’re probably not missing huge numbers of cases,” he said.

A number of other universities across the countr y have been testing wastewater as well to supplement sur veillance testing, contact tracing and other precautionar y measures to combat COVID-19. In the end of Aug., the Universit y of Arizona detected a potential coronav irus outbreak by monitoring wastewater.

After testing residents, t wo asy mptomatic students

tested positive.

Bibby’s lab studies microbiolog y and water qualit y w ith an emphasis on detecting pathogens in water to estimate risks and create technologies to remove pathogens, so he said it was a natural fit to begin working on this project study ing wastewater in terms of COVID-19.

Bibby emphasized the wastewater itself is unlikely to be a risk because the v iral RNA excreted in stool appears to be inactivated.

Provost Marie Ly nn Miranda said the administration made the decision to test all of the residents in Lyons Hall “out of an

abundance of caution.” A positive wastewater reading for the hall does not necessarily indicate a large number of active cases, Miranda said, but in order to better understand what the levels mean for Bibby’s research and for residents, mass testing ensued.

“By going in for sur veillance testing, the women of Lyons Hall are helping us identif y potential cases w ithin Lyons,” she said.

“They are also helping to advance science.”

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woman appointed to the Supreme Court. She put forth strong dissenting opinions during her time on the Court and became an icon to the younger generation. She died in her home in Washington D.C. from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer, the Supreme Court said.

In his statement, Jenkins highlighted a quote from Ginsburg in the statement she released to honor Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia after his passing.

“Upon the death of her close friend and ideological opposite, the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Ginsburg wrote a fitting epitaph for all who serve the law so well: ‘Toward the end of the opera Scalia/Ginsburg, tenor Scalia and soprano Ginsburg sing a duet: “We are different, we are one,” different in our interpretation of written texts, one in our reverence for the Constitution and the institution we serve,’” Jenkins said.

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The observer | Monday, September 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Webinar

described how her father would constantly encourage her to be curious and ask questions about the world.

“My parents raised a nerd, but I think that’s a key pillar of entrepreneurship,” she noted.

During her years working as a teacher in the Atlanta publicschool system, Adeosun gained an even greater appreciation for education.

“I think I learned more from my kids than I taught my kids,” Adeosun said in reference to her students in Atlanta.

Teaching students in the Atlanta public schools gave her a new appreciation for how her family guided her down the right path of education and instilled a love of curiosity within her.

“By grace,” Adeosun said, “people in my life encouraged education in the important years between fourteen and eighteen.”

Adeosun’s family also influenced her interest in the healthcare sector. Both of her parents worked in healthcare, and many of her other family members are doctors or nurses. Adeosun herself has some experience as a caregiver.

Through CareAcademy, she hopes to increase access to care that is cost-effective, compassionate and

personal.

Her vision of healthcare leaves flexibility for caregivers who provide more holistic care, in some ways mirroring the town doctor model when village physicians would make house calls to provide care.

She believes this aspect of her mission aligns with the current shift in healthcare away from hospital-only care toward more flexible options.

“Direct care workers are becoming part of healthcare ecosystem,” Adeosun said.

When the coronavirus forced many in-person businesses to shut down, the importance of online healthcare education options grew even more pronounced.

Accordingly, another facet of Adeosun’s vision involves bridging the gap between human resources and technology.

Adeosun credits these two recent developments for their contributions to CareAcademy’s success.

Regardless of these happenstance trends, Adeosun’s constant efforts to network and build her company have paid off in the long run.

“My MBAs come in real time through CareAcademy,” Adeosun said.

Whether it’s a chit-chat over coffee or her weekly Saturday networking with one entrepreneur who’s just starting and one who’s further along, Adeosun said she puts in the hard work to build relationships and find the right people for her team.

She has also devoted a lot of time to building her narrative, or business pitch, in order to secure investments.

In her own words, “narrative is the first currency of entrepreneurship.”

Adeosun believes entrepreneurs need to show stakeholders, investors, advisors, mentors and employees why they should be a part of the entrepreneur’s vision for the company.

Scrapping together the capital to get a business idea off the ground is always difficult, which is why a strong narrative is vital, especially for entrepreneurs who are often underestimated or those who face discrimination.

“Enterprising is hard to begin with,” Adeosun said, “and almost zero percent of funding is provided to black and brown women.”

Adeosun also emphasizes the immense amount of work inherent in entrepreneurship. She says that there’s no overnight miracles and

credits her own success to constant efforts to network and grow her company.

“There’s a lot of excitement around entrepreneurship,” Adeosun said, “but l try to keep what I say have to say very practical.”

There’s no easy path to building a company from scratch. Instead, Adeosun identifies the willingness to do what others won’t as exactly what sets an entrepreneur apart.

Even Adeosun’s own family members casted doubts on her vision for CareAcademy in its early stages.

“My family would ask me, ’Why are you expending so much energy in creating something that doesn’t exist?’” Adeosun said.

With hard work to cultivate her narrative, commitment to expanding her network, and a little bit of grace, Adeosun managed to overcome many obstacles and find investors willing to place their bets on CareAcademy.

To those who want to follow in her footsteps, and especially to entrepreneurs underestimate themselves, Adeosun said, “build communities, build relationships and be intentional about that.”

Wealth gap

accumulation,” she said.

Continued from page 1

Reconstruction era

w ithout control from government or other authorities, Baradan does not believe the American economy bears a resemblance to a free market economy because Black men and women have been deprived of opporunities throughout U.S. history.

“In each historical moment, when wealth was being created, whether it was through the Homestead Act, the FHA mortgage credit on Black communities and other instances, Black communities were shut out and land and wealth

Baradan characterized the Civil War as a standoff between the armies of the North and the South, but she also sees the conflict as a battle between two currency systems. The South’s economy was not just based on Black labor, she said, but rather Black slaves themselves were capital for white owners.

When Black people were emancipated former president Andrew Jackson vetoed the Freedmen’s Bureau bills which would help former slaves gain housing, education, healthcare and employment opportunities. He reasoned the

free market would allow Black people to bargain for their own wages and buy their own land.

“This was either unbelievably naive or incredibly cynical. The southern economy was nothing like a free market,” Baradan said. “White’s refused to sell property to Blacks. As Southern legislators, lawyers and judges drafted laws governing every aspect of black labor, they restricted Blacks from skilled trades, vagrancy laws were prevalent, wages were capped by law and by cabal between employers.”

Black people were forced to grow cotton because there were no other job’s available to them.

“You don’t dedicate your entire lands to cash crops because that is a way to hunger and debt and exploitation,” she said. “If everyone grows cotton, the price is lowered. It’s a debt cycle.”

Black people were continually denied access to wealth, Baradan explained, and much of the little wealth owned by Black people was lost when the Freedman’s Bank collapsed in 1874.

Today this day, Baradan said, there are staggering race differentials in the unbanked and underbanked. She said up to 10% of white people are unbanked or underbanked in the South in comparison to 60% of Black people.

“All of the bank deposits were small and small and volatile,” Baradan said. “Higher operating costs lower their ability to lend because they had to offset the risk of their deposits by holding safe assets, more capital, more reserve.”

The first Black families who moved into white areas were forced to pay a premium to purchase, and when a neighborhood attracted enough Black people to be considered a Black neighborhood the property values fell, which still persists today.

Baradan cited a New York Times article published in Aug. about an interracial couple who received a housing appraisal in Jackson, Fla. When Abena Horton, who is Black, received an appraisal of $330,000 when meeting with an appraiser and her husband, who is white, received an appraisal of $465,000, the couple suspected race as the differentiating factor.

Baradan went on to discuss the Home Owner’s Loan Corporation’s Redlining maps, which documented how mortgage lending risks were assessed. These maps can show how discrimination shaped inequality in cities across America.

“This is looking at a neighborhood and saying, ‘Is this a safe neighborhood where homes increase [in value] or is this a risky neighborhood?’

And the number one thing that they used was race,” she said.

of creating Black institutions.

“I call upon you to take your money out of the banks downtown and deposit your money in Tri-State Bank,” Martin Luther King Jr. urged the crowd in his “I’ve Been to the Moutaintop” speech in 1968.

Baradan said this call for Black capitalism through boycotts and through supporting Black banking and Black credit unions helped illuminate the where the true disparities between Black and white people lay.

“Martin Luther King and others very well understood that the point of segregation was not to separate people,” she said. “This was an economic situation. They are not able to create wealth, and it’s just vastly different credit systems happening.”

