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Volume 55, Issue 2 | Wednesday, august 12, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Students lose power after storm Random Off-campus residents in different buildings suffered electricity loss for hours testing to begin
By MARIA LUISA PAUL News Writer
After storms that blew through South Bend Monday evening, a number of students liv ing off campus found themselves w ithout electricit y for several hours. Outages starting around 6:30 p.m. were reported in Irish Crossings Tow n Homes, Campus Court, Campus View, Irish Row and Overlook at Notre Dame. According to Tracy Warner, a spokesman for Indiana & Michigan Power (I&M), 51,875 of I&M’s customers suffered power
outages — among which 8,000 cases — at the outage’s peak — were in South Bend. Senior Ingrid Heimer said the power went out around 6:30 p.m. on Monday in Irish Crossings, where she lives w ith her three roommates. The building’s management did not prov ide information about the procedures to follow during the outage, except to “stay inside,” Heimer said in an email. “They didn’t know when the power would be back on,” Heimer said. “They also told us they would not be reimbursing us for spoiled
food.” Junior Kiara Gutierrez experienced a similar situation when she returned to her apartment complex in Campus Court after going to Martin’s to buy groceries. Gutierrez said she did not receive information from her building’s management. To add to this “extremely stressful experience,” she said the outage’s effects hindered her concentration for any schoolwork. “There was no WiFi and my computer was out of batter y,” she said. “I wasn’t able to cook any food for dinner and was stressed that our food would go bad.”
Prize-winning alumna reflects on ND experience By MARIA LEONTARAS and MARIAH RUSH Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor
W hen she was in fifth grade, Nikole Hannah-Jones came across a column that she thought was racist while reading her local newspaper. She wanted to speak out against the piece, so she w rote to the editor. That was the ver y first time Hannah-Jones’ work was published.
This May, the Notre Dame alumna won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentar y for The 1619 Project. Published in August 2019 by The New York Times Magazine, where HannahJones is a journalist, the essay project launched a national conversation about the origins and legacy of slaver y. The publication of the ongoing project sparked a book deal, telev ision show,
podcast and now the highest honor in journalism. Hannah-Jones said she had essentially been working toward The 1619 Project her entire career. “I have long believed that the way that we’re taught about slaver y is w rong and the way that we’re taught that slaver y ended a long time ago but that there’s no modern connection to how
Similarly to Gutierrez, sophomore Mabel Perez’s power went out in her apartment in Campus View. “It affected my learning experience because I was unable to prepare for any of my classes for the next day,” Perez said. “The outage sucked because it ruined my ... plans.” In Irish Row, senior Natalia Gomez-Botero was told by her neighbors that there was a power outage in the building while she was grocer y shopping. “My friends in Building Four texted me ‘Are you
On Tuesday, University provost Marie Lynn Miranda and executive vice president Shannon Cullinan wrote to Notre Dame faculty and staff in an email to provide updates on the COVID response units (CRU), surveillance testing and incident reporting. The email reported that the CRU is now fully operational. The daily health check is now providing guidance to students
see ELECTRICITY PAGE 4
see COVID PAGE 5
Conboy commits to change amidst uncertainty
see ALUMNA PAGE 4
Welcome Week helps students adjust to campus
Photo courtesy of Saint Mary’s College
College President Katie Conboy took office June 1. She has led Saint Mary’s through social unrest and an ongoing pandemic. By MAEVE FILBIN
Members of the class of 2024 were introduced to campus last week with a revamped Welcome Week meant to mirror previous years’ programs while also fostering a safe environment in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first-years were
separated into two groups — blue and gold. The blue group arrived Monday, Aug. 3, with the gold group moving in behind them Wednesday, Aug. 5. The separate arrival dates allowed for increased distancing and safety during move-in. Although the gold group had less time on campus, the programming was nearly identical for the two groups, according
to the co-directors of welcome activities, Lauren Donahue and Andrew Whittington. Over the course of the week, students had the ability to hear from Campus Ministry, the McDonald Center for Student Well-Being and the Center for Social Concern. Every college — with representatives from see WELCOME PAGE 3
Dr. Kat ie Conboy beca me t he newest Sa int Ma r y’s Col lege President June 1, in t he midd le of t he COVID-19 pa ndemic a nd a nat ionw ide reckoning w it h racism a nd policing in A merica, a nd has been “drin k ing f rom t he f irehouse” ever since. A f ter
News PAGE 3
VIEWPOINT PAGE 8
SCENE PAGE 9
SMC SOCCER PAGE 16
By LAYTON HALL News Writer
Observer Staff Report
Assistant Managing Editor
assuming of f ice, Conboy successf u l ly led t he Col lege in ma k ing severa l cha nges to t he student ex perience, including reopening t he ca mpus for in-person inst r uct ion, committ ing to a nt i-racism prog ra mming a nd insta l ling a new dining ser v ice. “It just feels li ke see CONBOY PAGE 5
ND FOOTBALL PAGE 16
2
TODAY
The observer | wednesday, august 12, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
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What is your advice for new students?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
Anne Northrop
Giacomina Fabiano
junior off campus
junior Lyons Hall
“If you don’t know something, don’t be afraid to ask someone.”
“Don’t stress about your major; you can change it.”
Lauren Rymsza
Fiona Neylon
junior McGlinn Hall
junior Lyons Hall
“Don’t be afraid to meet new people.”
“Don’t take for granted the time you have on campus. Make the most of every moment.”
(574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com
Rachel McClaine
Marissa McGhee
Editor-in-Chief
senior Lyons Hall
senior McGlinn Hall
“Leave the door to your dorm room open.”
“Make the effort to make friends, but just accept that eventually things will fall into place.”
Editor-in-Chief Maria Leontaras Managing Editor Mariah Rush Asst. Managing Editor: Maeve Filbin Asst. Managing Editor: Claire Rafford Asst. Managing Editor: Sara Schlecht Notre Dame News Editor: Serena Zacharias Saint Mary’s News Editor: Mia Marroquin Viewpoint Editor: Nelisha Silva Sports Editor: Hayden Adams Scene Editor: Ryan Israel Photo Editor: Allison Thornton Graphics Editor: Diane Park Social Media Editor: Ellie Dombrowski Advertising Manager: Landry Kempf Ad Design Manager: Abby Meyer Systems Administrator: Stephen Hannon Talent & Inclusion Manager: Nola Wallace Office Manager & General Info
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webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of either institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Maria Leontaras. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077
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Residents of Lyons and Flaherty Halls sit on South Quad outside of South Dining Hall for dinner Tuesday. Since the seating areas in both North and South Dining Halls are closed, students have been eating meals outside and in outdoor tents.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Senate Meeting 155 DeBartolo Hall 6 p.m. First meeting of the academic year for Student Government.
Academic Year Opening Mass virtual 11 a.m. - noon All Saint Mary’s students invited.
Fridays by the Fountain Jon Hunt Plaza 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. Afternoon of free music outside.
Black Student First Year Retreat Stepan Center all day Open to all Black firstyear students.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. Open to all for Sunday worship.
Marshmallows and Meteors Bendix Woods County Park 9:30 p.m. - midnight Annual meteor shower.
Becoming Catholic Coleman-Morse first floor lounge 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Informational session on getting confirmed.
SAO Vision Board Party North Quad Tent 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Fun activities to set goals for the semester.
Music Trivia Night Legends of Notre Dame 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to top 3 winners.
Outdoor Adventure Student Center Atrium 12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. Presented by OCSE, enjoy local parks in South Bend.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, august 12, 2020 | The Observer
3
Notre Dame students launch mask business By ALYSA GUFFEY Associate News Editor
The beginning of the 20202021 academic year brought a slew of changes from a mixture of online and in-person classes to exclusively outdoor dining. One of the most noticeable changes is the mask requirement for all students in all campus buildings and outside where physical distancing is not possible. Each student was given at least three cloth masks to wear, but students were welcome to use other face coverings that they had or bought. At least for this semester, masks are a new reality –– one that two students wanted to ingrain with Notre Dame traditions. The L+H Mask Company began when juniors Jay Lokhorst and Ryan Hembree, both residents of Stanford Hall, saw a
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every major — and many more campus centers and organizations. Donahue and Whittington said the programs are meant to give first-years a chance to explore. “We seek to share the unique characteristics of a Catholic, Holy Cross undergraduate education with our new students to set initial expectations for being members of a safe and inclusive community, to introduce and inspire engagement in academic and residential life at Notre Dame, and to facilitate the exploration of University resources available to students and their families,” Whittington and Donahue said. While Welcome Week certainly looked different from what returning students might remember, first-years still got to experience annual, though slightly-altered, traditions such as the Welcome Mass, watching Rudy in the football stadium, visiting the Grotto for the first time and taking a class photo in the stadium. For all of these events, adjustments were made to maintain students’ health and safety. For the Welcome Mass and the movie, each student received an
unique way to show dorm spirit. Their website to sell masks was launched July 21 after Hembree and Lokhorst put in a few weeks of work from concept to design to launch. The pair designed masks for all 32 undergraduate residence halls. “It started off that I wanted to make one for Stanford just for the guys living in Stanford, and then we just thought to make these for all the dorms because obviously wearing masks are very important right now, so we want to make sure that people have masks that they would enjoy wearing,” Lokhorst said in a phone interview. Hembree said he hopes the masks encourage students in the community to take precautions seriously. “Just the idea of the company was always just to give people an opportunity to make
assigned seat located next to either their family or their roommate and distantly surrounded by other residents of their dorm. The grotto visit was staged in waves and organizers enforced a strict six-foot social distancing guideline during the service. In addition, two class photos for the class of 2024 were taken Sunday in the stands of the football stadium, rather than on the field, with the intention of merging the two images together after the fact. Even in this time of uncertainty and adjustment, many freshmen and transfer students were able to have a memorable welcome to Notre Dame. Firstyear Aiden Robertson said that watching Rudy in Notre Dame Stadium and partaking in his dorm’s traditions were his two favorite parts of the week’s activities. “Everything played as normal,” Robertson said when asked about his thoughts of the effects of the COVID-19 adjustments. “It’s been fantastic,” Robertson said. “I don’t think I’ve been somewhere where people have been this nice. Everyone here seems to have a vested interest in the success of everybody else.” Contact Layton Hall at lhall8@nd.edu
Photo courtesy of Katrina Vogel
Members of the Farley Hall Welcome Week team prepare to introduce first-years to their dorm community.
safety fun, in a sense, because it is a top priority,” Hembree said in a phone interview. “I really want to be able to stay here, but also stay here safely.” Each mask costs $10, and $1 of each sale will go to Catholic Charities Fort Wayne/South Bend COVID Relief. So far, Lokhorst and Hembree said they have sold roughly 250 masks. Lokorst said they plan to continue to sell as long as masks need to be worn on campus. “We’re kind of hoping that you know people will see other people wearing them and be like, ‘Oh, where did you get that?’ and that could help us out a lot,” Lokhorst said. “And I mean it has been fun, so hopefully they’ll keep selling.” Since the masks are custom-made for each dorm, each mask is made when
it is ordered. The pair has a provider that creates the mask with the corresponding dorm design and then ships the product to the seller. Lokhorst, a business analytics major with a minor in innovation and entrepreneurship, saw creating the company as a learning experience, as well as a way to give back to the Notre Dame community. One of the challenging aspects, he said, was finding an avenue to sell the masks once they came up with the concept. “I did a lot of research about [selling online] and we found that Shopify is a great way to start an easy online business, but figuring out the best way for us to do it so it would be the most efficient was difficult,” Lokhorst said. Hembree, an economics
major, said figuring out some of the legal ramifications surrounding the company was difficult. “A big challenge was just getting around like not violating any kind of copyrights so that we wouldn’t get immediately taken down,” Hembree said. Despite the challenges, Hembree said the entire experience has been both informative and rewarding. “Just the whole process of going from an idea to a product was, I think, a really awesome experience to kind of see the amount of work and the amount of stuff that goes on behind the scenes before you make your first sales,” Hembree said. Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu
Belles Beginnings orients students to academic life By MIA MARROQUIN Saint Mary’s News Editor
As first-year students packed their cars and drove away from home, they arrived on the Saint Mary’s campus greeted by a Belles Beginnings schedule and events designed to help them get to know their peers. Unlike past years, Belles Beginnings was spread over three days with students only attending one day of orientation events. These sessions included academic success tips, conf lict resolution, student panels and student services presentations. Students were assigned the same but rotating Belles Beginnings schedules based on their move-in date. Director of first-year experience and retention Shay Schneider planned and facilitated most of the Belles Beginnings sessions and partnered with Residence Life directors and student leaders for assistance at these sessions. One of these student leaders was student body president and senior Giavanna Paradiso. “My role during Belles Beginnings was to run around and help wherever needed,” Schneider said in an email. “It gave me a look to every corner of the
first-years’ first few days.” Students were able to attend Belles Beginnings events during the day and student-sponsored events in the evening. The Saint Mary’s tradition of the Closing of the Circle continued this year, though some adjustments were made. This symbolic event of students gathering with their classmates in physical and intellectual space is countered with the Opening of the Circle during senior week. This year the Closing of the Circle was on the athletics fields as an alternative to the Le Mans Green to allow for proper space between each girl, Paradiso said. “They all held a ribbon, which was cut to let them keep a piece that only they came in contact with and now can tie the ribbon to their water bottle or backpack where they’ll always see it,” Paradiso said. “It’s been so cute to see them all with their ribbons already.” W hile first-year Kayla Bucio did not attend the information sessions of Belles Beginnings, she attended the Closing of the Circle Saturday and said her experience was a nice way to see all her classmates in one place.
