Print Edition for The Observer for Monday, Dec. 5, 2022

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Volume 57, Issue 38 | MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Badin rector unexpectedly leaves position De La Torre’s departure is the second announced in three days, after Walsh rector left Wednesday Observer Staff Report

A zucena “Ceni” De La Torre, the former rector of Badin Hall, left her position late this week, according to an email sent to Badin residents Friday afternoon. De La Torre’s departure is the second to be announced in three days, follow ing Walsh Hall’s former rector Kate Palko on Wednesday. De La Torre prev iously worked w ith campus ministr y at DePaul Universit y.

A reliable source relayed to The Obser ver that “this departure is not related to any kind of w rongful or inappropriate conduct.”

The email sent to residents from Nathan Elliot, director of residential life

for training and development, also announced that Sr. Mar y Ly nch w ill lead the Badin communit y until a new rector is hired in Januar y. Ly nch is the former rector of McGlinn Hall and a current staff-in-residence who lives on campus.

Ly nch — like Carol Latronica, who is acting as the fill-in rector for Walsh — w ill not move into the dorm. According to the email, Ly nch “w ill be present in different ways, including super v ising the staff and offering a rector’s expertise through the rest of the semester.”

In a GroupMe message sent to residents, assistant rector Godgift Iteghete acknowledged residents’

reactions to De La Torre’s sudden departure.

“We understand many of you may have built a relationship w ith [De La Torre] and are distraught to hear the news,” Iteghete said in the message.

She also said that further details would not be prov ided to residents.

“As per receiv ing further details regarding this matter please understand that hall staff is not at libert y to discuss further as it is a private Residential Life employee matter,” she w rote.

Elliot noted that Ly nch would be present in Badin Hall Friday night from 7 to 9 p.m. and urged residents to reach out w ith concerns.

“I know that change can

Courtesy of University of Notre Dame

Azucena “Ceni” De La Torre left her position as the rector of Badin Hall late last week. Hers is the second rector departure within three days.

be hard, but I’m confident we have a good plan to get us through this period of time.

What happens in the Radiation Lab?

SMC hosts 50th Madrigal dinner

By KATELYN WALDSCHMIDT News Writer

PETER BREEN | The Observer

The Radiation Lab operates the particle accelerators from outside of the lab, where they are a safe distance away from the radiation. Three particle accelerators sit underground, outside the walls of the lab.

By BELLA LAUFENBERG and PETER BREEN Associate News Editor and News Writer

The Radiation Research Lab is a enigmatic presence on the University’s campus.

The imposing but unremarkable building, situated between Hesburgh Library and the Notre Dame Stadium, stands three stories tall on

NEWS PAGE 3

Library Lawn, mystifying many who walk past.

Nuclear Beginnings The Radiation Research Building was built in 1963, but the lab was actually founded much earlier, going back to the time of the Manhattan Project. Dating to before the 1940s, Notre Dame was one of the pioneer

Scene PAGE 5

universities developing their own particle accelerators.

Due to a lack of funding and resources, Notre Dame physicists George Collins and Edward Coomes, along with electrical engineering professor Jose Caparo set out to build their own particle accelerator in 1935. see RADIATION PAGE 4

viewpoint PAGE 7

Please feel free to reach out to Sr. Mar y or stop by to meet her tonight,” he w rote.

This year, Saint Mary’s celebrated the 50th year of a school holiday tradition, the Madrigal Dinner. Saint Mary’s department of music holds one of the longest-running Madrigal dinners, the oldest by a women’s choir.

Nancy Menk, director of the Madrigal Dinner described the event as “a recreation of a feast in Renaissance England.” This year’s show followed the story of a lord and lady, whose daughter marries a kitchen servant. The lady was played by Susan Baxter, who also adapted the play.

Richard Baxter played the lord of the house and also directed the actors.

Beyond the acting, there was also a choir of Madrigal singers, made up of Saint Mary’s students. One such singer is Meghan Gould, a senior music education major who has been in the Madrigal choir for four years.

“Through the music major, we have to be a part of an ensemble.

I’m in the women’s choir and the

W BaSKETBALL PAGE 12

Madrigal singers are selected from the women’s choir.”

Gould said she loves the period music sung throughout the dinner.

“I think my favorite part is the singing. That style of music is really fun to learn but also spending time with the choir outside choir time really builds lifelong relationships,” she said.

“To make it seem more authentic, we sing period music from the Renaissance or that at least sounds like it was written in that time.”

Andrea Lindback is a music education major who is also a singer with the Madrigal choir.

She said the traditions behind the Madrigal Dinner make it so much fun to be a part of.

“It has morphed into something specifically just Saint Mary’s which is really notable and I think just very historic and fun.”

Lindback also talked more about a behind-the-scenes tradition involving the head of the pig that is processed around the dining hall. see MADRIGAL PAGE 3

FOOTBALL PAGE 12

2

TODAY

The observer | MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

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“The chance to meet Thomas the Tank Engine in real life.”

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“For my stocks to rise.”

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“A trip to Mexico.”

“A longboard.”

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Today’s Staff News

Photo

Isa Sheikh Katie Muchnick Kelsey Quint

Sam Godinez

Graphics Maggie Klaers Christina Sayut

Sports

MARY VOTAVA | The Observer

Leprechaun Jamison Cook places his hat on a cheerleader’s head as they encourage the crowd to get loud during Notre Dame women’s basketball’s 74-60 home victory over No. 3 UConn on Sunday, Dec. 4. Before the game, the Irish were ranked No. 7.

The next Five days:

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Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Emily DeFazio

Scene Willoughby Thom

Viewpoint Madeline Law

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.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Virtues and Vocations Webinar Zoom Webinar noon - 1 p.m.

The CSC will host author Anika Prather.

Pottery Sale Riley Hall of Art 122 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

First of three days sale of one-of-a-kind pieces by faculty.

Muisc Recital Little Theatre noon - 1 p.m.

Join Saint Mary’s musicians for the end of semester concert.

Feast of Immaculate Conception St. Joseph Chapel 5 p.m.

Join in the celebration with mass and dinner.

Dog Event Ave Brew & Saints Square 4 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Relax before finals with dogs.

Notre Dame Community Choir Rehearsal Coleman-Morse 329 7 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.

No audition required.

Book Talk Hesburgh Center C103 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Kellogg Insittute hosts professor speaking on democracy in Africa.

Men’s Basketball: Notre Dame v.

Boston University Purcell Pavilion 7 p.m.

Cheer on the Irish.

Presentation: “For Better or For Worse” Jordan Auditorium 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Learn the evolution of financial markets.

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Saints Square 7 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.