To this day, a significant wealth gaps persists between white and Black communities. Much of this gap, Baradan said, is embedded into neighborhoods.

“Where a child is born, that zip code determines their life outcome, their health outcome expectancy, potential schooling, their income potential, their likelihood of ending up in prison, more than any other factor,” she said.

Although people in America who experience poverty as children are still more likely to experience poverty as adults, Baradan has hope.

“We need to end the racial wealth gap, we need to stop segregating,” Baradan said in closing. “These are slow burn issues that are hard to sloganize, but I do think it’s changing.”

Continued from page 1

Notre Dame for her undergraduate degree, working at a public school in Atlanta, fighting for education accessibility in Washington D.C. and earning a master’s in education from Harvard University, Adeosun now owns and operates her own company at the age of 35.

Adeosun recently secured $13 million in funding for CareAcademy and was named one of Fortune Magazine’s top ‘40 Under 40’ entrepreneurs in healthcare.

Despite this success, Adeosun emphasized the importance of grace and providence throughout her journey and gives two main pieces of advice to current and future entrepreneurs – ask questions and cultivate a narrative.

“A lot of what I have done is by grace,” Adeosun said in the webinar, “I try not to sugarcoat.”

Reflecting on her childhood and journey to success, Adeosun mentioned the important role her family and her culture played in shaping her perspective on education.

Adeosun said Nigerian culture places a strong emphasis on the importance of education. She also

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Early 1900s Black banks formed in response to the Jim Crow laws because Black men and women needed to create their own institutions. However, these banks struggled to create wealth or even maintain wealth in their communities, she said.

Civil Rights Movement During the Civil Rights Movement, Black leaders recognized the importance of revising the economic system in order to allow Black communities to create wealth by means

Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu

Contact Serena Zacharias at szachari@nd.edu

5

The observer | Monday, September 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

By SARAH KIKEL Scene Writer

Walsh (1909) is the elegant bride. With her three God Quad entrances, she is a regal princess, the dormers at the top jutting out like the peaks of her tiara. Though she used to be wilder in her earlier days, she has recently refined her image to a sophisticated facade.

Extending long and stately in her straight appearance, to some she gives off an air of being uncompromising, but her alcoves that emerge like the ruffles of her wedding dress make her more welcoming.

Morrissey (1925) is the handsome groom. Like his bride Walsh, Morrissey also underwent a recent transformation and cleaned himself up from his youthful antics. Born into a rich military family, his manor exudes his prominence but also his attentiveness to beauty. He is intriguingly unpredictable, with his asymmetrical front entrance and right spire that looks like an old radio tower. Adorned with bird, fish and floral motifs, Morrissey continued his family legacy by becoming a decorated war veteran himself.

Lyons (1927) is the old family matriarch. A powerful woman, she was the first to assume a man’s role, as the first dorm converted for women’s residence. She embraces her femininity in her distinct tutor style and broad arch, and even her gutters are adorned with flowers. Ever the matchmaker, she finds joy in watching young love kindle at her arch parties.

By DESSI GOMEZ Scene Writer

The last couple months have been prett y busy for Kat y Perr y. Soon after the release of her fifth album “Smile” on Aug. 14, she gave birth to her daughter Daisy Dove Bloom on Aug. 26. “Smile” seems to detail many recent uplifts in Perr y’s life, as well as obstacles she has overcome that make the small v ictories all the more sweeter.

This album seems especially important after the negative reactions to Perr y’s last work, “Witness,” which disheartened her as a singer and artist. Though many critics labeled “Smile” as tame and unremarkable, I disagree.

As w ith most of her music and albums, Perr y balances superficialit y and seriousness really well on “Smile.” A lmost half of the 12 songs on this newest album tell stories about more surface-level things or hold thoughts that still feel relatable and significant through their musical forms. Sy nthetic pop melodies supported by percussion rhy thms establish each song’s message, which is one of the areas in which Perr y is really strong. The imager y across the album paints v iv id

St. Edward’s (1882) is the old family patriarch.

Wounded in a fiery battle long ago, his scars are still visible in the brick color transition from the old to new wings of the building. However, this has not dampened his dignity, as he proudly states his name above both main entrances.

Badin (1897) is the grandmother. Her brick feels very immediate, even jutting out at times to pull you in for an embrace. She frequently hosts four o’clock tea parties from her second-story porch rocking chairs. Though she tries to be “hip with the times,” she frequently exudes signs of her elderliness, such as her door labeled “telecom room.”

Sorin (1888) is everyone’s beloved grandfather. His brick is weathered, but that only adds to his charm. He hosts his old prep school chums over to smoke cigars and pipes on his front porch, reminiscing about the good old days as they look out at God Quad. Sorin’s turrets smooth his edges, so that he, too, is full of only hugs. (Once devoted lovers, Badin and Sorin suffered a contentious breakup after an alleged frog burning incident, but rumors have indicated that the marriage of their granddaughter is bringing them closer again.)

Howard (1924) is the maid of honor, with stained glass window lilies in her bouquet. She is the bride’s best friend, but she still has a lot in common with the groom, with a football player icon embellishment overhead on one of her twin arches.

Alumni (1931) and Dillon (1931) are twin princes.

They live in nearly identical castles adorned with embattled parapets and no lack of ornate decorations.

Both are deeply religious, with reliefs of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas Aquinas (Alumni) and St. Jerome, St. Augustine and St. Patrick (Dillon). Alumni tended to get into more trouble in his youth — the mischievous gargoyles still accent his exterior — and is still slightly in the family’s doghouse for his idolization of Knute Rockne. Dillon, adorned with unicorns, a winged lion and vines, was rightfully chosen as the best man.

Cavanaugh (1936) and Zahm (1937) are the young collegiate twins. While appearing unassuming with their lack of ornate detailing, due to being on a college budget, both dorms emit a simple charm. While Zahm is often in danger of flunking out of university due to the wild adolescent parties he throws, Cavanaugh’s studious but spirited natur, tends to keep her brother in line enough to continue another year.

Carroll (1906) is the family’s long-lost cousin. No one ever knows what he is up to with his mysterious golden-haired brick. He tends to send correspondence from an undisclosed location around Christmas and April informing the family of the lavish festivities he hosts, but as his letters appear to have traveled a great distance, no one has made much of an effort to pinpoint his exact place of residence.

pictures of Perr y’s imagination and real life.

“Cr y About It Later,” “Not the End of the World,” “Champagne Problems” and “Harleys in Hawaii” are the more superficial songs mentioned above, and they set a great tone for the sound of the album. “Not the End of the World” and “Champagne Problems” feed the thread of resilience that come to a peak on “Resilient.”

“Tear y Eyes” and “Smile” hover bet ween lighthearted and serious. “Tear y Eyes” prov ides a supportive anthem for getting through the struggle of heartbreak, and “Smile” hints at what can happen once that struggle is conquered. As the title track of the album, “Smile” reinforces Perr y’s skill at taking both positives and negatives into her song w riting and producing great art out of it.

The deeper songs on the album like “Never Really Over,” “Daisies,” “Resilient” and “Tucked” communicate important life themes for ever yone in really catchy tunes. It’s easy to imagine that “Daisies” has some connection to Perr y and Orlando Bloom’s daughter.

The last t wo songs on the album really hit hard.

“Only Love” challenges listeners to put their lives in perspective, w ith Perr y prioritizing family and

positiv it y in her life as if it were to end soon. It’s the t y pe of song that comes w ith life experience and hardship, and it can encourage one to power through the tougher parts of life when things seem so difficult. “W hat Makes a Woman” empowers anyone listening who identifies as a woman. Perr y outlines what her personal experience is like and doesn’t hold any thing back.

She doesn’t seem to hold any thing back on this album either. Yet again she puts her polished st yle on clever ly rics to express her realit y in a genuine and honest way. The v ulnerabilit y on this album comes through loud and clear, and at the same time the sound is compelling, strong and catchy.

This album represents a powerful comeback in Perr y’s life. She lets the songs speak for her, and I personally am so happy for her and love this album more know ing what it took to make it. The mindset she expresses could help anyone take a step back from school stresses and count their blessings. It can also encourage you to find beaut y in the little things in life, as Perr y does in her music.

Contact Sarah Kikel at skikel@nd.edu

Contact Dessi Gomez at dgomez5@nd.edu LIYA BLITZER | The Observer

6

The observer | monday, steptember 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Do the next right thing Erin Fennessy Associate Photo Editor

While I was living at home this summer, my mom convinced me to watch “Frozen 2” with her — which, for the record, is much better than the first “Frozen” movie. I could write an analysis of every song in the second one for the scene department, but I’ll spare you (for now) and limit myself to just one.