“BellesFest after was another fun way to interact with my classmates,” Bucio said. “I got to interact with more girls and continue to meet more people. I feel that these types of events are important because in class there’s not much time to interact as much, especially when you’re new.” Bucio said she enjoyed that the events were engaging and fun while still following the College’s COV ID policies. “It made me feel safe and like everyone that planned it really cared,” she said. Paradiso said she considered the Closing of the Circle and the BellesFest events Saturday evening to be the biggest successes of the week. “It was just so amazing to have the privilege to officially welcome the class of 2024 into the sisterhood and tradition of Saint Mary’s,” she said. “After that emotional moment, we had one great big socially-distanced dance party. I loved being able to meet all the first-years, but even more than that, I loved watching them meet each other and become friends.” Contact Mia Marroquin at mmarroquin01@saintmarys.edu
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NEWS
The observer | WEDNESDAY, august 12, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Electricity Continued from page 1
home? The fire alarm is going off,’ and then the power went out right after,” she said. According to GomezBotero, the residence’s management sent her an email around 8 p.m. stating, “They were working on it.” Senior Noelle Kudelko, who also lives in Irish Row, said in an email the building management did not offer much information “except for the fact that the main entry doors would not be able to open and not to prop them open, so don’t
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we live today was fa lse,” she said. “So much of my work, whet her it be in housing segregation, school segregation, policing, has been tr y ing to direct ly connect where we are in A merica today w it h slaver y.” Hanna h-Jones is a 1998 graduate of Notre Dame, but in an inter v iew w it h The Obser ver, she said she does not have fond memories of her time at t he Universit y — she struggled socia lly and was encouraged to drop out of school by a dea n her f reshma n yea r. Not re Da me was a lso t he f irst place she was ca l led t he n-word. She g raduated on t ime a nd worked for severa l newspapers a round t he count r y unt i l she la nded at t he New York Times in 2015. She told The Obser ver she v isited The New York Times for t he f irst t ime in her mid30s. She toured t he Pu lit zer Ha l l a nd not iced on ly a couple faces of Black women on t he wa l ls of t he orga nizat ion t hat had won more Pu lit zers t ha n a ny ot her. Now, as of May 4, Ha nna hJones w i l l be commemorated on t hose wa l ls. “To t hin k t hat now my picture w i l l be up t here for perpetuit y a nd t hat ot her Black g irls who come to t he Times w i l l get to see t hat on t he wa l l is rea l ly profound a nd mov ing to me,” she sa id. Ha nna h-Jones was born in Waterloo, Iowa, to a biracia l work ing-class fa mily. She had what she describes as a “norma l” chi ld hood a nd attended prima ri ly white schools. Her fa mily members were av id readers, a nd t hey subscribed to t wo da ily newspapers. “I g rew up reading t he paper w it h my dad a nd f rom a rea l ly young age had a fascinat ion w it h bot h histor y a nd news,” she sa id. For col lege, Ha nna h-Jones chose Not re Da me because it f it her criteria. “I wa nted a prest ig ious school. I felt, as a Black
leave the building.” Students affected by the outage said they experienced difficulties preparing for classes the next day. “Luckily I had a fully charged Power Bright that works for phones, but our laptops ... we didn’t use them last night,” GomezBotero said. “This morning when we got to campus, we tried to charge them wherever we could.” Kudelko said as of Tuesday evening, she was still experiencing technical difficulties after the outage. “Our WiFi is currently not working which is difficult because we
have homework to do and I have a Zoom class early in the morning. ... We have no update on when the WiFi w ill be up and running,” she said. The students were lef t w it hout elect ricit y a ll of Monday night up unt il Tuesday a f ternoon. In Ca mpus Cour t a nd Irish Row, power was restored bet ween 2 :30 a nd 3 p.m., according to Gut ierrez a nd GomezBotero. Perez sa id she rega ined electricit y around 1 p.m. in Campus View. According to Warner, tree branches f ly ing into power lines are to blame for
the majorit y of the count y’s electricit y issues. He said that I&M was able to restore power in 75% of all the cases, and, as of 7 p.m. today, on ly 1,700 power outages rema i n i n Sout h Bend. “Da mage ha s been sig n i f ica nt, w it h crews f i nd i ng at lea st 50 broken or da maged poles so fa r,” I& M ex pla i ned i n a press relea se. “Most da mage wa s caused by t he st rong w i nds blow i ng t rees a nd branches into energ y equipment.” More than 900 crews and contractors from I&M and other partners are working together to restore power
across the power company’s ser v ice territor y, Warner said. South Bend residents still experiencing outages can expect to have power restored around 11 a.m. on Wednesday. However, Warner said that clients could use I&M’s mobile alert function to search for outage maps and specific situations and alert about any further electrical damage. Assistant Managing Editors Maeve Filbin and Claire Rafford contributed to this report.
student, t he on ly way t hat I found a way to mit igate people’s prejudice aga inst me wou ld be to go to a prest ig ious school t hat proved I was sma r t,” she sa id. “It needed to be close enough for me to drive, a nd it needed to be in a big enough cit y where it wasn’t a ll white. So Not re Da me seemed to f it a ll of t hose, a nd I didn’t even k now t hat t hey were good at footba ll unt il t hat yea r. It was t he on ly school I ended up apply ing to.” She bega n classes in t he fa ll of 1994 but did not f ind Not re Da me to be a welcoming env ironment. She majored in histor y a nd A f rica n-A merica n studies, a nd met good f riends, but st ill felt out of place socia lly. She st r uggled her f reshma n yea r to attend classes, a nd as a resu lt, fell behind. “Not on ly was I a Black student f rom a blue-colla r tow n; I was a lso work ing class,” Ha nna h-Jones sa id. “I did not enjoy my t ime at Not re Da me. I met some g reat f riends t here. But it was def initely a cha llenge. I a lmost f lun ked out my freshman year because it was such a hard experience. I stopped going to some of my classes.” Because of t his, a dean ca lled Hanna h-Jones in for a meeting. The administrator told Hanna h-Jones she was going to f lunk out of t he Universit y and needed to w it hdraw. Hanna h-Jones left t hat meeting w it h a new found conf idence t hat encouraged her to stay at Notre Dame. “I wasn’t failing because t hose k ids were smarter t han me,” she said. “I was failing because I didn’t want to be t here. A nd I used t hat as motivation. I was like, ‘She doesn’t t hink I can ma ke it. OK, I’m going to now. … Now I’m going to get my s--t toget her. A nd I don’t k now how to ma ke it, but I’m going to graduate on time,’ which I did.” Though Hanna h-Jones hasn’t returned to campus since her graduation, she remembers t he Black
educators and administrators who helped her complete her degree. It was t here she banded toget her w it h ot her students of color to protest t he Columbus mura ls inside t he Main Building and stand up for Latino students who felt margina lized on campus. She said it was beautif ul. But it only happened because ever y non-white student at t he Universit y felt ostracized. “This is in an elite private institution, and even t hough I k now Notre Dame likes to t hink of itself as progressive in many ways, it wasn’t,” she said. She said she was a lways graded fairly in classes, but t he same respect wasn’t a lways extended to her from peers in campus socia l life. She said Notre Dame was t he ver y f irst time she was ca lled t he n-word — it was by a group of white footba ll players. She and a friend were having car trouble, and ended up getting out of t heir car to push. A group of white students got impatient, passed t hem and t hen yelled t he slur. That same night she was ignored by Notre Dame securit y as her friends struggled to push t he car and was later asked — while she was on campus — if she attended t he Universit y. Hanna h-Jones was upset and angr y t hat she had spent time defending t he Universit y to friends. She w rote a letter to t he editor about t he experience t hat was published in The Obser ver on Sept. 20, 1996. “Being Black at Notre Dame is an ever yday struggle, but I had conv inced myself t hat it would be wort h it,” she w rote in t he letter. “But Saturday I was forced to see t hat no matter what I accomplish, or how many degrees I achieve, to many whites I am a lways going to be just a [n-word]. I k now t hat It should not bot her me, but it does.” Hanna h-Jones told The Obser ver t he publication of t he letter sparked “unit y
meetings” around campus. It a lso sparked some response letters from ot her students, a ll of t hem critica l of Hanna h-Jones’ complaints. “They had a ll t hese unit y meetings to tr y to address it, and t he Universit y never addressed it,” she said. “The people who ca lled me t hat were white footba ll players. A nd, as you k now, at Notre Dame, footba ll is God, so it rea lly just got brushed under t he rug. As far I k now t here was never any pena lt y for it.” Though attending Notre Dame was a dif f icult, it’s where Hannah-Jones discovered the work of someone she has admired ever since — journa list and activ ist Ida B. Wells. Hanna h-Jones would browse t he Universit y bookstore shelves to see what ot her courses her department was of fering for t he semester, and it was t here where she f irst picked up Wells’ autobiography. That’s when her “20-somet hing-year obsession” began, which is now featured in her work and her Tw itter display name. “Ida Bae Wells as my Tw itter handle is just pay ing homage to one of t he origina l investigative reporters and certainly probably one of t he f irst Black woman investigative reporters in t he countr y,” she said. “It’s just a way to connect myself to t he legacy of Ida B. Wells but a lso Black Tw itter which loves to k ind of do f un ta kes on historic names.” As one of t he founders of t he Ida B. Wells Societ y, Hanna h-Jones works toward prov iding Black and ot her racia l minorit y journa lists t he opportunities to expand upon t heir sk ills and advance in t he workplace so t hey can “be t w ice as good,” t he societ y’s motto. “It rea lly is based on myself and t he co-founders’ experiences of being smart enough, of being good enough, of being ambitious enough to be investigative reporters but
not getting t hat support in our newsrooms, not hav ing people see us t hat way because t he t y pica l investigative reporter is not Black, is certainly not a Black woman,” Hanna h-Jones said. “It sends a message, and ever y Black person who sees it automatica lly gets it. It’s a motto t hat you don’t have to explain and rea lly is about t he mission of t he work we’re tr y ing to do.” This shared experience f uels much of Hanna h-Jones’ work and, subsequent ly, her college campus v isits. Hanna h-Jones was slated to return to Notre Dame to discuss her work w it h t he 1619 Project, but t he event has since been canceled due to COV ID-19 precautions. She spoke w it h The Obser ver about what she hoped would have come from t he event. “W henever I give ta lks on any campus, t here’s a lways a large number of Black and brow n students who come. It’s important; t hey want to see someone like me and engage,” she said. “We a lways inev itably during t he Q& A or af ter have a lot of questions about, ‘How do you sur v ive on a campus like t his? ’” The experience of being a person of color at Notre Dame is not unique, Hanna h-Jones said. Students of color have so of ten struggled to f ind comfort on predominantly white campuses, and Hanna h-Jones said she wants t hings to change. “I certainly felt, and so many of my friends felt, like Notre Dame was a place … t hat belongs to t he white students and t hat t he rest of us were k ind of just passing t hrough,” Hanna hJones said. “That we were t here to get our degree and pass t hrough where this was like their space. And it would be nice if that were not the case.”