Kick off the holiday and pre-finals weekend.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022 | The ObserveR

3

Mathematician discusses random walk theory

By CAROLINE COLLINS News Writer

“Ever y interesting mathematical concept, if it’s truly deep, has something to say in a variet y of applied domains,” said Jordan Ellenberg, a mathematician from the Universit y of Wisconsin-Madison who studies number theor y and algebraic geometr y. He has been w riting about math concepts for general audiences for over 15 years and his most recent book, “Shape,” is a New York Times bestseller.

Ellenberg delivered the second annual College of Science Christmas lecture on Friday evening in Jordan Hall of Science.

The Christmas lecture is modeled after the Royal Institution of Great Britain’s Christmas lectures, which were started almost 200 years ago by scientist Michael Faraday in 1825.

According to A llison Slabaugh, the academic advancement director for the College of Science, “the Christmas lecture was established w ith the goal of bringing science to the general public and inspiring the communit y to engage in science.” The Faradayst yle lectures demonstrate the scientific concepts they present and are intended to

be entertaining and deeply philosophical.

Ellenberg’s lecture focused on the theor y of the random walk, also know n as the Markov process. In mathematics, a random walk is a random process that describes a path consisting of a succession of random steps w ithin a given space.

According to Ellenberg, the random walk describes a sequence of possible events where the probabilit y of each event depends on the event that happened before the event that w ill occur next. This stochastic, or random process, occurs because each event is independent of the other and as the sample size increases, the mean gets closer to the average of the entire population.

The phenomenon of the random walk can be obser ved in many different areas of study, like f lipping a coin or f luctuations in stock prices. “The concept of the random walk expanded out into an array of applications,” Ellenberg said, naming finance, physics, biolog y and mathematics.

Ellenberg inv ited members of the audience to participate in a game to demonstrate the random walk.

Participants were instructed to look at a piece of text like a newspaper or a page from a book. Then, they were asked

Caroline Collins | The Observer

Mathematician Jordan Ellenberg delivered the annual Christmas lecture in Jordan Hall of Science on Friday night, engaging the audience in a demonstration of the random walk mathematical phenomenon.

to locate a bigram or a pair of letters. After the first person called out a pair of letters, the next pair had to start w ith the second letter of the prev ious pair. This was repeated until someone ended the word w ith a space or a period.

This process produced words that resembled and sounded like English, even though they were not actual English words. Ellenberg explained that longer sequences of letters, for example, those that used five letters grouped together as opposed to t wo letters, would create words that capture more of

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the English language.

The random walk produces an imitation of the English text which has been applied to artificial language models.

A lthough these computer programs are applied on a much larger scale, “it’s fundamentally doing the same kind of thing taking in a large body of ex isting English text and tr y ing to figure out what’s likely to come out of it and then auto-generating just the way we all did together,” Ellenberg said.

“A language model [used by artificial intelligence] is not so different from a ver y

simple Markov chain, it’s just much bigger because we have abilities we didn’t have years ago,” Ellenberg continued.

There are limitations to the Markov process and while there are certain things that a Markov process can do, there are also certain kinds of things that a Markov process can’t do.

Ellenberg discussed how identif y ing this boundar y is difficult because there is so much about math that is still unknow n.

Madrigal

experience with more music, dancing, and the resolution of the show. This year, this section featured a new piece Menk had commissioned for the 50th anniversary called “The Question Carol.”

At the event, two local jugglers performed an interactive show that included teaching members of the audience, juggling overhead and ended with them juggling swords.

There was intermittent dancing from the Royal Court Dancers who are also Saint Mary’s students. Everyone was dressed in elaborate Renaissance costumes created by Melissa Bialko, another thing Menk says “makes it feel more authentic to the Renaissance.”

Despite the large amount of work that goes into organizing and rehearsing the Madrigal Dinner, Lindback said “it benefits the students a lot with professional experience and benefits the community. It really is enjoyable.”

She and others hope Saint Mary’s will continue its run as the longest-running college Madrigal Dinner.

The Saint Mary’s Madrigal Dinner always takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tickets are open for purchase to anyone.

Continued from page 1

“We usually prank people with the boar’s head. Last year, we hung it up in Dr. Menk’s office and put a dress in it,” she said.

Menk also reflected on the tradition. She has one photo with some old students on top of Haggar Hall with the pig’s head.

She has also found it in her bathtub, and attached to her car with plastic wrap.

The structure of the dinner is laid out by five fanfares with entertainment scattered throughout. The first was an entrance that gave a taste of all the different forms of entertainment as well as introduced the characters of the show.

It was followed by the Heralding of the Wassail Bowl which signals the beginning of the meal with the appetizer. This year was a winter salad of apples, celery, and nuts.

Then came the Heralding of the Boar’s Head and feast, where the pig’s head is processed around the room. The main course of roast beef, potatoes, and green beans began.

After was the Heralding of the Figgy Pudding, which Saint Mary’s replaced with cheesecake due to the general lack of interest in figgy pudding.

Finally, the Heralding of the Entertainment rounded out the

Contact Caroline Collins at ccolli23@nd.edu

Contact Katelyn Waldschmidt at kwaldschmidt01@saintmarys.

4

NEWS

The observer | MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

This large piece of machinery, formerly known as an “atom smasher,” was housed in the Cushing Hall of Engineering, which is today combined with the Fitzpatrick Hall of Engineering near DeBartolo Hall.

In 1941, a second particle accelerator was constructed in the Science Hall — which is now the basement of LaFortune Student Center — and the third was placed in the then-newly built Nieuwland Hall in 1935. However, the second particle accelerator’s completion coincided with the start of World War II, so it was quickly noticed by the U.S. government. Scientists from other universities, such as the University of Chicago, where many Manhattan Project researchers worked, came to Notre Dame to work with these high-tech accelerators.

The researchers would take the South Shore Line train over to the University, kicking all students out of the hall while undergoing their experiments. There is debate surrounding whether the experiments were conducted under the cover of night or during the day, but it is known that the Science Hall particle accelerator was used in experiments to develop the atomic bomb.

After the war, Notre Dame’s researchers turned to more conf lict-free uses of nuclear radiation. The Radiation Lab as it is now known was first established in 1949 by researchers from the University of Chicago’s Manhattan Project lab team. Around that time at the end of the 1950s, the group went by the name “Radiation Chemistry Project.” This transformed into the “Radiation Project,” and finally, the “Radiation Lab” was born in 1960.

However, the research was still primarily based in the basement of the Science Hall, coupled with these new ventures and new leadership under Milton Burton led to the construction of the Radiation Research Building in 1963 on land that was leased from the University.

Peaceful Transformation After the Radiation Research Building was finished, nuclear energy research at the University exploded. This state-of-the-art lab is three stories high with a full basement useful for storing large experimental devices. It is approximately 64,000 square feet in area — larger than the White House.

The summer 1962 edition of Notre Dame Magazine heralded the new building, saying “the construction is novel and exciting and promises to be architecturally very impressive.”

