Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, August 26, 2022

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Volume 57, Issue 2 | Friday, AUgust 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Lake plaza nears completion on campus Our Lady of Lake World Peace Plaza set to be finished in fall of 2022 to honor late master builder

By CAROLINE COLLINS News Writer

The Our Lady of the Lake World Peace Plaza is in its final stages of construction and will be finished this fall according to university architect Doug Marsh.

“It’s a place that we hope will become another of our many sacred places here on campus,” Marsh said. “I hope that [it will be] inspiring to all that come and enjoy the plaza and [its] beautiful surroundings.”

March noted the plaza is at the intersection of foot traffic including walkers, runners and others who enjoy the paths around St. Mary’s Lake “It’s a place of respite and

refuge from busy days and busy campus life that will be attractive to everyone,” Marsh said.

“It’s a great vantage point, so we felt that it was the best location to have a place like this where [people] can stop and sit on the benches and enjoy the natural surroundings.”

Sophomore Catie Berkemeier noted the new plaza will increase the natural appeal of the lake.

“It will add to the scenery of the lake and be something people can appreciate as they look out at campus,” she said.

Marsh said the idea for the Our Lady of the Lake World Peace Plaza was born from the

Courtesy of Doug Marsh

see PLAZA PAGE 5

Our Lady of the Lake World Peace Plaza by Saint Mary’s Lake will be finished in the fall. It was inspired by William Pulte, who was a master builder and community member that passed away in March of 2018.

Rising loan rates impact students

By MAGGIE EASTLAND Assistant Managing Editor

Your student loa ns just got more ex pensive.

The Federa l Reser ve is steadily increasing t he federa l f unds rate to mitigate inf lation. For college students, t hat tra nslates to more ex pensive federa l a nd private loa ns.

At Notre Da me, 24% of f irst yea rs took out federa l loa ns in 2020, a nd 11% took out ot her or private loa ns. This Ju ly, borrowing from t he U.S. government to pay for higher education ba llooned to nea rly double t he 2020-2021 borrow ing cost. Private rates, which a re of ten va riable a nd more ex pensive, w ill follow suit.

For t he 2022-2023 school yea r, federa l loa ns ca rr y a 4.99% interest rate, compa red to rates of only 3.73% f rom 2021-2022 a nd 2.75% f rom 2020-2021. Graduate students w ill pay 6.54% t his yea r.

On top of low interest rates, t he U.S. Depa rtment

NEWS PAGE 4

of Education paused a ll repay ments a nd set interest rates to 0 % in Ma rch 2020. Interest accr ua l a nd repay ment a re slated to resume t his December.

Once t he zero percent interest rate brea k evaporates, students w it h unsubsidized student loa ns w ill rack up a lmost 5% interest for money loa ned t his yea r.

This shif t a rrives as t he Federa l Reser ve continues to st y mie inf lation by ra ising interest rates f rom t he record lows of t he COVID pa ndemic.

K risten Collett-Schmitt, a Notre Da me f ina nce professor a nd associate dea n for innovation a nd inclusion, sa id interest rate increases a re putting more f ina ncia l stra in on student borrowers.

“Students look ing to borrow now a re going to be pay ing more in interest t ha n students t wo yea rs ago,” she sa id. “From a n equit y perspective, t hat’s see LOANS PAGE 5

VIEWPOINT PAGE 8

University rolls out new tech ethics minor

By EMMA DUFFY News Writer

Notre Dame has created a new Technology Ethics minor starting this year.

While there is discourse on the topic already — including privacy, artificial intelligence, the economy, the military and mental health — Notre Dame wants to do more than just talk about these problems. In fact, the minor was created for a new class of scholars to solve them.

“This is an opportunity for the university to take a leadership role in helping us think through the ethical implications of that through the Center,” said Warren von Eschenbach, Associate Director for Academic Affairs within the Notre Dame Technology Ethics Center.

“The minor is our way of helping train the next generation of leaders, people who may be in industry, to have them understand these issues from an ethical perspective,” von Eschenbach

SCENE PAGE 9

said. von Eschenbach explained that the minor is a way to fulfill the mission of the University. Notre Dame has always emphasized its desire for the school and its students to be a force for good, and the minor hopes to meet that goal.

It is too soon to tell the number of students enrolled in the minor. Despite this, von Eschenbach has high hopes for its popularity.

“I think my class filled up the first day,” von Eschenbach said about the Gateway course he is teaching this semester. “I have had students email me to ask to get in and we hope to open another section in the spring.”

Students do not need to be well-versed in technology to start, as the minor does not require a technology background. Instead, it is intended as a display of how the two disciplines — technology and ethics — can come together.

Academically, the future of the minor promises students

the opportunity to complete a capstone project. von Eschenbach also sees a future for the minor that will help advance students in their professional lives.

For those students, Notre Dame will be partnering with IBM to allow undergraduates to work in a lab.

Here, they will receive realworld experience and the chance to see their work in the classroom come to life.

Although neither pathway is available yet, it is the hope of the department that it will be available to students next spring or in the upcoming academic year. von Eschenbach encouraged students to join the minor not just for themselves, but for the greater good.

“I don’t think there is anything else that’s going to have the scale and scope and power to alter our lives again, individually and collectively,” he said. “This will impact you whether you want it to or not.”

VOLLEYBALL PAGE 13

W SOCCER PAGE 16

Contact Emma Duffy at eduffy5@nd.edu

2

TODAY

The observer | Friday, AUgust 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

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What was your favorite part of summer?

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“Being under African skies.”

“Playing golf in Dublin.”

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“Parisian rigatoni.”

“Going to the beach.”

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“Studying abroad in London.”

“Touring Dublin breweries.”

Editor-in-Chief Alysa Guffey Managing Editor Aidan O’Malley Asst. Managing Editor: Mannion McGinley Asst. Managing Editor: Genevieve Coleman Asst. Managing Editor: Maggie Eastland Notre Dame News Editor: Ryan Peters Saint Mary’s News Editor: Meghan Lange Viewpoint Editor: Hannah Hebda Sports Editor: Aidan Thomas Scene Editor: Willoughby Thom Photo Editor: Ryan Vigilante Graphics Editor: Maggie Klaers Social Media Editor: Anna Hurt Advertising Manager: Emili Garcia Casas Ad Design Manager: Christina Sayut Systems Administrator: Rachel Johnson Talent & Inclusion Manager: Angela Mathew Office Manager & General Info

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Today’s Staff

ANDREW MARCIANO | The Observer

Flip Kitchen has just been added as a dining option at LaFortune Student Center, giving students new food to try out. At this location, everyone on Notre Dame’s campus will be able to look forward to unique specials that change once every few weeks.

News

Sports

Meghan Lange Emma Duffy

Olivia Schatz Liam Coolican

The next Five days:

Graphics

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Christina Sayut

Ayden Kowalski

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Photo

Viewpoint

Andrew Marciano

Carolina Andrea Jimenez

Discussion Hesburgh Center for International Studies 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Learn about finding God in Somali law.

“Romeo and Juliet” Debartolo Performing Arts Center 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Part of festivalto honor a classic play.

Saint Formation St. Joseph’s Chapel at Holy Cross 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Learn about formation in the church.

Kellogg Open House Hesburgh-Mendoza Quad 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Find out about Kellogg program.

AAHD Gallery 214 Riley Hall 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

See art that displays the design of democracy.

Flick on Field Notre Dame Stadium 9 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Watch “Rudy” with Notre Dame football fans.

To Be a Kid Again Library Lawn 9 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Relive your favorite nostolgic childhood activities.

Minister Training Basilica of Sacred Heart 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Train to volunteer for the church.

Activities Night Notre Dame Stadium 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Learn about different student groups on campus.

Mass St. Joseph’s Chapel at Holy Cross 12:15 p.m.

All are welcome to attend.

Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at editor@ndsmcobserver.com so we can correct our error.

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ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, AUgust 26, 2022 | The Observer

5

ND professor studies red hair with grant Sophie W hite, professor of A merican studies at Notre Dame, was awarded a Public Scholars grant by t he Nationa l Endow ment for t he Humanities (NEH) in Aug ust in the agency’s f ina l round of f unding for t he 2022 f isca l year, t he Universit y announced in a press release.

W hite is a historian who studies race and ot hering. In 2020, she won t he Frederick Douglas Book Prize, which is annua lly awarded for an outstanding non-f iction book published about slaver y.

W hite w ill ma ke use of this NEH fellowship — her third — for t he w riting of her book “Strangers Wit hin: A Cultura l and Genomic Histor y of Red Hair.”

“The book is a globa l project that w ill examine t he margina lization of redhaired indiv idua ls, across Europe to t he United States, t he Middle East, China and Russia and from A ncient Eg y pt to t he

modern day,” W hite said.

W hite cites Ramses t he Great, t he most powerf ul pharaoh of a ll time, and Sha h Ismail, t he founder of t he Safav id dy nast y of Iran — renow ned historica l f ig ures litt le k now n as redheads.

W hite consulted genetic experts who established red hair as a recessive trait t hat must be inherited from bot h parents. “Certain variants in a gene named MC1R, which is located on t he si xteent h chromosome, are responsible for t he expression of red hair and freck les,” W hite said.

“W hat I’m tr y ing to do w it h t he book,” W hite said, “is to get a handle on genomic f indings and medica l studies, t hen map t hat on to a ll t he cultura l stereot y pes t hat have been told about redheads across place and time.”

According to W hite, certain medica l particularities are found in indiv idua ls w it h t he red-haired gene.

“Researchers can corroborate anecdota l ev idence t hat

Plaza

Loans

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

Prayer for World Peace.

The prayer was inspired by William Pulte, master builder and community member, who passed away in Mar. 2018.

This prayer will be the focal point of the plaza, Marsh said.

The prayer will be displayed on a granite disk in six different languages with a fountain of water flowing over it. There will also be a landscaping installation with plants and trees.

Construction began in the summer of 2021 and the project has been underway for a year.

“The site has a lot of challenges with the kind of soil that is available, so we had to take many measures to mitigate that, and it took a little longer than we had hoped, but the result will be worthwhile,” Marsh said.

In addition to the Our Lady of the Lake World Peace Plaza, three other construction projects are happening on campus.

“One is the continuation of the McCourtney Hall research facility,” Marsh said.

“To the north of that adjacent to Johnson Family Hall and across the quad from Dunne Hall is a new residence hall for men that will open in Aug. 2024. The other major construction on campus is the Raclin Murphey Museum of Art that will open in late 2023.”

dif f icult because we’ve seen t he cost of higher education steeply increase in t he last severa l yea rs.

That increases t he need for borrow ing, a nd now t he cost of borrow ing is going up.”

Federa l direct subsidized a nd unsubsidized loa ns a re issued each school yea r, so it’s possible for a borrower to have four loa ns w it h four dif ferent interest rates by g raduation.

