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The observer | monday, september 7, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

The observer | Monday, September 7, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Insi de Column

Biker shorts and the campus pause

Isabella Volmert Associate News Editor

I checked two things almost every day during the anxious period Notre Dame spent in the national spotlight: the COV ID-19 dashboard around 12 p.m. and my Target cart around 12 a.m. The former of these sites changed quite a bit and the latter not at all, where a singular pair of biker shorts sat for almost all of the campus pause.

The shorts in question, $7 Wild Fable black biker shorts (yes, I’m cheap), probably would have served me well in the two weeks we — or I — mostly spent within a three-minute walk of my dorm room. But I’m not an impulse buyer. My policy is to think about a piece of clothing, and if I still want it after a while, I’ll go back and add it to my physical or virtual cart. So I wrestled with the biker shorts every night, since I didn’t have much else to do.

I considered the cons while balancing schoolwork and the uncertainty of our fate as a University. For those who are unfamiliar, biker shorts are basically leggings cropped three to five inches above the knee. With all the judgement and opinions that came with the birth of leggings as pants in the mid 2010s (and let’s not forget the great Notre Dame leggings debacle of 2019) in the back of my mind, I could hear the verbal and mental judgment. A considerable con. I’m honestly surprised there hasn’t been a greater outcry against biker shorts. Another con, if they looked atrocious on me, did I really want to deal with the disappointment and hassle of returning them?

Now here were my pros: there is no better time for comfort-wear clothing. I’m so thankful the University and the students have successfully f lattened the curve, but I can foresee another cycle of “pausing” the campus, especially as football season arrives. In that case, I only want to wear elastic waistbands and over-sized t-shirts again. Giving up on effort while maintaining the slightest sense of current style would be nice. Another plus: I adore leggings, but sometimes I just don’t want to wear pants, especially when its hot outside. We’ve had great weather in the past few weeks, but Midwestern Septembers often have the last word of summer. Wearing leggings but as shorts? Innovation has met j-chilling.

In the end, I purchased the item not because of its utility, but because of the novelty of the shorts within the context of our times. Biker shorts started coming back from their vintage mid-90s days a few years before the pandemic and the ensuing lock downs skyrocketed the shorts in sales, controversy and clout. In other words, a medical disaster caused a boom in the lounge-wear market and this unwilling participant in the pandemic to suddenly consider a piece of clothing I wouldn’t have before.

When I’m 50 years old reminiscing over my college days, I want to look at pictures and laugh at my clothes. I want to try the trends and take part in the cultural shifts, instead of always longing for “normalcy.” Biker shorts are a ref lection of the times. Why not take an active part of this history, instead of always fighting against it?

While I can never embody the timeless charm of Princess Diana’s classic gym outfits and probably not the casual chic of Instagram inf luencers, I’m content with my decision to purchase the shorts. If they work, maybe I’ll invest in more with patterns and pockets! In any rate, I’ll be armed with comfort no matter what the rest of the semester brings.

Imagine if Lou Holtz had never spoken

Gabriel Niforatos The Road Less Traveled

Can you imagine what would have happened if Donald Trump didn’t run for office in 2016?

This is a rhetorical question that might leave you grasping for fruit just beyond your reach like Tantalus, picking up “The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells feverishly to see if it would be possible to erase the chaotic four years of Trump’s term in office and convince Hillary Clinton to campaign in Wisconsin. It is a loaded, complicated, painful question, but former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz leaves it unanswered.

By now, you have probably heard about Lou Holtz and the speech he gave in support of Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention a week ago. Lou Holtz has already received all forms of criticism and critique for what he said, including Notre Dame President Jenkins making sure to distance the University from Lou Holtz’s political stance and a powerful letter to the editor in the Observer that couldn’t critique Holtz better. However, in light of the fact that Trump announced this past Friday that Holtz would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor possible, it seems highly relevant to address some of the things that Holtz said in his speech.

Holtz referenced his statue on Notre Dame’s campus, with the words “trust, commitment and love” written on it, three words that Holtz guide him in his life choices, including his political ones, and including his support for Trump. Holtz briefly outlined his support for Trump according to three questions based on these words, and I will respond to each in turn:

Can we trust Trump?

According to Holtz, the answer is yes because Trump “says what he means, he means what he says.” The evidence for this claim is far foggier. Whether it comes to the covfefe or his refusal to concretely say that he will accept the results of the 2020 election, we are often left filling in the gaps to discern what Trump’s intentions really are. Is this the mark of a mad genius or a reality TV show host thrust into confusion when his cue cards are mixed up? Ask Holtz because Trump apparently says what he means.

Is Trump committed to doing his very best?