The entire building was owned and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy until Nov. 1, 2022, when it officially

became Notre Dame property.

The lab still receives around $4 million of funding from the government annually.

The Radiation Lab still owns and uses particle accelerators to this day, with three of them sitting just outside of the building’s outer wall underground. The accelerators, one linear and two Van de Graaff, are used to shoot radiation into samples, so scientists can then analyze the effects of the radiation in various experiments. The lab also currently owns three direct sources of radioactive material, each encased in inches of lead.

Jay LaVerne, concurrent professor of physics and radiation lab researcher, explained that the University owns “at least” seven particle accelerators in total at this point in time. Of the four not in the lab, three are with the department of physics and one is located a mile underground in a mine in South Dakota, in order to examine reactions without the added cosmic radiation from the sun.

The current director of the lab, Ian Carmichael, said that although the lab houses the accelerators and other sources of radiation, it is completely safe to the public.

“When [the accelerators] are on, the radiation is on.

But when they are off, the radiation is off,” he explained.

“They are not long term sources of radiation.”

Although the building is safe, and the accelerators are housed in feet of concrete and dirt, being caught next to a running accelerator is fatal, as is being exposed to the radioactive material situated in the basement.

LaVerne jokingly told The Observer that people do safely leave the building.

“I know there is a rumor that people go into the lab and can’t get out, but that’s not

true,” he assured.

He also mentioned a running joke each winter, in which some student builds a snowman outside the lab with two heads, as though it has morphed from the radiation.

Besides what occurs outside the lab, the building is home to many famous radiation scientists like Prashant Kamat, a specialist in charge transfer processes and energy conversion, who was named one of the top 50 chemists by Research.com and ranked at 31st in U.S. chemists and 45th in the global rankings, author Rebecca Hick said in the Notre Dame announcement. During his 44 years at the University, LaVerne, who has recently been inducted into the inaugural class of Radiation Research Society Fellows, has worked on countless projects, mostly surrounding nuclear reactor safety.

“We deal with reactors: How safe are they? Can we make them run better? Can we make them last longer? Many of the reactors that exist today are getting to the end of their lifetime. [The Department of Energy] wants to extend their lifetimes. And so, can we do that safely?” he asked.

When questioned about how he works with nuclear reactors without being near one, LaVerne explained that they use high-pressurized cells to heat water up to reactor temperatures and, in turn, study the specific chemistry at those temperatures.

LaVerne also has side projects where he works with radiation in space and in moon rocks, saying that he regularly communicates with companies like SpaceX, which is trying to send humans back to the moon and to Mars.

Behind the Sciences The workhorse behind many of the major discoveries

Courtesy of the National Archives

The Radiation Research Building pictured in an undated photo. The building was owned by the Department of Energy until last month.

from the radiation lab is their two workshops — the scientific glassblowing shop and the machine shop.

The machine shop is located in the basement of the lab. It spans two large rooms, hosting a wide variety of technical tools such as surface grinders, drill presses, saws, welding equipment, CNC technology and a CO2 laser. The projects in the shop include 3D printing, CAD design, laser engraving, machine consultation, instrument assembly and alterations.

The shop is run by program manager Joe Admave, who is a specific kind of professional craftsman, termed a “journeyman.” He works on many different projects, both with the lab and outside of it, which is his favorite part of the job.

“My favorite part about [the job] is that you never know what is going to walk through those doors,” he said. “It’s something new every day.”

Admave has run the shop for around 11 years now and, with agreement from LaVerne, called himself a “unicorn.”

“I’m like a jack of all trades,” he explained. “It’s very rare to find someone skilled in all of

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these trades nowadays.”

The glassblowing workshop, on the other hand, is located on the first f loor and run by nationally renowned glassblower Kiva Ford, who has a college degree in scientific glassblowing. Like with Admave’s machine shop, Ford has been with the lab for several years and works on a huge variety of projects both within the University and nationwide. His technical workshop is home to a precision wet cut-off saw, wet belt sander, cork boring machine, ESA-P glassblowing lathe and largescale convection oven. He creates everything from test tubes for particle detection to optical cells for dark matter research.

LaVerne noted that the shops were instrumental in a lot of major breakthroughs in the lab.

“In order to accomplish novel science, you need to have novel science equipment,” he said. “A lot of our discoveries would not have been possible without [the shops].”

Contact Bella Laufenberg at ilaufenb@nd.edu and Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

5

The observer | MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

GAY LOVE LAID ‘BARE’ IN PEMCO’S FALL SHOW

Claire Lyons, Associate Scene Editor

As Congress was passing the Respect for Marriage Act last week, members of Pasquerilla East Musical Company (PEMCo) were hard at work preparing for their fall show, “Bare: A Pop Opera,” which features a closeted gay couple.

“Bare” is a rock-musical focusing on the secret lives of a group of private Catholic boarding school students. Although the musical’s main protagonist is Peter (Josh Vo), a closeted Catholic teen, the musical converges around the life of Peter’s roommate and secret boyfriend, Jason (Luc Plaisted). Almost everybody else in the musical is connected to Jason in some way: insecure Nadia (Olivia Seymour) is his sister, the — by reputation — promiscuous Ivy (Avery Trimm) has a crush on him and Matt (Tim Merkle) is jealous of him for stealing away his role in the school play and his crush, Ivy. Vo is an incredibly compelling lead as Peter. He’s not only a great singer, but he plays Peter’s struggle to accept his sexuality in a remarkably compassionate way.

He shines in his solo “Role of a Lifetime,” with his voice delicately rising and falling – but never losing strength – as he sings, “God, I need your guidance / Tell me what it means / To live a life where nothing’s as it seems.” Peter’s queer experience is directly informed by his Catholic upbringing, slowly turning from religious paranoia in the opening act (“Epiphany”) to joyous acceptance (“God Don’t Make No Trash!”). Encouraged by his vision of the Virgin Mary (who he humorously mistakes for Diana Ross) and the support of his drama teacher, Sister Chantelle, Peter gains the courage let the world know who he truly is and come out to his mom in a heartbreaking performance of “See Me.” Likewise, Plaisted navigates Jason’s complexity with a grace that makes the difficult role look easy. Jason is the musical’s anti-hero and a narrative foil to Peter.

He’s the typical Troy Bolton-type: popular and top-of-his-class, but hiding a secret that might jeopardize his reputation. But in this case, Jason loves a boy instead of musicals. Fearing how his family and friends will react to coming out, Jason keeps his relationship with Peter a secret – to the extent of cheating on him. He betrays Peter when he kisses Ivy, then goes all the way with her in an explicit performance of “One.” He also betrays his faith, flinging his rosary across the stage after a priest essentially tells him to “pray the gay away” (“Cross”). At every turn, he never fails to run away from his authentic self and leaves a trail of destruction in his wake: a betrayed Peter, a pregnant Ivy and a heartbroken Nadia. Yet, Plaisted’s performance makes Jason somebody who is hard to hate.

