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Volume 55, Issue 7 | Friday, september 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
SMC updates visitor rules
HERE focuses on mental health Campaign’s fifth value emphasizes emotional support during pandemic By ISABELLA LAUFENBERG News Writer
Along with the physical dangers of being on campus during a global pandemic, University leaders are concerned about the effects on students’ and community members’ mental health. In an effort to expand COVID-19 assistance to include mental health support and resources, Notre Dame has recently launched a fifth HERE value –– emotional support and well-being. Vice president of the University graduate school, Laura Carlson, is leading the newly created emotional support and well-being group. Their goal, Carlson said, was to alter
the HERE campaign to focus on the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health. “One of the initiatives that we undertook was to think about the HERE campaign, which is really an emphasis on physical health and broaden that to include the emotional component,” Carlson said. Jennifer Hames, a professor of psychology who serves on Carlson’s committee, agreed with Carlson and said she believes there are a lot of factors leading to the necessity of this new value. “As a result of the pandemic, as well as the social unrest that’s happening with regard to race relations in our country right now, there’s just so much
uncertainty, unpredictability, lack of control and just overall unrest and stress,” Hames said. “It’s one of these situations where it’s to be expected that people are going to be struggling emotionally.” Hames also stressed the importance of students, faculty and staff prioritizing their mental health during these times. “It’s so important to be taking care of our mental health all the time, but especially during times where there is just a chronic and ongoing stressor ... It could be COVID-19, it could be the race relations in our country, and all of these things are really intersecting right now causing a lot of extra stress that we’re not used to having on our plates,”
Group addresses study abroad for spring 2021 By LIBBEY DETCHER News Writer
Though fall study abroad programs were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Saint Mary’s will plan to move forward with spring study abroad programs, Alice Siqin Yang, the associate director of international education, said. The Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership (CWIL), which is in charge
of study abroad, has been monitoring the CDC’s global health status and the situation in the destination countries for months since the pandemic hit. CWIL typically has one deadline for study abroad applications in March of the preceding year a student is planning to go abroad. This year, however, the office has added a deadline of Oct. 1 for students to apply to programs for the spring semester. The
normal application fee of $50 has also been waived. “We will make the final decision on the programs by the application deadline, Oct. 1,” she said. Even though study abroad applications are open and the College is planning on going forward with spring programs at this time, students still express hesitancy towards applying. Senior
By MIA MARROQUIN Saint Mary’s News Editor
From Baking Club to the Lady Accountants of Tomorrow, the range of clubs available for Saint Mary’s students is seemingly endless. Recently, juniors Lauren Peterson and Megan King have tried to add their club, “Smicks for Choice” to the list, but have
NEWS PAGE 3
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
Observer Staff Report
Interim vice president of student affairs Gloria Roldán Jenkins informed students that the College would be returning to visitor guidelines established at the beginning of the semester, in an email sent to students Thursday. Jenkins said that tri-campus students will now be allowed
see HERE PAGE 4
see VISITORS PAGE 4
Jenkins holds town hall for offcampus students
see ABROAD PAGE 4
Students attempt to start pro-choice club at College been unsuccessful. Peterson and King serve as president and vice president of Smicks for Choice, respectively. The mission of Smicks for Choice is threefold, King said. “First of all, it’s about the empowerment of women, we want women to know you can make your own choices,” she said. “Second, it’s to build a community. We’ve noticed a need for a
Hames said. “And when that’s the case that makes us more vulnerable to falling into more anxiety or more depression or just anything that we may have been experiencing before –– it can be much more easily amplified or intensified.” Carlson explained that one of the new resources being implemented is a database of mental health resources located under the Emotional Support and Well-Being tab on the HERE website. “I think it has over 100 resources now,” Carlson said. “You can type in keywords and it will pull up resources that might be helpful, so if you type in self-care, for
group like this on campus, and how many students on campus were looking for something like this.” The club’s mission is also about bodily autonomy, King said. “Abortion is just one of the many decisions women make regarding their own body,” King see PRO-CHOICE PAGE 5
SCENE PAGE 10
Photo courtesy of University of Notre Dame Broadcast
University President Fr. John Jenkins adressed the off-campus Notre Dame community in a virtual town hall Wednesday evening. By DANE SHERMAN News Writer
In a virtual town hall for offcampus undergraduate students Wednesday, University President Fr. John Jenkins acknowledged the shortcomings of the University’s preparation to reopen in light of COVID-19, but he said he believes the changes Notre Dame has undergone in the past few weeks
ND WOMEN’S SOCCER PAGE 16
will allow the University to be better prepared to keep students, faculty and staff safe and on campus for the semester. Jenkins began the session by announcing the creation of an advisory task force for off-campus undergraduate students to address their needs during this time and to maintain a line of communication between them see TOWN HALL PAGE 5
MEN’S BASKETBALL PAGE 16
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The observer | Friday, september 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
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The Saint Mary’s College Investment Club hosted their first meeting of the year last week. The mission of the club is to empower and educate women to understand the stock market and investing. Profits from their $25,000 account will be donated to local charities.
The next Five days:
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Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Confession W208 Duncan Student Center noon - 1:30 p.m. Recieve Sacrament of Confession.
“Little Women” LaFortune Student Center 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Presented by SUB.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. Open to all for Sunday worship.
Labor Day campus-wide all day Offices closed, but classes remain in session.
Vision Information Session virtual 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Learn about becoming a Vision mentor
Cookies and Canvas North Quad Tent 9 p.m. - midnight. Paint your own Golden Dome and enjoy Insomnia Cookies.
Black Ecumenical Prayer Service Mallow Chapel 8 p.m. All are welcome. Available virtually.
Women’s Leadership Forum virtual 5 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. To be live streamed on StuGov Youtube.
Eucharistic Adoration Basilica 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sign up for half hour slots.
Mental Health Panel virtual 8 p.m. Learn about the impact of mental health on productivity.
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ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, september 4, 2020 | The ObserveR
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Professor’s research sheds light on pandemic By CATE VON DOHLEN News Writer
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many issues to light in the media that other w ise lay hidden beneath the surface of current events. Leaders in business, education and other industries have turned to the work of historians to better respond to the effects of the coronav irus. Department of histor y professor Joshua Specht researched the histor y of env ironmental and economic impacts of the beef industr y in the United States. Specht said his historical research has become more relevant w ith the impact of the coronav irus pandemic on meat packing facilities and production work today,
as the CDC reported 16,233 know n cases in 239 meat and poultr y processing facilities among 23 states as of July 10. Specht explained how meatpacking facilities are designed and how this has impacted the spread of COVID-19. “One of the main ways that we get basically affordable meat in large quantities is by designing slaughterhouses for ma x imum efficiency in terms of output,” Specht said. “If you imagine a factor y that’s just making screws or something, ever y thing is the same size and it makes it ver y easy to use machines. But in a slaughterhouse, you’re much more reliant on people, so there’s a lot less mechanization.” Specht said this layout means employees in meat
processing facilities work in tight conditions that make them prone to the spread of COVID-19. “W hat I saw is that the [conditions] that prov ide cheap meat for us also make slaughterhouses centers of coronav irus risk,” he said. He also spoke to a number of workers in these meatpacking facilities in doing research. “Often, the employees in the meatpacking facilities are from so-called v ulnerable groups, recent immigrants who might not have a good command of public resources and refugees,” he said. Specht said these groups are likely to continue working in extenuating circumstances like a pandemic because they are afraid to
advocate for their rights. The application of Specht’s research to working conditions in meatpacking facilities during the coronav irus pandemic has led him to new topics to look into for his research. “My research has made me particularly interested in a place of agriculture in American histor y and also American politics,” Specht said. “The pandemic and situations w ith workers and risks of workers have definitely been something that I’m getting more and more interested in from a research perspective and want to keep in mind.” He said the dy namics of communities, particularly during the pandemic, also fascinate him from a research perspective. At this
time, Specht does not have any undergraduate research assistants, yet he said he is looking for ward to working w ith student research assistants in the future. In the future, he w ill teach a histor y of food class, along w ith a class on the histor y of the American West. Specht encouraged Notre Dame campus communit y members to remember that some of the people who are most v ulnerable are staff members and employees. “To the extent that we’re all in it together – – the students, the facult y, the administration – – that’s also to protect people in the communit y and employees,” Specht said. Contact Cate Von Dohlen at cvondohl@nd.edu
Students endure long wait times via Grubhub By CLAIRE RAFFORD Assistant Managing Editor
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Sept. 3. With limited hours at the dining hall and less on-campus dining options during the campus shutdown and due to the pandemic, Notre Dame students are pivoting to ordering takeout from on-campus retail locations. However, this shift has created long lines and wait times at these locations via the Grubhub app, with some students experiencing wait times of over two hours. Senior director of Campus Dining Chris Abayasinghe said adjustments had to be made in order to pivot to a takeout-only model at the beginning of this school year, and that with students exclusively ordering through Grubhub, there was a learning curve for both Campus Dining staff and the Grubhub app’s algorithm. “So if you’ll imagine as more and more people utilize the app, the app will then run its own algorithm to be able to understand what we find should and could look like,”
Abayasinghe said. “However, as to determining what change needed to be made and when, I can tell you that my team continued to pivot and make adjustments as the days went on to really figure out how to manage the amount of orders that were coming in.” Some of the changes, Abayasinghe said, were made to the actual process of making orders at retail locations such as Starbucks and Subway to make the process more efficient. “So like in Starbucks for example, if you recall in the past, you would come in and just order right there and then pick up there or fulfill as you go,” Abayasinghe said. “And now what we’re positioned is, I would work out how to layout … specifically, the orders alphabetically, so on, so those are the sort of tweaks and adjustments we work really, really hard on to improve our speed of service.” When University President Fr. John Jenkins announced that Notre Dame would shut down for two weeks to curb the spread of COVID-19 on campus, Abayasinghe said
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that while some retail locations closed and others shifted hours, this change affected the pattern of ordering that had developed over the eight days of in-person classes. “So now we have LaFortune open, for example, right and Duncan is no longer open and now you have Rohr’s and Legends which are also open,” he said. “So now you imagine the students have a smaller number of options to be able to find that and then the system would go through its own adjustments again as we continue to tweak and improve.” Senior Erin Glendon said she tried to order Starbucks — which opened at noon — on a Sunday afternoon and experienced difficulties even as the restaurant had just opened. “I think it was 12:11 [p.m.] when I logged onto Grubhub and the wait was 92 minutes long, so I did not order Starbucks because I don’t know if I [would] want coffee in 92 minutes,” she said. These lines are characteristic of Starbucks most days, Glendon said. “Almost every day when I think about ordering Starbucks, I don’t because the line is pretty long, but that was by far the longest I’ve seen it,” Glendon said. Megan Butler, a senior, Paid Advertisement
had a similar experience when she placed an order at Legends for pickup one evening. She said the app told her incorrect information about when her order would be ready. When she arrived, she said, her order had not begun to be prepared, despite conf licting information displayed on Grubhub. “They were just calling all the numbers in order and there [were] about 70 people in front of me,” she said. “And I waited there for about an hour and a half … they actually closed, I was there for an hour after they closed. And they stopped about, I think, 25 orders ahead of me and said they had run out of food. And then I had to go off campus to find food, because no other places on campus were open.” Butler said she had a similar experience when she ordered Subway, and the time it took for her order to be ready did not correspond with the updates she received from the Grubhub app. “The same thing happened, where it said 20 minutes and then it just kept adding minutes [until it was ready],” she said. These delays are difficult, Butler said, because the delays affect other plans students could make during the day and evening. “You can’t really plan
anything, like homework, or make plans with people because you don’t really know when your food is going to be ready,” Butler said. Butler said she believes the lack of variety of food in the dining halls is part of the reason for the inf lux of Grubhub orders. “I think less people would be ordering through Grubhub if the dining hall food was better, so then they wouldn’t have as many backups, and they wouldn’t be overloading all the Grubhub locations if they had more options in the dining hall and healthier food that students wanted to eat instead of a different form of mashed potatoes every day,” Butler said. Abayasinghe said that he believes that with in-person classes starting up again, the Grubhub experience will continue to evolve and change. “Now we’re going to come back ... and as we think about that, a new pattern will emerge from this and I think from [what] my staff has done and continues to do — they’re incredibly f lexible folks — and they have pivoted so much. So I see this continuing trend where we will learn what that pattern looks like and and go from there.” Contact Claire Rafford at crafford@nd.edu
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example, you’ll get a listing of either articles suggestions tips that are just from a variety of sources, both internal to Notre Dame and external.” Carlson also highlighted the expansion of the COVID-hotline to include 24/7 counseling. “Anybody –– faculty, students, staff –– could call it just to have a conversation with someone 24/7 about something that they’re feeling anxious about, and they will transfer them as needed to a licensed counselor,” Carlson said. In addition to an expanded hotline, Carlson said students in quarantine and isolation are now receiving mental health check-in calls along with physical health check-ins. Senior Grace Dean, who serves as the undergraduate representative for this task force as well as the student government director of health and well-being, said the task force’s job wasn’t necessarily to create more resources, but to find a way to make pre-existing resources more available to students. Dean said she believes McWell is a fantastic mental health resource. “I would urge anybody wanting to either work on self-care or learn more about their own mental health and emotional well-being to either visit McWell or look into some of McWell’s resources on either the HERE website or the McWell website directly because they’re just an invaluable source that we have here,” Dean said. Alan Costello, one of the graduate student representatives in the task force and the healthcare and wellness chair for the graduate student organization, said the increase in mental health-related HERE resources around campus was purposeful. “[The posters] are not these blocks of text, they’re just simple things to keep in mind,” Costello said. “Around Duncan, you should start seeing the single elements that you can just take away very quickly as you’re walking by.” Costello said the goal of the posters and trifolds around campus are not to overwhelm students with information. “I’m a student as well you know, I go to LaFortune, I notice I’m seeing trifolds all the time, and I think a lot of the time, you kind of end up with some like visual clutter,” Costello said. “What I tried to focus on was breaking it down into bullet points and quick takeaways.” Dean said she wanted to stress to her fellow undergraduate students these are difficult times and it is okay to ask for help. “It’s okay to seek help for mental health and there should not be a stigma around that,” Dean said. “Coming back to school is having, obviously both physical consequences with the public health crisis that we’re at, but also mental health implications that we also need to prioritize and work on as a community.” Contact Isabella Laufenberg at ilaufenb@nd.edu