Holtz stated that Trump always finds a way to get what he wants done. Commitment to reach a goal and actively reaching that goal are different things, however. We all know politics can be complicated, that intentionality and results are governed to some extent by who holds power in Congress, how the district lines are gerrymandered annually and a president’s tact for forging connections. Let us look not at Trump’s political performance to find this “commitment to excellence,” then, but rather to his pre-presidential days. By now Trump has ensured that we all know he went to Wharton (for an undergraduate degree, by the way), where the roots of his commitment to excellence supposedly grew. However, Trump was a transfer student from Fordham who got into Wharton through the help of family connections, performed very average once he got there and became a businessman who filed for bankruptcy six times. The commitment and the results just…aren’t…there.

Does Trump love people? Does he care about others?

I had to play the tape back a couple of times to make sure I heard Holtz correctly for this one. Apparently, Trump has demonstrated that he loves and cares about others through his “prison reform, advocating for school choice and welfare reform…[and that Trump] wants Americans from all walks of life to succeed and live the American dream.” I have written various columns in the past about the decaying idea of the American Dream and how it is a façade. The ideas of the American Dream do not sound so bad when they are isolated by themselves. For some it is comforting to think that anybody can succeed and fulfill their dreams of a white picket fence reality. But this reality is a snow globe that ignores the systematic and systemic barriers in place that fervently seek to block those who look different than the old, white men in power from dethroning them (the analogy of Trump awarding Holtz with the Medal of Freedom and the spoils system of Andrew Jackson rewarding his loyal followers is an excellent example of this). I admit that there may be a gap between measuring someone’s commitment by looking at the results they achieve. But a president who openly touts racist and classist conflict when he refers to the “Suburban Lifestyle Dream,” a president who separated families at the border as a result of his “zero tolerance” policy and a president who has a history of insulting and degrading women cannot be said to love and care for others.

Notre Dame is a university that is committed to excellence, whether that standard be met academically, in the sports world, or in the quality of engagement with the world. According to Holtz, Trump is a “consistent winner,” but there is far more nuance to Notre Dame’s brand of excellence than a Machiavellian notion of “winning.” Toting winning as a banner or measure of excellence inevitably ignores the “loser,” inevitably loses track of who was stepped on and who was taken advantage of through the process of winning.

Can you imagine what would have happened if Donald Trump didn’t run for office in 2016? Lou Holtz leaves this question unanswered. I leave you to ponder it as well, but send Doc Brown and Marty McFly my regards.

Gabriel Niforatos is a senior majoring in political science with minors in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service and theology. He is passionate about giving a voice to the disenfranchised and writing is the muse he is persistently chasing. He can be found at gniforat@nd.edu or @g_niforatos on Twitter.

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

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The observer | monday, september 7, 2020 | ndsmcobserver .com

This is not what democracy looks like

Eva Analitis

On Second Thought

As I scrolled through Twitter recently, I came across a tweet that reminded me of a reality we’re all generally aware of but tend to brush aside: we’re governed by the rich. The tweet in reference had a graphic of the wealth distribution among members of Congress, and it showed that 405 out of 435 U.S. Representatives and 94 out of 100 Senators fall in the top 20% of Americans in terms of wealth. We’ve been assured that ours is a “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” but 80% of Americans might beg to differ.

More than half of our lawmakers are millionaires, and the wealthiest one, Senator Rick Scott, has nearly $260 million in assets. The median household income in the U.S. was $61,937 in 2018. “So what?” you might shrug. Sheltered by our Golden Dome, we can easily forget that we pay more to go to Notre Dame than many Americans make in a year. I know I do. But we don’t have to step far beyond the campus gates to get a glimpse of life for the average American.

Our politicians are well aware of the economic insecurity facing many of our fellow citizens. It’s why we hear candidates from both sides make frequent vague acknowledgements on the campaign trail that “the system” is broken, but never fear—they’re here to fix it. Entranced by their grand promises of a more inclusive and prosperous future, we forget that they’re not in our shoes. So why are we looking to them as a guide for how to walk in them?

Oddly enough, Governor J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, a billionaire, has managed to sell himself as a champion of the working class and the marginalized. President Trump, also a billionaire, was arguably elected by appealing to the middle class, the “forgotten” men and women of America. We should all be suspicious of anyone who claims to represent people different from him — or herself. Both of these billionaires, though they might mean well, simply do not and cannot understand what most Americans

letter to the editor

The attempted murder of Jacob Blake by the Kenosha Police on Aug. 23 is the latest in a long sequence of events that have made one thing crystal clear: the epidemic of police brutality in the United States is a direct effect of deep-rooted systemic racism in our government. This systemic racism is rooted in the original sin of America: slavery. Systemic racism manifests itself not only in police brutality, but in the racial wealth gap, incarceration rates and access to education and job opportunities. Explicit legal discrimination may have been ended in 1964 with the Civil Rights Act, but implicit discrimination is alive and well in our society today. In America, a Black man is two and a half times more likely to be killed by police than a white man over the course of his life. In America, the median wealth of a white family is ten times that of a Black family. Black Americans are incarcerated at a rate nearly six times that of white Americans. The homeownership rate is nearly 30 percentage points higher for white Americans than Black Americans. Black Americans will be hit hardest by the climate crisis. Structural racism is America’s most deep-rooted and serious problem, and it requires large, systemic change to resolve.

