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Volume 53, Issue 36 | monday, october 8, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

CERVELLI RESIGNS

IVAN SKVARIL | The Observer

Administration, students respond to Saint Mary’s President Janice Cervelli’s resignation just short of her two-year anniversary at the College. Provost Nancy Nekvasil will take over as interim president.

For the second time in the last three years, Saint Mary’s has a new College president. In an open letter to students Friday, chair of the Board of Trustees Mary Burke announced the resignation of President Jan Cervelli and the appointment of former Provost Nancy Nekvasil as the Interim President of the College. “I wanted to make you aware of an immediate change in our Saint Mary’s family,” Burke said in the letter. “Earlier this week, President Cervelli informed the Board of Trustees of her intent to resign. We appreciate all that she has contributed to Saint

Mary’s during her tenure here and we wish her the best. We are grateful for her leadership and devotion to the Belles. Her on-campus camaraderie and interactions will be missed.” Interim President Nekvasil, who will serve in this role until the summer of 2020, said her focus will be to promote the values that encompass Saint Mary’s during this transition. “I am humbled and inspired to work with our entire campus community to uphold and strengthen Saint Mary’s and ensure continuity in this time of transition,” Nekvasil said in an email. “In my three decades as a faculty member and administrator, the constants have been the educational

and spiritual values that distinguish the College, creating a supportive environment in which students can meet the challenges inherent in an excellent education.” This is the second time in the College’s history that an interim president has been appointed, the first being Sister Alma Peter. Peter served as interim president from 1970-1972 following the sudden death of College President Emeritus Monsignor John J. McGrath, the College’s sixth president. Cervelli took over the role of president in the fall of 2016 after the retirement of College President Emerita Carol Ann

news PAGE 2

Scene PAGE 5

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By JORDAN COCKRUM Saint Mary’s Editor

see RESIGNATION PAGE 4

By MARIA LEONTARAS Associate Saint Mary’s Editor

The news broke with a whirlwind of texts, Facebook posts and confusion. Janice Cervelli resigned from her post as Saint Mary’s president on Friday. Students received confirmation of Cervelli’s decision through a letter in an email attachment written by Mary Burke, the chair of the Board of Trustees. “I was just in my room watching Netflix, and then I got a text from my friend who was referencing the Facebook post, and she said, ‘Did you see Cervelli resigned?’ I was looking through the post and the comments, and I was like,

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‘Well, this is crazy,’” senior Sarah Wehby said. Wehby said she was confused by Cervelli’s choice due to the sudden nature of the statement. “It felt like it came out of nowhere,” she said. “Like, what is going on here? We had the whole [vice president of student affairs] Karen Johnson retiring thing, now Jan Cervelli — where did this come from?” Wehby said she is curious as to why Cervelli chose to resign in the middle of the semester and is hoping to find out more at the all-student assembly being held Tuesday night. see REACTIONS PAGE 4

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WCC wins Evangelium Vitae Medal Observer Staff Report

The Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture announced the Women’s Care Center (WCC) Foundation as the 2019 Notre Dame Evangelium Vitae Medal recipient in a press release Sunday. The Evangelium Vitae Medal is “the nation’s most important lifetime achievement award for heroes of the pro-life movement,” the release said. It is named after St. John Paul II’s encyclical of the same name, which was published in 1995 and focuses on “life issues.” Recipients are awarded a medal and $10,000. “The Women’s Care Center sets the standard nationwide for compassionate and comprehensive care for mothers, babies and families,” O. Carter Snead, the director of the Center for Ethics and Culture, said in the release. “In its work and witness, the Women’s Care Center embodies the unconditional love and radical hospitality that anchors and sustains a culture of life. It is our

privilege to honor them with the Evangelium Vitae Medal.” The first WCC opened just south of the Notre Dame campus in 1984. Every year, more than 26,000 women visit one of its now 28 locations spanning across 11 states nationwide, according to the release. The facilities offer parental classes, counseling, education and “referrals for mother and baby wellness care” for women with unplanned pregnancies. University President Fr. John Jenkins serves on the board of the WCC Foundation. He praised the organization for its service to women with unplanned pregnancies. “The Women’s Care Center gives women in crisis the support they need for themselves and their children before and after birth,” Jenkins said in the release. “The WCC provides compassionate, nonjudgmental, loving care to women most in need. They are a beacon of hope — here in South Bend and in every community they serve.” Ann Manion, volunteer president

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of the WCC Foundation, expressed gratitude for the University’s recognition. “Women’s Care Center is honored to be the recipient of this year’s Evangelium Vitae Medal,” she said in the release. “We are grateful to the University of Notre Dame for including us among the heroes of the pro-life movement who have received this award in the past. On behalf of our counselors, nurses, sonographers and the entire Women’s Care Center family, we are deeply grateful for this recognition, which will advance our life-saving mission to pregnant women in 11 states.” The recipients are announced on the first Sunday each October, which is designated as “Respect Life Sunday.” Last year, the Center for Ethics and Culture recognized Harvard Law professor Mary Ann Glendon with the 2018 Evangelium Vitae Medal. The Center for Ethics and Culture will present the award in a Mass and banquet April 27.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | monday, october 8, 2018 | The Observer

College Republicans promote voter awareness By THOMAS MURPHY News Writer

Editor’s note: Throughout the 2018 midterm election season, The Observer will sit down with various student organizations and professors to discuss political engagement and issues particularly pertinent to students. In this fifth installment, the Notre Dame College Republicans discusses its plans to shed light on local elections. As the road to the 2018 midterm elections heats up across the country, the Notre Dame College Republicans is taking steps to assure victory in both local and national races. Junior Jessica D’Souza, the president of College Republicans, said despite the importance of the midterm elections, a controversy-plagued political system seems to have numbed students to their right to vote. “I think people have

become apathetic, I think that we have just kind of gotten disinterested,” D’Souza said. “I know that my freshman year it was a big election year, so obviously everyone was drummed up, but I’ve noticed that even people that are strongly Democrat or strongly Republican just don’t care as much. It seems to be much more of an effort to get people back. [The disinterest] might probably have to do something with the fact that literally every time you open Twitter there’s a giant list of both sides angrily tweeting. It gets exhausting.” Although interest may be lacking, D’Souza said College Republicans are pushing onwards with their efforts and trying to make the best use of each volunteer. “Our first step was to try to educate our members about the different roles that they can play in midterm elections and the different ways they