Near the end of the film, Anna, the younger sister of Elsa, is picking herself up after a loss and trying to move forward while combating an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. She sings, “It is all that I can to do the next right thing.”

This line has become a mantra for me as we’ve returned to campus and things have spiraled in and out of control.

Throughout this summer and into the fall, it feels like everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. Before we’ve even had time to process one loss, another knocks us down. We can’t control this, no matter how badly we want to. All we can do is the next right thing.

The world has not gone back to normal. The country is grieving a staggering loss of human life from COVID-19 and suffering widespread natural disasters, all while engaged in a political battle over human dignity as the end of an election year quickly approaches. The world and our perception of it has been continuously disrupted over the past six months, disruptions that can be easy to forget now that we’ve returned to the campus bubble of classes, work and activities.

Notre Dame students are driven by a deep conviction to do good in the world. We like to think we have it all figured out, that we can fix everything that’s broken and protect ourselves and our communities from suffering.

We stretch ourselves past our limits to fulfill the commitments we’ve made to the fullest extent.

But oftentimes, we just can’t. And that’s okay.

When it all starts to feel like too much, don’t put pressure on yourself to overachieve. Just do the next right thing.

We can continue to protect ourselves and those around us by following health guidelines, even when we see others near and far flouting them. We can go to bed early instead of stressing over the essay that just won’t click. We can stop doomscrolling on Twitter and check in on our friends and roommates.

We’re not going to solve the world’s problems tonight or even tomorrow, but we can do a little good in the world every day by caring for ourselves and others.

So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by your to-do list or the day’s headlines, try not to look too far ahead.

Take it one step at a time, put one foot in front of the other, and do the next right thing. That’s all we can ask of ourselves as we navigate this semester together.

A letter to Justice Ginsburg Eva Analitis On Second Thought

Dear Justice Ginsburg, My heart dropped on Friday when I heard of your passing. Just a day earlier, I had been listening to your voice in a recording of the oral arguments for Fisher v. Universit y of Texas at Austin while working on a project.

You were a consta nt force in our nat ion: a reliable, f ierce defender of huma n rights ; a wa rrior for women bot h as a law yer a nd as a judge ; a nd even while batt ling pa ncreat ic ca ncer a nd undergoing chemot herapy, you cont inued doing your job “f u ll stea m.” It doesn’t feel rea l t hat you’re gone. Hav ing spent t he past mont h in class reading about cases t hat you a rg ued as a law yer or hea rd as a just ice, I’ve come to understa nd t he t r ue mag nitude of your impact on t he f ight for just ice. I a m deeply t ha n k f u l for who you were a nd what you did. As you fought for your life behind t he scenes, you fought for t he lives of ot hers behind t he bench– f ight ing to ensure t hat t hey ca n live w it h dig nit y a nd equa l oppor tunit y.

I don’t remember much f rom high school chemist r y, but I do v iv id ly remember a poster t hat hung on t he wa ll to t he lef t where I sat, t hat featured pur ple, g reen, yellow a nd ora nge huma n-shaped objects stacked high in py ra mid format ion.

The poster displayed a quote f rom Isaac New ton: “If I have seen f ur t her t ha n ot hers, it is by sta nding on t he shou lders of g ia nts.” This quote, etched into my mind a nd ret raced ever y day as I sta red at it in chemist r y, tells us about t he nature of huma n prog ress. We build on t he achievements of t hose who ca me before us, a nd over t ime, huma nit y as a whole is able to see more a nd more about t he world. The sa me is t r ue of just ice in genera l a nd t he A merica n lega l system in pa r t icu la r. We build on past movements to work for just ice, a nd our cour ts use lega l precedent to decide new cases.

I have of ten wondered why my life has been relat ively easy — why I happened to be born in a pa r t icu la r t ime, place a nd situat ion w it hout ma ny obstacles to my success t hat so ma ny before me encountered. It is not lost on me t hat I have been able to pass quite easily t hrough doors t hat women of just a few decades ago found locked. I now rea li ze t hat you opened ma ny of t hem — a nd t hat is not a n overstatement.

Grow ing up, t he quest ion was a lways what college I wou ld go to a nd what ca reer I wou ld choose, not whet her colleges wou ld accept me, as a fema le student, or whet her I

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

Follow us on Twitter: @ObserverViewpnt

KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer

wou ld be a l lowed to work in cer ta in f ields.

I’ve been able to ta ke for g ra nted t hings t hat you a nd ma ny ot hers ea rned.

As a mot her a nd a w ife, you showed us t hat women do not have to choose bet ween a ca reer a nd a fa mi ly. As a law yer a nd a judge, you helped enshrine lega l protect ions for t his idea. Two impor ta nt lessons I lea rned f rom you a re to spea k my mind a nd to persist. W hi le at t imes t he Cour t joined you in deciding to adva nce equa l rights, you somet imes found yourself a lone or in t he minorit y in promot ing equa lit y.

In t hese situat ions, you held your g round a nd fought for t he idea ls to which t his nat ion has aspired but not yet f u lf i l led. In Ledbetter v. Goodyea r, you f iercely dissented f rom a Cour t opinion t hat made it more dif f icu lt for women to sue t heir employers over wage discriminat ion. You a lso demonst rated t he impor ta nce of disag reeing const r uct ively, w it h a goa l of cha nge in mind.

You fa mously sa id, “Fight for t he t hings t hat you ca re about, but do it in a way t hat w i l l lead ot hers to join you.”

Your persona l life is a stor y of persistence, f rom sta r t to f inish. W hen your husba nd was diag nosed w it h ca ncer, you were one of just nine women in a class of 500 at Ha r va rd Law School. Juggling t he responsibi lit ies of ra ising a t hree-yea r-old chi ld, ca ring for your sick husba nd a nd ta k ing classes at t he top law school in t he nat ion, you pushed for wa rd rema rkably. You’d stay up late as your husba nd dictated his senior class paper to you, a nd a f ter he’d fa l l asleep you wou ld beg in prepa ring for your ow n classes t hat were t he nex t day. A f ter t ra nsferring to Columbia Law School, in spite of g raduat ing at t he top of your class, you st r uggled to f ind a law f irm t hat wou ld hire you, simply because you were a woma n.

Later on, when you beca me a professor at Rutgers Law School, you aga in encountered t he ba rriers t hat women face as professiona ls. Draped in your mot her-in-law’s clot hes, you hid your second preg na ncy so t hat it wou ldn’t sta nd in t he way of your cont ract being renewed.

Fina l ly, you went 25 yea rs w it hout missing a day on t he Supreme Cour t, despite being diag nosed w it h ca ncer in 1999 a nd batt ling t he disease on a nd of f for t he nex t t went y yea rs. A wa rrior in a nd out of t he cour t room, you persisted when so ma ny ot hers wou ld have quit.

Three letters of t he a lphabet, R, B a nd G, w i l l forever sta nd out to me above t he rest, t ha n ks to you. I remember watching t he mov ie “On t he Basis of Sex” on a pla ne a nd t hin k ing, “I wa nt to be li ke RBG.” You have quite litera l ly shaped t he course of American histor y as well as many indiv idual lives along the way. For a woman of such small stature, you sure left some big shoes to fill.

A massive vacancy now occupies the Supreme Court — one that cannot be filled by a mere indiv idual. We must fill it collectively as a nation through commitment to equal protection of the law. Thank you for letting us stand on your shoulders, giant. I see justice on the horizon.

Eva Analitis is a junior in Lyons Hall majoring in political science and pre-health. If you see her around campus, don’t be afraid to whisk her off for an impromptu philosophical discussion.

Otherwise, you can reach her at eanaliti@nd.edu.

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

The observer | monday, september 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

Who am I? Gabriel Niforatos The Road Less Traveled

Before we begin, I want to tell you that the regular author of this column hates riddles. A h yes, I should probably div ulge that Mr. Niforatos told me to tell you something formal and businesslike — “He had some important matters to attend to and couldn’t take up the pen this week” — but truth be told, I didn’t give him much choice when I seized his ink and parchment and commanded him to w rite w ith all of the grace of a puppeteer controlling a marionette. His fingers w ill be w riting, but I have placed him into a trance and have taken his voice captive for this week.

Let’s see then, states of being for you humans do not usually have a physical voice of their ow n, so where should I begin? I suppose one ty pically starts w ith an introduction in these situations.