Despite this, our own Democratic party has largely failed to address the problem, and has exacerbated the problem in the past. The 1994 Crime Bill was one of the most devastating pieces of legislation for Black communities, and it was authored in part by Joe Biden, and signed into law by Bill Clinton. Today, while the Democratic Party does accept the validity of go through. They certainly can’t identify with the 80%. They’re at the top looking down, and while they might not actively want you to remain at the bottom, they have no stakes in helping you rise.

The most common professions of our Congress members are business and law. Though they make up only 0.4% of the voting-age population, lawyers hold 39% of seats in the House and 56% of seats in the Senate. On the other hand, while about half of Americans work in manual labor, service industry and clerical jobs, fewer than 2% of our Congress members come from these fields. It’s to be expected that members of government will tend to be wealthier and more educated than the common people–this is natural to an extent, when we consider the type of individuals that stand out in our communities. But there’s no reason that people who are most like average Americans are not qualified to legislate for them.

The right to vote is one of America’s core democratic features, and one might argue that whoever is in office was put there–duly elected by the people. But it’s no secret that voting falls short of embodying the will of our people as a whole. Wealthier Americans consistently exhibit higher voter turnout than poorer Americans, typically being better educated and connected and having more flexible work schedules that allow them to make it out to the polls. But even in a voting utopia, in which all eligible voters cast their ballots–in which the 80% show up in full force— they’re faced with a very limited list of options. The candidates who manage to make it onto the ballot tend to be wealthy and well-connected. Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, is married to a former U.S. president. Jeb Bush, a 2016 Republican primary candidate, was looking to be the third Bush to head our executive branch.

A handful of Congress members from the 80% have nevertheless been able to break through our stubborn system recently. When such people do squeak through to Capitol Hill, however, they’re viciously attacked from all angles and portrayed as not belonging. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been making waves in Washington lately. While as an the Black Lives Matter movement, many Democratic officials do not accept the validity of their proposed policies, instead opting for superficial gestures like painting a street or a crosswalk. Representation matters, validation matters, but the elimination of structural racism matters so much more. The fact that the Democratic establishment consistently fails to endorse progressive nominees that advocate for systemic solutions to tackle these racial gaps is enormously problematic, and they are a primary reason that substantive change has not occurred.

The Democratic Party isn’t even the worst offender in American politics. Republican officials have denounced BLM as a Marxist, terrorist movement, and have actively stoked racial tensions that have generated violent conflict. Their “tough on crime” policies devastated Black communities by locking away millions behind bars, denying the right to vote and terrorizing their neighborhoods with police forces. Today, the Republican Party has made it clear that they will not consider the reforms needed to address racial injustice in the United States, and that they will actively fight those reforms if Democrats obtain power.

As such, we do not currently see any potential for change within the Republican Party, but the Democratic Party may be reformable. A large majority of young voters within the Democratic Party supported the two most progressive candidates in the primary: Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. This indicates a desire among young people for the elected official her policy proposals are on the table for criticism — as they should be for any member of government — her socioeconomic class is not. I’ve heard countless critics deride her for her former job as a bartender, implying that a member of the service industry isn’t worthy of representing Americans in Congress. It’s appalling to hear elitists write off someone for working at a type of establishment many of them have likely visited.

I must say— I can’t quite imagine how our politicians — who have guaranteed pay, secure health care access and live in some of the wealthiest counties in the country — have failed to come up with a solution to provide affordable health care, to help people keep their houses during this time and to offer economic relief to those whose livelihoods were disrupted by the pandemic.

I, for one, am shocked.

It’s easy to throw our hands up in surrender to the recognition of all the entrenched power surrounding us — from Congress to our own communities, even the Notre Dame community. We’re used to rich people being in charge and calling the shots. That’s just how things are, and we’ve learned to live with it. But I urge you, as the next generation of voters, leaders and involved citizens, to become uncomfortable with that notion — to stop settling for it.

John Locke argued that if the government isn’t meeting the needs of the people, it is the people’s right to alter or abolish that government. If our government’s power structure isn’t responsive to our needs as citizens, we must demand a new one. Our lives and livelihoods depend on it. Our government will start “working” for ordinary people when ordinary people start working in our government.

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

The views expressed in this column are those of the

The Democratic party must change

author and not necessarily those of The Observer. structural change needed to fight systemic racism. Seven million Americans turn 18 every election cycle, and become eligible to vote. This potential for demographic change within the Democratic Party means that systemic change is possible, but only if constant pressure is exerted on the party establishment.