Based on t he class of 2022, tota l federa l student loa ns average $21,362 at t he time of g raduation. Notre Da me g raduates have a loa n default rate of less t ha n 1% for t he past t wo decades.

W hile no student is required to ma ke minimum interest pay ments while enrolled f ull time, t hose w it h unsubsidized loa ns accr ue interest t hat is capita lized, or added to t he principa l a mount loa ned, upon g raduation.

The Notre Da me of f ice of f ina ncia l a id recommends students w it h unsubsidized loa ns pay t he interest t hat accr ues while t hey a re in school if possible.

Students w it h unsubsidized federa l loa ns might not see t his yea r’s 4.99% interest rate right now, but it’s work ing behind t he scenes.

For a f irst-yea r student

By PETER BREEN News Writer

Contact Caroline Collins at ccolli23@nd.edu

redheads need t went y percent more anest hetic on t he whole,” W hite said.

W hite, a redhead herself, has experienced t his f irst-hand.

“If you were to ta lk to t he average redhead or t he average dentist, t hey w ill tell you if you have a redhead, and t hey need an anest hetic for a toot h f illing, you’d better give t hem additiona l amounts and scientif ic studies have conf irmed t hat,” W hite said.

W hite ca lled attention to severa l medica l anoma lies ex hibited in redheads t hat differ bet ween sexes.

For example, t he somatic sensor y system, or “t he part of t he sensor y system concerned w it h t he perception of touch, pressure, temperature and v ibration seems to work different ly in ma le and fema le redheads,” W hite said. She a lso noted t hat redheaded women are more sensitive to opioids.

W hite used t hese medica l f indings to inform her interpretation of t he cultura l histor y of redheads. “One

of t he recurring facets of discrimination against redheads is that it is variable in gendered ways,” W hite continued. Fema les, W hite says, are judged to be “hy persexua lized,” while ma les are associated w ith “power and disorder.”

Mar y Magda lene, though “never described as being a redhead in the Bible, has been portrayed w ith red hair in Western art histor y from the fourteenth centur y onwards,” W hite said. “Seth, an ancient Eg y ptian deit y, and Thor, a Norse God, are both redheaded gods of chaos.”

“Thirteen percent of a ll Ashkena zi Jews are carriers of the red-haired gene,” W hite said. She says antisemitism has been perpetuated using redheads in art work, like the portraya l of Judas as red-haired.

W hite showed concern over the failure of redhead abuse to cease in countries w it h high proportions of red-haired indiv idua ls.

“In Ireland, there are superstitions, such as it being

bad luck for f ishermen to cross a redhead on their way out to sea,” W hite said.

Meanwhile, Scot land has the highest per capita rate of red-haired indiv idua ls in the world, yet “the places where there are the most w ill a lso single out the people among them who are redheads,” W hite said.

Regarding red-haired students on Notre Dame’s campus, W hite said: “I remember, I don’t k now if they still have [one], but there was a GroupMe for redheads.”

They “discriminated against anyone they thought wasn’t redheaded enough,” W hite said. “Strawberr y blondes or strawberr y redheads, who are actua l carriers of the redhead gene variant, were not necessarily a llowed in the group.”

It is W hite’s hope that her project w ill let “the rest of the world k now that this is serious research, not a frivolous topic.”

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

MAGGIE EASTLAND | The Observer

This graph shows the increase in federal student loan rates for undergrads. Interest rates are calculated each year by adding the yield on the 10-year U.S. treasury note with an extra fixed amount set by Congress.

ta k ing out t he ma x imum $ 5,500 in unsubsidized loa n f unds, interest w ill a mount to $1,098 by t he time of graduation. That’s a f ter accumulating da ily at t his yea r’s 4.99% f i xed rate for four yea rs. A f irst-yea r student in 2020 borrow ing t he $ 5,500 ma x imum a mount w ill accr ue on ly 41 cents of interest each day. Loa ns from t he 2022-2023 school yea r w ill accr ue on ly 75 cents per day.

For persona l f ina nce purposes, Collet-Schmitt says students should understa nd t he lending terms, t hin k about t heir f uture pla ns, consider when repay ment w ill be possible, investigate whet her a f i xed or va riable interest rate would be in t heir best persona l interest a nd pla n for repay ment f lex ibilit y.

W hile t he economy has been unpredictable for t he past few yea rs t hrough t he COV ID pa ndemic, Collett-Schmitt says interest rates have followed it as economists wou ld ex pect.

“W hat we’ve seen w it h interest rates over t he last t wo yea rs is 100 % attributable to t he economic turmoil t hat we’ve experienced. It was tex tbook in t he sense t hat when we saw t he economy suf fer as a resu lt of t he pa ndemic, t he Federa l Reser ve lowered its ta rget to stimu late spending rat her t ha n sav ing,” she sa id.

“Now we’re seeing inf lation ta ke its toll on t he economy.

[The Federa l Reser ve] wa nts to ta mper dema nd a nd spending to help w it h inf lation. A higher interest rate is going to do that by discouraging the

borrow ing t hat of ten leads to spending. A lt hough t he economy is not a lways predictable, how t he Federa l Reser ve responded to t he economic condition w it h t he federa l f unds rate certa in ly was.”

In terms of borrower behav ior, Collett-Schmitt sa id higher federa l student loa n rates might push some students to reconsider attending college. Ot hers might seek work-study progra ms or schola rships more fer vent ly t ha n before.

Students who have borrowed federa l money ca n check t he status a nd interest rates of t heir loa ns on t he federa l student a id website.

Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu

6

The observer | FRIDAY, August 26, 2022 | Ndsmcobserver.com

Seeming autistic

Inside Column

On your left Jack Griffiths NeuroDivergence

Aidan O’Malley Managing Editor

This year — my senior year — I’m living off-campus. It was about damn time. I enjoyed dorm life, don’t get me wrong, but there’s only so many communal showers, air condition-less nights and flying rodents a man can handle before he snaps and signs a lease.

I’ve always thought of myself as independent, so the off-campus lifestyle is suiting me well. But living on your own — properly on your own — for the first time presents its own challenges. I got a taste of them studying abroad, but still: How do you cook meals without using a microwave? How do you budget your money like a well-adjusted adult and not an iPad kid?

And how am I getting to campus?

Well, for one, I have a car. There’s my own two feet, as well. But an enticing compromise between the speed of driving and the calmness of walking is a bike.

I’ve always loved riding bikes, but I’m not a cyclist. Biking has never been a sport for me, in part because no sport has been a sport for me.

I’ve never been the biker who wears neon spandex. I’ve never been the one who wears a matching, flashing helmet. I’ve never been the biker peddling like a circus clown straight down the middle of the street instead of on the sidewalk like a decent human being while you’re stuck trailing them in your car cursing Karl Drais for ever having invented the bicycle — Sch*eße! — in the first place.

For me, riding bikes is nostalgic. It reminds me of a time when my bike was my only method of transport — when it served as my passport to adventures with friends, like the kids in “Stranger Things” or “It.” We would ride them to a park, to one another, across the train tracks. I would ride mine down the hill where my house sat at the bottom; I’d spin endlessly in circles in the cul-de-sac on my street. I’d skin my knees.

Since I bought a bike this summer, riding it has been my chance to reflect. I’ve lived my whole life beside the Illinois Prairie Path, a 61-mile stretch of former railroad track, now bike trail, west of Chicago. It takes you through forests and fields, over bridges and streams, past nature preserves and small pastures of farmland. Working a nine-to-five internship mostly remote, biking the Prairie Path this summer was the time I spent alone with my thoughts — an hour, maybe two, of silence.

Lately, my thoughts drift toward senior year. They say college goes by fast, but when your four years are bookended by two viral pathogens, it doesn’t feel like time is moving quickly, but like time has passed you by. I’ve had a positive college experience, but how different has it been because of COVID? What have I gained? What have I lost? It’s hard to mourn what you don’t even know.

So I don’t think about that too much. I think a bit about what happens when I graduate — the blank, open canvas of my life — but it’s a canvas so empty and white it hurts to look at. What happens when I get off the 17-year conveyor belt of American education? Will it be like when you stumble off the moving walkway at an airport? I’m not very coordinated.

When family members ask me if I’m excited for senior year, I tell them it will be busy, but good. I’m always busy. I think I like being busy.

But I don’t want to pedal so fast that everything passes by in a blur.

Biking has never been a sport for me.

Instead, I want to feel a gentle breeze in my hair. I want to feel soft sunlight on my arms, on my hands. I want to skin my knees. I want to keep on riding.

You can contact Aidan at aomalle2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

“You don’t seem autistic…”

This statement, by itself, seems harmless. I can forgive people for not recognizing me as autistic, especially when I’ve learned how to unconsciously “pass” as neurot y pical in my day-to-day life. I only stim once in a blue moon, rather than a few times throughout the day. I’ve also spent so much time practicing my social skills since I was a little kid that I usually make it through each day w ithout saying something that derails a conversation or confuses my friends.

Nonetheless, this statement makes me cringe. It implies that there’s a stereot y pical way that autistic people act. It ref lects a line of thinking that ignores the ways in which two different people on the spectrum can be radically different from each other. There’s a quote by Dr. Stephen Shore that is ver y well-know n in autistic selfadvocacy circles but other w ise isn’t w idely discussed. “If you’ve met one person w ith autism, you’ve met one person w ith autism.” So, while there are autistic people who like trains and can effortlessly do math in their heads, there are many other people on the spectrum who act differently.

Many of the misconceptions about autism can be tied to the failures of popular media to produce varied characterizations of autistic people. We get an abundance of Sheldon Coopers and Dr. Shaun Murphys, characters who struggle to socialize w ith their neurot y pical peers but are welcomed by their communities for hav ing a specific “savant” talent.

Therefore, whenever you tell someone they don’t seem or look autistic, you’re reducing all their unique experiences on the spectrum by suggesting that they should be acting more like the people they watched in the mov ies.

But Jack, that’s not such a bad thing!

Can’t “seeming autistic” be a good thing?

Isn’t it cool to be compared to all the people I’ve seen on T V who can do incredible things w ith their autism?

There’s a couple of problems w ith this sentiment. First, even positive stereot y pes are still stereot y pes, and stereot y pes produce inaccurate and unfair assumptions about autistic people. Second, the glorification of autistic characters w ith “savant” skills can have its ow n negative consequences. Specifically, the presentation of this t y pe of character implicitly tells autistic people that hav ing some unusual talent is the way to “make up for” or “balance out” their shortcomings in social situations.

In other words, it’s okay for an autistic

character on T V to be socially awk ward … as long as they have a cool talent. I used to acutely feel the pressures of this stereot y pe when I was younger. Sometimes I felt like I had to be as high achiev ing as a student as possible because if I didn’t, I’d just be a socially awk ward guy w ithout any other redeeming qualities. I was overly hard on myself whenever I got unsatisfactor y grades. I would frustratingly think to myself, aren’t autistic people supposed to be supergenuises?