Contact Maria Luisa Paul at mpaulran@nd.edu
Contact Maria Leontaras at mleontaras01@saintmarys.edu and Mariah Rush at mrush@nd.edu
News
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ever ything is coming at you all at once and so quickly that you can’t really even take it in,” Conboy said about her experience. Much of the early months of Conboy’s presidency has taken place remotely, with strategic planning meetings occurring over video calls and other communication tools utilized during quarantine. These meetings addressed the challenging task of safely bringing students, faculty and staff back to campus. As she enters her 10th week as president, Conboy said she has ref lected upon her own journey and how unusual it is for a new leader to enter an institution and be asked to determine how to open its doors. “Let’s not have our heads in the sand, we got a pandemic going on,” she said. “We could have a crisis on campus, we could have a crisis in South Bend, we could have to pivot in some way at some point in the semester, so we have to be ready for ever y eventuality, which is an unusual situation. You don’t just plan for the best of possibilities, you plan for ever ything else.” Accepting that this semester will be different in some ways but also improved in others is essential to making the best academic year possible, Conboy said. This mindset also informed some of her first actions as president. “I just had to make some decisions that felt to me like they would change the student experience,” she said. “So dining — I just have to say, people have had this complaint for a long time and we’ve not acted on it, and we have an opportunity right in front of us because Notre Dame Dining Services was interested in [us] picking up a contract with them. That’s something that matters to people — having
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who are experiencing any of t he “big t hree” COV ID sy mptoms — fever above 100.4 degrees, shortness of breat h or loss of sense of taste or smell — to contact Universit y Health Ser v ices. Students who test positive w ill be isolated and contact tracing w ill find indiv iduals who need to be quarantined. “To date, the contact tracing team has been able to connect w ith close contacts quick ly,” the email said. As a follow-up to the prematriculation testing all students received before returning, the email said that
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESday, AUGUST 12, 2020 | The Observer
good eating options, being able to stay healthy and having more options for people who are vegetarian and vegan and for people who are interested in exploring global food culture. So let’s have a really creative campus dining program.” In addition to tackling challenges posed by the pandemic and other aspects of the student experience, Conboy began to address the implementation of new antiracism structures and programming in her first week as president. On the day she took office, Conboy and her cabinet released a statement regarding the deaths of George Floyd and other men and women of color, as well as global calls for improved race relations. Throughout the summer, Conboy hosted a series of discussions with members of the Saint Mar y’s community, as well as conversations surrounding antiracism curriculum with the director of inclusion and equity Redgina Hill. These talks have informed further pursuit of an improved experience for students, faculty and staff of color at Saint Mar y’s, which will be largely overseen by Hill. “I certainly think we have to look at the ongoing questions of racial justice and what the experience for people of color on this campus is,” Conboy said. “And I’m really heartened. We did this five-week curriculum over the summer in which Redgina Hill and I had a Friday afternoon conversation with anybody who wanted to join, and we had about 150 people at ever y one of those sessions. People have incredible intentionality toward this.” Together with Hill, Conboy said she hopes to create a training program similar to the one she implemented at her previous institution, Simmons University, where she served as Provost and Senior Vice President. “It was actually really, really successful and it was
required — ever y faculty member had to go through it,” she said about the training program. Her goal, Conboy said, is to ensure that ever y person who comes to Saint Mar y’s is given the same experience. The traditional Saint Mar y’s experience, however, has changed dramatically since the outbreak of COV ID-19. In response to the pandemic, the College has enforced a number of new rules and restrictions on classes, social gatherings, athletics and other aspects of student life. Conboy said she hopes new and returning students stay optimistic and remember that ever yone is figuring out how to sustain their relationships with friends, professors, colleagues and others. “I just think that the more we can think about the positive things that are coming out of this, the better off all of us will be,” she said. “And I’ve had to say this over and over all summer to employees who have been ver y worried about whether we should be opening. Even though it’s different, can we make the difference the best it can possibly be? ” At the same time, Conboy said ever yone should take precautions against exposure to the virus, and she plans on potentially relocating her office from Le Mans Hall to Riedinger House, where she has been living this summer. Classes will look different, she said, with some being outdoors and others moving online or hybrid. “Just tr y to keep in mind that nobody thought that this was the ideal way to run a college, but we did think it was ideal to have people be able to continue their education,” she added. “And so I think the faculty have been incredibly creative. I think we’re going to learn a lot from this about what kind of f lexibility students want in their educational experience going for ward.”
over the next three to four weeks, groups of students and smaller groups of facult y and staff w ill be randomly tested due to t he k now n pattern of asy mptomatic indiv idua ls. According to t he email, t he Universit y w ill assess t his testing and loca l rates of COV ID-19 to determine if broader testing is necessar y. “Depending on t he outcome of t hese rounds of testing, and t he status of case rates in St. Joseph Count y and ot her key indicators, we may test all students once again as well as a concentration of facult y/staff regularly coming to campus,” the email said. Testing results w ill be
posted on the “HERE” dashboard, which is officially live as of Tuesday, the email said. In addition, the email announced the creation of a COV ID incident report form that is available for all staff, facult y and students to use to ensure that the entire communit y is follow ing health and safet y protocols. “Each of us is likely to w itness v iolations of health and safet y protocols on campus. And each of us has a dut y to politely address these issues and support one another. Students are looking to each of us to set an example of resilience and leadership — and we know you w ill prov ide it,” the email said.
Conboy said she challenges students to provide her administration with feedback on these changes, through the president’s office email, in the town hall meetings she plans on hosting ever y two weeks, or in the moments students can catch her passing through campus. As a new president, Conboy said she hopes to establish herself as a visible, accessible presence on campus. The College’s COV ID-19 response has not only altered the way students, faculty and staff experience the academic year but has also shortened the traditional timeline for administrative operations. Because of the uncertain nature of the pandemic, Conboy will move for ward with a shortened horizon of three years, bearing in mind that circumstances could change without any warning. Despite these uncertainties, Conboy has committed to presenting a strategic plan to the board of trustees in October, within the first 100 days of her presidency. This plan will be informed by previous research conducted by former president Jan Cer velli and interim president Nancy Nekvasil. In most instances, Conboy said, a new president will gather information and winnow through all of it during the first 100 days. “I just think we don’t have time for that at Saint Mar y’s, and I also think that there might not be as much of an appetite for it as there would be at institutions that maybe are feeling particularly rudderless,” she said. Instead, Conboy plans to pick up where her predecessors left off, and begin working with previously collected information that is at most four years old. “W hy do I need to ask the same questions all over again; I think a starting point can be that I read ever ything that’s already been written, that I look at
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all of the ideas that people generated and that I test for those,” she said. “Do we still think these are directions that we would be interested in going in? Do we still think that these are the ideas that could guide us? ” Conboy said she is prioritizing a long-term goal of setting Saint Mar y’s apart from other institutions by determining what makes the College so undeniably unique. “The first thing we have to say is what are the differentiators? W hat is this place about and what is the thing that we should never change, that makes Saint Mar y’s, Saint Mar y’s,” Conboy said. Most people identif y Saint Mar y’s with “the feeling that accompanies walking down the Avenue,” Conboy said, and this feeling, while still treasured, is not enough of an identity. “We actually have to be able to say it,” she said. “Yes, there is a feeling you get — I get it too. But I want some words that go with it, and I want some real actions that say this is what we stand for.” This identity includes a depth that must be better communicated, Conboy said. “Depth of the curriculum, depth of the spiritual presence on the campus, depth of commitment on the part of people … my goal would be that we find really compelling ways to communicate that depth,” she said. “I don’t feel right now that we present ourselves to the world as being the deep, intellectual, spiritual, politically committed community-oriented place that we are. I don’t want to be a hidden jewel. I want to be out there shining and ver y visible to people. And that requires being able to say really clearly who we are, what we do and what we’re really excellent at.” Contact Maeve Filbin at mfilbin01@saintmarys.edu
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The observer | Wednesday, august 12, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Where is the Notre Dame family? Mariah Rush Managing Editor
Let me tell you a secret — I never really believed in the Notre Dame family. I’m naturally a skeptic, and a cynic at heart. Growing up in South Bend didn’t have the same Notre Dame effect on me as it did on some of my peers. And here’s one of the reasons why: Once football, day-drinking and love of dorm culture are agreed upon, the family seems to stop. One disagreement — political, religious or otherwise — and the family always seemed to fracture and break. We are in one of those times now. I don’t need to tell you that. Now it appears to have become an us versus them situation: the seniors wanting to capture every last moment at Notre Dame versus the students wary of time with anyone outside their home. It’s the freshmen making friends on the quads versus the kids convinced this semester will end in death. The conflict is real, and it’s here. But it doesn’t have to be this way. As many us versus them conflicts go, there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut right answer. We cannot shame those who aren’t scared of the coronavirus’ effects on their friends and families with health conditions into staying home. It simply does not work. Yelling at people on the street will certainly not cause them to change their minds. The people you criticize will only hit back stronger, and be even less likely to see things your way if you attack them. But honest conversation will help more than shade could ever. If we are really the Notre Dame family, why are we fracturing now, when we need to work together the most? There are some right answers — Wear a mask, practice social distancing. But to different people, this does mean different things. But some things are hazy — should we not be going to restaurants at all? What about if we are sitting outside? And what about our close bubble of friends off campus? Should those photos be taken so close together? I’m not here to disclose my own opinion. I have my own guidelines for myself and for my loved ones. What I do know for sure is that now is not the time to perpetuate even more fear and anxiety through omens of death and destruction. These times are already difficult enough for those of us struggling with mental health issues, and it is so easy to get lost in a doom spiral. I am conflicted every day. Every day I worry for my aging mother who works in a local South Bend hospital. I worry for my grandmother’s mental health — being locked away for months on end would be terrifying. And I worry for myself and my friends. But I also want to choose joy. I want to be ecstatic to see my beautiful friends I haven’t seen since December. I want to love fully and freely. I feel for the freshmen who are forced to make and build friendships right now. I don’t want to minimize anyone else’s fears. But I know digging into those anxieties every hour of every day is the opposite of healthy. You never know what other people are going through during this time, or truly anytime, so let’s try not to jump to conclusions. There’s no shame in going to therapy, especially now, instead of manifesting those fears into the open all the time. This semester is not about fear or conflict. At least, it shouldn’t be. We deserve to be joyful, even in These Times. So be mindful about who you are spending time around, and feel free to draw lines in the sand about hanging out and going places. Don’t be afraid to be the person in your friend group to stay home. If you are going out, don’t shame those who don’t feel safe. Maybe compromise, and host small gatherings instead of blow-out parties. Don’t force Notre Dame employees to tell you to social distance and wear a mask on campus. And let’s not attack our community members, because it simply won’t do any good. When was the last time you were attacked over something, and you decided to change the way you acted? It’s really not a positive way to enact change. All the premonitions about this semester ending in heartbreak will come true. More than anything, I want to believe in the Notre Dame family. So let’s try for a little more empathy today. And as always, don’t forget to wear a mask. You can contact Mariah at mrush@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The NBA bubble: America’s latest utopia Ella Wisniewski Consider This