We write this letter to ask all young people who care about enacting systemic change to join us in that pressure. As the co-Presidents of the Notre Dame College Democrats, we are committing to use any and all power we have, now and in the future, to leverage the Democratic Party towards systemic change. We ask that you hold your officials accountable, even when you risk everything. Organize your communities and take your rights, instead of begging for them. Vote in every single election, especially primary elections, where the most important transformation will occur. And never, ever shy away from calling out injustice wherever you see it, especially when you are pressured not to. Change will only happen if we fight for it. And the Democratic Party must change.

Zach Holland

junior co-president, College Democrats

Sudo

ku | The Mepham Group

Happy Birthday: Set the stage for new beginnings. Learn from the past, and put an end to situations that hold you back. Concentrate on gaining stability, happiness and the peace of mind you deserve. Refuse to let anger take over or indulgent behavior stifle your ability to be productive. Be receptive to unique solutions that will help you forge into new territory. Your numbers are 6,10, 17, 26, 28, 35, 43. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Stay on course. Follow directions, and get along with others. Let your charm lead the way and your knowledge and desire to help be your calling cards. Talk is cheap if you don’t follow through and make things happen. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Put everything in place before you make a move. Use unexpected situations to your advantage, and find a way to incorporate what you encounter into your plans. A chance to get ahead looks promising. Apply for or request what you want. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Set a plan in motion that will help lower debt. Aim to reduce stress by doing what’s right and best for you. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don’t need. Keep your money matters to yourself. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take control of your life. If you wait for someone to make the first move, you’ll become angry and resentful. Don’t let someone from your past trick you into thinking he or she has changed. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Make a change because it’s the right thing to do, not because someone pressures you. Take responsibility for your actions and for the way you treat others. Get your facts straight before passing information along. Choose a healthy lifestyle. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Pick up information that will help you gain ground personally and professionally. Knowledge is power, regardless of what stage of life you are juggling. Understanding what’s going on around you and how you can make things better are the keys to happiness. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Speak up if you don’t like what you see. Use your power of persuasion to convince others to do what’s right. You can make a difference if you offer suggestions and solutions that provide incentives to do what’s best for everyone. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ve got the right idea, and you can bring about positive change, but you also have to be careful not to ignore signs that might be harmful to your health. Don’t argue with someone who is immovable. Put your energy where it counts. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take your health seriously. Someone you least expect will lead you astray. Verify information before you pass it along. Be responsible for your actions and careful how you handle others. Make peace, love and your physical well-being priorities. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The best way to bring about positive changes at home is to dig in and do the work. Share ideas and plans with someone you love, and you’ll get the backup you need to get things done fast and efficiently. Avoid arguments. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Think twice before you get into an emotional situation with someone who doesn’t share your beliefs or values. Spend more time working on personal gains and growth. Use your intelligence when it comes to money, contracts and health. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Consider alternative ways to make more money. Information that can lead to a better position will lead to an offer if you reconnect with a colleague. Don’t take chances when it comes to your health. Follow the suggestions made by medical workers. Birthday Baby: You are curious, open-minded and diligent. You are charismatic and loyal.

Jumb

le | Da vid Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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Riley deserving of legendary status

Inigo Yturralde

Sports Writer

Pat Riley was destined to be a sports icon from the very beginning. The basketball legend was born in Rome, N.Y., on March 21, 1945. Riley was immersed in sports from the moment that he was born. His father, Leon Riley, was a professional baseball player; he played 22 seasons of minor league baseball and appeared in four games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1944.

As a young person, Riley played basketball for Linton High School in Schenectady, N.Y. One of the most memorable games of Riley’s high school career was a 74-68 victory over New York City Power Memorial. The game was particularly special because it featured a young Lew Alcindor, soon to be known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, playing against his future coach, Pat Riley. This duo would come to meet again, many years later, when Riley began coaching the Los Angeles Lakers.

After high school, Pat Riley attended the University of Kentucky. There, he was a member of both the varsity basketball and football teams. Although he never won a championship at Kentucky, Riley had an illustrious career as a Wildcat. He was named First Team All-SEC , All NC AA Tournament Team and SEC Player of the Year. There are no questions as to why Kentucky retired Riley’s number, 42.

Riley was selected as the seventh overall pick by the San Diego Rockets in the 1967 NB A Draft. The young guard went on to play with San Diego for three years, after which he moved north and joined the Los Angeles Lakers. In 1972, the Los Angeles Lakers won the NB A Championship, with Riley coming off of the bench. It is said that Riley played a key role in preparing Jerry West by guarding him well in practice. Riley left the Lakers after a five-year stint, in 1975, barely missing the arrival of former rival and future legend, Kareem AbdulJabbar. Riley ended his playing career after playing the 1975- 1976 season with the Phoenix Suns.

After college, Riley played in the NB A for nine seasons. That being said, in 1967, the same year that he was drafted by the Rockets, Riley was also drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 11th round of the NFL Draft. He was drafted as a wide receiver.