to come to Saint Mary’s when given permission by their home institution. She also reminded Belles to continue following health and safety guidelines across campuses. “Tri-campus students are not considered visitors and can come to Saint Mary’s campus,” Jenkins said. “However, all social visitors from Notre Dame or Holy Cross, when allowed by their respective institutions, must follow Saint Mary’s safety guidelines, including wearing an appropriate face covering, physical distancing and hand washing. Saint Mary’s students visiting Notre Dame must adhere to their
Abroad Continued from page 1
Shayla O’Connor, who serves as the Coordinator of Peer Advisors for CWIL, said this was one reason for the waived application fee. “There’s a lot of concern about whether the programs w ill actually be open or not, but that decision won’t be finalized until October,” O’Connor said. “Until then, we adv ise that they apply, as applications are still open. That way they have a choice when October comes on whether or not they’d like to go abroad.” Saint Mar y’s Health and Counseling Center and the CW IL Global Education Office are also working to set safet y measures in place for students before departing to their host countries. “Accepted students are required to attend a study abroad pre-departure
guidelines and standards. Holy Cross remains closed to outside visitors.” Currently, off-campus visitors are still cautioned not to come to the College unless they have necessary business to complete. “Saint Mary’s College continues to discourage offcampus visitors,” Jenkins said. “Only those with essential business with the College are allowed at this time.” Jenkins also told students that no visitors are allowed in private dorm spaces. Oncampus Saint Mary’s students can still visit each other’s rooms while following proper safety guidelines. “No guests, including family members, students from Notre Dame and Holy Cross, or Saint Mary’s students
who are living off-campus, are allowed in private residence hall spaces,” Jenkins said. “Each residence hall has a designated lobby where guests may wait, but they must wear a mask at all times. Saint Mary’s students living on campus are allowed to visit one another in their residence halls, but must wear a mask at all times.” The College is still limiting informal social gatherings to 15 people and is requiring clubs to receive approval to plan events. “To minimize students’ exposure to COVID-19, informal social gatherings will continue to be limited to 15 people,” Jenkins said. “Students and other community members may request to organize internal events,
as long as they follow participant, physical distancing and masking guidelines.” Belles can also participate in activities approved across the tri-campus, a policy which is subject to change with the changing health status of the College and the surrounding community. Students are also asked to follow safety guidelines while traveling for the weekend. “W hile students are not absolutely barred from such travel, we do ask that students who choose to leave campus for the weekend adhere to the safety guidelines established by the College while away,” Jenkins said. “For the same reason, we continue to ask that students refrain from attending offcampus parties.”
orientation,” Yang said, noting that these orientations w ill cover health, safet y, insurance and intercultural learning strategies. “Students need to complete a health self-disclosure form before departure and get required immunizations. They should consult w ith their doctor if they have a physical or mental health issue.” Students may also read the State Department’s website to v iew their host countr y’s restrictions in regards to COVID-19. As a few students were able to complete their study abroad experience remotely last spring, others may elect to take online courses through their host universit y this coming spring. Additionally, students may choose to participate in programs offered by third-part y organizations that host online study abroad opportunities. Because these
programs are not directly affiliated w ith Saint Mar y’s, the credits w ill need to be accepted as transfer credits through Student Academic Ser v ices. Around half of Saint Mar y’s students study abroad. For many creditheav y majors like nursing and speech language patholog y, the fall of sophomore year is the only opportunit y students have of study ing abroad, so the cancellation due to COVID-19 came as disappointment to many students. “There are ver y few schools that allow nursing students to study abroad,” sophomore Oliv ia Pilon said. “Clinical placements make that incredibly challenging. Part of the reason I chose Saint Mar y’s was because of this opportunit y, especially w ith the w ide variet y of places that I could go.” Pilon, a nursing student,
said though she agrees w ith the decision by the College to cancel the fall study abroad programs, it still comes as a disappointment. “I do think that this was the right move by Saint Mar y’s to close these programs, and although it comes as a difficult loss for the nursing students that won’t have an opportunit y to study abroad any more, it would only make this pandemic worse,” she said. In times of global duress and uncertaint y, Yang remains hopeful about the external opportunities students are offered. “Pray. We need more prayers,” Yang requested of the Saint Mar y’s communit y. “We pray for a more peaceful and healthier world so that our students can study abroad and discover the world.”
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ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, september 4, 2020 | The Observer
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Professor writes memoir about his time at ND By ARIANA HOWE News Writer
Department chair of humanistic studies Phil Hicks recently published a book entitled, “Old Notre Dame: Paul Fenlon, Sorin Hall & Me,” about a professor he became friends with when he was a history major at Notre Dame. “[It’s] a memoir of my undergraduate days when I befriended an 80-year-old professor who had lived in my dorm for 60 years,” Hicks said. “I wrote down everything he did and said — campus stories going back to 1915 — and helped him survive as the very last of the ‘bachelor dons,’” Hicks said. Hicks emphasized the importance of loyalty in his book, and he also discussed the uniqueness of friendships between the young and old. “One of its messages is that generations can be bridged in friendship more easily than
Pro-choice Continued from page 1
said. The club came to fruition this semester through the aspirations that Peterson, King and their other roommates have for inclusivity at the College, Peterson said in an email. “My roommates and I are very strong-willed feminists and believe that our voices about the right a woman has to her body deserve to be heard,” she said. “We recognized about a year ago that there is quite a lot of representation for the Belles for Life club but no ‘Belles for Choice’ club. At first, we did not think we would be the ones to actually make this a reality.” The reality has yet to become
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and the administration. Vice president of University relations Louis Nanni said the task force will be composed of 25 to 30 students from each of the different pods of student housing areas. “Our charge, I believe, is to really try to enhance a sense of belonging and inclusiveness with all of you,” Nanni said. When asked what it will take for students to remain on campus, Jenkins spoke about the cycle of infections. “If we get into a cycle where there’s not just a few infections, but they’re infecting others and we go to the second circle, and the third circle, and the fourth circle,” Jenkins said. “We can’t deal with that; we don’t have the capacity to deal with it, and that would cause us to start online classes or maybe even have to go home.” Jenkins remains optimistic
we might think,” Hicks said. “The book also honors the value of history and tradition and of loyalty to institutions — in this case, Paul Fenlon’s loyalty to Notre Dame, Sorin Hall and the Catholic Church.“ Hicks said he felt motivated to write about his professor because he was deeply involved in Notre Dame for decades. “Paul Fenlon had been a student at Notre Dame, a faculty member and a retiree, all the while living in Sorin Hall, and yet when I met him as a freshman in 1976, he seemed under-appreciated by the campus community, especially by my fellow Sorinites,” Hicks said. Even as a student, Hicks knew Fenlon’s story needed to be told. “I wanted to make a record of those stories and of Paul Fenlon’s daily life, because somehow I had become obsessed with the history of
Sorin Hall, and I was convinced there was an audience for this material,” he said. For Hicks, writing this book wasn’t just about the history of the University and a narrative of Fenlon’s life. This book was deeply personal, as Hicks dug into parts of his own life as well. “Trying to set down on paper my own emotional response to his death was also hard to do because I’d never written anything so personal before,” he said. Writing this book took him around 44 years to finish, but the base of all of it was from his years as a student when he engaged directly with Fenlon. “By the spring semester, I was visiting him nearly every day, completely enchanted by his storytelling, and by the time I was a senior I had written a couple hundred pages on everything he did and said,“ Hicks said. Hicks elaborated on why,
after all these years, he decided to write this book instead of donating his writings to the University Archives. “Originally, I thought I would just hand it over to the University Archives as a record of my undergraduate days,” Hicks said, “But it was so messy that I had to transcribe it first, and in so doing I recognized it made no sense without lots of explanatory context.” Once he decided that he wanted to turn his writings into a book, it took a few more years to find balance between writing, family time and work. “During the semester, I’m preoccupied with classes and departmental activities, so that leaves mainly summers and occasional sabbaticals for research,” Hicks said. “Don’t forget that my wife and four children are a priority for me, too. I don’t know if you could call my life a balanced one or not, because between family
and work, I don’t have much of a social life.” Writing while raising a family and working a job was time consuming, but he was still able to publish his book. “It took about five years writing in my spare time to produce a good draft, then a few more years to get feedback on it, find a publisher and make final revisions.” Hicks hopes the book will resonate with many members of the Notre Dame community. “[The] book deals with so many facets of the school — the sports teams, dorm life, the professors and administration, the Holy Cross priests — that anyone with an interest in Notre Dame should enjoy it, whether they are current students, alums from the 1950s or just fans of the school,” Hicks said.
official though, Peterson said, as they are working to fill their leadership board prior to sending a formal request for the club to be recognized by the College. Presently, the private club is active on social media spreading their mission and working to recruit more members. “Since we are not yet able to use names affiliated with the College such as ‘Belles,’ we are the Smicks for Choice,” she said. Their initial social media account with the ‘Belles for Choice’ name has si nce been taken down, but have since gained a following on Instagram. As for the club’s next step, Peterson’s plan is to find an advisor, which has proved difficult. “We have heard stories from professors and even some alumni that there have been situations
in the past where faculty members have had their jobs threatened due to standing up for a club that promotes the view of pro-choice,” Peterson said. Being a Catholic institution has proved to be a hurdle in establishing the club as well. “A lot of people reached out to us and did not understand why a [Catholic] campus would need a pro-choice club, and that the College has the right to turn it down on religious grounds,” King said. “But the thing is not everyone is Catholic, and we’re put into this Catholic box –– that you don’t even notice until you leave campus –– which really affects how you view the world.” Peterson added that there is a distinct difference in beliefs among pro-life and pro-choice individuals, and that debates can
be important and a valuable use of time –– a purpose which the club could serve should it be established officially. In addition to finding an advisor, the club has faced other obstacles, such as disapproval from many staff members and students. “We really want everyone to know that we mean no harm and truly only want what’s best for our school and for it’s students,” Peterson said. “We did not intend to have any conflict in starting this organization nor did we intend to disrespect any of the school’s wishes or policies.” Should the club not receive formal recognition, King and Peterson both agreed that they are passionate about continuing the existence of the organization. “We will still be a community
and resource for people that need us, and that means we can be there for anything because we do see the need for this community on campus,” King said. Peterson added that another option should their request not get approved is to create a petition in order to get the attention of College President Katie Conboy. “That way we can bring our concerns to her and show her how passionate we are about our right to freedom of speech at our institution,” she said. “Especially since our mission statement does, in fact, align with the mission of Saint Mary’s College, which includes the call for justice and inclusivity.”
though that students will be able to remain on campus for the rest of the semester. “I believe in the student body — they’re smart, they care about each other, they care about the University,” Jenkins said. “That is our great asset.” According to vice president of student affairs Erin Hoffman Harding, there will be no restrictions for off-campus students coming to campus as students return to in-person classes. She also stated the University plans on requesting students limit gatherings to 10 people for the immediate future. “We’re going to start cautiously,” she said. “It’s the reason we’re starting classes gradually. We are also reopening student organizations and programs gradually so we can all be successful.” As the University recently announced, student, faculty and staff football ticket availability for the coming season, vice president for campus safety and University
operations Mike Seamon talked about the administration’s considerations behind this decision. “The idea was to not bring outside visitors to campus,” Seamon said. Students, faculty and staff may park on the stadium lot, and tailgating will not be permitted on campus. Jenkins reiterated how fortunate Notre Dame is to allow the student body in the stadium. “I just want to urge you to bring your best selves and cheer, but obey those health precautions so we can continue with the season and continue to have spectators,” Jenkins said. When asked what students should do if they see their peers disregarding safety precautions Hoffman Harding said to look to GreeNDot’s strategy. “If you see something, say something,” Hoffman Harding said. “I know and have certainly seen since we came back this semester how much our students
want to be here. If we can all encourage one another wherever we are on campus and just remind ourselves and each other to put on our masks, keep our distance, do our daily health checks, come to surveillance testing. That is really the way that we are all going to be successful in staying here.” Student body president senior Rachel Ingal, who moderated the event, asked if University leadership will consider shortening the time a student remains in quarantine if they do not test positive for COVID-19. Seamon responded and said he does not see the amount of time a student in quarantine who was in close contact with individuals who tested positive to decrease less than seven days. This is only possible because of the infrastructure Notre Dame has in place, including the information from the daily health checks, the contact tracing and the testing center. In addition, Hoffman Harding
reminded off-campus students that all community members will be required to get flu shots later in the semester. “That’s another prevention and safety measure that we put in place for campus so that we can make sure to prevent that illness and any confusion that you might see in symptoms between the flu and COVID,” she said. To wrap up the town hall, Jenkins reminded everyone to continue wearing masks, social distancing, completing their daily health checks and showing up to surveillance testing. “You guys work so hard and you want to relax and on weekends you want to take it easy, I get it, but that’s the most risky time,” Jenkins said. “So find ways to relax, find ways to be with your friends that are safe. It doesn’t take much to shut us down for the semester.”