Trimm and Seymour balance out the starring cast with riveting performances as roommates Ivy and Nadia. Although the characters seem diametrically opposed from the start, they aren’t so different. Nadia and Ivy are both victims of the same patriarchal structure, just at opposite ends. Nadia is insecure about her appearance (“Plain Jane Fatass”) and Ivy is scared that people see her as just another pretty face (“Portrait of a Girl”). The strength of their friendship is solidified when Ivy tearfully confides in Nadia about her pregnancy (“All Grown Up”). Nadia is easy to dislike given her internalized misogyny and general over-the-top teen angst, but Seymour’s performance turns her into a charming side character. Ivy, however, is given more complexity from the get-go and Trimm tackles the role exceptionally well.

The cast is rounded out by sophomore Angie Catillo as the spirited Sister Chantelle and the Virgin Mary, who adds levity to the serious themes with the fun musical numbers. The choreography and backup dancers in “911! Emergency!” is an excellent addition to her performance as a sassy Virgin Mary. Merkle adds a certain shyness to Matt in a duet with Vo (“Are You There”) showing the trials and tribulations of love are, in fact, universal. Graduate MFA student Jacob Moniz is perfectly cast as St. Cecelia’s resident bad boy, Lucas, in a performance reminiscent of Patrick in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

While the set transitions were a bit laborious at times, the dynamic set design for the smaller Washington Hall Lab Theatre effectively distinguished changes from school chapels to dorm rooms to raves and parties and back again. The costume design was also heavily influenced by traditional Catholic school uniforms.

Some characters even have their own twist on the St. Cecelia dress code: Ivy keeps her blouse unbuttoned while Nadia hides away in a gray cardigan.

Although PEMCo did a great job with this production, “Bare” is a little outdated. Since the musical was written in the early 90s, right off the tail end of the devastating AIDs epidemic, the tragic ending ultimately feels like a byproduct of the loss felt by the gay community. I believe it was difficult for writers Damon Intrabortolo and Jon Hartmere to imagine a happy ending for Jason when a happy ending was robbed for so many gay men, but his death felt unnecessary and tactless. I, for one, am glad there are other stories that leave space for queer joy, and happier endings.

Despite my qualms with the ending, it’s important to acknowledge the context in which PEMCo’s production took place. “Bare” premiered fifteen years before same-sex marriage was signed into law. This run of “Bare” was performed just days after the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA), which allows same-sex couples to get federal benefits and recognizes out-of-state same-sex marriage, passed in Congress.

Yet, hate crimes are still happening. Yet, the University stays silent. Yet, the University’s non-discriminatory clause excludes both sexual orientation and gender identity. Yet, conservative groups on campus continuously condemn the LGBTQ+ community and RFMA. Sadly, “Bare” and its message remain progressive.

PEMCo’s production of “Bare” dares its audience to embrace authenticity and closely examine our relationships. It bravely presents our campus community with a choice: Do we stand behind LGBTQ+ students like Sister Chantelle or do we fail them like Jason’s priest? Shouldn’t the University authentically stand behind its claims about diversity and inclusion?

When I left “Bare” and looked at the faces of my classmates, I wondered how much we really allow ourselves know each other. I wondered in what ways each and every one of us run from authenticity. I wondered what we look like “stripped bare beneath all the layers” and the things we don’t talk about and why.

Musical: “Bare: A Pop Opera” Director: Trey Paine Starring: Luc Plaisted, Josh Vo, Avery Trimm When: Dec. 1- 3

Produced by: Pasquerilla East Musical Company Where: Washington Hall Lab Theatre Shamrocks: 4 out of 5

Contact Claire Lyons at clyons@nd.edu

CRISTINA SAYUT | The Observer

6

The observer | Monday, December 5, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

What’s hot and what’s not Alysa Guffey Editor-in-Chief

I’ve had the same coffee order for seven years. Seven years.

That’s one thing that will probably never change. It’s wellestablished in my daily routine, and I can be stubborn when it comes to my coffee. But what about the everyday elements of life that ebb and flow, move up and down, change left and right? I present to you: Ins and outs circa December 2022.

Ins 1. Iced coffee: Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t drink a cold brew when it’s snowing outside.

2. TikTok: Specifically journalism TikTok. Because if you’re going to scroll for hours, why not learn something while you’re at it.

3. Thank-you notes.

4. Asking questions: As Taylor said, “Can I ask you a question?”

5. Bob Iger 6. Google Calendar: Bonus points for color-coding.

7. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah: An interjection, meaning “an exclamation of happiness.”

8. Florida: Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl, Purdue in the Citrus Bowl, 70 degree weather and Disney World? Count me in.

9. The Muppets: I don’t know if you’ve caught on or not yet, but I’m kind of a Disney fan. Stream all Muppets movies on Disney+ and all award-winning albums on Spotify (or your streaming platform of choice).

10. Christmas break: Four weeks, too!

11. Journaling: After a semester of creative writing, I can confidently say that writing, no matter how unprofessionally done, can help tremendously with putting your thoughts into perspective. (Even ranting on a page.)

12. Hats: Specifically warm hats. It’s more important to be toasty than look cute.

13. Fantasy football: Dear Josh Jacobs, drafting you was the best decision I made this fall.

14. Capricorn season.

15. Complimenting your friends.

Outs 1. Boots: If converse can get me through a snowy Boston College game they can survive anything.

2. Breakfast: It’s called brunch at this point.

3. Digital print editions.

4. White elephants: But, Secret Santa is in. It’s more fun to buy a gift for someone specific.

5. Twitter.

6. Scooters: Here’s the background information.

7. Shopping online.

8. Class registration.

9. Emojis in Instagram captions.

10. Cryptocurrency.

11. Disney World slander: Disney World is fun as an adult — I promise. My email is at the end if you don’t believe me.

12. Ticketmaster (and dynamic pricing).

13. Doing laundry in a dorm: Ick. 14. Staying up late: On a never-ending journey to go to bed before midnight.

15. Thinking about the future: Being in the moment is in.

I hope, if anything, this humorous short list of ins and outs made you think — about what you like, what you don’t like, what bothers you, what brings a smile to your face and what makes you, you.

Until next time.

Contact Alysa at aguffey@nd.edu.