When his playing days concluded, Riley did what many retired athletes do, turn to broadcasting. Riley became a broadcaster for the Lakers in 1977. Looking back at his career, this moment in Riley’s professional trajectory was huge in helping him to manage the media as a coach and executive.

During the 1979-1980 NB A season, Lakers assistant coach Paul Westhead took the reigns and became head coach. In part with this transition, Westhead recruited Riley to be one of his assistants. The former championship winner was now back on the court, in a new and improved role.

That year, under Westhead’s leadership, with the strength of rookie sensation Magic Johnson and with Abdul-Jabbar, the Lakers won the 1980 NB A Championship.

After two years as an assistant with the Lakers, Riley was named head coach in 1981. This was the start of a storied nine-year stretch. Riley fit in perfectly with the Lakers narrative. The fans and media all raved about his Armani suits and slicked back hair.

There is no doubt that everything in Pat Riley’s career had led him to being who he was. He embodied the ever-growing NB A and the championship pedigree of the ‘80s Lakers.

Riley and his Lakers won the NB A Championship in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988. He almost hit .500 in terms of winning NB A Championships as the Lakers head coach. By this point in his career, Riley was an NB A Champion as a player and five-time NB A champion as a coach.

To most, this would be a more than acceptable point at which to call it quits, but Riley was only getting started. Of course, Riley was a heck of a player and coach for the Lakers, but his true genius did not reveal itself until later in his career when he made the move to South Beach.

Over the course of 25 years, Riley has transformed the Miami Heat into a true NB A team. It takes a culture to make a winning team. Before Riley came to South Beach, the Heat had no idea what that culture was. Today, there is no doubt that the NB A world knows what the Heat are all about and how different players gel in that environment.

Pat Riley was a product of his environment and the Miami Heat are a product of him. Before understanding the Heat, we first have to understand the legend that is Pat Riley.

Contact Inigo Yturralde at iyturral@nd.edu

The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. after the end of the game. The students were all over the field. The fans stayed in their seats and everyone stayed and cheered.”

Noem attended Notre Dame the following year on a pre-med track. In addition to her studies, she found her love for fencing during physical education classes at Notre Dame. She ended up walking onto the team her junior year and competing for the next two and a half years.

After graduating, she married her husband who also went to Notre Dame, and the two of them worked as Jesuit volunteers in Alaska. After returning to Florida for a couple of years, they decided to return to the University.

“We wanted to work in ministry, so we both came back to get our Masters of Divinity degree, which is a theology graduate degree,” Noem said. “We did our degrees here and then worked in ministry for seven years before coming back to Notre Dame again.”

When Noem returned to Notre Dame, she was offered a position as the chaplain for the fencing program.

“Since I had been a fencer and had some of the same training as the Holy Cross priests, they chose me,” she said.

As the fencing chaplain, Noem has a variety of duties such as meeting with team coaches and advisors, dropping into team practice, attending home meets and being there for the student-athletes.

Noem said fencing has an interesting dynamic because it is the second-largest team at Notre Dame following football, and it draws kids from all over the world.

“People are choosing fencing when they come here. They’re not choosing the University of Notre Dame for its Catholic character,” she said. “So to be a chaplain for anyone who is atheist to agnostic to Jewish to Christian to non-practicing Catholic to practicing Catholic is a wide variety.”

One of the most important duties for Noem is being a fan of the fencers, especially because fencers typically don’t have the same cheering section as other Notre Dame sports.

“I get to be one of their fans and say that the University is invested in you — not just

Hannah Huelskamp | The Observer

Former Irish Sabre Christina Boitano competes at the DeCicco Duals at the Castellan Family Fencing Center on Jan. 26.

because of what you do on the strip but because of who you are as a person,” she said. “Also I’m here to cheer for you. I’m behind you 100%. I think I might fulfill the role of a fan more than another chaplain might.”

Noem also talked about some of the fun traditions the fencing team participates in such as a beginning of the season Mass, Grotto runs, team dinners and, of course, winning national championships.

She has plenty of fond memories from the multiple national titles the fencing team won, but her favorite memory is of the 2017 title run where the Irish were up big going into the final day of competition.

“Going into Sunday’s competition in 2017, we were ahead by more points than anyone had ever won by in a fencing championship,” she said. “It only took one or two bouts to clinch it, and it was a senior woman captain who capped off the victory. She ended her Notre Dame experience on the fencing team by getting enough points in her bout to put us over the top and win the championship, which was a very culminating experience.”

Another moment Noem remembers fondly is sabre fencer Mariel Zagunis. Zagunis attended Notre Dame after winning the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics and went on to win the 2006 sabre national championship and contribute to the 2005 team championship with the Irish.

“In [the] 2012 [Olympics], she was chosen to be the flag bearer for the United States,” Noem said. “So as a woman who fenced for Notre Dame, to see another woman fencer from Notre Dame representing the United States of America was a really big moment.”