The NBA is back, baby! 22 teams have been quarantined to finish the 2019-2020 season in the bubble, a strictly regulated isolation zone located at Disney World. (I’ve been keeping track of sentences that sound like absolute nonsense outside of this year, and this is one of them.) Following the suspension of the season back in March, the NBA started back up just last month at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which is a part of the Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. It’s a bizarre concept for a bizarre year: get all the players, coaches, personnel and reporters in the same spot, rigorously test them, maintain social distancing and everyone should be safe, right? So far, right. The bubble has yet to pop. As of Aug. 5, there haven’t been any positive tests for three straight weeks. And the bubble has already brought us so much! It’s hardly a regular season, but with the playoffs starting this upcoming Monday, at least we’ve got something, not to mention great content like Matisse Thybulle’s fantastic vlogs and J.R. Smith severely miscalculating how much underwear he needed for the season. But the NBA bubble has also brought us something incredibly special that’s worth looking into –– America’s latest and greatest utopian endeavor. The NBA bubble aligns remarkably closely with experiments in utopian communal living from 19th century America. These experiments usually consisted of a group that was strictly isolated from the rest of society, with a detailed list of rules designed to keep the community intact and each of its members performing specialized jobs. The NBA bubble, with their intense regulations and singular focus, feels like a modern equivalent. Every utopia-seeking group had its rallying cry in one way or another. The Shakers and the Rappites were hyper-religious sects, with the former practicing celibacy and pacifism and the latter waiting around to get raptured. Brook Farm was founded by Transcendentalists to promote plain living and human culture. The bubble’s call for unification is similar, just more external: It’s better to have basketball than to not. If you take the concept of utopia at face value, it seems ill-fitting to call it a perfect community when there are so many complaints from players about life inside the bubble. But these utopian movements have a common thread of societal perfectibility over individual happiness. A community’s operational success, rather than the satisfaction of the individuals within it, is what
makes it utopian. The bubble shares in this—its 113-page handbook of health and safety protocols ensures it. The bubble isn’t utopian because players necessarily like that they can only play singles, not doubles, in ping-pong, or that there’s an anonymous line to call to report any protocol violations, but because these rules function to keep the bubble alive. On a side note, it’s interesting that the bubble is located in Disney World of all places, given Walt Disney’s mild obsession with utopia. EPCOT was supposed to be an actual community, with climate-control and a giant monorail system, instead of a theme park where you can get steak on a paper plate. But this leads to another interesting question—if the NBA bubble is a utopian endeavor, is it successful? To answer this, we have to think about what determines the success of attempted perfection. If the only metric is general internal functionality, then the bubble is absolutely viable so far. But if we have to account for external pressures, especially the potential good that could be done for the community if the utopia didn’t exist, then the bubble runs into some trouble. Entry into the bubble alone requires a week’s worth of negative tests, and tests subsequently every other day, which will result in an estimated 17,000 tests by the end of the season just on the players. The NBA released a statement in mid-July to assure us that their rigorous testing doesn’t detract from the local community, but just outside the bubble, some Floridians are having to wait 10 to 12 days for their test results. Obviously, there’s no direct link between the NBA’s thorough testing protocols and the lab backlog in Florida, but it seems pretty intuitive that the resources going toward testing players three or four times a week could also be used to help average citizens. So does the bubble fail as a utopia because of all the good it could be doing? I don’t think it does. The NBA bubble is a successful iteration of the American utopia because it functions internally, and what’s more, it does so for an external purpose. For a community to succeed as a utopia requires not the happiness of its members or the morality of its operations but the viability of its internal functions, and so far, the bubble is one of America’s most successful attempts at communal, utopian living. We can all only wonder for how much longer. Anyway, go Sixers! Ella Wisniewski is a junior studying English and economics. She tries her best not to take herself too seriously. You can reach her at ewisnie2@nd.edu or @ellawisn on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
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The observer | Wednesday, august 12, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Here, we talk politics Patrick Aimone and Gregory Miller BridgeND
First things first –– from the leaders and members of BridgeND, from whom you’ll be hearing in a biweekly column this year, welcome back to campus! It’s impossible to ignore the ways in which the next few months will be different from an ordinary semester at Notre Dame with contact among friends limited. And regrettably, although also understandably, Notre Dame will no longer host candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden on campus in September for the first presidential debate, which promised to be the center of gravity for countless campus events and discussions leading up to it. But despite the COVID-19 pandemic, our obligation to engage in good faith political conversations with our friends, classmates, professors and other members of the campus community has not gone anywhere. Although we might have to be more creative in searching for occasions for dialogue, we still need them in order to form deep and well-rounded friendships and bonds with the other members of our University community. After all, long before presidential debates were televised spectacles held in University pavilions, the press and the citizens of the United States of America have participated in spirited public discourse on political issues – precisely because we know that our political beliefs aren’t supposed to be silently guarded, revealed only to like-minded conspirators or in the secrecy of the voting booth. We have an obligation not to shy away from disagreement –– the natural tendency to preserve comfortable conversation — but instead to speak our minds freely, respectfully and courageously to challenge our peer’s beliefs, and in the process, our own. We at BridgeND call on our fellow students to recommit themselves to civil dialogue with classmates, roommates, friends and professors, and to recognize that our education and the mission of this University calls us to a higher standard of empathy, honesty and respect in our discourse.
We are called to empathy. Because every one of our perspectives has been altered and shaped by our background and circumstances, we should recognize that no one has an absolute claim to their perspective being impartial or free from bias. A productive conversation should always start from a place of understanding, and we should be willing to afford others the same presumption of good faith that we expect they should afford us. We are called to honesty. We expect our partners in conversation to speak candidly and honestly about their beliefs and the process of forming them, and we must likewise prepare ourselves for that conversation by asking ourselves difficulty questions. Why did I actually come to believe the opinions I espouse, and how does that differ from the defense of those opinions I might give in an argument? What would be sufficient to convince me that my views are wrong? Where are my blind spots, and where can I acknowledge that I should learn from the experience, knowledge or authority of others? If we are not willing to ask ourselves these questions, then we enter dialogue without a clear understanding of our own beliefs and opinions –– and we are much more likely to shift the goalposts to favor our attachment to our prior beliefs. We are called to respect. Respect for our interlocutors entails attentive listening, which is the only way we may come to a mutual understanding. Moreover, respect is not something that our side has justifiably earned, or which our most distasteful opponents no longer deserve; it’s an obligation that falls on us, no matter to whom we are talking. This process of listening is also a persuasion technique. Because we so often inherit our beliefs from sources we trust, allowing a conversation partner to talk through their thoughts may cause them, or you, to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of their argument. There are significant countervailing forces in our society that encourage us to strategically, or simply unconsciously, jettison these commitments to empathy, honesty and respect. You may think that it’s unreasonable to extend empathy to people whose own politics don’t value empathy, or that it’s unrealistic to afford the presumption of good faith to every anonymous account
you encounter on social media. But while these sentiments might be understandable, they aren’t conducive to a healthy politics or political discourse. Rather than try to rationalize them, we should try to replace the circumstances that produce them with settings in which we can practice these values. Seek to replace griping about your political opponents with talking to them. And while we will not reach consensus on every issue –– politics is rarely so straightforward –– we will at least have done our part in converting our present culture of dishonest disagreement into one that is more sincere. Finally –– and we’ll go to the book on this one –– we are called to vote. We add our voices to the chorus of exhortations of young people to cast their ballots and make their voices heard. NDVotes has constructed a guide that will take you through how to vote based on your state of residence. We are excited to see the Notre Dame family foster a culture of political engagement heading into an undoubtedly contentious, but nevertheless important, election season. BridgeND will be holding weekly meetings to discuss pertinent policy issues and will be hosting multiple events this semester designed to help attendees form more in-depth beliefs. We encourage you to join us at our meetings, and even if you don’t do that, to contribute to the campus culture of civil dialogue. If you are right, you have an obligation to convince others. iIf you are wrong, you have an obligation to figure out where and why. In either case, healthy political discourse is an essential component of a flourishing campus community and a complete education, and we urge everyone this semester to speak up. HERE, we make our voices heard. Gregory Miller and Patrick Aimone are the co-presidents of BridgeND, a non-partisan political education and discussion group that seeks to bridge the political divide and raise the standard for political discourse at Notre Dame. BridgeND meets weekly on Mondays at 5 p.m. You can contact the club at bridgend@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
On International Youth Day, support youth building peace and fighting for justice The late Rep. John Lewis began his lifelong vocation as a civil rights activist when he was a student at American Baptist College. He was one of the original Freedom Riders and desegregated his first bus in Nashville at age 20. He risked his life again and again nonviolently protesting. Today, youth have carried on Lewis’ legacy as key leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement. In the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, Notre Dame students mobilized across the country to participate in protests, student-athletes spoke up at a Juneteenth rally and the Black Alumni Club and several black student groups petitioned the University to commit to real action to end racial injustice on campus. August 12 is International Youth Day –– a day to celebrate young changemakers, like Notre Dame students, and recognize youth’s importance in political, economic and social processes. Notre Dame students often hear from parents, professors, administrators and University President Fr. John Jenkins that “we are the future”. Notre Dame prides itself on the ethical formation of the next generation of leaders. While benevolent, this sentiment fails to recognize that Notre Dame students, and young people across the world, are no longer waiting for the future to arrive. We are questioning the social inequality that we are inheriting from older generations. We are taking action and demanding a new vision for a just and peaceful future. Youth are more important than ever. The global youth
population has reached more than 1.85 billion, its highest ever. In the United States, more than 50% of the population is Gen Z and younger. Today, according to the United Nations, 1 in 4 young people live on the front lines of conflict. Many of the world’s most conflict-affected countries have majority-youth populations, yet young people are left out of peace and security conversations. A report by the nonprofit Peace Direct found that while youth are often stereotyped as either perpetrators of violence or helpless victims of it, young people across the world are leaders rebuilding their communities and charting a more peaceful path forward. In Syria, for example, youth are helping save lives on the front lines of conflict and in their COVID-19 response. Hurras, a peacebuilding organization established in 2012 to protect children from conflict, created a Youth Committee in a town near the Turkish border where recent violence has displaced millions of people. These young peacebuilders designed a magazine to educate people on coronavirus prevention and distributed over 400 personal protection equipment kits to displaced families. From Notre Dame to northeast Syria, young peacebuilders are doing life-saving work across the world. Yet, these organizations lack the support, funding and access to decision-makers to scale their impact. We can take action to change this. In March, a group of bipartisan legislators in the U.S.