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

The Liver King: a tale of raw meat and lies Jonah Tran De Re Publica

The year is 5000 B.C. You just completed a successful three-day hunt. You speared the mastodon to death and harvested its organs. Your personal chef prepared for you a feast of grilled ribeye steaks, raw liver, testicles, and bone marrow. Before you settle into your makeshift straw bed inside the cave, you inject yourself with the daily doses of long argine 3-IGF-1, CJC-1295, ibutamoren, omnitrope, testosterone cypionate, nandrolone decanoate, and winstrol. The copious supply of anabolic steroids, which accounts for a monthly expense of nearly $12,000, is necessary to have single digit body fat year-round and to be primal. This is how our ancient ancestors lived, right? They lived off the land.

Let me introduce you to the Liver King and the ancestral life he purports. Brian Johnson, or more commonly known by his internet personality Liver King, has amassed millions of followers and views on social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok where he produces videos of himself living an “ancestral” life. Most notable videos include his eating raw organs, primarily liver, hence the name, and performing “simulated hunts,” which entails intense resistance and cardio training. The Liver King himself is a physical specimen; measuring up at 5-foot-7, the 190 pound 45-year-old is incredibly muscular, akin to that a bodybuilder and maintains single digit body fat percentage year around. He credits his physique solely to the consumption of raw organs and working out.

Liver King has subjected himself a life that he interprets our common ancestors lived, one where modern technologies and habits did not exist.

He has rejected “modern constructs” such as eating vegetables, bathing and wearing a shirt.

Essentially, the Liver King is a self-advertisement of a fictional ancestral lifestyle. I forgot to add that he collects a fortune from revenue from his Ancestral Supplement business, which sells organ-based protein powders and vitamins. See the connection?

On social media, he has received criticism over his tendency only to disclose information about eating liver, often in a manner of diversion, and to omit talk of steroid use. Nevertheless, it is blatantly obvious that he is unnatural. Recently, leaked emails from his coach confirm that Johnson has extensively used PEDs, $12,000 per month worth. Members in the fitness community on YouTube claim that Johnson’s lie about being natural has misled a large contingent of people, who believed they could achieve a similar physique by simply following the ancestral lifestyle. In an apology video, Johnson claims that his decision to take anabolic steroids stems from a desire to overcome depression caused by low-testosterone levels and body dysmorphia.

The question that then arises is “Why should I care about some meathead internet caveman with a penchant for raw meat?” I asked myself that same question while writing this.

However, the relevance lies in the relationship between personal insecurities and social media.

Everyone has self-esteem issues, and celebrities are no exception. Although I, the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Disease Control univocally agree that the ancestral diet is dangerous, I will concede

that Liver King’s situation ought to be viewed in a different light. Johnson suffers from severe self-image issues, and he masks them under the guise of a machismo persona, one that seems larger than life. He assumes an exaggerated character bearing the consummate traits, in which he himself is insufficient. Such a course of action is consistent with other social media figures like wannabe-playboy Dan Bilzerian and the Bugatti-driving Top G Andrew Tate.

This is nothing new. The Liver King claims that he wants his audience to live their best possible lives, a righteous wish; however, the means of achieving is obviously not through buying overpriced animal organ supplements and refusing to shower. The truth to living one’s best possible life is something more elusive. While I cannot verify the validity of Liver King’s claim, the fact that he generates massive profits off his social media presence and business leads me to think otherwise.

Liver King’s example compels me to consider how common people have subscribed to a similar course of action. Personal Instagram accounts are curated to depict a deliberately desirable persona. As one might imagine, only the best pictures make the cut: the ones with the best lighting, the best caption and the best outfits. The repetition of depicting the happiest moments creates a thread of continuity, in which “best” characterizes one’s whole life. In my personal experience, seeing people smiling and smiling and constantly “air push-uping” impressed on me the questions: “Do these people ever stop smiling? Do they ever metaphorically sit and watch the game? Do they ever feel sadness? Do they feel anxiety? Hunger? Thirst? Or do they exist only as digital pixels on my smartphone?” Perhaps, it happens that the common people assume an exaggerated character, one who lives an ideal life, bearing the highest degree of happiness, a possibly deficient quality.

Anyone who has followed this course of action, including myself, has, in a sense, dehumanized themselves by choosing only to disclose the best elements of the human experience and omitting the worst ones. Now, I am not calling to post content of yourselves vigorously crying over physics homework for the sake of humanity, but just be cognizant of the relationship between insecurities and social media. Quite frankly, there will be no resolution to this issue; it will continue unabated unless by some miracle, social media ceases to exist.

As if I were giving cliché parental advice, I say, “Do not believe everything you see on the internet.” Refuting the Liver King situation was not very difficult. There is a seriously “roidedout” man trying to tell me to eat raw organs for breakfast. Ignored! However, there will inevitably be another social media influencer selling a snake oil-esque idea, perhaps in a more cunning, convincing manner. Keep an eye out, primals! Liver writer Jonah, out!

Jonah Tran is a first-year at Notre Dame double majoring in Finance and Economics and minoring in Classics. Although fully embracing the notorious title of a “Menbroza,” he prides himself on being an Educated Young Southern Gentleman. You can contact Jonah by email at jtran5@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Interested in Viewpoint? Contact us at viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

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The observer | Monday, December 5, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Not worshipping ash, but preserving fire Devin Humphreys Law, Life, and the Lord

Let me tell you a story. A couple of months ago, I was at an establishment at the Duncan Student Center that definitely shall not be named, securing a late lunch of chicken nuggets and waffle fries one Tuesday afternoon. Unfortunately, one of said chicken nuggets was exceptionally crispy, so much so that it chipped one of my teeth! And thus I was required to schedule a dentist appointment to get that taken care of. Eventually, once all was said and done, in early November I was able to get in to have my teeth X-rayed, and the dentist arrived at the conclusion that the cavity that had formed would need a root canal.

So a couple of weeks later, I returned for the dentist to prepare my tooth for the root canal process, only for the dentist to find that the situation was not as bad as she had anticipated. I would only need a crown to handle the problem with that tooth. She placed a temporary crown over my tooth, and by the time you’re reading this, that crown will have been replaced with a permanent one.

You might be thinking: “Devin, where’s the ‘Law’ and ‘the Lord’ in this story?” I propose to you, dear reader of this column, that my dentist’s process in fixing my tooth serves as an allegory for how we should treat our traditions, both in the Church and in our law. Since the Dobbs decision, much ink has been spilled criticizing the Court’s reliance on “history and tradition” in key cases from issues ranging from abortion to gun rights and everything in between, but I contend that most of this commentary is suspicious of tradition less on the principle that tradition as a general matter is suspect, but rather on the content of our nation’s traditions themselves. Thus, whether one supports the Court’s formulation of the “history and tradition” test or not, there is something to be gleaned from these critiques of being too quick to defer to traditions we haven’t examined for whether or not they hold up to the contemporary scrutiny that even those

of us who tend instead to hold the idea of tradition in high regard can keep in mind.