But I don’t think I’m going to tell you who I am, certainly not right away any ways. Chalk this up to my distaste for the name you have given me.

No no, this is not because I dislike the way that it sounds on your tongues. To the contrar y, the name that you humans have given me is delightfully and deceptively soft when it first leaves your lips, like the orb of light from a lamppost glow ing in a blizzard, before it turns sour and scaly at the end, and you are searching the dark around you for an invisible viper sliding around

your ank les. I am a vain fellow if you couldn’t already tell, and I hate the name you have given me because it portrays who I am so poorly. Yes, it is true that I am manipulative and conniv ing, it is true that I am using Mr. Niforatos as a mouthpiece (Oh, I can feel him fighting to regain control of his pen at this ver y instant!), but I do not want to be know n as the prince of thieves. I want to be revered and feared like Genghis K han, the conqueror of all things human.

Yes, I am also dramatic. A ll great geniuses are.

Would you believe me if I told you that I similarly entranced Shakespeare when he penned his greatest works? Nothing to it! Stop your applause before I blush any more. To enslave Shakespeare to w rite w ith my voice, that is nothing to me. But to be the ghost w riter for the person whose name you forgot as you pass them in the hallway ever y day, this is my crow ning jewel. I am the one who animates the emptiness inside and paints it to be a butterf ly. I am the frost that consumes and grows across your pupils as if it were a w indow in the dead of w inter. Yes, it is true that I w ill devour and destroy you and send you plummeting to the waters below like Icarus, but is it not worth it? I w ill give you w ings of wa x and you w ill see the sun and stars and f ly the highest that you have ever f low n. We are all falling; my promise to you is that I w ill take you quite a bit higher in exchange for the descent being quite a bit lower.

I am going to tell you a terrible secret, and

forgive me as I delightfully shudder at my ow n w ickedness. The truth is that ever y single one of you knows who I am, but exactly none of you w ill be able to name me. That is fine w ith me; as long as my name sits at the back of your consciousness and travels like a whisper through your soul, I w ill know that I am in control. I’ll be waiting here for you, as well. Faust made a pact w ith the dev il, exchanging his soul for all he could have ever wanted, and the same terms stand for you. You w ill dream of them in worlds that I have created for you, and who knows, you may begin to enjoy the feel of puppet strings chained to your ank les and to your feet.

A lright, I suppose I have controlled the author’s pen for long enough; I can feel him resisting my grip and tr ying to add grammar errors so that my message doesn’t get across to you. Ver y well, I have tantalized you w ith forbidden fruit for long enough. Do you want to know who I am, truly?

I am — 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.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A reflection on the death of a great woman and a great judge The only public figure I have ever idolized is Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

I have two pair of RBG earrings (one of her face and one of just the dissent collar). I have RBG socks, T-shirts, a mug and even — in 2020 — masks. Rather ironically, I even have two Christmas ornaments of the late Jewish jurist. I dressed up as RBG for Halloween one year — complete with dissent collar and gavel. And last year, a friend saw someone taking down the “RBG” documentary poster at a movie theatre and procured it for me. I’ve seen that movie and “On the Basis of Sex” twice in theaters. I’ve read “Sisters in Law,” a book about her and Sandra Day O’Connor’s mirror journeys to the bench, and I currently have “In Her Own Words,” an audio-autobiography read by Justice Ginsburg downloaded on my phone.

In short, she is my hero.

And yes, I admire her for all of the reasons people have already written about all over the internet: She was a champion of women’s rights; she finished law school while caring for a sick husband and a baby and still made law review; she was never afraid to speak her mind and excelled in the face of adversity. But those aren’t the only reasons she is my inspiration.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is my hero in many ways because she didn’t want to be a hero. W hen asked how she wanted to be remembered she said, “[As] someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.” We should

all strive towards such a goal. She fought for what she believed was right, not through rage and shouting, nor through disparaging those who disagreed. She fought with reason. She fought with empathy. And she fought with an open hand of welcome to anyone willing to join her.

RBG famously said, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

These words run in stark contrast to what we see today: each side claiming the moral highground, speaking only to those they agree with and f linging vitriol at those they don’t. We’re not trying to get others to join us. We’re trying to justify our position.

Just look at Mitch McConnell’s statement released on the night the world learned we’d lost Justice Ginsburg. He wrote four sentences about her life. He wrote six about filling the vacancy. He could not find the empathy to let a nation mourn for a single day. He could not find the decency to let the question lie, even just for a few hours. He had to justify his position.

Justice Ginsburg died on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days, which last ten days and end on Yom Kippur — the Day of Atonement. The ten days between are known as the Ten Days of Repentance — a time to ask God for forgiveness for those you’ve wronged and making up for it with good deeds and charitable donations.

W hen I was ten years old, my grandfather died of cancer on my birthday. My mom said she thought he chose that day on purpose because he knew we’d always be joyful on that day and he would want to be remembered with joy. I think my mom was right. And I think RBG chose Rosh Hashanah.

W hile she never wanted to be a hero, Justice Ginsburg knew what would happen after she passed. In fact, her final wish was about the vacancy she left on the court. “My most fervent wish is that I not be replaced until a new president is installed.”

These words, the last of a great woman and jurist, might fall on deaf ears any other time of the year. But on this, the beginning of a new year at the start of the holiest of weeks, a time specifically for ref lection and atonement, maybe — just maybe — those in power will open their ears.

Maybe they will hear the voice of a dying woman hoping her legacy would be preserved. Maybe instead of justifying their position they will listen to hers.

In this final wish, she was fighting so as to lead others to her. She was using whatever she had to do the very best she could.

The least we could do is listen.

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

Allison Lantero third-year law student Sept. 19

8

DAILY

The observer | Monday, September 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | WILl shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Put a strategy in place that will help you excel this year. Use your imagination and be innovative, and you’ll come up with a plan that far exceeds anything you’ve done in the past. Life is about living and following the path that brings out the best in you. Take the initiative to make changes that will lead to happiness. Your numbers are 9, 15, 21, 27, 30, 38, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep your anger in check. It’s not worth getting into a battle with someone who doesn’t share your beliefs, concerns or ethical values.

Put your energy into something worthwhile, and you will achieve satisfaction and happiness. Make love a priority.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll have trouble making up your mind. Too many choices will add to your confusion. Follow the path that can provide you with balance and equality, and you will discover true happiness. Don’t give up on your dreams.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Settle into something that makes you feel comfortable.

A creative hobby or making positive changes to your residence will put your mind at ease. Be reluctant to believe secondhand information or take a chance on something risky.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Pay closer attention to what’s going on around you. A unique offer will tempt you. Share your feelings with someone who can help you reconcile a problem you’ve been dealing with personally. An emotional incident will help clear your head.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Less emotion and more strategy will help you navigate any conflicts you encounter. Look for alternatives, follow through with doable plans and help resolve issues holding you back. Take control and make your move.

Romance and self-improvement are favored.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Review the past, explore the present and embrace the future. Eliminate what isn’t working for you, and clear the path for new beginnings. Consider the cost involved, and make the necessary accommodations to reach your destination. Trust and believe in yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be discreet regarding how you earn your living and how much you make. If someone is nosy, move the focus to him or her. Use persuasion to help you get a better understanding of what others want from you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Put your plan in motion. It’s time to take action by making the adjustments that will encourage you to do what brings you the most joy. Be honest with yourself about what you want to happen, and proceed with confidence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Expect others to overreact and play emotional games with you if you are too complacent or vague. Be abrupt, and initiate what you want to do before someone puts you in an awkward position.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Slow down. If you reveal what you are doing prematurely, you will be met with opposition. Solidify your plans, and get things up and running so you can offer something tangible. Be sensitive to the needs of someone you love.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Look over your documents, and clear up unfinished business. An aggressive approach to what you want to happen will be in your best interest. Don’t argue over something that doesn’t matter. Stay focused on what you want.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Manage your finances with care. If you let emotional spending happen, you will be short when you need cash the most. You cannot buy love or happiness, but you can achieve peace of mind if you handle your money wisely.

Birthday Baby: You are intense, persistent and unpredictable. You are possessive and sensitive.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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excited that some young talent emerged during Saturday’s race.

“We happened to be led by [sophomore] Jessica Schneider in her first cross country race of her life actually,” Sparks said.

“She was a field hockey player in high school and redshirted last year. She led the way for us yesterday.”

Schneider won the five-mile race in a time of 16:59.21.