House of Representatives introduced the Youth, Peace and Security Act of 2020 (H.R. 6174). The bill will strengthen U.S. foreign policy by harnessing the potential of youth peacebuilders. By including young people in peace and security processes in their own countries, the bill will work toward creating sustainable peace. On International Youth Day, Notre Dame students can advocate for their peers across the world by urging hometown representatives as well as Sen. Mike Braun, Sen. Todd Young and Rep. Jacqueline Walorski to support the Youth, Peace and Security Act of 2020 and its introduction in the Senate. It is time we stop waiting to see what young people will do in the future. The Youth, Peace and Security Act of 2020 seeks to empower youth as active agents for sustainable peace and security now. As we face the crises of the pandemic, racism and global conflict, youth are essential for a path forward. In his last personal essay, Lewis issued a call to action for youth: “When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burden of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war.” Fabiola Shipley class of 2020 Aug. 11
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The observer | wednesday, august 12, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Changing with the times It goes w ithout saying that things are in f lux. Ever y day, we are learning something new about our campuses, adjusting to new regulations and finding new ways to engage w ithin the community. W hether that means meeting outdoors instead of in an office or gathering in smaller groups, campus clubs and organizations are doing their best to ensure the health and safety of all those involved. The Obser ver is no different. For the fall semester, we have decided to print physical copies of the paper Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We w ill still be producing daily online content, most of which w ill also be printed in the 16-page papers that w ill be available for pick up on each campus. The Obser ver w ill eventually return to daily printing, public health permitting the sw itch. With this change, Obser ver production staffers
will be in our South Dining Hall basement office three times a week rather than five. Here, we do it all: workers will sit 6 feet apart and clean their work stations after use, masks will be worn at all times and the snacks will be removed from the back (Fruit snacks and animal crackers, we ask for forgiveness). The Obser ver Editorial Board is prioritizing not only the health and safety of our staffers but also the wellbeing of ever yone who assists in the printing process — the deliver y person, the workers at the printing press, the people on campus who help us. We hope you still pick up a physical copy, but reading online always works, too. The paper will be available at limited campus locations at Holy Cross, Notre Dame and Saint Mar y’s. Holy Cross will have copies of the paper available at Siegfried Dining Hall and the Ma x student center. Saint Mar y’s will have papers at the Cushwa-Leighton Librar y, Le Mans Hall, Spes Unica Hall and the Student Center. At Notre Dame, the paper will be available for pick up at the following locations: North and South Dining Halls, Hesburgh Librar y, DeBartolo Hall, Duncan and LaFortune Student Centers, O’Shaughnessy
Hall, Coleman-Morse Center, the Main Building, the Jordan Hall of Science and the Hammes Bookstore. In these times, access to the news — especially stories affecting the tri-campus community — is more vital than ever. We remain committed to bringing content to you, in print or online, five days a week. For consistent updates, follow us @ndsmcobser ver on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Feel free to contact us with any questions, concerns or updates you may have about campus life. We will always do our best to find the answers. In March when all three campuses originally closed, we assured you we would still be here. Though this semester might look a little different, that promise remains the same. We want to be able to continue doing the things we love — uncovering the truth and reporting it accurately — with our friends at The Obser ver. We’re making these changes to do our part to ensure the health and safety of all involved so we can enjoy this semester to the fullest. We hope you do the same.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
We have the semester if we can keep it I will admit it: I was skeptical about reopening this semester. Last week helped me see the possibilities we have as a community to embrace health protocols and protect our Notre Dame family. As part of TeamND, I have seen our groups commit to the mask requirements, social distancing and regular hand washing and sanitizing. It’s been inspiring to share this time with our student leaders as we prepare to begin this semester together. Walking across campus, I also have seen a great number of students sharing meals at distance and wearing their masks. It is with sincere gratitude that I thank you for following our University’s health and safety protocols. This letter, however, is not for those who have been faithfully following the COV ID-19 policies. With great frustration, I see members of this community walking or sitting very closely together without masks on. Entire groups of unmasked students are a health risk to everyone on this campus and to those in the South Bend community. Being outside does not absolve you of the mask requirement, and wearing a mask does not absolve you of your responsibility to socially distance. Even University President Fr. Jenkins, who has modeled wearing a mask very well, lost himself in the excitement of Welcome Week, sending an email out on Thursday to apologize for having
taken pictures with students and ignoring social distancing. It is OK to make mistakes, apologize and do right. It is not OK to continuously break protocol for no reason at all. This summer I heard about the shopping cart theory, which says putting back a shopping cart to save a worker the hassle of collecting it later is a good test of a person’s character. Following basic health precautions to save the lives of faculty, staff, students and visitors is a better test in my book, and we have to acknowledge that some of us are not living up to that test. Right now, we have the semester. We have some in-person classes, events and residential life. I don’t know about you, but less than a month ago that seemed completely impossible. I would like to make sure this semester can continue through to November, but those who do not wear masks and ignore distancing requirements threaten to take that from all of us. It would be a shame for the responsible many to be subject to the ignorance of a few. Yes, we have the semester, but it is our responsibility to ensure that we can keep it. That means wearing your mask, keeping socially distant and washing your hands well and frequently. More than that, it means holding other members of this community accountable to all the COV ID-19
requirements before us. If you see someone without a mask, you should ask them if they have one to put on. If someone is too close, you can move away or you can ask them to remain distant. We are provided with the opportunity to implement GreeNDot’s active bystander training to enforce the University’s health protocols. The stakes are high this semester. Lives depend on our adherence to the precautions laid out for us. Further, we are coming out of a quarantine period which severely affected the mental health of many of our fellow community members. If we fail to prevent an outbreak through our actions, many will return to home environments which are unsafe and unhealthy for them. We all have a responsibility to the other members of this family to follow four simple directions: 1) Wear a mask 2) Practice physical distancing 3) Wash your hands often 4) Complete your daily health check. If you want to keep the semester, it’s the very least you could do. Matthew Bisner junior Aug. 6
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JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
By MARIAH RUSH and CLAIRE RAFFORD Mangaging Editor and Assistant Managing Editor
If five months ago, someone had said the most relatable movie of the summer would be a “Groundhog Day”esque rom-com set in the middle of the desert, most of the world would have been paralyzed with fear. Still, amidst the pandemic and ensuing months in quarantine, the Lonely Island-produced vehicle catapulted into our summer at the start of July with “Palm Springs” — to rave reviews and to the joy of audiences worldwide. The film, starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, is full of plot twists and emotional turns — mainly, the shift in tone from nihilism to the realization that loving someone can change your outlook on life. “Palm Springs” is the existential romantic comedy that became the biggest sale ever at Sundance — by 69 cents. And that right there is a stellar exemplification of the movie itself: It outsells every other film and takes on heart, depth and more, but still leaves some room for classic Lonely Island-style rated-R jokes, proving that romance and immature humor aren’t — and shouldn’t be — mutually exclusive. The premise of the movie isn’t exactly new: Nyles, played by Samberg, and Sarah, Millotti, become trapped in “one of those infinite time-loop situations you might have heard about,” as Nyles says to Sarah. The day being
By WILLOUGHBY THOM Scene Writer
This yea r is not what we had in mind; we a ll k now t hat, a nd I k now you don’t need me to remind you. It’s ev ident t hat t he pa ndemic has impacted a l l facets of life, big a nd sma ll. This new decade has brought us not hing but isolat ion. The pa ndemic has t hreatened not on ly our physica l hea lt h, but a lso our menta l hea lt h. Ever yone’s been on a sea rch to f ind somet hing to do whi le stay ing in one place. This period of qua ra nt ine has forced us to discover new ways in which to be creat ive a nd ex press ourselves creat ively. Never t heless, t here is st ill void t hat needs to be f i l led. 2020 ma rks t he yea r of no live music. On ly a few were luck y enough to catch a show in t he ea rly mont hs of Ja nua r y or Febr ua r y, but it’s been si x mont hs of no concer ts. W het her you a re a reg ula r concer t-goer or not, t here is st ill somet hing of f in t he universe when t here a re no sonic waves of music f looding t he at mosphere. This energ y shif t is chaot ic. We a re current ly t rapped in our
repeated? The wedding of Sarah’s seemingly perfect sister and her equally perfect fiance in Palm Springs. And really, that’s all we should tell you plot-wise. The movie is best enjoyed spoiler-free, as to fully appreciate the different twists and turns that make the story all the more exciting — and heartwarming. Samberg, with his charm, humor and good looks, proves in this film that he can hold his own not only as a comic lead, but as a romantic one. The chemistry between him and Milotti is effortless, and the viewer can’t help but be charmed by their antics: a choreographed dance number (complete with matching outfits), insane stunts and lots of drunken adventures. But the two leads are not the only members of the cast who deserve commendation: supporting actors J.K. Simmons, Camila Mendes, Peter Gallagher and more add to the film’s raunchy-yet-tender humor and heart. The idea of being “stuck together,” whether in an infinite time loop or in quarantine, is almost too relatable at the moment. Rather than decrying the monotony that can stem from long-term relationships, “Palm Springs” suggests that being stuck with someone isn’t as bad as it seems. In fact, the film shows that maybe knowing someone well enough to get sick of them is a blessing rather than a curse. Whether or not you’re literally stuck with someone, or seemingly stuck in your own life, “Palm
private lives w it h no sha red ex periences to connect a communit y t hreaded toget her by chords. Technolog y has a llowed us to ma inta in t his collect ive somewhat, but it is sad ly a nd steadi ly fading away. Ja nua r y t hrough Ma rch is t he t ime when musicia ns release new music before t hey head out on t he road in t he spring a nd summer. Ma ny ba nds a nd a r t ists st ill released music t his yea r, but t hey were g ravely a ltered by t he fact t hat t hey cou ldn’t tour. In today’s music indust r y, t he on ly way to ma ke money is to play shows. Un li ke t he indust r y prior to st rea ming, musicia ns don’t actua lly sell a lbums. Instead, t hey receive ver y meager prof its f rom t he st rea ming compa nies. They a re dependent on mercha ndise a nd t icket sa les. Not on ly was t he ta lent a f fected, but t heir fa ns were too. You may feel completely sat isf ied by your favorite a r t ist’s new music released during t his pa ndemic, but t here is st ill somet hing missing, a nd what is missing is actua lly ex periencing live music. St rea ming a new a lbum over a nd over is g reat, but a f ter a while it becomes a task. W hat is
Springs” tells us you can always change your circumstances through a shift in mindset. This is a film you’ll want to view more than once — both to catch more of the mile-a-minute jokes and to attempt to understand what exactly has happened in the handful of plot twists, quantum physics and nuanced, emotional moments. For an even more “WTF” moment, be sure to watch after the credits. Overall, “Palm Springs” attempts to assign meaning to a seemingly-meaningless world, a theme that, in the era of COVID-19, is more relevant than ever. To quote Sarah, “I can survive just fine without you, you know. But there’s a chance that this life can be a little less mundane with you in it.” Maybe, just maybe, that’s the point of it all. Contact Mariah Rush at mrush@nd.edu Contact Claire Rafford at crafford@nd.edu
“Palm Springs” If You Like: “Brooklyn 99,” “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” “Groundhog Day” Where to Watch: Hulu
missing is being able to be embraced a nd surrounded by sound. The physica lit y a nd presence of a people t hrough live music is v ita l in ma inta ining a nd st reng t hening a societ y, a nd when it’s ripped away, it’s ha rd to g rasp a new rea lit y. In essence, we were never g iven a t ime to g rieve its loss. Hav ing no concer ts may not bot her you, but it does a f fect you. A r t ist ic, creat ive a nd innovat ive people have no point of convergence. Music unites a nd t he lack of a sha red cooperat ive spirit has wea kened our relat ionship w it h ot hers a nd w it h t he a r t itself. We need to do somet hing. Live music w i l l come back, but it might be a long t ime before we a re able to be cra mmed toget her in a ding y venue. In t he mea nt ime, help save your loca l music venues by sig ning pet it ions, buy ing merch f rom your favorite ba nds, ma k ing playlists for each ot her, w rit ing songs, reaching out to your fel low music lovers a nd stay ing hopef u l t hat our stages w i l l back up a nd r unning soon. Contact Willoughby Thom at wthom@nd.edu JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer
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ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2020 | The Observer
Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Focus on what you can do this year. Put your time, thoughts and energy into learning, preparing and modifying whatever needs an update to fit into the life you are trying to create for yourself. Changes shouldn’t be drastic this year. Ease into the adjustments you feel are most likely to help you reach your goal. Your numbers are 5, 12, 23, 28, 32, 41, 47. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Channel your energy into work, getting along with your peers and rethinking some of the decisions that are causing uncertainty. Get back to basics, and don’t hesitate to ask for a favor if it pertains to work and advancement. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Set high standards, and put your energy into projects that make you feel passionate. Pull in people who stimulate your creative imagination and encourage you to explore new territory. Bringing positivity into your life is the best course of action. Don’t let trivial matters set you off. Make peace and love priorities. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep your thoughts and plans a secret. It’s best to put everything in place before you share with others. An emotional situation will escalate, leading to changes you didn’t anticipate. Work with what you have, and do the best you can. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Separate work from pleasure. Enforce changes that are in agreement with what others want. There is no point in fighting a losing battle. Stick to what is possible, and do your best. An energetic exercise will be uplifting. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A change that takes place at work or in your community may not be something you expect, but you should prepare yourself for any eventualities. Acceptance will be the first step to discovering how best to move forward. Branch out, and try something new and exciting. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Follow the rules. Don’t let anyone railroad you into something that doesn’t sit right with you. Do your due diligence, gather the facts and be ready to make adjustments if someone gets in your way. When one door closes, another will open. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Make your surroundings more accommodating. Clear a space that is conducive to the projects you want to get underway. If you need help, rely on someone who is always supportive and willing to do his or her part on your behalf. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): What you do will make a difference. Choose to let your actions speak for you, and allow your dedication and desire to do things prevail. Use your imagination, and associate with people who share your sentiments. There is no need to let negativity detract you from making an impact. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take the initiative, and follow through with your plans. Having the proper documents in order and your plan in place will give you the edge you need over someone trying to oppose or criticize what you are trying to accomplish. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take into consideration concerns presented to you. It’s best to find a way to keep the peace by finding an alternative way to reach your goal. Mixing the old with the new will be more acceptable to someone who doesn’t like change. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t feel you have to accommodate someone who is not heading in the same direction. Assess your situation, and do what feels right. You have to look out for your interests if you want to get ahead. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Personal improvements will make you feel good and grab attention and compliments that will boost your confidence. Hard work will lead to a chance to delve into something new and exciting. A change is in your best interest. Birthday Baby: You are brave, spontaneous and entertaining. You are aggressive and resourceful.