Students celebrate SMC Sophomore Parents Weekend By JULIANNA McKENNA News Writer

Saint Mary’s welcomed families to campus Friday for the annual Sophomore Parents Weekend. Despite rainy weather and Friday’s breaking news of College President Jan Cervelli’s resignation, students and parents gathered for a variety of activities organized by Saint Mary’s Class Council. Family members participated in activities spanning from a Saturday brunch to pumpkin painting and carriage rides at Saint Mary’s annual Oktoberfest. These events were followed by a closing mass Sunday morning. “Our main goal is to have events promoting unity for the school,” sophomore class representative Meg Hemmert said. “This year we have a brunch followed by Oktoberfest, [which was] sponsored by Student Activities Board. On Sunday morning, we have a sophomore class Mass at the Church of Loretto.” Tom Pantelleria, who attended the events with his daughter, sophomore Emily Pantelleria, said the Saturday brunch was an especially exciting event. “We got to meet [new interim College President Nancy Nekvasilt on Saturday], which was a relief to us parents,” he said. “We got to talk about the school’s mission of developing

confidence and critical thinking amongst the women here. We’re all confident that these young women will grow up to be the next great leaders of our country.” Many families, including sophomore Alison Schibi’s, arrived from across the country. “We flew from Kansas, which is always an adventure itself, but it’s always worth it to see Alison,” Kelly Schibi said about her daughter. “Every opportunity to come up and visit campus is exciting because we just love it here.” Eric Schibi, Alison’s father, said it was an interesting weekend to visit campus after the shocking news of Cervelli’s resignation. “We are so shocked to hear the news,” he said. “It’s very surprising and interesting that all this just happened.” Alison said she was “so happy’ she got to see her family. “I know that a lot of sophomore students did not have parents come, so I am very thankful I was able to see mine and spend time with them,” Alison said. Emily Pantelleria voiced the joy she felt combining her two homes for the weekend. “I love every opportunity to blend my Saint Mary’s family with my real one,” Emily said. “Saint Mary’s is my second home.” Contact Julianna McKenna at jmckenna01@saintmarys.edu

can help,” D’Souza said. “If you’re interested in finance, and that’s the background you bring, there are opportunities to help out with fundraising and stuff like that. If you are more of a people person, door-to-door canvassing is an option. So just educating people on what they can do to connect their passion to help out and get them interested.” D’Souza said that with election day so close, the focus has shifted towards interaction with voters in the South Bend community. “Every single Saturday the local parties get together and go on a targeted canvassing event where there will be people working phone lines, there will be people out in South Bend actually going door-to-door asking survey questions, and then at the end we all meet back together at Jackie Walorski’s office to regroup and get excited for people voting and go from there,”

D’Souza said. Even with races such as Democratic Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly’s reelection campaign and and Republican Representative Jackie Walorski’s incumbent bid for Indiana’s second district, D’Souza said the College Republicans are trying to shine light on local elections that have a more direct impact on the South Bend community. “I think that people really focus on the big contested races — who’s going to be governor, who’s going to be senator, who’s going to be representative — but they don’t understand necessarily the importance of how the people we elect at the city, town, village level impacts our dayto-day lives,” D’Souza said. “We’re really trying to raise awareness for that this year. We’re all living in South Bend for the majority of the year and ultimately the things

that impact us the most intimately might not necessarily be tax reform or what we’re doing to help veterans — even though those are really, really important issues. The things that I think will get students drummed up is what’s going to affect our day-to-day lives.” Though political campaigns are ultimately measured only by wins and losses, D’Souza said a cast vote for any candidate is a victory for everyone. “The election turnout would be a big indicator of success,” D’Souza said. “Other than that, [success is] just engagement. The big thing would just be getting people registered to vote. … I don’t care if someone that we end up engaging is as liberal as Bernie Sanders — if we can get them involved in the conversation, that’s the most important thing.” Contact Thomas Murphy at tmurphy7@nd.edu

Student activists host anti-Kavanaugh call-in By SERENA ZACHARIAS News Writer

Before the United States Senate voted Saturday to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, student activists gathered at Geddes Hall on Friday to call swing-state senators and convince them to vote “no” to Kavanaugh’s nomination. Junior Emilia McManus said the #cancelKavanaugh event was initiated by a group of students with no formal affiliations who simply felt the urge to come together and organize a call-in. “For the most part we stand for Dr. [Christine Blasey] Ford, but at the same time we welcome students who have different viewpoints under the circumstances,” McManus said. “Putting someone in a position of immense power like Brett Kavanaugh is something we have to take ver y seriously. … It’s important we consider [the facts] and contact our senators to do our civic duty.” McManus said it is unfortunate how strongly the polarization of the countr y is contributing to the nomination process. “This is an appointment for life,” McManus said. “… The position of the Supreme Court justice is not supposed to be based on political affiliation, it’s supposed to be based on choosing a

person who can fairly interpret the Constitution.” McManus said both testimonies were emotional experiences and, at times difficult, to watch. She said she still felt the testimonies were essential to watch in order to be as informed as possible. Junior Elizabeth Boyle — who also helped organize the event — said she was amazed by Ford’s braver y after watching and listening to her testimony. “I remember watching Dr. Ford’s testimony and just getting absolute chills,” Boyle said. “Seeing her put herself and her stor y out there in order to better the lives of other sur vivors is absolutely incredible. … The disconnect and the dichotomy between the calming, brave nature of Dr. Ford and the often scattered, angr y temperament of Judge Kavanaugh really stuck out.” Senior Olivia De Sonne Ammaccapane said she called over a hundred people on Friday, urging them to call their senators. “I think its really important that we start believing sexual assault survivors,” she said. “There’s such a tiny percentage of people who go through the trouble of accusing someone already and we need to believe them.” McManus said regardless of a student’s motivations, she wanted people to

understand they can take action. The event as not just targeted to those who opposed Kavanaugh’s nomination, she said. “We had a student who stopped by earlier who is in favor of Kavanaugh,” she said. “We had a ver y productive discussion; he shared his view point, we shared ours, and I think that’s important.” Boyle encouraged students to be engaged in the political climate of the countr y because students have the ability to make a difference by bringing their unique voices to issues. “We’re at such an interesting point in the U.S. where a lot of the policies coming out of the current administration are so disruptive to human dignity and human rights,” Boyle said. “We should be plugged into immigration debate and the DACA debate — we have to know what’s going on because we have an obligation to act.” McManus said with the opportunities students at Notre Dame possess, they should do their best to stay informed. “I think student activism is tremendously important,” McManus said. “We have the power to vote, we are given an immense amount of freedom and we need to voice our opinions.” Contact Serena Zacharias at szachari@nd.edu

NEWS

The observer | monday, october 8, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Resignation Continued from page 1

