THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS ESTABLISHED 1966
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2025 | VOL. LX, NO. 12
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Governors share message of political pragmatism By Camilia Figueroa Davila and Sophie Hanawalt News Writer and Notre Dame News Editor
Since the shooting of conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on Utah Valley University’s campus on Sept. 10, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has entered the limelight, condemning political violence in public addresses and being featured by a number of media outlets for his message of the necessity that Americans turn down the political temperature. But, long before Kirk’s murder and its aftermath, Cox had been invited to speak at Notre Dame with his friend, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, about what much of their careers have been dedicated to: overcoming polarization in favor of political pragmatism.
During his time as the chairman of the National Governors Association from 2023-24, Cox’s chairman’s initiative was to launch “Disagree Better” through which he affirmed his commitment to reaching past partisan divides to find the best solutions for his constituents. Alongside the governors of other Western states, Cox and Lujan Grisham came to share how they’ve been doing just that. On Friday afternoon, the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative hosted a conversation between the two governors, Cox, a Republican, and Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, moderated by University President Fr. Robert Dowd as a part of the Initiative’s Democracy Talks series. In his invocation, University Provost John McGreev y said that the Democracy Initiative
“envisions Notre Dame as the most trusted institution people turn to for studying and strengthening democracy.” The initiative, part of the University’s 2033 strategic framework, aims to put Notre Dame at the forefront of democracy research with the end goal of lessening polarization, curbing toxic discourse and increasing trust in public institutions. Lujan Grisham is the 32nd governor of New Mexico and the first Democratic Latina to be elected as a governor. She said at the lecture that she considers herself “a politician by accident,” beginning her political career as the cabinet secretary of New Mexico’s Department of Aging and Long-Term Services and before being named as New Mexico’s Secretary of Health. She was elected as a member of the U.S. House of
Irish overcome weather and Boilermakers, move to 1-2
Representatives in 2011 before being elected in 2018 as governor of New Mexico. Cox is a sixth-generation Utahn and the 18th governor of Utah. Before being elected as governor in 2020, he served as a city council member, mayor, county commissioner, state legislator and lieutenant governor. He described his political career as a way for him to “give back.” Throughout the discussion, both governors said that they serve all their constituents, not their parties. Ref lecting on the governors’ relationship, Lujan Grisham said, “Republicans and Democrats are not enemies. We have different perspectives sometimes and maybe different priorities.” She noted that at the end of the day, they “broke down that barrier” and were able to engage in respectful dialogue
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Purdue Boilermakers take the field in a matchup in Notre Dame Stadium. After a two-hour rain delay, the Irish went on to win 56-30 to improve to 1-2 on the season.
By Ben Hicks
Associate Sports Editor
Despite an almost two-hour weather delay and a defense that still faces more questions than answers, head coach Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame outdueled rival Purdue 56-30 on Saturday to collect their first win of the season. The Irish were once again led by the standout backfield duo of juniors Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love. The pair combined to
rush for 231 yards on 28 carries, reaching the end zone six times. Defensively, the secondary was much improved from a week ago, with junior cornerback Christian Gray hauling in his first interception of the campaign and freshman cornerback Dallas Golden collecting the first of his career. Tale of the tape Despite the newfound success of the Indiana Hoosiers, culminating in last year’s College
Football Playoff (CFP) First Round showdown with the Fighting Irish in South Bend, Notre Dame’s most historic instate rivalry has long been with the Boilermakers. Saturday’s contest marked the 89th alltime meeting on the gridiron between the two northern Indiana institutions, with Notre Dame leading the series 58-26-2 (wins in 2012 and 2013 were vacated). Separated by a little more see “Purdue” on page 8
see “Governors” on page 4
Shots fired on Eddy Street Observer Staff Report
DECLAN HUGGINS | The Observer
and help each other where necessary. She hopes that relationships like theirs “will take hold and more Americans can debate their differences, but to do so with respect and open-mindedness about how you might be persuaded to think about a problem … just a bit different.” Dowd noted that both governors have served in leadership roles in governors associations both at the regional and national levels, and that it seems to him that there is “a great deal of bipartisan collegiality and pragmatism among governors.” Cox praised Lujan Grisham’s work as chair of the Western Governors’ Association, for which he served as her vice chair. Speaking on a meeting the governors had, he said, “I
Around 12:40 a.m. on Sunday morning, police officers were dispatched to Eddy Street Commons following reports of shots fired around the 1100 block of East Angela Boulevard. In a press release, the South Bend Police Department (SBPD) shared that they did not find anyone injured at the scene but did discover that a bullet had gone through a window in the entryway at the Embassy Suites hotel. The South Bend Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit is now investigating the situation, as well as last week’s similar incident at Brother’s Bar & Grill. This is the second reported shooting at Eddy Street Commons during a football weekend this academic year, as last Saturday, shots were fired on the street during the football game against Texas A&M. No one was hurt in the preceding incident, but five vehicles and two apartments were damaged by gunfire. No arrests have been made in either case. Due to an increased police
presence in the area following last weekend’s shooting, the South Bend police shared that 13 unrelated arrests were made between Sept. 20–21 within Eddy Street Commons and its surrounding areas before, during and after the game. The eight cases include criminal trespass and unlawful possession of a firearm. Three handguns, one of which was reported stolen, and one rifle were seized by the police department. No formal charges have yet been filed by the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. SBPD also shared that four guns were confiscated in the area on Saturday, including a handgun and three rifles, one of which was reportedly stolen. One individual who was arrested had an outstanding warrant. “These all remain active and ongoing investigations,” the release read. The police department is asking that anyone with information about the incident report it anonymously through Michiana Crime Stoppers by calling 574-288STOP or visiting their website.
NEWS | PAGE 2
OPINION | PAGE 5
SCENE | PAGE 7
SPORTS | PAGE 11
SPORTS | PAGE 12
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