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Volume 55, Issue 37 | WEDNESday, November 11, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Storming the field evokes mixed feelings After Notre Dame’s double-OT win over Clemson, celebrating fans fail to follow pandemic protocols By MARIA LEONTARAS Editor-in-Chief
MARIA LEONTARAS | The Observer
Students poured out of the bleachers and onto the field to celebrate the Irish’s 47-40 victory over Clemson, eliciting mixed reactions about the post-game gathering as COVID-19 cases continue to climb nationwide.
Electric. Magical. Terrifying. These are a few words students used to describe the storming of the field after Notre Dame football’s double-overtime victory over Clemson Saturday. There was a tangible shift in the Stadium’s energy as the Irish settled for a game-tying play. Fans rushed to the first 15 or so rows of each designated student section. As the game entered one overtime after another, the excitement in the stadium grew. When the final overtime went into the fourth down, Notre Dame senior Sophia Kartsonas pushed to the railing separating the seats from the field. Other students, she
said, followed suit. The University seemed to expect a rush of emotion at the game, hiring more ushers, event staff, police officers and private security guards, the New York Times reported, but they did little to stop the rush. “What surprised me was that the ushers were telling people where to go and how to [get onto the field],” Kartsonas said. “I did think they would try to be stopping us, but people just started running and jumping off that ledge.” And in moments, thousands of mostly masked students were celebrating on the field as the announcer attempted to get them to leave. see FIELD PAGE 5
Students report heightened stress DIANE PARK | The Observer
First Irish Guardswoman recalls historic experience By EVAN McKENNA, RENEE PIERSON, ELIZABETH CARTER, MAGGIE CLARK and ADRIANA PEREZ From the Archives Reasearchers
Editor’s Note: This is a two-part series featuring Molly Kinder. A version of the first story was published online Sept. 21. A version of the second part was published online Sept. 23. A Sept. 20, 2000 cartoon published in The Observer features five figures integral to the fight for diversity at Notre Dame. Standing between Frazier Thompson, the University’s first Black graduate, and Michael Brown, the first Black Leprechaun, is a smiling woman, wearing a kilt and a tall, feathered hat. This is Molly Kinder — the first woman on the Notre Dame Irish Guard. While Kinder’s story is one of
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triumph and progress, her experience was far from easy. This week’s edition of From the Archives revisits the “Irish guardswoman,” 20 years after she made history. Molly Kinder auditions, joins Irish Guard
Sept. 1, McCarthy
2000
|
Colleen
In the fall of 2000, Notre Dame senior Molly Kinder became the first woman to become a member of the Irish Guard. She auditioned her junior year “kind of for kicks,” she told The Observer, but failed to make the group. Kinder auditioned again the following year and finally achieved a goal set at the start of her freshman year: becoming a part of the Irish Guard. In joining the ranks of one of the University’s most iconic traditions, Kinder ended the group’s 51-year all-male
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tradition. Standing at 6-foot-3, Kinder met the height requirement that was said to have barred women from joining the Guard in previous years. Kinder put in months of hard work in preparation for her final audition in the months leading up to her senior year, even while studying abroad. “I practiced marching a lot in the streets of Chile and I think the people thought I was insane,” Kinder said. “When I got home I practiced marching on the football field and just continued to prepare mentally and physically for the audition.” In response to claims that the all-male tradition of the Irish Guard was broken for the sake of political correctness, Director of University Bands Kenneth Dye insisted see ARCHIVES PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 9
DANE SHERMAN | The Observer
Students advocating for increased mental health awareness have asked the administration to substantially address stress. By MARIAH RUSH and DANE SHERMAN Managing Editor and News Writer
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 230,000 deaths in the United States since the first case of the virus nearly nine months ago. One concern of the pandemic, beyond the direct physical health impact of the virus, is its mental health impact. College students are just one of the groups feeling the mental health impact. A recent survey found that
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75% of college students reported feeling increased stress and anxiety due to coronavirus. A Notre Dame mental health survey found 50% of students to be under “severe” mental distress. Students at the University have been hit especially hard this semester. With 1,416 reported cases throughout the semester to date, Notre Dame has had more cases than almost any other school of comparable size. see STRESS PAGE 5
nd m basketball PAGE 16
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TODAY
The observer | wednesday, November 11, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
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“I can’t think of anything. What about you?
“I believed in the Tooth Fairy for a long time.”
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With finals week scheduled to begin on Monday, students get creative with finding spaces to prepare for exams while also complying with the University’s social distancing norms during the pandemic. A lone armchair offers a distanced study spot.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
ROTC Veterans Day Ceremony Fieldhouse Mall 5 p.m. - 5:45 p.m. With former Sen. Joseph Donnelly.
SUB Finals Stress Relievers South Quad 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Get goodie bags or punch a boxing bag.
“Faith, Abundance, and Potential” virtual 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. A CSC seminar with Kerry Robinson.
Ice Trail Opening Day Howard Park All day Howard Park Ice Trail to open for its second season.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. and noon All are welcome to attend.
“Movement vs. Motorcade” virtual 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Flash panel to examine protests in Thailand.
Cocktail with a Curator: Cheryl Snay virtual 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Look at art while enjoying a cocktail.
“Waste-to-Energy” virtual 1 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Discuss waste-toenergy at ND Energy Research Symposium.
Study at the Snite Museum Snite Museum of Art 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. Study spaces are firstcome, first-serve.
La Misa en Espanol Basilica of the Sacred Heart 4 p.m. Mass rooted in Hispanic tradition.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, November 11, 2020 | The Observer
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Winter session to offer new programs at ND By GRACE DOERFLER News Writer
For t he f i rst t i me, Not re Da me w i l l ex per i ment w it h a w i nter session du r i ng its upcom i ng 10-week brea k, of fer i ng st udents a ra nge of classes, i nter nsh ips a nd ot her prog ra m m ing to f i l l t he w i nter mont hs. T he Un iversit y intends to prov ide, “mea n i ng f u l engagement oppor t u n it ies for Not re Da me st udents to nu r t u re t he for mat ion of m i nd, body a nd spi r it” du r ing t h is u nusua l ly long brea k, accord ing to its w i nter session site. The w i nter brea k w i l l beg i n on Nov. 21 a nd conclude Feb. 2. Academ ic cou rses taug ht by Not re Da me facu lt y w i l l be held f rom Ja n. 4 t h roug h Ja n. 27. Each st udent w i l l be able to reg ister for one of t he more t ha n 120 w i nter session classes bei ng of fered. Sophomore L isa Spa n ia k sa id she pla ns to ta ke a n on l ine class t h roug h Not re Da me. She sa id she is l i kely to ta ke a cou rse t hat w i l l cou nt towa rds her ma rketi ng major. A lt houg h such a
long brea k wou ld not have been Spa n ia k’s f irst choice, she l i kes what Not re Da me is doing. “I t h i n k it was a good idea to of fer classes. I t h in k [t he Un iversit y is] doing a lot, t he best t hey ca n,” she sa id. T he Flat ley Center for Underg raduate Schola rly Engagement (CUSE) w i l l faci l itate super v ised resea rch ex per iences for a l i m ited nu mber of st udents. For u nderg raduates i nterested i n pu rsu ing resea rch du r ing t he brea k, CUSE is ma i nta in ing a list of bot h i n-person a nd v irt ua l resea rch oppor t u n it ies on its website. St udents conduct ing in-person resea rch ca n apply for f u ndi ng t h roug h CUSE to use towa rd housing du r i ng t he w i nter session. T he Mer uelo Fa m i ly Center for Ca reer Development (CCD) is connect i ng st udents w it h oppor t u n it ies for ca reer a nd professiona l development du r ing t he w inter session. Wit h prog ra m m ing such as net work ing oppor t u n it ies, ca reer work shops a nd a week ly ca reer development
ser ies, t he CCD has a ra nge of opt ions for st udents interested in professiona l d iscer n ment over t he brea k. Some st udents a re opting to pu rsue inter nsh ips du r ing t he w inter session. A n na Sprou le, a sophomore, sa id she w i l l be stay ing busy du r ing t he brea k. She work s for Un iversit y Relat ions a nd w i l l cont inue work ing as a n inter n du ring t he upcom ing w inter session, ta k ing on more hou rs t ha n her schedu le du r ing t he semester a l lows. Sprou le’s responsibi lit ies ra nge f rom work ing w it h a lu m n i to helping cu rate content on socia l med ia to con nect ing w it h contacts over Zoom a nd ema i l. She sa id t ha n k s to t he v ir t ua l nat u re of her work, she w i l l be able to keep work ing f rom home t h roug hout t he w inter. A lt houg h Sprou le t h in k s t hat some cha l lenges w i l l come a long w it h such a long brea k, she sa id t hat hav ing prog ra m m i ng t h roug h Not re Da me w i l l help g ive st r uct u re to t he days. “Th is keeps me on Paid Advertisement
schedu le. Ot her w ise, you f ind you rself just ly ing a rou nd,” she sa id. In add it ion to more convent iona l inter nsh ips, Not re Da me Inter nat iona l is coord inat ing t he V ir t ua l Globa l Professiona l E x per ience (v GPE), an u npa id inter nsh ip prog ra m t hat enables st udents to work w it h inter nat iona l compa n ies a nd orga n i zat ions wh i le stay ing home. T he pa r t ner orga n i zat ions a re based in cou nt r ies a rou nd t he world, g iv ing st udents a taste of a n inter nat iona l ex per ience du r ing a t ime of ongoing t ravel rest r ict ions. For ser v ice-or iented st udents, orga n i zat ions includ ing t he Center for Socia l Concer ns a nd t he Robinson Com mu n it y Lea r n ing Center a re pla nn ing com mu n it y engagement prog ra ms for t he w inter session. Vir t ua l volu nteer oppor t u n it ies w i l l match st udents w it h pa r t ner orga n i zat ions a nd place t hem in sma l l g roups to ref lect on t heir ser v ice ex per iences. Ref lect ing on t he Un iversit y’s approach to
prog ra m m ing for t he w inter session, Sprou le sa id she appreciates t he v ir t ua l aspects of t he w inter session. “I u ndersta nd what t hey’re doing, a nd I l i ke it a lot — especia l ly because of f lu season.” Ju n ior Kat ie Cou r y sa id t hat t he w inter session w i l l be a good way to stay connected to t he Sout h Bend com mu n it y wh i le she’s away. “I’m excited to be able to see my fa m i ly a nd f r iends aga in in a socia l ly-d ista nced ma n ner, but I w i l l def in itely m iss t he Not re Da me fa m i ly a nd ca mpus l ife du r ing t he nex t few mont hs,” Cou r y sa id. Cou r y a lso voiced approva l for Not re Da me’s new w inter prog ra ms. “I t h in k w inter session pla n n ing has been g reat overa l l, especia l ly for t h is being t he f irst yea r of its ex istence,” Cou r y sa id. “Not re Da me is helping us to cont inue to develop [ou r] hea r ts a nd m inds du r ing t h is elongated brea k.” Contact Grace Doerfler at gdoerfle@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | Wednesday, November 11, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Archives Continued from page 1
that Kinder was accepted to the group simply because she met all of the qualifications — and even surpassed them. “Molly met every requirement — height and otherwise,” said Dye. “We had the opportunity to watch Molly at all the practices and those who observed her audition were unanimous that her performance was excellent.” Kinder said she received a generally positive response after being selected, and felt accepted by the rest of the group. However, the members of the Guard declined to comment on her addition. Kinder expressed great excitement leading up to her first football game as a part of the group, and emphasized her commitment to being “as full of an Irish Guard member as possible.” Notre Dame student disapproves of Kinder’s position
