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Volume 55, Issue 27 | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND opposes visa changes Jenkins writes to DHS about proposed limitations Observer Staff Report
Universit y President Fr. John Jenkins voiced his concerns in a letter marked Saturday regarding proposed changes to a federa l pol ic y wh ich wou ld ma ke it more d if f icu lt for i nternat iona l st udents to en rol l i n school s i n t he Un ited St ates. T he let ter was add ressed to C had Wol f, t he ac t i ng Sec ret a r y of t he Depa r t ment of Homela nd Sec u r it y ( DHS ). T he pol ic y i ntend s to l i m it i nter nat iona l a nd excha nge st udent s’ t i me i n t he U.S. to a f i xed per iod of t wo to fou r yea r s. St udents wou ld be able to apply for a n
ex tension i n t h is t ime. Cu rrently, student visas allow students to remain in the U.S. as long as they continue to be enrolled in school. With the proposed policy, students who are citizens of countries with high rates of visa overstay — above 10% — along with other designations of students would only be able to apply for two-year visas with the possibility of renewal. While reports have detailed concerns regarding overinflated data regarding overstays, Jenkins also expressed concerns over the DHS identification of these countries. “Ty pically, these are impoverished countries from which few international
students manage to enroll in the United States,” Jenkins said. “Among them are Haiti and the Philippines, where the Universit y of Notre Dame has special relationships among the poor. W hile DHS reports that students from each countr y are more likely to overstay their v isas, Notre Dame has not found that to be the case.” Jenkins went on to reference the Universit y’s ow n data on compliance of international students in the 2019-2020 academic year and urged Wolf to examine the records of other U.S. universities as well. Out of the 1,546 i nter nat iona l see VISAS PAGE 5
University cancels spring study abroad Observer Staff Report
Notre Dame announced it would cancel all spring 2021 study abroad programs due to the continued number of coronavirus cases in a Tuesday morning email. According to the email, the University had been in contact with partner institutions and global gateways prior to the decision. Ultimately, programs were canceled due to several factors, including the continued state of the pandemic, travel restrictions and quarantine protocols for entering and exiting the United
States. “We understand how disheartening and disappointing this is, especially for those who may not have another opportunity to study abroad,” the email said. ”... Regrettably, the ongoing pandemic makes this impossible at the moment; your health and safety must come first.” The Study Abroad office will work closely with students to offer options to study abroad in summer or fall 2021. “We remain committed in finding alternative opportunities for your international education,” the email said.
SMC students react to Lecture examines 19th Amendment upcoming schedule plans By CRYSTAL RAMIREZ News Writer
Follow ing the Sept. 23 announcements of Notre Dame and Holy Cross’ plans for a long w inter break and late start to the spring semester, the Saint Mar y’s communit y awaited the College’s decision on how it would proceed. Plans to follow the same semester
GABRIELLE PENNA | The Observer
Speakers Kenya Young (‘94), Christina Wolbrecht and Dianne Pinderhughes discuss the history of women’s voting rights in America. By GABRIELLE PENNA News Writer
Two Not re Da me pol it ica l scient ists d iscussed t he 19t h A mend ment a nd women’s role in elect ions over t he past 100 yea rs du r ing a Monday even i ng lect u re ca l led “T he 19t h A mend ment a nd t he My t h t hat A l l Women Vote t he Sa me.” The d iscussion was pa r t of t he Br idg i ng t he
nEWS PAGE 4
Div ide lect u re ser ies sponsored by the K lau Center for Civ il and Human Rights and t he Rooney Center for t he St udy of A mer ica n Democrac y. T he moderator Kenya You ng, Not re Da me 1994 g raduate a nd execut ive producer of “Mor n i ng Ed it ion” at Nat iona l P ubl ic Rad io (NPR), opened t he see VOTE PAGE 3
VIEWPOINT PAGE 8
model as the other t wo institutions of the tri-campus communit y were released the next day. After the Nov. 20 end of the fall semester, students w ill begin a 10-week w inter break. The spring semester is set to begin Feb. 3 and end May 19. No midterm break w ill be given during the period, similar to what occurred this semester.
Sophomore Aranza Sierra said the semester w ithout a fall break has taken its toll on students and she is ready for the upcoming extended break. “I am really looking forward to this break just because I feel like this semester has really been nonstop,” Sierra said. “I’m see REACTIONS PAGE 3
Malloy’s book expands on love for University By EMILY DEFAZIO News Writer
From 1987 to 2005, Fr. Edward “Monk” Malloy ser ved as President of the Universit y of Notre Dame. After 18 years in the position, Malloy, now President Emeritus, takes an introspective and ref lective look at the histor y of the Universit y, as well as his
SCENE PAGE 9
personal part in that stor y, in his new book: “Monk’s Notre Dame: People, Places and Events.” “I wanted to do a book that prov ided a sense of what my experience has already been like through all the years I’ve been here,” Malloy said. “I just love being here. I love the beaut y of the campus, the people, the commitment of
its graduates. It’s a special place. A nd my book is an attempt from my point of v iew to describe some elements of that.” Malloy has been a member of the Universit y communit y since 1959 when he first arrived as a student. “I was recruited to play basketball,” Malloy said.
ND W SOCCER PAGE 16
ND FOOTBALL PAGE 16
see MALLOY PAGE 3
2
TODAY
The observer | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
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What is the best concert you’ve ever been to or would like to attend?
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“I want to go to a Rex Orange County concert.”
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“I would want to go to a Bad Bunny concert.”
“Louis the Child at the X Games in Aspen and Justin Bieber.”
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“Twenty One Pilots, One Direction and Rascal Flatts.”
“Prince.”
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The Irish beat the Cardinals 12-7 in a tight contest that took place Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. This week, they will have their first road game of the season, following the Wake Forest postponement, playing against the Pittsburgh Panthers Saturday.
The next Five days:
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Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
“The Myth All Women Vote the Same” virtual 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Lecture on the 19th Amendment.
“The ‘Kung Flu’: How Media Images Frame Asians” virtual 11 a.m. - noon All are welcome.
Research Seminar virtual 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. Discover what’s new in the new encyclical “Fratelli Tutti.”
Fitness Freebie: WERQ virtual 10 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. Join instructor Natalie for a free fitness class.
The Big Draw virtual 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sketch Snite art at home to partake in the Big Draw.
AASHE Conference virtual all day Global conference on sustainability in higher education.
Fellows Spotlight virtual 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Meet the Kellogg visiting and dissertation fellows.
Lecture: “Health Inequity” virtual 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Lecture given by Dr. Rhea Boyd.
Football Away Game Watch South Lawn 3:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. Game watch hosted by Morrisey Manor.
Notre Dame Band Virtual Open House virtual 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Learn more about the oldest band in the U.S.
News
Reactions Continued from page 1
ready to not think about school for the upcoming 10week break.” Sierra added that she thinks students thought this semester would be doable w ithout a break. “I think that a lot of us thought that we could make it through the semester w ithout any breaks, but now that we are actually liv ing through the semester and while yes we are so close to the end of the semester, it still seems so far away,” she said. “Especially w ith professors stacking projects and paper, and all these assignments on top of each other.” Sierra also addressed
Malloy Continued from page 1
“W hen I v isited Notre Dame I said ‘This is the school for me.’ And when I arrived as a first-semester student, I never looked back.” Monk said the book reveals his “love affair” w ith Notre Dame. “I found a home here,” Malloy said. “And I put my whole self into it, and because of that, all kinds of opportunities opened up.” In addition to being a student on campus, Malloy said he also found his vocation through a ser v ice trip to Latin America, which led him to the rest of his journey at Notre Dame. A large part of this journey involved several groups of people. In his book, those
Vote Continued from page 1
d isc ussion by add ressi ng t he session’s a i m. “Now more t ha n ever, it is t i me for us to w rest le w it h t hese d i f f ic u lt topics a nd d i f f ic u lt issues, but to do so respect f u l ly a nd w it h a n open m i nd,” You ng sa id. You ng i nt roduced t he t wo spea kers for t he ser ies’ fou r t h session : Ch r ist i na Wolbrecht, professor of pol it ica l science a nd d i rector of t he Rooney Center for t he St udy of A mer ica n Democrac y, a nd Dia n ne P i nderhug hes, president ia l Fac u lt y Fel low a nd professor of pol it ica l science a nd A f r ica na st ud ies. Before d iv i ng i nto moder n-day i mpl icat ions for women’s votes, Wolbrecht gave a br ief h istor y of how t he 19t h A mend ment ha s i ncrea si ng ly i mpacted pol it ica l t u r nout s over t he yea rs. “W hen women f i rst got t he r ig ht to vote i n t he 1920s, t hey were a l most
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2020 | The Observer
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concerns for students’ mental state, including her ow n. “I think I can speak for a lot of students that I am burnt out and no longer have the capacit y to deal w ith or think about school-related matters,” she said. “It would have liked there to be like a day or two where all the students could have a day with no class and almost a type of mental health day. I know we have the weekend to rest, but weekends are no longer weekends, rather days to catch up on work you couldn’t complete during the week or were too at capacity and burnt out to finish during the week.” Junior Damariz Olguin echoed the same feeling of needing a long break after the fast-paced semester. “I will be relaxing and
enjoying spending time with family after a packed and stressful semester,” she said. Olguin also commented on the College’s recent announcement of offering a handful of courses during the winter break to lighten the course load for students in the spring. “While Saint Mary’s has given students the option of a winter term, the semester has left me burnt out and I don’t think it is the right move for me,” Olguin said. However, Olguin does have concerns over the long w inter break after an at-home end of spring semester and summer. “Hearing how long our break w ill be gave me f lashbacks to the summer,” Olguin said. “A lthough I
participated in SSLP through ND v irtual experience, I found myself doing nothing after it and hav ing large periods of free time.” As for the spring semester and the way it is set to take place, Olguin said she understands why the College decided to begin so late, but added that another semester w ithout a break w ill be strenuous. “I understand the lateness of the start of the semester due to COV ID,” she said. “However, another semester w ithout a break w ill be ver y rough.” Sierra said she is a bit worried about another semester w ithout the traditional break and hopes for at least one day off to destress. “It has been really hard not
hav ing a break in bet ween the semester [and] it’s always go-go but we just need a time or day specifically free of school-related tasks to let go of ever y thing,” she said. “I honestly do not mind that the semester is beginning Februar y, just because I feel ex hausted and I need as much time as possible to get back to myself because I know this has been a really challenging time not just for me but for ever yone. And I’m sure a lot of have lost a little bit of our motivation and ourselves. Hav ing those 10 weeks w ill ground us a lot more and let us be the people we once were before ever y thing happened.”
who make up the Notre Dame family are highlighted. “Part of the book is historical,” Malloy said. “I trace the role the different presidents have played and what happened during their term of leadership.” Not only does Malloy cover the presidents that have passed through the Universit y, but also members of the staff. “I wanted to get people to think about all the units that prov ide ser v ices,” Malloy said. “We can take all these things for granted, but they’re an integral part of what makes Notre Dame kick.” Malloy’s ow n experience as Universit y President is included in the histor y. “I was really honored to have that role,” Malloy said. W hen asked what he was
proudest of from his time as President, Malloy said it was the fact that “we made progress on multiple things simultaneously.” This progress, Malloy said, spanned several areas of the Universit y, including the qualit y of teaching and the diversit y of the campus. His time in the position also prov ided the highlights of his experience at the Universit y. One was the way the Notre Dame communit y responded to an accident in which t wo members of the women’s sw im team passed away, w ith another seemingly paralyzed. “That was a major moment,” Malloy said. “It revealed, as so often happens when we have the death of a student, that we are never better as a communit y of support than when we deal
w ith tragedy.” Another highlight that stuck out in Malloy’s years was students’ responses in the aftermath of 9/11. “We could have closed a number of times. Many schools closed when they had tough occasions that they were facing,” he said. “You could say COV ID-19, maybe, was another test like that, where we’ve had a sense of what was important, that we’ve rallied together in times of crisis and difficult y.” Malloy said he tied this spirit to the current generation of students, making his book applicable to people at ever y stage of their journey at Notre Dame. “[This] generation is responsible for carr y ing it to the next level,” Malloy said.