Contact Ariana Howe at ahowe01@saintmarys.edu
Contact Mia Marroquin at mmarroquin01@saintmarys.edu
Contact Dane Sherman at lsherma2@nd.edu
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The observer | Friday, September 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Some positive thoughts Diane Park Graphics Editor
I’ve never stress-eaten so many snacks or felt so isolated, annoyed and very uncertain! Coming back to school for my fourth and final year wasn’t quite what I, or anyone else, expected. It’s become so easy for me to get caught up in the negativity of things, and I’m noticing a lot of my conversations with friends lately have grown increasingly full of rants and frustrations. I do want to recognize it hasn’t all been bad! Of course, there is value in commiseration — I appreciate my friends for letting me do so. And by no means am I suggesting how one should feel emotionally during this time. But, if there’s nothing I can do about these circumstances, I don’t want to simply let the year pass by me. Lately, I’ve been doing some small things to help me connect with my friends in safe ways. Though it’s hard to meet people in large groups, I’m finding appreciation in the ability to have one-on-one time with individuals, as we enjoy a meal together outdoors, something I’ve never really done much of before. I like that the weather has been relatively nice enough for us to eat outside, and the fact that we get to be in the presence of friends at all — after being sent home so abruptly last year — are all certainly things to be thankful for. Personally, I enjoy doing a little bit of calligraphy for fun, so my first few weeks back have also consisted of writing some cute letters to my friends. It’s given me a creative opportunity to reminisce on the past three years I’ve shared with them at Notre Dame and to wish them the best of luck as we conclude our last year together. With some cute stationery and an embossing tool that’s been collecting dust in the back of my closet since my freshman year, I’ve been cheering myself (and hopefully the recipients, too) with this nostalgia-inducing craft. Basically, while I do love a good rant session, it is tiring. It’s emotionally draining to have all my conversations start trending downward into ones of perpetual gloom … and in the long-run, they haven’t been the best source of support to go into this year with. I have no cure to permanently fix any of the sadder emotions we may be feeling lately, and I’m not even suggesting for anyone to necessarily do the things I’ve mentioned above. I’m just ready to share some of the more positive things that I’ve enjoyed, however small. So rant, cry, laugh — do whatever you have to do! Just know that I will be sending healthful, positive thoughts to anyone reading this today! You can contact Diane at dpark5@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Continuing the conversation Editor’s Note: This editorial includes mentions of sexual assault and suicide. A list of sexual assault reporting options and on-campus resources can be found on the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross websites. In 2010, Li zz y Seeberg, a 19-yea r-old Sa int Ma r y’s f irst yea r, repor ted t hat she had been sex ua lly assau lted by former Not re Da me linebacker Prince Shembo on Aug. 31. A f ter f iling a compla int w it h ca mpus police, Seeberg received a st ring of t hreatening tex t messages f rom one of Shembo’s f riends, wa rning her aga inst “messing w it h Not re Da me footba ll.” She took her ow n life 10 days later. In t he mont hs t hat followed, Seeberg’s a llegat ions a nd deat h spa rked a new dia log ue surrounding sex ua l assau lt a nd harassment on college ca mpuses. Her stor y shows t he risks often associated w it h repor t ing a nd brings to light t he st ig ma t hat is st ill felt so deeply in our communit y. Last week, t he Belles Aga inst Violence Of f ice (BAVO) showcased a series of a nony mous stories in #W hyIDidntRepor t, a n ex hibit featuring t he ex periences of sur v ivors who did not repor t insta nces of sex ua l v iolence a nd ha rassment. The ex hibit showcased t he stories of bot h current students a nd a lumnae. The hashtag was orig ina lly created in 2018 follow ing t he test imony of Dr. Christ ine Blasey Ford, who accused t henSupreme Cour t nominee Brett Kava naugh of assau lt ing her when t hey were teenagers. Ot her sur v ivors ra llied a round Ford in suppor t, sha ring t heir ow n stories under t he hashtag on socia l media. At Sa int Ma r y’s, some sur v ivors sa id t hey did not repor t out of feelings of sha me, g uilt a nd fea r as well as worr y t hey wou ld upset t heir f riends a nd fa mily. Ot hers took weeks or yea rs to process t hat what happened to t hem was in fact assau lt. By t hen, t hey decided too much t ime had passed since t he encounter. Some sa id t hey did not wa nt to da mage t he f uture of t he per pet rator. It is imperat ive t hat we cont inue t he conversat ion surrounding sex ua l assau lt to empower sur v ivors a nd encourage a nyone who ex periences a ny form of ha rassment to repor t a nd seek suppor t. On t he 10-yea r a nniversa r y of Seeberg’s repor t, a nd in light of t he ever-cha ng ing circumsta nces posed by t he pa ndemic, we’d
like to ta ke stock of t he state of Tit le I X as well as t he resources ava ilable to students w it hin t he t ri-ca mpus. On May 6, in a n a nnouncement follow ing nea rly t hree yea rs of deliberat ion, t he Depa r t ment of Educat ion released new Tit le I X reg u lat ions on sex ua l misconduct, elicit ing cont roversy a nd conf usion. The new Tit le I X reg u lat ions def ine sex ua l assau lt as “unwelcome conduct on t he basis of sex t hat is so severe, per vasive a nd object ively of fensive t hat it denies a person access to t he school’s educat ion prog ra m or act iv it y.” This def init ion is fa r na rrower t ha n t hat used by Oba ma’s administ rat ion, which considered ha rassment as “unwelcome conduct of a sex ua l nature.” In addit ion, schools were told to use t he prepondera nce of ev idence sta nda rd under Oba ma’s g uidelines, which f inds a l leged per pet rators responsible if t here is a 50.1% likeli hood t hat a n assau lt occurred. The new r u les ca rr y t he f u l l force of law, implement ing due process in a way t hat t he prev ious Tit le I X r u les did not. Universit ies a re now prov ided a lega l f ra mework w it h which to respond to a llegat ions of sex ua l misconduct. According to t he U.S. Depa r t ment of Educat ion a nd Secreta r y Betsy DeVos, t his is to ensure “t hat ever y person’s cla im of sex ua l misconduct is ta ken seriously whi le ensuring t he fa ir t reat ment of ever y person accused of such misconduct.” This mea ns schools must host live disciplina r y hea rings in cases of sex ua l misconduct a nd a llow cross-exa minat ion of w itnesses, forcing t he person who f iled a repor t to face t he a l leged per pet rator. Addit iona l ly, as Cat holic inst itut ions, we qua lif y to f ile for a relig ious exempt ion which a llows for cases to not be pursued on t he basis of relig ion. Dr. Ja mes Gillespie, a professor a nd Tit le I X coordinator at Sa int Ma r y’s, sa id Not re Da me, Sa int Ma r y’s a nd Holy Cross — as well as ot her schools across t he U.S. — have responded to t hese notable cha nges a nd updated t heir Tit le I X documents accordingly. “W hile t here have been some cha nges, t he core of Tit le I X rema ins f u lly in place a nd ser ves as a power f u l protect ive tool to address sex ua l ha rassment, sex ua l assau lt … or ot her forms of sex ua l misconduct committed by or aga inst students, sta f f or facu lt y on t he Sa int Ma r y’s ca mpus,” Gillespie sa id in a n e-ma il to The Obser ver. “We cont inue to have a robust a rray of conf ident ia l resources for v ict ims, including counseling, medica l a nd pastora l suppor t
systems.” The Col lege has insta l led severa l Tit le I X deput ies a nd invest igators a nd ma inta ins its usua l host of resources, including menta l a nd physica l hea lt h ser v ices. This yea r a lso ma rks t he 10t h a nniversa r y of t he creat ion of t he Bel les Aga inst Violence Of f ice, a longsta nding resource at Sa int Ma r y’s. BAVO specif ica l ly ma inta ined momentum in adapt ing its ser v ices to t he current ca mpus env ironment a nd has come a long way since its sta r t in 2010. Despite t he cha nges made to Tit le I X, bot h Gi l lespie a nd Li z Cou lston, director of BAVO, encourage students to repor t a ny insta nce of sex ua l misconduct. BAVO of fers a number of serv ices ; however, t here is st i l l a substa nt ia l gap in resources a nd informat ion for students who a re v ict ims of power-based v iolence whi le abroad. As a n inst itut ion t hat boasts its study abroad prog ra ms, t he Col lege must prov ide a more t horough resource for t hese students so t hey do not become t he nex t stor y in a W hy I Didn’t Repor t ex hibit. Not re Da me’s Tit le I X of f ice prov ides assista nce t hrough a tea m of ex per ts t ra ined to suppor t sur v ivors, of fering a va riet y of opt ions as to how students, facu lt y a nd sta f f ca n move for wa rd w it h repor t ing assau lt or abuse. In addit ion, t he Universit y Counseling Center a nd Universit y Hea lt h Ser v ices bot h of fer conf ident ia l menta l a nd physica l hea lt h ser v ices. We encourage t he Universit y to cont inue to offer t hese resources, despite t he new cha nges to Tit le I X under Educat ion Secreta r y DeVos a nd to st rive to protect a nd advocate for a l l members of t he t ri-ca mpus communit y. In addit ion, Holy Cross has insta l led a Tit le I X of f ice w it h a Tit le I X Coordinator who is t ra ined to suppor t v ict ims of assau lt, as wel l as hea lt h a nd counseling ser v ices a nd access to ser v ices in t he w ider Sout h Bend communit y. The conversat ion surrounding sex ua l assau lt on col lege ca mpuses a nd beyond is one t hat deser ves our attent ion a nd collect ive energ y, especia l ly now, as schools across t he count r y adapt to t he new Tit le I X r u les. The world cont inues to cha nge at a n accelerated pace due to t his pa ndemic, but t he ex perience of sur v ivors is t he sa me. The passing of Li zz y Seeberg sta r ted t his dia log ue w it hin t he t ri-ca mpus 10 yea rs ago. Let’s honor her memor y by cont inuing to advocate for sur v ivors a nd a mplif y t heir voices.