Many other autistic people have had it tougher than me, though. The fact that most popular depictions of autism are of white males has made life more difficult for those who do not fit this mold. Autistic women and girls who might ex hibit stress due to an overload of external stimulus might be ignored due to the sex ist assumption that they’re just “being dramatic.”

Autistic people of color are often more likely to face discrimination than their white counterparts for not adhering to societal expectations, which amplifies the challenges these indiv iduals already face in schools or workplaces due to systemic racism.

The terminolog y of an autism “spectrum” means that there’s a w ide variet y of ways in which autism can manifest itself in people’s lives. We should acknowledge the incredible diversit y w ithin the autistic communit y. We should also adopt an intersectional frame, noticing the ways in which autism intersects w ith race, gender, sexualit y, etc. to produce different societal experiences for different people. Finally, we should accept and praise autistic persons for all their indiv idual personalities, interests, and hopes — even if they don’t necessarily seem autistic.

With this column, I hope to help readers gain deeper insight into the multiplicit y of autistic experiences. I intend to discuss the ways in which autistic people nav igate a neurot y pical world that still struggles to fully comprehend neurodivergence.

I hope you’ll join me, and we’ll work together — author and reader — to deconstruct harmful stereot y pes and reveal the beaut y of neurodiversit y, one article at a time.

Jack Griffiths is a senior at Notre Dame majoring in English with a supplementary major in Global Affairs. His areas of interest include neurodivergence, migration and the intersections between faith and public policy. When he’s not writing, you can find him singing with the Liturgical Choir, walking around the lakes or playing Super Smash Bros. with folks in his dorm.

He can be reached at jgriff22@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Interested in Viewpoint? Email us at: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

The observer | FRIDAY, August 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

CREAC your life: An open letter to the NDLS Class of 2025 Devin Humphreys Law, Life and the Lord

1Ls, One of the truly excellent things about Notre Dame Law is its Legal Writing program. Two of your credits this semester and one credit in the spring will be spent under the tutelage of one of the professors in the legal writing department, and while the courses have a practical focus (my year, we wrote an office memo and summary judgment brief on a fictional case in the fall), the underlying methods you’ll learn will be useful to you throughout the rest of your time at the law school. While my Legal Writing professor, Leslie Callahan, has since moved onto other opportunities, there’s not a single bad apple in the barrel, and the support that the legal writing department will lend to your efforts to improve as a writer is second to none.

Your legal writing classes will largely revolve around one key acronym: CREAC. Short for “Conclusion, Rule, Explanation, Application, Conclusion,” your legal writing professors will drill this organizational structure into you (as they likely have already begun to do). You’ll use it to format your written work in their class, and while its use won’t be required on exams, it’ll prove useful to have that framework in mind. But I’m writing this open letter to show you three reasons why the fundamental principles of legal writing will find Application (capitalization intended) not just in your legal writing class, and not just on your exams, but throughout the rest of your life, if you choose to take them to heart.

First, Notre Dame’s legal writing department uses “CREAC,” but others use the similar-but-distinct “IRAC method” (short for Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion). This difference has spawned all sorts of well-meaning advice and legal scholarship, but essentially the difference is that CREAC has your written work start by knowing where it is that you intend to finish, and then delivering on that promise as well as you can. This is a piece of advice with general applicability: when you’re starting a big project, like an office memo, a summary judgment brief or your law school career more generally, you want to be able to tell your audience (your legal writing professor, your boss

or even yourself) where you’re going right as you begin to get there.

Second, you’re practically required to articulate the Rule by which you’re doing your analysis before analyzing the relevant facts in Explanation and Application. This, too, tracks to a very important piece of law school life advice.

As a law student, you’re going to be pulled in many different directions throughout your time here. You simply won’t be able to take advantage of every single opportunity that will present itself to you – there’s too many of them!

But perhaps more importantly, there will be some career paths that have more momentum behind them than others. More than half of the class of 2021 was employed at a big law firm (100+ people) a year after graduation. If that’s what you’re here to pursue, that’s great! But if not, it’s important to make sure that the legal career goals you pursue are your career goals, because otherwise you’ll find yourself pulled where momentum is the greatest — which might not be why you came here in the first place. The Career Development Office is incredible at assisting students with a whole variety of career goals, but it’s important to know where you’re aiming so that they can assist you to the best of their ability. In short? Know your life’s Rule before moving on to its Explanation and Application.

Third, and finally, you’ll find that once you’re working on the Application section of your memo or brief, your legal writing professor will likely encourage you to make “fact-to-fact comparisons.” Application follows Explanation, which follows the Rule, and one of the things that means is that in your Explanation section, you’ll be citing cases that help explain the rule you’ve already laid out. The Application section of your work sees you applying taking the point of law you summarized in your Rule and elaborated upon in your Explanation and evaluating that point of law vis-à-vis the relevant facts of the case you have before you. The key to doing this well is to make sure that each point you make in your Application “matches” a point you made in your Explanation.

For instance, say your legal writing professor has asked you to evaluate whether a fictional tech company has protectable trade secrets. If you cite a case in your Explanation that says that a customer list is a protectable trade secret, then your Application should compare your tech

company’s possible secrets to a customer list. If they’re more like a customer list, it’s more likely to be a trade secret, and vice versa. That’s a fact-to-fact comparison.

But this, too, is applicable to the rest of your law school career. Those of you blessed with having Rick Garnett as your Criminal Law professor in the spring will surely be given the “Layer Four” lecture on how we all need to dig deeper in our study of the law.

In that lecture, Prof. Garnett explains that if we start to move beyond simply learning legal terminology (Layer One) or basic legal rules (Layer Two), we’ll begin to realize that many areas of the law are asking the same fundamental questions (Layer Three). Dare I say that once we delve further, being bold enough to ask the “Layer Four” questions about “who we are, what we’re made for, and why it might matter,” arriving at some partial answer to these questions will be aided by being able to make the same kind of fact-to-fact comparisons that you’ll begin to learn how to make this semester in Legal Writing.

It is such an honor to have all of you here as we begin a new year at Notre Dame Law. I look forward to the many Masses in the Law School Chapel (Mondays-Thursdays at 5:05 PM, Fridays at 12:30 p.m.and Sundays at 4:30 p.m.), meetups at the Commons (word to the wise: 12:15 is lunch o’clock at the law school) and other opportunities I’ll have to get to know many of you over the course of the year. It is my true hope that your 1L year ends up being a smashing success. I’m always available if you have any questions, and keep an eye out — you might run into some of my song parodies for Torts and/or Civil Procedure this semester!

Devin is a member of the Notre Dame Law School’s class of 2023. Originally from Farwell, Michigan, he is a 2020 graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College. In his free time, he sings with the Notre Dame Folk Choir and discusses the legal developments of the day with anyone who will listen.

Inquiries into his surplus of law journal articles and note ideas can be directed to dhumphr2@nd.edu or @ DevinJHumphreys on Twitter.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Put a bad day into perspective Mikey Colgan Day at a Time

I’m writing this article on the road outside Boston en route to Notre Dame in our family’s 2015 Ford Edge. While usually I wouldn’t think much of another move-in day at Notre Dame, this time I was just grateful the car started and we got moving.

To give you context, I’ll tell you the story of our last-minute debacle the day before driving out to the school. I was seeing my doctor before I left for school while my mom was getting the brakes changed on the 2015 Acura. There was a general sense of calm as we were all packed to leave the next morning and all our outstanding tasks were being completed.

However, as my appointment was wrapping up, my dad got a call from my mom and the energy began to shift. After the tune up, my mom grabbed a couple of things for me for school, then drove the car back to my parents’ apartment in Boston to grab our dog and give her to my sister. When my mom tried to leave, the car suddenly wouldn’t start.

Now there was a problem.

While this obviously isn’t a giant issue in the grand scheme of things, it was just a giant mix of little issues at a horrible time. First, my sister had to leave within the hour and she did not have a way to pick up the dog from my mom. Second, my brother was using the Ford to get to work and he was still at the office. Third, the Acura was parked in the gates of the apartment on the narrowest one way street

I’ve ever seen, so no tow truck could come down our street and take the car to a mechanic.

Then to top it off, the car was in another person’s spot we were borrowing while they were gone for the weekend. So as I said, not a life or death situation by any means, but no doubt many layers of frustration. The ride back from my appointment had similar tension to one after you just played a bad game in high school. While my dad and I brainstormed solutions, I was reminded of a movie I had watched earlier that week: The Lone Survivor.

If you don’t know the story of Operation Red Wings, I suggest you read up on it. Originally, four SEALs were tasked with surveillance and reconnaissance on structures used by pro-Taliban anti-coalition insurgents, but a couple of people from the area stumbled upon the SEALs and informed the insurgents, sparking a gun battle on a mountainside.

The SEALs were heavily outnumbered and could not connect with their home base. After hours and hours of back and forth shooting and retreating down cliffs, three of the four SEALs and 16 men in a QRF helicopter were tragically killed.

The only one remaining was Marcus Luttrell, who had just lost his best friends and could no longer walk while still being pursued by the enemy. By a miracle, Luttrell was found by locals that brought him to their village and protected him from the Taliban until Army Rangers received intel on his location and brought him back to the US weeks later. Over the years, the story of these men’s heroism and

Luttrell’s survival has become stuff of legends, as it should.

After I watched the movie, I wanted to learn more about the story and the individuals involved in the operation.

I stumbled upon a speech Luttrell gave to a school in Colorado. In the speech, Luttrell described the amazing character each of the men he fought with possessed and recounted the harrowing story.

While I was hoping for this kind of speech, what surprised me most was his intro. He said he wasn’t there to recruit anyone for the military or anything along those lines.

Instead, he came by to speak to show what a bad day really looks like. He did not go in depth on his heroism. In fact, he called himself slow and unskilled compared to the other three men. He just went up there to tell you about the great men he was blessed to know, some small lessons he learned along the way, and that this was what an actual bad day looked like.

Thinking back to that message really put this slightly annoying car situation in perspective. We were all good so all I could do is crack a joke and try to help solve the problem. With that said, during move-in week, I hope this perspective can help you stay calm and laugh off all the small stressful tasks ahead. Have a great sylly week!

Mikey Colgan is a sophomore from Boston, MA. He is majoring in finance and ACMS. You can reach him at mcolgan2@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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The observer | FRIDAY, August 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Redirect your attention Krista Akiki The Lifestyle Nomad

“I am terrified that senior year is just gonna fly by.”

For the past two weeks or so, I have been sharing this sentiment with everyone around me. The idea stems from a genuine worry that in the blink of an eye graduation would be next weekend and I’d have regrets about things I did or did not do.