During her roughly six years as chaplain for the fencing team, it is clear that Noem made a large impact on the team. Notre Dame has always been center stage in Noem’s life since her youth, and as fencing chaplain, it continues to be that way.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

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I lit up from RenoI was trailed by twenty hounds Didn’t get to sleep that night Till the morning came around. Set out running but I’ll take my time. A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine. If I get home before daylight. I just might get some sleep tonight. I ran into the Devil, babe. He loaned me twenty bills. I spent that night in Utah. In a cave up in the hills. I set out running but I take my time A friend of the devil is a friend of mine. If I get home before daylight. just might get some sleep tonight. I ran down to the levee But the Devil caught me there He took my twenty dollar bill. And he vanished in the air. I set out running but I take my time. A friend of the Devil is a friend of mine. If I get home before daylight. I just might get some sleep tonight. Got two reasons why I cry. Away each lonely night. The first one’s named sweet Anne Marie. And she’s my heart’s delight. Second one is prison, baby. The sheriff’s on my trail. And if he catches up with me. I’ll spend my life in jail. Got a wife in Chino, babe.

position, it’s something that we want to continue to do, certainly. But I like where we are, I like our closing speed, I like the physicality that we showed, especially on Saturday, and we expect to see that come next week.”

The latest results from the teams COV ID-19 testing yielded zero positive results from the 196 tests administered to football players the week of Aug. 31. Those results were announced on Saturday and bring Notre Dame football’s negativity rate for COV ID-19 cases to 99.1 percent. Even before such successful results, Kelly was confident in his team’s preparation to compete on the field even after spending so much time away from the game.

“I think everybody’s kind of in the same boat in terms of wanting to make sure that you’re balancing between the readiness and the preparation with the current situation that we have out there,” Kelly said. “And so it’s been a balancing act, there’s no doubt. My job is to get our football team ready to play in less than 14 days and we’ll get them ready to play. It’s been different — there’s no doubt that this preseason camp is different than any other one that I’ve had in my 30 years — but we’ll have them ready to play. There won’t be any excuses; we’ll have them ready to play against Duke.”

This confidence sprouts from the fact that Kelly said he believes his team is handling this unfamiliar obstacle that is the pandemic very maturely, even noting that they took the threats

M Bball

Brooklyn to play at the Barclays Center as planned. From there, every team can play seven games — one against every other school. Monmouth will provide some fun if their bench celebrations are half of what they were when they went viral a couple of years ago.

It’s a shame that former Irish 3-point specialist Matt Ryan, after the 2016-17 season, won’t be suiting up with the Commodores for that matchup, but more recent Irish transfer guard D.J. Harvey will be. UConn is similarly interesting given that current Irish graduate student forward Juwan Durham started his career there.

USC provides ND the opportunity to at least play the Trojans in one sport this season (cough, cough). The rest of the schools give the squad a chance to rack up some wins and build chemistry.

Notre Dame also has the advantage of competing in the Crossroads Classic every year. It would also serve as a regional bubble given it is Indianapolis and features four Indiana teams: as seriously when campus shifted to online learning three weeks ago as they did when they first arrived on campus this summer.

“They took it serious from the first day that they stepped on campus. I think they became much more aware of the things that can, obviously, put them out of practice,” Kelly said. “We all know that you can get the virus, but being at close contact and not being sick and being out — in some instances longer than somebody that could have the virus — is a wake-up call in terms of who you’re around and how you handle yourself on a day-today basis. So I think what they’ve learned more than anything else is how to navigate through a pandemic. And if you want to play football, these are the precautions that you need to take on a day-to-day basis. So I think when the students came into campus, I think it just heightened their awareness because they became more vulnerable to being in a either COV ID situation or close contact and being part of contact tracing. So it’s a yes and no situation in the sense that they were aware, they became heightened to the potential across campus, what could be the outcome if they weren’t disciplined and really focused.”

Kelly then shifted to football talk and first talked about sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton, who had a breakout freshman season last year, being one of 50 players nationally and one of four FBS freshmen to record four or more interceptions.

“I didn’t know Kyle Hamilton last year at this time. You guys know that,” Kelly joked. “He was a freshman that was emerging, and he certainly made a big Notre Dame, Indiana, Butler and Purdue. They could even throw in Ball State, Indiana State and Evansville in there for good measure.

Instead of playing just one other school, the teams could play every other one. Notre Dame owes the Cardinals for a home loss they took in 2017 and the Hoosiers for two bad Crossroads Classic losses in the last three seasons.

It’ll be interesting to see how Purdue looks without Carsen Edwards and Matt Haarms. Butler would probably put up the biggest fight, but I still like everything Notre Dame has to handle them. Plus, I’m still not happy about Evansville beatseason, so I’d love nothing more than the Irish obliterating them.