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The observer | Friday, September 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Women’s Leadership Forum This year is the centennial of women’s suffrage in America. The battle for a woman’s right to vote was decades long, and on Aug. 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified and American women triumphed in their enfranchisement. For almost a century, women carried this movement on their backs and advocated for their voices to be used for justice, championing their convictions of equality on a national stage. After 100 years of a woman’s right to vote, it is important that we reflect on how we can continue to engender this kind of boldness and strength within our women and cultivate the next generation of leaders. Women’s leadership is directly linked to progress in a multitude of ways. In business, women can bring new problem-solving techniques and collaborative mentalities to the table. In a study conducted by The McKinsey Global Institute, they found that the advancement of women’s equality in the workplace could add $12 trillion to the world’s GDP by 2025. The Peterson Institute for International Economics found that having women at a C-Suite level in a company significantly boosts net margins, and when 30% of leaders are women, there can be a 15% increase in profitability. Gender diversity is also imperative in STEM fields, and it can lead to more accurate research on a number of fronts. When scientific researchers do not consider sex or gender, they default to using the male body as the standard, which can cause serious health and safety implications for women and children. For example, in car crashes, women have a 47% higher risk of serious injury and a 17% higher risk of death, simply because the crash dummies represent the average male. In fields where
protective safety equipment is needed, only 5% of women report their gear fitting properly, which can also lead to fatal consequences. And even when we look at simple innovation, technology like Siri is more likely to respond to questions asked by a man, due to the pitch of voice. When women hold political office, the positive effects on development are undeniable. The National Democratic Institute finds that women are more likely to work across party lines, prioritize health and education and secure lasting peace. In two studies conducted by the Brookings Institute, one found that female legislators in India raised the economic performance in their constituencies by 1.8% per year, and the second found that female legislators resulted in a 9-12% decline in Maternal Mortality Rate. And although we have seen great progress in the area of women’s political representation worldwide in the last 20 years, in America, women make up 51% of the population but only 23.5% of Congress. This year, Sarah and I are serving as just the third allfemale ticket to hold the office of Student Body President and Vice President in the history of Notre Dame. We want to continue to encourage this kind of leadership and empower women to take up space on a campus that was not initially built for them. For this reason, we are excited to announce our new presidential initiative: the Women’s Leadership Forum. Our vision is to create a monthly speaker series featuring diverse and dynamic female leaders from the Notre Dame community who can share their personal journeys with students and provide words of wisdom to anybody who identifies as a woman on this campus and aspires to be a leader within her community. We hope
this series will play a role in galvanizing more women into leadership both on campus and on a larger scale, and we are looking forward to having thoughtful conversations about what it means to be a leader, use our voices for justice and lean on each other as we strive for change. But most importantly, as we continue to endeavor for women’s equality, representation, and leadership, it is imperative that we keep intersectionality at the core of the movement. We cannot forget that women’s suffrage did not guarantee full electoral equality for all. Although Native American, Asian American, Latinx and African American women played a major role in the women’s suffrage movement, they still had a long fight for suffrage beyond the ratification of the 19th amendment. As Ida B. Wells once said, “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” As a Notre Dame community, let’s use our light of truth to celebrate diversity, create inclusive spaces, work for racial justice, build community and uplift one another. Let’s use it to be a force for good. Keep fighting the good fight. Rachel Ingal student body president, senior Sept. 2 The inaugural event for the Women’s Leadership Forum will take place Sunday, September 6 at 5 p.m. You can tune in to the Student Government Youtube page to watch the livestream. Our first keynote speaker will be Karrah Harris, the Director of Public Affairs at the University of Notre Dame.
Why my faith makes me liberal Clark Bowden Snowflake Standpoint
When you read the Bible, what do you see? What do you feel? What lessons and stories do you take away? For me, entwined in the pages of scripture I find the bountiful love, compassion, forgiveness, hope, humility and generosity of Christ and the calls for all members of Christ’s community to live the same way. Now go watch the Republican National Convention and ask yourself the same questions: What do you see? What do you feel? What lessons and stories do you take away? Do you feel the same things that you do when you read the Bible? Did you see love, compassion, forgiveness, generosity and hope? I didn’t. Instead, I watched speeches attempting to prey on fear, hate and exclusivity. I watched a demigod and his disciples routinely reject Christian morality. And I watched them do it under the guise of Christianity. The Christian right acts like they have a monopoly on religion when in reality sometimes I’m not sure we’re even reading the same Bible. I am liberal because I am Christian. It is time for the religious left to reclaim the narrative that Christianity is not only compatible, but nearly congruent with progressive policies. Here are just a few examples of how my faith has brought me to the left: Immigration: Jesus, Mary and Joseph were all immigrants. In the Gospel of Matthew, King Herod, threatened by the power of Jesus, promised to kill all the children under the age of two. Given advance warning of this act, the family leaves Bethlehem and travels to Egypt where they are able to continue to live their lives safe from persecution. But what if Jesus, Mary and Joseph tried to flee to America? If that occurred, America would deem the holy family ‘illegal aliens’, capture them with heavily armed guards, separate Mary from her newborn son, lock Christ the redeemer in a cage and eventually kick them out of the country. Just what Jesus would have wanted, right? Please point out to me where in the Bible that treatment of refugees and immigrants condoned? I can tell you where
it’s not: Matthew 25:35: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Deuteronomy 10:19: “You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Leviticus 19:34: “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” I could go on and on. Economic Justice: Remember the passage in the Bible when Jesus went up to the beggar on the side of the road, looked him in the eye and told him to pull himself up by his bootstraps? No? Me neither. There are so many instances of Christ helping the poor, feeding the hungry and healing the sick that if I were to list all of them, I would essentially just rewrite the New Testament. God cares more about the poor than laissez faire economics, I promise you. How conservative Christians twist scripture into defending enormous income inequality will forever be a mystery to me. Social Justice: I saved the issue of social justice for last because right now in our country it is the most important. We are all God’s children. Anthony Huber was God’s child. He was our brother. Eric Gardner, Brionna Taylor, George Floyd and so, so many others were also children of God. They were our brothers and sisters, too. When racial minorities in this country are systemically oppressed, Christ is oppressed. When Black men are gunned down in the street by the police simply for the color of their skin, Christ is gunned down in the street. Where is the religious right’s outrage over their deaths? I only see their outrage over the protests — over the status quo being threatened. Jesus was a protester. He stood up to wrongful institutions and was eventually killed because of it. I see Jesus in the protests in Kenosha — fighting so that one day He will stop being gunned down in the street. To me, being a liberal means building policies centered in the Christian morality of love, compassion, acceptance, forgiveness and hope. Unfortunately, the religious
right has decided to instead zero in on the issues of abortion and the supression of the rights of the LGTBQ+ community to the point that they hardly even recognize any other social or economic issues. They focus on sex. While this might be an overgeneralization, if you watched last week’s RNC you can see how I drew that conclusion. The Bible was almost never used to speak on issues of poverty, social justice, economic reform or immigration. But it was used every single night to attack the personal choices of women and liberties of the LGTBQ+ community. I urge the people, particularly men, on the religious right to stop attempting to control other people’s personal liberties. To address this issue more directly, if you are a male, and you find yourself telling a woman how to make reproductive choices over her own body, you have gone wrong. Put another way, you know that one friend we all have who is always saying something like, “people who don’t own guns shouldn’t be allowed to make gun control policy for everyone who does.” Ok, replace the word ‘gun’ with ‘uterus’ and repeat the same statement. The Christian right’s obsession with female reproductive systems is as creepy as it is confusing. I don’t know if it stems from some twisted form of overcompensation for something, but it is excessive and exhausting. To the greater Christian/Catholic community at Notre Dame: I urge you to become the compassionate, lovewielding and forgiving leaders as Christ directed us. To members of the Christian left, announce your faith and politics with pride. Let’s take back the narrative of the compatibility of Christianity and progressive values. As Christians, our morality and ethics derive from our faith — our politics should, too. Clark Bowden is a senior political science major. When he’s not sleeping through his alarm or reminding people that he studied abroad, he can be found in heated political debates or watching the Washington Nationals play baseball. He can be reached at cbowden@nd.edu or @BowdenClark on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | friday, September 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
About that comments section... Megumi Tamura Middle GrouND
Have you ever found yourself spending more time scrolling through the comments on Instagram than on the actual post itself? That’s what I found myself doing when @thefightingirish posted, seemingly showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement. This was in response to the horrific shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-yearold Black man who was shot seven times by the police in the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin on Aug. 23. As the video shows, it was as Blake was leaning into his car — inside of which his three children were sitting — when the police shot him seven times in the back. He survived but remains in intensive care and is suffering potentially permanent paralysis from the waist down. What happened to Jacob Blake is a continuation of a summer of injustice and unrest as America is experiencing a “racial reckoning.” Since the killing of George Floyd in May by the Minneapolis police, there has been an outpouring of frustration and calls for action as millions take to the streets to protest and demand change in systems ranging from policing, education and health to voting, incarceration and housing. While the vast majority of these protests are peaceful, the ones which have caught the most attention *have involved looting, rioting and violence. Many of the comments under that Instagram post sounded something like this: “I love Notre Dame, but I can’t support this,” “stop supporting a Marxist terrorist organization,” ”disappointed to see this,” and “ND is no longer Catholic if it supports this.” Most of these comments were also coming not from students but from older fans, who seemed upset that Notre Dame would take a stance on what has sadly become a polarizing political issue: the claim that a life matters and no one should be killed for the color of their skin by a system which is supposed to protect and serve all. All of this, from the post and its comments to the reckoning which has been occurring over the past few months, has really made me think: why do so many people speak out against and (rightfully) condemn the violence in some of the protests but not also the reason that the protests are happening? Why are people more angered over a post which shows support for the Black Lives Matter movement than about the reason it exists in the first place? Should major sports organizations get “political” or should they, as Laura Ingraham once said, just “shut up and dribble?” Regarding the first two questions, I think of it as people focusing on the symptoms of an illness rather than the cause. The “illness” in this case is a long history of racial inequity and the continued injustice which plagues our country today that’s made evident in incidents like what happened to George Floyd and Jacob Blake, or the effect which COVID-19 has had on minority populations. The symptoms are the boiling over of frustration and anger, and the protests which have sometimes led to violence, the looting of businesses and the destruction of cities. There’s been so much attention placed on these symptoms, but there hasn’t been as strong of a pushback on the illness. Should sports and politics mix? Should the athletics page for Notre Dame post something that can be interpreted as political? Maybe the reason all of those fans were so upset by that post is because sports is often viewed as a respite from our daily lives, which are already so bombarded with the messiness of politics and social issues. However, I don’t think politics and sports can ever really be separated. Both represent a sort of reflection of society: how people form groups with which they identify, values, shared experiences, victories and losses, loyalty. That’s why, in response to what happened to Jacob Blake, several sports teams decided to sit out their games, and the NBA agreed to turn arenas into polling places in the upcoming election. Perhaps that post was just meant to show support for Black students. Maybe they weren’t meaning to make a political statement, but all it takes is a brief scroll through the comments section to make it clear that even the possibility of politics meshing with sports turns ugly fast. Megumi Tamura is a freshman in the Gateway Program. She is originally from Ridgewood, New Jersey and enjoys going to museums, watching political debates and eating Jersey bagels. She can be reached at mtamura@nd.edu or @megtamura on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
It happens here too Krista Lourdes Akiki Inquisitor of the Unconventional
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born Dutch-American activist, feminist, author, scholar and former politician, once said, “I confront the European elite’s self-image as tolerance while under their noses women are living like slaves.” These words uncover the harsh reality of the Western communities’ superiority complex particularly in terms of women’s status within their societies. For many individuals living in ‘the West’, the grave social dilemmas that fall under the umbrella of gender-based violence and misogyny are classified as phenomena particular to developing Arab and Middle Eastern countries or even just unique to Islam. Accustomed to stereotypical depictions, Westerners are told that Middle Eastern women are passive, weak and always veiled. It is often assumed that the severe conditions in a few nations represent the norm for women throughout the Middle East and in the larger Muslim world. Western colonial powers have historically shed crocodile tears over the plight of Arab women and have vilified Islam for its role in this oppression. Western treatment of Arab women has been hypocritical at best. Leila Ahmed, who published a study of women and gender in the Islamic world, labels the Western attitude “colonial feminism.” According to Ahmed, colonial feminism refers to the tendency among colonial officers to champion Muslim and Arab women’s rights, while at the same time disregarding fundamental breaches to women’s dignity in their own countries. It is crucial to acknowledge that female genital mutilation, honor killings, child marriage and other forms of gender-based violence, which are atrocious and traumatizing breaches to women’s dignity and threats to women’s safety, do not only happen in the distant rural communities of Arab or African nations with unstable political, economic and social environments. Female genital mutilation, child marriage and honor killings also happen here in the United States. Read that last sentence again. It happens over here too. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is “any procedure involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs. FGM is often performed on girls between the ages of four and 14 to ensure their virginity until marriage.” The CDC published an estimate of the number of U.S.-resident women potentially affected by or at risk for FGM, indicating that as many as 513,000 girls and women could have experienced FGM or be at risk of experiencing it in the future. The number of girls under 18 at risk of FGM in the U.S. has quadrupled since 1997. F.A. Cole is an award-winning author, speaker and anti-FGM activist. At 11 years old, she was forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM). Cole grew up in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and was born and raised Catholic. This resilient survivor of FGM, child sexual assault and rape, has dedicated her life to empower survivors. She shares her gut-wrenching story during an interview with the AHA Foundation, with inspirational transparency: “Yes, at age 11 I forcefully underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) and 33 years later, I still suffer from PTSD. My childhood was snatched from me … A week prior, my step mother and father called me and my older sister into the dining room to have a talk. They told us we were going away ‘to be made into women.’ I was 11 and my sister was 13. We didn’t protest much –– we couldn’t, actually. Papa and our step mum had spoken, and we had to do what we were told.” When asked to give advice to other survivors, Cole said, “We may be from different parts of the world, but we are a community and you have a sister closer than you think.” Despite the continuous commitment of activists to alleviate gender-based violence and amplify legal protection resources, legislation at both the state and federal level remain unjustifiably inadequate. There
are a number of reasons behind this legislative gap –– lack of political will, well-meaning but misguided cultural sensitivities, or lack of awareness about the pervasiveness of FGM on American soil. My findings from analyzing different sources and reports brings the issue even closer to a place we call home: Indiana. In Indiana, there are currently no regulations or bills banning and criminalizing the infliction of FGM on young girls. FGM is legal in Indiana. Quite nauseating, right? Well, it only gets worse: 48 states still have legal loopholes that allow youth under the age of 18 to marry. In many instances, these loopholes are used for the older partner to avoid statutory rape charges. In 87% of child marriages, the minor is a girl; 86% of the time, she is marrying a legal adult. Based on these numbers, advocates argue that the vast majority of marriages with minors would otherwise constitute statutory rape. Sherry Johnson from Tampa tells of being pushed to marry her rapist by her parents when she was only 11 years old and then became trapped in an abusive marriage for many years. At 15 years old, Genevieve was dragged by her mom and abuser through four states until they found a judge in Louisiana who married her to her abuser, a divorced father of two in his 40s. “In 38 states, what would otherwise be considered felony rape becomes completely legal once a marriage license is handed out, Fraidy Reiss, the founder and executive director of Unchained at Last, said. Unchained at Last is an advocacy group dedicated to ending forced and child marriage in the United States. Sexual predators have an incentive to marry their victims in order to avoid prosecution and possible jail time. “We’re creating a mockery of statutory rape laws,” Reiss said. 25 states have no minimum age requirement for marriage, which means a nine-year-old child can get married with just one parent’s consent. The risks are just as real for child marriages in the U.S. as they are in developing countries. This means that the stakes are just as high over here, as they are over there. The above also means that the fight for women’s liberty and dignity is just as crucial here. This is why I would lie to end this piece by highlighting the incredible role that the Ayaan Hirsi Ali Foundation (AHA) has played and continues to play in protecting women in the United States and across the world. AHA’s mission includes “liberating women from cultural practices that violate their human rights” and “championing free speech in the face of opposition, censorship and intimidation.” In 2019, the AHA foundation has worked on more than 11 FGM laws, trained more than 300 professionals and reached over 1,100,000 people through digital media and over 400,000 students across 20 college campuses through their Critical Thinking Unit fellows. They have also launched a nationwide AntiFGM campaign titled “Free Girls — Stop the Cut.” As a newly appointed CTU fellow for AHA, I am taking this opportunity to ask you to join the fight. Read and learn more about gender-based violence. Be vocal about the issue and help spread awareness; a single podcast, Ted Talk, article or even quote can go a long way. Petition your leaders and demand liberty, dignity and protection for your community, your neighbors, your friends, your sisters and even for yourselves. And most importantly, keep in mind that these traumatizing issues are not only headlines for foreign news channels or practices for distant rural communities. These practices, they happen over here too. Krista Akiki is a sophomore at Notre Dame majoring in business analytics. Coming from Beirut, Lebanon, she always enjoys trying out new things and is an avid travel-lover. She hopes to take her readers on her journey as she navigates college life and stands up for the issues she believes. She can be reached at kakiki@nd.edu or via Twitter @kristalourdesakiki The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The observer | Friday, september 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
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JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer
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The observer | Friday, september 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
By MARIAH RUSH and CLAIRE RAFFORD Managing Editor and Assistant Managing Editor
Read the complete, unabridged top -10 list online. Let’s be honest — “Glee” fans have been through a lot. Throughout the show’s six seasons, the cast and the vehicle itself have been subject to rumors, controversies and a couple of tragic deaths of the show’s young cast. It has endured criticism of its plot and of its entire premise. But recently, especially since the start of quarantine in March, “Glee” has seen a resurgence. From TikToks and tweets lovingly making fun of the plots to new unbearably sad headlines, “Glee” has unexpectedly returned to the public sphere. But even if you aren’t a self-proclaimed “Gleek,” we are here to tell you that many of the songs the cast has covered rightly belong on our playlists, as well as yours. Frequently songs are rearranged and revamped to create an entirely new feel, and sometimes even a better one. So add these songs to your playlists, and play them with pride! Let your inner Gleek shine through.