Mooney. Cervelli was known on campus for her connection with students. In an article published May 19, 2017, at the end of her first academic year in office, Cervelli told The Observer, “I have fallen in love with the Belles here.” Cervelli did not respond to a request for comment following her resignation. This year, Cervelli established office hours to give students the opportunity to speak with her individually in 10-minute sessions. The first of these sessions occurred Sept. 20, and the second was set for Oct. 2. However, the Oct. 2 session was abruptly canceled “due to unforeseen circumstances,” according to an email from the President’s Office that day. Burke spoke with The Observer on Saturday regarding the resignation of Cervelli and the future of the College. Burke said the Board of Trustees was made aware earlier this week of Cervelli’s intent to resign and the board was not aware that her resignation was a possibility prior to Cervelli making her decision. Rather than having one specific answer, Burke said there are likely several reasons for Cervelli’s departure, and the Board of Trustees is choosing to respect her privacy rather than divulge those reasons. “Why does anybody resign?” Burke said. “I just think she

Reactions Continued from page 1

Senior Annie Clare said she heard the news through friends while she was at work. “I had like a million messages from different people, and I was like, ‘What? I wonder what’s going on?’” Clare said. “They all texted me that she resigned. I was shocked that she actually resigned. I almost felt like it was fake, but obviously not.” Clare said she is still shocked by the news but is understanding of Cervelli’s decision. “I’m still surprised — I guess I didn’t really understand why she resigned,” Clare said. “I guess once you looked at it a little more, maybe it’s best for her. If that’s what she needed to do, it’s what she needed to do.” It’s the desire for answers, senior Summer Aikin said, that has left some in a state of confusion. “It’s one thing to say, ‘Hey, this is what I’m doing.’ It’s another thing not to tell people why you’re doing it,” Aikin said. “People are wondering if there’s some sort of scandal. Is it related to the lawsuit that she’s apparently involved in or is there something medical? I think we just want to know if she’s going to be healthy or not because we’re a caring community.” Sophomore Brynne Volpe said the lack of information regarding Cervelli’s resignation has given her cause for concern. “I’m confused,” Volpe said. “We didn’t really get any information

probably had a number of different factors that she weighed, and this worked best for her. So we have to respect that. If we didn’t respect her as a person, and as a woman, we could’ve handled things very, very differently.” However, Burke did address several rumors regarding Cervelli’s resignation. Burke said it was solely Cervelli’s decision and not the result of internal pressure to resign. “There’s probably lots of different pieces to it,” Burke said. “So, it was her decision, her decision alone to resign, and we respect her privacy as to why the reasons were.” Burke said while she cannot say with certainty Cervelli did not leave due to health reasons, she appears to be in “good health.” “I’ve spoken with her, she sounds in good health, she says she’s in good health, but who knows why?” Burke said. “There’s probably a thousand reasons to pull together, and I think we have to respect her privacy on it as well.” Cervelli was formerly a dean at the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture from 2008 to 2016. In March 2018, Cervelli joined another former dean in filing a lawsuit against the University of Arizona alleging discriminatory pay. Cervelli argues she did not receive a single pay raise during her time as dean while the men working as deans received $80,000 more on average per year than she did.

Burke said she finds it extremely unlikely this lawsuit would have factored into Cervelli’s decision. “I would be really surprised if that had something to do with it,” Burke said. “I could be wrong, but that would surprise me. That was a separate decision to get involved with that she had.” Burke also said the College is in good financial shape and has been during Cervelli’s tenure as president. She does not believe this related to Cervelli’s decision. “[Cervelli] brought in a really good class this year,” Burke said. “You know, 406 [students] is a really good entering class. So the budget’s in good shape. Financially, we are in strong shape.” Saint Mary’s does not make full financial reports publicly available. Along with the Interim President, the College has appointed Jill Vihtelic as Interim Provost and has asked vice president of student affairs Karen Johnson to postpone her retirement in order to assist with the transition. “I am grateful to be able to support Saint Mary’s and Interim President Nekvasil,” Johnson said in an email. “Retirement can be saved for another time.” While Johnson had already announced her intention to retire, Burke said Nekvasil was also considering retirement. However, both women decided to continue working at the College in order to ensure a smooth transition after the departure of Cervelli. “Think about how strong of a

school we are that we have two women who were thinking of retiring — Karen and Nancy — who have said, ‘I want to be here, I want to help. I want to keep moving us forward,’” Burke said. “And they came back. I think that speaks volumes, they’re long-term employees.” As for policy initiatives and goals for Cervelli’s administration, Burke said all milestones reached at the time of Cervelli’s resignation were met. Nekvasil will be working on her own goals in the weeks to come. “There were no milestones that were not met by President Cervelli,” Burke said. “I think over the next couple of weeks you’ll hear some milestones and some initiatives that Interim President Nekvasil will be launching, and then we can measure those.” The College is not currently in the search for a new president, Burke said. The search for a new college or university president is formulaic and takes place over the course of a year. Due to Cervelli’s departure mid-semester, Saint Mary’s is unable to complete a search for a president until the summer of 2019. “We are not on the cycle right now, because it’s October,” Burke said. “So that’s why I announced yesterday that Interim President Nekvasil will be here until the summer of 2020. So we’ll start a search in the summer of 2019, we’ll then have us a new president by the spring to summer of 2020.” In the summer of 2019, the

College will begin the search process. This includes posting an advertisement in higher education periodicals, collecting resumes and conducting interviews with potential candidates, Burke said. The search will be open to all — both current Saint Mary’s faculty and administration, and those outside of the Saint Mary’s community. “There will be characteristics and qualities, skill-sets that we are looking for, and it will be open,” Burke said. “Anybody can apply, as we did the last search.” Assistant director of media relations Haleigh Ehmsen said the two-year process Saint Mary’s is utilizing with their search for a new president is standard within the world of higher education. “It’s kind of like a formula process that everyone follows,” Ehmsen said. “It’s the same with hiring faculty.” (Editor’s note: Ehmsen is a former Saint Mary’s Editor of The Observer.) Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame both have Board of Trustees meetings this coming week, Burke said. The immediate goals for the transition are to prepare Nekvasil to meet with both boards. “We’re making sure that Nancy is prepared for the board meeting, comfortable with the agenda,” Burke said. “[We’re] working with her on the agenda because she is the president and just kind of business as usual to move us forward.”

