THE INDEPENDENT
TO UNCOVER
NEWSPAPER SERVING
THE TRUTH
NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S
AND REPORT
AND HOLY CROSS
IT ACCURATELY
VOLUME 58, ISSUE 24 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Pompeo calls for ‘absolute destruction’ in Gaza The former Secretary of State affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself in a lecture at Notre Dame By LIAM KELLY Associate News Editor
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against recent terrorist attacks from Hamas and emphasized the need for the U.S. to display strength on the world stage during a Friday afternoon lecture at DeBartolo Hall. “The Israeli government has a responsibility to protect its people, to protect its sovereignty,” Pompeo said. Pompeo condemned the “barbarity” of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Saturday, killing hundreds of Israelis, wounding thousands more and taking dozens more
hostage. The Israeli death toll is now over 1,300. Pompeo described those who frame Israel as the aggressors in the conflict as “reprehensible.” Pompeo urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to carry out “the absolute annihilation of Hamas” and ensure that no other similar attack could happen again. “What Israel will do over the coming days and weeks will be difficult. It will at times appear ugly,” he said. “And it is necessary.” Pompeo, who served as the 70th secretary of state for the Trump administration, praised President Biden for pledging his support to Israel see POMPEO PAGE 4
LIAM KELLY | The Observer
Former United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a lecture in DeBartolo Hall Oct. 13, supporting Israel in its operation in Gaza and urging for more American shows of strength on the world stage.
President Jenkins Saint Mary’s counseling to step down after adapts in light of struggle school year After a dramatic increase in anxiety and depression during the the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health counselors at Saint Mary’s are working to adapt to the increasing need for counseling. Saint Mary’s Health and Counseling Center, located inside Angela Wellness Complex, offers physical and mental health care to students. Kate Barron, a mental health counselor at the Health and Counseling Center since 2015, said shifting to virtual counseling during the pandemic was a difficult experience. “We thought ‘Oh, everyone will be back in a few weeks,’ and that was certainly not the case. We went online and we would do Google Meet meetings, which was tough,” Barron said. “We really scrambled to make sure people were tended to and had the connection they needed.” Vanessa Hawkins ‘22 said she felt the counseling she received for depression and anxiety
through the Center was useful at the time, but failed to address a deeper level of mental health. “I thought it was helpful, more as like a supportive resource. What I mean by that is they don’t get deep into your psychological health and everything,” she said. “In my experience, they just gave me tips and suggestions, how to navigate time management and how to deal with conflicts with peers.” Hawkins received her undergraduate degree in social work and currently interns at a behavioral therapy outpatient clinic. She said her experience has given her a unique perspective on what the Counseling Center could have done differently. “I’ve found that just cognitive behavioral therapy does not work for that many people. I found that EMDR [Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing] therapy has helped tremendously and I’ve made so much progress in six months than I did in years and years of cognitive behavioral
therapy,” she said. Though Hawkins critiqued her counseling, she also acknowledged how stressful of a time it was for counselors and was grateful for the treatment she received. “I know health care professionals with the pandemic were severely overwhelmed,” she said. “I did feel like the therapist was super professional. She listened well and knew what was going on with me. She was just a good quality therapist.” Barron said the Center was stressed to ensure they could maximize the amount of patients seen each day. “The stress mainly on our end as counselors was ‘Can we see enough students who want to be seen?’ Because our goal is to be helpful and to see as many students as possible,” she explained. “But then there’s only so many hours in a day. So we would work overtime, unpaid overtime. And it certainly affected all of us. We try and practice what we preach,
SCENE PAGE 7
HOCKEY PAGE 10
FOOTBALL PAGE 12
By KATELYN WALDSCHMIDT Associate News Editor
EMILY MCCONVILLE | The Observer
University President Fr. John Jenkins will step down from his position upon completion of his 19th year as Notre Dame ‘s president. Observer Staff Report
University President Fr. John Jenkins will step down from the presidency at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 academic year. Jenkins announced the decision at a meeting of the Board of Trustees Friday, according to an email sent to the Notre Dame community just after 10 a.m. “Serving as president of Notre Dame has been the unanticipated, undeserved, and wonderful privilege of my life,”
NEWS PAGE 4
Jenkins wrote. Notre Dame’s bylaws mandate that the University’s president be a Holy Cross priest, and trustees have worked over several years to prepare his successor, Jenkins wrote. Jenkins began his fourth five-year term as president on June 30, 2020. “I plan to return to teaching, to some writing,” Jenkins said. John Veihmeyer will also succeed John Brennan as chair of the Board of Trustees in June 2024, the University said.
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
see COUNSELING PAGE 4