6. “Singin’ in the Rain / Umbrella” Have you seen Tom Holland’s “Lip Sync Battle” against Zendaya? Who are we kidding — of course you have. Well, you need to thank the “Glee” mashup gods for that “Singin‘ in the Rain” intro which led into “Umbrella,” because the show did it first in Season 1. Although the two songs are integrated far better to create a true mashup in “Glee,” the idea is still the same. While we normally despise any songs sung by Will the Creep (Matthew Morrison), we were forced to make an exception for this. For this one time, you can stand under our umbrella, Will.
5. “Valerie” Naya Rivera/Santana Lopez supremacy, there is no
By COLLEEN FISCHER Scene Writer
TikTok made me do it. I have been saying that more than I ever thought was possible prior to quarantine, but alas, here we are; “Phineas and Ferb’s” creator Dan Povenmire took to TikTok to promote “Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe.” The opening of this movie is great, an upbeat song with quirky lines and the familiar animation, characters and structure let me sink into a nostalgic comfort of sitting in my basement watching the show as a kid. The “Phineas and Ferb” creators have never shied away from creativity, often choosing to break the fourth wall and mess with story structure to keep the show interesting. But the plot of this movie falls flat. The team-up in this movie — finally, all the characters are on the same side — had potential comparable to an Avengers movie, but when they were all standing next to each other, fighting about who would be the leader or who is the most “adult,” I realized the only character that is remotely redeemable or interesting is Dr. Doofenshmirtz. It’s no wonder I was pulled in by the TikToks which predominantly featured him.
other. Her cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” takes the original slowed-down version and brings the tempo up to dance party levels to cinch sectionals for the New Directions in the show’s second season. While the in-studio song stands on its own, part of what makes this such an iconic and memorable number is the performance. Not only does Santana absolutely kill the vocals, Brittany S. Pierce (Heather Morrison) and Mike Chang (Harry Shum, Jr.)’s dance moves steal the show. We think it’s safe to say that Winehouse herself would have been proud of this performance.
4. “It’s My Life/Confessions Pt. II” This one is a mashup sung by most of the male leads of Season 1, highlighting the late Cory Monteith and the TikTok-hilarious Kevin McHale as soloists. While their vocals aren’t particularly stunning, the unsuspecting McHale twist on Usher’s “Confessions” is an almost unsettlingly powerful and scream-along version of the R&B song. McHale sings the best parts of “Confessions” — the chorus, of course — and blends it with Monteith’s unabashedly anthem-like chants of “It’s my life.” This mashup makes it clear that some songs are simply better together. Coupled with the sober knowledge that Monteith did not “live forever,” beckoning to the listener to live life to the fullest, the mashup creates a karaoke-worthy hit.
3. “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” To all the Meatloaf fans out there, we apologize, but this is “Glee’s” song now. This cover of “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” is a Finn (Cory Monteith) special — his energy, charisma and vocal prowess truly steal the show and rightfully win the New Directions their national title after three seasons. This song is three minutes and 51 seconds of pure serotonin, and its shortened length — the original is nearly
The creators sacrifice all opportunities for meaningful lessons in cooperation and collective power for contemplating ideas about leadership and condemning Candace for wanting to feel special. The movie’s biggest flaw is wanting to make itself larger than the show. Pulling the characters out of the tristate area compromises all of their charms. The beauty of the show is that it starts the same way every time with the dull, repetitiveness of suburban life. Putting the characters in outer space and then in the position to save the world destroys their relatability. The creators raise the stakes without raising the characters’ abilities to deal with the stakes, so the drama falls flat. Where’s Perry? There is not enough Perry the Platypus. I understand that Doofenshmirtz working together with Phineas and Ferb prevents Perry from joining in without compromising his identity, but we could have had some more solo Perry — even a completely different Perry story. Perry only appearing in the beginning and end of this movie was the only thing that made me relate to Phineas. Where did he go? All of that being said, this movie has the jokes. The situations and plot aren’t particularly creative or humorous, but the dialogue is. It is full of references, puns,
eight and a half minutes long — packs a punch in less than half the time. Combined with The Trouble Tones’ “Edge of Glory” and Rachel’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” it’s no wonder this episode was the peak of “Glee” music. Add all of these songs to your playlist!
2. “Teenage Dream (Acoustic)” This list could easily be solely Blaine (Darren Criss’) top “Glee” performances, but we had to choose one, and this was the winner. While Blaine performed “Teenage Dream” as his character’s introduction at the start of Season 2, the reprise and acoustic version in Season 4 is superior for its heart and growth. While Criss’ performances of “Somewhere Only We Know” and “Cough Syrup” have found new life on TikTok, the emotion felt as Criss soulfully belts out this stripped and slowed down cover of Perry’s classic 2010 bubblegum hits the refresh button on both the show in its fourth season and our hearts — even if you aren’t a viewer of the show.
1. “I Feel Pretty/Unpretty” A dynamic mashup of the classic “West Side Story” tune and the TLC hit, you don’t even need to know the context in which this song is sung by two “Glee” characters, Rachel and Quinn, to enjoy it.The blend of Lea Michele’s powerful voice mixed with Dianna Agron’s soft and comforting vocals creates an impeccable new version of two great songs. The blend of the two voices with two distinct but compatible songs normally sung by one artist creates a song that can powerfully stand on its own. A cult favorite of “Glee” fans in 2020, this one deserves all the hype even outside the show’s kitschy walls. Contact Mariah Rush at mrush@nd.edu and Claire Rafford at crafford@nd.edu
quirky behavior, fun details (like Jeremy LARPing), creative camera shots and pans. The interactions between the kids and Doofenshmirtz leads to plenty of zingers. In classic Disney fashion, it ends with a banger final song, which I appreciated. I really wanted to like this movie. I wanted to laugh and be in awe of the creators, but it didn’t happen. I suggest you give this movie a chance, just don’t come in with high expectations because it won’t meet them. Contact Colleen Fischer at cfischer01@saintmarys.edu
“Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe” Starring: Vincent Martella, Dan Povenmire, Ashley Tisdale Director: Dan Povenmire Genre: Animation, adventure, comedy If you like: “The Suite Life Movie,” “Gravity Falls”
JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer
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Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Size up situations, and make whatever move you feel will benefit you most. Putting energy behind your ideas instead of trying to get others to do things for you will make your pursuits more meaningful moving forward. Dump unnecessary baggage, and you’ll have the freedom to take advantage of whatever comes your way. Your experience will pay off. Your numbers are 2, 8, 14, 21, 25, 34, 47. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t wait for something to go wrong. Be counterintuitive and active, and make adjustments that will help lighten any problem you can foresee. Being prepared and having alternatives in place are your best defenses. Put yourself first. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t get upset when you should get moving. Embrace change and challenges openly, and you will gain experience as well as achievements. Look at the possibilities, but use discretion and moderation as you move forward. Traveling and learning are favored. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t play with the devil. Avoid getting involved in tempting offers that sound too good to be true. Do your own thing, and avoid being taken advantage of by someone who is out for his or her gain. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Make adjustments to your personal or professional contracts. Tie up loose ends, and make a point to take better care of your health. An opportunity is heading down the pipeline. Don’t hesitate, or you may miss out on a prosperous prospect. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Let’s get physical. Take pride in the way you look, how you feel and the way you handle meaningful relationships. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Stick to what you know works best for you. A personal gain should be your priority. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Everything will fall into place if you follow your heart and your basic instincts. A change you want to make will give you more freedom to work on an idea you want to pursue. A past partner is likely to surface. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Work alone. Refuse to let anyone interfere in your business or put pressure on you to do something you don’t want to do. Deception is apparent. Verify any information you receive before you take action. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Do things your way. It’s OK to take an obscure route to reach your goal. Your uniqueness is what makes you so special. You can accomplish plenty if you follow your intuition and use your intelligence to reach your goal. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Pay attention to what and who are important to you. Don’t let someone cause doubt or uncertainty between you and someone you love. Meddling and deception are likely if someone is out for his or her gain. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Say what’s on your mind, and you will get your way. Your determination and perception will help you reach your goal. Now is not the time to sit back when there is no potential to gain ground. Rid yourself of dead weight. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take time to enjoy what and who interests you. Participating in causes you care about will lead to exciting people, plans and new beginnings. Personal improvements are favored, and romance will give you an added boost. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Wheel and deal. Keep your life mysterious, and focus on professional gain. You will intrigue the people you encounter, putting you in an influential position with plenty to gain. A humanitarian outlook will win acceptance. Birthday Baby: You are fun-loving, enthusiastic and humorous. You are assertive and persistent.