I’ve noticed that most of my friends share that same sentiment and while it serves as a great reminder to be more present and enjoy all parts of our senior year, I fear it may be a gateway to a riskier reality: a constant fear of missing out (FOMO).

FOMO is defined as “the uneasy and sometimes all-consuming feeling that you’re missing out – that your peers are doing, in the know about, or in possession of more or something better than you’’.

I believe it is safe to assume that many of us have experienced this at some point. And quite frankly it absolutely sucks. There’s no point in sugar-coating it: worrying about whether we’re missing out on new experiences, content, trends, etc. can make you feel like you are falling behind. The little voice in your head tells you there’s something more you should be doing. This constant fear of missing out can quickly become toxic. You reach a point where you struggle with the word “no”; you fear declining invites or turning down friends. Eventually, you get stuck running around a digital hamster wheel; you turn to social media to either alleviate anxious thoughts or to make sure you don’t feel out of the loop. Often social media makes you feel even worse as it triggers a heightened sense of FOMO. As Swarthmore professor Barry Schwartz writes in his excellent book “The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less.” “Stop paying so much attention to how others around you are doing”. This is easy advice to give, but hard to follow, because the evidence of how others are doing is pervasive due to most of us caring a great deal about status. As well, access to some of the most important things in life (for example, the best colleges, the best jobs, the best houses in the best neighborhoods) is granted only to those who do better than their peers.

With this realization, I would like to change the narrative for myself. I do want to enjoy my senior year fully, especially when it comes to my social life. However, I want to challenge myself and ensure that social comparison doesn’t become destructive to my sense of well-being.

I believe the key to changing the narrative lies in one word: attention. I will have to choose where to direct my attention. I will have to sift through my priorities and make sure I divide my attention in a way that doesn’t leave me feeling drained nor overwhelmed with FOMO. It’s definitely a tightrope to walk.

Frank Festa and Sylvie Douglis have some good advice in their NPR article “How to overcome FOMO”. “When you find yourself thinking the grass is greener on the other side, remind yourself why you’re watering yours.”

So, the next Friday night that you decide to stay in, remember that as humans we live by making a series of trade-offs. Choosing one activity or path inevitably means you’ll miss out on others. What your FOMO is really doing is making you miss out on today and that warm and cozy bed that you’re in right now, or the job that you’re in right now or the relationship that you’re in right now because you’re so worried about what else is out there. You can battle FOMO simply by being more fully present in and invested in the life you have today.

Paul Dolan teaches at the London School of Economics and was a visiting scholar at Princeton, where he worked with Nobel-Prize winner Daniel Kahneman. He explains the importance of attention in his book, “Happiness

by Design: Change What You Do, Not How You Think.”

“Your happiness is determined by how you allocate your attention.

What you attend to drives your behavior and it determines your happiness.

Attention is the glue that holds your life together …”

The scarcity of attentional resources means that you must consider how you can make and facilitate better decisions about what to pay attention to and in what ways. If you are not as happy as you could be, then you must be misallocating your attention. So changing behavior and enhancing happiness is as much about withdrawing attention from the negative as it is about attending to the positive.

With that being said, as you settle into a routine and make plans for the year ahead, I challenge you to break the FOMO cycle and pay attention to how you direct your attention.

Krista Akiki is a senior living in McGlinn Hall, majoring in business analytics and minoring in computing and digital technologies. She grew up in Beirut, Lebanon and moved back to the U.S. to pursue her undergraduate degree. She loves learning new languages, traveling and of course trying new foods. She craves adventure and new experiences and hopes to share these with readers through her writing. She can be reached at kakiki@nd.edu or @kristalourdesakiki via Twitter.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

A follow-up letter to my fellow Jews, almost three years later Blake Ziegler News with Zig

As a first year, I wrote an open letter to Jews in response to the startling rise in antisemitism across the country and world. In that column, I argued that despite the danger, we shouldn’t abandon our Jewish identity and hide the traditions that make us distinct. Removing our religious and cultural garments in response to hatred would only ensure a victory for the antisemites. Their mission is to extinguish our presence in all parts of society — literally and figuratively — and concealing ourselves only assists in that mission.

Prior to that piece, I didn’t wear my kippah, the traditional cap worn by Jewish males, outside of religious contexts. However, as an act of defiance against the antisemites, I decided to wear one publicly. Since the publication of the column in Jan. 2020, I stayed true to that commitment and visibly defined myself as a Jew for everyone to see.

Almost three years later, though, I realize that I was wrong and shouldn’t have worn my kippah. Now, my reasoning isn’t an act of cowardice against antisemitism or suggesting that Jews should assimilate. For the most part, that slight change in my attire has been beneficial. I’ve been part of many fruitful conversations on religious diversity and educating others about Judaism that wouldn’t have happened without the kippah. My conclusion is driven from a serious ref lection on the significance behind the kippah, what it means to be a proud Jew and how to properly respond to antisemitism. I hope sharing my ref lection sheds light on the Jewish experience for those unfamiliar with it, similar to my initial column.

Halakhah, Hebrew for “the Way” is the set of laws and ordinances of Judaism that have developed since biblical times to guide the religious observance of Jews. One law contains provisions regarding where a Jew may light a Hanukkiah, the nine-branched candle holder used during Hanukkah. It teaches that while one should normally light the candles in a window so that passerby may see, it is permissible to place it on a table, away from the public eye, during “a time of danger.” The Talmud, the primary source of Jewish law, repeats this sentiment and obligates Jews to perform this practice in secret when doing so threatens their wellbeing. When Judaism is not welcomed and Jews are not safe to publicly be Jews, our religion prescribes a method for us to be still Jewish.

We are in that time of danger. It’s no secret that antisemitism has experienced a resurgence in the United States and across the world. According to the Anti-Defamation League, last year contained the most antisemitic incidents of assault, harassment, and vandalism in U.S. history. In particular, Jewish institutions, such as Jewish community centers and synagogues, suffered a 61

percent increase while K-12 schools increased by 106 percent. Moreover, a joint report from the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency found that 2021 was the worst year of antisemitism in a decade globally. These developments follow years of steadily increasing, record-breaking bouts of antisemitism across the world.

As Jews, we must be mindful of this danger and careful about how we present ourselves and the risk it carries.

Some have taken note of this. According to the American Jewish Committee, 39% of American Jews have changed their behavior in some way due to fear of being targeted for antisemitism. However, while I believe Jews must be more careful than we may wish to be, I still firmly believe in being proud of our Jewish identity. My comment is that we must be intentional with how we express our pride. In particular, we should be aware of the Jewish symbols we use.

For instance, the kippah’s purpose is a reminder for religious Jews that G-d is always above. Its use is not to identify oneself as Jewish or proclaim Jewish pride to the public. In this way, I misused an important part of my religious tradition that I sincerely regret. I misidentified the kippah as a way to combat antisemitism, not as a tool to draw me closer to G-d. For this reason, we shouldn’t wear our kippah as a response to antisemitism.

On the other hand, there are parts of Judaism available to us as a demonstration of our Jewish pride. For example, the Star of David is one of the most recognizable signs of Judaism. However, many likely aren’t aware that its Hebrew title, Magen David, literally translates to “shield of David.” The symbol serves as a protection for Jews against threats and those that wish them harm. Recently, it’s been hailed as a symbol of resistance against antisemitism with more Jews wearing their Star of David proudly.

This is the type of imagery and display of pride that Jews should be promoting, those that are actually intended to showcase Jewish pride in the face of Jew-hatred.

It’s a scary time to be Jewish, but that doesn’t mean we have to cease being Jewish. It simply requires us to be mindful of our surroundings and choose carefully when and how we respond to antisemitism. I hope my ref lections provide guidance for other Jews, or at least solace that they’re not the only ones fearful of the present times.

Blake Ziegler is a junior at Notre Dame from New Orleans, Louisiana, with double majors in political science and philosophy.

He enjoys writing about politics, Judaism and the occasional philosophical rant. For inquiries, he can be reached at bziegler@ nd.edu or followed at @NewsWithZig on Twitter if you want to see more of his opinions.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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The observer | Friday, AUgust 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

CHRISTINA SAYUT | The Observer

By AYDEN KOWALSKI Scene Writer

The world of Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” is, curiously, often painted with dimmed colors. Yes, when the King of Rock inevitably enters Vegas, there is the expected bombast, but most of this world is gray, such as Elvis’ large concert completing the first two stages of his career, where the show appears smokey and the lights in the stadium are bright and piercing. The cinematography is a fitting analogue for the film’s portrait of Elvis: an exploited boy who’s suffering the lights of fame, obscured. Yet the film’s fixation on Elvis’ biographical arc limits its presentation of — and the audience’s connection with — the star.

The greatest aspect of this film is its cast’s incredible and immersive performances. Austin Butler’s brooding portrayal of Elvis is magnificent, with every age and mood feeling true to the character. When Elvis is emotionally distant, Butler and director Luhrmann convey the turmoil within the star, and when the King of Rock does return to earth in his lowest moments, Butler captures a wide range of grief for the different sorts of loss Elvis faces. The reversion to childhood Elvis displays when his mother dies is as natural to him as his weeping when his wife leaves him — accepting the guilt for his marriage’s collapse while simultaneously mourning it. This is a magnum opus of a performance that earns all its public praise.

While Butler is the clear superstar in this film, his castmates

also deliver shining performances. Helen Thomson and Olivia DeJonge play the most important women in Elvis’ life — his mother Gladys and wife Priscilla, respectively — both with comparable understatement. Thomson’s naturalistic performance builds an immediate connection between the audience and Gladys that heightens the film’s foreboding feeling as Gladys loses touch with Elvis. DeJonge works quietly and subtly to capture Priscilla and her helplessness as Elvis implodes, with this lack of power evocative of mid-century America’s reductive view of women. But the most gripping performance in the film belongs to Tom Hanks’ nasty Colonel Tom Parker, a parasite of a man leeching off Elvis, whose business affairs the Colonel controls. While the Colonel acts as a fantastic embodiment of the abuse often found in the entertainment business, there is another dimension to him that Hanks powerfully explores. The Colonel is a man with no legal or human identity, and his enslavement of Elvis allows the former to live vicariously through the latter. Yet the Colonel clearly cares for Elvis in some way, which only adds to the complexity and emotional resonance of this relationship that, more than any other element of the movie, burrows into the mind of the audience.

Where “Elvis” is less effective is in its pacing and portrayal of Presley’s artistry. The film speeds through most of his career before slamming the breaks during the Vegas years, and while this conveys the stasis and captivity he must have felt during his residency there, it yields a frustrating inconsistency in the story’s tempo. This could have been addressed by

trading time in Vegas for more exploration of his art. While there are concert scenes, music sits secondary to his celebrity life, and when he goes to Hollywood, the Colonel narrates what Elvis’ movies were like rather than the film presenting the audience with those movies itself. “Elvis” has marketed itself as fully representative of Presley, yet Luhrmann does not prioritize conveying the experience Elvis’ audience had with his art that propelled him to superstardom. If the audience better understands the ecstasy and escape that Elvis and other early rock artists gave to other generations — if they more fully see their light — then when the film reveals the dark reality of Elvis’ life, they will be more horrified and moved by the fate of the star.