Aug. 31, 2000 | Anthony Farina Kinder’s acceptance to the Irish Guard represented a historic moment in Notre Dame’s history. However, not all members of the Notre Dame community supported her presence on the Guard. In response to the news of Kinder’s selection, Anthony Farina (’99) wrote a Letter to the Editor to express his disappointment. The letter opens with pointed criticism of Dye, the band director who allowed Kinder to join the Irish Guard. Farina questioned the motives behind Dye’s decision, implying that Kinder’s acceptance to the Irish Guard was due to a desire for political correctness rather than her own aptitude for the position. “These are hardly reasons to end a 50-year, time-honored tradition,” Farina argued. Emphasizing the importance of tradition at Notre Dame, Farina continued to criticize Dye by accusing him of “forever defaming the image of the Irish Guard.” Declaring his lack of sympathy for both Kinder and Dye, Farina suggested that the two deserved any criticism they faced because “they willingly broke a tradition and put themselves in this position.” “I do feel somewhat sorry for the other members of the Irish Guard,” Farina added, “because they will now find it difficult to continue their own traditions with a female among them and will likely receive unjustified scrutiny if they should exclude her from any activity.” Farina further expressed his disapproval by adding that Dye’s decision caused him “feelings of anger and nausea.” Concluding with his wish that Dye would eventually regret his choice, Farina’s hostile letter exemplified the opposition Kinder faced as the first female member of Notre Dame’s Irish Guard. Band’s Head Drum Major responds to disapproval of Kinder
Sept. 1, 2000 | Jim McFarlin
But where there was criticism, there was also praise. Kinder’s addition was also a source of pride and an example of progress in the eyes of other members of the Notre Dame community. In particular, Jim McFarlin (‘01), the band’s head drum major at the time, called upon students to take pride in the Guard’s new addition. Writing in response to Anthony Farina’s article claiming that Molly Kinder was wrong in breaking tradition, McFarlin argued Farina misrepresented the Guard’s “traditions” — although a woman had never been in the Irish Guard, there was no rule preventing women from joining. “The fact that a woman has never been in the Guard before is not a ‘time-honored tradition,’” McFarlin argued, “it is a matter of circumstance.” McFarlin noted that height and marching capabilities were the only qualifications necessary for the Irish Guard, and Kinder met those expectations. “Anyone present at band auditions would have observed that Molly marched an outstanding audition,” McFarlin wrote. Like many other members of the campus community, he viewed Kinder’s position in the Irish Guard as a step in the right direction for Notre Dame. “I feel that Molly exemplifies the spirit of the Fighting Irish,” McFarlin wrote, “and I am proud to lead the band with Molly Kinder as a member of the Irish Guard.” ‘We have to evolve tradition’: 20 years later,Molly Kinder reflects on her experience as first Irish Guardswoman
After graduating from Notre Dame, Molly Kinder (‘01) adopted a policy of never bringing up her position as the first female member of the Irish Guard. But if she is asked, she will discuss it openly. Nearly 20 years after her time on the Guard, the Observer’s From the Archives team reached out to Kinder — and for the first time, the first Irish Guardswoman reflected on the challenges and lessons of her historical experience. Meeting the 6-foot-2 height requirement and demonstrating adequate marching skills were not the biggest obstacles to joining and being a part of the Guard — at least not for 6-foot3 Kinder, known by her peers and mentors for her exceptional marching abilities. But being a woman was. Kinder said she did not feel her nine fellow Guard members, all men, ever accepted her as part of the group. “They wouldn’t communicate with me. They wouldn’t socialize with me. They wouldn’t tell me important information,” Kinder said. Nonetheless, she also said she experienced “very uplifting” displays of support from her family, professors, friends, fellow McGlinn Hall residents
and others in the South Bend community. “There was a lot of enthusiasm from women on campus and women [alumnae],” Kinder added. Kinder said she believes her time as a Guardswoman was very personally formative — not in spite of, but because of the varying reactions to her new position, as well as the hurdles and the sense of fulfillment these attitudes entailed. “That kind of crazy experience I went through has really impacted me as a person. It has impacted my career,” she said. “I’ve done some kind of brave things, like moving to Liberia not long after a civil war and pushing myself to take jobs that were outside my comfort zone.” Today, Kinder is a David M. Rubenstein Fellow at the Brookings Institution, researching labor policy oriented around women and low-wage workers. Previously, she served in the Obama administration as a part of the United States Agency for International Development. Kinder also received the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award from Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. “It’s easy for me to look back and see how 20 years on, there’s some grace and some growth in [the challenges] as well. I feel really proud of that experience,” she said. Kinder recalled an especially challenging day, marked by a heartwarming moment. Before a football game, Kinder and her colleagues lined up in front of Bond Hall as part of a customary Guard inspection. The captain would check their uniforms in front of hundreds of fans. This particular day, former guardsmen watched on — angry, drunken and a bit rowdy, according to Kinder. She said she found this very stressful, as many of these alumni disapproved of her presence on the Guard. “The University administration had heard from angry [alumni] that these returning Guardsmen were going to come to my first game and cause a problem,” Kinder recalled. Anticipating disturbances from these former Guardsmen, the University intentionally placed priests and policemen in the area. “Thank God what they did was, they just ignored me,” Kinder said. But where there were challenges, there were also rewards. “And I still tear up thinking about this,” Kinder continued. “There was one incredibly classy [former] Guardsman who came up with his daughter. He came up to me and he said, ‘Molly, welcome to the Guard. This is my daughter. I hope she’ll be on the Irish Guard someday.’” That young girl is probably in her 20s today, Kinder noted — she may even be a student at
Notre Dame. “I hope she’s tall,” Kinder added. Although Kinder’s experience with the Guard ended 20 years ago, she expressed a belief that her story can shed light on today’s social issues. Reflecting on the challenges she encountered, Kinder relayed two messages — one for aspiring trailblazers, the other for institutions in power. If she could talk to the young girl who approached her, Kinder said, she would emphasize not only the challenges of breaking barriers, but also the rewards. “When you’re the first to do something that is groundbreaking, it’s not just the achievement of doing it, it’s the consequences of navigating the aftermath,” she said. “... I had the most challenges, but I also had the greatest rewards.” When Kinder became the first Guardswoman, her friend Michael Brown was the University’s first Black leprechaun. Reflecting on the progress they both spearheaded, Kinder commended all minority groups who break glass ceilings, such as other women, LGBTQ individuals and people of color: “I just applaud anyone for doing this. I think it matters so much.” And addressing institutions in power, specifically the University’s administration, Kinder spoke of the Notre Dame community’s unyielding adherence to tradition, as well as its responsibility to evolve when necessary. “Notre Dame is so steeped in tradition,” Kinder said, referencing the male-dominated spaces of religion and football, both central to the University’s culture. “It’s a really tough place to balance tradition and progress. Because if you don’t evolve your traditions, you’re just stuck in the past, and there’s no room to evolve.” Kinder also recognized the significance of her story within the context of today’s social
climate. With the hindsight of the #MeToo movement and ongoing gender inequities, her story carries a new weight. It’s not just about the trailblazers, Kinder argued: “It’s about all of us — particularly ... those who are setting the rules.” But since Kinder, the University has grappled with many other issues of marginalization. Progress at Notre Dame seems to occur in stages, Kinder noted. Following a focus on women’s issues at the turn of the century, attention turned to the acceptance of LGBTQ students. And today, the University is grappling with rising racial tensions on campus and beyond. But in all of these issues, Kinder identified one common thread: apathy from the administration forcing students to take matters of activism into their own hands. “It shouldn’t be up to the Black students on their own to own this and have to navigate this. It’s up to everyone. It’s up to the administration. It’s up to the culture. We’re all in this. It’s not fair to leave this to those who are breaking the barriers.” And speaking specifically to women’s issues that still pervade the University’s culture, Kinder challenged the administration to spark progress in a systematic manner. “It’s not just up to the girls to just beat down barriers and be the heroes,” she said. “I think we, as an institution and as a culture, have to do better to meet them where they are and make it better.” Contact Evan McKenna at emckenn2@nd.edu, Renee Pierson at rpierso1@nd.edu, Elizabeth Carter at ecarter4@nd.edu, Maggie Clark at mclark29@nd.edu and Adriana Perez at aperez8@nd.edu
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Stress Continued from page 1
Notre Dame has seen its fair share of headlines in national news as well this year, adding to an already controversial semester. The University not only dealt constantly with the COVID-19 pandemic but also with a contested presidential election, the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett — and the two separate demonstrations — Father Jenkins disregarding COVID protocols on the national stage, the loss of two first-year students in a car crash and most recently, students storming the field after the football team winning a hardfought game against Clemson.
Problems have been exacerbated as cases have spiked causing more people to be placed into isolation units, students who are immunocompromised having difficulty getting tested and, now, students having anxiety concerning their ability to make it back to their families in time for Thanksgiving. Sophomore Ely Rodriguez said these converging events on campus have affected her mental wellbeing in relation to her personal identities. “All of my identities [have been] playing a part in my mental health because of the world and what’s going on in it,” Rodriguez said. “This semester has had a lot of additional stress beyond the academic rigor because it is Notre Dame. There’s been a lot of things hindering me from being able to perform at my best academically, socially and emotionally.” Freshman Benjamín Rascón Gracia is immunocompromised,
Field Continued from page 1
St. Joseph County deputy health officer Dr. Mark Fox noticed the “energy rising” from his station overlooking the student sections, he said in an email. “On the one hand, I understood the energy and excitement and felt really helpless to do anything meaningful to override human nature,” Fox said. “The challenges of how to gather — whether to celebrate, protest or grieve — safely in the midst of a pandemic are difficult to manage.” But in that moment, he said, health concerns for the crowd had to shift from coronavirus concerns to stopping students from getting crushed in the rush of a crowd. Fox also noted the undergraduate testing requirements during the week leading up to the game with the hopes of limiting COVID-19 transmission. “While that decreases the risk, it doesn’t eliminate it. Having said that, while the storming the field incident raises some concern, based on the volume of people, the proximity and the hugging/ high-fiving going on, there still were a number of people in masks and it was outdoors, in which most people had tested negative in the preceding week,” Fox said. “The bigger concern stems from the social gatherings that occurred this weekend with a night game and gorgeous weather.
ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, November 11, 2020 | The Observer
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with an autoimmune disease that could flare up if he were to contract the virus. He said he has lived this semester in fear of accidentally catching the virus that he might be unable to fight off. “It is difficult going through almost nine months of constant vigilance towards COVID, especially since it’s had negative mental health effects on me,” Rascón Gracia said. “The high anxiety around a potential hospitalization is also constantly present. It’s extremely disturbing to think that a normal interaction could put my life at risk.” Megan Brown, director of the McDonald Center for Student Wellbeing (McWell), said she is working hard to help campus through these turbulent times. “Feeling lonely and isolated is normal, especially during this pandemic,” Brown said. “Students who feel isolated or homesick should reach out to old friends, new acquaintances, family and hall staff. Connecting with others and talking about our feelings helps us to cope.” Senior Grace Dean, student government director of health and well-being, said she is passionate about improving campus mental health. Throughout this semester, she has been working on a plethora of policy goals to assist the student body during this time, including passing a resolution during an August senate meeting to formally address mental health when communicating with the administration. Dean said she wished the University would alter its attitude toward students who have
contracted the coronavirus. “On an administrative level, the University has certainly improved in its COVID-19 response since classes began,” Dean said. “However, it’s concerning to think about the detrimental, and often avoidable, impacts on students’ emotional well-being that contact tracing, system delays or testing process glitches may have had. Seeing a shift away from blaming and shaming students is an encouraging step, and I hope that our University leaders continue cultivating a positive narrative rather than a negative one. Making others feel bad for being in isolation or quarantine isn’t conducive to anyone’s mental health.” Junior Elaine Carter, president of Active Minds — a student-led club that tackles mental health issues at the University — spoke about some of the frustrations she has had this semester in regards to mental wellbeing. “The hardest thing in getting through all this is the immense lack of authenticity on the side of the administration in terms of talking to us as a student body,” Carter said. “People saw the things on the sidewalk that ‘you’re doing what many people thought was impossible.’ It’s seeing something like that for me just disregards the struggle of it. It glosses over the difficulty a little bit.” Freshman Isabela Tasende spoke to her experiences traversing the pressures of school life amplified by coronavirus and the losses experienced earlier this semester. “The complete lack of academic breaks has made it hard to prioritize self-care,” Tasende said. “Schoolwork, grief and the stress
surrounding the global pandemic all pile up, leaving students exhausted and unmotivated. Still, the Notre Dame community provides a silver lining. If it weren’t for the support of my friends, I don’t know how I could’ve gotten through the semester.” Freshman Sofia Casillas has also experienced an intense semester made harder by pandemic. Casillas has been placed in quarantine on three separate occasions — none on her part but through contact tracing of her roommates. “Throughout my freshman year, I think there is a lot to be said about adapting to college through a refreshing experience away from your family and your home,” Casillas said. “But I had a lot of issues in my dorm community, which led me to feel that I was not supported. I had issues with friends. Not feeling as though I have a support system and then being thrown into quarantine three times broke me.” Casillas spoke to her experiences of feeling blamed by hall staff and her rector for going into quarantine and how those in positions of power have not recognized the wide range of mental health symptoms she’s experienced. “For people that might already be more introverted, they can slip through the cracks,” Casillas said. “And that’s a big issue. You don’t want them to slip through the cracks. There are resources but people don’t feel comfortable reaching out, and those in power don’t recognize people in pain. All of these terrible things I’ve experienced make me wonder why I’m here at Notre Dame because I feel
like I’m not living.” Earlier this semester, Notre Dame rolled out a 24-hour telehealth service to try to deal with the rising issues students are experiencing and has worked to call all those in isolation or quarantine every couple of days. In response to questions of belonging felt amongst students, Brown points to the need for a more inclusive campus through small actions of inviting others in and creating a more inclusive environment around us. “To help, we can all be more attentive and inclusive,” Brown said. “Invite others to participate in activities, while maintaining physical distancing and wearing masks, even if they are not a part of your ‘friend group.’ Small acts of care also boost the well-being of the giver, the receiver and the witness of the act.” With social isolation and other mental health mindsets from the pandemic, Dean said she wants the University to help more in backing up its students, not just banking on students to be encouraging to those around them. “Notre Dame students are resilient — it’s just the nature of who we are as the student body,” Dean said. “However, we shouldn’t have to be so resilient all the time. Instead of taking our community’s natural resilience for granted, University leadership should place greater value on interacting authentically with one another and showing our humanity during trying times.”
Saw lots of large crowds with few masks and likely people lingering even longer than they did on the field. Those gatherings pose substantially more risk than the field incident.” It is the weekend’s social gatherings that University President Fr. John Jenkins expressed his disappointment through a letter to the student body. The administration reinforced the importance of surveillance and exit testing, saying students cannot register for spring courses or leave campus if they miss either type of testing. Students who do not follow the University’s health and safety guidelines for gatherings will face severe repercussions. Jenkins has requested to meet with students who live in the Legacy Village apartment complex where some unsanctioned gatherings were held over the weekend, sources confirmed to The Observer. The concern of increased transmission of COVID-19 at these gatherings led to a shift in Notre Dame’s exit testing schedule, Fox said. “It was originally going to begin on [Monday], but given concerns about the risk of transmission from weekend events, and in an effort to keep the University community safe, as well as to reduce transmission to students’ home communities on departure, the decision was made to not initiate exit testing until later this week, in a time frame more likely to detect positives
associated with exposures from this past weekend,” he said. Notre Dame junior Duncan Donahue watched the events of the weekend unfold with fear and frustration. As someone with a history of respiratory illnesses, he found it disheartening that students chose to put themselves in a position that could aid in the transmission of COVID-19 throughout the tri-campus and South Bend communities. “I understand why people stormed the field,” Donahue said. “I’ve been a little bit frustrated with people saying that they earned it because I don’t really feel like you can earn the right to put other people at risk in a deadly pandemic. Not only other students but also South Bend. While they were storming the field, South Bend hospitalizations were at an all-time high.” Donahue said the administration’s public handling of this situation adds to other steps that have put students in harm’s way, such as the University’s spike in cases at the beginning of the semester and Jenkins’ appearance at the Rose Garden. “Those sorts of things overshadow this one incident,” he said. “But at the same time, two wrongs don’t make a right when the two wrongs are compounding the same problem. I think there’s definitely room to say that the administration has handled COVID in all these wrong ways, but that doesn’t mean storming the field is somehow right or justified.”
Saint Mary’s first-year Jesse Miller watched students take to the field from her position in the band section. She watched in confusion as students, many unmasked, stormed past the marching band and onto the field. “I just kind of tried to ignore that that was going on because we just won,” she said. “I was like, ‘This is so great,’ but I couldn’t help but think there’s a pandemic going on.” While she’s happy Notre Dame won, she’s disappointed in students’ disregard for the coronavirus safety guidelines. “There are people who saw that and that reflects negatively on Notre Dame itself,” Miller said. “It’s great that we beat Clemson but the fact that people were so negligent about the safety protocols and how they were just ignoring all the social distancing guidelines reflects badly on us as a community.” Not one to typically disregard COVID-19 safety restrictions, Notre Dame senior Alexandra Champlin recognizes the risks associated with what happened at the game. But sharing a moment of joy with friends and fellow students outweighs any negative feelings she might have. “I needed this sign of hope to change my perspective not only on this year but also my future outlook, being able to recognize the positive things of 2020,” Champlin said. “I had a sense of how desperately I needed a positive event like that, but I still cry when I watch the clip.
From that perspective, there was a clear health need in a way.” She said she finds comfort in knowing that she and many others had tested negative prior to the event and everyone she saw was wearing a mask. Still, Champlin plans to stay away from people this week just in case. Similarly, Notre Dame senior Jacob Plocher said everyone he encountered on the field was wearing a mask and did their best to maintain some sort of distance while gathered, limiting prolonged contact with anyone outside of his friends. “It was something that us as students really kind of needed, that chance to have all of the problems and the worries and the stresses of the semester dissipate for a moment and just run full speed on one of the most historic, iconic football stadiums in the country,” he said. Plocher said that though there were a risk and a chance the coronavirus could’ve been spread, he trusts that many potential positive cases were caught in the prior week’s testing and that the administration will handle whatever may happen before the semester ends. “I was something that’s just unforgettable,” he said. “The location being Notre Dame with the best college football program in the country and then having your friends arm-and-arm is perfect.”
Contact Mariah Rush at mrush@nd.edu and Dane Sherman at lsherma2@nd.edu
Contact Maria Leontaras at mleontaras01@saintmarys.edu
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The observer | wednesday, November 11, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Remember, remember, the month of November Abby Patrick Viewpoint Copy Editor
Remember, remember, the 5th of November. Isn’t that how the mov ie (and poem?) goes? If not, I apologize — I’m certainly no Scene Writer (I lack that certain cool mystique that generally surrounds the Scene department). I remember hearing that line in ”V for Vendetta” and being ver y taken by it — like a ringing little refrain in my head. Because, outside of the context of the mov ie itself, there is just something about November that seems to lend itself to memor y. Perhaps that’s why it’s a forgotten month. Sure, there’s Thanksgiv ing, but that’s at the ver y end of the month, distinctly a part of the holiday season. The November season is different. The days are dark, the trees don’t have their colors any more and the world starts to feel w inter barren for the first time that year. Halloween is over, Christmas still to come. A ll we have to do is watch the days grow shorter and colder. The dull end of the change of the year. Life fading out rather than coming back into bloom. For whatever reason, however, I secretly love November. It’s nostalgic, the month when you can see and feel change, and I want to watch moody academia mov ies like ”Good Will Hunting” and ”Dead Poets Societ y” for the 100th time or pretentiously sip tea while cozied in a blanket w ith melodramatic jazz singers seeping from the speaker in the background. November has its ow n beaut y and poetr y, too. Just the other night I saw the biggest moon I think I’ve ever seen — and I can say that w ith authorit y. I’m sort of a connoisseur of sk yscapes. It was perfectly haunting, yellow and low-slung in the sk y, w ith a thin veil of clouds across its face, dusting South Quad w ith just enough light. It was one of those moons that warranted a trip outside to get a better v iew. Leav ing the w indow open at night, you can hear geese f ly ing by, looking for stopovers on their way south and the ver y last of the leaves skittering along the ground, whispering the secrets of the year gone by. There’s something about the spareness of it all, the bright sunsets on bare trees, the bleak w inds that sneak around corners of buildings, that just lends itself to thinking. Makes you feel like wondering in a way we often don’t even dare to. Musing aloud as you walk across that moonlit quad, you ask yourself, what were the secrets of the year gone by? Do the trees have something to tell us before they go to sleep for the rest of the year? Some untold w isdom to bestow only upon the ones who are listening, the ones who understand the secret magic of the November season? So yes, it’s cold and dark and you can’t listen to Christmas music just yet *cough cough.* I’m well aware I may be the only one to so romanticize November. But even the sparest of seasons have their magic, have their moments of enchantment and transformation. So if you’re feeling open and w illing to wonder, take some time to listen to the leaves and the trees. W hat secrets w ill they tell you that can only be heard, are only remembered, in the November season? Contact Abby Patrick at apatrick@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Follow us on Twitter: @ObserverViewpnt
Healing for the holidays Ellie Konfrst Butterfly Effects
W hen I was about nine, I fell off my bike. My brother and I had ridden our bikes to the park, and on the way back, I veered off the sidewalk, fell on the pavement and skinned my knee. It was a prett y nast y fall — my poor, seven-year-old brother stared at me w ith w ide eyes as he watched me limp back home. W hen I finally made it up the driveway, my mom took me upstairs to clean it w ith Neosporin and bandage it up. In hindsight, I probably needed stitches. Even now, 11 years later, I still have a scar the shape of South America adorning my right knee. It might not hurt any longer, but my knee was never the same — the wound never quite healed properly, despite the careful attention given to it by my mother. The concept of healing is fascinating and deeply complex. Physically speaking, the healing process is a scientific one, involv ing various stages of inf lammation and tissue grow th. Yet, even health professionals recognize that healing is more than just scabbing and scarring. Some health scholars have defined healing as “the transcendence of suffering,” a process related to intensely personal beliefs about distress, what it means to be human and how to make ourselves whole. Given that definition, it is unsurprising that for many, healing the sick and wounded is central to their religious or spiritual beliefs, prompting practices like pray ing for div ine intervention or collecting natural cr ystals and rocks some believe contain the power to heal. I thought of my skinned knee and its souvenir and what it means to heal as I watched now President-Elect Joe Biden address the nation Saturday night and declare “this is the time to heal in America.” It’s rhetoric the Biden campaign has used throughout this entire election cycle, portray ing America in the Trump era as wounded, sore and tender, in desperate need of some Neosporin. Regardless of your political beliefs, anyone who has lived through 2020 as an American can recognize this countr y is dealing w ith some raw, open wounds. Some are new, causing unprecedented fear and devastation while forcing a new realit y we’re all still tr y ing to adjust to; some are old, reopened by events that proved to many of us the wounds had never really healed and that others were, indeed, right in thinking they never had. Some are the result of one man’s arrogance, making us reckon w ith who we want to be and if we could still truly love our neighbor; some are the result of our collective arrogance, forcing us to question our responsibilit y to our planet and process the possibilit y we may not be eternal. W hile these wounds are collective, staining our countr y’s soul, it’s impossible to ignore the suffering many are going through indiv idually. Some have lost loved ones to COV ID-19, others to the increasingly common natural disasters all around the countr y. The Notre Dame communit y has also suffered its share of tragedy this year. Beyond grief and loss, we are all separated from people we love, places we love and activ ities we love. In late June, more than 40% of U.S. adults reported struggling w ith mental health or substance abuse. This
year has not been easy on any of us. And here we are, staring dow n its last 50 days. How can we possibly begin to heal? If you’ve been reading my columns this semester, you know I rarely pretend to have a solution, especially when the problem is one that no one can seem to solve. If healing is the transcendence of suffering, we have a lot of work to do, probably decades worth of work, before those wounds can start to close. I don’t know exactly what that should look like or how to make it happen or who should help us bandage up. I’m also not even sure how ready we are to begin healing — coronav irus cases seem to be rising in most states and this transfer of presidential power is not looking particularly smooth. W hat I do know is how I can personally begin to heal. I start to feel those wounds healing when I drive dow n I-80 playing Taylor Sw ift’s magnum opus (yes, it’s “Red”; no, this is not open for debate). I start to feel the pain subside when I order takeout w ith my roommates and spend a Saturday night watching the Fighting Irish send Clemson packing. I start to feel scars healing up when I drive dow n the same street I skinned my knee on to my childhood home, to find my parents waiting for me w ith open arms and my dog running out to meet me. W hat I also know is that Notre Dame’s administration has blessed us w ith a 10week w inter break this year. I am extraordinarily luck y and grateful to know that I w ill be safe, cared for and loved during my time away from campus, and I am fully aware not ever yone has that priv ilege. Regardless of your situation, however, I hope you find time over the holidays to start to heal. I hope you start a new skincare routine or see some of your hometow n friends (masked and distanced, of course). I hope you spend this holiday season making time for yourself and reconnecting w ith those you love. The wounds causing us pain in 2020 may never be fully healed, and maybe some of them shouldn’t be. But when the ball drops (If the ball drops?) and we ring in 2021, I hope you feel a little more whole and a little less sore. Even if this year ends up permanently changing us, we still need to reach for that Neosporin. I mean, worstcase scenario, we end up w ith a cool little scar, right? Ellie Konfrst is a junior majoring in political science, with minors in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service and civil and human rights. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, she’s excited that people will finally be forced to listen to all of her extremely good takes. She can be reached at egloverk@nd.edu or @elliekonfrst13 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer
The observer | Wednesday, November 11, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
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Election aftermath Justice Mory In the Interest of Justice
Donald Trump has gone from unprecedented to un-presidented. As we have all seen, former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 US presidential election. What’s next? In this column, I will try to shed some light on what we can expect going forward.