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Sports Authority
Sports Authority
Springboks apt name for South Africa rugby team By INIGO YTURRALDE Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Aug. 31. Rugby in South Africa reaches into all dimensions of societ y and culture. Originally an emblem of Apartheid oppression, the game has come a long way in terms of its sy mbolism. Many argue that it was not until the 1995 Rugby World Cup, hosted by South Africa, that the game became a rally ing point for the entire nation. The game of rugby was first played in South Africa by English settlers in the mid-19th centur y. South Africa’s first national rugby team played in 1906-1907. To many white South Africans, the team represented a major turning point from the hard-fought Anglo-Boer War just years earlier. Since its inception, South Africa’s national rugby team has been affectionately referred to as the Springboks, the English derivative of the Afrikaans self-declared nickname, Springbok ken. A lthough unimposing at first glance, the Springbok is a supreme example of resilience and physical preparedness. Native to and w idely popular in southern Africa, this medium-sized antelope usually grows to 71 to 86 centimeters and can weigh between 27 to 42 kilograms. Springboks are ver y social animals. They live in herds w ith complex hierarchical structures. If analyzed, it becomes quite clear why the Springbok fits its role as South Africa’s rugby namesake so well. The Springbok is well renowned for its ability to survive for long periods of time without water. This is very similar to a game scenario on the Rugby pitch, where players are forced to battle it out with no breaks for 40 minutes at a time. Additionally, the Springbok is known to be able to adapt to a number of different environments, varying in weather and landscape. South Africa’s national rugby team has traveled the world competing against the world’s best. They put up a fight against any team, even in the face of opposing fans and unknown stadiums. Thirdly, and most notably, is the Springbok’s unique
athletic ability and behavior. A trivial quality of the Springbok is their practice of pronking — running and repeatedly jumping in the air with perfectly extended legs. While the action itself is not directly indicative of any rugby-esque movement, it perfectly exemplifies the raw and unpredictable physical nature of the game. A springbok, male or female, will begin pronking when disturbed, happy or excited; the root cause of pronking is still unknown to experts. In a game of rugby, players move all around the field, variably adapting to the location of the ball and their opponents’ movements. Between the clashing of bodies and barely audible commands grunted by captains, it is not uncommon for players on the pitch to look more like animals than men. South Africa’s style of play is very symbolic of a combination of elements that characterize the nation. The Springboks play to their genetic strengths when taking the field. White South Africans are often very tall and wide. This is largely as a result of their Dutch roots. This, in combination with a traditionally hard headed and hard working culture has produced some of the biggest and meanest players in modern rugby. Playing to these strengths, the Springboks utilize a big group of forwards to pound the opposition into submission. The name of the game for the South Africans is physicality. The Springboks attempt to dominate their opponent to the point where they cannot push any further. The revitalization of this style of play is in part due to the work of head coach Rassie Erasmus. Today, for South Africans, rugby is synonymous with national pride. By honing in on the strengths of their national animal, the Springbok, and by embracing a unique playing style, South Africa has made rugby its own. The depth of cultural implications tied to rugby in South Africa are a testament to both the beauty and importance of the game. Contact Inigo Yturralde at iyurral@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Analytics do not ruin the human element of baseball By DAVID KRAMER Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Sept. 3. True friendship propagates a certain sense of power among companions. Power to evoke an unparalleled share of our attention as we edify, incite and validate each other. Power to craft us into the best version of ourselves. Power to sculpt each other’s ideology and viewpoints with a degree of passion that we would never dare to brandish with anyone else. And of course, our confidants harness the ever-treacherous temptation to get under our skin in ways that only they know best. With interpersonal knowledge comes the deep-seated license to ruffle our feathers, to agitate our firmest beliefs and insecurities on an effervescent whim. Annoyingly overzealous and effortlessly rattled conversationalist that I am, my closest circle of friends knows my ideological makeup like the back of their hands — maybe I can partially blame The Observer for that. Their responsibility becomes a remarkably easy one: all it takes is a simple “21st century country music deserves wayyyy more credit” or “reality television destroys our morals” text message for a mutual smirk to form through the phone. The past weekend brought about a five-minute lull on my part as I carelessly thought that I’d heard it all. Fittingly striking when I least expected it, a devastatingly alluring bait hooked my phone: “Bill James sucks. With advanced analytics, baseball players just become assets to a business. The human aspects of the game are completely ruined.” I imagined a cackle trailing those words, not only because of my fervent discipleship of James, the pioneer of modern baseball analytics, but also because of its persistent relevance in the highly polarized clash between traditionalists and data-driven revolutionaries across major sports. Granted, reducing the near-ethereal “miracle” comeback, the unpredictable hot streak and the inspirational breakout story to conversations of distributions and deviations from the mean feels callous. Understandably, backlash behind statistically proven adjustments to game strategy, scouting and development heavily leans on consideration of history’s control group: the generations of elite players that navigated their careers without the novelties of Statcast or extreme infield shifts. And surely improvements in
draft selections, scouting classes and on-field decisions through data insights bear benefits to the business side of baseball. With an ever-increasing body of metrics calculating the expected value of trade acquisitions and roster moves in light of upcoming game schedules, general managers and owners limit their time wasted on young “projects” or veteran “gambles” in farm systems and free agency. Player development that deliberately targets launch angle and exit velocity — two metrics that can maximize offensive power at the plate — yields massive surges in ticket and broadcasting revenue, capitalizing on homerhungry fans. Pitching metrics like effective spin rate, protect the invaluable assets of coaching staffs and executives by detecting potential causes of injuries before they occur. But financial ploys aside, perhaps the crux of this widespread loathing for analytics in sports — a distinctly human endeavor — lies in our collective fear of science. We despise the thought of objective formulas and metrics overriding our years of experience watching and playing a game of metaphysical minds in motion. We cherish our imperfections in hope that we retain the autonomy to make our own decisions, however ineffective and misguided that they may be. The heart of the statistical matter beats to the rhythm of freedom, a refusal to act as data-driven pawns in a power-hungry struggle for competitive advantage. Regardless of your stance on the forward-thinking baseball analysts that flood your television screen, however, the very nature of sports statistics protects against the very thing this argument criticizes. Take, for instance, Major League Baseball officials’ detection of widespread steroid use throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. The names Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa soared to household status as they shattered seemingly unbreakable single-season home run records. While the trio of bombers painted a historical sensation, the 1997 Seattle Mariners colored a masterpiece of their own by tattooing 264 baseballs in a single season. Never before did fans witness home runs so majestic, so euphoric, so pivotal since the reign of Murderers’ Row. Beneath all of the glamor in the “new era of baseball,” the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) perpetuated a sweeping scheme to catalyze the home run race. As later investigations confirmed, the laboratory administered supplements of human
growth hormone (HGH), erythropoietin and other anabolic steroids while undetected for nearly 14 years. Investigations into the actions of BALCO began in 2002, a year after Barry Bonds attained an almost unthinkable feat: 73 home runs in 153 games played. Basic applied statistics undoubtedly prompted the MLB to investigate. At base level, league executives and lawyers deemed the influx in long balls too significantly strayed from league averages for us to label Bonds’ performance as a random occurrence; chance alone does not justify his output at a reasonable level. In this infamous case, analytics protected the humanity of Major League Baseball against the artificial development of steroids. By mining data from the performance of both past and present players, the MLB held Bonds, McGwire and Sosa to the standard of hitters’ greatest natural capacities — and no more. Basic metrics derived an optimal level of performance under current conditions, and when enough players breached this deduction, commissioner Bud Selig administered a call for retribution. But analytical methods are not anabolic steroids. When coaches remove their starting pitcher from the game after four strong innings, they act with the promotion of their teams’ refined success in mind. Chains of individual decisions and short bursts of focus define the identity of this game like no other, and certainly an agent like analytics should offer suggestions as a natural antidote for baseball’s otherwise complex chaos. Of course, more traditional choices reap rewards in many cases, and I might argue that human intuition should solely influence the dugout and bullpen as coaches evaluate the preparedness, health and energy of their players. But once the best nine “assets” for the job take to the field, or the spring training facility, or the off-season workout complex, analytics promote the deepest desire of friends: to help our beloved become the best version of themselves. If that’s not humanizing, I don’t know what is. Above all, amidst the persistent teasing and flustering, friends lovingly uplift each other for the sake of our humanity. Maybe Bill James merits some of that love, too. Contact David Kramer at dkramer2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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seasons have taught him about how much work goes into running a college football team and how he can fit into that bigger picture. “It’s very intricate in terms of the details and everybody has their role, which is really beautiful,” he said. “It’s been great, so I just learned kind of what my role is and just try to do it to the best of my ability” For Wills, many of the highlights of his time with the team include sideline conversations with players or experiences in some of their most vulnerable moments. “It’s a tough group to break into because everybody basically comes to them wanting something,” Wills said. “I can see that it took a little while for them to trust that I wasn’t there to get something and just to get to know them, to be with them and to really minister to them.” Two moments that stand out to him in his time with the team involved offensive linemen. Prior to having surgery, senior lineman Dillan Gibbons shared his very personal faith story with Wills, eventually drawing in the orthopedic surgeon as well. “I was just completely blown away by how beautiful his faith journey was,” Wills said. “How he had really had to fight for his Catholic faith in a school that he was a part of.” In a slightly more public forum, Wills found himself engaged in another deep conversation, this time with graduate student offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer, who was sidelined with an injury against Navy back in 2019. “Tommy always had really interesting logical questions for me,” Wills said. “… During the Navy game last year, he came up to us on crutches and said, ‘I was just thinking about Navy and I was curious, what does the church think about [war] ... can you be a soldier and kill people and still be Catholic? How does that work? And what about the morality of drone strikes and stuff like that?’” While Wills said he welcomed challenging conversations, he felt a little freaked out internally as he tried to approach a very complicated subject. “We had a great conversation, and lo and behold, while we were having this conversation, apparently, NBC zooms in on us and all of a sudden my phone starts going crazy in my pocket ... They were zooming in on Tommy, and talking about the fact that he was injured and … nobody could hear that we were actually having this in-depth theological conversation about the morality of drone strikes.” For Wills, the privacy of that conversation, despite being in such a public setting, made it all the more special. “They will know the incredible spiritual curiosity of our guys and the ways in which they’re really just hungry to grow in their faith and to grow closer to the Lord. So
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that was to me this kind of like our little team in a nutshell,” he said. “I think people can see these guys in a one-dimensional way, and I have the privilege of seeing them in very much three-dimensional.” Furthermore, the football team has given Wills perspective on the greater student body. “Half our team isn’t Catholic … I think there is often a challenge — and probably for all our sports — for chaplains to think that the student athletes think, ‘Oh, this person is there for the Catholics,’” he added. Rather, Wills looks at it as an opportunity to support the players of different faiths, and said players like Daelin Hayes and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa have emerged as incredible faith leaders on the team. Wills cited the team’s response to racial injustices in America and the growing anxiety over their season due to COVID-19 as a testament to their leadership. “Working with the team has given me so much hope for not only the future of Notre Dame, but the future of our country and the future of our church in the sense that I’ve seen so many people from different backgrounds really having authentic dialogue, friendship and brotherhood.” In terms of the anxiety surrounding this upcoming season, Wills is confident these players are prepared to manage whatever adversity comes their way. “This is something they deal with all the time, right?” he said. “They, they have to find ways to calm their nerves to find inner peace and to do their best.” While he acknowledges the stressors of this season are different, he thinks great opportunity can come from that. “That’s where God’s grace can meet us,” Wills said. “To live in the future or to live in the past is really to rob yourself of the joy, of gratitude that God wants to have, that God wants each of us to have. So I think it really is our invitation to just be present.” Wills said he’s been moved by the entire football program’s willingness to dig deeper. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because I look at the way that they’re so disciplined and intense, in basically everything in their life, whether they’re required to be so disciplined with their studies, with their training, with their use of time and sleep and food and everything,” he said. “Why wouldn’t they be as intense about seeking after the Lord and trying to grow in their faith life as well.” According to Wills, this experience has opened his eyes to the ways these athletes are pursuing excellence and growth in every aspect of their lives. “They’re hungering for deeper realities for spiritual nourishment,” he said. “To know and love and serve Jesus. And so I think there’s a lot there, and I’m blessed to be able to step into that hunger and provide what I can.” Contact Charlotte Edmonds at cedmond3@nd.edu