about why. We were just told that she is resigning. The fact that it happened on a Friday is kind of strange.” Volpe said the details regarding the decision will be crucial to Cervelli’s legacy. “If it involves a scandal of some kind, it’s not going to be good,” Volpe said. “Maybe she’ll have a pleasant legacy, but she was here for two years, and she resigned under dubious circumstances.” Senior Abbey Parsons said she was surprised by the lack of information given to students. She said it seems to go against what Cervelli typically did when notifying students of the College’s affairs. “[Cervelli] always has seemed like she tells us everything,” Parsons said. “I’ve always felt like she doesn’t hide anything, and if there’s the information, she sends it out in a school-wide email. You gotta do what you gotta do, and things come up. I just want to know where we’re at, especially because I am a senior. I want to know that, going forward, the school’s going to be okay. It just seemed very sudden. I want an explanation as to why. I’m hoping the assembly will give one.” Parsons transferred to Saint Mary’s as a sophomore. Once enrolled, she said she took note of the differences in processes between her previous college’s president and Cervelli. She said Cervelli’s transparency with students is something that will contribute to a positive legacy. “She has that air of wanting to

be there for you,” Parsons said. “I think that’s something that she will have left behind, like she was there for us. … I think she will definitely leave behind that kind of friendship vibe, which is something different than other presidents at other colleges. You don’t normally know that the president is in a band or know that her dog’s name is Pearl. That was something that she shared with us because we are such a small, close school. I think she represented that kind of closeness that we all want.” It is the closeness Cervelli promoted that made the news an even bigger surprise to first-year student Hannah Curl. “I was really shocked because just last week, we were at the Sophia assembly, and she was talking about just how much she loved her job,” Curl said. “I was really shocked. It was really random, I felt. She was talking about how much she loved it here. It just seems random, and I hope everything is okay.” Regardless of her confusion about the decision, Curl said she thought Cervelli promoted a positive relationship between administration and students. “I liked her — she seemed to be really outgoing and she really cared about everyone,” Curl said. “She was not just the president, but she was kind of like a friend for everyone. She had open office hours, and I feel like at other colleges that might not be a thing.” Senior Kerry Rose McDonald said she believes Cervelli’s

interactions with students will be what she’s remembered for, but McDonald believes Cervelli’s work did not result in any lasting changes. “I think the best part of her being president was her relationship with the students, whether it was hosting office hours, always bringing the energy to midnight breakfast, dancing on tables or walking around with Pearl, her little dog,” McDonald said. “She always had Saint Mary’s apparel on, so I liked how she brought the team spirit. “But besides that, I never really saw any administrative or policy changes with her. The only main thing I can think of that she did with the school were petty, environmental changes. … Honestly, I don’t really know what she left behind for Saint Mary’s to strengthen the student body.” Despite that belief, McDonald said she will hold a few fond memories of the former president — including a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Ireland study abroad program. “[Cervelli] came to Ireland for the week, and she surprised us at Mass one day when we were getting ready,” McDonald said. “She took us out to this pub called The Roost, and we got to have a pint with her and had dinner with her. We just got to talk to her. She wanted to hear all about what we thought of Saint Mary’s. It was a really special moment for us because there were only 17 of us.” The personal interactions between Cervelli and students are

something Clare said will be difficult to find in another president. “It’ll definitely be hard to fill the shoes of someone who was so open because it’s not easy to walk around the student body all the time and have to deal with situations personally,” Clare said. “I saw her leaving the dining hall the other day, and someone must have been sick from giving blood. She was literally sitting there with the girl to make sure she was fine. I’m sure she has like 800 million things to do, and it’s nice that she still comes and talks to students and stuff like that. That’s hard to fill.” Senior Darby Horne said she recognizes Cervelli’s achievements with students but is confident in the future success of newly announced Interim College President Nancy Nekvasil. “I felt like [Cervelli] brought a lot to the community,” Horne said. “She was very involved with students, we saw her a lot. She was very present with all of us during events and activities, and she really advocated for students. However, I am very happy that they did appoint Dr. Nancy Nekvasil as interim president because I feel like she’s super qualified, very personable. I enjoyed having her as a professor … a couple years ago. I feel like she brings a lot to the Saint Mary’s community. She’s very dedicated to the women here.”

Contact Jordan Cockrum at jcockrum01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Maria Leontaras at mleontaras01@saintmarys.edu

The observer | monday, october 8, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

By JAKE WINNINGHAM Scene Writer

You’ve heard it a thousand times: the caterwaul that launched a thousand memes, the moment that already has Lady Gaga preordained for Oscar glory. The litany of “Ha’s”, “Oh’s” and other assorted noises that was the centerpiece of the viral trailer for “A Star Is Born” comes in the middle of “Shallow,” the film’s bid for radio play. In the actual scene, the song is a true showstopper, a rare moment of vérité in an otherwise overwrought movie. Separated from the screen, however, “Shallow” doesn’t stick the landing. Without a visual aid, Gaga is just screaming into the void. The film is the fourth version of what is now a Hollywood standard: an aspiring ingenue falls in love with a grizzled burnout star and quickly shoots past him on her way to the top. In actor and director Bradley Cooper’s take on the story, Gaga’s Ally is discovered singing in a drag bar by Cooper’s Jackson Maine and is soon performing on his world tour. As a singer, Cooper is talented enough, but his voice is so obviously intent on being “gritty” that it sometimes travels into the realm of parody: at his worst, he sounds like Eddie Vedder impersonating Johnny Cash on “Saturday Night Live.” Gaga’s singing bona fides need no such introduction, and she continues to be one of the most capable vocalists in pop on “A Star Is Born.” Both Cooper and Gaga can more than handle themselves on this stage, but their performances are let down by the

By DESSI GOMEZ Scene Writer

The line outside Legends Nightclub steadily lengthened from 8 p.m. onward. Excited chatter reflected the increasing excitement and anticipation of Notre Dame students who were kicking off their weekend with the Lauv concert. Once the crowd had trickled in, it was not long until opener Charlotte Lawrence took the stage. Lawrence opened with “Just The Same.” She also performed “Sleep Talking,” “Psychopath” and “Stole Your Car.” Lawrence built up the atmosphere and primed the energy level for Lauv’s appearance. Lauv took his place before the microphone and teased the audience with the opening words of “I Like Me Better” but quickly switched to “Paris” for his opening song. After concluding this smooth single, he gave Notre Dame a shout out to get the crowd going. From “Paris” he segued into “Comfortable,” a song with a slightly slower pace than “Paris.” He introduced his next song, “There’s No Way” with regret that Julia Michaels, who is featured in the single, could not be there to perform it with him, but his strong vocals and lively energy made up for her absence. The pace picked up again with his next song “Chasing

homogeneous and uninspired songwriting displayed throughout almost the entire album. All but one of the album’s 17 tracks were written by either Cooper — with the help of rock journeyman Lukas Nelson, son of Willie — or Gaga, and each plays to their character’s personalities in penning the songs. Cooper gets the least to do of the two singers, growling over iPhone commercial grooves and self-indulgent guitar noodling. Gaga tackles more than a few genres; her character starts off singing strummy country-rock and then graduates to straightforward pop as her profile grows. The movie takes a noticeable rock-over-pop stance; this position would perhaps be more defensible if the songs she sings in either genre weren’t equally unremarkable. When listened to outside of the theater, the movie’s songs starts to run together; I had to listen to the version of the soundtrack that includes snippets of dialogue from the film so that I could tell when one track ended and another began. Notably, only a few songs stand out from the fray. Gaga’s “Always Remember Us This Way” is an aboveaverage piano ballad with a galvanizing rock coda, while her uber-pop “Why Did You Do That?” at least takes a few chances even if they don’t exactly pan out. The aforementioned “Shallow” encapsulates “A Star Is Born.” The track starts off with some pleasant acoustic interplay and palpable chemistry between the two leads before Gaga’s now-famous wail sends the song careening into sub-Meat Loaf histrionics, a disparity which is endemic to the film as well as the album. Too often, “A