I’ve been privileged to be a part of the Notre Dame Chorale this semester, and we had our two performances of Handel’s Messiah last Friday and Saturday at DPAC. Before the Friday concert, our esteemed director, Alex Blachly, imparted words of wisdom upon us as we took the stage, quoting Gustav Mahler (who may have himself been quoting St. Thomas More?) in saying that “tradition,” properly understood, “is not the worship of ashes but the preservation of fire.” But then how do we tell the difference between ash and fire in the traditions onto which many of us hold so dearly? Building upon the story of my recent dental work, I think there are three things we should take to heart in examining our traditions.

The first requires a bit of explanation. My mother encouraged me to be just a tad more scrupulous than normal about how the dental procedures for placing my permanent crown were unfolding. She explained that if I’m not careful to make sure on my end that the bite feels natural, it’ll be a similar feeling to when a grain of sand is stuck between your teeth – sure, it’s small, but in your mouth it feels quite big indeed. In other words, while it may be necessary to fill the hole in my tooth or even put on a crown to restore said tooth to its former form, if the dentist were to try to use that as an opportunity to reshape my bite, the results would be incredibly annoying. So too with our traditions: while sometimes our traditions require re-examination, especially with an eye to restoring something from which we have gone astray, we should be careful about how we go about it. Over-innovation may be as small as a grain of sand, but when all’s said and done, it could make the whole difference.

The second is this: my dentist did not simply jump to making me go through a root canal surgery. She was careful about how much of my tooth she drilled and filed away, and when all was said and done the root canal could be avoided in favor of just a crown.

The point? Sometimes it doesn’t take reinventing the wheel to fix a problem, a fact that we only realize if

we’re careful enough about how much of the old we get rid of at any given point in time.

Third and finally: the dentist gave me a temporary crown a couple weeks ago to get me through until they had the permanent crown available. That temporary crown was meant to ensure that my teeth didn’t move around in the time between my first and second appointments, and it succeeded in doing that job quite well. So it is, too, with how we handle traditions that need to change: sometimes it takes time to craft the new well, and we need something to fill the gap between the old and the new. In such situations, we shouldn’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, because having something in place to get us by is just as important as having something better and more permanent down the road. So as we continue to think, individually, in the communities in which we find ourselves a part, and in our nation, about the traditions that shape us and how we can shape those traditions in turn, let’s let our amendments to those traditions not stick out like a grain of sand in our mouths. Let’s take care not to put our traditions through a root canal surgery when a crown would do just fine, and let’s make sure that when we go about changing things when that change is necessary, we think about what “temporary crown” we need to get from A to B. Have a blessed rest of your Advent, and if you weren’t able to catch the Chorale’s performance of the Messiah, you can listen to our live-stream video on Facebook!

Devin Humphreys is a 3L at Notre Dame Law School.

When he isn’t serving as the sacristan at the Law School Chapel or competing at a quiz bowl tournament, he’s sharing his thoughts on the legal developments of the day with anyone who will listen. For advice on law school, hot takes on Mass music and free scholarly publication ideas, reach out to Devin at dhumphr2@ nd.edu.

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A Tale of Two Cities You may not know it, but if you live in Chicago, Illinois, you’re actually a citizen of two cities.

One Chicago features some of the best public high schools in the country according to the U.S. News & World Report. The other Chicago is marked by the kind of school buildings where if it rains hard enough, the roof just might cave in. We typically think of educational inequity as a problem of resources. If state and local governments were simply willing to allocate more funding to schools in lower-class neighborhoods, maybe the problem could be solved, right? Not quite. The primary source of funding for the vast majority of school districts in America isn’t state or local governments, it’s the taxes collected on properties in the district.

The more valuable the properties in a school district, the more funding the schools in that district receive. It is because of this system that schools in the Chicago Ridge district (on Chicago’s south side) are so underfunded that three schools share one nurse, while the Rondout District (in the suburbs to the north) can afford to pay its teachers an average of $90,000 a year and craft individualized learning plans for each of its students. According to Binyamin Applebaum (lead writer on business & economics for the New York Times’ editorial board), it’s not even as simple as just living on opposite sides of Chicago: “It can be on the same block that the town line runs through the middle of it, and if you live on one side of that line, you’re consigned to an inferior education… and if you live on the other side, you’re basically a member of a club that is sponsoring a private school essentially, for the

benefit of that small group of kids.” In Chicago and many other places in the US, the disparity in education quality is so vast that students from virtually a block apart may as well live in two different cities.

If a bill were raised to amend the current school funding system, it’s easy to imagine that progressives would be the ones to champion it. But when we return to our case study of Cook County, Illinois (the county that Chicago is in), we find that progressives aren’t doing as much to promote justice in the realm of education as they claim to be. Even in a county that voted 74.2% Democrat in the last presidential election, wealthy liberals still lobbied to keep the property tax-based resource allocation system in place for their school districts. Members of a party whose platform is “providing a world-class education in every zip code” have gerrymandered Cook County’s school zones so badly that there are school districts that only have one school. So, this isn’t a question of blue vs. red or conservative vs. liberal. It is, quite literally, rich vs. poor. The property tax school-funding system is one of the greatest perpetrators of the wealth disparity problem in our country.

We live in a nation that has historically disadvantaged its lower-class citizens. Isn’t education the institution that’s supposed to set that right? Education is supposed to empower children to change their circumstances generationally. It shouldn’t be the wall that keeps them on the south side of Chicago.

It should be the vehicle that brings them to the hallowed halls of the University of Notre Dame.

Sometimes it can be. But by and large, the property

tax system causes those who are disadvantaged in American society to become even more so, because their inferior quality of education prevents them from pursuing opportunities (like attending a trade school or university) that would allow them to break into the middle class. This fosters the sense of disenfranchisement that causes people from places of poverty to distrust America’s established methods of attaining upward mobility. I saw this firsthand in Baltimore when I tutored children from the inner city. Some of my kids had, even at their young ages, completely disassociated themselves from the “American Dream” and the idea that doing well in school would in any way change their lot in life. This mistrust also explains why there is such rampant criminal activity in areas where educational inequity is most glaring.

The question of why there is so much disparity in our country’s education system is a complex one, but the answer begins and ends with the property tax funding system. Amending this system in favor of one that allocates resources more equitably would allow children from low-income areas to develop the same sense of curiosity and self-belief as their peers in higher-income areas. Inevitably, this would entirely transform their futures. It would entirely transform cities like Chicago and Baltimore too, shattering the glass ceiling of educational inequity that divides them in two.

Oluwatoni Akintola first-year Nov. 29

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Sports

The observer | MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

SMC Women’s Basketball

Sports Authority

Moller: Taking a look at the teams in the CFP Nate Moller Senior Sports Writer

On Sunday morning the college football playoff committee announced the College Football Playoff field w ith Georgia, Michigan, TCU and Ohio State being the four teams selected. There was plenty of drama this weekend w ith notable playoff implications, including USC’s stunning loss to Utah in the PAC-12 Championship and TCU’s overtime loss in the Big 12 Championship that set up this final four.