In terms of adv ice on how to do this, Malloy referred to his ow n experience. “Not ever y thing went well all the time for me,” he said. “So what I did is when something didn’t go right, I figured out something else to get involved in.” He said he believes ever yone at Notre Dame has access to their ow n version of achievement. “Get a broad education, whatever your major is. Get involved in various activ ities that you enjoy,” Malloy said. “And then I think you’d be a lot better prepared for what life brings, than if you just focus on one thing or let one thing get in your way and discourage you.”
i m med iately descr ibed a s a fa i lu re, a nd w hat t hat mea nt wa s t hat women d id not seem to be ta ki ng up t hei r r ig ht to vote,” Wolbrecht sa id. T he t u r nout gap wa s not i n favor of women a s it is today, Wolbrecht sa id. “Black women have never stopped f ig ht i ng for vot i ng r ig ht s,” she sa id. For Black women, t he 19t h A mend ment is a m i nusc u le pa r t of t hei r f ig ht for vot i ng r ig ht s, Wolbrecht sa id. P i nderhug hes elaborated on resista nce Black women have faced i n pu rsu it of a role i n pol it ics. “T he 19t h A mend ment wa s pa ssed, but w hen va r ious state leg islat u res approved t he a mend ment, t he ag reement wa s t hat t here wou ld n’t be a n ef for t to per m it Black women to vote,” P i nderhug hes sa id. T he poi nt of leg islat ion f rom t he late 1890s, w hen sout her n states bega n to a lter t hei r const it ut ions, wa s to si lence Black women’s voices, P i nderhug hes sa id.
P i nderhug hes t hen t u r ned t he d isc ussion to moder n pol it ics. “Now, w it h t he decision by t he Supreme Cou r t i n Holder v. Shelby Cou nt y, t he protect ion of t he Vot i ng R ig ht s Act is no longer i n place,” P i nderhug hes sa id. P i nderhug hes sa id she sees issues w it h such act ions. “T here is no i nter vent ion on t he pa r t of t he depa r t ment of just ice to mon itor cha nges i n vot i ng law s,” P i nderhug hes sa id. “[ Sout her n states ] have moved ver y qu ick ly to put rest r ict ions on, a nd cha nge t he law, aga i n to ma ke it more d i f f ic u lt a nd d iscou rage Black s f rom vot i ng.” T he d isc ussion t hen pivoted towa rds t he stereot y pes a rou nd women voters. P i nderhug hes noted t here is a w hole ra nge of pol ic y issues t hat a f fect how women f u nct ion — t hey do not just ca re about one sector of pol it ics. She noted ever yday concer ns such a s nut r it ion, t ra nspor tat ion
a nd a i r qua l it y, a l l of wh ich i mpact a woma n’s l i fe. “We tend to na r row t he or ientat ion i n ter ms of w hat it is t hat people t h i n k is i mpor ta nt for women,” P i nderhug hes sa id. Wolbrecht spoke about m isconcept ions a nd a ssu mpt ions made rega rdi ng what act ua l ly concer ns women. “We ca re about t he economy, we ca re about hea lt hca re, we ca re about t he sa me issues t hat a ffect da i ly l i fe t hat men do,” Wolbrecht sa id. “T he rea l it y is t hat women a re placed d i f ferent ly i n t he economy. … T hei r eva luat ions of t he economy, of what ’s best for t hei r fa m i ly, of where t hey wa nt to see gover nment protect ion, is on average, sl ig ht ly d i f ferent f rom men’s.” A f ter ex pla i n i ng t he role gender d i f ferences have on pol it ica l object ives, Wolbrecht t u r ned towa rds spec u lat ions rega rd i ng t he 2020 elect ion. Pol ic y cha nges, to P i nderhug hes, negat ively
Contact Crystal Ramirez at cramire8@nd.edu
Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu
i mpact t he Black voter com mu n it y. “Access to vot i ng r ig ht s is a concer n i n t he sense t hat w it h Holder v. Shelby Cou nt y, protect ion, u nder sect ion fou r of t he r ig ht vot i ng act, is no longer offered,” P i nderhug hes sa id. You ng t hen t u r ned towa rds Wolbrecht, a sk i ng what t hen needed to be done. “We a re nowhere close to bei ng done,” Wolbrecht sa id. She ex pla i ned t hat t he const it ut ion does not i nclude t he a f f i r mat ive r ig ht to vote, wh ich does not requ i re states, cou nt ies or mu n icipa l it ies to ensu re t he r ig ht to vote — accou ntabi l it y she w ishes ex isted. P i nderhug hes sa id t hat i n add it ion to t h is lega l f ra mework, “what needs to happen at present is for t he tensions t hat rema i n bet ween a nd a mong women of color to be add ressed.” Contact Gabrielle Penna at gpenna@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Irish Guard experiences historical changes By EMILY DEFAZIO News Writer
Since its founding in 1949, the Irish Guard has remained a staple of the Notre Dame football experience. With their multicolored kilts and tall black hats, one can recognize the Guard as a symbol of the marching band. This year has proven to be history-making for the Guard in more ways than one. For the first time, there are two Black members of the Guard, juniors Tarik Brown and Kossivi “Armel” Mignondje. “After I joined marching band in my freshman year, the first thing that really got me excited was seeing the Irish Guard,” Brown said. “I remember thinking, ‘Man, I think it would be really cool to be one of those people wearing kilts.’” The Notre Dame Band of the Fighting Irish was the main reason for the Guard’s creation, since spectators would get so close to the band members that the instrumentalists needed protection on their marches around campus. The Irish Guard has since becomeintegrated into every game-day experience. Brown said he tried out for the Guard at the end of his sophomore year after being encouraged by his friends to audition. “There was already a culture of people supporting each other, so that sort of motivated me
to audition,” he said. Brown said this culture that the Guard has cultivated has continued throughout his entire experience. “It’s been really great,” Brown said. “It’s been a lot of extra work, but it’s also a lot of extra fun work. The Irish Guard is like its own little family. We have all of our own traditions, and it’s just a really fun time.” The Irish Guard has undergone several other reforms in the past 20 years, such as the inclusion of women to the group and the removal of the 6’2” height requirement. Even though this season has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown said he still thinks the achievement that the Guard has made should be acknowledged. “I think that given everything that’s going on, we should still look at these things and celebrate them because that’s how we end up making progress,” Brown said. “In the past, having a woman in the Irish Guard didn’t seem like it would happen, and it happened. And now having more Black members of the Irish Guard is something that could happen, and it’s just nice to see that progress.” Brown also tied the achievement to its relevance for all of Notre Dame. “You want every part of the band to represent every part of
the school,” Brown said. “And that includes Irish Guard, so it’s just exciting to finally see that happen.” Other members of the Guard spoke to the group’s inclusivity efforts. Shannon May, a Saint Mary’s senior and co-captain of the Irish Guard, said she is proud of the season’s first. “First and foremost, it’s very exciting,” May said. “It’s very cool to be on ground zero for this achievement. It’s happening right here in front of me, and I’m very proud and excited to be involved in it with them.” Kilian Vidourek, another captain of the Guard and Notre Dame senior, said he had similar thoughts. “It’s super cool to have those two gentlemen ramp up the band in that way,” he said. Vidourek also recalled the Guard featured four women last year. “Guard is making big steps,” he said. Both Vidourek and May expressed their excitement for the Guard’s progression. “The Guard started off as literally a guard to protect the band, then became this whole super rich tradition,” Vidourek said. “[The traditions] went a little too far. Now this is kind of like the start of a fresh new Guard. To enter a new year, a new era for the Guard, for the band.” Another way in which the
Courtesy of Kilian Vidourek
Members of the Irish Guard pose for a photo at the top of Notre Dame stadium during the football game against Louisville Saturday.
Irish Guard is making history is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vidourek said. The Irish Guard is still keeping the same spirit they’ve maintained for over 70 years, even if the group looks a little different this year. Instead of the traditional uniform, the Guard has been wearing red t-shirts as their signifier. “We are still an officially functioning Irish Guard,” Vidourek said. “It doesn’t matter whether we are in kilts or not.” He explained that they have upheld several traditions of the Guard, like saluting “Mother Mary” when they pass by the Dome, as well as performing the Irish victory clog after every win for the football team.
According to the captains, another change that had been made was to the Guard’s practices. “For a while, we were just with our instrument sections, because we’re also all members of our instrument section,” May said. “We are now marching as a Guard.” This recent shift has helped bring a sense of normalcy back to the group, showing that the Fighting Irish spirit is still there. “Nothing’s planned. Nothing’s structured,” Vidourek said. “We’re just going off in t-shirts, and we’re calling it the same thing. It feels the same.” Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu
Baraka Bouts hosts first-ever run-a-thon By MEGHAN CAPPITELLI News Writer
The week of Oct. 5 was a fun-filled and meaningful one for Baraka Bouts, the Notre Dame women’s boxing club, as the team held its first ever run-a-thon fundraiser. The five-day event raised money to support the Holy Cross Missions in East Africa. For the first time in the club’s 18 years of fundraising, Baraka Bouts will be unable to host its usual boxing tournament due to the no-contact rules prohibiting sparring. However, this has not stopped them from staying active, coming together as a team and carrying out their mission. The club has raised over $46,500, leaving them in sight of their $50,000 semester-long goal. The run-a-thon raised $13,490 of the current total, which served to jumpstart this year’s fundraising efforts. Over the course of five days, members of the team ran a total of 1,413 miles, bringing in donations from generous sponsors, family members and friends. The 2020 proceeds will go towards the construction
of a new science laboratory at Holy Cross’ St. Joseph’s Hill Secondary School in Kyembogo, Uganda. In addition, funds will be directed towards COV ID-19 relief that facilitates the safe return of the school’s students to campus. As a result of COV ID-19, the Ugandan economy took a particularly hard hit, which directly affected many of the students and families of St. Joseph’s Hill. Consequently, it is more important now than ever for the club to raise money for the students in Uganda, junior boxer Nora Tucker explained. “Given that our lives back here at school are fairly normal, we feel that it is especially important this year to make sure we can do everything we can to fundraise,” Tucker said. “Obviously, our biggest fundraiser, which is a three-round tournament, is not taking place in its normal form this year, so that was when the captains and coaches came up with the idea of the run-a-thon as a way to do a more unconventional way of fundraising for the club.” Spearheaded by senior captains Erin Doyle and Bailey
Baumbick, the run-a-thon also served as a way to keep the team spirit alive. Doyle said while the team cannot currently engage in direct physical contact, the competitive aspect of the club is still prevalent. “I’m a competitive person and I think all of us are, so getting to push yourself everyday with boxing or with running is fun and gets you out of bed every morning,” Doyle said. “The run-a-thon really encapsulated that, but more importantly it’s just really fun to be a part of a club that everyone is so excited to show up for everyday and push themselves.” Baraka Bouts plans to hold another event in two weeks in lieu of their typical tournament, the “Baraka-thon,” which will consist of a series of different workout challenges such as plank-offs and push-up contests. The club is also making use of new, emerging technolog y to enhance the solo boxing experience, explained senior captain and club president Meghan Guilfoile. “We will actually be using a virtual reality system so that girls can box without having to have contact,” Guilfoile
said. “Each girl will have a headset on, [for] the virtual reality, and can box each other through the headset.” This technolog y has allowed the team to mimic the competitive environment they are used to sparring in, which is a part of Baraka Bouts many have missed this season. “We’re pretty lucky that we have been able to basically do the impossible in a season like this,” Guilfoile said, in terms of practicing with virtual reality and in terms of fundraising. “To be helping others during this time makes everyone feel better, which is definitely my favorite part about the club.” For Baumbick, merely getting outside and being around other people, albeit socially distanced, is what makes Baraka Bouts a special experience. “It’s just been phenomenal to see the amount of participation despite COV ID and despite the fact that we are under all these restrictions,” she said. “My favorite part of the club is the ability to be altogether, to test yourself and to push the limits of your human body.” In addition to the events
the club plans to hold, Baraka Bouts boxing coach Mike Gelchion has started a new podcast series called “In the Corner.” Gelchion hosts former and current boxers who ref lect on their experiences and favorite memories with the club. The podcast aims to bring past and present members of the Baraka Bouts community closer together during the pandemic. The podcast’s sixth and most recent episode included an interview with Guilfoile and discussed in depth the club’s commitment to fundraising for the Holy Cross Missions in Uganda. Guilfoile described her experience of actually getting to travel to Uganda and meet the students the club raises money for every year. “My whole perspective changed. It really helped me remember why we actually have the tournament and who we are really fighting for,” she in the podcast interview. “I’m so blessed to be able to have seen exactly what that money is going towards with those students.” Contact Meghan Cappitelli at mcappite@nd.edu
News
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2020 | The Observer
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Student government seeks to address burnout By Adriana Perez News Writer
In light of news that the spring 2021 ca lenda r for Not re Da me w i l l not i nclude a m id-semester brea k, a nd a s t he st udent body enters t he elevent h consec ut ive week of cla sses, st udent s have ex pressed concer ns about a not her u n i nter r upted semester. Ack now ledg i ng c u r rent feel i ngs of bu r nout, st udent gover n ment reached out to t he st udent body a sk i ng for feedback “on how to ma ke t he spr i ng semester less st renuous w it hout a brea k,” accord i ng to a n Oct. 13 ema i l. Help, st ress, rest a nd sleep were some of t he most f requent ly used words i n st udent s’ feedback. A n at tached sug gest ion for m a l lowed st udents to sha re t hei r feel i ngs a nd offer idea s on i ncor porat i ng brea k s or ot her i n novat ive oppor t u n it ies for rest i n nex t semester’s ca lenda r. In t he f i rst 24 hou rs, t he for m received over 800 responses, wh ich have si nce a mou nted to a l most 1,000. “T he message t hey rea l ly sent to us wa s t hat t here is a sig n i f ica nt need for some sor t of brea k, some sor t of rel ief to t hat pressu re t hat st udent s a re feel i ng — t hey ’re u nder major academ ic st ress,” sen ior Rachel Inga l, st udent body president, sa id. She sa id t he responses have g iven st udent gover n ment qua nt itat ive ev idence of w hat t hey had been hea r i ng f rom t he st udent body, a nd t h is is i n for mat ion t hey ca n sha re w it h t he ad m i n ist rat ion. Ma ny st udent s, she added, were v u l nerable a nd honest i n t hei r a ns wers, somet h i ng t he st udent gover n ment wa s g ratef u l to see. “[ T he for m] rea l ly a llowed us to hea r d i rect ly f rom t he st udent s, so t hat we ca n bet ter a mpl i f y t hei r voices w hen we go i nto meet i ngs a nd sha re ex act ly t he la ng uage t hat t hey ’re sha r i ng w it h us,” Inga l sa id. Some of t hese meet i ngs have a l ready occ u r red. Two week s ago, st udent gover nment ta l ked about menta l
Visas Continued from page 1
st udent s Not re Da me enrol led la st yea r, Jen k i ns sa id on ly one st udent fa i led to ret u r n to ca mpus a s expected i n t he spr i ng semester a nd d id not have a record of depa r t u re i n t he
Courtesy of Rachel Ingal
Student government made a data visualization graphic in order to identify patterns in student feedback. Help, stress, rest and sleep were some of the most common words students utilized to express themselves.