Sparks was also happy that his team was able to pack up during the race.

“We had basically five runners separated by 20 seconds or so, so we did a good job of working together for the first competition in a long time,” Sparks stated. “We wanted to rely on each other instead of going out there and figuring things out on your own because it had been awhile since we competed. We did a good job of finding the people that we train with everyday and working our way through the course of the competition.”

Sparks was also excited to see true freshman Erin Strzelecki as the fifth runner for the Irish.

Strzelecki finished in a time of 17:13.16.

“We knew we were going to have to rely on some inexperienced cross country runners in order to have success and it was neat to see Erin Strzelecki as a freshman fill out the top-five for us,” Sparks said. “Erin was a high school All-American, so we expected an easier transition from high school to college even though it has only been a couple of months.”

Sparks stressed the importance of keeping the momentum from Saturday’s race.

“We need to maintain that confidence that we found yesterday,” Sparks said. “Carrying that forward is a big piece that we are going to look to maintain through the next competition.”

Other notable finishers for the Irish were graduate student Erin Archibeck (17:04.27), junior Maddy Denner (17:09.34), and senior AnnaSophia Keller (17:11.19).

Head men’s cross country coach Sean Carlson was very pleased with how his team opened the year as well.

“This is the best we have opened up a season since I’ve been at Notre Dame by a significant margin,” Carlson said.

The Irish had 10 runners complete the 5-mile race in under 25 minutes. Carlson drew a comparison to last year’s

ndsmcobserver.com | Monday, September 21, 2020 | The Observer

National Catholic Invite, which usually takes place around this time of the year. In that race last year, then-sophomore Dylan Jacobs won the race in a time of 25:08.94 in what would end up being an All-American season for him.

The performance on Saturday showed Carlson that his team is making steps in the right direction.

“It’s a necessary step for us, so I’m excited to see that. We are starting a couple of steps ahead of where we were at a year ago,” Carlson stated. “A year ago we were eighth-place in the country, so it shows that we are kinda making that progression to what some of our goals are.”

Carlson was very impressed by true freshman Joshua Methner who was the fifth runner for the Irish in a time of 24:12.89, and kept up with the pack of veteran Irish runners.

“That was really impressive what Methner did to run with those guys in that pack,” Sparks said. “A lot of the guys have potential to be All-American this year in cross country, and for Josh to come out in his first race as a freshman and be with those guys was really impressive. That was the first five-mile race that he has ever run. That was certainly one of the more impressive performances of the day.”

Methner was one of the top high school runners in the nation last season, and he looks to have a successful running career at Notre Dame ahead of him according to Carlson.

“That is the best start that I’ve seen of any freshman at Notre Dame, and we have had some pretty good runners,” hesaid.

Other notable finishers for the Irish included senior Yared Nuguse (24:06.92), senior Andrew Alexander (24:09.84), junior Dylan Jacobs (24:09.87), and junior Danny Kilrea (24:12.25).

The Irish will be back in competition in two weeks at Louisville, and Carlson has high expectations for what his unit will look like come that time.

“Our goal is to establish ourselves and reaffirm with the guys in the program that if we are trying to compete for trophies at nationals, we should certainly be able to look like that same team at Louisville,” Carlson said. “The idea is to continue to reaffirm our identity and where our program is at right now.”

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverSports

9

Sports Authority

Big Ten’s arrival shakes up Playoff picture Thomas A. Zwiller Sports Writer

The Big Ten Football Conference announced that it would cancel its fall 2020 season on Aug. 11th, but after protests, a petition and even lawsuits, the Big Ten is back.

The season will officially start on the weekend of Oct. 24th.

The biggest reason for the Big Ten’s change of course is that they have begun to utilize rapid response testing such as antigen and PCR testing. The co-chair of the Big Ten’s Return to Competition Task Force medical subcommittee, Dr. Jim Borchers, was quoted as saying: “We know that if we can test daily with rapid testing in these small populations of teams, we’re very likely to reduce infectiousness inside practices and game competitions to near 100%.”

The Big Ten, as a result of starting later than the ACC, Big 12, and SEC, plans to play an abbreviated conference only schedule consisting of eight games. That allows them to crown a champion before the CFP Committee meets and releases the final four teams on Dec.20th, and there’s no reason to assume that an 8-game schedule wouldn’t be enough to qualify the conference.

But what does this mean for the rest of college football? Once the Big Ten moved its schedule I assumed the College Football Playoff would consist of the conference champions from the three remaining Power 5 conference, plus a one-loss team (one that had most likely lost in one of the conference championships games).

I had assumed the CFP would look something like: No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 4 Georgia/LSU. After all, the preseason AP poll had Clemson at No. 1, Alabama at No. 3, Oklahoma at No. 5 and Georgia at No. 4 (Ohio State was ranked at No. 2, but obviously wasn’t going to play at the time).

After the first week of college football, the Big Ten was removed and, lo and behold, the rankings were Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Georgia. The potential spoilers, like Auburn, Florida and Notre Dame weren’t far behind at No. 5, 6, and

7, respectively. There would be potential for a Group of 5 Conference Championship team to make it into the title, but that seemed pretty unlikely to me. The highest ranked Group of 5 Conference teams were Cincinnati and UCF at No. 13 and 14, respectively.

For UCF and Cincinnati to make it, they would have to win out (and they play each other on Nov. 21), win their conference and leapfrog over the aforementioned dark horses, like ND, Auburn, Florida and LSU. But, as I said, unlikely (but there is a small chance).

However, at the end of the day, the three conference championship teams and one lucky other Power 5 team were pretty sure to make the CFP and play for a title. With the Big Ten teams back in play, however, that all changes. Now, if I had to guess, I would say the CFP would consist of Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma, not too different a bracket from last years, albeit with a little bit of shuffling around:

The Big Losers Georgia This was my dark horse pick to make the CFP with the departure of the Big Ten. While yes, they do play Alabama, I still expect them to win the SEC East and play for the SEC title (where they would most likely face Alabama again).

They still would have to make it through ranked Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida; quite a tall order.

If they beat Alabama twice, they would easily make it as the No. 1 or No. 2 seed, If they split their series with Alabama, they would potentially make it as the No. 4 seed. If they lost both, well, they have a good chance at a No. 4 seed, depending on ND and LSU. With the Big Ten back, I don’t expect a playoff berth beyond winning the SEC Title.

Record: 9-2; Finish: SEC Runner-Up

similar case as Georgia. If they had beat Clemson two times, automatic entry to the CFP. If they had split with Clemson, they would most likely enter as the No. 4 seed. If they lost both, there would’ve never been a better year for a two-loss team to make it.

I don’t particularly like their odds against Clemson. That being said, Notre Dame joining a conference makes their case a lot stronger, and if you ask me, they should stay in the ACC rather than go back to being Independent. A chance at a Conference Championship every year in a weaker conference could see them making more CFPs in the future. But with the Big Ten back, this year it seems unlikely.

Record: 10-2; Finish: ACC Runner-Up

Texas While Texas may be back, I don’t think they’ll be back in the Playoff picture anytime soon. They have a pretty similar circumstance to the ones above. They would have to beat out Oklahoma and a ranked Oklahoma State to even have a chance, but they simply aren’t as good as teams like ND or Georgia Win out vs Oklahoma? Very unlikely, but would probably get them the No. 3 seed. Split vs Oklahoma? Unlikely still, but a possible No. 4 seed with that scenario. Lose both, then ND or Georgia would take your spot.

Their chances were already unlikely, but with the Big Ten back, all the more unlikely.

Record: 8-2; Finish: Big 12 Runner-Up

The Group of 5

Notre Dame

This easily could’ve been the best case for the Group of 5 to get UCF or Cincinnati into the CFP. Like I said before, this would be pretty unlikely.

They would have to jump some good teams, but still, an undefeated Group of 5 team, with a large margin of victory, a conference championship and no Big Ten or Pac-12 gave them hope. Now? Same as any given year.

Finish: Nowhere near the CFP

Notre Dame will be a dominant force in the ACC this year. While yes, they have tough opponents this year, namely No. 1 Clemson and No. 12 North Carolina, I thought that they had a

Contact Thomas A. Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

10

Sports

The observer | Monday, September 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Adams Continued from page 12

Frozen Four was going on.

I vaguely remembered something about the Frozen Four being the hockey version of the Final Four because the aforementioned stats teacher would put up the NCAA hockey bracket on of his white boards annually. Even as I saw videos promoting Notre Dame’s appearance in that year’s semifinals, I still didn’t give the game of hockey any quasi-serious thought.