So, all that would give Notre Dame no fewer than 10 non-conference games (plus three more possible against Evansville, Indiana State and Ball State) which is how many they played last year with the ACC moving to a 20-game conference schedule. If they play right after finals end starting got about four and a half weeks to play their non-conference schedule before getting a break splash early on, but he’s physically much more mature. He has a presence about him. He even has exhibited leadership qualities already, in just his second year here. I would say night-andday would be the best way to describe Kyle Hamilton. Does that necessarily translate that he’s going to be that much better of a football player? I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. But he certainly shows up in the scrimmages, he certainly shows up in seven-on-seven. But I think off the field — physically, he’s stronger — and he has a presence about him in our program, and in particular, showing strong leadership capabilities.”

Sticking to the Irish secondary, Kelly shifted his focus to the cornerback group.

“I really like [cornerbacks coach] Mike [Mickens]. I like the way he teaches,” Kelly said. He’s got a great style that’s unique in the sense that he’s a really good communicator in terms of what he wants from you every snap. And when I mean ‘every snap’ I don’t mean, necessarily, every scrimmage, snap, I mean every rep. Every single practice rep, there is some form of communication as to what he wants from you. There is a lot of dialogue, there’s a lot of teaching, but we’re moving as well. This is not a situation where we’re talking and slowing things down. We’re getting a lot of intensity through repetition, but there’s communication always and I really like that about Mike. And he’s made great progress with a bunch of young players, other than, we know that [graduate student] Nick McCloud has a lot of experience playing it at North Carolina State, but even Nick has for Christmas.

The other option would simply be to play regional teams in bordering states like Kentucky would with Ohio and Dame wants to attain tri-state supremacy Dr. Doofenshmirtzstyle, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to get the Indiana Crossroads Classic teams, a handful of Illinois squads and those wasteland schools in Ann Arbor and East Lansing.

I say Illinois and not Ohio since I’m assuming UK has already claimed those schools for their bubble. But it’d be cool to see the Irish give the Illini a rematch of 2018’s ACC -Big Ten Challenge as well as to see Notre Dame reignite its rivalry with DePaul.

Loyola University in Chicago is an interesting matchup considering their recent Final Four run and the fact we could see Sister Jean and Fr. Pete McCormick duke it out. Oh, and considering Northern Illinois reportedly precipitated the MAC canceling football, which could have precipitated the Big Ten canceling, I’d also love to see the Irish pulverize the Huskies.

Speaking of the Big Ten, this all hinges on them letting their schools play any sports within benefited greatly from the teaching and technique. [Junior] TaRiq Bracy has benefited greatly from that. Other than that, you’re talking about a lot of young players that are all making progress and they’re all in a competitive situation. And one of them is going to end up seeing some considerable playing time for us. And we knew that that was going to be the case. And [graduate student] Shaun Crawford’s playing a lot of safety for us right now, so one of those freshman corners is going to have to step up and play some considerable time for us.

One position group that is going through significant turnover this season is the wide receiving corps. Chase Claypool’s alleged successor at the boundary receiver position, junior Kevin Austin Jr. is currently set to return in October at the earliest.

“Once Kevin Austin went down, we wanted to find out what the best fits were for us.” Kelly said. “I think we’ve settled into [senior] Avery [Davis] and [junior Lawrence Keys III] in the slot, if you will, the F-receiver for us. So, I think that’s a pretty consistent look for us and then, you know, [junior Braden Lenzy] out on the perimeter. And then I think we’ve got some flexibility with [graduate student] Javon McKinley, where he can play out at the X or he can go into the boundary. We’ve moved [graduate student Ben Skowronek] into the boundary at the W-receiver position. I think that’s a pretty fluid situation in the sense that — not fluid but, you know, that’s a pretty set situation — and then it’s fluid when it comes to moving some other guys around into positions where we think that they can help us and add to the the next two years, something I’m not sure they are keen on doing. But that’s why it’s speculation and wishful thinking.

Again, this is all just a series of ideas and suggestions. I have no idea how the college basketball season will turn out for Notre Dame or anyone else. I’m just praying each and every day that I have it to cover and I can depth of our football team. But I think those guys have done a really nice job of kind of solidifying their positions.”

Finally Kelly broke down the running back position.

“[Sophomore] Kyren Williams has really emerged, you know, as somebody that we feel right now has gained an advantage as the top back. He’s going to require obviously some assistance at that position from a number of other guys, we’re not going to just feature one back. But Kyren’s done a great job. I really like the way [junior] C’Bo Flemister has come on in the last 10 days. [He] runs hard, runs low to the ground, has shown a really, I think, great learning curve as it relates to protections and pass pro[tection]. [Freshman] Chris Tyree has been electric. He’s been tougher than as advertised. He’s run physical for us as well. [Junior] Jahmir Smith has been out a little bit but he’s back today; we’ll get him more involved,” he said. “[Senior] Jafar Armstrong as well had a pretty good scrimmage on the weekend. We moved [sophomore] Osita Ekwonu to running back, and he’s given us a physical presence at that position as well. He’s a big strong kid that can go in there and really mix it up for us. We moved [sophomore] Kendall Abdur-Rahman there, and he’s been a pleasant surprise for us with his ability to see things, hit the hole with some really good vision and then break some big plays. So, right now we’re working about seven guys at the position, and it’s been a nice surprise for us.”