With the four-team field set now, it’s time to take a look at each team.

Georgia Georgia has been the most consistent team this season, and they have dominated ever y game this season aside from a close victor y against Missouri in October. Quarterback Stetson Bennett has continued to command the Bulldogs offense this whole season. Bennett’s 68.1% completion rate is one of the highest in college football, and he w ill look to continue that against an Ohio State defense that has struggled w ith passing defense all season.

The Bulldogs also possess plenty of talent in the ground game w ith the trio of Kendall Milton, Daijun Edwards and Kenny McIntosh all having over 500 rushing yards this season. In the receiving game, the Bulldogs are led by tight end Brock Bowers, who has 726 yards and six touchdow ns on the season. Ladd McConkey has also developed as a reliable option at w ide receiver as well.

In last Saturday’s w in against LSU, the Bulldogs showed why they are the top-ranked team in the countr y, putting up 50 points against a formidable LSU defense. It’s going to take a lot to stop Georgia from w inning another national title this season, and any thing other than a repeat title for Kirby Smart’s team should be considered a disappointment.

Michigan A lthough the Wolverines made the playoffs last season, they f lew under the radar somewhat this year.

The Wolverines, however, have embraced the underdog role this season, and their regular season culminated in a 45-23 drubbing of Ohio State in Columbus. On Saturday, the Wolverines took care of business against Purdue to complete their first 13-0 record in program histor y.

The key to the Wolverines’ success at the end of the year has been the play of quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

In the w in against the Buckeyes, McCarthy had some huge plays and finished the day w ith 263 yards and three touchdow ns. The Wolverines w ill need McCarthy to continue his hot streak into the playoffs if they want to have a chance at w inning the national title.

Running back Donovan Edwards has also carried the Wolverines as of late w ith over 400 rushing yards in just the last two games. With star running back Blake Corum receiving season-ending surger y, Edwards must continue to be a work horse for the Wolverines in their backfield.

A lthough the offense has stepped up as of late for the Wolverines, the defense has been the team’s staple this season. The Wolverines rank third in the FBS in total defense, and they have allowed just 277 yards per game and only 4.45 yards per play.

TCU The Horned Frogs come into the playoffs as the biggest underdogs after losing the Big 12 Championship game Saturday to Kansas State.

Despite the loss, this year has been a year to remember for the Horned Frogs. Quarterback Ma x Duggan has been the heart and soul of this team, and has throw n for over 3,000 yards and 30 touchdow n passes.

Duggan’s season w ill likely earn him a trip to New York for the Heisman trophy, and if TCU is going to have any chance against Michigan, they w ill need Duggan to have a career day.

Running back Kendre Miller has also been a spark for the Horned Frogs on offense this season, as he has averaged 6.2 yards per carr y and has totaled over 1,300

yards on the ground this season.

No one is giving TCU a chance against Michigan in the CFP semifinals, but the Horned Frogs are playing w ith house money at this point.

A lthough they w ill have a chance to prove themselves in the program’s first ever playoff appearance, the Horned Frogs’ defense must play better than they did against Kansas State if they are going to pull off an upset of Michigan.

Ohio State Ohio State has arguably had the rockiest of roads to the CFP, and w ithout USC’s loss on Friday night, they most likely would not have made the playoffs.

A lthough the Buckeyes breezed through the majority of their regular season games, they hit a major road bump in their stunning home loss to Michigan at the end of the season. In that game, the Michigan offense gashed the Buckeyes for 252 yards on the ground, despite not having star running back Blake Corum.

Despite the stunning loss, C.J. Stroud and the Buckeyes w ill have a chance to redeem themselves as heav y underdogs against Georgia. If the Buckeyes are going to compete, their defense is going to have to make a complete 180 from the Michigan game, which w ill no doubt be a challenge against a Georgia offense that ranks seventh in the FBS in total offense.

In the Michigan game, the Ohio State offense let the team dow n as well by only scoring three points in the entirety of the second half. A lthough that was uncharacteristic for an Ohio State offense that averages nearly 500 yards per game, they w ill face another stiff test against a Georgia defense that led the SEC in yards allowed per game.

Contact Joseph Tunney at jtunney@nd.edu.

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

Major third quarter notches conference win Observer Sports Staff

The Saint Mary’s women’s basketball team evened their conference record at 1-1 on Saturday, blasting Adrian 88-70. The Belles showcased their depth, with four substitutes playing at least 12 minutes and combining for 31 points. Junior guard Elle Deardorff led all scorers with 19 points, sparked by 5-of-8 shooting from three-point range. Sophomore forward Julia Schutz added 16 points and made all three of her three-point attempts. She also collected nine rebounds.

Deardorff and Schutz combined for eight of Saint Mary’s 11 triples, sparking the offense.

The Belles trailed at the halftime horn in this one, with a sluggish first quarter getting them off on the wrong foot. Adrian led 40-36 after two quarters of play. However, a monster third quarter did much of the damage for Saint Mary’s. They outscored the Bulldogs 33-12 in the period, opening up a dominant advantage that wasn’t threatened in the final frame.

Up 8-7 early, Saint Mary’s allowed a 10-0 run from Adrian to fall into an early deficit. A late triple from Lauren Gumma pulled the Belles within 19-13 after ten minutes. Saint Mary’s clawed

back and took a brief lead, but Adrian pulled back ahead.

Down four at halftime, the Belles used a quick threepoint barrage to overtake the vistors. Deardorff made a pair of threes in 31 seconds, and Schutz added a third as Saint Mary’s opened with a 9-0 run. The duo combined to score the first 15 Saint Mary’s points of the quarter.

Then, after Adrian got back to within 48-45, the Belles ripped off a 6-0 spurt to flirt with expanding their lead into the double digits. The advantage stayed in around 9-12 points for a while, but Saint Mary’s closed the period on a tear to seize control.

Up 61-51, they ended on a 8-1 run to take a commanding 69-52 advantage into the final quarter.

In the fourth, the lead stayed safe throughout, as Adrian never mounted a significant comeback. The Belles pushed out the lead to as much as 23 points and cruised to the finish line. They improved to 1-1 in MIAA play and 4-4 overall. The Belles play a pair of games this weekend. First, they’ll take on local rival Holy Cross on Tuesday night in a non-conference battle. Then, on Thursday, the Belles will travel to Calvin (5-2, 0-2 MIAA) for another conference game. Tipoff on Tuesday is at 6 p.m.

Write Sports.