And then I enrolled at Notre Dame.

It wasn’t an immediate spark. I didn’t just become obsessed with the sport like my Predators-obsessed friend.

However, seeing people wear Notre Dame hockey jerseys to football games probably started it for me when I saw those nice threads.

And then, of course, I bought a Notre Dame hockey jersey from the bookstore for an absurd amount of money. Little did I realize that it was one of their Hockey East jerseys they were trying to dump (as they had changed conferences that offseason) in favor of new ones with the Big Ten logo.

But it was still a sick jersey, one which I wore while working the camera on hockey broadcasts for Fighting Irish Media.

During one such broadcast of the Irish against (I believe) Nebraska-Omaha, I think I may have seen the play that sparked my love for the game.

Down a point and having pulled the goalie in favor of an extra man on the ice, the Mavericks left themselves wide open for a long shot from the Irish. As I had my camera zoomed in tracking the puck on its way to an empty net goal, out of nowhere a black jersey came flying on screen as the player dove on the ice and deflected the puck away from the goal with his stick at the last second.

I may have thought the play was more spectacular than it was considering my lack of experience with the game, but as one who gets up for hustle plays in sports, that play certainly elevated hockey as a sport in my eyes — that and the Irish being the No. 1 team in the country for most of the year behind the play of star goalie Cale Morris.

From there, being a (proud)

W Soccer Continued from page 12

forward Kiki Van Zanten. The young forward netted three goals in the Notre Dame victory.

Applying pressure from the beginning, Van Zanten was a menace to the Hurricane defense.

She scored once in the 42nd minute and twice more within the last ten minutes of the game.

Junior forward Olivia Wingate was the third scorer for the Irish.

Wingate scored the second goal

resident of Zahm House did a lot of work as well, as I cheered on our interhall hockey team, FEAR. Never mind the fact that every FEAR game I attended as a freshman was a loss and every one I missed was a win.

Badgering the referees with chants of “Bird Box Challenge” (gotta love how it so encapsulates the time period) and “Helen Keller” (Yeah … Sorry about this one) was a pretty unique bonding experience.

Even if your team isn’t playing, you should come to one of Zahm’s interhall hockey games just to get a taste of it. It’s a cultural experience. But I digress.

That 2017-2018 Notre Dame hockey run was a thing of beauty. Joining the Big Ten for the first time in a sport other than football and proceeding to record a record win streak and win the conference tournament in our first season was such a delightful slap to their face (and another win, we won it the very next season).

Then came the NCAA Tournament and two of my favorite Notre Dame sports memories, rivaled only by Arike “Ice Twice” Ogunbowale’s backto-back game winners in the 2018 women’s Final Four and Ian Book’s go-ahead touchdown pass to Miles Boykin in the 2018 Citrus Bowl — the latter of which had my dad blaspheming he was so excited.

And speaking of my dad — who also knew nothing about hockey — he was the one who told me about the first of the hockey team’s great moments since I couldn’t see it live. In the opening round of the tourney, the No. 1-seeded Irish were nearly eliminated by a scrappy Michigan Tech team.

First, with the match knotted at 3-3 and just over four minutes left in overtime, the puck slipped by Cale Morris on a Tech shot and somehow moved so slowly the Irish managed to get a stick in the way and deflect it. Then, divine providence struck for an exhausted Irish defense unable to get a line change as the Huskies were maintaining pressure.

Defenseman Mark Auk’s stick broke as he hit it on the ice in a slapshot attempt.

Then-sophomore forward Cam Morrison raced up ice as his shot was saved by the Huskies, but the puck came out to senior defenseman Jordan Gross, who flicked it past the goaltender

for the Irish in the 11th minute, solidifying her team’s lead early on in the game.

Delgado, similar to when playing against the Seminoles, proved to be an integral piece of Notre Dame’s strategy. The junior assisted two goals and played a total of 49 minutes.

The Irish have a bye week before returning to action Oct. 1 in their home opener against Boston College.

Contact Inigo Yturralde at iyturral@nd.edu

from range to lift the Irish out of the first round.

After beating Providence in the next round to advance to their second-straight Frozen Four, the Irish would get a rematch with new Big Ten archrival Michigan. Up 3-2 in the third period, the Wolverines managed to beat Morris and tie the game with 5:22 remaining.

Then, magic.

Michigan advanced the puck for their final regulation chance with just under 30 seconds on the clock. The puck was pinned and bouncing around in the corner of Notre Dame’s side until Gross managed to knock it out to senior forward Jake Evans.

Evans advanced to Morrison, who skated in from the left flank. He swung the puck around and left it right on Wolverines goalie Hayden Lavigne’s doorstep as Evans overpowered (and nutmegged) his defender for the gamewinner to send the Irish to the national championship.

I’m still peeved that they couldn’t seal the deal by beating Minnesota Duluth in for the natty, but I’m ever so grateful for the image of Jake Evans skating into the Irish bench while doing the “Touchdown Jesus” and getting mobbed by his teammates. That, and the last call against Michigan that plays back sweeter in my mind every time I think about it: “One more chance. Morrison.

Can they do it again?

“Morrison, shot, score! They do it again!

“Can you believe it? The luck of the Irish strikes again.”

P.S. shoutout to Michael Curley, FEAR goalie extraordinaire last season, who saved back-to-back penalty shots in the interhall hockey semifinals to send us to the championship and gave me the first FEAR win

I had ever witnessed in person.

You were the real MVP. Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Observer File Photo

Former Irish forward Cam Morrison takes a wrist shot during Notre Dame’s 3-2 loss to Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 27 at home.

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ndsmcobserver.com | Monday, September 21, 2020 | The Observer

11

Sports Authority

Previewing the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals Andrew McGuinness Sports Writer

Welcome to the biggest stage in sports, like we’ve never seen it before.

The National Hockey League will be the first of the four major sports leagues to award a championship during the COV ID-19 pandemic. More waiting and effort have gone into this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs than any before it, and hopefully more than any after it.

After qualif ying rounds, the Stanley Cup Playoffs officially began Aug. 11.

Sixteen teams: 16 wins away from achieving every hockey player’s ultimate dream. It has been thrilling. It has been a little weird. But it definitely has been fun, and for fans of 29 teams, that’s all that matters.

As for the other two, their season has one final chapter.

W hat they will write is up to them. Here they are, four wins separating them from the greatest trophy in sports.

In a year full of unanswerable questions, the 20192020 NHL season only has one left to answer: W ho will win the Stanley Cup?

The Matchup: No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning (43-21-6) vs.

No. 3 Dallas Stars (37-24-8) The last time here Tampa Bay’s current core reached the 2015 finals, back when they were considered young guns. They lost to the Blackhawks dynasty in six.

Dallas lost the 2000 finals in six to the Devils. Both teams have one other finals appearance, with Dallas winning in 1999 on a goal that shouldn’t have counted and Tampa winning in 2004 in large part because a goal that should’ve counted against them didn’t. We’ll see if this year’s winner can do it without slipping a twenty in the referees’ pockets (just kidding … probably).

The journey here Tampa Bay took down the team that swept them in the first round last year (Columbus) and the team they won their last playoff series against before this year (Boston) in five games.

The Islanders gave them a bit of a tougher time, as Tampa dominated most games but needed six contests to close out the series.

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Dallas came out of the gates slow, scoring in the final minute of Game 4 of their first round series against Calgar y to avoid going down 3-1 in the series.

Since then, the Stars have been almost unstoppable, winning three straight against Calgar y, taking a 3-1 series lead against the Avalanche and then winning Game 7 in overtime on a goal by a guy no one had ever heard of. Then they knocked off the last remaining “favorite” in the West, taking Vegas to task in five games.

Conn Smythe (Playoff MVP) watch TB: This is Victor Hedman’s award to lose if Tampa Bay wins. Hedman’s nine goals put him in an eight-way tie for the second most goals in the playoffs, but he’s the only defenseman in that group. Hedman has been an absolute machine for the Lightning all playoffs, easily leading the team in time-on-ice per game, playing significant minutes with just about ever y other Tampa defender.

DAL: Miro Heiskanen is the obvious candidate here.

Entering the Conference Finals, Heiskanen’s 21 points led the field among the final four teams. You’d think it was illegal for the Stars to score when he or John Klingberg aren’t on the ice; something like 90% of the Stars goals have been scored with at least one of those guys on the ice. He set up Denis Gurianov’s OT series winner against Vegas and has looked like a poised veteran with the puck all playoffs.