Star Is Born” interrupts its more tender and effective moments with cacophony; I wouldn’t be surprised if, given the chance, Cooper would put a guitar solo in the middle of “Fur Elise.” The album’s best song is, perhaps not coincidentally, the only one not written by Gaga or Cooper. Alt-country luminary Jason Isbell is the sole credited writer on “Maybe It’s Time,” which seems beamed in from a wholly different and much better album. With just a simple guitar arpeggio and his voice, Cooper turns in a stunning solo performance on a song that sounds like a modern update of Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.” The movie and the soundtrack alike could’ve used plenty more understated moments like this one.

Fire” during which Lauv held out his mic to hear the lyrics sung back to him. “Reforget” reinforced the feelings introduced in “Chasing Fire” — of separation and isolation despite efforts to maintain a relationship. Lauv quickened the tempo after “Reforget” with DJ Snake’s track “A Different Way,” on which he was featured. He reintroduces a hope that seemed to be lost in “Reforget,” allowing himself to feel the optimism of a new relationship and a new beginning of love. Right when the morale had been boosted, Lauv reverted back to loss and sadness with his beautifully tragic tune, “Superhero.” He encouraged his audience to leave notes in his box of “My Blue Thoughts” because “Superhero” was born from a fan’s note. He took the tempo back down after these two songs with “Easy Love,” exuding confidence, coolness and commitment in understanding that romance can be difficult at times. Lauv sang with honest perspective as he revealed his thoughts about what love is made of and what it demands. “Adrenaline” followed “Easy Love,” stripping away Lauv’s confidence to uncover the basic feelings that underlie the wisdom and knowledge that comes from a long amount of time spent in a relationship: those of going through the motions and uncertainty about the future.

Between this song and the next, Lauv took the time to tell his audience a little bit about himself. After giving his background to explain where his songs come from, he expressed gratitude for how far he had come. He emphasized that he does not take his opportunities in life for granted. This manifested in the way Lauv simply lost himself in the music. He really connected with the audience during each song, whether it be through eye contact or holding someone’s hand. The climax of the concert arrived with Lauv’s performance of “Breathe.” An epitome of emotion, this song creates a conflict of needing space and longing for love. During this song, Lauv asked the audience to take out their phones for the classic concert flashlight moment, which really added sentimentality to the song. The encore included the full rendition of “I Like Me Better.” The finale consisted of a return to Lauv’s roots as he introduced the first official song he released, “The Other.” This song set the foundation of Lauv’s genuine persona and raw emotional expression as he talks about the conflict between heart and mind. It felt cathartic for him to come full circle between his happy hit, “I Like Me Better” and his truthful debut, “The Other.”

Contact Jake Winningham at jwinning@nd.edu

“A Star Is Born” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper Label: Interscope Tracks: “Maybe It’s Time” If you like: Bruce Springsteen, Eric Church

Contact Dessi Gomez at dgomez5@nd.edu Ivan SkvariL | The Observer

The observer | Monday, monday, october October 8, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

The Oakland Eliabeth House

Pornography: It’s time to talk about it Mike Urbaniak Campus Ministry

Diane Park Graphic Designer

Oa k land Elizabeth House (OEH) is a transitiona l residence located in Oa k land, Ca lifornia that ser ves single mothers and their children who have suffered from povert y, homelessness and abuse. Prov iding housing and other resources like counseling and parenting classes for about 10 families, OEH particularly focuses on helping their residents find permanent housing, sustainable incomes and familia l stabilit y. I was able to spend the past summer ser v ing this communit y as a participant of Notre Dame’s Summer Ser v ice Learning Program (SSLP). For the families residing at OEH, it is particularly difficult to brea k the cycles of povert y and even v iolence when their circumstances seem locked in. OEH is needed to ta ke a stance against this cycle, and prov ide the help needed for these single mothers who are fighting to brea k that cycle for their ow n children. A lthough no house can be perfect, the mothers at OEH truly portray the need for communit y and support. The mothers not only seek and receive this support from the OEH staff, but they often a lso rely on each other. So many mothers help ta ke care of each other’s children and help each other out w ith their separate responsibilities. One of the mothers I was able to interact w ith the most was one of the brightest and funniest moms at OEH. She was ver y outgoing, offering to help me practice my Spanish and assisting me out whenever I needed any thing around the house. So I was surprised to learn that she had initia lly been extremely difficult for the mothers to get a long w ith. She put up wa lls, never interacted w ith the other mothers and seemed determined to keep to herself. In just the few months she had been there, she had completely changed, and I got to meet her ama zing and open self. The other mothers love her leadership qua lities, humor, and genuine care for the communit y. There is such ev ident clarit y that ever yone deser ves a safe env ironment. OEH has played such a significant role in prov iding securit y to these women who have unfortunately had so little of it. Many OEH women began their stay in the program just as defensive and hostile as the mother I mentioned above. But, by gradua lly meeting their basic needs of securit y and care, OEH could engender a better env ironment for these mothers and their k ids. In my time at OEH, I saw mothers ma ke mea ls together, pick up another child while their mom had to work a shift and put in the effort to look out for each other. Without any biologica l relation, many have formed a family w ith a ll the members of OEH, teaching me how to pursue deeper k inship in my relationships. OEH is changing lives at a more loca lized level. In such a politica l climate as ours where the basic human needs of securit y — especia lly for women — are seemingly continuously neglected, a ll of their efforts both big and sma ll are ma k ing a ll the difference. Physica l and emotiona l abuse, homelessness and povert y have core, underly ing issues that would be difficult to solve w ith the efforts of one organization. But I have learned that even the sma llest and most gradua l of efforts can ultimately brea k the cyclica l nature of these adversities. These efforts have been and w ill a lways be needed; we are a ll ca lled to act upon them. More information about Oa k land Elizabeth House can be found at http://w w w.oa kehouse.org/. Contact Diane Park at dpark5@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