hea lt h w it h t he Boa rd of Tr ustees, w hose members were i nterested i n rect i f yi ng t hese issues, Inga l sa id. T he St udent Adv isor y Group for Ca mpus Reopen i ng met la st week w it h v ice president a nd dea n of t he g raduate school Dr. L au ra Ca rlson, v ice president a nd a ssociate provost for u nderg raduate a f fa i rs Fr. Hug h Page a nd provost Ma r ie Ly n n Mi ra nda. T hey d iscussed t he w i nter session a nd spr i ng semester ca lenda rs, a s wel l a s t he possibi l it y of i nclud i ng a brea k i n t he lat ter. T he Ca mpus L i fe Cou nci l (CLC ), wh ich Inga l cha i rs, a lso broug ht toget her heads of t he St udent Un ion, rectors a nd representat ives f rom t he Div ision of St udent A f fa i rs la st week to ta l k about menta l hea lt h on ca mpus. Ch ief of sta f f a nd sen ior Aa ron Benav ides sa id “doi ng t h is is top of t he l ist r ig ht now [for st udent gover n ment], because it’s somet h i ng t hat is a f fect i ng a l l of us.” (Ed itor’s Note : Benav ides is a for mer news w r iter for
T he Obser ver.) Ack nowledg i ng t he u n iqueness of t h is semester a nd t he tol l of academ ic dema nds, t he McDona ld Center for St udent Wel lBei ng (McWel l) hosted Restorat ion Week Oct. 12-17 to of fer st udents oppor t u n it ies to rela x i n t he absence of a fa l l brea k . In conju nct ion w it h ot her ca mpus g roups, McWel l prepa red event s such a s yoga, prayer, specia l mea ls a nd more. However, st udent s ment ioned being unable to attend Restorat ion Week act iv it ies due to steady academic pressures a nd busy schedu les. A lt hough Restorat ion Week was a necessa r y ef for t, junior K iera n Emmons sa id, he was on ly able to reser ve a McWell restorat ive space once because t wo papers kept him busy most of t he t ime. “[Restorat ion Week] act iv it ies ra n up aga inst, u lt imately, our well-being,” Emmons sa id. Junior Ashton Bieri ex perienced a simila r situat ion. “I had a paper last week, a nd t hen a paper a nd a midterm t his week. So, going to
t he Restorat ion Week events wasn’t my top priorit y,” Bieri sa id. Va rious opt iona l opportunit ies for rela xat ion have a lso seemingly been unable to assuage student a n x iet ies of ex periencing simila r feelings of burnout nex t semester. “If t he spr ing semester cont inues in t he sa me way, I don’t pred ict t hat I’l l feel a ny better about it … A lot of it feels l i ke r u n n ing aga inst a br ick wa l l,” f irst-yea r Ada ma r i Rod r ig uez sa id. First-yea r Lu zolo Mat u ndu a lso sa id she is concer ned about not hav ing days of f in t he spr ing semester, wh ich she ex pects m ig ht be ha rder in ter ms of work load as her second semesters in h ig h school often were. “It’s going to be colder in t he beg in n ing — t hat def in itely mea ns less t ime outside a nd probably less t ime w it h ot her people,” Mat u ndu added. “So t hose a re a l l factors t hat m ig ht not lead to somet h ing g reat nex t semester.” Despite cu r rent genera l feel ings of menta l fat ig ue, st udents had va r ious
gover n ment’s repor t i ng system. “E x a m i n i ng ou r t rack records is a fa i rer a nd su rer way for you r depa r tment to protect t he nat iona l secu r it y i nterest s of t he Un ited States,” Jen k i ns sa id. “Not re Da me f u l ly recog n i zes you r obl igat ions i n t h is rega rd a nd sta nds
ready to a ssist you i n havi ng i nter nat iona l st udent s ad here to t hei r obl igat ions u nder ex ist i ng v isa requ i rements.” Instead of l i m it i ng i nter nat iona l st udent s’ stays i n t he U.S., Jen k i ns sug gested t he DHS f i nd ot her ways to resolve t he i ncrea se of
st udents abroad requesti ng educat ion at U.S. u n iversit ies. “I recog n i ze t hat you r depa r t ment is responsible for screen i ng t hese i ncrea si ng nu mbers of foreig n st udents,” Jen k i ns sa id. “However, DHS f u ndi ng shou ld be i ncrea sed to meet t he dema nd rat her
ideas on how to ma ke up for a lost spr i ng brea k, some of wh ich t hey sha red i n t he st udent gover n ment’s feedback for m. In her for m response, Rod r ig uez sa id, she d iscussed a lter nat ives to a week-long brea k, such a s g iv i ng st udents t h reeday weekends or ensu r i ng less homework is a ssig ned cer ta i n week s. Em mons echoed a need to coord i nate restorat ive act iv it ies l i ke Restorat ion Week w it h professors i n adva nce, so fac u lt y ca n adjust s yl labi accord i ngly to g ive st udent s “some concent rated breat h i ng room.” W h i le Benav ides sa id he t h i n k s “dead day s” — for wh ich no cou rsework is a ssig ned — m ig ht be t he ea siest solut ion, he sa id sporad ic day s of f each mont h wou ld reduce t he cha nces of people t ravel i ng a nd possibly br i ng i ng t he v i r us back to ca mpus. Bier i sug gested i ncor porat i ng a k i nd of “snow day s” approach, wh ich wou ld bu i ld upon t he concept of “dead day s.” St udent s wou ld wa ke up on cer ta i n ra ndom day s to f i nd out cla sses had been ca nceled. “T hen, people wou ld n’t rea l ly have time to make plans and go and travel or anything, but we’d be able to just take that time and restore,” he said. “Some sort of sporadic break schedule is something we’re going to advocate for,” Ingal said, recognizing the need to curb travel plans. Student government plans on sharing students’ concerns and ideas with committees such as the Student Advisory Group for Campus Reopening, the Academic Council and the Faculty Senate. “I think now we’re well equipped to do that, and I think the provost does want to be a partner in having this conversation,” Ingal said. “I believe that there’s a lot of goodwill there. So, hopefully, that will be able to bear f r u it by nex t semester. Contact Emily DeFazio at aperez8@nd.edu
t ha n rest r ict wholesa le ad m ission of desi rable foreig n st udents to ou r i nst it ut ions of h ig her lea r n i ng.” T he Un iversit y is expected to subm it a for ma l statement i n opposit ion to t he ex pected cha nges i n t he com i ng days, accord i ng to a Tuesday press relea se.
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The observer | Wednesday, October 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
I’m a good person, right?
Inside Column
What does style mean in quarantine?
Andrew Sveda Church and State
Jaye Sevcik Social Team Member
A trip to the playground led to quite the debacle between my mom and me when I was around five years old. No, it was not because I refused to put on sunscreen, but rather what I refused to take off: my Ariel the mermaid costume. My beautiful shimmering sea foam skirt and purple top seemed like the perfect look for an excursion; my mom saw it as a perfect way to scrape my knees while running around in a tight tail. Nevertheless, I persisted and I wore that dress everywhere. I felt perfectly comfortable and confident expressing myself as the Disney princess I believed I was. Pants would simply not do the trick. I’ve always been one to enjoy dressing up. I find it to be a fun creative outlet and a way to express myself. However, with quarantine leaving me cooped up in my house for four months before coming back to Notre Dame, I, like most people, didn’t put on a pair of pants with an actual waistline for that entire four months. I’d say my overall vibe was Katy Perry’s “Firework” because yes, I did feel (and look) like a plastic bag. With nowhere to go and no one to see, style lost its meaning for me. Think about it: How many times have you saved an outfit because you didn’t think you would see enough people that day? While style is a very personal thing, it relies on other people perceiving it. If no one sees your outfit, did you even wear it? One day during the lockdown, I did a deep clean of my closet and decided to see if any of my friends would be interested in the clothes I wasn’t planning on keeping. As I packaged up all the clothes I had to drop off, I held each piece of clothing and felt a wash of nostalgia come over me. Memories of my first college visit, to my first day of college, to my first college party came flooding back. While some may think of clothes as just pieces of fabric, I see them as so much more. They represent our experiences, our likes and dislikes, our personalities. This nostalgia brings a sense of comfort. That’s what I think style is: being comfortable in oneself. The clothes themselves don’t necessarily have to be comfortable, so long as the person wearing them feels comfortable. Style represents who we are, and we’re our most authentic selves when we feel the most comfortable and confident. Being back on campus and having places to go has helped me tap back into my personal style after feeling like I’d lost touch during quarantine. Interestingly enough, dressing to see other people leads me to dress more for myself because I get to use it as a form of creative expression. This is where I find comfort, in feeling confident with what I am wearing. Wherever you find comfort, I say do it in your own style. You can contact Jaye at jsevcik@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The Sermon on the Mount is undoubtedly one of the most famous speeches of all time. Many of Jesus’ most popular teachings, like “[l]ove your enemies” and “turn the other cheek,” find their origins here. But the very first sentence of this great address is uniquely striking to me. “Blessed are the ____, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Without cheating, what do you think it says? Blessed are the righteous? The compassionate? The obedient? The humble? The faithful? None of the above. Instead, He says something utterly profound: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). The poor in spirit, the spiritually destitute, not the spiritually self-sufficient, not the one who’s got it all together, will be received into the kingdom of heaven. It is this dependence on God’s grace, not on our own ability and good works, that is absolutely central and paramount for the Christian (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9). This strips away all pretext “for,” in the words of one commentator, any “intellectual or spiritual pride” that might arise from even the last beatitude, which blesses “those who are persecuted because of righteousness” (Matthew 5:10). Jesus’ statement in the Gospel of John, “… apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), is particularly relevant here. Our modern worldview chafes at such ideas. In a society so fixated on self-love and phrases like “you’re worth it” and “you do you,” we can’t possibly imagine someone having the nerve to tell us that there’s something deeply wrong with us, that we are sinners in need of God’s grace. Are you saying I’m not a good person? Yes actually.You are not a good person. And neither am I. To those who think they are basically good, author Rebecca McLaughlin provides a useful preliminary question: “Think of everyone you spend time with and ask [to yourself], would I let them see a transcript of my thoughts?” If the searchlight were to shine with its blinding light on all you’ve done, all that you’ve said behind others’ backs, all that you’ve done alone and in secret and all that you’ve thought and expose it in front of everyone you have ever known, what do you think would happen? We all know in our hearts that while there may some good, warm moments there, they would be no contest for our moral failings. Even the vast majority of things you did for what you thought were selfless reasons were really done to make you look or feel good, generous or moral. They were done for the pleasure of thinking yourself to be a good, decent and intelligent person, or because you knew the other person would (or would be more likely to) reciprocate the favor when you needed help, or because you feared punishment or being looked down upon by others, or because you found the other person’s physical
appearance attractive. The depth of our selfabsorption is so entrenched in our character that we begin to, interestingly, be repulsed by ourselves. And if we — who are bad — can be so repulsed at it, how much more does God — who is all good — despise these sins that are so deep within us? How can we hope to stand on the last day before a perfect and holy judge with such a record? But if humans are naturally bad, how do we fix it? What can I do? Every other religion apart from Christianity tells us we need to “find ourselves” or follow a list of rules that will, if we’re good enough, helps us earn our salvation. But if we are not basically good, then knowing what is good or being told what we should do will simply not do. This is why motivational speeches and self-help books and techniques can never make lasting change. As Dane Ortlund put it, “[a] pep talk can get me in the air for a little while. But a pep talk can only change what I do. It cannot change what I love.” What we need, then, is a transformation from the outside. Other people cannot transform me, for if they are anything like me, they need this transformation too. And if they have been transformed by an outside power, I must find what, or who, has changed them. Do you begin to see why Christian belief in the Holy Spirit makes sense? Do you also see why we are totally and completely in need of God’s love and grace? If it was up to us to save ourselves, we would all be lost. Coming to terms with this helps us understand exactly why we need to be saved. It fills us with the most amazing wonder and joy to know that “Christ came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15), the “ungodly” (Romans 5:6), the “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). It is a love that seems too pure for us to even understand fully. Probably because it is. And accepting His love for us and trusting His promises is like nothing else. To do so is to admit that you can’t save yourself, that you can’t trust yourself with the destiny of your own soul and that Christ is the only one who can make you right with God and transform your heart. Don’t stall by saying you’re not good enough to come to God. You’re right; you’re not. But Christ doesn’t ask that of you. “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6), not the godly. If you were godly, you wouldn’t need a savior. Yet with each day, we know we need saving all the more, and Christ’s words call out to us: “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). “Blessed are the poor in spirit” indeed, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Andrew Sveda is a sophomore at Notre Dame from Pittsburgh majoring in political science. In his free time, he enjoys writing (obviously), reading and playing the piano. He can be reached at asveda@nd.edu or @SvedaAndrew on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | Wednesday, October 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Dear creepy men: Stop contacting me Ashton Weber Living Relig-ish