The Lightning win because Simply put, it’s their time.

Tampa has been all around the Cup the last few years.

They have some of the top high end talent in the league even with captain Steven Stamkos seeming unlikely to return. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point have proven they’re more than capable of carr ying a championship team. A lot of secondar y pieces remain from their 2015 Finals run and since then, the Lightning have done a great job finding support players. The price to acquire some of them was hefty, but ever yone said it would be worth it if they won a ring. They’re four wins away.

Tampa’s backend might be their biggest strength. Their left-side is absolutely loaded, featuring Norris finalist Hedman, former Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh and young star Mikhail Sergachev. All three could be first-pair defensemen on more than half of the teams in the league. The right-side looks weak on paper, but the left has carried them to a solid playoff performance.

Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the best goalies in the NHL and, after struggling in last year’s playoffs, has been lights out this year. W hether it’s offense or defense, 5-on-5 or special teams, the Lightning are a tough team to beat.

The Stars win because They’ve proved they can win in multiple ways, doing whatever it takes to get past an opponent. Dallas was the second best defensive team in the regular season, while lagging behind offensively.

Even dealing with a significant injur y of their own, as former Lightning member Ben Bishop has been unfit to play for almost the entire playoffs, the Stars have thrived over the last twoand-a-half rounds. They survived a surprising midseason coaching change due

to off-ice circumstances, as well as a 1-7-1 start to the season.

Dallas’ turnaround started when they added Alexander Radulov in 2017, forming one of the deadliest top lines on paper. Captain and linemate Jamie Benn has been a beast in the playoffs, and Radulov has been clutch as well, scoring two goals in Game 7 against the Avalanche and an OT winner against Vegas.

Adding Joe Pavelski to the fray last summer finally gave the Stars a legitimate secondar y scorer, and it was his last-minute game-tying goal in Game 4 against the Flames (his third of the game) to spark the Stars turnaround. Add in a mix of solid young players like Gurianov and Roope Hintz, and the Stars for ward group is actually quite formidable.

Dallas’ top three defensemen are as good as any and can easily match up with Tampa’s. Heiskanen’s dominance has already been detailed, but John Klingberg has been just as good. The Stars’ power-play defenseman has 16 points in the playoffs. Though he and fellow defenseman Esa Lindell haven’t been great analytically, they’ve shown great chemistr y in the past and I’d expect a bounce-back in the Finals.

However, their defensive depth pales in comparison to Tampa’s; it’s easily the biggest mismatch of the series. Anton Khudobin has quietly been one of the best backup goalies in the league three years running and he’s proven he can hack it on the biggest stage.

The pick Even with all of the injuries, even with how good the Stars have been playing, I still feel that is Tampa Bay’s year. Granted, I felt that heading into last year’s tournament, but this year I thought they were either going out in Round 1 or winning it all, especially when they drew a rematch with Columbus in the East Quarterfinals. But Tampa Bay has looked absolutely unstoppable so far in these playoffs. The Bolts were my picks to win it all when the playoffs began, and they haven‘t given me any reason to change my mind.

Lightning in six.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

12

The observer | Monday, September 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

nd women’s soccer | fsu 5, nd 0; nd 6, miami 0

Irish open season with series split in Florida

By INIGO YTURRALDE Sports Writer

This past weekend, the women’s soccer team competed against two southern rivals, Florida State on Thursday, and University of Miami on Sunday.

The big road trip to Florida marked the first two games of the season for the Irish. Coming home with a win and a loss, the team has a lot to reflect on looking forward.

There is a lot of pressure when asked to start the season with a double header on the road.

This is magnified not only by the fact that Florida State, the closer of the two destinations, is more than 900 miles from South Bend, but that every game holds extra weight. This season, due to COVID-19, only the top four ACC teams in each division of the conference will make the conference tournament.

Before the game, women’s soccer head coach, Nate Norman, shared his thoughts on the year and the coming season.

“Like any year, leadership is unbelievably important, and this year only magnifies that,”

Norman said. “… I think whenever you play games in the fall, there’s always that sense of great value in each game. I still think [the players] look at every game like it’s crucial to the season…

I hope they look at it as it’s such a privilege to be able to play. I hope they’re able to go out there and enjoy it.”

Even after taking their coach’s words into account, the Irish suffered a loss on Thursday against the Seminoles. The final score of the game was 5-0 in favor of the home team. They dominated play throughout the game, scoring their first goal in the 19th minute and their last in the 78th.

Only two players stayed on the field for the duration of the game for the Irish: junior defender Jade Gosar and junior goalkeeper Mattie Interian. Gosar and Interian are expected to lead the Irish this year as they did in this game. The Irish struggled to find their rhythm through the entire game; they only managed to get two shots off.

Of particular note was junior midfielder Luisa Delgado, who came off of the bench and played

a total of 55 minutes. Delgado was the substitute who played the most for the Irish.

The Seminoles’ five goals were scored by four different players.

Most notable was the performance of junior midfielder Yujie Zhao, who came off of the bench and managed to score two goals for Florida State.

After their game against Florida State, the Irish had a short layover before traveling to play the University of Miami on Sunday. The game ended much differently than their previous encounter with a Floridabased team. The Irish women came away from their second game with a 6-0 victory over the Hurricanes.

The Irish really hit their stride against Miami. The goals were evenly distributed to three per half. Senior midfielder Sammi Fisher opened up the scoring in the seventh minute with a penalty kick. Fisher would go on to compliment this goal with another early in the second half.

The biggest standout for the Irish on Sunday was sophomore

Erin fennessy | The Observer

see W SOCCER PAGE 10

Former Irish defender Shannon Hendricks kicks the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-0 victory over Syracuse on Oct. 4 at Alumni Stadium.

COLUMN

nd cross country | Irish classic

Notre Dame sweeps Irish Classic against Louisville

By NATE MOLLER

Appreciation from an unlikely fan Hayden Adams

Sports Writer

Sports Editor

The Notre Dame men’s and women’s cross country teams opened their season this past Saturday at the Irish Classic at Burke Golf Course. Although the only other team at the meet was Louisville, the Irish dominated with both sides getting a perfect team score of 15.

On the women’s side, head coach Matt Sparks was ecstatic his team had the chance to compete again after months of no competition.

“The nice thing about this situation was that we just competed,” Sparks stated. “There were no restrictions because of COVID. It was nice to have that sense of normalcy back in our lives.”

Over the past few years, the Irish were led by veterans Molly Seidel and Anna Rohrer, who were both in contention for the individual national titles during their careers. With their departures, Sparks was

stephen hannon | The Observer

Irish sophomore Olivia Markezich, left, and graduate student Erin see XC PAGE 9 Archibeck run in the Irish Classic on Saturday at Burke Golf Course.

I’ve said it a million times in Sports Authorities and columns, but I’m from Kentucky.

That reason I’m bringing it up this time though is not to talk about football and basketball, but hockey.

To be honest — and this may be heresy — I knew nothing about Notre Dame football before I got to campus. I just remember flipping the channel to NBC for whatever reason as a senior in high school and seeing Notre Dame players walking to the locker room after a 38-35 loss to Duke at home in 2016, prompting me to ask my parents something to the effect of: “Notre Dame lost to Duke?

Aren’t they supposed to be good at football?”

I only got into college football a little bit my junior and senior years of high school because the University of Kentucky got halfway decent under head coach Mark Stoops (Side note: God bless that man). Even then

I didn’t know very much about it other than you try to get the ball in the endzone or through the uprights.

But for the very little I knew about the intricacies of football, I knew even less about hockey.

You can’t blame me. Basically, no school in the state even had a team. I had one classmate in high school who was on a regional squad made up of kids from various schools that won the state championship.

The next closest people with connections to the sport were another classmate who was a Nashville Predators fanatic and my former statistics teacher who played goalie on the ice in high school and worked as a hockey referee on the side.

I came to Notre Dame for admitted students day one weekend in April 2017, the day after North Carolina beat Gonzaga to win the national championship (Side note: That year’s Kentucky team should’ve made it instead, but I’m biased). It was also the same time that the NCAA see ADAMS PAGE 10

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Kiser Continued from page 1

matter if you’re going to scout team or not. And so when I got the news [I was starting] I was like: alright, let’s go. It’s time to play.”

Kiser didn’t just play. He led the team in total tackles and solo tackles, and tied for first in tackles for loss. His eight tackles against USF were the first eight of his career. The prize for his efforts? The game ball.