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continued mediocrit y, however, it now appears that this difficult season was the starting block for a rapidly accelerating rebuild. In his second year on the job, Norman led a relatively young team to an 11-8-2 record and an appearance in the second round of the NC A A tournament, where they narrowly lost to eventual quarterfinalists South Carolina 1-0. With the Irish only dealing w ith a few key departures this season, I think Norman’s third year w ill be one to remember. If Notre Dame can play either this fall or in the spring of 2021, not only do I think that the Irish w ill take a massive step for ward, but I also believe that they w ill show why Notre Dame is ready to rejoin the elite of women’s college soccer. It is true that the Irish technically did not beat a ranked opponent last season, but as is often the case in soccer, results were sometimes misleading in convey ing the overall balance of play. W hile there were emphatic losses to then-No. 1 Virginia and eventual national runnersup UNC, on many occasions, Notre Dame pushed ranked opponents to the brink. Often, the Irish dominated large swaths of play but ultimately fell short due to missed chances or lapses in concentration defensively. Norman admitted last year that this was often a source of frustration, especially when the Irish lost three consecutive games by a single goal in September, which included contests on the road against then-No. 7 South Carolina and No. 10 Clemson. The Irish did not abandon their exciting high-pressing, possessionbased st yle, though, and it began to translate into better results against top opposition. Notre Dame fought then-No. 14 Louisv ille to a scoreless draw after doubleovertime and then earned an impressive 1-1 draw at No. 9 Duke. After going dow n late in the first half, the Irish clearly became the better team after the break and finally got their just reward when Oliv ia Wingate equalized off a brilliant back-heel f lick from Erin Hohnstein. W hile the Irish did not pull out a w in that night, the progress was ev ident. In the last regularseason game of the year vs. Wake Forest, meanwhile, the Irish showed they were capable of grinding out a w in w ith their backs against the wall. With an ACC tournament spot on the line in a miserable w intr y mix,
Notre Dame rebounded from conceding an equalizer in the last minute of regulation by scoring the w inner w ith just 26 seconds left to play in doubleovertime. If the Irish do get a chance to take the field this year, I am extremely confident that these narrow losses and draws against top teams w ill now translate into statement w ins thanks to this valuable experience, especially as the abundantly talented Irish attack continues to realize its full potential. People who can score goals are usually the hardest to replace, and fortunately for Norman, virtually all of his attacking talent returns after last season, including last year’s team-leader in both goals and assists. Senior Sammi Fischer tallied six goals and five assists in a breakout junior season that included a second-half hat trick in a crucial 3-0 win over Miami. An attacking midfielder who loves to run with the ball at the backline, she is perhaps the Irish’s most potent game-changer. Fellow senior and all ACC-third team member Eva Hurm, who gained national attention after her “Olimpico” vs. Northwestern, returns as the team’s second-highest scorer in 2019. Juniors Luisa Delgado, who finished third on the team in points, and Wingate ensure that the litany of proven forwards and attacking midfielders does not end there. If you watched any substantial part of last season, however, you have to feel that the Kiki Van Zanten show is imminent. Given the wealth of attacking options at Norman’s disposal, it is understandable that she only started two games last season as a freshman, but her f lair and poise made her a vital spark plug off the bench. Her electrif ying pace and nifty nutmegs are enough to get Irish fans excited, but she displayed plenty of substance too, matching Delgado for third on the scoring charts with four goals despite her limited minutes. Most importantly, Van Zanten played the role of “super-sub” more than once. Her first collegiate goal was an 87th-minute winner at Michigan, and she also scored the only goal in Notre Dame’s scrappy win over St. Louis in the first round of the NCA A tournament, so delivering the goods when it matters most should not be an issue. Van Zanten, who has been a part of the U.S. Women’s National Team youth setup since the U15 CONCACAF Championship, highlights a strong group of players who have recently earned call-ups to the youth
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national team. Sophomore midfielder Maddie Mercado and junior defensive midfielder Brianna Martinez competed at the prestigious La Manga tournament (an annual tournament for U-19 national teams) and the U-20 CONCACAF Championship, respectively. With four All-Americans headlining a stellar incoming freshman class as well, I think Norman is already proving he can secure and develop top-class talent that can propel Notre Dame back to its rightful place near the summit of the sport. The Irish will need to find a new center-back pairing after the departure of grad students Shannon Hendricks and Autumn Smithers, who now plies her trade with the Portland Thorns of the NWSL. Senior Jenna Winebrenner started every game on the back-line last season and was usually accompanied by junior Jade Gosar (who started 18 of the 21 games), however, and I expect that their transitions from more wing-back roles to leading the line will be practically seamless. Goalkeeper Brooke Littman also departed following graduation, but junior Mattie Interian already split time with her last season and was chosen for both of Notre Dame’s NCA A tournament games, so there will still be continuity in net for the Irish as well. A convenient narrative last year was that Norman’s team was talented and played exciting soccer but was too inexperienced to truly challenge the giants of the ACC. It may seem like a large jump for just one year, but I think the Irish are now a dependable squad that will have the ability to remind the conference, and the country, of Notre Dame’s blue-blood status. Of course, determining what would be considered “rejoining the elite” of women’s college soccer might be difficult this year after the NCA A postponed all fall championships besides FBS until at least the spring. If the Irish do play in the spring, a national championship is probably a step too far, but I think Notre Dame would have a genuine chance of reaching the College Cup for the first time in a decade. Likewise, whether the ACC far and away the most competitive conference in the sport goes ahead with its plan to start play in September or ends up moving the season to the spring, reaching a conference championship game is a goal, that is well within reach. Contact Greg McKenna at gmckenn2@nd.edu
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The observer | Friday, september 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Observer Roundtable
Observer Roundtable: New Year’s Six predictions By HAYDEN ADAMS, LIAM COOLICAN, PATRICK GALLAGHER, DOMINIC GIBSON, DAVID KRAMER and AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor and Sports Writers
With every day we get closer to a college football season, we grow ever more hopeful that we will see it through to fruition. In that spirit, we continue our Observer Roundtable 2020 season preview with picks for the New Year’s Six bowl games. In this rendition of our season preview, we will take the BIG-10 and PAC-12’s cancellations into account. We will also be excluding the Rose and Sugar Bowls as they constitute this season’s college football playoff bowls, and those predictions will come next week as we conclude this series.
Aidan Although unsure which bowl game will be designated for a Group-of-5 bid this year, I feel confident that Memphis will make it back to the New Year’s 6. Brady White is one of the most underappreciated quarterbacks in the country, and he will lead an explosive Memphis offense in 2020. Their opponent? Give me Memphis getting a shot with the Texas A&M Aggies in the Peach Bowl, who will put up a solid 8-2 campaign in the SEC and earn a New Year’s Six berth at last. Moving on to the Cotton Bowl, I would like Georgia to receive an opportunity here. I’m wavering slightly in my confidence in the Bulldogs after the opt-out of Jamie Newman, but I wasn’t ever too high on the Wake Forest transfer quarterback. Georgia still boasts the best defense in the country and should be good enough for eight or nine wins in SEC play. After coming up short in the SEC Championship, they’ll be relegated to the Cotton Bowl, where they will be taking on Oklahoma. This is just a juicy matchup, and with memories of their Rose Bowl classic from just a few years ago, this should be a bowl game everyone wants to see happen. I’m going to put LSU in the Orange Bowl on a whim. They have been murdered by optouts and losses to the draft, but I still really like LSU to put up a good fight in the SEC, even if I don’t have them making out of the conference. I originally had picked LSU as my fourth playoff team, but losing Ja’Marr Chase knocks them down a peg. They’ll get the Orange Bowl slot against the Louisville Cardinals, a team who I think challenges for eight or nine wins in ACC play. And finally, let’s pick the Fiesta Bowl. I’m giving the SEC another berth here. In a year with only three Power-5 conferences, the SEC’s depth will truly shine, as Florida will represent the conference in the Fiesta Bowl. Their opponent will be the resurgent
Oklahoma State Cowboys, who will look to ride another huge rushing season from Chuba Hubbard and solid performances elsewhere to a top three finish in the Big 12. The Gators got essentially a free New Year’s 6 win last year in the Orange Bowl against the undeserving Virginia Cavaliers, and this year, they’ll face at least some stiffer competition.
David With the bowl selection still so incredibly ambiguous, I hesitate to even allocate bids based on college. But here at Observer Sports, we don’t make excuses. To give credit where credit is due, I feel compelled to plug UCF as the AAC bid. After skidding to a full stop last season, UCF’s dominance should surge to an all-ornothing AAC title game against Memphis in week four. Beyond the Tigers, no one stands in their way. Look for the Knights to represent the “Group of One” in the Fiesta Bowl against Baylor. In light of restricted practiced schedules, minimized travel and intensive intra-conference scouting, team defenses will come into 2020 more prepared, rested and refined than opposing offenses. Oklahoma undoubtedly bears the burden of this projection, as I expect two early losses against Texas and Iowa State. Quick to recover, however, the Sooners will look to capture a Cotton Bowl championship against their bitter rivals: the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Orange Bowl presents a conundrum. As much as I’d love to edify our Fighting Irish as the ACC champions and bowl contenders, the Clemson Tigers carry too many weapons on both sides of the ball for any conference opponent to keep pace. Notre Dame will finish the season feeling snubbed out of a CFP spot and face the vastly depleted LSU Tigers in Hard Rock Stadium. I withhold my ever-pivotal CFP predictions until next week as I round out this all too brief prediction set with the Peach Bowl. North Carolina deserves the most consideration for a bid, not only due to their inexplicably easy schedule but also on account of their raw young talent, a base that could trounce our Irish in Chapel Hill if we aren’t careful. Auburn will sneak out of the SEC West with two losses and face the Tar Heels in Atlanta. Again, with uncertainty comes brevity on my part — a novel idea, too; I love to talk! As more information surfaces, bids could shift due alongside eligibility changes.
Hayden It’s unclear which Bowl game the Group of 5 (a.k.a. the Group of 1 in 2020, the AAC) will receive this season, but I can’t help but feel this is a revenge tour year
for UCF. They saw their regular season unbeaten streak come to an end in 2019 and Memphis snatched up their chance to play in last year’s Cotton Bowl, but I’m going to venture a guess that the self-proclaimed 2018 national champs will end up facing a two-loss Georgia in the Peach Bowl. As much talent as Jamie Newman and J.T. Daniels offer the Bulldogs at QB, I don’t think it will mesh well enough with the roster and Kirby Smarts coaching to earn another Playoff berth. I also think that, in a college football season missing out on Big ten and Pac-12 teams, UCF isn’t the only AAC team in the New Year’s Six mix. I’ve got Memphis making yet another trip deep down into the heart of Texas in their return to the Cotton Bowl, where they’ll take on none other than the Texas Longhorns. I see Florida having a solid record this year with a very fortuitous draw to their SEC slate, and as such I think they once more appear in the Orange Bowl. This time though, I have them facing off against North Carolina, the best ACC team that didn’t make the Playoff (let that sink in for a minute cause it probably gives away my CFP prediction). And heading out west to the Fiesta Bowl, I’m going to make an incredibly bold prediction. I don’t see LSU breaking out of the SEC being both in the West division and with everything they lose, and I hold the same view of Auburn for similar reasons. With UGA and UF occupied, I do think that another SEC team makes it out, and I’m looking right at my good ol’ Kentucky Wildcats to shock the world — but it won’t shock me. Look at everything they have in the trenches, the secondary, the QB room and in the backfield, and I like them heading out west to take on … the rival Louisville Cardinals of the ACC. The Cards had an amazing turnaround under Scott Satterfield last season, and while their defense is going to cost them this season, they miss out on Clemson, so I think their record and the hype both around their team in the preseason and a rivalry matchup like this will lead them to a New Year’s Six bid. And if you don’t like these picks, hey, it’s what you get without the Big Ten or Pac-12. Don’t blame the writer, blame Kevin Warren.
Liam The Bowl Selection Committee has yet to announce exactly which conferences will fill which bowl games, so this took a little bit of guesswork. The Orange Bowl, which is usually SEC vs ACC, should stay consistent. I think it is a near certainty that the SEC will have two playoff teams, and it will most likely be the teams that face off in the
conference championship. I really like this Georgia team, but Florida has more experience. As the best non-playoff SEC team, Georgia will face UNC. The Tar Heels are really talented offensively, and Mack Brown knows how to coach a defense. They’ll finish second in the ACC and cement themselves as contenders. This would be a very exciting game to watch, but given Georgia’s prodigious defense, I give them a slight edge. Georgia wins in a nail-biter. How exciting would it be to see two historic powerhouses from the same state renew their rivalry in an iconic college football venue? Well, that’s what we have here in the Cotton Bowl. Texas A&M and Baylor played every year from 1945-2011, before the Aggies moved to the SEC in 2012. I think this is the year Jimbo Fisher finally turns it around. I really like Kellen Mond, and he will have a breakout senior season. They do have a tough schedule, but if they have the talent win a couple big games. As for Baylor, it is more a reflection of my lack of enthusiasm for the rest of the Big 12, rather than an endorsement of the Bears, but I do think they’re the second best team in the conference. Despite losing plenty of starters and their head coach to the NFL, they have enough experience where they will field a competitive team. This should be another exciting, evenly matched battle, but I’ll take the Aggies to prevail in a close one. The group of five is incredibly tough to project because so many teams are playing conference-only schedules. There is likely to be multiple teams that are undefeated, but I’m going to pick a team with a more difficult schedule: SMU. They do have to face TCU on the road, to go along with matchups with Memphis and Houston at home. However, Shane Beuchele is one of the most talented passers in college football, and even if SMU loses a game, they might be given an advantage over an undefeated team with a weaker schedule. While I think Alabama will be very good this year, I expect them to drop at least one regular season game, and miss the SEC championship game. Alabama will take their frustration out on SMU, and win by at least three touchdowns. I was very close to not giving Notre Dame a New Year’s Six berth, but reason (or optimism) prevailed. The Irish won’t make the ACC championship game, but a 2-loss ACC team should make a New Year’s Six game. Their opponent will be yet another SEC team. I know I’ve picked a lot already, but the SEC is as strong as it’s ever been. I think LSU is one of the more overrated teams this year, but I trust coach Ed Orgereon, despite having to replace so many starters their defense will remain elite, and
they’ll be in contention for the SEC title. The Irish prevailed the last time they faced the Tigers in the 2018 Citrus Bowl, and I think they’ll do it again. The offensive experience prevails, and the Irish win on a late fourth quarter drive.