As a film about the titular celebrity, “Elvis” is powerfully captured, with exceptional actors constructing Presley’s decadent world. That world, however, cannot be fully understood without the light of his artistry, to which the film gives too little attention.

Contact Ayden Kowalski at akowals2@nd.edu

“Elvis” (2022) Director: Baz Luhrmann Starring: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks

: MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

By MATHEUS HERNDL Scene Writer

Over the last few years, the British underground rock scene has proven itself to be one the most creative and influential in the indie music sphere, producing bands like Black Country, New Road, Squid and Dry Cleaning, which have all put out some of the most critically acclaimed albums of the 2020s. At the forefront of “Post-Brexit New Wave” is the London-based trio Black Midi, who some claim began the movement with their 2019 debut album, “Schlagenheim,” which combines elements from postpunk, noise and math rock to forge a sound which has directed the generally experimental philosophy of their contemporaries. But while Black Midi has previously proven itself as a pioneer of the current rock sphere, can they still push the envelope and surprise audiences?

At first, their third record, “Hellfire,” sounds very similar to their sophomore album, “Cavalcade,” in which the band eschews their post-punk sound in favor of jazz fusion and progressive rock influences from 1970s artists like King Crimson and Frank Zappa, complex orchestral arrangements, odd time signatures and lengthier run times. But even though Black Midi is a band that wears its influences on its sleeve, they still manage to craft a sound uniquely theirs by mixing the more obvious prog clichés with dizzying math rock-inspired riffs and noisy walls of sound.

“Hellfire” feels much tighter and more direct that

“Cavalcade,” which had a run time of 42 minutes despite only being eight tracks long. It’s obvious from the first few tracks that Black Midi’s skills as composers have improved dramatically, as the songs here are much less meandering but still as intricate as the tracks on their previous record.

Meanwhile, the band’s unusual song structures never fail to keep listeners guessing as to where a piece is heading. “The Race is About to Begin,” for example, begins with an energetic arrangement of odd ascending guitar lines and an explosive brass section, but quickly switches to a mellow piano jazz, before just as unexpectedly returning to the opening riffs. In both the more relaxed and hard-hitting sections, Black Midi presents an incredible level of technical virtuosity rarely found in bands nowadays. The track “Sugar/Tzu” features pummeling guitar arpeggios and lightning-fast drumming by the immensely talented Morgan Simpson.

Staying true to its title, the songs in “Hellfire” mostly tell grim tales of murder and war, such as following a shellshocked soldier in “Welcome to Hell” or a group of men being poisoned in “Eat Men Eat,” but Black Midi still manages to keep the tone relatively lighthearted with a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek humor that works in tandem with the album’s chaotic energy.

An online point of contention is frontman Geordie Greep’s voice, which many have described as nasal and somewhat annoying. Similarly, his manic, spoken-word style of singing has also drawn criticism. Bassist Cameron

Picton takes vocal duty on the tracks “Eat Men Eat” and “Still,” but while his voice and singing is more traditional than Greep’s, Cameron sounds much less confident or commanding than his bandmate. While vocal performance was never one of Black Midi’s strengths, the vocal work fits well enough with the zany vibe of the record, though it may turn some people away.

“Hellfire” was easily my most anticipated record of 2022, and I am glad to say that Black Midi has delivered yet another banger of an album to remind audiences why they are considered by many critics to be one of the most progressive and important bands of the decade. In a span of less than three years, they have put out some of the most exciting rock albums the genre has seen in a long time, and it’s clear that they are only just getting started.

Contact Matheus Herndl at mherndl@nd.edu

“Hellfire” Black Midi Label: Rough Trade Favorite tracks: “Sugar/Tzu,” “Welcome to Hell” If you liked: Black Country, New Road, Squid

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The observer | Friday, AUgust 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

By ROSE ANDROWICH Scene Writer

Net f li x made a mista ke in releasing t his 2022 adaptat ion of t he classic w ritten by Ja ne Austen.

It has been universa lly ack nowledged by Ja ne Austen fa ns, li ke myself, t hat it is not a good f i lm. Compa ring it to t he orig ina l novel a nd ot her adaptat ions ma kes it fa ll incredibly shor t.

“Persuasion” is a f r ust rat ing f ilm because it ignores why readers a re in love w it h t hese cha racters.

The moderni zat ion of Ja ne Austen books has g iven us except iona l f ilms such as “Clueless.” In t his mov ie, t hey on ly bring “Persuasion” ha lf way into today. The set is moderni zed, but t hey did not cha nge t he costumes to match. This discord on ly f r ust rated me.

A lso, t he incor porat ion of modern sa rcasm did not f it. Sa rcasm wou ld ma ke a g reat dea l of sense

in a n adaptat ion of a book like “Emma”. This does not work here because of A nne Elliot’s cha racter in t he novel. One of t he reasons why I love t he novel so much was because of A nne’s cha racter.

She is t imid a nd unsure of herself, which is why t he premise of her reject ing Capta in Went wor t h ma kes sense. Replacing t hose aspects w it h sa rcasm undermines t he credibilit y of t he stor yline.

The cha nge of A nne Elliot’s cha racter impacted t he ent ire f ilm because it fa ils to capture t he book’s beaut if u l roma nce. W hen A nne a nd Capta in Went wor t h end up toget her, it feels forced. It does not build up t he sa me feeling you get when reading t he book, which is one of t he most impor ta nt t hings to do in adaptat ion. This is because of t he elements cut f rom t he book.

The relat ionship bet ween Capta in Went wor t h a nd A nne’s cousin Henrietta was glossed over.

Even minor cha nges in t he stor y a nd t he exclusion of cer ta in relat ionship dy na mics f ueled my

distaste of t his f i lm. For exa mple, t hey removed t he comedic feud bet ween A nne’s sister a nd her mot her-in-law.

The t wo-hour mov ie is dif f icu lt for a reader who loves “Persuasion,” a nd t he lesson here is t hat Net f li x shou ld not t r y to create classics.

It w i l l not ent ice fa ns of t he books because t he f i lmma kers w i l l not stay t r ue to t he orig ina l cha racters.

paced. With the loss of his brother Chuck, w ith whom he had a complicated relationship, Jimmy leans into the Saul personalit y as a way to get back at his brother. This loss leads Jimmy to act out aga inst Howa rd Ha m lin, Chuck’s law pa r tner, by g uilt-t ripping Ha m lin w it h emot ions about Chuck t hat Jimmy wou ld rat her avoid feeling himself. In Jimmy’s eyes, Ha m lin a lways saw Jimmy like Chuck did — inadequate. Jimmy’s need to feel power f u l drives him a nd K im to sla nder Howa rd, t he fa llout of which leads to K im leav ing Jimmy. With nothing to lose, Jimmy fully becomes Saul.

In the penultimate episode and finale, which takes place after “Breaking Bad,” it first appears that only Saul Goodman remains. Ironically, Jimmy goes from a client-beloved elder law attorney to a man on the run that threatens to strangle an old woman.

Saul plays on the ego of the opposing legal counsel by using a sob stor y to threaten his perfect courtroom w in streak. He weaves the truth and jumps through legal loopholes and whittles a life sentence dow n to a seven-year stay at a cushy prison in North Carolina.

For Saul, it’s all good. He even seems unfa zed by a confession from Kim about Howard. Saul selfishly appears to rope her into the trial and goes

to court in a trademark f lashy suit. He begins his stor y that reduces his sentences, t hen confesses to his involvement in Wa lter W hite’s dr ug empire, a nd t he deat hs of Howa rd Ha m lin a nd Chuck. Wit h each confession, he removes more of his a rmor. At t he end of his confession, he lets Sau l go, procla iming, “The na me’s McGi l l. It’s Ja mes McGi l l.” Jimmy w ill suffer for his actions as Saul Goodman, but when he goes dow n, he chooses to accept this as his true self, the person Kim loved.

In many ways, I think we all can relate to Jimmy’s descent into the seemingly untouchable Saul. However, t he promise of Sau l Goodma n, whi le f lashy a nd f un, on ly dra ins t r ue connect ion in Jimmy’s life, f irst w it h Chuck, a nd t hen w it h K im. In t he f ina l scene of t he series, Jimmy bids fa rewel l to K im w it h a f lick of his sig nature f inger g uns. Light ning doesn’t shoot f rom t hose f inger t ips, nor do t hey conta in t he elect ric charisma of Sau l Goodma n. There is a wa rmt h to t hem, however, possibly t he wa rmt h of t he connect ion t hat he a nd K im sha re w it h a ciga rette t hat bookends t he series. In the end, Jimmy can’t evade prison, but he realizes that he would rather be the human Kim loved than a lonely god.

Contact Rose Androwich at randrowich01@saintmarys.edu

“Persuasion” (2022) Director: Carrie Cracknell Starring: Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis If you liked: The “After” series

CHRISTINA SAYUT | The Observer

By MEGAN SLUZAS Scene Writer

Summer 2022 began and ended w ith “Better Call Saul.” The final season sucked me in w ith character development that only Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould can deliver. The series takes Saul Goodman, a character who mainly ser ves as comic relief in “Breaking Bad,” and deepens him into a man who masks his true nature to achieve a sense of power in a world where he feels powerless.

Admitted ly, at t he beg inning of “Better Ca ll Sau l,” when t he audience meets t he ma n who w ill become Sau l, st r uggling law yer Jimmy McGill, his life a nd his show a re slow. Viewers wa ited on t he edge of t heir seats for t he emergence of Sau l Goodma n, t he cha rismat ic, slea z y persona lit y f rom “Brea k ing Bad” t hat Jimmy used to compa r t menta li ze his life. For a while, t he dua l persona lit ies worked. Sau l cou ld represent more “crimina l” t y pes using shady met hods under t he Goodma n persona, a nd return home as Jimmy to K im Wex ler, his pa r t ner who sees t he goodness in him. Jimmy loves her and finds her as someone w ith whom he can be v ulnerable.