“Can I ask you a ver y direct question? Do you struggle w ith using pornography? ” In my role in Campus Ministr y, I have asked this question several times over the past year. Each time I asked, the respondent simply said, “yeah.” I ask not to shame or guilt the responder, but to bring out into the open that which had been hidden away, to name out loud what each of those incredible people had been vaguely dancing around. Finding themselves behind in school work or distant in their relationship w ith God, they had consistently talked about “bad habits that I just keep falling into,” or “not being proud of some of the things I’ve been doing” or “not getting my work done or sleeping because I’ve just been wasting time scrolling on the internet.” There is a sense of peace and power in naming something aloud or hav ing it named aloud to us. It gives a certain amount of control and realit y to it. And this is what I have found in these encounters and what compels me to w rite this. If you struggle w ith using pornography, you need to talk about it. I get it. It’s not easy to talk about sex or matters of physical intimacy seriously. We default to joking about it and not treating it w ith the respect it deser ves. We assume since we’re at Notre Dame we’re not supposed to talk about it. We can idolize those who treat it so casually and fall into patterns of speech and behav ior that objectif y human persons. A ll of this, of course, while we secretly desire just to have someone(s) w ith whom we can be frank, open and honest. But, that would mean awkwardness. Spoiler: I’ve been married over five years to the love of my life and it still can be awk ward at times to talk about sex w ith her. We fear this awk wardness. Often, the avoidance of this awk wardness just leads to more awk wardness, particularly in nav igating romantic relationships. In the case of porn, the avoidance of naming it and the fear of speaking about it tends to lead to something much stronger — shame. There is something about the pursuit of pleasure at the expense of others that naturally brings this about. My experience in the residence halls at Notre Dame as an undergrad,

R A and AR, my experience in Campus Ministr y for five years and the insights from my colleagues would support that there is a significant amount of shame around pornography on our campus. We are not created for shame. God created us for love. I w rite this article not to tell you that if you use porn, you should feel ashamed. There is enough of that out there already and that’s really not my st yle. I w rite this to tell you that you are loved, by God and by many others, and that you don’t have to feel so alone. That’s the sy mptom of shame. It isolates us and makes us want to hide away parts of who we are. The best way I know how to work against this is to name it, out loud to someone. It is to shed light on the darkness. By no means am I recommending telling ever yone, but telling someone, talking about it, is the first step away from the stronghold of shame. Tell a friend, an R A or trusted mentor. Tell a campus minister, a counselor or confessor. (Not-so-subtle plug here for Campus Ministr y’s “Need to Talk? ” 7: 00 p.m.-9: 00 p.m., Monday-Thursday in CoMo). There are many people who are here to walk w ith you and support you, but we can only do so if you allow us in. Set up a time to meet w ith me, clearly it’s something I’m not afraid to talk about. Will it be awk ward? Probably … but the freedom that it can allow is worth it. The freedom to love yourself and others as God does. The freedom to accept love and to treat yourself and others w ith the respect deser ved by a child of God. I w ill simply close w ith one of my favorite passages from scripture that I believe highlights this: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do w ith punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because God first loved us.” - 1 John 4:18-19. Mike Urbaniak serves in Campus Ministry as the Assistant Director of Pastoral Care and can be reached at murbania@nd.edu Learn more about Campus Ministry at CampusMinistry.nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Notre dame 45, Virginia Tech 23 | monday, october 8, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Exit Sandman Notre Dame downs Virginia Tech to earn its first ranked win on the road since 2012

EMMA FARNAN | The Observer

Irish senior running back Dexter Williams rushes past a defender during Notre Dame’s 45-23 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia. Williams rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries during the road victory, which prompted the AP to move Notre Dame up to No. 5 in the national rankings.

Notre Dame is becoming a heavyweight Joe Everett Sports Editor

BLACKSBURG, Va. — After Notre Dame squeaked out a 22-17 win over Vanderbilt back on Sept. 15, I wrote a column stating that Notre Dame was not playing like a heavyweight program, at least not a quarter of the way through the season. Now, as the Irish (6-0) hit the halfway mark of the regular season, it’s clear they’re starting to play like one. The first three games of the season were characterized by Notre Dame’s inability to deliver the knockout punch against its opponents when it should have — most notably against a far inferior opponent in Ball State. To use boxing language, the Irish were seemingly fighting to win via decision, not looking to knock their opponent unconscious to the floor. The Irish have been throwing haymakers ever since, starting see EVERETT PAGE 3

By JOE EVERETT Sports Editor

BLACKSBURG, Va. — After a tightly fought first 30 minutes, No. 6 Notre Dame pulled away from No. 24 Virginia Tech in the second half to defeat the Hokies 45-23 Saturday night at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. Despite a raucous opening atmosphere, junior quarterback Ian Book and the Irish (6-0) calmly marched down the field on their first drive. Book first found senior wide receiver Miles Boykin for 18 yards. A facemask penalty on the Hokies (3-2, 2-0 ACC) then moved the ball into Virginia Tech territory. Two-straight passes from Book to senior tight end Alize Mack and junior Chase Claypool landed the Irish on the 11-yard line. While Notre Dame was eventually stopped just short of the line on third down, a Book sneak gave the Irish a fresh set of downs, and senior running back Dexter Williams punched it in on the next play to put the Irish up 7-0. After a three-and-out by the Hokies, the Irish got right back to work from their 27-yard line, as Book completed a deep pass to senior slot receiver Chris Finke

on first down for 56 yards to the Virginia Tech 17. However, the drive stalled from there, and senior Justin Yoon knocked a 31-yard field goal through the uprights to extend the lead to 10-0. Virginia Tech quarterback Ryan Willis responded on the Hokies’ second drive, completing a pass to Damon Hazelton for 12 yards to open up the offense. Virginia Tech thought it had a touchdown after a trick-play pass on a reverse worked, but an ineligible man downfield penalty wiped it out, and the Hokies settled for a 39-yard field goal. Notre Dame’s ensuing drive stalled at the Virginia Tech 41 as Book was unable to convert with his feet on third down. Catastrophe struck for the Irish on the next play, as graduate student captain and punter Tyler Newsome couldn’t handle a bouncing snap and was tackled for a 16-yard loss. The Hokies took over at the Notre Dame 43, but the Irish defense held firm and forced another field goal. After both teams traded drives, Notre Dame took over on its own 37. But on first down, Book was intercepted by defensive back Reggie Floyd, setting up the Hokies in Irish territory. Running

back Steven Peoples then ripped off a 41-yard run and was tripped up right before the goal line. Virginia Tech appeared poised to take the lead, but the Irish defense stonewalled the Hokies on threestraight plays to force a 22-yard field goal and maintain a 10-9 lead. “I think that was huge for our defense,” junior cornerback Julian Love said. “I think we’re extremely tough … stuff like that is just the little things you see in a special defense like ours that really make a difference.” Bud Foster’s defense next confused Book again and forced another three-and-out, but the Irish returned the favor with a big play of their own, as junior defensive end Khalid Kareem forced a Willis fumble that Love recovered and returned 42 yards for an Irish touchdown that briefly swung momentum and extended the Irish lead to 17-9. Willis shook off the mistake, however, and drove Virginia Tech down the field in a minute before halftime, capping off the drive — which saw Irish junior defensive end Julian Okwara ejected for targeting — with a three-yard see ROAD WIN PAGE 3