“Jack Kiser was given the game ball for his play, and the reaction in the locker room, you know, was pretty impressive in terms of — I think everybody was excited when he got the game ball,” head coach Brian Kelly said post-game.

Kiser himself was almost at a loss for words when describing what the honor — and his team’s reaction to it — meant to him.

“It’s confirmation that all that hard work that you put in

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beginning of the second quarter. Book took matters into his own hands to end the drive again, diving across the line to make it 21-0.

South Florida had another three-and-out and Notre Dame another score on the next two possessions. This time it was junior running back C’Bo Flemister on the job, his 26yard gain for a touchdown the longest carry of his career. His touchdown capped the most efficient drive of the afternoon until that point, which took just 1:57 and five plays to cover 53 yards.

On their fourth drive, the Bulls tried graduate student Noah Johnson at quarterback instead, but he had just as much trouble as the man he replaced, sophomore Jordan McCloud. USF recorded its third three-and-out, but Notre Dame couldn’t capitalize, as the next drive was the first scoreless one. After eight plays for 46 yards, Kyren Williams couldn’t push through on third down, sending out senior kicker Jonathan Doerer for a 38yard field goal which he missed wide left.

Fortunately for the Irish the Bulls followed on trend, returning the ball to Notre Dame on yet another three-and-out.

The snap was too high for USF punter Trent Schneider, who barely got a chip off as he was going down. That gave the ball back to Notre Dame on the 25yard line. In less than a minute, Book pushed across the line again. With it, he made himself the first quarterback in Notre Dame history to record three rushing touchdowns in a single half.

“Ian was better today. I thought he managed our offense very well. … He got us off to a good start with some good

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working in the shadows, the guys in the locker room see that,” Kiser said. “I don’t know.

It was great. It was awesome.”

The sophomore played a larger-than-anticipated role against the Bulls due to the unexpected absences of sophomore and junior linebackers Marist Liufau and Shayne Simon, the two players in front of him at Buck on the depth chart. Despite finding out that he’d be starting Saturday morning, Kiser stepped in seamlessly. Kelly attributed the success of that transition to exceptional levels of preparation.

“He’s well-coached. He’s a great student,” he said. “He’s just smart. He does extra work to prepare. He’s a remarkable young man and … [he] put himself in a position where he [could] lead our team in tackles.”

For his part, Kiser admitted the reality of his situation hasn’t really sunk in. As a kid from small-town Indiana,

simply being on the team is special. Being one of its top performers is an even more unbelievable honor.

“Notre Dame is the peak of [the] mountain in terms of college football, and especially in Indiana. Wearing a golden helmet? Just to be on the team — those are dreams of many kids here in the state of Indiana,” he said. “To put the helmet on, walk down that staircase and then get on that field — it’s surreal. To actually take live snaps and contribute to the defense and contribute to a win? That’s amazing. And then to get the game ball? You don’t think like things like that will happen to you. And it’s about the guys in the locker and when they found out and during the whole game. They’re always right there supporting me and having my back.

“That just gives you all the confidence in the world.”

completions down the field,” Kelly said. “I thought he led our team to the kind of fast start that we wanted. He was really tuned in. I thought he had a great week of practice. Really liked his demeanor. Really worked on his pocket presence. I liked his calmness in the pocket. It was a really good progression from where he was last week.”

In the first half, Notre Dame scored on five of six drives. All five of those scores were touchdowns. USF recorded just one first down.

The Bulls came out of the locker room with a little more gusto, collecting four first downs for 54 yards on their first drive. The effort still ended without points, and a fourth down gamble resulted in a turnover on downs. Despite good field positioning, the Irish couldn’t get seven, but where Book couldn’t convert Doerer could, netting a 22-yarder to make it 38-0.

The woes continued for USF on the next drive with another stray punt snap, which led to a late punt, which was blocked by sophomore linebacker Osita Ekwonu. The muff was scooped up by freshman defensive end Jordan Botelho, who rolled into the end zone for a special teams touchdown, his first career score. USF answered back with another three-and-out. On the following Irish drive, Book was replaced by freshman signal caller Drew Pyne, whose first career series ended in Notre Dame’s first punt of the day.

Kelly said Pyne’s role was critical for giving Book rest.

“Drew is out there to eat clock,” Kelly said. “We gave him a couple of tough looks in the passing game where he didn’t have much of a look there in terms of being able to throw it, but we really like Drew, and he’ll be fine. He’s smart. He works hard in all of the meetings, and he’s always well

prepared.”

The next drive was the Bulls’ most productive, highlighted by a Noah Johnson completion to junior receiver Latrell Williams for 36 yards and a Ford jet sweep for a 22-yard gain. Regardless, USF had nothing to show for it as they ended the drive scoreless yet again on a loss of downs.

Meaningless drives were traded yet again as the Irish punted and the Bulls had their fourth turnover on downs of the day.

Notre Dame didn’t take its foot off the gas in the next series. At fourth and goal, the Irish went for it anyway, and senior running back Jafar Armstrong ran it in to make it 52-0, the final score of the ballgame.

Book ended the day with a 63% completion rate, collecting 152 yards of offense. His performance boosted him past current offensive coordinator Tommy Rees for third place in Notre Dame history in terms of career offensive yards. The fifth-year quarterback now trails just Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen in the metric.

Four different ball carriers found the end zone and the Irish recorded 429 yards of total offense on the day, 148 in the air and 281 on the ground.

Notre Dame converted on both of their fourth down attempts, averaged 6.5 yards per play and converted on six of seven red zone opportunities. The Irish had 21 first down to USF’s 11.

“When I took over the program, the program was not winning,” Kelly said. “It is now a winning program. We just talked about 20 consecutive wins at home.”

Next week, Notre Dame will travel to Winston-Salem to take on Wake Forest. Kickoff is set for noon.

Scoring Summary 1

2nd

3rd

4th

Total

0

0

0

0

0

14

21

10

7

52

Notre dame 7, south florida 0

Ian Book 4-yard run (Jonathan Doerer kick)

12:05

remaining Drive: Seven plays, 54 yards, 2:55 elapsed

NOTRE DAME 14, south florida 0 Chris Tyree 1-yard run (Doerer kick)

7:06

remaining Drive: Seven plays, 43 yards, 3:24 elapsed

2

Notre Dame 21, south florida 0 Book 1-yard run (Doerer kick)

14:25

remaining Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:07 elapsed

Notre dame 28, south florida 0

C’Bo Flemister 26-yard run (Doerer kick)

Contact Ellen Geyer at egeyer1@nd.edu

Contact Ellen Geyer at egeyer1@nd.edu

1st

11:15

remaining Drive: Five plays, 53 yards, 1:57 elapsed

notre dame 35, south florida 0 Book 1-yard run (Doerer kick)

1:55

remaining Drive: Four plays, 25 yards, 0:54 elapsed

3

Notre Dame 38, south florida 0 Doerer 22-yard field goal

6:34

remaining Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 3:21 elapsed

Notre dame 45, south florida 0

Jordan Botelho 1-yard return of blocked punt (Doerer kick)

3:23

remaining Drive: Six plays, 27 yards, 3:11 elapsed

4

NOTRE DAME 52, south florida 0

Jafar Armstrong 5-yard run (Dawson Goepferich kick)

2:15

remaining Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 7:00 elapsed

statistics RUSHING yards 106 281

PASSING yards 125 148

total yards 231 429

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The observer | monday, september 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish sophomore running back Kyren Williams sprints forward during the Notre Dame shutout victory over South Florida at Notre Dame Stadium this past Saturday. Williams added another strong performance this week, rushing for 62 total yards over 10 runs. Last week, he took advantage of his first career start, putting up 205 all-purpose yards.

Playing for a shutout

Notre Dame’s offense got off to a quick start and never slowed down. They scored a touchdown in each of their first four possessions. Several Irish defensive starters did not play, but their replacements were dominant on the other side of the ball, shutting out the Bulls. The special teams unit also took advantage of a pair of bad long snaps to help the dominant win.

Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish graduate student defensive end Ade Ogundeji charges the quarterback during the shutout win.

Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish graduate student quarterback Ian Book throws the ball during Notre Dame’s win, the program’s 1,300th game, against South Florida.

Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Junior running back C’Bo Flemister tries to evade a defender during the 52-0 Irish win at home.

Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish quarterback Ian Book calls for the snap during Notre Dame’s win over South Florida. Book became the first quarterback in modern program history to record three rushing touchdowns in the first half.