The Electoral College The Electoral College will convene December 14, and barring any historically unlikely circumstances, Congress will meet January 6 to certify the results. There has been some speculation regarding the possibility of faithless electors; however, out of 23,507 electoral votes in United States history, only one has been cast in favor of the opposing candidate. Faithless electors have never changed the outcome of an election. With the democratic candidate earning the most votes nationally, yet losing the electoral vote in both 2000 and 2016, it is no surprise that this system has become unfavorable for many. Discussing the change or abolishment of the Electoral College from the side of the losing candidate is a challenging stance leverage-wise. Any argument one could make will likely be ignored, with the assumption that the only reason a person opposes this system is that his or her candidate lost. However this year was different, with the winner of the national popular vote also managing an electoral victory. Hence, this is the best time to discuss moving on from this antiquated system. If the stance on the electoral system being f lawed is to be principled, change should be discussed and fought for even
when the results are favorable. Therefore after this most recent election, people who believe that all voters’ voices should matter the same, regardless of geographic location, need to continue to voice this opinion. Even if the Electoral College is too cemented into U.S. political culture to remove, there are still measures to limit it, such as the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. In this state-based agreement, currently comprising 16 jurisdictions and 196 electoral votes, all these electoral votes would go to whichever candidate won the national popular vote. This agreement has reached 73% of the needed support to become a force in future elections — effectively ending the reign of the Electoral College, using the Electoral College. It remains to be seen whether this will ever become reality, but it is something to keep an eye on going forward.
The Republican Party With the Trump era of the Republican Party possibly coming to an end before President Trump could earn a second term, a lot could change for the party. First, I believe Americans will not forget those Republicans that called out Donald Trump for what he was during the 2016 Republican primary, only to fall in line in unequivocal partisan support for four years. This list includes all the big names, from Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz to people outside of an elected office, such as media personality Ben Shapiro. However, one name stands out in the crowd. This person is former 2012 Republican presidential candidate, Senator Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney has effectively shorted the current version of the Republican Party and can step forward with a reputation not tied to the fall
of the Trump presidency, but instead backed by integrity and traditional conservative values. For the last four years, Romney has called out Trump, even going so far as to vote for his impeachment, the first U.S. Senator to vote to remove a President from his own party. He is now positioned to be a credible voice of reason and a person that can restore the American public’s faith and trust in the Republican Party — a Republican Party without Trump. However, this is mostly speculation, and it remains to be seen if Trumpism has been defeated, or just Trump himself. This future depends on the performance of Joe Biden’s presidency, one that could quell the movement of half the country to right-wing populist nationalism, or inf lame it.
President Donald Trump There is a lot of uncertainty concerning President Trump’s next move. Some online speculation has thrown out ideas, such as the possibility of Trump acquiring One America News Network to compete with Fox News or continuing to build the MAGA brand up until 2024. What we can expect is hard to say, but I believe it likely includes a continued active presence on Twitter, barring any suspension once he is out of office. Beyond that, it is widely unknown. Justice Mory is majoring in business analytics and is part of the John W. Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. He is from Southern California and now lives in Duncan Hall. His main goal is to keep learning and to continue to become more informed. He can be reached at jmory@nd.edu or @JmoryND on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Journalism matters Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you’ve seen coverage of the 2020 presidential election. Many Americans turned to cable news channels such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News for updates, hoping to hear the latest race calls and calculate the margins each candidate would need to w in the electoral votes of a certain district or state. These updates were delivered — efficiently and accurately — by journalists who worked tirelessly to prov ide commentar y for the American people. The efforts of these journalists garnered national attention, specifically MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki and CNN’s John King and their use of interactive maps to convey election results. The term “chartthrobs” was coined, a testament to the way these men were immediately idolized by the public. However, now that election coverage is slow ing dow n, these love letters to journalists have come to a halt. They shouldn’t. With a 24-hour news cycle, journalists are under pressure to work around the clock to convey accurate and engaging information to the American public. Starting Nov. 3, this cycle became a week-long sprint to be the first to report
election results. Journalists worked for nearly a week straight w ithout breaks to prov ide accurate information to not only Americans but people around the world who were eagerly awaiting results. The recognition of this hard work should not stop after the height of coverage. The work of journalists is never done, even when the appreciation for reporting fades. As consumers of the news, it can be so easy to take information in and move along w ithout acknowledging the extensive time and thought dedicated to researching and editing the final product. Even now, journalists in Nevada are tweeting count y by count y updates of ballot counting, and journalists in Georgia are prov iding updates of the upcoming legal battles that are sure to happen in the state. Journalists in Arizona are still working to debunk misinformation claiming that ballots completed in Sharpie would not be counted. Journalists of all areas, skill sets and levels work tirelessly to tell the stories of their communities, sometimes going w ithout recognition. Working to uncover the truth and report it accurately is a hallmark of the industr y, whether it be on a college campus, in a small tow n or for a national audience. Too often, the work of journalists is denounced as “fake news” and blamed for partisan div isions in American societ y. And yet, w ithout journalists, many Americans would not be informed to
the same extent they currently are, and misinformation would run w ild w ithout any counter. Journalists do more than report the news — they also work to root out misinformation and prov ide empirical ev idence for public access. Journalists w itness and record histor y as it unfolds in ever yday life, seeking to prov ide accurate information while striv ing to remain fair and impartial. Often, it is easy to read an article and forget there is a person behind the words. As people, we sometimes make mistakes. Like w ith any person w ith considerable responsibilit y, journalists deser ve to be held accountable by their communities to ensure they prov ide fair and ethical coverage. We ask that you continue to do the same for us while remembering the students behind the content of our publication. The presidential election coverage has started to slow dow n, but the importance of good reporting remains the same. Recognize and support the work of local journalists who cover ever ything in a communit y from a new church opening to restaurant closures due to the pandemic. Appreciate the regional and state-w ide journalists who can explain the vote distribution in districts across a state and why ballot counting takes so long. Appreciate national journalists who report on what’s happening thousands of miles away and how those events can affect your life. Appreciate journalists. Subscribe to your local paper. Remember journalism matters.
Please recycle The Observer.