“You look great on CNN.” “I am a lawyer and winery owner… just so you have some idea of the person who writes you out of the blue… not sure if it gives my name on the message I sent. [Insert Name].” Two Fridays ago, I was interviewed on CNN. A few minutes before the hit time, I hid my phone to avoid distraction, and as soon as I signed off of the streaming platform, I retrieved my phone from its hiding place, baff led to see it blowing up. I quickly clicked on one of the incoming notifications and started to understand what was happening. I had been found. I guess there aren’t many Ashton Webers in the world, and I’m a pretty vocal one on the internet. After seeing me speak on TV for less than 90 seconds, over 100 people tried to add me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Some of them appeared to be kind and congratulatory, but most of them were older men who accompanied their follow requests with messages that sexualized me and established their relative positions of power (see some of the messages above). To say I was freaked out is an understatement. Although I’ve received creepy messages on the internet before, it’s never happened to this magnitude, and it’s never been from people who had previously seen me… most of the strangers who try to follow me on social media are sugar daddy bots. So, even though this wasn’t an unfamiliar occurrence, it was an incredibly uncomfortable one, made distinct by the fact that these people not only saw and decided to find me, but that they then concluded it would be appropriate to contact me and comment on my appearance. This isn’t to say that no one should ever contact me on social media again. I’ve loved previous responses to columns, and it’s been touching to see that my words resonate with people. I’m rarely able to respond to emails that people send me, but I still appreciate them deeply, especially those
that thoughtfully respond to the things I’m saying. There’s nothing cooler than knowing that people are engaging with the things you’ve worked hard to tell them. Perhaps that’s why this whole occurrence bothered me so much. It’s not just that random men tried to follow me and wanted me to know they think I’m attractive. It’s also that my argument wasn’t given respect and was instead reduced to a ref lection of my image. In my introduction to gender studies course this semester, we’ve been discussing a concept called the mythical norm. Originally coined by Audre Lorde, it essentially means that there’s a perceived “normal” in each society and those who fit it wield the most privilege over those who don’t. In the United States, the mythical norm is widely recognized as white, cisgender, heterosexual, male, Christian and financially stable. Those who don’t fit this norm are marked as other, and their value is determined by how useful they are to those who are mythically normal. Cool, Ashton, but how does this have anything to do with your being perceived by random men? Upon first glance, I appear to be mythically normal except for my femaleness. In, say, a three-minute CNN clip, there’s not much you can understand about a person beyond things you might ascertain from a first glance. This means that, right off the bat, I was marked by femaleness. A majority of the responses I received came from men who appeared to match the mythical norm and referenced superficial things like my physical appearance or composure. As I mentioned earlier, they also sent me information that established a weird power dynamic. Thank you for thinking I sound smart, but why do I need to know what you do for a living? Why do I need to know where you live and work? Honestly, why would I even need to know that you think I looked composed and sounded eloquent? If your ref lections have little to do with what I’m saying and more to do with how I said it, why do you feel the need to relay them to me? I shared my creeped-out-edness with a few friends who have also made public comments, and
they remarked that they had also received random messages and follow requests. I started to wonder how often this same phenomenon happens. The news cycle runs 24/7/365 and people are interviewed all the time, so how many other women have received a “you looked amazing on CNN” message and hundreds of friend requests? Beyond just the news, how does this same occurrence play out in other scenarios? How many times a day do women (or people who defy the mythical norm in other ways) give statements on things they care about, only to be told they sound surprisingly intelligent or that they look hot? How much worse do the messages and objectification get when someone is mythically “abnormal” in multiple ways? I think the biggest thing I want to say in this column is that it’s important to think more intentionally about the ways we’re interacting with others. There have been multiple times when I’ve reduced people to superficial characteristics instead of listening to what they’re saying in the fullest. On several occasions, I’ve considered myself first when responding to others, instead of giving full attention to what they’re saying. I would invite everyone to join me in thinking about the positions of privilege we find ourselves in and actively considering how they shape our interactions with other people. I also want to say: Please stop responding superficially to people, especially people who are working and thinking long and hard about how to say important things. We don’t care if you think we sound intelligent or if you own a winery. We only care that you’re actually hearing what we have to say. Ashton Weber is a junior with lots of opinions. She is an econ major with minors in sociology and gender studies, and can often be found with her nose in a book. If you want to chat about intersectional feminism, baking blueberry scones, growing ZZ plants or anything else, she’d love to hear from you. Reach Ashton at aweber22@nd.edu or @awebz01 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Voting in the 2020 presidential election I’d like to start by saying that this is not meant to be a partisan letter. I also want to note that when I write about disagreement, I am speaking about political disagreement, and political disagreement only. There are issues of human rights that don’t invite debate (e.g. the rights of people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community and other historically marginalized communities, to name just a couple of examples), and those issues are not what I am talking about. So here goes. 1. If you are at least 18 years old and a citizen of the United States, you are eligible to vote in the 2020 election. This may seem obvious, but it doesn’t just apply to you. It applies to your friends and political enemies as well. If someone is voting for the candidate you oppose, they have the right to do so. I didn’t say it was going to be easy to vote in the 2020 election. 2. The Republican and Democratic political parties have complex, conf licting histories. The way they look today says little about the ideals they were founded on. Choosing a political party has almost nothing to do with Trump or Biden, and I would argue that every voter should look up the histories of BOTH parties before allowing one to determine how they might vote. 3. Speaking of parties, no one said you have to choose one! Culturally, it feels like we must choose a side and label the other side as just that — “other”. In any election — and I would say
especially in this one — voters should choose a candidate, not a party. I’m going to exercise some caution here and note that political parties aren’t bad, but when we allow them to completely determine our actions, we give them a power over our own ability to exercise judgement as independent voters. 4. As students of the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross tri-campus community, we have a number of opportunities in this election that other communities do not have. First of all, we are here (not HERE — this isn’t meant to be a joke). We’ve been able to be on campus, which means that we get to be a part of a real, in-person learning community. We can benefit from productive conversation with each other, and as students living away from home right now, we have the space to think critically about our own values and how to uphold them with our vote. Second, we are students of high-level institutions that are dedicated to increasing our factual knowledge. Our libraries (not just places to grind out work, surprisingly) give us unique access to factual, reliable information that is crucial to us as voters. The internet just isn’t always correct, and our libraries aren’t ancient — you can find books written as late as 2020 in them. You can also use library search databases to find information from your own laptop, in any location, so “library” does not necessarily mean “book” or “club Hes.” And lastly, we all enjoy the privilege
of education (I’m not saying we’re all privileged to the same degree, but we are all students which is a privilege in itself ), which brings me to a point of opinion. I believe that as students, we have a duty to use our education as a force for good in the world. The “good” can look like a lot of different things, which is the beauty of our different interests. But I think that there is a “good” we can strive for right now, before graduating, that can have a real impact in our country. We can talk to each other, use factual information, and learn from our classes, which will help us all to make informed votes. An informed vote is something that can greatly help the U.S. right now. So, in light of these few points, let’s strive not just to vote, but to know who and what we are voting for. Let’s remember that our vote has an impact — it’s a civic duty, and one that holds a significant weight in our democracy. And let’s choose to not allow political polarization to paint an inherently negative picture of those who we disagree with. We are all capable of learning and changing, and at the end of the day, we all deserve to be loved. With that in mind, let’s do this. Election 2020, here come the Irish, Belles and Saints. Elise Fahrenbach junior Oct. 16
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The observer | Wednesday, october 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Thoughts on political acceptance Rachel Stockford BridgeND
As a BridgeND member, I thrive on having civil political discourse, and I have learned the importance of understanding different perspectives on political issues, especially in the heavily polarized time that we are in today. Something I have noticed recently, though, is many people on the left claiming that if someone supports Donald Trump, they can no longer be friends or associate with them. I’ve seen what feels like hundreds of tweets saying “If you support ‘x,’ unfollow me” or “if you like ‘y,’ we can’t be friends.” I think this raises an important question: Is there a line to be drawn where civil discourse can no longer be acceptable? Is there a point that supporting a candidate or an issue causes so much unrest that having well-mannered conversation can no longer be expected? I don’t think that all situations are the same in regard to this question. If you are a left-leaning person with friends who support Trump, this may be the perfect time to intervene with some good, old fashioned civil discourse. Your first action should not be to stereotype that person by ref lecting Trump’s ideals onto them. So, if someone who only supports Trump say, for the economy, and is also politically disengaged, they may not know the
racist, xenophobic and misogynistic claims he has made throughout his presidency. Having a civil conversation with someone who claims to support Trump because of fiscal issues, by all means, should be expected and encouraged. That being said, I understand why and how some people are so harmed by Trump’s rhetoric and do not want to associate with anyone who further perpetuates his bigotry. However, I still believe in the power of conversation and explaining how Trump is wrong. Obviously, it is up to each individual person as to how they want to go on with this relationship after this, but I think a civil conversation at least allows you to make an informed decision about a person’s viewpoint rather than homogenizing assumptions I do not think that it is acceptable to automatically judge someone based on whether they support Donald Trump. Invoking civil dialogue can help you understand why someone supports the candidate they do, and not until this point can you put a fair judgement on someone’s character. In fact, a political candidate does not reveal the full extent to someone’s character at all. If we believe that we are at the point that political dialogue can no longer happen because of the assumptions we make about people who support a certain candidate, then I fear for the future of politics in this country. This is the ultimate test of American liberalism, and we must prevail.
I’m not saying that everyone has to agree or that you have to keep someone in your life who blatantly disrespects you or your views. It’s just worth having that conversation before you end a relationship over politics.
KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer
Rachel Stockford is the director of operations for BridgeND, a non-partisan political education and discussion group that seeks to bridge the political divide and raise the standard for political discourse at Notre Dame. BridgeND meets at 5:15pm in the Notre Dame room in LaFortune. You can contact the club at bridgend@nd.edu or learn more at bit.ly/bridgendsignup. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
What if we had a week off from classes? Haha, jk … unless? Ella Wisniewski Consider This
Man, Restoration Week was fantastic! I’ve never felt so rested in my life. I got to spend away the rest of my remaining flex points (I choose to blame it on the unfair oat milk upcharge at Starbucks) while devoting extra time to coming up with words that start with K (so that I can make convoluted and unnecessary acronyms). With all the restorativity I’ve gotten this week, I’ve been able to fire up the ol’ thinking machine to churn out some fresh new thoughts. And let me tell you, I’ve got one that’ll knock your socks off — an innovative way to give students more rest, relaxation and restorification than ever before. We should give students a whole week off from classes.
KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer
Now I know this sounds a bit preposterous, but hear me out. As much as a week full of restorization helped, a ton of students still had tests, papers and presentations to do! Real restorationness comes from taking a break from schoolwork, not making self-care into another chore to tack on to the to-do list. That’s why I’m proposing my brand-new idea of canceling classes for five whole days. Of course, this week of restoraciousness would be incomplete if we didn’t identify its mission statement. First, we’d have to make sure that there’s no academic activity of any kind going on, so that students don’t have to worry about schoolwork so much. We should all be free from any sort of scholarly requirements, including lectures, tutorials, labs and discussion sessions. Yeah, I like the sound of that — freedom from all lectures and learning. Now obviously, we also need to highlight restorativism. We must bring attention to everything that this week will entail — not just restorality, but peace, serenity and enjoyment. Maybe students could get eight hours of sleep for a change, or consume more than just coffee and Flavor-Blasted Goldfish. They should get to have a nice, calming few days. Okay, I think we should add that this week will bring restoration and ease to everyone. And we shouldn’t ignore that students have been working diligently up until now. Everyone has been doing their very best to hit those books and ace those tests. We would be discrediting all of their hard work if we didn’t appreciate their academic efforts. It’s definitely important that we recognize that students have been acquiring knowledge up
until the point of this week. Wow, you guys. I think I’m really on to something! Now, all this week needs is a title. Something that really captures what it’s all about. Something that mentions how all classes will be cancelled in order to reward students for their hard work and dedication with some good old-fashioned restorationality. I think we should name this break “Freedom from All Lectures and Learning to Bring Restoration and Ease after Acquiring Knowledge.” And since that’s a bit of a mouthful, we could call it F.A.L.L.B.R.E.A.K. for short. Imagine how much the students would love it! “I can’t wait for F.A.L.L.B.R.E.A.K.” “I’m feeling pretty burned out, I’m so glad that F.A.L.L.B.R.E.A.K. is coming up.” “Even though we can’t go home this year for F.A.L.L.B.R.E.A.K., I sure am glad that we’re able to take a few days off from classes and schoolwork!” Honestly, I’m pretty proud of myself. I didn’t know I had it in me to come up with such a novel idea. Hopefully we can get something like it next year. Or maybe next semester we can even have a “Short Period of Rest In order to Nurture Growth and Boost Relaxation for Everyone as an Act of Kindness.” S.P.R.I.N.G.B.R.E.A.K. for short. But heck, a girl can only dream! Ella Wisniewski is a junior studying English and economics. She tries her best not to take herself too seriously. You can reach her at ewisnie2@nd.edu or @ellawisn on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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ELLIS RIOJAS | The Observer
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The observer | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
By ELIZABETH GREGORY Scene Writer
“The Haunting of Bly Manor” succeeds in sy mbolism, myster y and emotional execution. However, it struggles w ith pacing, nuance and frights. The show is a sequel to “The Haunting of Hill House,” which captivated and spooked audiences w ith its unabashed jump scares, eerily well-developed Bent Neck lady ghost and authentic depiction of family dysfunction. Creator Mike Flanagan’s ambitious ensemble project brilliantly mastered the v irtues of a terrif y ing, suspensefilled atmosphere. It faced critiques, though, for its ending. “The Haunting of Bly Manor” seems to have processed this complaint and moved for ward to new challenges. Flanagan has refined his long form stor y telling skills but loses some of “Hill House’s” punch despite the clear exercise of his creative muscles. The lack of spooks is perhaps the most immediate difference between “The Haunting of Bly Manor” and its predecessor. The first season promised at least one big scare in ever y episode. In “Bly Manor,” though, the biggest ghostly jump scares are over by the fourth episode. From then on, there is little else that would require the use
By RYAN ISRAEL Scene Editor
When O.J. Simpson took off down the Los Angeles interstate in a white 1993 Ford Bronco driven by Al Cowlings, trailed by the city’s police force and watched by people across the country, he became the unofficial spokesperson for the SUV. The vehicle had been around almost 30 years when O.J. went on the lam in 1994, but the pictures, coverage and notoriety of the car chase made the vehicle forever synonymous with The Juice and his infamous trial. When the car was discontinued in 1996, it left no chance for any rewriting of its history — until now. The new Hulu short film “John Bronco” introduces the vehicle’s namesake and original pitchman, cowboy turned Hollywood-star turned long-forgotten hero John Bronco. His story, described as “one of the greatest underdog stories of all time,” is told for the first time in the documentary. Of course, it’s not actually a documentary. John Bronco never existed. The film is a mockumentary, a fictitious tale written by Marc Gilbar and directed by Jake Szymanski, who utilize the recent announcement of the Bronco’s reintroduction as a chance to explore the vehicle’s cultural significance with the help of a created character. The result is a film that combines the historical car stories of “Ford v. Ferrari” with the humor and comedy of the
of wheresthejump.com. Aside from that potential shortcoming, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” leans into atmosphere, sy mbolism and the “slow-burning” feel of a thriller. The ’80s-st yle clothing, fogg y countr yside, creepy little kids and assortment of odd dolls give the season an essence that is spook y but play ful. This different t y pe of horror works better in some episodes than others. Episode five especially succeeds in delivering the stor y of Hannah, the dazed but strong housekeeper. Slowly, the grav it y of Hannah’s fear and devotion traps her. We discover that she’s been dead all along, clinging to an illusion through her repetition and stubborn w ill. Momentum is definitely a challenge for “The Haunting of Bly Manor.” For example, the penultimate episode introduces the manor’s backstor y in a predictable and thematically repetitive tale of t wo sisters. This choice disrupts the energ y right before the big finale. Furthermore, pacing struggles because of narration that seems to pop up in odd places. The format of a stor y w ithin a stor y, told by Jamie the Gardener at a wedding years later, works thematically. However, it drags the plot in odd places and adds little. Still, the show manages to pull at v iewers’ heartstrings. For one, the cheesy romance
between Jamie and Dani the au pair is a win for sapphic women — the last episode paints their relationship quickly, but sweetly. However, the finale is most effective in depicting Dani’s demise. Dani knows she is going to die. The Bly Manor ghost resides w ithin her, waiting to take them both back to the haunted lake. Eerie moments of Dani staring into the overf low ing bathtub at the ghost’s face or suddenly dropping the dishes work well. Whether you interpret her tale as a symbol for debilitating mental illness or as something else entirely, the show seems to champion the embrace of an uncertain present. Certainly, amidst the loss and fear of this semester, this is a meaningful message.
mockumentary genre, most recently perfected in IFC’s “Documentary Now!” Walton Goggins, a versatile actor often placed in minor roles, stars as the one and only John Bronco, and he does his best to fill the role of a mythical figure. With a Texas twang and a propensity for profanity, Bronco, who is a a bit “rough around the edges,” is also an unlikely hero who speaks to the American ideals of hard work and traditionalism. His boots are always dirty and his personality is always unfiltered, displayed prominently in every advertisement for the Bronco. Bronco’s story is told both by the people who knew him well — like Tim Meadows as John’s hilarious manager and actress Bo Derek as John’s former girlfriend — and by the people who knew of him, like fellow spokesperson and NBA star Kareem Abdul Jabar and Tim Baltz as an obsessed Ford historian. They recount his rise to fame, fall from grace and mysterious disappearance while Dennis Quaid narrates the search for Bronco. The film is at its best — and funniest — when Bronco’s on the screen. The character is ridiculous yet recognizable. Bronco combines two well-known figures — the western cowboy and the TV advert pitchman — to produce a comedic result. When specific, preposterous stories and details such as Bronco’s one true weakness are thrown in, the film shines. It falls short, however, when the 2021 Ford Bronco becomes the focus, making the film feel like
a whacky, alternative advertising strategy, as well as when some of the uncharismatic interview subjects are given their time. The exact message of “John Bronco” isn’t quite clear, either. It’s somewhat of a critique of celebrity and advertising. There’s some commentary on ‘60s and ‘70s culture. The story is redemptive, but that doesn’t seem to be the important part. So when the film ends, there’s justification in wanting just a bit more from it. “John Bronco’s” greatest asset may be its runtime; at 47 minutes, the film is an incredibly easy watch, a small dose of mockumentary comedy that doesn’t try to be more than it has to be, even if it’s not quite sure what it is supposed to be.
Contact Elizabeth Gregory at egregor4@nd.edu
“The Haunting of Bly Manor” Starring: Carla Gugino, Katie Siegel, Victoria Pedretti, T’Nia Miller Favorite Episodes: “The Altar of the Dead,” “The Beast in the Jungle” If you like: “The Haunting of Hill House,” “Ratched,” “American Horror Story” Where to watch: Netflix
Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu
“John Bronco” Director: Jake Szymanski Starring: Walton Goggins, Tim Meadows, Tim Baltz Genre: Mockumentary Where to watch: Hulu
MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer
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Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Keep an open mind, look at every angle, question what you don’t understand and make decisions that will position you for a better future. Change takes courage, time and effort, and being responsible for your actions will make a difference. Be the master of your destiny instead of procrastinating or letting someone else take over. Keep life simple, moderate and manageable. Your numbers are 8, 12, 21, 27, 33, 35, 42. ARIES (March 21-April 19): You’ll face opposition if you question what someone is doing. Concentrate on what will help you get ahead. Discuss what you want to happen with someone who can help you reach your objective. Don’t let a sensitive issue hold you back. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t be fooled by hidden costs. Map out your plans, and address issues that are questionable. With opportunity comes responsibility. Make sure you are up to taking on a new or unexpected challenge. Do thorough research before you begin, and proceed with intelligence. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Proceed with caution. If you want to avoid an emotional roller coaster, listen carefully, verify the information before passing it along and don’t make a move based on innuendoes. Avoid conflict, lies and joint ventures. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Take the road less traveled. It’s OK to be different; in fact, it will help you avoid getting into a dispute with someone focused on something that doesn’t interest you. Agree to let everyone do their own things. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Put some muscle behind whatever you decide to pursue. The less interaction you have with others, the easier it will be to follow through with your plans. Don’t present what you are working toward until you are satisfied with the results. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Keep your emotions hidden. The less others know about you or what you are doing, the better. Bring about the changes you want to make, and stop worrying about what others think or do. Be your own master. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Problems at home will mount if you don’t take care of your responsibilities or are too lax with your spending or behavior. Make a point to concentrate on getting things done on time. Keep the peace, and defuse discord. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A change someone makes will play into your plans. Look for a diverse way to use your skills, and find out what those around you have to offer to be most productive. Learn as you go, and opportunity will follow. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Confusion will set in if you are gullible or let your heart rule your head. Protect your health and physical well-being. Abide by rules and regulations when in public. A thrilling experience may entice you, but consider the consequences. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): An unusual opportunity will lead to changes regarding how you work and live. Look at the pros and cons before you decide to change your lifestyle. A relationship will influence the decisions you make. Romance is on the rise. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be a leader, not a follower. Tend to responsibilities, and avoid outside interference. If you appear to be uncertain about what you want to do, someone will step in and take over. Go about your business, and finish what you start. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Refuse to let your emotions take over. It’s essential to be realistic, especially if you are helping others. Offering empty promises will not go over well when you cannot deliver. Being a good listener will be more helpful than misleading someone. Birthday Baby: You are well-liked, smart and innovative. You are mysterious and unpredictable.