As the series goes on, losses in Jimmy’s life catalyze his transformation into Saul. Ref lecting this, the direction becomes more f lashy and fast

Contact Megan Sluzas at msluzas@nd.edu

Classifieds

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, AUgust 26, 2022 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

11

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Stop thinking about what you didn’t do and think about what you can do now. Life is about purpose, and being good, efficient and helpful. Stop the criticism and empower yourself to make a positive difference instead of inciting the faults of others. Be positive and let your popularity grow. Your love of life will manifest into something that makes you proud. Your numbers are 2, 10, 23, 25, 34, 37, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Look at the big picture and rethink your next move. You have plenty of opportunities, so don’t limit what or how you initiate change. Spend time with someone you love who encourages you to chase your dreams, hopes and wishes.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You may desire a physical change, but don’t start before you are mentally and physically ready. An emotional matter will hold you back if you can’t make up your mind. Go through every detail and put everything in place before pushing forward.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Branch out, listen to what others say and revamp your plans to suit trends. A positive change will improve the way you use your space. Put your brawn behind your brain and turn an idea into reality.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take charge of money matters before you end up in debt or buy something you don’t need or want. Too much of anything will be your demise. Discipline will help you overcome the barriers between you and a healthy lifestyle.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take your relationship with others seriously and strive for equality. Discuss decisions before moving forward. Explore the outcomes until you are sure you understand the consequences of your decisions. Commit to what you want, not what others want you to accept.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Speak, but don’t shout. Look past what makes you annoyed and refuse to allow anger to consume you. Focus on what you can achieve, and put your physical attributes into reaching your destination of choice. Celebrate your accomplishments.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Preparation and organization will be the path to free will, living in the moment and happiness. Make plans with someone you love and discuss your intentions and long-term goals. Romance and good health are favored, and doing what’s appropriate will pay off.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Address anything that leaves you perplexed. Gather information and determine what’s applicable and what isn’t before you make a move. Have the discipline to say no or to take a different path if it suits your lifestyle and long-term plans.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Consider a leadership position. Do what you do best, and don’t make excuses. Take a physical stance and live up to your promises.

Give your all in order to avoid criticism. A friendly demeanor will ward off negativity and interference.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Consider your objective, and eliminate waste before expanding. Get back to bare necessities, and you’ll know exactly how to build your future. Be insightful, take your time and leave no room for error. Your success depends on precision and accuracy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take charge and don’t stop moving things around until you feel at home. How you see yourself and your relationships with others will determine what you can accomplish. Don’t disregard what others can contribute.

Work with people who share your sentiments.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your mind will be working overtime. Before you make a change, reach out to anyone your decisions will affect. Kindness and consideration will help you win the popular vote when life decisions are at the forefront. Reinforce your concern explicitly.

Birthday Baby: You are energetic, responsive and persistent. You are curious and goal-oriented.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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Sports

The observer | FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Sports Authority

Zwiller: I built a college football model.

Here’s how it works Tom Zwiller Sports Writer

For those of you who have read The Obser ver for the past few years, there is a good chance you have run into my NFL model, which is predicated on the idea that instead of simply measuring w ins and losses to rate teams, we can obser ve what statistics tell us dow n to a micro level.

At the end of the spring semester, I was asked by our Sports Editor to tr y and create a version of ZeLO for college football. Eager to tr y my hand at a college football model, I quick ly got to work until I realized it was impossible for two reasons.

Firstly, tr y ing to manage the rosters of 130-plus college teams is a task I’m not cra zy enough to tr y, and people who have watched me run the NFL model already think I’m crazy (depending on the week, it can take me over ten hours to update ZeLO).

For another, there isn’t the same level of data readily available. For my money, Pro Football Reference is the best stats website and the easiest to integrate into Excel. But as immaculate as PFR is, there are just some stats missing in the NCA A. The best example I can think of is passes targeted. The NFL has both receptions and targets, but college football lacks targets.

So, between the lack of data and the sheer size of the project, I decided to move to a team-based model. With that decision made, the pieces began to fall into place. I grabbed each team per game stats, both for and against, ran them through a modified ZeLO formula and created a net metric.

The first thing that jumped out to me was that teams who had been good recently but had a dow n year last year were low (think Penn State) and teams that had been poor the year before but were good last year (Baylor) were projected to be too strong. This made me want to go back to years prior,

run more data and create a weighted average based on recency (for example, the most recent year is weighted at 50% and the last year is 5%). I now felt a lot more comfortable know ing that a team who might have had an outlier year in one way or the other would still get credit for it, but at the same time, it wouldn’t be the only factor.

The next phase was adding a strength of schedule component. I created a scale based on the average schedule, and if a team had a more demanding schedule, their ZeLO for that year was multiplied by a decimal greater than one. If it was easier, it got multiplied by a decimal less than.

There was also the matter of roster turnover that needed to be addressed. With the NFL model, I manually address this by mov ing players as I follow free agency. But w ith a team model, I have to make more general assumptions about which players are leav ing when players graduate or are drafted. So a good team last year, like Georgia, who lost over half of their returning production, w ill not return w ith as elite a defensive unit.

Conversely, the matter of recruiting needs to be considered, as well. According to 247 Sports, over the past four years, Georgia has been a top-5 recruiting school, ranking first (2020) and second (2019) during that span.

Suddenly, that reduction of their defense seems like an overcorrection.

My solution was simple: I took 247 247Sports’ average recruiting grade and multiplied it by .36 (the 36% was found here) and added the returning production metric and the new recruiting metric.

So Georgia, who had a 73% offensive and 44% defensive returning percent, now has a return plus recruit score of 1.06 on offense (a slight improvement) and a .775 on defense (a relatively large regression). These t wo numbers should account for returning production and the new class of players joining the team.

The last thing I wanted to incorporate into the model was a home field adjustment. Two components were critical to me. The first was the team’s home w in-loss record, and the second was their average home attendance (adjusted for capacit y to help protect smaller schools). I used a five-year average for both stats and calculated Z-Scores (a metric that shows numerically how close something is to the mean) for both stats.

I took these t wo numbers and added them to a base of 10. So, if a team has a poor w in-loss record, they w ill have a negative Z-Score (because they are below the mean), which would lower their home adjustment from 10. The same is true if they have below-average attendance. But the worst that could happen is a team drops to plus-four — still an advantage, but minimal.

I honestly have no idea how this project is going to go. W hen I first built my NFL model, I got to test it by myself first. I spent a week or t wo just tracking results and seeing if the player values made sense and didn’t jump around too much. It worked out well and I felt good about publishing it.

This college model is completely different; you and I are going to find out how good it is at the same time.

I built it and all the decisions made were intentional and well-thought-out. It back tested incredibly well last year — on average, the model was about a game and a half off of the actual finish.

By the model, Georgia won the title and A labama finished second, mirroring the results of the actual season.

A lways a good sign.

So, I hope you follow along and enjoy watching the season unfold as we track ZeLO against both real results and the ESPN FPI predictions.

Contact Tom Zwiller at tswiller@hcc-nd.edu@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

TOM ZWILLER | The Observer

Tom Zwiller’s graphic on how his ZeLo Rating system works.

Holy cross Soccer

Holy Cross soccer program gears up for weekend games

By J.J. POST Sports Writer

The Holy Cross soccer season will enter full swing Saturday when both the men’s and women’s squads take the field at home for the Saints.

It will be women’s soccer to start off the doubleheader, taking on Indiana University East in a 2 p.m. tilt. The Saints have played a pair of games already this year, both of which ended in draws. A 3-3 tie with Bethel and a 2-2 affair with Indiana University Kokomo represent the first two games of a four game homestand for Holy Cross.

The one thread that has tied those two games together has been goals from senior midfielder Nicole Cook.

The former Florida Gulf Coast transfer tallied twice against Bethel and again

found the back of the net to equalize early on against IU-Kokomo.

Another constant on the scoresheet for the Saints has been Cook’s fellow senior midfielder, Lauren Cernak.

The South Bend native has notched assists in each of Holy Cross’ first two games this year and also found the back of the net herself against Bethel. Her goal and assist against Bethel helped lead a three-goal second half by the Saints as the squad pushed their way back from a 3-0 halftime deficit.

Taylor Primack should also be another constant at the goalkeeper for Holy Cross, with the sophomore netminder looking to improve off an impressive freshman season. As a rookie she made

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for content without issuing refunds.

Have you seen the award winning film Free Solo and thought, “wow that’s really cool I wish I could do that? ” Well now’s your chance! I am recently out of a climbing partner and would absolutely love to have someone accompany me at our free and easily accessible ND Bouldering wall. I am mediocre at best, and would love to have a beginner as a partner! I can be reached at oschatz@ nd.edu, send me a message!

Write Sports.

Email Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

see HCC PAGE 14

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, AUgust 26, 2022 | The Observer

13

ND VOLLEYBALL

Daunting transition season looms for Notre Dame volleyball

By OLIVIA SCHATZ Associate Sports Editor

With a shift in the coaching staff, Notre Dame volleyball is looking to take this season by storm. The squad will face tough competitors off the bat, starting with their season opener against Texas Tech on Friday. That will be followed by two consecutive gaves against Mississippi State and Milwuakee.

Although new, head coach Salima Rockwell is well-equipped for the upcoming season. Rockwell was not only a vital student athlete — she was a threetime All-American setter in her years at Penn State — but she was also an admired assistant coach at her alma mater.

Rockwell also coached at the University of Texas, where the Longhorns won the National Championship for the first time in over 20 years.

“The biggest challenges as a new coach here have really been just getting to know all of the ins and outs of Notre Dame,” Rockwell said. “The best part about it all is that everyone is so eager to help. It’s been the people here that really separates Notre Dame from any other place.”

Notre Dame certainly hopes that Rockwell’s transition to coaching the Irish will help push the team to what it needs to be revitalized.

Rockwell brought along former colleague Craig Dyer as associate head coach. Dryer has a plethora of coaching experience, previously working at Creighton, Penn State, Pittsburgh,

Marquette, Seton Hall and Rutgers.

Following the announcement of Dyer, Rockwell secured two more staffing positions: associate head coach Sara Matthews and volunteer assistant Lauren Plum. Matthews has spent the last five seasons as head coach for the Delaware Blue Hens. While at Delaware, the Blue Hens saw major improvement under Matthews. Now, she hopes to continue her streak in South Bend. Plum, on the other hand, spent the past few years as an assistant coach at Arizona and Villanova. She played collegiately at Oregon from 2010-2014 before playing overseas for 6 years. Rockwell has brought together a solid coaching staff to help bring the Irish to victory.

Rockwell and her coaching staff are not the only fresh faces on the squad.

The Irish welcomed five freshmen this year, as well as welcoming graduate transfer outside hitters Clare Delaplane and Maddy Waumans, as well as middle blocker Kaylyn Winkler.

In addition to these new faces, the Irish welcome back some key players who will help tie the new in with the old. One major player is Junior Libero Hattie Monson; in the 2021-2022 season, Monson played in all 103 sets and led the team with 407 digs in her sophomore season. Now as an upperclassman, Monson is expected to play a key role in the Irish defense.

“It’s too early yet to say on court who those will be, as they are battling everyday,” Rockwell said. “But off the court, I have already seen leadership from our

three grad transfers and several returners as well. The upperclassmen have been so committed to helping the freshmen assimilate and I think that is a huge part in why our team chemistry and culture is so strong. I’m grateful for them.”