Dominant second half excises Irish road demons By TOBIAS HOONHOUT Managing Editor

BLACKSBURG, Va. — For all intents and purposes, Notre Dame’s win on Saturday night was more than just another top-25 notch in the belt. It was a victory that not only gave the Irish a 6-0 start for the first time since 2014, but also helped erase a narrative that has plagued Brian Kelly’s program — the inability to win in hostile environments. As much as Kelly tried this week to dismiss the impact of Notre Dame’s dismantling at Miami last season in the buildup to Lane Stadium, the Irish clearly learned their lesson. While the offensive showing was impressive and the defense continued to make stops, it was Notre Dame’s ability to take punches in stride that proved the ultimate difference-maker Saturday. Despite jumping out to an early 10-0 lead with scores on their first two drives, the Irish offense see SECOND HALF PAGE 2

Insider

The observer | monday, october 8, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Second half Continued from page 1

sputtered as the Hokies settled in behind their crowd. Notre Dame junior quarterback Ian Book had receivers open downfield, but couldn’t hit them, and the Virginia Tech run defense stifled the Irish line and senior running back Dexter Williams. The mistakes started to add up — first a poor long snap on a punt gave the Hokies great field position, and two drives later junior quarterback Ian Book threw his first interception of the year to give the Hokies another great chance at seven. But the Irish defense managed to hold firm both times, and forced field goals that cut the lead to 10-9. “Our guys rallied together, like ‘we want this stop right now,’” junior defensive end Khalid Kareem said. “Holding them to a field goal, that’s the best option we had right there.” Even after an incredible hustle play by Kareem forced a fumble which junior corner Julian Love took 42 yards to the house to momentarily silence the crowd, the Hokies answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that saw Irish junior defensive end Julian Okwara ejected for targeting and a

touchdown right at the end of the half to seize back the momentum. But instead of a collapse, Notre Dame made the necessary adjustments; not just to respond, but to dominate. “[We wanted] to go out there and step on their throats and to put them out and finish a game on the road,” Irish graduate student linebacker and captain Drue Tranquill said. “I think it’s our first road win against a ranked opponent since 2012 [sic], and to go out there and get the job done — almost pitch a shutout defensively in the second half — and see the offense really go out there and close the game was big.” It was a complete team effort in the second half, and it started off with a bang. After Tech entered Irish territory, Notre Dame’s defense held firm and forced a punt from the 42-yard line, which was downed at the five. After a twoyard loss on a rushing attempt on first down, the second play of the drive would also be the last. Williams found a hole after a great blocking sequence by the Irish line — which was still coping with the loss of graduate student captain Alex Bars — and sprinted 97 yards for the score. “It was just amazing to come out here in the second half and start it off the right way, and be

that spark for my team, being able to finish that run and make my offensive line happy. I couldn’t do it without them boys, so I had to show them all the love and support,” Williams said of the play. “My eyes lit up, I was like, ‘Wow, this hole is big,’ and I had to hit it and finish the run, because I knew if I didn’t finish it, I’d hear a lot of talk from my offensive line and my coaches, so I just had to finish the run.” After the Hokies missed a 47yard field goal, Notre Dame and Book took over. On third-andeight from the Tech 40, the junior managed to escape the pocket and scrambled out to the left. When the Tech secondary bit, Book managed to find a wideopen Miles Boykin, and the senior receiver ran 40 yards for another score. “I had a shaky first half, and that’s something I really wanted to take back and forget about,” Book, who finished 25-35 for 271 yards, said. “[I wanted to] start 0-0 and start over the second half and just play Notre Dame football the way we play.” “He hit some big, big throws, too,” Kelly echoed. “I mean, if you look at some of the throws that he hit to extend drives, they were pretty good. He was a little flat with throws, he missed some of

the big ones down the field. When the ball comes out flat, level one not level two, he’s a little excited and those throws he’ll hit. But he hit some of those big throws to keep the chains moving on third down. Ian Book, I got no problem with the game he played today.” After a pair of traded drives, the Hokies missed another field goal, and the Irish made them pay. Notre Dame marched down the field with 11 plays for 64 yards, culminating in another Book-toBoykin score. Just like that, the Irish had put 21 unanswered on the Hokies and had silenced Lane Stadium. In the second half, Notre Dame scored a touchdown on four of its six drives. The Hokies managed only one score in seven drives, despite facing a depleted Irish front that was also missing junior Daelin Hayes. “Before we even left, the whole defensive unit told Daelin, ‘We got your back, we’ll step up for you,’” Kareem said of Clark Lea’s unit and its motivation. “Then Julian [got ejected], we let him know, ‘We got your back,’ so that just gave us more fire to go out there and make plays. “ … It’s just the next man in mentality. We’ve been preaching that for so long, and in practice, we’re just trying to do our jobs to

the best of our ability, and we’re gonna come out in the game and do the same thing.” By the time Dexter Williams sprinted another 31 yards to put Notre Dame up 45-23 with 4:50 to go, Tech fans were streaming out of the stadium. After the win, the Irish sang the alma mater in the away fan corner, lacking a band but still flooding the whole stadium with the sound of Notre Dame’s anthem. It was a stark difference to “Enter Sandman” just a few hours earlier — and Miami’s filling of Hardrock Stadium with “Kiss Him Goodbye” last November. “It definitely prepared us a lot,” Williams said about what Notre Dame learned from South Beach. “Going through practice each and every day listening to the Sandman for the whole entire practice, it was so loud, and I was like, ‘Man, I’m tired of hearing this song.’ It was like we gotta come out and get this win for Notre Dame, and our coaches and our whole entire team. “ … We just gotta keep going, day by day and take each game one by one and just continue to focus on us and continue to strive for greatness.” Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.ed

EMMA FARNAN | The Observer

Irish junior cornerback Julian Love attempts to intercept a pass in coverage during Notre Dame’s 45-23 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia. Love tallied seven tackles, an interception, a broken-up pass and a fumble recovery for a touchdown during the victory. The Irish are currently No. 5 in the AP top-25 poll.