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Sports Authority
Sports Authority
Total Washington Football David Kramer Sports Writer
I interrupt my regularly scheduled programming with an unusual Sports Authority during perhaps the strangest time to be a sports writer in recent memory. By unusual, I suppose that I mean uncharacteristically serious and political. Since our abrupt farewell from campus last March, the political and social landscape of the nation has drastically changed. No matter your level of activism following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and seemingly countless other BIPOC throughout the extended break from campus, the weight of current and upcoming decisions presented to American citizens invite all of us, at a bare minimum, to get informed, oppose racism and pay attention. Receiving a considerable share of that attention is the sports industry, not only in how it balances a return to play and health considerations but also in how it implements positive change at the highest level of American entertainment. This July, the Washington Football Team exposed a history of sexual assault and changed its franchise name to an acceptable interim tag. While I applaud Washington for ending its 87-year period of insensitivity, the amount of thoroughness and consistency in other leagues when removing similarly offensive titles will dictate whether this movement will be remembered as a success. Racist mascots and traditions continue to be welcomed in several professional and collegiate leagues. Perhaps a little protest music could stir some momentum, eh? The Black Lives Matter Movement has “I Can’t Breathe” by H.E.R. and Beyonce’s “Black Parade.” Creedence Clearwater Revival brought “Fortunate Son” to the American streets during Vietnam. But where should we turn for sports? Spare me the “this some indie BS” comments as I cast my vote for Parquet Courts’ “Total Football.” The opening track of the band’s “Wide Awake!” album lays the groundwork for an album whose outrage and dread still applies two years later. I took it upon myself to change the lyrics and fit the “angsty sports protest anthem” vibe. Give it a spin and overwhelm your roommate for me! You are conductors of blood, sweat and brutality / And I bet you thought your light work could set your league
apart / We are avid foes of mass complicity / Now we’re back on the streets to push for a change of heart / You are tactless now / You are tactless now / You are tactless now / On your own / Owners / Dealers / Breakers / Takers / Always / Protected / Never / Rejected / We are troubled by your narrow sensitivity / But delighted to be anti-everything you have taught / Are you troubled by our recent activity / Have your hurt Caucasian feelings left you so distraught? / Are you quite done now? / Are you quite done now? / Are you quite done now? / Not at all / Fanatics / Writers / Staffers / Coaches / Power / Directed / To what can be / Corrected / Only through those / Who wake themselves up / Can an industry / Be praise-worthy / It is dishonest / Nay a wrong / To stand for any anthem / That attempts to drown / Out the roar of oppression / Roger total football / Chi-Town total football / Atlanta total football / KC total football / Cleveland total football / Utah total football / Ole Miss total football / “Divas” total football / Granting basic respect / Is not losing, but / Rather / Emancipation / From un-civilization / Collectivism and autonomy / Are not mutually exclusive / Those who find discomfort / In a goal of consideration / Will be issued / No apology / And f--k George Preston Marshall! Disclaimer: The views of this mediocre-at-best Observer writer are not necessarily those in a fire Parquet Courts track. Now, back to my regularly scheduled programming. Contact David Kramer at dkramer2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Soccer is taking America by storm in 2020 Inigo Yturralde Sports Writer
Soccer, the beautiful game, is captivating more people than ever before in the United States. Professional and youth teams alike are emerging all over the countr y. It seems like ever yday there is news about a new team joining Major League Soccer (MLS) or an American youth team hav ing success abroad. In turn, there is clear reciprocation on behalf of players and fans, alike. American players are being given more and more opportunities to play in Europe’s top leagues, competing against the best sides in the world. Fans in America have embraced soccer culture like never before. Many MLS teams have joined and contributed to fostering inclusive communities in cities across America. The MLS is the premiere soccer institution in America, currently consisting of 26 teams, w ith t wo additional teams scheduled to be added — Austin FC in 2021 and Charlotte FC in 2022. The league has drastically evolved since its inception in 1996, taking many different shapes and boasting a variet y of success stories. The league is categorically different from top leagues in Europe and around the world for a number of unique reasons. The first, being that the league has adopted the traditional American draft model. In the MLS draft, eligible players submit their names for consideration and are selected by teams in a league monitored setting. A lthough many Americans appreciate the uniqueness of the MLS, when compared to European sides, many agree that some of its rules are holding it back. W hile the draft ser ves as a familiar presence to sports fans in America, it sets the MLS a step behind from the global competition. Holding a draft limits teams from operating in a truly free market and ultimately prevents the cultivation of elite squads. Similar to the inhibitions created by the draft, the MLS employs a number of other
player-signing regulations. Some of these include the Homegrow n Player Rule, Designated Player Rule and A llocation Ranking List. Even w ith these rules, the MLS and its affiliated development teams have both produced and welcomed a number of stars to its ranks. Leading the way for team USA is 21-year-old Chelsea midfielder, Christian Pulisic. The Pennsylvania native garnered his first Borussia Dortmund senior team appearance at the age of 17. Prov ing his worth there, he soon made the move to south London’s Chelsea F.C. Since his rise to stardom, Pulisic has become the poster boy for American soccer. Young Americans across the countr y idolize him and his new team. Pulisic is the player who has given American soccer fans hope for team USA. After not qualif y ing for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Americans are eager to get back in the race. Accompanied by a distinguished number of talented youngsters, American soccer is back. A lphonso Dav ies is a young star who has yet to reach his 20th birthday and is already tearing it up in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich. Dav ies, a young immigrant to Canada, broke into the Vancouver W hitecaps development team at the age of 15. It was not long before the speedy left-back made his way onto the first team and into the record books. After t wo years w ith the W hitecaps first team, Dav ies was sold to Bayern Munich for an MLS record $22 million. Since his transfer, the young player has established himself as one of the best in the world and a testament to the MLS’ talent producing abilit y. The most recent superstar to come from abroad and succeed in the MLS is former Real Sociedad w inger, Carlos Vela. The Mex ican national spent almost the entiret y of his career in Europe, competing in La Liga, Europa League and the Champions League. After mov ing to the MLS, Vela immediately had an impact on the recently inaugurated Los Angeles FC. In his second year w ith
the team, Vela became the league MV P. Similar to Carlos Vela, many European superstars have taken the MLS by storm in the past. Among the most distinguished of these are Thierr y Henr y, Way ne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimov ic. W hile these players have made the MLS seem like childsplay at times, the value that they have added to the league is incalculable. In addition to these stars, Dav id Beck ham is making a splash in the MLS, w ith the inauguration of his new team, Inter Miami CF. Bringing in a big name, in addition to funding a new team, is just the kind of energ y that the MLS needs during this period of grow th. Given the global circumstances, it can be a daunting time to be a sports fan of any kind. With that, the MLS has been one of the most successful professional leagues to return to play since the COV ID-19 pandemic. Play ing w ithout fans and w ith more substitutions, teams have made the most of the opportunities given to them. As fans, we love to see it. This pandemic could have been a serious blow to all of the positive momentum that the MLS had going for it in recent years. Instead, the MLS and greater soccer communit y in America conducted themselves at the same standard as the best leagues in the world. As soccer in America continues to grow, I encourage anybody and ever ybody to buck le up for a w ild ride. Not only is the MLS taking steps to compete w ith other leagues around the world, but they are also starting to dominate a significant portion of the American market as well. Soon enough the U.S. may be a household soccer name. But for now, I w ill just say that soon we w ill be hearing about the MLS in the same conversation as the NFL, NBA and MLB — mark my words. Contact Inigo Yturralde at iyturralde@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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Carey Continued from page 16
quarterback that year,” he said. “… So we were down at Purdue for a game, and the starting quarterback got hurt. And then they put in the second-string guy, and he got hurt. And so then they had to put in Joe Montana.” Montana came in with the Irish down 24-14 in the fourth quarter, and proceeded to complete 9-14 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. The “Monongahela Minuteman” led a 17-0 scoring run that won Notre Dame the game before claiming the national championship later that season. “He was about a sophomore then, and that’s when he came of age, you know,” Carey said of Montana. “I mean, he was terrific and ... you know, we were down at halftime and he pulled out that game. So that was pretty darn exciting.” Carey served as chaplain of the football team that game, but that isn’t the end of his experiences. His cache of narratives includes scrambling to find 100 hosts for the team mass before playing on the road at Georgia Tech. “We always had mass Saturday morning before the game,” Carey said. “… So I get into the hotel, it’s Friday night, and I look in the mass kit, and they had forgotten to put hosts from the Basilica. So I had to go to a church and say, ‘I’m a priest from Notre Dame, and can I borrow 100 hosts for the Notre Dame football team for our mass?’ So that’s how we had hosts for that mass.” Some of Carey’s most interesting stories from his time at Notre Dame pertain to a game about a decade later. “I was there for the ‘88 Notre Dame-Miami game that was about the movie ‘Catholics vs. Convicts,’” he said. “That was the greatest football game I ever saw.” Carey was rector of Dillon Hall at the time and knew several of the football players on Notre Dame’s 1988 championship team. He recalls a story of Irish quarterback Tony Rice, a former Dillon resident, who couldn’t participate in football activities his freshman season due to Proposition 48 rules. “Here was this kid, and he couldn’t even go to practice,” Carey said. “So he would get guys in the hall, he’d be out in the south quad throwing passes to people and everyone, people walking by, [ask], ‘why isn’t that kid on the team?’” When 1988 rolled around, the Irish were trying to reassert themselves as a national power, and the team in their way was the Miami Hurricanes. At the same time, a Notre Dame student by the name of Pat Walsh was making money by selling T-shirts on Notre Dame’s campus. Walsh was the focus of the ESPN 30 for 30 recounting the events surrounding the game between the Irish and the Hurricanes. He provided friend
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, august 12, 2020 | The Observer
and former Notre Dame basketball captain Joe Fredrick with T-shirts brandishing “Catholics vs. Convicts,” a slogan Frederick’s brother came up with after seeing Miami football players arrested that offseason. Walsh also sold his own shirts on the day of the game, and ended up involving Carey in the plot. “[Pat Walsh] lived in Dillon and a bunch of his salesmen worked in Dillon,” Carey said. “… He was afraid of getting robbed because he lived off-campus his senior year. So ... he called me up and he [asked] would I hold the money over the weekend because he was afraid of getting robbed. “The amount of it was at least $14,000 in cash. A lot of tens and twenties.” Carey said his stories could go on and on. He’s since taken a step back from sports like football and basketball, and recommended Fr. Pete McCormick for the full-time role of men’s basketball chaplain. “He says it was the greatest phone call of his life,” Carey said of McCormick accepting the position. Recently though, Carey was introduced to a whole new sport: women’s lacrosse. “Actually, it happened in Ireland,” he said. “I was, about two years ago, there was a Notre Dame program called ‘Inside Track’ where we went to Ireland for a 10-day immersion into Ireland. And there were eight of the women lacrosse players on the trip. I got to know them all, and then they wanted me to become their chaplain.” He served his inaugural year as chaplain of the team last season before the season was cut short because of COVID-19. “They make a big deal out of the fact that I was the only undefeated chaplain in America,” Carey said, “because they were 7-0 when the season ended and No. 2 in the country.” Carey says he got a crash course in the sport soon after joining the team. “I didn’t know much about women’s lacrosse until I started going to practices and learned a great deal about it,” he said. “It’s a really great sport. It’s fast and ... it’s sort of like basketball in a sense, in that it’s based on speed and the defense is man-to-man or so on.” He’s also managed to build a strong relationship with the team thanks to some activities off the field. “I go to practice, I go to their games,” he said. “We go to Rocco’s for pizza during the season. That’s how it helped me to get to know them all. We went in small groups, and that was a big part of it. And we do mass usually the day before a game. It’s really important to them, and they bring a lot of energy and excitement to everything.” Carey’s ties to lacrosse run even deeper, as his great-nephew, three-star Inside lacrosse recruit Jack Conroy, is a part of the Notre Dame’s men’s team’s 2020 recruiting class.