Among others, Monson will be working with freshman middle blocker Bella Tehrani on defense. Tehrani was a highly sought after recruit, playing on Canada’s U18 team before college.

Alongside Monson are senior liberos Kiara Okenla and Nancy Kane, both of whom will surely help the Irish to victory. Okenla averaged 1.27 digs per set in her junior season and Kane averaged 0.39 per set.

While Monson and Tehrani are both stable defensive players, the Irish will be looking towards Winkler, Delaplane and freshman outside hitter Avery Ross on offense. Throughout her four years at Villanova, Delaplane recorded 600 kills, 662 digs and 100 blocks. Comparatively, as a senior at SMU, Winkler had the second-best hitting percentage mark in American Athletic Conference play at .388 and ranked fourth in the league with 1.09 blocks/set. Ross, although a freshman, is coming in with high expectations. Over her high school career she earned over 1,500 kills and led Indiana with 597 kills in her senior season.

The Irish are bringing on quite a few new faces, but they are also losing some important ones. Setter Zoe Nunez joined Michigan State University as a graduate transfer. Nunez was second in the ACC last year with 10.61 assists per set and

753 total assists. Nunez was also named team captain, a spot that still needs to be filled going into the 2022 season.

However, new additions will hopefully fill the gap that Nunez is leaving.

Although the Irish surely have an impressive squad, they are not facing easy competition. The Irish visit No. 4 Louisville on October 26. The Irish faced the Cardinals twice last year, falling 0-3 and 1-3. With new coaching and players, the Irish hope to redeem themselves.

Notre Dame will also face Miami and Florida State, and while they are currently not ranked in the AVCA coaching poll, they both had honorable mentions.

When asked about the challenges this season, Rockwell said: “I’m looking forward to going to battle with this team every single day. They are so much fun to be around and they have made this journey for me already worth it. I just love this group.”

Rockwell is of course looking to open this season up with a win, but she would also like to see the team “play as a cohesive unit, execute the game plan and stay patient and focused throughout the matches from start to finish.”

“We would like to establish an energy and a vibe that people are drawn to, playing relentless defense and while keeping our offense balanced,” Rockwell said.

The Irish open up their season at home on Friday against Texas Tech. The match starts at 7 p.m. and is televised on the ACCNX. Contact Olivia Schatz at oschatz@nd.edu

GRACIE LEE | The Observer

Irish senior libero Kiara Okenla serves against No. 4 Louisville. This was the Irish’s first of two meetings with the Cardinals in 2021; the Irish lost both, 0-3 and 1-3, respectively.

14

Sports

The observer | Friday, AUgust 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

FOOTBALL

Football beat season predictions Observer Sports Staff

With just over a week until the season kicks off, the Observer Football Beat sat down to give their season predictions for the Fighting Irish.

Aidan Thomas - Sports Editor The hype surrounding the Notre Dame program has reached a level I’ve personally never seen. But that hype is barely masking the reality that is the Irish schedule. The Irish have national championship-caliber talent, but a gauntlet of a schedule and young stars that need to gel almost immediately. First, there’s Ohio State, their first top-five road game since 2019. Throw in Clemson at home, BYU at a neutral field, potentially tricky road games with UNC and Syracuse and an alwaysdifficult road trip to USC — the schedule is littered with landmines.

Marcus Freeman has said all the right things and pushed most of the right buttons. But when it comes down to it, the Irish feature a first-year head coach with a first-year starting quarterback, plus an offense that returns just 49% of their production. I want to be more optimistic than this, but I’m going with a 10-2 record for the Irish in 2022. Who do the losses come from?

Ohio State and UNC are my picks, although the latter could be any of the trap games present on the Irish slate this season. The title drought is going to end soon, but Freeman needs another year at least.

Liam Coolican - Associate Sports Editor For the first time since 2006, Notre Dame is ranked in the top-5 in the preseason AP Poll, and the Irish certainly have the talent to back that ranking up. Despite losing stars such as Kyle Hamilton and Kyren Williams, the Irish bring back an elite level of talent.

On paper, they can compete with any team in the country.

While it may feel like years have passed since Brian Kelly abruptly departed, Marcus Freeman is a first-year head coach. Irish fans should be excited at the prospect of him leading the program, but the Fiesta Bowl collapse showed that there will be a learning curve. The Irish are also relatively

HCC Continued from page 12

110 saves and set a program record with eight shutouts on the year.

On the men’s side of things Juan Perez seems primed to lead the Saint line after a productive freshman season as well as an opening day tally against Bethel. Though the Saints fell to the Pilots 6-1, Perez did score a goal off a feed from senior midfielder Elmin Ejup to level the scoring in the 24th minute.

One thing to keep an eye out for on Saturday will be who gets the nod in goal for the Saints. Sophomore Claudio Fuentealba got the

inexperienced at several key positions including quarterback, wide receivers and defensive backs.

The schedule is certainly tough as well, but as things stand now, I foresee Notre Dame being the better team heading into each game, save Ohio State. Ever the optimist, I am going to predict an 11-1 record and a return to the CFP. Freeman has built so much momentum over the past several months, it’s hard not to be excited about the program’s direction. The team will have a tough opener in Columbus, but quickly bounce back and run the table, sneaking into the playoffs as a 4-seed.

Mannion McGinley - Assistant Managing Editor This year’s Notre Dame football schedule is no cakewalk. There’s no question there. Yes, the season opens with a Top-5 opponent. Yes, that opener is an away game, as is the season closer with longstanding rival USC. And yes, the Irish take on the Buckeyes with a brand new QB1 under an all but brand new head coach. But here’s where the 10-2 comes in. Sure, the Irish will start from behind, opening the season 0-1, but this team made it clear once and has continued to make it clear since: They want to play for Marcus Freeman.

The hype around the program emanates from the players themselves in a way that fits a top-tier program and is compounded by players showing up and showing out in camp. Where there are holes, young players are stepping into form. Will they be ready to take on Ohio State to open the season? Not as ready as a win requires, but the existing hype is heightened by a fire lit under both fans and players to come back from a loss. The Irish will become a well-oiled machine throughout the season. A somewhat-far Shamrock Series — with an unexpectedly large BYU crowd behind Jaren Hall and Paku Nacua’s ability to stretch the defense — without our own ability to answer will bring about a second loss, albeit a close one.

Nate Moller - Senior Sports Writer There are lofty expectations for firstyear head coach Marcus Freeman, and while Freeman has a ton of talent to

start against Bethel last week but was pulled late in the game in favor of freshman Isaias Rubio. Rubio let in a goal on the only shot on target he faced, but his insertion into the game late on could be indicative of a willingness from head coach Omar Gallo to swap out his starter from last season.

The scoreline against a ranked Bethel opponent is unlikely to be indicative of Holy Cross’ performance the rest of the way this season. The Saints lost their opener to the Pilots in 2021 before rebounding to end the season 11-6-3.

Saturday offers the Saints a prime chance to start the

work with, the schedule is arguably the most difficult the Irish have had in recent memory. The week one matchup against Ohio State will be telling for the season ahead, and while I think the Irish have a shot at winning, I don’t think it’s a great one. The holes in the Irish secondary will prove to be too much, and the team will start off 0-1.

After that loss, I see the Irish building momentum and picking up notable wins against UNC and BYU and beating a top-5 Clemson team yet again at Notre Dame Stadium.

Unfortunately for the Irish, they will fall trap to Phil Jurkovec and Boston College on senior day. I expect BC to be a decent team this year, and this just feels like a trap game Notre Dame will lose. To make matters worse for the Irish, they will face a vastly improved USC team the final week of the season, and the Trojans will make a statement to prove that they are once again back on the national stage. When all is said and done, the Irish finish 9-3.

Madeline Ladd - Associate Sports Editor There’s no denying the energy and excitement surrounding this year’s Notre Dame football team with Marcus Freeman as head coach. The Irish are ranked as high as No. 5 in the preseason polls but many are saying — once again — they are overrated. Having three opponents in the Top-25 makes for a potentially tough schedule and an opener in Columbus in primetime is a particularly daunting start.

As for the lineup, sophomore Tyler Buchner at QB1 is where some questions lie. As he goes, so go the Irish.

Buchner was hurt in the spring, so another injury would be a serious hit. But, he has received big-time experience and will be a crucial part of the run game. I believe defense will also show a strong suit, specifically with preseason firstteam All-American Isaiah Foskey and All-American transfer safety Brandon Joseph.

11-1 with the loss coming from Ohio State is my extremely optimistic, yet firm, prediction. USC and UNC are games to look out for, and BC could be a trap game for the Irish. Nevertheless, I believe they will come out on top. ND has an undoubtedly tough schedule, but

season on a hot streak, with them continuing a three game homestand that comes in the midst of four of their first five games being played in South Bend. Expect Holy Cross to look for a statement victory against an Indiana University East team that they defeated 6-1 last season.

Holy Cross women’s and men’s soccer will play back to back on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.

Both games will be played at Saints Field in South Bend.

Livestreams for both games will be available on the Holy Cross website.

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

there’s lots of potential and coaching ability required to fill those holes.

Emily DeFazio - Associate Sports Editor Never did I expect that Marcus Freeman would be leading the charge into the 2022 football season. I think we all knew that, one day, he would be a candidate for the position of head coach. I just did not expect that day to come as soon as it did. Despite the fanbase-wide excitement — and therefore, high expectations — for this appointment, it begs the question: How will the team function with this change in leadership?

As if Kelly leaving the way he did was not bad enough, this year the Irish face a slew of formidable opponents and domestic uncertainties under a head coach that has never held that position before. One thing the Irish may have going for them is that they have already established a QB1 in Tyler Buchner. One of the team’s main pitfalls last year was the inconsistency in that position. No matter how good or bad Buchner performs, it helps to know that they have committed to structuring the offense with him specifically in mind.

This leads to how this structure will actually work on the field. While every part of me would love to see the Irish scrape by in the top-5 Ohio State season opener, the realistic chances of that happening are not in Notre Dame’s favor.

Starting the season off 0-1, I see the Irish gaining some traction as the newbies gain their footing and Freeman settles into his role in-season.

Should the team win against Clemson, for the second time in Notre Dame stadium, the morale will be at an all-time high. The key will be not letting that success lead to overconfidence in games against the likes of BC and USC. I see the high of the Clemson game causing a late-season loss, leaving the Irish 10-2 on November 22 in LA. Contact Aidan Thomas athoma28@ nd.edu, Liam Coolican at lcoolica@ nd.edu, Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu, Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu, Maddie Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu and Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu

Soccer Continued from page 16

boost for the Irish attack, and the early returns on her new partnership have been promising.

Wingate excels at stretching defenses, getting in behind slower center backs with well-timed runs and quick combination play. Mercado’s attacking midfield bonafides play into both those strengths nicely.