Nate The bowl schedule for the 2020 season might be one of the strangest of all time with the Big Ten and Pac-12 out of the picture. This should open the door for the other power three conferences to each get multiple teams in the New Year’s six bowl games. In the SEC alone, I anticipate there being multiple teams in the New Year’s six picture by the end of the season. Originally I would have picked Georgia to make the playoffs, but with Jamie Newman’s decision not to play this season, I see the Bulldogs ending up in the Orange Bowl. Along with Georgia, I expect Auburn to make a New Year’s Six bowl as well. The Tigers showed their potential last year with an upset of Alabama, and a New Year’s Six bowl definitely seems on the table for them. I’ll take the Tigers to go to the Peach Bowl. I am expecting Alabama and Florida to make the playoffs, so they aren’t mentioned here. The ACC will also be able to make a splash in the New Year’s six bowls this year as well. I like Clemson to make the playoffs, so I will keep them out of the conversation, but I anticipate Notre Dame and North Carolina to qualify for a New Year’s Six game. The Tar Heels arguably have the easiest schedule in the country with their only ranked game coming against Notre Dame in November. I don’t see the Tar Heels losing when favored, and I definitely think they have a shot at beating the Irish as well. I will take the Tar Heels to face Georgia in the Orange Bowl. For Notre Dame, their two biggest games on their schedule come in November against Clemson and North Carolina. If the Irish can win at least one of them, I think they are a lock for a New Year’s Six. I’ll take the Irish to go to the Cotton Bowl. As for the Big 12, I anticipate them getting two teams into a New Year’s Six bowl as well with Oklahoma making the playoffs. Without crossover games this year, I think it’s likely each conference has about equal representation in the New Year’s Six games. I really like Texas to make a New Year’s six game again. While I don’t think Sam Ehlinger is good enough to propel the Longhorns to the playoffs, he is definitely good enough to lead the Horns to a Cotton Bowl showdown against Notre Dame. I also really like Oklahoma State to make a New Year’s Six game. The Big 12 looks like it might be see CHAMPS PAGE 15
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a bit down this year, and I think the Cowboys could possibly finish the season with only one loss. Oklahoma State to the Fiesta Bowl. Lastly, the non-power five conferences. Typically there is only one group of six team to make the playoffs, but I think two teams can make it this year because of the bizarre nature of the season. I will take Cincinnati and UCF out of the AAC to qualify. Both of these teams have made big bowl games before, and I don’t see 2020 being any different. I’ll take UCF in the Fiesta Bowl and the Bearcats in the Peach Bowl.
Dom There is a lot of uncertainty when it comes to deciding which conference will be placed into what bowl, but the possibilities for other potential power conference teams to receive bids into a New Year’s Six bowl game is exciting to think about. For the Orange Bowl, I think that a Georgia vs. North Carolina game is a very realistic pick. North Carolina is a talented team no doubt with Mack Brown and Sam Howell leading the charge for the Tar Heels. While Georgia has the potential to make the playoffs, I think they are missing a few key pieces to make that push in and will end up next best as a NY6 contender. Sticking with the trend of the
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SEC, I think that Auburn could fit into the Peach Bowl. Bo Nix will look to impress and with the prospect of an overhauled offense, I think they will have an improved season despite the tougher schedule. Facing off against the Tigers will be the Baylor Bears. The loss of Matt Rhule may have some negative effects on the Bears but Rhule built a very strong program during his tenure there at Baylor. I don’t see them losing too much of a step but I also don’t see them making the playoffs which puts them right here in the Peach Bowl. The Cotton Bowl is an interesting set of picks to think about. While Texas has shown some promise to find their big break with Tom Herman, they will most likely need to beat Oklahoma twice in the season to do so. One for the Red River Shootout and the other at the Big 12 title game. In football, it is very difficult to beat a team twice in a season. I think that Texas will steal the first one off Oklahoma but fall in the title game, putting them here in the Cotton Bowl. I think facing them will be Notre Dame. As much as I want to see both Notre Dame and Texas in the playoffs, I just can’t see either getting over the humps that are Clemson and Oklahoma. On the bright side, the media exposure and the marketing for this game will be unreal. Two traditional blue blood programs going at it always produce viewers. Finally, in the Fiesta Bowl I have LSU facing off against SMU. Shane Buchele has found his stride in Dallas after a rough
tenure at Texas. Sometimes a change of scenery and leadership makes all the difference. SMU impressed last season and I think they will be looking to build off of that. As far as LSU goes, they will not be the team they were last year there is no doubt about that. But I don’t think they will be quite as down as people think. A NY6 bowl game appearance will be almost a moral victory for the Tigers if you will as that championship team of last year will seem like a distant memory when play begins and the championship hangover commences.
Patrick With the BIG-10 and PAC-12 out of the picture, the SEC will most likely land two non-playoff New Year’s Six berths. Clearly, Georgia is not as talented as in the past due to Jamie Newman opting out, and it will show in the standings. Losing such a key player would be a complete disaster for most programs, but Kirby Smart should still be able to salvage the season and contend in the SEC. However, I am pretty high on Florida this year, so I think that the Bulldogs will have to settle for the Peach Bowl after failing to win the East Division. Their opponent will be Cincinnati, a program that is seeking redemption after two straight losses against Memphis derailed their AAC championship hopes in 2019. The Bearcats may have found a new formidable rushing threat in Alabama transfer Jerome Ford, and Cincinnati’s bountiful supply of offensive line talent should allow him to
elevate his game to the next level. Unfortunately, it will not be enough against Georgia, who should easily win this matchup. The other SEC team represented will be Auburn in the Orange Bowl. The Tigers will narrowly edge out LSU, whose roster has been decimated by opt outs and NFL departures. Auburn’s biggest strength will be their defensive line led by Markaviest Bryant, who should drastically improve his 16-sack total from last year. As all three starting linebackers are also returning, the Tigers defense is stacked with proven veterans that have the ability to cause trouble against even the most formidable offensive units. Bo Nix should continue to improve after winning the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2019 and may be considered a top three quarterback within his conference by the end of the season. The Tigers will face off against Notre Dame for the first time in history once the Irish finish as runnersup in the ACC. Liam Eichenberg headlines a stacked offensive line, which should be able to somewhat neutralize Auburn’s defensive pressure. We have seen Notre Dame struggle on the big stage, but, after being tested by Clemson twice, I think that the Irish will be more than prepared to defeat the Tigers. Due to a surprisingly great season from Texas, I think that Oklahoma will fail to reach the CFP for the first time since 2017. The Sooners will land in the Cotton Bowl and will be met by the Miami Hurricanes. A lot of people are overlooking D’Eriq King’s
explosive talent at the quarterback position, and I genuinely believe that King will perform spectacularly in his final college season. In Dallas, he will have to duel against Spencer Rattler, a younger quarterback with significantly higher pressure to perform well due to his program’s recent success. However, Rattler looks very talented, and Lincoln Riley’s playoff experience will give the Sooners the edge in a high scoring affair. In a rematch of last year’s postseason contest, Texas A&M will play Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. After disappointing their fans over the past couple seasons, Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies are due for some increased success. I think that they will find it in a year with significantly less competition for New Year’s Six berths. However, the Aggies have a very weak offensive line, and Oklahoma State may hold the advantage in this matchup with superstar running back Chubba Hubbard on the roster. Hubbard shocked the world with 2,094 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns last season, and I believe that he will lead the Cowboys to an avenging victory over Texas A&M.
M BBall
prestigious team in the BBL, as they lead the league with seven BBL Championships and six runner-up finishes. However, the team has been in a drought recently relative to their success, as they have not been crowned champions since 2015. This is not the first time a Notre Dame alum has joined Newcastle. Former Notre Dame Monogram Club Team MVP and current men’s basketball development and recruiting coordinator Scott Martin previously played for the Eagles and was monumental in Pflueger’s decision to don the black and gold.
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game-winning three with 2.2 seconds left on the clock. Throughout Pflueger’s five years with Notre Dame, four of which were as a full-time starter, he averaged 5.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Playing in the BBL will be a homecoming of sorts for Pflueger, whose late mother, Rebecca, was born and raised in Andover, England. He currently has a U.K. passport due to this connection. The Newcastle Eagles are considered the most
Please recycle The Observer. ANTHONY REO | The Observer
Former Irish guard Rex Plfueger shoots over a defender in Notre Dame’s 80-72 victory over Pittsburgh on Feb. 2 at Purcell Pavillion. Plfueger tallied a total of 141 games in his five year career with Notre Dame.
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Contact Hayden Adams at hadam3@nd.edu, Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu, Patrick Gallagher at pgallag4@ nd.edu, Dominic Gibson at dgibson@nd.edu, David Kramer at dkramer 2@nd.edu and Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | Friday, september 4, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND Football
Football chaplain discusses time with team By CHARLOTTE EDMONDS Senior Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Aug. 24. Three years ago, Fr. Nate Wills found himself with a job opportunity he figured he was extremely unqualified for. Now he seems like just the man for the job. Walking across the quads while teaching through ACE during the summer of 2017, Wills received a call from one of his good friends, Fr. Pete McCormick, Director of Campus Ministry and chaplain of the men’s basketball team. McCormick asked Wills if he’d consider being the football team’s chaplain. “I said two things. So first of all, I’m really honored,” Wills said. “And second: You know, I don’t really know that much about football, right? Like, I played football for a year in high school, and I wasn’t very good.” McCormick quickly put Wills’ mind at ease, assuring him that Notre Dame takes great pride in their coaching staff who already
know everything there is to know about football. “We don’t need you to call plays. We needed you to be there [to] chat.” Wills said, recalling the conversation with McCormick that convinced him to take the job. And for the past three season, Wills has done just that — chat … and pray and help form players in their faith journey — under the helpful guidance of Fr. Mark Thesing, who’s served as the primary chaplain. “Father Mark is been a really great mentor for me in kind of showing me the ropes and kind of describing the way that he’s been the chaplain, but also letting me kind of do my own thing and kind of forge my own path,” Wills said. With all the tools and experience at his hands, Wills is ready to take over for good. “This coming school year will be my first year solo,” he said. “… Fr. Mark was really helpful and patient with me.” Wills said these past three seasons have taught him about how see FOOTBALL PAGE 16
Photo courtesy of Fr. Nate Willis
Fr. Nate Wills poses for a photo before Notre Dame’s 3-30 loss to Clemson at the Cotton Bowl Classic on Dec. 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. Fr. Willis has been the chaplain of the football team since 2017.
ND Men’s Basketball
ND WOMEN’S SOCCER
Women’s soccer ready to restablish premier status BY Greg McKenna
Observer Sports Staff
Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Aug. 27.
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Aug. 25. After the undisputed preeminent institution in collegiate women’s soccer, no other powerhouse program has the same national championship pedigree as Notre Dame. Besides the Universit y of North Carolina, who has collected an incredible 21 of the 31 NCA A tournament titles contested, Notre Dame is second on the list w ith three national championships. Since Notre Dame’s last title in 2010, however, the Irish have failed to advance past the third round (or last-16) of the NCA A tournament. In 2018, head coach Nate Norman’s first year on the job, Notre Dame endured its first losing season in program histor y. Rather than being a precursor to see W SOCCER PAGE 16
Pfleuger signs with BBL’s Eagles
Observer File Photo
Former Irish forward Karin Muya dribbles the ball during Notre Dame’s 0-4 loss to Florida State on Sept. 27, 2018 at home.
Former Notre Dame men’s basketball star Rex Pf lueger signed his first professional contract w ith the British Basketball League’s Newcastle Eagles. Pf lueger w ill be heading overseas to play professional hoops after a truly rollercoaster of a fifth season left him unable to compete in March. Just under a year after Pf lueger lost his mother to brain cancer, he signed a contract w ith a team based in his mother’s home countr y. Pf lueger currently holds the record for the most games played in a Fighting Irish uniform, w ith 141 appearances. He is also a t wo-time Notre Dame Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time ACC A ll-Academic Team. A versatile player who could defend multiple positions
while prov iding play making on the offensive side of the ball, Pf lueger was a key player in Notre Dame’s 2016 run to the Elite Eight. His most notable moment in an Irish uniform came against Stephen F. Austin in the second round of the 2016 NCA A Tournament, where his tip in w ith 1.5 seconds left secured the Irish a 76-75 v ictor y. In his final year w ith the Fighting Irish, Pf lueger had a plethora of clutch moments that helped lead Notre Dame to several key w ins. Against Toledo, he had t wo steals in the final t wo minutes of regulation to help push the game into overtime, where he would score four points in the final 25 seconds to secure an Irish v ictor y. In Notre Dame’s comeback v ictor y from 15 points dow n against North Carolina, Pf lueger secured an offensive rebound w ith seconds remaining and kicked it out to Nate Laszewski for the see M BBALL PAGE 15