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The observer | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Sports Authority
Sports Authority
Pats disappoint in Foxborough Mannion McGinley Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Oct. 20. This weekend, I got to see a true Gronk spike for the first time in a year and a half. I was so excited about it until I reminded myself, once again, that it occurred in Buccaneer Orange and not Patriots Nav y. Setting those emotions aside, let me start again. This weekend for the Pats did not go as planned. With Cam Newton back from COVID-19, the only other COVID victim in the usual starting crew was Sony Michel, who has already been on IR. Thus, it should have been a successful game and an easy win against the 1-3 Broncos, especially since the Patriots were home in Foxborough. “Should have” being the key phrase, as neither team was really all that stellar. Both teams had less than 300 yards of total offense for the game. The Pats led the passing game 171-164, and the Broncos led the rushing game 135-117. The game really came down to the defense. What should have been a blow out for the Pats had the potential to become one in the other direction. While Newton was back on the field, accompanied by his full arsenal of offensive weapons, something was off. The main issue resided in the offensive line on Sunday. While Tom Brady was able to praise the Buccaneers offensive line, Newton could not do the same. The problems started in the first quarter, when the line left a gaping hole for
Shelby Harris to get through and cause a tipped pass, leading to an interception. The Broncos defense had four sacks on the day. Additionally, the line couldn’t establish enough gaps for running backs Rex Burkhead, James White and Damien Harris to use. The three backs had 15 of the 25 carries between them and only 41 of the 117 rushing yards. When the line did make time and space for a play to develop, the offense couldn’t hold onto the ball. Newton had that first interception and two fumbles. Tight end Ryan Izzo also had a fumble. The game was signed, sealed, delivered to the Broncos when Newton threw one more pick in the fourth quarter. The biggest indicator of a bad game for the Patriots, though, is when Julian Edelman, the star wide receiver and secret college quarterback gets to throw not once, but twice in a game. It’s even worse when those throws amount to more yardage than he had receptions. Edelman completed two passes for 38 yards but had only two receptions for eight yards. The only saving grace was the defense which, after all these slip ups, managed to prevent any touchdowns from the Broncos. I’m not willing to give up on the Pats just yet. I’ll chalk this game up to still rebuilding from COIVD losses, but saying that this game was tough to watch would be an understatement. Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Less is more for Major League Baseball Thomas Zwiller Sports Writer
With the beginning of the MLB World Series, featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays, an excellent series to conclude what has been an exciting MLB postseason. FiveThirtyEight gives the Dodgers a 70% chance to beat the Rays and projects the series as most likely going six games. However, I’m not here to break down the series, (for that, go read the great work done by Andrew McGuinness and his column Previewing the 2020 World Series) instead, I’m here to look at the 2020 MLB regular season itself. To begin, Major League Baseball might actually benefit from a shorter season, a season similar to the model used this year — 60 games. Traditionally, MLB plays out a 162-game schedule, which is easily the longest in American sports. It is a little over 10 times the length of an NFL schedule — which plays 16 games — and double both the NHL and NBA schedule— which play 82 games apiece. The MLB wasn’t intending to trot out this new 60-game model, the plan was to as always play 162 games. That plan got changed, like everything, by COVID-19. After a COVID shutdown and tense negotiations between players and owners, the 60-game season was played out in an effort to salvage the 2020 season. At first, the season looked shaky — both the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals had massive COVID outbreaks, causing a number of games for multiple teams to be postponed. However, MLB plowed through it, rescheduled games and made it through. This season has been viewed as a relative success — nowhere near as good as the NBA or NHL — but it was a successful placeholder for a truly unique year. However, I think the MLB should look really hard at changing to a shorter season every year. Here’s why:
Games are meaningful
in person. There are so many games that it is relatively easy to miss a couple and it doesn’t matter. The NFL, on the other hand, plays a 16-game season, and each game makes up about .0625% of a season, or in other words a fairly significant chunk of a season. Each game becomes much more meaningful when you only play 16, a loss or a win can really make a big difference in your season. It is also must-watch television. A fan of an NFL isn’t just going to casually skip a game; it means too much to their season. Now I’m not saying MLB needs to play a 16-game season — that’s going too far and making the season too short. What I am saying is that MLB needs to cut its season in half, it should play 82 games much like the NHL and NBA. Doing so would make games twice as valuable — both teams and fans can’t really blow off games.
Better home attendance In a typical year, every single MLB team will play 81 regularseason games at home. That is a huge amount of games. That’s both an NHL and NBA season, just at home. On the road it’s another 81 games. Both the NHL and NBA have only 41 games at home. According to ESPN, the NBA averages about 17,800 people per game, which is around 95% capacity. MLB, on the other hand, has the capacity for 43,000 fans in the average stadium but has an average attendance of 28,000 which is roughly 65% of capacity. To me, there is a correlation between attendance and the number of games. The more games overall, the less your attendance per game will be. I think the main reason this exists, like I said earlier, is because there are too many games. However, you shorten the season and cut the games in half, I think you would see a jump in attendance per game, more people coming to each game because there are fewer games. Fewer games make each individual game more valuable.
more
In the standard MLB season, a team will play will 162 games. This means one game can be valued at 0.00617% of a season, which is a small fraction of a season. This can tend to lead to an attitude of it being okay if you lose a game, games don’t matter. Winning or losing one game will tend not to make or break a season in MLB, and so it’s not compelling to watch or to see
It can change the calendar If baseball were to cut its season in half, one of two things could happen. It would spread out when games are played, allowing for more rest, and more time to travel in between games. What I think would happen would be that the calendar length of the season would shorten along with the number of games. This can be valuable because the MLB
season often overlaps with other sports. The 2018 MLB season started Mar. 29 and ended Oct. 30, meaning that the season lasted 215 days — or just about 7 months. That also means that it was overlapped by the NBA playoffs, which took place from May 30 to June 13. It also means that it was overlapped by the NFL regular season, which began on Sept. 5. But if you were to shrink the MLB season, and shrink the time frame of when games are played, you could schedule it so that it experienced less overlap with the other professional leagues. This could seriously help with baseball’s declining viewership, which is best demonstrated by World Series viewership. In 1973 almost 35 million people watched the World Series, but by 2019 that number had declined to just under 14 million people. I think this is largely due to its overlap with the NFL season. The NFL has an average regular-season game viewership of 16.5 million people. But, if MLB changed up when it plays the World Series — to sometime before September — it wouldn’t overlap with NFL games, and I think it could see a drastic increase in the number of people viewing.
Here’s how it could work: The 2020 MLB season will be 97 days long. It started July 23 and will end Oct. 28. Now if you assume that you need to add 20 days to the season to make it an 82-game season instead of 60 games, it would be a 117-day season, so I’ll round it to 120 days. To minimize being overshadowed by other leagues, the World Series needs to be finished before September — to avoid the NFL season. To play a 120-day season that ends before Sept. 1, the MLB season would need to start on May 4. While this does create some conflict with the NBA, which wouldn’t finish until June 13, this lets MLB dominate the summer and still wrap up its season without the NFL overlapping. This should increase viewership numbers — for the World Series, at least — something MLB desperately needs. Dear Major League Baseball, shorten your season! Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Sports
W Soccer Continued from page 16
with a No. 14 ranking from the United Soccer Coaches’ Poll, the Irish were dropped from the top-15 when the weekly rankings were released Monday. Notre Dame out-possessed and outshot both the Demon Deacons and Clemson, but Irish head coach Nate Norman said he would not discount the late goals as simply unlucky. “They both were actually similar plays,” he said. “They were services from longer, deeper areas that we just didn’t do well clearing. We need to have better balance in our back line in those scenarios and make sure we’re dealing w ith where players are at, who’s going for the ball and things like that.” Sunday went much better for Louisv ille, as the Cardinals earned a crucial 1-0 w in at Virginia Tech. The v ictor y in Blacksburg v irtually assured Louisv ille a spot in this year’s ACC tournament. With two conference games left for each team still in contention, the Cardinals currently sit in fourth place on 12 points, five points ahead of ninth-placed Wake Forest. The situation is much more ner v y for the Irish, who currently occupy the eighth and final qualif y ing spot w ith nine points. W hile Notre Dame closes out the season at No. 1 North Carolina, the Demon Deacons have two w innable games at home to Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech, who currently reside seventh and 10th in the ACC table, respectively. The immense difficult y of getting a result against UNC in Chapel Hill means the Louisv ille match looms even larger for the Irish. Norman said he would not attempt to dow nplay the significance of Sunday’s clash. “I think you acknowledge [the pressure] and you just lean into it,” he said. “We got to embrace that pressure. We got to enjoy play ing games when the stakes are high. That’s why you come and play college soccer at a really, really high level.” Notre Dame is 11-4-1 alltime versus the Cardinals, but the fixture has been much more competitive of late. Last year the two programs played to a tense 0-0 draw at A lumni Stadium after two overtimes, and Louisv ille earned their first home w in against the Irish on the sixth attempt when the Cardinals prevailed 2-0 in 2018. Current junior Cardinal midfielder Maisie W hitsett opened the scoring that September day. Notre Dame also hosted the Cardinals in September
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2020 | The Observer
in the Irish’s only ex hibition match of the truncated season. W hile the Irish romped to a 4-0 v ictor y, Norman is war y of taking too much out of the preseason matchup. “I even know they are playing a ver y different way than they played us in that game,” he said. “That was kind of a w ide-open game, which I think actually helped us a lot. I don’t know if we’ll have as much space as we had in that first game, and obv iously, teams just get better.” The Irish have recently struggled a bit in front of goal, scoring only five times on 84 shots during the fourgame homestand. “We just didn’t feel like we were as efficient as we need[ed] to be in front of goal,” said Norman. “I felt we probably were creating chances, but we just need[ed] to be more efficient. And then it actually burn[ed] us a little bit again against Wake Forest.” Against Clemson, Norman tinkered w ith his first-team line-up to spark some more offensive production. Senior Sammi Fisher, who is second on the team w ith 3 goals, was moved from her usual position as an attackingmidfielder to the centerfor ward role. In the second half, however, Fisher went back to her more natural position in the midfield to make way for Ellie Ospeck, and the two linked up under a minute after the break for the equalizer and the first goal of Ospeck’s young career. Norman was ver y pleased w ith how the freshman from Danv ille, California, was able to impact the game. “Obv iously she scored the goal, but just her activ it y level and her abilit y to get behind people and honestly make [Clemson] drop off gave us more space to play in front of them,” he said. “I thought she did a wonderful job.” Considering the Irish faced a deficit t w ice, however, it was surprising to see one of the most prolific forwards in the countr y remain on the bench. Notre Dame’s Kiki Van Zanten entered the Clemson game first in the nation w ith 1.2 goals per game and currently leads the ACC w ith six goals in conference play, but she only featured for 14 minutes at the end of the first half against the Tigers. W hen asked about Van Zanten’s lack of action, Norman emphasized that it had nothing to do w ith the talented striker herself. “I think it end[ed] up being some of the tactical things that we ha[d] to deal w ith against Clemson,” he said. “Sometimes another player may just be doing well inside that game and you don’t do
your normal rotation.” Regardless of who plays upfront, the Irish w ill likely need to be clinical given Louisv ille’s sting y defensive record this season. The Cardinals are tied for sixth in the nation w ith a .500 goals-against average. Ever y Louisv ille v ictor y has come v ia shutout, and senior goalkeeper Gabby Kouzelos has posted a save percentage of .921, which ranks fourth for all NCA A goalkeepers who have played five games or more. The Cardinals also carr y a substantial scoring threat. Senior midfielder Emina Ekic leads Louisv ille w ith five goals, which is tied for fifth-most in the countr y. Norman said he expects a strong reaction from his squad as they look to put t wo disappointing results behind them. “Hopefully we just have a really bad taste in our mouth from this past weekend, and we just go make sure we make it right,” he said.split up into a north and south region, w ith ever y team playing six conference games against div ision opponents over a nine-week period to minimize travel and other risk factors associated w ith COV ID-19. The Panthers join the Irish in the north region, and both squads w ill meet again in Pittsburgh on Oct. 30 to play their conference matchup. Notre Dame was picked to finish last in the north region in the ACC coaches’ preseason poll. The Panthers were picked to finish second, receiv ing t wo first-place votes behind runaway north region favorites, defending ACC champions and 2019 national runner-up Virginia. Last Thursday’s v ictor y
over Kentuck y suggests the Irish could be a dark horse in the conference this fall, however. Despite periods of sustained pressure from the Wildcats, the veteran Irish back line held firm and did not allow a single shot on target in the final 14 minutes. Senior keeper Keagan McLaughlin looked assured in just his fifth game for Notre Dame, making a career-high four saves in difficult goalkeeping conditions. The Zanesv ille, Ohio native has yet to concede a goal in an Irish uniform. The breakthrough came courtesy of freshman debutant Daniel Russo off the beach, who headed home a corner taken by senior midfielder Aiden McFadden in the 62nd minute. Jackson, N.J. native Russo and McLaughlin were awarded ACC offensive and defensive player of the week, respectively. Freshmen Matthew Radivojsa — who led all players w ith four shots — and Paddy Burns, sophomores Reese Mayer and Ethan O’Brien and senior Michael Ly nch joined Russo in making their Notre Dame debuts against the Wildcats. After the v ictor y, Notre Dame head coach Chad Riley said he was excited by what he saw from his freshmen as the rest of the squad continues to mature. “It was good all around for the young guys,” he said. “I think we have a good, deep group. I think we’re kind of … turning the corner to become more of a veteran team.” The Irish also possess leadership and a goal scoring threat w ith junior forward Jack Ly nn, who was one of the eleven players
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highlighted on the ACC preseason watch list. The St. Louis, MO native led Notre Dame w ith 10 goals last season. Five were gamew inners, which was tied for second in the ACC and 11th in the countr y, respectively. One of those matchw inners came against Pitt last November, as his 17thminute strike proved to be enough in a 1-0 v ictor y at A lumni Stadium. Leading the line for Pitt is Edward Kizza, a senior forward who was also featured on the watch-list. Kizza is coming off t wo consecutive A ll-ACC first-team selections. He finished fourth in the conference w ith t welve goals in 2019 and also scored five match-w inners. Last year, the Panthers advanced to the second round of the NCA A tournament, where they were thumped 5-0 by eventual champions Georgetow n. Saturday’s game w ill be Pitt’s official season opener, but they are coming off a 5-0 home w in over Louisv ille Sunday. Kizza scored the opener 25 minutes in before fellow senior for ward A lexander Dexter, who led the Panthers w ith six assists in 2019, added a brace before halftime. Sophomore midfielders Valentin Noel and Veljko Petkov ic added goals of their ow n after the break to complete the rout. Kickoff at A lumni Stadium Saturday is scheduled for 7 p.m. No in-person attendance is permitted, but the match w ill be available to stream on ACC Net work Extra. Contact Greg McKenna at gmckenn2@nd.edu
allison Thornton | The Observer
Irish senior midfielder Sammi Fisher keeps an Iowa player off the ball during Notre Dame’s home loss 2-3 at Alumni Stadium on Sept. 15, 2019. Fisher led the Irish in goals, assists and points her junior year.