It will obviously take some time for the pairing’s chemistry to reach the near-instinctive levels of Wingate and Sammi Fisher’s 2021 partnership, but it’s clear the potential is there.

If both Wingate and Mercado can get firing, Notre Dame could crack the shortlist of

serious ACC contenders. The defense proved last year that it can be on the same level as the conference’s (and nation’s) best.

But the retooled attack, fueled by Albert, Wingate and Mercado, will need to kick the Irish offense up a notch to create a more balanced (and competitive) side. If nothing changes from 2021, and even if things regress a bit, Notre Dame should be a solid outfit who qualify for the ACC tournament and make a decent NCAA tournament run.

But if the attack finds a second gear to complement existing defensive strength, the Irish could find themselves in discussion with College Cup contenders once again.

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, AUgust 26, 2022 | The Observer

15

ND MEN’S SOCCER

Notre Dame men’s soccer falls to Seattle 3-1 in season opener

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish sophomore midfielder Bryce Boneau fights for possession on Thursday against Seattle in Alumni Stadium. The Irish ultimately fell 3-0 to the Redhawks in their season opener.

By J.J. POST Spor t s Wr iter

Not re Da me men’s soccer dropped t heir opening ga me Thursday, fa lling 3-1 to Seatt le Universit y at A lumni Stadium.

It was t he Red hawks who opened t he scoring, w it h senior for wa rd Decla n McGly nn slott ing home a pena lt y k ick in t he 50t h minute.

The spot k ick ca me a f ter no sma ll a mount of cont roversy, w it h t he Not re Da me bench being assig ned a yel low ca rd for such intense pleading for t he referee to look at VA R. Even a f ter t he Irish persuaded t he of f icia ls to check aga in at t he sideline monitor, t he pena lt y was g iven a nd prompt ly dispatched by McGly nn.

From t here t he Red hawks took adva ntage of a more urgent Irish attack to notch t wo more goa ls to a ll but put t he ga me away. McGly nn

added a second in t he 65t h minute before senior for wa rd Habib Ba rr y bund led home a corner k ick w it h just over ten minutes rema ining to put Not re Da me away for good.

The Irish did show some sig ns of f ight late on, w it h sophomore defender Kyle Genenbacher bur y ing a 81st minute cha nce, but it was too litt le too late to overcome t he Red hawks.

Despite enjoy ing a 19 to 10 adva ntage in shots a nd a 10 to 5 adva ntage in corner k icks, Not re Da me was unable to conver t t heir cha nces.

The Irish genera lly cont rolled t he possession a nd f low of t he ga me, but at t he end of t he day it was t he more clinica l Red hawks who cont rolled t he scoring.

Irish head coach Chad R iley was quick to g ive plaudits to Seatt le while a lso ack nowledg ing t he solid foundat ion his tea m la id in t heir f irst ga me aga inst a tourna ment

ca liber opponent.

“Credit to Seatt le, t hey created a couple cha nces a nd t hey f inished t hem,” sa id Riley. “They were ver y clinica l, a nd t hey’re a good tea m so t hey’re going to be a n NC A A [tourna ment] tea m. I t hin k for us in t he key moments we cou ld have done a litt le better, but credit to t he tea m, I t hin k t hey responded wel l to maybe a n unfor tunate pena lt y. W hen you g ive up t he second goa l it ma kes t hings rea lly dif f icu lt, but credit to t hem t hey didn’t stop.”

The road doesn’t get a ny easier for t he Irish look ing a head.

Not re Da me is now sta ring dow n a t wo ga me road sw ing aga inst a pa ir of loca l foes, heading on t he road to face Michiga n State a nd India na.

Bot h t he Spa r ta ns a nd t he Hoosiers defeated t he Irish last season, but coach R iley sa id t he addit iona l ga mes aga inst top tea ms on ly

g ives t he tea m more f ight for t he conference a nd tourna ment ga mes later in t he season.

“I t hin k it just speeds up t he g row ing process,” Ri ley sa id. “It’s ha rd, too. But at t he end of t he day we wa nt to w in impor ta nt ga mes so you have to play rea l ly good tea ms to do t hat. For me, you just g row much more when you play aga inst qua lit y opponents.”

Not re Da me w i l l return to A lumni Stadium Sept. 6 fol low ing t heir t rips to East La nsing a nd Blooming ton to face DePau l at home. The Blue Demons w i l l be t he Irish’s last test in a dif f icu lt non-conference slate a nd shou ld prov ide a n impor ta nt f ina l tune up before t he tea m beg ins t heir quest to defend t heir ACC t it le ea rned in last seasons’ tourna ment.

Contact JJ Post at jpost2 @nd.edu

16

The observer | Friday, AUgust 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND Womens soccer

Women’s soccer looks to build on 2021 success

ERIN FENNESSEY | The Observer

Irish graduate student defender Brianna Martinez dribbles down the field in a 2019 game against Syracuse. In last October’s match-up, the Irish beat out the Orange 3-0.

By J.J. POST Spor t s Wr iter

This season Not re Da me women’s soccer w i l l look to build of f its best season yet, under head coach Nate Norma n w it h a la rgely reta ined core a nd some key t ra nsfer addit ions.

The Irish’ resurgence w ill likely beg in at t he back, as a ll t hree sta r t ing center backs f rom t he 2021 ca mpa ig n return. The Irish enjoyed one of t he ACC’s best goa ls-aga inst records last season, a llow ing more t ha n one goa l in a ga me just t hree t imes a l l yea r (w it h on ly one of t hose ga mes coming in reg u la r season play).

Junior midf ielder Eva Gaet ino shou ld a nchor t he unit, direct ing t ra f f ic as t he cent ra l defender in t he t rio a nd a common sta r t ing hub for t he long sw itching ba lls Not re Da me li kes to send for wa rd.

She’l l be f la n ked by senior defender Wa niya Hudson a nd junior defender Eva Wir t z, bot h of whom have established t hemselves as consistent forces a long t he back line.

Supplement ing a well-stocked center back dept h cha r t even f ur t her is sophomore K J Rona n, who emerged in 2021 as Norma n’s preferred subst itute.

Ty pica lly, Norma n wou ld look to Rona n as a n addit iona l defensive steel to late ga mes or when his t radit iona l t hree sta r ters needed a rest.

Behind t hat rock-solid back line, however, is one of t he f irst major

decisions Norma n must ma ke before conference play sta r ts.

Current ly, t he Irish don’t have a n established sta r ter at goa lkeeper, w it h junior Ash ley Naylor a nd g raduate t ra nsfer Macken zie Wood each ea rning one sta r t in t he tea m’s f irst t wo ga mes.

It’s not for a lack of conf idence in eit her opt ion. Naylor proved one of t he conference’s better keepers over t he back ha lf of t he 2021 season a f ter she stepped in for a n injured Matt ie Interia n, a nd Wood sta r ted for four yea rs at Nor t hwestern. But t hrough just t wo ga mes, w it h t he pa ir hav ing faced a combined zero shots on ta rget, t here’s no clea r indicator of who t he better opt ion is.

“I t hin k t he rea lit y is at t his point, we ca n’t come to t hat conclusion yet,” Norma n sa id. “We need some ga mes where maybe t hey get tested a litt le bit more. But t here’s probably not a lot we ca n tell f rom t hese f irst t wo ga mes.”

One a rea where Not re Da me has been able to ma ke some eva luat ions about where t hey sta nd heading into 2022 has been t he midf ield.

The loose a lig nment of f ive players t hat ma ke up t he most cr ucia l element of Norma n’s preferred 3-52 format ion is made up of a unique mi x of ex perienced vetera ns a nd young ta lent.

Genera lly sta r t ing at t he base of t he midf ield in most ga mes has been f reshma n Lea h K len ke, who ex ploded onto t he scene w it h a goa l a nd a n assist in her f irst t wo ga mes

w it h t he Irish.

Though it’s unclea r whet her her long-term home is at t he “6” posit ion, w it h Norma n hav ing a lso g iven her st ints at center back as well as f ur t her up t he pitch, t he rook ie seems a natura l replacement for now-g raduated defensive midf ielder Ca mr y n Dyke.

“She’s just a n u lt ra ta lented player,” sa id Norma n. “She ca n get t he ba ll, she’s a g reat defender, she covers a rea, she moves [t he ba l l], she ca n r un at people, she ca n play on t he back line. She’s just been t remendous f rom t he sta r t.

She ca me in a nd ea rned it a nd I’m happy to g ive her t hat t ime.”

Aside f rom K len ke, much of t he midf ield for t he Irish rema ins consistent f rom last season.

Graduate student Bria nna Ma r t inez a nd senior Kat i Dr u zina a re bot h mu lt i-yea r sta r ters who have ea rned t he t r ust of t he Irish sta f f to have a la rge a mount of creat iv it y a nd responsibilit y in w ingback roles.

A nd w it h bot h sophomore Kat ie Coyle a nd f reshma n Berk ley Mensi k look ing like promising opt ions of f t he bench, Not re Da me shou ld be able to rotate w it h conf idence out w ide.

At t he t ip of t he spea r for t he midf ield w ill be sophomore Korbin A lber t.

Perhaps t he most dy na mic attack ing midf ielder in t he ACC, A lber t has sta r ted to put toget her a ver y rea l case to be t he top pick in t he 2025 N WSL dra f t. The sophomore ca n do it a l l for t he Irish,

a n excel lent dribbler a nd passer w it h perhaps t he best shoot ing ra nge on t he tea m, A lber t is t he obv ious choice to be t he foca l point of t he Not re Da me attack.

The quest ion t he Irish must now a nswer is: W ho pa r t ners her? Her fel low attack ing midf ielder in 2021, Maddie Mercado, is now play ing center for wa rd (more on t hat in a bit). La ney Mat ria no sta r ted in her absence a nd looked solid, but she lacks top-level ex perience as a f reshma n.

K i k i va n Za nten is coming of f a summer to remember — w it h t he senior scoring t he goa l at CONC AC A F cha mpionships t hat helped send Ja ma ica to t he Oly mpics — but st r uggled for consistent minutes in 2021. It wou ld seem, however, t hat her ex perience g ives her t he inside t rack for t he job.

“I t hin k K i k i had a fa ntast ic spring a nd a g reat summer,” Norma n sa id. “She does so much work defensively, she covers so much a rea. Pressing, w inning second ba l ls a nd obv iously, we k now what she ca n do going for wa rd. I just t hin k right now she’s play ing w it h a ton of conf idence a nd it’s been g reat to see.”

Rounding out t he Not re Da me lineup is t he st ri ke pa r t nership of g raduate student Oliv ia Wingate a nd senior Maddie Mercado.

Wingate’s return for a g raduate yea r has immediately proven to be

see SOCCER PAGE 14