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The observer | Wednesday, november 11, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’ll do it when I get there Sydni Brooks Everything is fine
While watching “Grey’s Anatomy” in quarantine over the summer, as every decent pre-med student should (Yes, I’m calling you out if you don’t watch Grey’s.), “Street Lights” by Kanye West played at the end of season five episode 10. I know Kanye is quite controversial, but for the moment, I ask we separate the art from the artist. The song is from “808s and Heartbreaks” which is pre-crazy Kanye so I feel like it’s lowkey socially acceptable. Anyway, as my life has spiraled in and out of control over the past nine months, my shuffled playlists always stumble upon this song every couple of weeks, and every time it plays once, I end up keeping it on repeat for several hours. While this song almost fully encompasses my concerns of feeling completely alone in my tribulations during this time, it also provides a hopeful message on how we can persevere through these next few weeks and the rest of this drama series we call a semester. The song basically describes how the world keeps moving, and we have to keep moving with it regardless of how we feel. I constantly feel like I’m being dragged by my hair to get through each day, and my only real accomplishment is making it through each day. Every class period is agonizing to sit through, and I feel like I’m unable to genuinely enjoy any of my classes because it feels like the rest of the world has much more pressing issues for me to deal with. I’m not that interested in the properties of torque and the rhetoric of a sentence in a novel written 56 years ago when my rights are being infringed upon, my friends’ communities are being murdered and a deadly disease dictates how we operate in this community. However, my trials and tribulations won’t stop the semester from moving forward. The earth will continue to turn and the world will continue its regularly scheduled programming whether I’m functioning in it
or not. In the second line of the song, Kanye asks, “Do I still got time to grow?” I feel like my entire college experience is defined by me continuously asking myself this question. I keep reminding myself college isn’t the place where I’m supposed to have everything figured out; it is the place where I’m supposed to figure everything out. We must prepare for internships, graduate school applications, career advancement opportunities and logical adult decision making. The rest of my life depends on how I spent these four years of undergraduate education. I know some people feel confident in having their lives all figured out, knowing exactly where they’re going and how to get there, but all I have is a dream to be the best version of myself. I have no idea what that dream looks like in practice. While this college experience is supposed to be the time to figure that out, sometimes it feels like we should have figured it out before we got here. As Kanye realizes the moments of his life continue to pass him, he pays his fair for a cab on the metaphorical road to success. He explains that while knows his destination, he recognizes he simply isn’t there yet. My thoughts and emotions this semester have been consumed with how I want to lead the rest of my life, but sometimes I become concerned I’m not figuring it out fast enough or as quickly as my peers. I grow frustrated thinking something must be wrong with me if I can’t come to the same conclusion about the meaning of a good life that everyone else has. It’s extremely tiring feeling like I’m drowning in all of my work and obligations while everyone else seems to be floating through. However, what I fail to realize is that I paid for my own cab to drive me to my own destination, not anyone else’s. Everyone else’s cabs are going to their own personal destinations, and their destinations are not meant to look like mine. Furthermore, I don’t have to know what the destination looks like, just that there is one. We keep forcing ourselves to make decisions that will dictate the outcome of
the rest of our lives, but I think the whole point is to spend life figuring life out. We only get to do this once, and if we rush to decide how we are going to spend the rest of our lives when we have only lived a small portion of it, do we ever truly live? As Notre Dame students, we generally occupy the same skill set, and since we are given the same tools to succeed through the Notre Dame education, I feel like I should be at the same point in my success story as everyone else. But our success stories and the way we end them are meant to be much different from each other, and they aren’t finished. This is only the beginning of our cab ride. These next four years are just the start of the journey, and this specific time period is just one location throughout the ride. If we continue to pay the fare by putting in the work, no matter what that looks like, we will eventually make it to our destination, regardless of what that destination is. I’m beginning to refuse to expedite this process of life and success because it’s very clear none of us have all the answers to adequately do so. The global situation and the national and local responses to it are very new to us, just as each of our life experiences are new to us. But the confusion, uncertainty and setbacks cannot prohibit us from moving forward with the rest of the world and achieving our goals. We don’t have to know everything to get this thing called life right, but we have to keep going to get there. Sydni Brooks is junior at Notre Dame majoring in English with a supplemental major in pre-health and a minor in Africana Studies. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, she has made Flaherty Hall her campus home. She aspires to be a gynecologist to serve women from all backgrounds in the medical field. Sydni can be reached at sbrooks2@nd.edu or @sydnimaree22 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Misinformation and the 2020 election Blake Ziegler News with Zig
After a tumultuous campaign amidst a global pandemic, Joe Biden was elected the next President of the United States. Americans should be proud that despite the challenge of COVID-19, our democracy still stands. Despite delays in counting votes, we should applaud ourselves for voting in record numbers. Yet, the results of this election still demonstrate that America is extremely divided. This column’s focus is one source of this division: social media. Social media was riddled with misinformation intended to stoke division between Americans throughout the 2016 election. Social media companies failed to regulate their content and remove false information, which spreads significantly faster than real news. Despite implementing new policies and procedures to limit the spread of misinformation, social media companies still struggled to contain it during the 2020 election. One type of misinformation was related to allegations of voter fraud, suggesting that the election was “stolen” from Trump. The purpose of these posts was to sow distrust in the election’s integrity, driving many Americans to protest the counting of ballots. While the Facebook posts and tweets often cited accurate information, they failed to include important facts that disproved these allegations of voter fraud. The purpose of this column is to review popular claims of voter fraud and demonstrate that the 2020 presidential election was legitimate. Let’s start with Pennsylvania, a state critical for any Trump reelection scenario. A rumor circulated on Facebook to 11.3 million users arguing that 21,000 dead people voted for Biden in Pennsylvania, winning the state for the Democratic candidate. It was even shared by Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal attorney. The rumor stems from a lawsuit alleging that 21,000 dead citizens were listed as active voters. However, the court ruled that
no substantial evidence was found that dead citizens were registered to vote or that any ballots were cast by dead citizens. Skeptics promoted a similar accusation in Michigan, despite evidence showing it was only a clerical error and no illegitimate ballots were cast. Another voter fraud allegation is that swing states had voter turnout numbers exceeding 100% of registered voters, suggesting that false ballots were cast in favor of Democrats. Posts related to the rumor spread throughout social media, sparking outrage and attacks on the election’s integrity. However, a quick search reveals that none of these claims are true and these states experienced turnout levels lower than their registration numbers. For instance, the state of Wisconsin reported 3,684,726 registered voters, while over 3.2 million ballots were cast with 98% of votes counted. Nevada has 2,032,450 registered voters and 1.3 million ballots cast with 97% of votes reported. Pennsylvania has 9,091,371 registered voters and 6.7 million ballots cast with 98% of votes counted. A similar story is found for all other battleground states, where the number of total ballots cast in the 2020 election is below the number of registered voters. This indicates that the claim of voter fraud is false. Now, there are claims of election interference other than fraudulent ballots. The Trump campaign alleges that it has been denied adequate access to observe ballots being counted, something the Republican and Democrat campaigns are entitled to. People are misconstruing this to mean that the Trump campaign could not observe ballots being counted, when in reality the legal dispute is over how closely they can monitor the count. These lawsuits have proven to be unsuccessful across the country. For example, one judge in Philadelphia found that no substantial evidence was found to corroborate claims of unfair treatment or election fraud. President Trump is within his right to call for a recount in states that grant him the ability, such as in Georgia, a state that already declared a recount will take place. Just as
when Hillary Clinton called for recounts in 2016, the president has the right to do so when the law allows it. My issue is when people ignore the facts of the circumstances and refuse to accept their outcome in court. Now, Democrats are not immune to propagating false information. On election day, a popular Democratic Facebook group called The Other 98% posted a photo of Trump supporters in New Jersey supposedly intimidating voters and blocking access to polling sites. However, the claim is vehemently false. Local police confirmed the event did not happen and the photo was actually taken days prior to the election. Was there voter fraud in the 2020 election? It is likely, but as I explained in a previous column, not at high enough levels to change the election’s outcome. My intent here is not to support or condemn one party over another, but to promote the search for truth. Misinformation, particularly on social media, is a significant threat to modern democracy. As citizens, we rely on truthful reporting and information to make the right decisions. When we cannot trust our sources, we are left hopeless in our decision-making. I ask that before you post on social media, verify the information for yourself. Do not simply share something because it reinforces your preconceived beliefs, but because it is true and a productive contribution to the national dialogue. When the truth does contradict your beliefs, be open to changing your position. Otherwise, your responsibility is now to find better evidence to support your side. Allow truth to guide our democracy—not falsehood and division. Blake Ziegler is a sophomore at Notre Dame from New Orleans, Louisiana, with double majors in political science and philosophy. He loves anything politics, especially things he doesn’t agree with. For inquiries, he can be reached at bziegler@nd.edu or @NewsWithZig on Twitter if you want to see more of his opinions. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The observer | Wednesday, November 11, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
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ELLIS RIOJAS | The Observer
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The observer | WEdnesday, November 11, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
By COLLEEN FISCHER Scene Writer
I figured it was fitting to close the semester the same way I opened it: with Bob Dylan. Since the Timothée Chalamet biopic about the singer’s shift from folk to rock music— aptly titled “Going Electric” — is delayed indefinitely, here are some movies about Dylan to fill your endless days. There are countless unofficial and official documentaries and biopics that attempt to depict Dylan’s life, and the facts filmmakers decide to present as truths usually tell us more about them than they do Dylan, allowing him to maintain the cult of mystery surrounding his life while still collecting his paychecks. “I’m Not Here (2007)” — Todd Haynes Pretentious at times but endlessly fascinating, this movie takes an all-star cast and multiple Oscar nominations and makes a movie about Dylan’s fans. It requires some knowledge of Dylan’s life and career in order not to get lost while the story flips from one portrayal of Dylan to the next. The movie forces the viewer to realize that every Dylan fan picks a version of him to love and ignores the rest, often chalking it up to legend and lies. Expertly recreating historical scenes — as Cate Blanchett does in her representation of Dylan’s 1965 San Francisco press conference — while also forgoing reality for emotion, such as in the legendary Newport performance, this film captures what it’s like to be a fan of Dylan more than Dylan himself. It’s a masterclass in both performance and scripting; all the versions of Bob Dylan hurl through time toward the infamous motorcycle crash, leaving the viewer to decide which Dylan is theirs. “Don’t look back (1965)” — D.A. Pennebaker Premiering in 1965, this essential Dylan film came out at the height of his fame. This documentary follows the format of one of the hundreds of tour documentaries, leaving little
It’s 70 and sunny, but it’s also November so Christmas is right around the corner. Of course, the holiday wouldn’t be complete without Christmas music. You know the classics, but you might not know these two underappreciated Christmas albums.
“The Christmas Album” — Delicate Steve By Ryan Israel, Scene Editor Most Christmas music is painfully boring. It’s the same 10 or so songs sung by any one of a hundred different artists, each putting their own little spin on it but not changing much at all. There are, of course, some indisputable classics; by and large, though, the vast majority of Christmas music doesn’t deserve to be played. Viewed in this context of monotony, Delicate Steve’s “The Christmas Album” is refreshing. Under the aforementioned moniker, guitarist and songwriter Steve Marion has released a handful of projects and played with notable names like Tame Impala, Amen Dunes and Paul Simon, but his best work comes in his reinventions of timeless Christmas tunes on “The Christmas Album.” The first seconds of album opener “Silent Night” introduce the thesis of Delicate Steve’s Christmas tunes: the electric guitar. Across all the nine songs on the project, Steve’s intricate and skillful guitar playing serves as the highlight, taking the place of a choir or singer’s vocals and allowing the instrumental album to go against the grain. On “Away in a Manger,” the guitar pierces the well-known percussion, and on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” it echoes across
time for reflection or introspection. It provides a remarkably human look at the artist as he navigates from one conversation to the next while reporters try to expose him as a fraud and his friends try to figure out his genius. B-roll footage of this film is still appearing on YouTube, framed in a historical sense. This documentary, I think, is less about telling a story than it is about displaying Dylan’s humanity. He can be seen at the top of his game, finally becoming the artist that the little boy with James Dean and Elvis posters on his walls wanted to be. But, as the film makes clear, his fans hated him for it. Humorously enough, “Don’t Look Back” has a similar message as the new Justin Bieber song: nothing really matters when you’re lonely. “No Direction Home” — Martin Scorsese This movie is a straightforward documentary. The overthree-hour runtime takes you through Dylan’s Odyssey. The story is told through talking heads like Joan Baez and Suze Rotolo, the only two people who probably got to see the complete Dylan (as well as, of course, Dylan himself). The creation of the film seems to function almost like a favor to all other filmmakers, offering a baseline for others to build off of with its strong, unbiased historical account that viewers can refer back to. It is a good place to start if you want to know more about Dylan and can make it through all 3 hours and 28 minutes. It took me a couple of sittings. “Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)” — Joel and Ethan Coen OK, so this one probably does not belong on the list, since Dylan is only in it for a couple of seconds, but not only does Dylan and the impeding folk revival hang over the movie, but his music also appears on the soundtrack. The Coen Brothers were dedicated to portraying the historical and current folk scenes in an endless loop. By including the Milk Carton Kids, the Punch Brothers, Mumford and Sons and Joan Baez in a concert performance attached to the movie
the snowy night. The album’s closing song is a 14-minute rendition of “Frosty the Snowman” that rivals the lengthy jams of Hendrix or the Dead. The wonder of Delicate Steve’s “The Christmas Album” comes with its replay value. In the months leading up the big day, it can be thrown on for almost any occasion, filling the background but not overpowering the moment with crooning or cheers. For those looking to add a touch of variety to thiwws year’s Christmas playlist, try “The Christmas Album” once, twice or as many times as you’d like.