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Sports
The observer | wednesday, october 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Observer Fantasy Corner
Week 7: Claypool makes a name for himself John Kalemkerian, Jamison Cook, Andrew McGuiness, Sam Ouhaj Sports Writers
You know the drill. Fantasy Corner Week 7 — let’s get to it.
Sam Ouhaj Must sta r t: Mat t hew Sta f ford, QB, Det roit L ions Sta f ford ha s a lways been a qua r terback who look s g reat somet i mes a nd at ot her t i mes, look s l i ke he is completely lost. However, t he one t h i ng Sta f ford ha s goi ng for h i m is faci ng up aga i nst a ter r ible Fa lcons tea m. T he Fa lcons seconda r y ha s looked lost at t i mes a nd wh i le t hey were able to force t h ree i ntercept ions on K i rk Cousi ns, Cousi ns st i l l f i n ished t he ga me w it h t h ree touchdow ns, most ly i n ga rbage t i me — but t h is is fa nta sy, a nd poi nts a re poi nts. T he Fa lcons a re cu r rent ly a l low i ng 335 ya rds a ga me to opposi ng qua r terback s a s wel l a s a n average of t h ree pa ssi ng touchdow ns a ga me. I bel ieve Sta f ford is i n for a big day aga i nst a Fa lcons tea m t hat f i na l ly got t hei r f i rst w i n aga i nst t he V i k i ngs la st week . Must sit: Trav is Fu lg ha m, W R, Ph i ladelph ia Eag les Trav is Fu lg ha m ha s establ ished h i msel f a s t he Eag les nu mber one w ideout i n wa ke of t he consta nt i nju r ies t hat have plag ued t h is tea m. A f ter bei ng cut by t he L ions just a few week s ea rly on i nto t he sea son, Fu lg ha m ha s been on f i re si nce joi n i ng h is new tea m. Fu lg ha m ha s fou nd t he end zone t h ree t i mes i n t h ree ga mes a nd ha s averaged about 95 receiv i ng ya rds a ga me aga i nst some notable defenses t hat i nclude t he Ba lt i more Ravens a nd Pit tsbu rg h Steelers. T he issue I have w it h Fu lg ha m t h is week is t hat he is t he on ly ta rget lef t, it seems, i n Ph i l ly. Ja mes Bradber r y is play i ng out of h is m i nd for t he New York Gia nts, a nd I ex pect t hat to ca r r y over t h is T hu rsday. W h i le I l i ke Fu lg ha m a s a pick up for f ut u re ga mes, I adv ise sit t i ng h i m out aga i nst t he Gia nts. W ho to pick up : Dema rcus Robi nson, W R, Ka nsa s Cit y Ch iefs (O w ned i n 1.9 % of fa nta sy leag ues) Hu nter Ren f row, W R, L a s Vega s Ra iders (O w ned i n 27.7% of fa nta sy leag ues)
Andrew McGuinness Must sta r t: Da rren Wa ller,
TE, Las Vegas Ra iders Wa ller has been a n outsta nding opt ion t hree of t he last four weeks, putt ing up 85+ ya rds in t wo of t hose per forma nces a nd f inding t he end zone in t wo of t hem as wel l. Coming of f a bye, Wa ller shou ld be well-rested to ta ke on a Bucs squad t hat ra n ks in t he top ha lf of t he NFL in fa ntasy points a llowed to t ight ends. Wa ller cont inues to be one of t he most product ive players at his posit ion; you’re gonna be ha rd-pressed to f ind a t ight end w it h higher upside t ha n Wa ller right now. Must sit: John Brow n, W R, Buf fa lo Bills Just like he did in 2019, Brow n bega n t his season w it h a hot sta r t, st ring ing toget her consecut ive ga mes w it h 70 + receiv ing ya rds a nd a touchdow n in t he season’s f irst t wo weeks. However, he’s been dea ling w it h a nagg ing k nee injur y basica lly ever since, a nd it shows in his product ion. Brow n has been held of f t he fa ntasy scoresheet in t hree of t he last four weeks, a nd w it h head coach Sea n McDermott ack nowledg ing Brow n isn’t at 100 % , t hat may not be cha ng ing soon. There’s a fa ir cha nce Brow n is g iven t he week of f to rest up, but if he plays, even aga inst t he wastela nd t hat is t he Jets seconda r y, he’s not wor t h sta r t ing g iven his current condit ion a nd recent resu lts. W ho to pick up: D’A ndre Sw if t, RB, Det roit Lions (Ow ned in 76% of fa ntasy leag ues)
Jamison Cook Must start: Chase Clay pool, W R, Pit tsbu rg h Steelers Clay pool fol lowed up a record-brea k i ng, fou rtouchdow n per for ma nce i n week f ive w it h fou r catches for 74 ya rds a nd a r ush i ng touchdow n i n Pit tsbu rg h’s dom i na nt w i n over t he Brow ns i n week si x . He ha s establ ished a st rong con nect ion w it h Steelers QB Ben Roet h l isberger, a nd h is touchdow n product ion — f ive i n t he la st t wo week s — is ver y encou rag i ng. Clay pool’s usage i n t he r u n n i ng ga me adds a not her d i mension to h is ga me a nd even more va lue to h is fa nta sy ow ners. W it h fel low W R Diontae Joh nson st i l l l isted a s quest ionable a nd a matchup w it h t he Tita ns defense, who ha s g iven up t he 28t h most pa ssi ng ya rds per ga me at 272.8, Clay pool
shou ld be locked i nto you r l i neup for t he t i me bei ng. Must sit: L e’Veon Bel l, R B, Ka nsa s Cit y Ch iefs Bel l d id not play t h is pa st week a f ter sig n i ng w it h Ka nsa s Cit y on Oct. 15 but is ex pected to su it up i n week seven a ssu m i ng he f u l f i l ls t he requ i red si x st ra ig ht days of negat ive COV ID test s. His new back f ield pa r tner, Clyde Edwa rds-Hela ire, r ushed for a ca reer-high 161 ya rds in week si x, his f irst 100-ya rd ga me since week one. Edwa rds-Hela ire is clea rly a competent back, a nd it is uncer ta in how Bell w ill f it into t he Chiefs of fense. Presu mably, he w i l l ta ke more of t he receivi ng load, one a rea i n wh ich Edwa rds-Hela i re ha s not stood out, but it is ha rd to just i f y sta r t i ng Bel l r ig ht away. Wa it at lea st one week to see where Bel l f it s i nto t he Ch iefs of fensive scheme before put t i ng h i m back i n you r sta r t i ng l i neup. W ho to pick up : Ti m Pat r ick, W R, Denver Broncos (O w ned i n 18.4% of fa nta sy leag ues)
John Kalemkerian Must sta r t: Jerick
McK innon, RB, Sa n Fra ncisco 49ers The 49ers back f ield has been a mess t h is sea son, a nd lead back Ra heem Moster t went dow n w it h a h ig h a n k le spra i n i n week si x wh ich is poised to send h i m back to IR, open i ng t he door for McK i n non to sh i ne. Moster t m issed week s t h ree a nd fou r, du r i ng wh ich McK i n non wa s t he clea r lead back, receiv i ng a n average of 14 ca r r ies a nd f ive catches per contest over t hat t wo-week spa n. Even bet ter, he scored a touchdow n each of t hose week s a nd wa s a sol id fa nta sy sta r t. T hose nu mbers shou ld be repl icated aga i n i n week seven, w it h t he 49ers ta k i ng a t r ip to Foxboroug h i n a ga me where t he Ni ners a re u nl i kely to be play i ng f rom beh i nd, wh ich shou ld t ra nslate to plent y of work for McK i n non. Must sit: Michael Ga l lup, W R, Da l la s Cowboys T he Cowboys looked ent i rely lost on Monday n ig ht i n t hei r f i rst ga me w it hout sta r QB Da k Prescot t. T he 38-10 blowout wa s toug h for Cowboys fa ns to watch, but a lso conf i r med what ma ny fa nta sy Paid Advertisement
ma nagers had d readed : A ndy Da lton is not Da k Prescot t. Prescot t, who st i l l leads t he leag ue i n pa ssi ng ya rds despite hav i ng m issed a ga me a nd a ha l f, wa s able to feed t he Cowboys t h reeheaded W R bea st (A ma r i Cooper, Michael Ga l lup a nd rook ie CeeDee L a mb). It’s now clea r t hat Ga l lup w i l l be most a f fected by Prescot t’s sea son-end i ng i nju r y, especia l ly i n week seven, where A mer ica’s Tea m w i l l go up aga i nst a Wa sh i ng ton seconda r y t hat ha s a l lowed t he fewest fa nta sy poi nts to t he W R posit ion g roup a l l yea r. Def i n itely keep Ga l lup on you r bench t h is week . W ho to pick up : Tee Hig g i ns, W R, Ci nci n nat i Benga ls (O w ned i n 52.4% of fa nta sy leag ues) Ti m Pat r ick, W R, Denver Broncos (O w ned i n 18.4% of fa nta sy leag ues) Contact Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu, John Kalemkerian at jkalemke@ nd.edu, Andrew McGuiness at amcquinn@nd.edu, and Sam Ouhaj at souhaj@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
sports
Kelly Continued from page 16
t hem a litt le bit too much in pract ice, a nd we’ve got to be able to pu l l of f a litt le bit in terms of ma k ing sure t hat our g uys have got f resh legs. They’re pract icing so ha rd a nd so well for me t hat we’ve got to be able to see t he benef its of t hat on Saturday. So it’s just work in prog ress. A nd we’ll cont inue to work on t he deta i ls of t he passing ga me w it h t hose receivers going for wa rd.” Kel ly a lso ack nowledged t hat injuries a mong t he w ide receiv ing cor ps have been a big concern. Speedster junior Braden Len z y has been st r uggling to get hea lt hy, Kel ly sa id. “We cou ldn’t even get Braden Len z y up to his f u ll speed,” Kel ly sa id. “This k id is a ga mer. … He’s t r ying to play. We’re hoping he’s going to be better t his week.” One of t he posit ives f rom Saturday’s ga me was t he play of t he Irish defense. Kel ly gave credit to young players stepping up in t he absence of some vetera ns. “As it relates to our r un defense, we took away t heir best play, which is t he outside zone play,” Kelly sa id. “I was ver y pleased w it h t he r un defense. I rea lly li ked t he play of [Jacob] Lacey a nd [Howa rd] Cross III being in t here w it hout My ron [Tagova i loa-A mosa] a nd Kur t [Hinish] being a bit ba nged up for us.” Kel ly ack nowledged t hat t he Irish do not have a ba la nced attack on t he of fensive side of t he footba ll at t he moment. “I’ve a lways ta l ked about t he abi lit y to be equa lly as ef fect ive t hrow ing it as r unning it, a nd right now we’re so much better r unning it t ha n t hrow ing it,” he sa id. “I wa nt t he abilit y for tea ms to respect our abi lit y to t hrow it.” Kel ly sa id he k nows t hat his tea m needs to improve
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21 | The Observer
a nd cont inue to g row as t he schedu le gets tougher over t he nex t few ga mes. “That’s going to cont inue to be a priorit y in our focus t hat we’re going to push t he ba ll ver t ica lly dow n t he f ield,” Kelly sa id. “We have got to cont inue to g row. We got to cont inue to get better. We need to get better mov ing for wa rd a nd t hat is by attack ing defenses dow n t he f ield in our passing ga me.” A lt hough senior defensive linema n Kur t Hinish has been ba nged up t his season, Kel ly discussed t he impact t hat Hinish has had on t he tea m t his yea r. “He’s played a lot of footba ll, a nd he’s sma r t. He ca n reach sta nces. He ca n sense where t he back is lined up. He’s a g uy t hat watches a lot of f ilm a nd k nows footba ll rea lly well,” Kelly sa id. “He not on ly has t he st reng t h a nd a nd t he physica l abilit y, but he’s a sma r t footba ll player. He’s a high-IQ g uy who k nows what t hey’re t r y ing to do scheme-w ise, a nd he ca n defeat t hat scheme in f ront of t hem because of his vetera n ex perience a nd his abilit y to watch a lot of f ilm a nd k now t he opponent.” This Saturday’s ga me aga inst Pittsburgh w ill be t he f irst road ga me of t he season for t he Irish. In t his COVID-19 era of college footba ll, t raveling on t he road presents a whole new set of cha llenges. Because of t his, t he Irish w ill do t heir norma l prega me Friday act iv it ies while on Not re Da me’s ca mpus. They w ill t hen ta ke a pla ne to Pittsburgh Friday evening. “We have looked at a ll t he t hings necessa r y for us to be successf u l on t he road relat ive to t ravel a nd coordinat ion,” Kelly sa id. “We w ill t reat Friday on t he road just like it’s Friday here at Not re Da me Stadium, which includes eat ing our dinner dow ntow n at Centur y Pla za a nd t hen gett ing on t he pla ne a f ter a big mea l so t here’ll be no food on t he