“My love of sports is particularly Notre Dame, anything Notre Dame plays,” he said. “I don’t go to many soccer games, but I’m going to try to this year because I like to support them. I like hockey, I like men’s basketball, women’s basketball. I started going years ago when women’s basketball just began at Notre Dame, the big joke was that the players knew the names of all the fans, there were so few people there.” Carey is especially enthused for the women’s lacrosse team and what they can do with everything they’ve built and bring back. “[Head coach] Chris Halfpenny has created a culture of the women’s lacrosse team which is about both the development of them as players and students,” Carey said. “… [Junior midfielder] Andie Aldave was first-team AllAmerican this past year, and just is an amazing, amazing player. And then there’s [junior] Bridget Deehan, the goalie. She made All-American last year. And just a solid nucleus of players who are really dedicated.” Carey also commented on how much anticipation the team has for next season. “They know how many days it is — the day that Notre Dame’s season came to an end, they were on the way to play North Carolina, who was No. 1, and coming back Bridget [Deehan] counted the days until Memorial Day 2021 when we’ll be playing for the national championship,” he said. “And that was before they knew the other people were going to be able to come back [with another year of eligibility], so they have such great experience and good players. So it’s amazing.” As for right now, Carey is residing in Corby Hall with fellow Holy Cross priests. He has cherished his time as the priest-inresidence of Ryan Hall, where he took part in a Tuesday night tradition of baking cookies and serving ice cream after dorm masses. He still enjoys sharing stories of Notre Dame coaches and players. He says Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz are his favorite football coaches, although he was sure Holtz would win more than one championship in South Bend. He also remembers coach Gerry Faust fondly for the person he was, even if he didn’t have much success on the gridiron. But Carey’s mind is still on his current team and what they can do this semester given the opportunity. “I really love that team and try to do as much as I can for them and encouraging them and learning about their sport and knowing what’s happening and all the intricacies of it,” he said. “I never thought I would learn a new sport like that … We have great players and it’s going to be a great year.” Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu
Recruiting Continued from page 16
for me.” Spindler is a consensus top100 player nationally, the No. 5 offensive guard in the country, and the No. 4 recruit out of Michigan. His commitment to the Irish was particularly moving, as it represented the realization of a promise to a loved one. “Grandpa, I know you’re watching over me every step of the way,” Spindler said. “I truly miss you so much. I made you a promise, and I’m gonna fulfill that promise.” That promise was one Spindler made his grandfather, a Notre Dame fan, when he was only five years old that he would commit to play for the Irish. He chose them over Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and LSU. “I’m blessed to go to the original O-line U,” he said. “… It was a bittersweet moment, but I’m really excited to get there.” Aside from what they’ll do for the Irish in the recruiting rankings, Spindler and Kollie were much-needed wins for a Notre Dame program that had been floundering on the recruiting front for months, albeit one that was picking up momentum in recent weeks. The Irish felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic particularly hard this recruiting cycle, as it prevented them from using arguably their greatest asset in bringing players to campus since in-person visits were prohibited. Additionally, the Irish had been missing out on their highest priority targets at the same positions. Despite landing Blake Fisher — the No. 15 offensive tackle nationally per 247Sports out of Avon, Ind. — offensive line recruiting was subpar by Notre Dame standards. They lost out on Landon Tengwall, 247’s No. 12 offensive tackle prospect, to Penn State; Warwick, PA product Nolan Rucci, the No. 5 offensive tackle and No. 16 player nationally per 247, is not likely to head to South Bend. Landing those four-stars would have put the Irish within reach of landing a top-five recruiting class. Kollie’s commitment is important in terms of numbers. As an outside linebacker, he fits Notre Dame’s trademark rover position well, and would fill the shoes of current senior rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah should he leave after either the
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2020-2021 or 2021-2022 academic years. Additionally, the Irish currently boast 11 scholarship linebackers, but lose one to exhausted eligibility after this season, and could lose more if players like Owusu-Koramoah and senior linebacker Drew White elect to enter the NFL draft, or the younger athletes behind them decide to transfer out of the program. Kollie was a must-get as the Irish were severely lacking in the sheer number of linebackers to whom they had dealt scholarship offers. 247Sports currently ranks Notre Dame’s 2021 recruiting class 12th nationally with 17 total commitments, nine fourstars and eight three-stars. There are two more key players the Irish have their sights set on in this cycle: wide receiver Jayden Thomas of Pace Academy in Atlanta, and athlete Titus Mokiao-Atimalala of James Campbell High School in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. The Irish are battling their rival to the north in Michigan for Thomas’ talents. He is a two-sport athlete who reportedly wants to play both football and baseball in college, which would allow him to follow in the footsteps of former Irish dual-sport athletes Golden Tate and Cole Kmet, who also played both football and baseball in South Bend. Thomas is also seen as a must-get after the Irish suffered the decommitment of four-star Georgia receiver Deion Colzie back in March after the coronavirus pandemic worsened. The only receiver commit in Notre Dame’s current class is four-star Pickerington, Ohio prospect Lorenzo Styles Jr. Mokiao-Atimalala could play either receiver or defensive back for the Irish. The four-star prospect is 247’s No. 20 athlete nationally and the No. 2 recruit from the state of Hawaii. He is being courted by Pac-12 schools such as Utah, UCLA, California and Arizona State, but Notre Dame has been seen as a favorite as their recruiting momentum has picked up the last few weeks. Mokiao-Atimalala and Thomas have yet to announce commitment dates, but landing both would be the cherry on top of a recent hot streak that has relieved whatever ailed Notre Dame’s monthslong recruiting woes. Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu
Write Sports.
Email Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, august 12, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
OBSERVER roundtable
Observer Roundtable College Football top 25 Hayden Adams, Liam Coolican, Dominic Gibson, Patrick Gallagher, David Kramer, Nate Moller, Aidan Thomas and Iñigo Yturralde Sports Editor and Sports Writers
The Observer Roundtable is back with part one of our college football preview. Now, evidently, the season is completely up in the air at the moment. The Big Ten and Pac-12 announced Tuesday they will not be playing this fall, and it is unclear if the remaining Power Five conferences will follow their lead and, if so, whether or not they will be able to conduct a spring season. However, regardless of whether these teams play in the fall, spring or not at all, we hope that our work might play some part in speaking a college football season into existence and, if nothing else, provide college football fans with some enjoyable content. So, without further ado, here’s the Roundtable’s preview of the college football season — starting today with our top 25, voted on by eight writers.
Aidan Looking over our top 25, I felt pretty good about our initial top three teams in consensus playoff favorites Ohio State, Clemson and Alabama. Georgia’s lethal defense is justification enough for their slot at No. 4, but I’m a little surprised at the hype the Sooners are getting at No. 5. There’s the obvious criticism that always comes with Oklahoma — they’ve lost four straight CFP games and can’t compete with the SEC. After four straight first-round exits, do they merit a top five ranking simply for being the cream of the crop in a weak Big 12? I’m not so sure, particularly as they break in their fourth quarterback in as many years in the completely unproven Spencer Rattler. Outside the top five, I’m not convinced yet that LSU will be a top 10 team, but it seemed that slipping them much further than No. 6 would be criminal for the defending champions. I would move up Oregon from their spot at No. 10, potentially closer to seven or eight, while dropping Oklahoma towards the back end of the top 10. Moving into the rest of our rankings, I believe we dreadfully overhype both Texas and Minnesota at No. 13 and No. 14. I’m partially responsible for this, having initially voted Minnesota into my top 10. I have all the confidence in Tanner Morgan, but very little in the Gophers’ defense, and with the recent opt-out of Rashod Bateman, I’m not sure P.J. Fleck’s squad holds up. Texas, meanwhile, benefits
from yet another year of hype — their 2019 Sugar Bowl win faded into irrelevance after a poor follow-up season, and I don’t see the justification for them at No. 13. As the list goes on, it’s hard to point out specific problems, as the back end of the top 25 will fluctuate regardless of who is placed there. USC deserves to be higher than No. 17; as much as it pains me to say it, I think the Trojans have playoff-caliber talent on their roster and could make a run at the postseason, or at least a New Year’s Six bowl appearance. My other major complaint is the inclusion of Utah. Including the Utes, who lost their quarterback and star running back after an underwhelming finish to the season, seems to horribly overrate a squad that will likely struggle to challenge for a spot in their conference championship. I’d much prefer to see UCF, Memphis and Boise State rise up the ranks as intriguing contenders for the Group of 5 bid into the New Year’s 6 bowl this season, then push Utah into the rankings for seemingly no reason beyond a decent season in 2019.
Hayden Obviously you can’t go wrong with OSU, Clemson and ‘Bama in your top 3, and I actually think the Buckeyes deserve the No. 1 spot considering the way they pushed Clemson to the brink in the playoff last season and everything the Tigers lose (including their top-two pass catchers from last season). From there, Georgia and Oklahoma seem pretty straightforward, even with Lincoln Riley finally having to rely on a non-transfer quarterback. I don’t know much about Spencer Rattler, but integrating a new starting quarterback each of the last two seasons hasn’t seemed to slow the Sooners down, so I don’t think this year’s an exception. After the top 5, however, things are unclear. LSU at six is fine, but they lose so much from last season that I wouldn’t blame you for placing them lower despite their reigning champ status. I honestly think Penn State deserves to be ahead of Florida considering the way the Nittany Lions have been rapping on the door of the Big Ten East Division, and the Gators still haven’t gotten by Georgia in the SEC East. Oregon is clearly the most consistent Pac-12 team, but I could see USC rising up and dethroning the Ducks this year. That said, Clay Helton’s track record means I can’t see them being higher than the 20s on this list. Wisconsin seems overrated to me considering they lost
their All-American tailback, All-American center and stud wide receiver. Jack Coan can’t carry this team by himself based on what he’s produced to this point. Likewise, Minnesota seems overhyped based on one year, and they lose a bread-andbutter guy in Rashod Bateman. Texas is probably too high as usual, and the same with Texas A&M. That said, I like the Aggies’ chances more than the Longhorns’ given that the former actually has a defense and a national championshipwinning coach. North Carolina was competitive all of last season, including a one-point loss to Clemson, and Sam Howell is a star in the making in Chapel Hill. That said, like USC, I don’t know if they’ve proven enough to have them within the top 20 at this stage. Oklahoma State would probably slip in and out of the rankings all year, but it’ll be interesting regardless to see how Chuba Hubbard and Mike Gundy mesh after their little spat this offseason. From there, it’s really anyone’s guess who rounds out the top 25. I’m probably biased, but I’m high on Kentucky knowing what they bring back this year on both sides of the ball, and having seen their offensive line’s dominance. I’m also high on Boise State to snatch the Group of Five’s New Year’s Six bid, and I think Virginia Tech could turn heads after seeing how Hendon Hooker looked at quarterback to finish last season.
Iñigo This top 25 is stellar. It is hard to argue against the playoff contenders for this upcoming college football season. While Oklahoma is consistently ranked in the top five, they are yet to prove themselves as a true playoff contender. Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia are non-competitors for the top four. With that, I would look out for Notre Dame’s matchup against Clemson as a possible statement game for the Irish. There are not many questions about why LSU is not in the top four, even though they just won the national championship. After losing quarterback Joe Burrow, a number of receivers and other key position players, Coach O has a challenging season ahead of him. Looking past the top six, college football presents an exciting landscape. There really is no telling which teams are going to rise up and take over a conference, Notre Dame included as they move to the ACC for a year. With that, the Big Ten was an exciting conference last year. Personally, I would expect Penn State and Minnesota’s current form to continue. Should
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they play, this season could be a turning point for both programs, earning them permanent spots in the top sphere of college football. Don’t sleep on Oregon. Even with Justin Herbert making his pro debut, the Ducks are here to stay. I peg them with their Big Ten counterparts, Penn State and Minnesota, to continue to rise. They have a number of high profile recruits and a number of returning players. I would personally be very excited to watch the Ducks have a successful season in the Pac-12. College football is in store for a historic season, for more reasons than one. Let’s strap in and enjoy the ride. With teams from Power Five and Group of Five conferences all competing, there are a lot of good games to come. The college football landscape is as exciting as it has ever been.
David While the Roundtable still feels far from set for this season, the courses are out and it’s time to eat. My reservations with this list hinge on the status of the Big Ten, not only in its chances of participating but also in the absurdly competitive schedules that await the conference frontrunners. Ohio State finishes its season with matchups against Michigan, Penn State and Iowa in the last four weeks of play. Our pal Michigan fares no better, facing four top 25 powerhouses of its own. As much as it pains me to say it, I’m anticipating the sheer depth of the conference to distribute losses more widely than I initially thought. Regrets. At first glance, the Big 12
seems vastly underrepresented, but the clash of massive offenses should leave no one but Oklahoma with a chance at Hard Rock Stadium. And all eyes turn to our Irish as they push for their first ACC title. Expect a top-six finish, regardless of the outcome in the home Clemson match.