Contact Jimmy Ward at

nu ed f rom pa ge 12

who transferred to Vanderbilt

ing Kentucky at Rupp Arena last

the week of Nov. 22, then they’ve

West Virginia schools. If Notre

wward@hcc-nd.edu

watch the Irish taking the court of Purcell Pavilion this spring. Then all will be right with the world or at least for 40 minutes.

Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu

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

The observer | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

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Chaplain keeps up Irish legacy

By Nate Moller

Sports Writer

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Aug. 26.

Notre Dame fills a special place in Stacey Noem’s heart. Although she currently serves as the chaplain for the prestigious Irish fencing program, the spirit of Notre Dame has been instilled in her since her youth.

Although she grew up in Florida, both of her parents were undergraduates at Notre Dame, so she was a huge fan despite the far distance.

“When I was young, living in Florida was so far away from here,” Noem said. “Being in Florida, you have Florida State University, University of Miami and big, loud, branded schools. When I wanted to buy athletic clothes for volleyball or basketball, my parents refused to let me have anything that wasn’t Notre Dame. So even though you couldn’t find it in Florida, they would order something from Notre Dame or find it when we were up there.”

One of Noem’s best memories of Notre Dame came in 1993 when she was a senior in high school and planning on attending Notre Dame the next year. She had the opportunity to see the No. 2 Irish face the No. 1 Florida State Seminoles in what many coined as “The Game of the Century.”

“I totally skipped homecoming my senior year just to come to this game which was the right choice for sure,” Noem said. The Irish ended up beating the Seminoles 31-24, and the victory was an amazing experience for her.

“I was just mesmerized by this game,” she said. “Everyone was in that stadium for more than 30 minutes

As an initial disclaimer, I have no inside information on how Notre Dame’s non-conference basketball schedule (or even in-conference for that matter) will play out. Even so, this is, in my mind, a plausible scenario for how it could play out for the Irish.

This isn’t just speculation; it’s actually speculation based on speculation. As a follower of the University of Kentucky basketball program, I have heard a variety of scenarios that are purportedly valid options for their non-conference schedule, and they revolve around creating a bubble for the teams after the fall semester ends (the NC AA did just coin “Battle in the Bubble”™ after all).

One scenario is that they, along with several other blueblood and top-tier programs, get together in a bubble (apparently in Texas) and compete in a round-robin style event before the conference slate starts up. Another is that they do a series of three bubbles: one against teams that compete in

see FENC ING PAGE 9

Footba ll

Kelly talks COVID-19, skill position groups

alliso n Tho rnto

n | The Observer

Irish graduate student quarterback Ian Book drops back during Notre Dame’s 33-9 win over Iowa State in the Camping World Bowl. By jimm y ward

Associate Sports Editor

Last Tuesday Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly fielded questions from the press via a Zoom call. Then a little less than two weeks away from the upcoming season opener against Duke, he sounded confident after his squad had gotten some live reps inside of Notre Dame Stadium. He was particularly thrilled about seeing his defense in action.

“I thought we had some guys on Saturday that can close, that play with speed,” Kelly said. “There’s a physicality to the group on defense, and certainly tackling is a thing that you need to do on a consistent basis. I think [defensive coordinator] Clark [Lea] has done a really nice job in terms of making sure that we’re in some kind of tackling circuit virtually every day, even if we’re not taking somebody to the ground.

see FOO TBALL PAGE 10

lumn

Speculating about potential Irish schedule

Hayden Adams

Sports Editor

But I think we’re in a pretty good the annual Champions Classic (Duke, Kansas and Michigan State), another against teams in the annual CBS Sports Classic (Ohio State, UCLA and North Carolina) and finally a regional bubble against other Kentucky teams (Louisville and the like). The regional bubble could alternatively consist of teams in the Kentucky-Ohio-West Virginia area such as Louisville, Cincinnati, Xavier, West Virginia, etc.

With that concept in mind, I think it would be plausible and worthwhile for Notre Dame to employ a similar methodology in their non-conference scheduling. Let’s brainstorm.

Much like Kentucky has their two Classics, Notre Dame typically partakes in a preseason tournament or early-season classic of their own, this year opting for the Legends Classic. The event includes the Irish along with Eastern Washington, High Point, Liberty, Monmouth, UConn, Southern Cal and Vanderbilt.

I propose simply eliminating the original on-site plan and moving all the teams to