Play of the game

player of the game

dexter williams takes the handoff 97 yards for a touchdown

Junior cornerback julian love

The Irish came out of halftime with a one-point lead, but junior running back Dexter Williams shifted the momentum in Notre Dame’s favor, taking the handoff from junior quarterback Ian Book and taking it all the way for a 97-yard touchdown run. Williams was Notre Dame’s leading rusher in the game, carrying for 178 yards and three touchdowns, including Notre Dame’s opening points.

Love made his presence known on the field against the Hokies, recording seven tackles, an interception and a broken-up pass — adding to his lead as Notre Dame’s all-time pass break-ups leader. Love also had one of the game’s top plays with a scoop and score, recovering a fumble caused by junior defensive lineman Khalid Kareem, and taking it back to score with a 42-yard return.

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touchdown pass to Hazelton to make it a 17-16 game at halftime. “‘Do your job, focus in on what you’re supposed to do, trust your teaching, trust your coaching and we’re going to be fine, we’re going to win the game, but don’t get outside those lines,’” said Irish head coach Brian Kelly on what he told his team at halftime. “So, it was really much more of it’s going to take four quarters if you just hang in there and do what you’re supposed to do, we’re going to win the game.” The Irish came out and answered the call, as Virginia Tech’s opening drive of the half stalled after crossing into Notre Dame territory, but a well-executed punt pinned the Irish at the 5-yard line. While Virginia Tech looked to force another three-and-out, Williams and the Irish offensive line had other ideas. The Hokies stacked the box on second down, but a hole opened up on the left side and a quick cut by Williams gave him nothing but green grass ahead, and the senior outran the Virginia Tech defense 97 yards for his second touchdown of the game — the longest run in Lane Stadium history. After a missed 48-yard field goal by Virginia Tech, Book engineered a nine-play, 70-yards drive

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by drubbing Wake Forest 56-27, eventually wearing down and defeating Stanford 38-17 and most impressively by knocking out Virginia Tech on the road by a score of 45-23 Saturday night. What a performance by Notre Dame. Everyone was talking about Notre Dame’s road struggles against ranked opponents and the intimidating atmosphere the Irish would have to combat at Lane Stadium. Instead, the Irish calmly opened the game by marching down the field and punching the Hokies in the mouth, and withstood opposing blows in the second quarter to land those of their own. Goal-line stand at the one-yard line in the second quarter to force a field goal? Huge punch by the Irish to respond to Ian Book’s interception. Forced fumble by Khalid Kareem and recovery and return for a touchdown by Julian Love? Major counter while the offense sputtered. Yet, Notre Dame only went into half up one, and Love commented on how the team went into the second half with a mindset to dominate and land the knockout blow. “We have a mentality that’s … being relentless,” Love said. “Hitting body-to-body with our boxing gloves. That’s what we were all yelling at each other. We allowed one touchdown in the first half and our defense wasn’t satisfied, and so we really wanted to come out [in the second half] and come off the ropes and attack.” Attack the Irish did, on both

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that he completed by scrambling out of the pocket, faking a run and drawing three defenders to him. The junior then lofted a pass to Boykin, who had slipped behind the defense and took the pass to the house, pushing the lead to 31-16. The teams traded punts after Book was unable to hit a wideopen Claypool downfield, and a short punt by Newsome set the Hokies up at midfield as the third quarter drew to a close. The Hokies were unable to turn the great field position into points, however, as kicker Brian Johnson missed a 52-yard field goal again wide left. The Irish made them pay on the following drive, as Book to Boykin took over the game. The duo connected twice on the fade route to keep the drive alive, and capped it off with a 5-yard touchdown connection — their second of the night — to make it 38-16 Irish with 9:08 left in the fourth. Boykin finished the night with 8 catches for 117 yards. Virginia Tech would drive down the field the following possession and eventually score a touchdown on Willis’ 15-yard pass to wide receiver Eric Kumah, but any hope for a comeback stopped there. Notre Dame recovered the onside kick, and Williams took a handoff 31 yards for his third touchdown of the night — finishing the night with 178 yards

sides of the football. A 97-yard touchdown run by Dexter Williams? An absolute haymaker by the Irish. Ian Book’s scramble and eventual 40-yard pass to Miles Boykin? The back-breaking blow. The point is that the Irish not only pulled away on the scoreboard, but utilized game-changing plays to alter the course of the game and break their opponent, physically and mentally. “It’s a momentum swing,” Boykin said of the big plays. “Dex with that huge run was huge for us. We like to think we should have been in that situation in the first place if we just came out and kept hitting them like we did in the first quarter, both those plays are huge. “ … I think we had a good game, not our best game but a good game.” That last part is key. Notre Dame is currently in the process of becoming a heavyweight. Notre Dame is not currently an established one. The Irish were certainly not perfect on Saturday night, and must improve in a lot of areas if they want to accomplish their goal of winning a national championship. The encouraging side of that statement is that the Irish know they could be better and embrace that reality moving forward. Ian Book believes the Irish could have hung 70 on the Hokies. Drue Tranquill wishes the Irish pitched a shutout on defense. This team has an elite mentality when it comes to self-analysis and the desire to improve. In terms of its physicality and performance on the field, as well as its cultivating a mentality to be great, Notre Dame is transitioning to playing as a heavyweight

on 17 carries. Love sealed the deal by intercepting a Willis pass, and the Irish won their first road game against a ranked team since 2015. Kelly explained how Notre Dame’s sixth win of the year was a complete team effort. “I don’t know if we walk around talking about killer instinct as much as we want to complement each other well,” Kelly said. “And what I mean by that is our offense wants to complement our defense and our special teams. We’ve struggled with that during my time here, complementing each side of the ball. We are beginning to do that much better. Our offense is complementing our defense, which we saw that today. Julian Love’s pick and score, when he picks it up and scores, got us back into that complement piece. We were kind of wobbly offensively at the time, so we needed that momentum. It gave us a great shot in the arm in the second half and really played pretty good offense.” Book, who finished 25/35 for 271 yards and two touchdowns, encapsulated how the team felt postgame. “It feels good to get such a big win, so we’re all happy, the team’s happy, it’s a huge win for us and we’ve gotta move on and play a good Pitt team, so there’s no better feeling.”

Scoring Summary 1

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

2nd

3rd

4th

Total

3 10

13 7

0 14

7 14

23 45

Notre Dame 7, virginia tech 0

Dexter Williams 1-yard field goal (Justin Yoon kick)