“Barenaked for the Holidays” — Barenaked Ladies By Claire Rafford, Assistant Managing Editor Christmas music has always been my favorite part of the holiday season. Every year on the day after Thanksgiving, while my family started decorating our house, I would rifle through the cardboard box where my parents kept their CDs, searching for the Christmas classics that had inevitably been lost at the bottom. Bypassing classics from Christmas giants like Bing Crosby or Jewel, I always went straight for my favorite Christmas album of all time: “Barenaked for the Holidays.” As their band name might suggest, the Barenaked Ladies don’t take themselves too seriously, and “Barenaked for the Holidays” is no exception. The 20-track studio album contains some of the traditional holiday canon but with a twist — Sarah McLachlan joins for a jazzy medley
and on the soundtrack, the two directors blurred the lines between “then” and “now.” Dylan’s mastery of time is one of the most intriguing parts of his music and one of the major themes in the film. This movie may not be about Dylan directly, but it does have the heart of a young Dylan leaving behind Hibbing, Minnesota, for Greenwich Village in search of Guthrie and Kerouac, both of whom would end up disappointing him. It is a beautiful, sentimental account of the circular trajectory of folk music and a tribute to all of the musicians who, due to poor timing, lack of genius or moral stubbornness, have slipped through the cracks, leaving the question of “What if?” echoing in your head. “Rolling Thunder Revue (2019)” — Martin Scorsese Scorsese’s second shot at Dylan’s story, this movie blurs fact and fiction, telling the story of one tour in 1975. It seamlessly stitches together true stories and historical footage with entirely fabricated accounts from professional actors. The movie may be commenting on the myths that surround Dylan, but it more rigorously tells the story of a last-ditch effort of a failing movement. By the mid-to-late ’70s, all the hope of the ’60s had disappeared, leaving behind artists desperately trying to rediscover something real on a bus. Seeing Dylan hop on a poor imitation of Ken Kesey’s bus and try to make himself into a new Cassidy at the wheel leaves a poor taste in my mouth. There is a pure moment between him and Allen Ginsburg at Kerouac’s grave. Some people see “Rolling Thunder Dylan” as the purest form of Dylan. With this in mind, the film is a great example of creative documentary filmmaking, one that only a director as established as Scorsese could pull off. Contact Colleen Fischer at cfischer01@saintmarys.edu
of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “We Three Kings” that elevates both songs beyond their original versions. There are also some songs that are downright strange; for instance, original tune “Elf’s Lament” (featuring the king of Christmas himself, Michael Buble) is a musical manifesto from an elf lobbying for better working conditions. If that sounds wacky to you, it is — but it works, in the best way possible. The album also contains plenty of twists on Christmas classics from “Deck the Stills,” which is just the words “Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young” repeated to the tune of “Deck the Halls,” to a version of “Jingle Bells” that includes the “Batman smells” verse. The album also contains several Hanukkah songs — “Hanukkah Blessings,” which contains the traditional blessings over the lights for the holiday, is a standout — and the closing track, “Auld Lang Syne,” could easily blend in the background at any fancy New Year’s party. My family usually listens to music on Spotify these days, and I’m pretty sure our CD player is permanently broken, but I can guarantee we’ll be playing “Barenaked for the Holidays” from now until Christmas. It’s festive and funny, merry and melancholy — perfect for sitting around a Christmas tree or jamming out in the car. In a year when we could all use a few more laughs, cue up “Barenaked for the Holidays” and enjoy the vibes of a new holiday tradition. Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu and Claire Rafford at crafford@nd.edu MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer
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Crossword | will shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Protect against insult and injury. Pace yourself, consider your objective and be secretive regarding your intentions. Share with like-minded people and those you feel can contribute to your journey. Change is in the air, but it’s up to you to take advantage of whatever opportunity comes your way. Choose a unique path that encourages creativity, spirituality and peace of mind. Your numbers are 9, 16, 20, 23, 32, 36, 47. ARIES (March 21-April 19): You may crave change, but before you make a move, consider your motives as well as your options. Patience will be required if you intend to reach your goal. Settling for less will lead to dissatisfaction. Concentrate on raising your profile. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take the plunge. Step into action. Make a difference. Stand up for your rights, go after your goal and engage in conversations that address sensitive issues. A partnership will encourage personal growth and professional gains. Set a high standard. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Do something that requires energy, agility and a competitive mindset. A physical challenge will bring out the best in you and help you succeed in other areas of your life. Aggressive action will deter anyone from taking you for granted. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Moderation is favored. Speak up if you don’t like what someone is offering. You may not relish making a change, but consider the alternative, and do what’s necessary to improve your situation. Take better care of your health. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take care of matters that require physical exertion. A change will encourage you to strive for a better future. Distance yourself from a movement that doesn’t share your point of view. Be true to your beliefs, and concentrate on self-improvement. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your emotions will push you in a positive direction. Don’t put up with pressure tactics or people who aren’t abiding by the rules. An unusual partnership will encourage you to try something new and incorporate what you learn into your everyday routine. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take a deep breath and go about your business. Don’t expect to get along or agree with the people you encounter today. Consider your options, and put your energy into something that will bring you closer to your goal. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t sit back when action is paramount in reaching your destination. Harness your energy, and implement whatever will help you move closer to your chosen goal. Don’t count on others when it’s up to you to push through change. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): An emotional situation will surface if you let someone meddle or interfere with your plans. Rely on your ability to get things done instead of depending on promises someone makes. Personal improvements will boost your morale. Romance is in the stars. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ll face opposition if you pressure others to do things your way. Go about your business, and finish what you start. A change at home will save you money and improve your quality of life. An unusual offer will entice you. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Resolve money matters. Consider a joint venture or shared expense. How you delegate responsibilities will determine if you can move forward peacefully. Don’t get involved in matters that don’t concern you. Personal improvement is favored. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Share your ideas, and look for equality in every personal or professional interaction you encounter. The people you associate with will make a difference in the outcome of something you want to pursue. An unexpected change will work in your favor. Birthday Baby: You are insightful, engaging and thoughtful. You are practical and resourceful.
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Sports Authority
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Defenses get cooked by Cook Nate Moller Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Nov. 10. I have always been a fan of Dalvin Cook. Almost every year I draft him on my fantasy team, and he plays for my Minnesota Vikings, so it’s a perfect combination for me. While Cook has been very susceptible to injuries since he entered the league in 2017, almost everyone would agree that Cook is one of the best players in the league when he’s healthy. I’ll even argue that Cook is the best running back in the league right now. Cook has played in seven games so far this year, missing only one due to an injury. In those seven games, he has absolutely “cooked” up the defenses he’s faced. Cook is averaging nearly two touchdowns a game with 12 rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown on the year. In PPR fantasy leagues, he is averaging an astounding 27.0 points per game. There was definitely concern when Cook was injured in the Vikings’ week five loss to the Seahawks, but he has looked even better since coming back. In fact, in his first game back against the Packers last week, Cook had a career day with four touchdowns and over 200 allpurpose yards. The play of the day was arguably on a screen pass near midfield that Cook took to the house, juking multiple Packers along the way. Just when I thought Cook couldn’t do any better, he proved me wrong with his performance this weekend against the Lions where he rushed for 206 yards on the ground alone. That performance made him the first Vikings running back to rush for over 200 yards since Adrian Peterson did against Oakland in 2015. Assuming Cook can stay healthy down the road, he might be on his way to being better than Peterson and becoming the greatest Vikings running back of all time. Just for fun, I wanted to compare Cook’s numbers to Peterson’s first couple of years in the league. Although Peterson put up more yards in each of his first three seasons than Cook, this was mostly because he had more carries. If you look
at yards per rush, the two are very comparable. Over his first three seasons, Peterson averaged roughly 5 yards per rush and Cook averaged a similar 4.6 yards per rush over his first three seasons. One area where Cook appears to be better than Peterson is ball control. Despite Peterson’s strong start to his career, he fumbled an astonishing 19 times throughout his first three years in the league. Although Cook had less playing time than Peterson in his first three years, Cook only had seven fumbles during his first three years in the league. Another reason I like Cook is that he is one of the few good draft picks that the Vikings have made in recent years. The Florida State product was drafted in the second round with the 41st overall pick, and I am sure a lot of teams are scratching their heads, wishing they had drafted him when they had the chance. This past September, the Vikings made the smart decision to sign Cook to a five-year contract worth $63 million. I applaud the Vikings’ front office for doing this. When someone with big playmaking ability like Cook is a part of your team, you have to make deals like this to ensure that the future of your team is bright. While the Vikings are likely out of the playoff picture this year, Cook looks to have a long, bright future ahead of him in Minnesota. For Cook to prove himself as one of the greatest Vikings’ running backs of all time, he will need to prove himself in the playoffs. In the Vikings’ two-game playoff run last year, Cook was less than impressive, racking up 112 yards on 37 carries for a disappointing 3.03 yards per carry. This is a limited sample size, but great players step up for big games, and that was not the showing the Vikings needed from their star back. Cook is a great, young running back on the rise, so don’t be surprised if your team’s defense gets cooked by Dalvin multiple times over the next several years. Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@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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New NFL power teams emerge after Week 9 Thomas Zwiller Sports Writer
Going into Week 9, it felt like I had a solid feel for the NFL season. The Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the top-tier teams in the NFC. The AFC had the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers as their two top-tier teams. However, coming out of Week 9, I feel awfully less confident in those four teams. I’m going to break down Week 9 of the NFL season and who I think has proven to be the best.
Kansas City Chiefs Current record: 8-1 Projected record: 13-3 Let’s start with the one thing all NFL fans know to be true: The Chiefs are a Superbowl caliber team. The team added former Jets running back Le’Veon Bell, and he is only their second-best running back behind breakout star Clyde Edwards-Helaire. FiveThirtyEight expects them to go 13-3, due to them playing the Saints and Buccaneers (but based on the Buccaneers’ latest showing, I think they could easily be 14-2, and I expect them to get the No. 1 seed in the AFC). Even if they don’t get the No. 1 seed, I think their floor is the AFC Championship game.
that first-round bye.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Current record: 6-3 Projected record: 10-6 After Tom Brady signed with Tampa Bay, they instantly became a Super Bowl contender, on paper at least. In Week 1, the Saints beat them soundly 34-23 and the Bucs looked confused and unprepared. However, they were able to rattle off three good wins until they played the Bears, a game in which Tom Brady had his now-infamous fourthdown incident. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked like a solid team after that fourth-down mishap against the Bears, winning another three games. I had thought they could earn the first-round bye, until Week 9. Tampa Bay played the Saints again and lost 38-3. The Saints simply shut down the Bucs, forcing them into error after error. The Bucs were favored to win the NFC South headed into the game, at 59%, but after it now trail the Saints 20% to 79%. The Bucs looked like a solid team, but the Saints exposed a key weakness: If you can pressure Tom Brady, the Bucs have nothing. I think Tampa Tom and his Buccaneers will make the postseason as a wildcard team and will be lucky to make the second round.