pla ne.” Kelly saw his tea m adjust to t he cha nges in procedures a few weeks ago a f ter some posit ive COVID-19 tests, a nd he is conf ident his tea m w ill adapt for t his Saturday’s ga me. “We’ll ta lk about what t he ex pectat ions a re of ever ybody, a nd t hat we just follow t he procedures a nd protocols t hat we lay out for t hem,” Kelly sa id. “Simila rly to what was new for t hem here on ca mpus when we made some cha nges here t wo weeks ago, t hey’ll have to follow t hem t he sa me way.” W hen asked about Pittsburgh, Kelly pra ised t he Pa nt hers’ coaching sta f f. “They’re a lways well coached,” Kelly sa id. “[Head coach] Pat Na rdu zi k nows defense a nd Ma rk W hipple is one of t he best opt ions for of fensive coordinator in t he count r y.” Kelly a lso discussed t he dif f icu lt ies of play ing at Hein z Field. “Going on t he road to Hein z Field, t hat’s obv iously a dif f icu lt place to play,” he sa id. “Last t ime we played t here, we had to squea k out a tough v ictor y in t he last minute. We k now what to ex pect f rom a rea lly well coached tough a nd physica l footba ll tea m.” Kelly sa id t he physica lit y of t he Pittsburgh defense is what worries him t he most a head of Saturday’s ga me. “A Pat Na rdu zzi coached footba ll tea m is tough a nd r ugged,” Kelly sa id. “They’re a lways going to play Not re Da me ha rd, a nd t hey’ve got some ga me w reckers on defense. A nd quite f ra n k ly, t hey’re going to get a f ter t he qua r terback. They’re going to play physica l, a nd t hey’re well coached. That’ll keep litt le bit too much in pract ice, a nd we’ve got to be able to pu ll of f a litt le bit in terms of ma k ing sure t hat our g uys you up at night.” Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu
Courtesy of the ACC
Irish senior running back Jafar Armstrong jumps to make a catch against Louisville defender Clark during Notre Dame’s 12-7 win over the Cardinals on Saturday in Notre Dame Stadium.
Column Continued from page 16
out soon against teams like Clemson and UNC.” I don’t think I would go this far. And I might suggest these individuals ask their doctors for some Xanax. Notre Dame has a good football team, and with their offensive line, tight ends and running backs (and a game manager quarterback who refuses to play like a third-year starter), they will beat every team they should. And I think that last person might feel a little different now considering UNC has since lost to the Florida State team Notre Dame beat two Saturdays ago. “Lost all optimism about beating Clemson.” Again, I wouldn’t even go this far. Seeing North Carolina lose to Florida State, it just reaffirms for me that Notre Dame is the only ACC team that has a legitimate shot at knocking Clemson down a peg this season. I have at least a little faith in that because of all the weapons I just mentioned. They definitely need someone to emerge as the go-to guy at wide receiver. Javon McKinley’s performance against the Seminoles seemed more like a pleasant surprise than the makings of a go-to guy, so it’s imperative that Kevin Austin become that No. 1 wideout in addition to Braden Lenzy staying healthy and keeping defenses (especially one defense in particular) aware of him streaking up the field. Just pray that there’s no w ind. “Worst coaching job of Kelly’s tenure here.” I would point you to a certain rain-soaked loss last season to a blue and maize team that shall not be named. Or perhaps to a loss nearly a decade ago (against a recent visitor of Notre Dame Stadium) in which Kelly’s face turned a shade of purple best defined as “Byzantium.” “We are back to Charlie Weis era.” In terms of the score? No, we’re more in the Dan Devine era since that was the last time the Irish scored so few points in a home win. That’s pretty much the only connection I can draw here. This defense is far better than any Weis threw out on the field during his time in South Bend. On the other side of the ball, Ian Book, despite what his statistics may say, is also nowhere near the player Brady Quinn was under Weis — nor the player he could have been with the defense and line play Book possesses. It’s like the Weis era has been per verted, and because of that Notre Dame is now 4-0 in 2020 and 37-6 in the last four seasons, w ith 22 straight home w ins and 28 straight over unranked
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opponents. No Xana x necessar y for you, but perhaps a chill pill. “Ex hausted (nine rosaries and paced the entire game).” I’m sure your efforts for the team were much appreciated. “Terrible… my freshman daughter said ushers killed the spirit of the students.” That’s what you’re upset about? The offense scored 12 points. I think they did more to sap the energ y than even Notre Dame ushers could. “Wins are w ins thank God ND is play ing football this fall.” I can agree w ith you there. A lthough some people don’t… “i don’t care ! ! ! ! i do not give a single s--t! ! we shouldn’t have football this is a pandemic ! ! ! ! !” OK, now this person definitely needs a Xana x. In all seriousness, I w ill grant you that there are several SEC schools who seem to not be handling this pandemic appropriately (looking at you Texas A&M and Ole Miss). At this point though, I really don’t know what to tell you. I would suggest not consuming sports content in any form if it really upsets you this much. We could write a thesis on this topic and I’d really rather not. I respect your opinion on this issue because you seem to prioritize health and safety above all else. I’d like to think these schools are doing that for their players as well, which is the least they can do considering the lack of compensation. It’s a problem if universities are misleading them about attendance numbers and they don’t know what they’re getting themselves into, but for the most part people are w illing to take the risk whether you like it or not. So long as nothing goes horribly w rong, all parties involved in collegiate sports are going to continue as planned. That’s all I have to say on that. Now back to the fun stuff. “Happy for the w in. Confused by the offense.” Agreed. “hnnghhhhhhhgh.” Prett y much in line w ith how I felt. “Meh.” / “bruh.” I feel that. Well this was fun! Don’t you think? We should do this again soon, preferably after a Pittsburgh game that prov ides a bit more clarit y on what we can expect from Notre Dame come time for the only game that actually matters in the regular season. 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.
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The observer | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND WOMEn’s SOCCER
FOOTBALL
Smith leaves ND football program By Emily deFazio Sports Writer
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly announced in a press conference Monday that junior running back Jahmir Smith would be leaving the football team. This conference was held ahead of Notre Dame’s matchup with the University of Pittsburgh this weekend. Smith chose Notre Dame over several other scholarship offers, enrolling at the University in January 2018 following an undefeated regular season his senior year of high school. At that time, he was ranked as the No. 26 running back in the country by 247Sports. As a member of the Fighting Irish football team, Smith carried the ball six times for 28 yards and had a reception against Stanford his freshman year, playing in two games. During his 10 games on the field his sophomore year, he rushed 42 times for 180 yards and scored twice. In this year’s season opener against Duke, Smith rushed five times for a total of 15 yards. He did
Irish look for crucial road win against Louisville
not play in any other game this season. This year there are several running backs on the roster, with sophomore Kyren Williams, freshman Chris Tyree, junior C’Bo Flemister, senior Jafar Armstrong and sophomore Kendall Abdur-Rahman also being listed at the position. In Saturday’s game against Louisville, only Williams and Tyree saw the field. The crowded backfield paired with the talent of his teammates may have prompted Smith’s decision to leave, as he was not receiving as much playing time. At the press conference, Kelly was asked why Smith did not appear on the team’s weekly depth chart. “Jahmir Smith has left the team,” Kelly said in response. “He has decided that he is not going to play football. We’ll have some further conversations about what his plans are moving forward, but he has decided at this time that he is not going to be playing football.” Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu
By Greg McKenna Sports Writer
ERIN Fennessey | The Observer
Irish sophomore midfielder Maddie Mercado aims to pass during Notre Dame’s 3-0 home win against Syracuse on Oct. 4, 2019.
Notre Dame w ill look to bounce back from t wo consecutive home losses this Sunday when the Irish (33-0, 3-3-0 ACC) travel to Louisv ille to face the No. 13 Cardinals (4-2-0, 4-2-0 ACC) at Dr. Mark & Cindy Ly nn Stadium. The last road trip of Notre Dame’s regular season comes off the back of an extremely disappointing end to the Irish’s lone homestand of the year. On Thursday, Wake Forest forward Shayla Smart snapped Notre Dame’s three-game w inning streak w ith an 87th w inner to prevent a scoreless draw before Clemson piled on the miser y Sunday w ith a Megan Bornkamp goal six-and-a-half minutes from time to give the Tigers a 2-1 w in. After entering the week see W SOCCER PAGE 13
Football COLUMN
FOOTBALL
Kelly reflects on Lousiville, talks away game at Pitt By Nate Moller
Irish fans react to 12-7 victory Hayden Adams
Sports Writer
Sports Editor
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Oct. 20. In his Monday press conference, head football coach Brian Kelly ref lected on Notre Dame’s 12-7 v ictor y over the Louisv ille this past weekend and also discussed the Irish’s first road game of the season against the Pittsburgh Panthers this upcoming Saturday. The Irish offense struggled for the majorit y of the game on Saturday, raising concerns about the passing game going for ward. Kelly discussed the w ide receiver situation and the fine line bet ween practicing too hard and being successful on Saturdays. “There has been a revolving door at the w ide receiver position,” Kelly said. “I think we probably push see KELLY PAGE 15
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Oct. 20.
Courtesy of the ACC
Irish sophomore running back Kyren Williams shifts away from a Louisville defender during the 12-7 Irish home win on Saturday.
After Notre Dame came away from Saturday’s contest against Louisville with a clunker of a 12-7 win, The Observer posted a poll on Twitter asking fans how they felt following the game. Seeing as I have my own opinions on the matter, here’s a look at their responses (all anonymous). “Great run game. Great defense. Every game flow is different. No need to panic. A win is a win. Go Irish.” You, sir or madam, have the type of optimism I found it difficult to muster after this game. I grant you the point about how the run game and defense looked good, and yes, every game flow is different. However, I must disagree and say there is a need for panic. I’m more in the camp of the person who was…
“Frustrated & Disappointed. Sure, ugly wins count, but it’s not encouraging moving forward.” The Irish run game, while consistently getting yards and first downs, is not the explosive unit the 2017 Notre Dame offense possessed. Kyren Williams is slippery, but he can’t burst through a crease like Josh Adams, and Chris Tyree is still relatively inexperienced. They can move the chains but are having trouble finding pay dirt, especially in the red zone. Without a competent passing game to complement the ground attack, Clemson — and this is all about Clemson because their 73-7 disintegration of Georgia Tech was panic-inducing — is going to take advantage. Still, though, I don’t quite feel like the people who said they felt… “Awful. We will lose 105-0 to Clemson” / “Like Notre Dame is bad at football” / “Vindicated. I’ve been saying it for months now, ND does not have a good see COLUMN PAGE 15