Patrick Upon first glance, our picks for the top 10 line up reasonably well with the national consensus. Clemson, Ohio State and Alabama are almost always a sure bet to be in playoff contention, and I believe most fans and experts would agree that they are the most talented teams in the country. After these three programs, there seems to be a decent gap in talent, and it would have been interesting to see who could have separated themselves from the pack and contended for a playoff spot. In the SEC, LSU and Georgia are starting new quarterbacks, and this development should allow Florida to have the advantage with veteran Kyle Trask at the helm. Looking at the ACC, I believe that UNC is a little overhyped because of their amazing recent recruiting classes. Most of these prospects still have much growing to do, and the Tar Heels might still be a few years away from being real contenders. Personally, I think that the Pac-12 would have been the biggest surprise of the year as Oregon and USC are criminally underrated. Mario Cristobal has become one of the best coaches in the country, and see ROUNDTABLE PAGE 15
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he has transformed the Ducks back into a recruiting powerhouse over the past couple seasons. Despite the fact that most fans were clamoring to see Clay Helton gone after a disappointing 2019 campaign, the Trojans seem to be primed for a big year. Kedon Slovis looked like a bonafide star at times last season, and I believe that he may be the most talented young quarterback in the NCAA. Slovis will also have no shortage of help on offense, as USC is stacked with top-tier wide receivers like Tyler Vaughns, Amon Ra-St. Brown and Drake London.
Liam The top two teams in college football are clear, but beyond that, there is no consensus. The SEC, in particular, is wide open. LSU will take a step back after losing Joe Burrow, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and numerous starters on defense, and despite coach Orgeron’s track record, I think they should be outside the top 10. Alabama should be the conference favorite, and Georgia and Florida will certainly field competitive teams, but the team I’m looking at is Texas A&M. Kellen Mond is a Heisman contender, the Aggies return most of their production, and Jimbo Fisher has plenty of big game experience. The Big 12 will be an interesting conference to watch.
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Spencer Rattler has high expectations in Norman, but appears to be ready to step into the spotlight for Oklahoma. Texas should challenge them for the conference title, but we say that every season. While Ohio State should run away with the Big Ten — if they play, of course — Penn State has as good a chance as anybody to make the playoffs. The Nittany Lions’ offense is dynamic, the defense is tough to score against and they have a relatively easy conference schedule. In the ACC, our poll severely undervalues UNC. Sam Howell is one of the top quarterbacks in the country and the Tarheels have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Notre Dame will certainly challenge them for second place in the ACC, and the late season game in Chapel Hill will be vital for the Irish.
Nate Overall, I agree with the majority of the rankings in our poll. In fact, my top 6 is exactly the same as the rankings above. The top two in college football is clear, and at the moment it has to be Clemson at No. 1. They have proven themselves time and time again in the playoffs, and Ohio State has yet to do that as of late. One team who I think this poll slightly undervalues is Wisconsin. The Badgers would avoid Ohio State and Penn State in crossover games and are the clear favorites in the Big Ten West. Iowa would likely be
down a bit this year with a firstyear starter quarterback, and the Badgers are also scheduled to play Minnesota at Camp Randall. If the season happened this year, I think the Badgers would have a great shot at running the table. Two teams that I think are overvalued in the poll are Penn State and Florida. While I think both teams will be respectable, I am not completely sold on them being in the top 10. The Nittany Lions would definitely be big underdogs against the Buckeyes, and they were also supposed to play Michigan at the Big House this year. I couldn’t see the Nittany Lions having less than two losses. Florida will definitely have a respectable defense, but I don’t know if their offense is ready to take the next step. Kyle Trask should be a good option at quarterback in his second year starting, but I don’t think he will propel Florida onto the national stage. The Gators play LSU in a conference crossover game, and I don’t see them being able to beat Georgia and win the SEC East at this point.
Dominic Reviewing our top 25 picks, I have to say they are pretty solid and well rounded. Clemson and Ohio State were obvious favorites at the top. However, I would have to argue that Ohio State is the more talented team of the two, nearly edging out the Tigers if not for a few bad breaks in their playoff game. From there, it is also hard to argue
that Alabama and Georgia are well-deserving of the three and four spots. Outside of our top four, it seems like there could be a lot of shuffling around as the season progresses. LSU will not be the team that it was last year after losing a good chunk of its core. Penn State is also a big toss up as the loss of Micah Parsons, who opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL Draft, will shake up the roster and the outlook for their season. The Big 12 will be an interesting conference to watch with Oklahoma being a potential unknown as Spencer Rattler will need to prove himself in order to keep the wagon rolling for the Sooners. Furthermore, Texas and Sam Ehlinger are in a prove-it year after having a letdown season, going a disappointing 8-5 with the only redeeming win being their bowl game against Utah. This is the year for them to win the Big 12. If not, I have a feeling that Tom Herman’s stint at Texas will be over and the Longhorns will be in the hunt for a new head coach after just four years. The ACC will have some new blood and stout competition with Notre Dame joining in as well as D’Eriq King transferring to Miami, not to mention the work Mack Brown has done for UNC. While the strength of schedule for some may have gotten a bit tougher, I don’t think anyone will be able to challenge Clemson. The Big Ten would be more
of a contest of who plays Ohio State in the championship game. I believe Wisconsin would be the most likely to play the Buckeyes as their hardest game will be against Minnesota in the conference’s West Division. The rest should be business as usual for the Badgers en route to the Big Ten Championship game where I think the Buckeyes take the win. The SEC will be the usual suspects with Alabama and Georgia in contention. My only slight is with Texas A&M and their ranking at No. 15. The Aggies have yet to prove they are worth their hype at the beginning of the year, every single season. In fact, when making the top 25 to start the season, A&M has not finished the season ranked higher than their preseason ranking this millennium. While their defense may be solid, Kellen Mond seems to lack what it takes to win big games, which are plentiful in the SEC.
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over the college sports landscape, but Urquhart said the process of assembling his 2021 class has not been seriously hampered. “Despite not being able to get to go out and see players in person, we feel good about our ‘21 recruiting class,” he said. “A lot of the groundwork had already been done prior to COV ID, so we feel real comfortable. A lot of the kids we’re recruiting have been able to get to campus [and] we’ve been able to see them play multiple times already. So it’s just checking in to see how they’re doing, how their families are doing and just helping them to figure out if we’re the right fit for them.” W hile the current situation is far from ideal, Urquhart says these strange times have brought his team closer together, and he is confident the progress will continue throughout this unusual semester. “We have a real strong group,” he said. “[They’re] really great people, and we’re disappointed, but I know that this group will definitely make the most of the opportunity, and they’ll be ready to go once we can hit the field.”
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Belles senior defender Megan Saunders dribbles the ball by an opponent during Saint Mary’s 2-1 loss to Anderson on Sept. 4, 2019. The Belles started the season 5-3 before going 0-7-1 in conference games.
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gives a lot of our first-years or nursing majors an opportunity to get settled in the first semester, and they don’t have to worr y about hitting the ground running with the season starting right away.” If MIA A soccer does return in the spring of 2021, the Belles should be well-positioned to improve on their 5-11-1 record in 2019. After starting the season 5-3-0, which included an 8-0 demolition of IU-South Bend, Saint Mar y’s went winless in their last nine games and finished 0-7-1 in conference play. After only graduating goalkeeper Thallia Robles and midfielder Kellen Hinchey, however, the Belles will look to take a massive step forward in Urquhart’s fifth year with the program. Junior forward Rose Stackhouse, who earned second-team AllMIA A honors for the second consecutive year after leading the Belles with 10 goals and seven assists, should be one of the most dangerous attackers in the conference once again. The COV ID-19 pandemic has also added uncertainty on the recruiting front all
Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu, Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu, Dominic Gibson at dgibson@ hcc-nd.edu, Patrick Gallagher at pgallag4@nd.edu, David Kramer at dkramer2@nd.edu, Nate Moller at nmoller2@ nd.edu, Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu and Iñigo Yturralde at iyturral@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Greg McKenna at gmckenn2@nd.edu
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ND Women’s lacrosse
Fr. Joe Carey reflects on legacy as chaplain By HAYDEN ADAMS Sports Editor
Fr. Joseph H. Carey has served the Congregation of Holy Cross and Notre Dame in various roles for over 40 years. From working with the University Career Center, the financial aid department, Campus Ministry, the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), teaching Moreau First Year Experience courses and serving as rector of Dillon Hall and priestin-residence of female dorms the last 15 years. However, there is another layer to Carey’s time in South Bend. A lifetime fan whose father attended the University, Carey grew up listening to radio broadcasts of the Irish football team. He graduated in 1962 before joining the Congregation of Holy Cross, was ordained in 1969 and returned to the University in 1977. From there, he was closer to the action on the gridiron than he had ever been before. “There used to be a rotating person for the chaplain for the football team years ago,” Carey said. “So I went with the football team. There would always be a
Rector, who … would go for an away game. And so I did that several times. And then I also ... did basketball on a rotating basis.” Carey has interacted with numerous iconic figures in Irish sports history, including former men’s basketball coach Digger Phelps and the great teams he had. “Going with Digger Phelps to basketball games, I can remember going to UCLA and when John Wooden was the coach, and that was pretty exciting to go into Pauley Pavilion and be there,” Carey said. “We had teams that were really, really great. He had, there were guys that made it to the NBA. We should have won the national championship a few times in the early days of Digger.” He also mentions legendary Notre Dame football coaches and players, including a particularly famous story from Sept. 24, 1977, about a third-string Irish quarterback who became a Hall of Fame player. “I was at the Purdue game, I don’t remember [what year] but Joe Montana was third-string see CAREY PAGE 13
Photo courtesy of Samantha Lynch
Fr. Joseph Carey poses with the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team during a team dinner at Rocco’s Restaurant in South Bend. Last season’s 7-0 campaign was Carey’s first as chaplain of the team.
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Football
Belles’ soccer ND hot on recruiting trail season postponed with weekend pickups By HAYDEN ADAMS
By GREG McKENNA
Sports Editor
Sports Writer
It was a big weekend on the recruiting trail for Notre Dame football. The Irish locked up back-to-back commitments from four-star Jonesborough, Tenn. outside linebacker Prince Kollie and four-star Clarkston, Mich. offensive guard Rocco Spindler, both commits in the 2021 class. Kollie and Spindler are two high-level pickups in the 2021 cycle. 247Sports ranks Kollie a top-300 player and the No. 16 outside linebacker nationally, as well as the sixth-best recruit in the state of Tennessee. “Although the process of deciding where to play college football has been at times exciting, it is stressful,” Kollie said in his commitment video released via Twitter Friday night. “Because I have God, family, friends, coaches and the entire community of Jonesborough, I know that I am making the right decision
W hen the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIA A) announced the postponement of all fall sports on July 30, Saint Mar y’s soccer head coach Jesse Urquhart’s initial reaction was one of obvious disappointment for his players, but also an acknowledgment that the decision was made to protect his student-athletes. “We’re certainly disappointed, especially given how … prepared they were (and) how hard they worked for the season,” Urquhart said. “[But] if we can’t provide a safe environment to ensure the health and safety of the players then obviously … the decision I think speaks for itself.” There is hope that the Belles will be able to take the field this spring, however. According to a July 30 press release from Saint Mar y’s athletics, Division III
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Irish offensive linemen Josh Lugg (left) and Trevor Rhuland prepare for the snap during the Camping World Bowl on Dec. 28.
schools are awaiting legislative changes that would allow fall sports to compete in the spring and hold official practices this fall. Urquhart believes his team would especially relish the opportunity to play the 2020 season in the spring and sees the extension of the offseason as a critical opportunity for his young team to develop. “At least half of our roster is from Michigan, Illinois and states where they actually played their high school seasons in the spring,” he said. “So we’re going to use this time … not only [to] work on technical development and individual development, but we can spend more time on the tactical side of the game, and we can certainly use the time for more team bonding. [The postponement will] allow our large freshman class to really get to know each other … [and] returning players. And quite frankly, it also see SMC PAGE 15