Seattle Seahawks Pittsburgh Steelers Current record: 8-0 Projected record: 14-2 The Pittsburgh Steelers have the most dominant defense in the NFL. They lead the league in sacks with 32 and are second in takeaways with 15. The Steelers are below average offensively in both passing yards and rushing yards per game. The lacking Steelers offense is exactly why I kind of lost faith in them. They beat the Cowboys 24-19, and while their defense performed well, their offense didn’t really get going until the second half when they overcame a 19-9 fourth-quarter deficit. That’s honestly going to be their downfall in the postseason. If the defense can’t stop Patrick Mahomes (which they can’t, they can only slow him) and the offense can’t keep up, it’ll be game over for the Steelers. They also perform significantly worse on the road, just like they did in the Cowboys game, so they really need to get home-field advantage. The good news is that the Steelers are undefeated at 8-0, and FiveThirtyEight gives them a 50% chance of getting
Current record: 6-2 Projected record: 11-5 The Seahawks weren’t my pick to win the NFC; that honor was with the Buccaneers. However, they were a good team behind Russell Wilson, who is having an MVP-caliber season. Letting Russ cook was working. They had only narrowly lost to the Cardinals behind Russ having a career-worst three INTs. That seemed like a fluke, and despite a league-worst defense, I thought Russ and wide receivers Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf were playing at a level that could dig that defense out of their hole. However, the Seahawks came up against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9. Josh Allen exposed one of the worst secondaries in the league, going 31-38 for 415 yards and three TDs. Wilson faced the Bills defense, which is arguably top-five in the league, and he played poorly. Wilson threw for 390 yards and two TDs but also threw two INTs, which allowed the Bills to win 34-44. The Bills, much like the Cardinals, showed that the Seahawks can’t throw out of every situation they find themselves in. I still like
Seattle as a playoff team, and I still think they can win the division. However, I no longer see them as an NFC Championship team, especially if they come up against the Saints who can score and play defense.
So what now? So, if the Seahawks, Buccaneers and Steelers are now more suspect than I thought before, who takes their spots as top-tier teams in the NFL? It’s the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills.
New Orleans Saints Current record: 6-2 Projected record: 11-5 After beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers soundly twice, the Saints are now firmly in control of the NFC South. This will allow them to have at least their first playoff game at home, which is a big boost, and I think they have a good shot to make it to the NFC Championship game. Now that Michael Thomas is back for the Saints, they once again have an elite offense to pair with an excellent defense that can shut down offenses much like they did against the Buccaneers.
Buffalo Bills Current record: 7-2 Projected record: 11-5 After back-to-back losses to the Titans (42-16) and the Chiefs (26-17), the Bills looked like a good team, but not a great team. However, I don’t think those losses are all that bad. The Titans were coming off of an extended bye because of an outbreak of COVID-19, which helped them be both extra rested and extra prepared. The loss to the Chiefs was played at the Bills home stadium, which is open-air and it was raining. Josh Allen seemed to take a step back throwing 14-27 for 122 yards, two TDs and one interception. However, that one interception was fluky and was a deep ball to try and salvage the game. If you have a game in better weather, I think the Bills have the potential to be an explosive offense, and they have a better defense than the Chiefs. To me, they honestly have a good case to be the team to unseat the Chiefs. I think they will win their division and, at a minimum, advance to the second round of the postseason. 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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sophomore goaltender Ryan Bischel. Jackson is also hopeful that his returning core of defensemen along with freshman Zach Plucinski can shore up the blue line. “I’ve been really impressed with both of our young goaltenders, Dylan St. Cyr and Ryan Bischel. But St. Cyr came back with a fire in his eyes,” Jackson said. “He’s in the best shape of his life, and he’s looked extremely good in practice. Ryan Bischel has also had his moments just not quite as consistent as Dylan.”
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retirement despite being tempted by former women’s head coach Muffet McGraw — since they were thrown to the wolves as freshmen in a 14-19 campaign and likely would have been an NIT team last year. “We really feel … that we can be an NCAA tournament team. We’re back in that mode. I think we all knew we had to swallow when these juniors were freshmen and we lost [former Irish wing Rex] Pflueger. And we swallowed hard, quite frankly,” Brey said after the Irish took a nosedive following Pflueger’s torn ACL in December 2018. “Our junior class, which we invested in as freshmen, they got their backsides handed to them
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Jackson said his returners will be spending more time on the ice while the freshmen get more experience and have time to grow. “He’s still a freshman but I think that Zach Plucinski is going to be a surprise to some people. But I do think, you know, we’re going to rely on Matt Hellickson, and Nate Clurman, and Spencer Stastny. We’re hoping Nickie Leivermann takes a big step this year, and Charlie Raith took a big step for us last year so we’re hoping those guys all can step right back into the mix of things,” he said. On the front end, Jackson will again be turning to upperclassmen leadership to try and lead
the charge and step forward, especially in junior forwards Michael Graham, Alex Steeves, Jake Pivonka and Graham Slaggert. “Upfront, for me, it’s going to be a lot of the guys from that junior class. Obviously, we certainly need a few of the senior forwards to step up, guys like Colin Theisen and Pierce Crawford, Matt Steeves,” Jackson said. “And then you know, some of the sophomores, Jesse Lansdell and Trevor Janicke both, we’re hoping that can step up and make an impact as sophomores. So some guys that are earning their way into the lineup from the freshman year could have an impact.”
Looking at their matchup against Wisconsin, Notre Dame will likely have its hands full as the Badgers possess one of the more talented rosters in the Big Ten and play a quick, fast-paced style of hockey. “As far as Wisconsin goes, they have some tremendously skilled players, maybe the best player in the country in Cole Caufield,” Jackson said. “Strategically, they’re hard to play against in a lot of areas on the ice, I mean, they really do a good job of being aggressive, staying up with their defense, you know, causing turnovers in the neutral zone.” Conference play will likely not be any easier for the Irish as the
inclusion of Arizona State adds another top 20 ranked team into the mix. Six of the seven teams in the Big Ten sit within the top 20, and Notre Dame will need to be on top of things to grab as many conference points as they can this season. “It’s going to be a challenging, challenging year. There are no easy nights,” Jackson said. “There never is in college hockey, but it’s even magnified more in the Big Ten.” Puck drop for the start of the season is set for 7 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday.
and then they grew.” The schedule will improve in strength as the Irish have, and that’s by design. “You don’t throw these kinds of games on the board nonleague unless you think you’ve got a group that you can have some fun with,” Brey said. “We wouldn’t have scheduled like this unless you saw at the end of last year, the second half of last year, the light bulb go on for some of our young players, especially our juniors.” And speaking of improved strength, Brey touted his squad for the gains they’ve made in the weight room, a factor that is actually due in part to circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Never have we had more preseason because we started school earlier,” he said. “We
started school earlier and what I’ve loved is — and no one’s been able to see our guys yet, none of you been able to — I’m really excited about our strength training. Because even though we lost summer school, which is a great strength training six weeks, we made it up. … We really look good.” Brey mentioned junior Nate Laszewski and graduate student Juwan Durham as two players who have made solid strides in terms of their physicality. Those kinds of improvements are necessary for a team with a walking double-double in former forward and first-team All-ACC selection John Mooney, now in the pros. “When 12 rebounds walk out of the building, and they were just automatic with Johnny Mooney, I think that would be
my biggest concern,” Brey said. “How do we defensive rebound? … [But] again, if you were walking in and had been in practice, I’m just so pleased with where we are physically. And Juwan and Laszewski maybe made the biggest jumps.” This now makes for not only Laszewski’s third year in the program but Durham’s third year on the court (having sat out as a UConn transfer in 2017-18). Mooney continued a trend of Brey’s big men who have made leaps in their games during their junior years, and Brey seems to expect the same from his two current bigs. “I’m kind of excited for both of them, quite frankly,” he said. “The one thing that really helps both of them, Johnny Mooney has left the building. And we’ve had that happen when [former Irish forwards] Zach Auguste then blossomed or Bonzie [Colson] or whoever. Somebody leaves the building who’s a main guy, as in Mooney, and then that junior who’s been in the program has an opportunity. And now, from my point of view, I have to play him 28 to 30 minutes; I don’t have another choice.” Brey said that if the season started Monday his lineup would include junior guards Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin and Prentiss Hubb, plus Laszewski and Durham. But another big who is pushing for time off the bench is freshman Matt Zona out of Blauvelt, New York. According to Brey, the 6-foot-9 forward has reshaped his body out of high school and has been displaying great aggressiveness and savvy on the court, so much so that it’s caught the eye of his teammates. “What I always look for after a week of practice,” Brey said, “I like to ask my old guards, ‘Which one of the young guys can I put in the game and you’d be confident?’ And [junior guards] Cormac and Prentiss and Dane unanimously said, ‘We need Zona. We need Zona.’ That’s the greatest endorsement, when your senior captains and old guys go, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, we need him to win.’” Another new addition that Brey wants to see in action this season is Santa Clara transfer Trey Wertz. The junior was expected to redshirt this season
— which Brey said is customary whenever bringing in a transfer. However, with freshman forward Elijah Taylor out for the season with an ankle injury requiring surgery and junior guard Robby Carmody out until at least Christmas according to Brey, plus the uncertainty of the pandemic and the increased weight of every coronavirus-induced absence, the Irish need all the help they can get on the roster. “My theory was this should be an all-hands-on-deck season, to get through the season,” Brey said. “I don’t know why anyone on my roster would be ineligible in a COVID season. Trey Wertz could be my seventh man one night if we’re going to play NC State, and we wouldn’t have to cancel the game. If he’s ineligible under the residency rules of sitting out, I may have to cancel the game if I have some guys who test positive that are in quarantine.” Brey also cited the fact that the NCAA will soon be allowing a universal one-time waiver to any athlete who elects to transfer as a reason for granting one to Wertz. Another veteran presence certainly wouldn’t hurt an Irish group looking to break a three-year Big Dance hiatus. Brey is in a strange position. He’s coming off a year with increased pressure following a losing season and back-to-back NCAA Tournament misses, and he’s now going into one rife with uncertainty. Even so, he’s still flashing his trademark optimism about the group he’ll be throwing out on the court. “I was very proud of, after being 2-6 coming out of Tallahassee [against then-No. 5 Florida State last season], that we went 9-4 down the stretch,” he said. “And we would have been an NIT team last year, most likely, and that would have been good for our group. Nobody wants to miss the NCAA tournament, certainly not us. We’ve been in a lot since I’ve been here. But there was a kind of build-back, kind of, an opportunity there, or phase, that we had to go through. “I’m really excited about our group,” Brey said. “They know how we play, they’re older, they get it.”
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Football Continued from page 16
Even though Kelly didn’t have a moment directly after the game, he had one a little later. “What you think about is, more than anything else, is the players and how they’ve sacrificed so much during this time of COVID. And for them to give up so much and not have a real senior day and not really have the kind of things that other seniors have had, it’s been so odd,” Kelly said. “And you know that the fans rushed the field. And our players were like ‘This is crazy.’ But they also know it was those seniors’ last home game, so there were just so many emotions, and I think most of it was centered around our veteran players and all of our players that have worked so hard to get to that moment.” Concerns also arose about COVID-19 cases after the fans stormed the field. “My concerns are not great,” Kelly said after mentioning that the team was tested Sunday. “In terms of the post-game students on the field, those students were tested during the week. And our players were aware that they needed to get off the field in a timely fashion. So we don’t believe that that’s going to be a situation that is going to affect our football team. But you know, we’ll have plans in place in case it becomes an issue.” The Clemson matchup was a big game for several teammates individually. One such player was sophomore running back Kyren Williams. “The focus was for our backs to be more active than protections. Clemson ran a lot of twist games and stunt games that knocks off your offensive lineman. So even though we were in a six-man protection, you know, the back didn’t get out a lot and it limited us a little bit in some of our check down opportunities,” Kelly said. Another was freshman tight end Michael Mayer, who was described as a “linchpin” for the team by one of the interviewers. Though Mayer had setbacks early on in the game, he responded “like a champion.” “For players in their freshman year to continue to ascend, there has to be a mental performance component that is different than most freshmen. And he has that,” Kelly said. “Case in point is that when he came over, after the red zone situation that he was in, he handled himself incredibly well. He didn’t throw a helmet, didn’t throw a tantrum, just started breathing, talking to himself in a manner that, ‘I’m going to make that play next time when I’m given that opportunity again.’ He just handles himself like somebody that has been in our program for more than one year. It’s very unique. He’s had very little mental performance training. The little bit of mental performance training he has had he has taken to it and built upon it
ndsmcobserver.com | WEdnesday, November 11, 2020 | The ObservER
and that’s why he’s had the kind of success he’s had.” Junior linebacker Shayne Simon’s progress was also mentioned. “We’re really pleased with his progression,” Kelly said. “There are still some things out there that we need him to work on: shedding blocks, getting off blocks, a couple of instinctual things that I think he can get better at. But he’s attacking the line of scrimmage. He is finishing off tackles. He’s got really good awareness and space in the past game. We’re really seeing somebody that is elevating his game.” However, just because Simon is improving does not mean his position is secure. “There’s still some competition out there,” Kelly said. “And we like it. We like to keep the competition lively out there. But really pleased with where he’s going. And he’s got some room to continue to grow, which is a great thing.” Senior wide receiver Avery Davis and graduate student wide receiver Javon McKinley also had successes during the game. “There’s a great amount of satisfaction when you see those guys have the kind of success against your top-level talent,” Kelly said. “Avery Davis was running away from everybody the other night. Javan McKinley was taking the ball and making plays. You know, he ran away from the corner that he was going against, who’s one of the finest corners in the country.” Davis and McKinley’s progress also reflects on the football program as a whole. “That’s what you want in your program,” Kelly said. “You want to see guys later in their careers continuing to see their development and that, to me. … People so many times talk about Hallmark moments. I look at it from a different perspective. To me, program development is when your older players are still developing and when they get a chance to play, can play championship-level football. It’s satisfying.” Kelly also commented on the defensive line’s performance, specifically with regards to third-down defense. “If I could tell you how much time that we spend on third down, you’d be amazed,” Kelly said. “There are a lot of intense studies. There’s a lot of intense situational substitution. You’re looking at matchups, you’re looking at how you can put yourself and leverage yourself defensively for the best situation. We’ve done really well in those areas, in keeping it in third and long. And once you get the third long, now the numbers start to tilt towards you, and that’s where we’ve been really effective.” Specifically, graduate student defensive lineman Daelin Hayes has advanced both as a player and as a leader for the team. “He’s an integral part of what we’re doing,” Kelly said. “Daelin
was always vocal. He now is extremely pointed in when he talks. Pointed in the sense that the guys are really listening to what he has to say because it’s clear that he has their ear. You do that when you’re a man of your word, that you’re trusted, and they see how he’s performing as well. And your best players, by and large, gain a lot of credibility as well. So you’re seeing all that happen with Daelin Hayes this year. So he’ll be extremely important next week and in the weeks to come.” Following this big win, Kelly commented on how this team compared to what he thought championship teams looked like in 2012 after their National Championship game against Alabama. “I said that the physicality of Alabama was such that we needed to duplicate that in our program. And here we are, where I feel like our physicality was a separator in terms of the ability to control the line of scrimmage,” Kelly said. “We rushed for over 200 yards and we kept them under 50 yards. So controlling the line of scrimmage was what my vision was in terms of what a championship football team looks like. And then those other pieces come together in different forms, but that physicality was certainly at the heart of it.” When asked how his current team compared to the 2012 and 2018 teams in terms of makeup, speed and physicality, Kelly said: “Overall, on all three levels, it’s a more physical, faster football team across the board.” He said this lineup had a lot of differences from the past teams, even though graduate student quarterback Ian Book held his position in 2018 as well. “Ian Book was a young quarterback,” Kelly said of Book’s time with the 2018 team. “There were some really good pieces about that team. But this team, you know, obviously has a lot more experience, depth, athleticism and speed.” Book was also mentioned with regards to the Irish’s matchup against Boston College on Saturday, as he and BC quarterback Phil Jurkovec, former member of the Notre Dame football team, are said to have a good relationship. “Look, the quarterback meeting room is a very supportive one. And I know Phil and Ian were supportive of each other,” Kelly said. “Quarterbacks are going to be very supportive of each other.” Jurkovec’s transfer also raised concerns for the matchup, as he is familiar with Notre Dame’s playbook. “When he was here, he was fairly bright in terms of understanding what we were doing,” Kelly said of Jurkovec’s ability. “The normal progress that most young players were making in the program he was making.” Kelly was asked how Jurkovec is different now from how he was last year as a part of the Fighting Irish.
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Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish first-year tight end Michael Mayer looks for yards after a catch during Notre Dame’s 47-40 win over Clemson on Saturday at home.
“Phil’s in a different type of offense than the one we were asking him to be part of last year,” Kelly said. “What he’s doing this year, on film, is he’s making plays outside the realm of the offense, which he was very accustomed to doing in high school and when he was here as well. Outside the pocket, he’s a great scrambler. He could throw on the run. He’s got a strong arm. … But I would say that the offenses are so dissimilar it’s hard to really compare where that progression is. But the one constant is he can make plays outside the pocket.” On their upcoming matchup against Boston College, Kelly said it is a “great challenge” for the team. “You can tell watching this team, they play hard, very gritty, tough team, well-coached. … It’s going to be a great challenge for us,” Kelly said. “They’ve gotten off to a nice start this season and are playing good football. They’re five-and-three and looking to obviously get a great victory against us. So we’ll have to be prepared.” Kelly also spoke on how he planned on raising the team’s level of play again after Clemson. “I think the first thing is the constant application of our process, so stay consistent with what we’ve been doing. And so that constant application of our process has been something that we’ve done now for close to four years,” Kelly said. “The constant application of our process starts with the ability to understand how important each day is in our preparation. We’ve got a lot of work to clean up. We’ve got to be a better football team. There’s a number of areas that have to get cleaned up technically and tactically in all three phases.”
Heading into Saturday’s matchup, injuries on the team came into question. Kelly does not believe any of the injuries sustained at the Clemson game will prevent any player from playing this weekend. Junior wide receiver Braden Lenzy has been out for the past few weeks with a hamstring injury. Kelly provided an update on his current state. “Braden was running full speed ahead straight line on Friday. We will begin a change of direction today. We’ll see how he responds. If he looks good today. We will put them in practice tomorrow,” Kelly said. “And then it will be how he handles portions of the practice as to whether he would be ready to play this week. If he’s not then obviously he’ll have the bye week and he’ll certainly be ready for North Carolina.” Kelly looked ahead to how the team will establish a routine to prepare for several more games on the road. “They’ve got a pretty good routine. I think I like our routine. We do all of our work here on Friday,” Kelly said of the process. “We eat downtown at the city center, do our meetings, then get on a fairly short flight, usually under two hours, get to the hotel, get our snack and go to bed. And now it’s game day. So it’s been pretty good.” Going off of that, Kelly said a 3:30 p.m. game is great for the Irish. “It really stays in our wheelhouse in terms of the routine. So our guys are well accustomed to it now that we’ve been on the road a few times,” Kelly said. “This will be really comfortable for our guys to go ahead and do it again.” Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu
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The observer | Wednesday, November 11, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd men’s basketball
football
Brey discusses player growth By HAYDEN ADAMS Sports Editor
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Nov. 10. College basketball season is inching closer and closer. Head men’s coach Mike Brey’s presence on the weekly Brian Kelly press conference Zoom link (following head football coach Kelly and hockey head coach Jeff Jackson) was evidence that’s it just about time for the Irish to make the short trek across the street from Rolf’s Athletic Center to Purcell Pavilion. What the 2020-21 Irish schedule will ultimately look like is still a question. Games against Michigan State, Western Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio State, Kentucky, Purdue and Howard are all that have been confirmed to date. However, if you take Brey at his word, it will be that level of competition from the get-go and it will hold
Kelly talks Clemson win, looks to Boston College
throughout the slate. Editor’s note: Since this story was published, Notre Dame has released all 27 of their opponents for the upcoming season, although several dates are still to be announced. “You’ll know that I’ve lost my mind completely,” Brey said of the reaction Irish fans and media will have when they see the schedule that he’s put together. According to Brey, the Irish are slated to play 27 games, 25 of which are against Power 5 conference teams. For context, 24 of 32 games last season and 24 of 33 contests in 2018-19 were against Power 5 competition. Listening to Brey, this is a much-anticipated season, one in the making ever since he signed his most highly touted recruiting class ever in 2018. The expectations have only been enhanced for the current crop of juniors — a group that, at least in part, motivated Brey to stave off
On Monday, following a win against former No. 1 Clemson at Notre Dame Stadium, Brian Kelly spoke to the media about the accomplishments of the team, as well as what lies ahead. Kelly was asked if he allowed himself to “soak in the moment” after beating the No. 1 team. “My normal routine is to go back home and be with my family. And we really don’t talk much football,” Kelly said. “So I didn’t get much time to think about number one because they weren’t thinking about number one. And then the next morning, we come back in [to practice], you know, so pretty glamorous life, huh?”
see M BBALL PAGE 13
see FOOTBALL PAGE 15
By EMILY DeFAZIO Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Nov. 10.
Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish junior linebacker Shayne Simon makes a tackle during the double-overtime Notre Dame win over Clemson on Saturday.
hockey
Jackson discusses preparation for season By DOMINIC GIBSON Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Nov. 10.
Observer File Photo
Former Irish forward Dylan Malmquist skates toward the puck during Notre Dame’s 6-3 win over Michigan State on Jan. 26, 2019.
The 2020-21 Notre Dame hockey season is set to begin Friday at the Compton Family Ice Arena with a two-game home series against Wisconsin. Despite starting school in August, the Big Ten did not give the green light to start action until a full three months after first practices. Irish head coach Jeff Jackson said his players are extremely excited to start the season and gain valuable game experience after an extended amount of practice time. “Obviously the guys are biting at the bit. I mean, they’re tired of practicing and hitting each other in practice. They need to play games,” Jackson said. “We’ve really spent a lot of time on skills and fundamentals, and we’ve done a lot of small games and we’ve scrimmaged every Saturday just to let the guys play. Their lives revolve around what they do in the classroom and what they do on the ice. I think
they’ve been looking forward to this day ever since we started school.” Although the team has had extra time to practice, the long hiatus of real game experience may lead to some early hiccups, Jackson said, not just for the Irish but for teams around the league in general. “We usually have the exhibition game and six, nine nonconference games before we play a league game, and now, we’re starting the season with league games,” Jackson said. “It could be entertaining, let’s put it that way. I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of mistakes to be made, and it’ll take probably a little time to acclimate to actually playing serious hockey again.” One of the keys to a successful season for the Irish this year will be relying on their returning players to continue to progress in their development. While the incoming class of freshmen will certainly play a critical part for the team this season, Jackson is especially hopeful that his returning core can lead the squad in a big way. “The success of our team is more than likely going to be based on our returning guys.
We have four recruited freshmen who will all play and will have some kind of significant role with our team, but they are freshmen,” Jackson said. “The base of our team is all returning guys. We don’t have a big senior class again this year, but we have a real big junior class and a big sophomore class. We’re going to be relying on the returning guys to take a step.” Another key to success will be finding the back of the net on a regular basis again while allowing fewer goals in the process, something that eluded the Irish last season. “We’re going to have to find a way to get back to that threegoal-a-game margin that we’ve had in recent years. Last year we fell below three goals a game and our goals against also went up about two,” Jackson said. “We have got to try to get back to the basics of what we do and what we do well, and I’m hoping the maturity of this team will help that happen.” In regard to netminders and defense, Jackson said he likes what he’s seen with senior goaltender Dylan St. Cyr and see HOCKEY PAGE 13