Email Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

DAILY

ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: An optimistic attitude and patience will help you process and deal with whatever comes your way this year. Break down the cost, time and energy required to improve your life, relationships and how you handle your money. A prudent mindset and plan will help you live within your means. Strive for simplicity and moderation. Your numbers are 6, 17, 22, 32, 34, 38, 43.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Spruce up your looks, engage in pursuits that offer wisdom and experience, and connect with people in the know and eager to explore new pastimes and possibilities. Personal gain, love and romance are in the stars, and financial gain looks promising.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You may crave change, but before you dive in, do your due diligence and find out exactly what you get for what you give. Ask a question, rummage through the possibilities, see who is heading in the same direction and make things happen.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Nurture meaningful relationships, and you’ll get the help you need to make life better. Take care of your responsibilities early and move on to fun times with people who offer mental stimulation or physical challenges that keep you in shape.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Go over statistics that can change how you do things.

Don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled. Looking for unique people and pastimes will spark your imagination and give insight into how to use your skills benevolently.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t overspend. Take a hike with someone you love or attend an event that offers a challenge geared toward self-improvement on a fixed income. A little help will go a long way and make a difference in how you proceed.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Study, be inquisitive and share your feelings. How you express yourself and the care you take when helping others will be how people judge you. Don’t let anger ruin your day. Focus on what’s important and stay on course.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A passionate attitude will draw people to your side. Time spent with friends, relatives or peers will be informative and help you decide where and how you want to live and who you want to have by your side. Romance is favored.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Start a project that opens your mind to a host of opportunities, but under no circumstances should you lay your money on the table prematurely. Find out the cost involved and pay only for what you need. Rethink how best to use your skills.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take domestic matters in stride and accommodate others without letting anyone take advantage of you mentally, emotionally or financially. A positive attitude may keep the peace, but don’t fear enforcing your opinion or taking the path that makes you happy.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Share your thoughts with a friend, relative or peer, and you will receive input that will help you manage your personal life and finances efficiently. Sticking to the basics will help you avoid making a poor judgment call involving how you handle the cash flow.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Display a poker face, and you’ll dodge a bullet. The less information you offer, the easier it will be to get things done according to plan.

Put your energy and effort into your home and comfort, and make plans to entertain loved ones.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’ll gain insight into how others do things. Adopt a method that has worked flawlessly for someone you admire, and you’ll find the perfect fit for what you want to achieve. Don’t take physical risks or do anything to hurt your reputation.

Birthday Baby: You are forceful, playful and sensitive. You are energetic and munificent.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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UConn Continued from page 12

game, the difference was 56% to 37%.

UConn saw a solid third quarter with a 10-0 run, and several fouls by Irish players cost Notre Dame some points.

The Irish saw seven fouls in the third quarter alone, one of them called intentional on Miles. Unlike Northwestern where Miles was ejected from the game after her second technical and a verbal sparring match, she kept her cool against the Huskies and was able to rebuild momentum for the Irish.

“It was a learning experience for me at Northwestern,” Miles said. “I think just being the type of player that I am, refs have an extra eye on me. It was unintentional, I didn’t mean to hit her. It wasn’t a sort of technical situation where I was like talking to somebody so I wasn’t really that heated. I feel like that’s what the difference was with

this one.”

Despite a shaky third, the Irish never lost the lead and were able to respond well to the Huskies’ run to finish the third 58-46.

The Irish controlled the action in the final quarter to round out the afternoon. Each time the Huskies scored, Notre Dame had an answer. They ran the clock out in the final seconds of the game to officially upset the Huskies 74-60. This win makes history and bodes for a promising future this season.

“Going against UConn and a hall of fame coach like Geno [Auriemma] means everything,” Ivey said. “It shows where we are as a program and how we are progressing forward. It shows my team that anything is possible. I love having this moment in front of our home crowd.”

The energy was high in an almost sold out Purcell Pavilion, making all the difference for the team.

“Our crowd has been so

supportive and I’m hoping our games look like that all the time, not just when UConn comes in,” Ivey said. “We want to have fans continue to support women and support our team.”

After their impressive performance today, Notre Dame women’s basketball is back in action on Thursday, Dec. 8 in an away matchup against Lafayette.intensity of the Irish was shown here and a high scoring performance brought the score 41-28. The Irish’s FG% was over double that of the Huskies – 65% to 28% -- by the end of the second. Even by the end of the game, the difference was 56% to 37%.

UConn saw a solid third quarter with a 10-0, and several fouls

by Irish players cost the team some points. Notre Dame saw seven fouls in the third quarter alone, one of them called intentional on Miles. Unlike Northwestern where Miles was ejected from the game after her second technical and a verbal

sparring match, she kept her cool against the Huskies and was able to rebuild momentum for the Irish.

“It was a learning experience for me at Northwestern,” Miles said. “I think just being the type of player that I am, refs have an extra eye on me. It was unintentional I didn’t mean to hit her. It wasn’t a sort of technical situation where I was like talking to somebody so I wasn’t really that heated. I feel like that’s what the difference was with this one.”

Despite a shaky third, the Irish never lost the lead and were able to respond well to the Huskies’ run to finish the third 58-46. The Irish controlled the action in the final quarter to round out the afternoon. Each time the Huskies scored, Notre Dame had an answer. They ran the clock out in the final seconds of the game to officially upset the Huskies 74-60. This win makes history and bodes for a promising future this season.

“Going against UConn and a hall of fame coach like Geno means everything,” Ivey said.

“It shows where we are as a program and how we are progressing forward.

It shows my team that anything is possible. I love having this moment in front of our home crowd.”

The energy was high in an almost sold out Purcell Pavilion, making all the difference for the team.

“Our crowd has been so supportive and I’m hoping our games look like that all the time, not just when UConn comes in,” Ivey said. “We want to have fans continue to support women and support our team.”

After their impressive performance today, Notre Dame women’s basketball is back in action on Thursday, December 8 in an away matchup against Lafayette.

Contact Maddie Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

ND Men’s Basketball

Irish drop ACC opener against Syracuse in final seconds, start 0-1 for fifth year in a row

By MATTHEW CROW Sports Writer

All season long, Notre Dame men’s basketball has come through in late-game situations to pull out narrow victories. On Saturday, the Irish came up just short of doing so once again, falling 62-61 to Syracuse after Orange guard Judah Mintz’s game-winning layup in the final seconds.

With the loss, the Irish will begin ACC play with an 0-1 record for the fifth straight season.

“We figured it would [come down to] game situations,” Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said after the game. “We needed to get that one stop and we couldn’t get it.”

Despite the noon tip-off at Purcell Pavilion, Notre Dame’s offense came out firing. In a continuation of the hot shooting performance that helped them take down No. 20 Michigan State on Wednesday, graduate student guards Dane Goodwin and Cormac Ryan each made a pair of three-pointers in the opening minutes as the Irish built an early advantage.

However, the Orange quickly erased that lead behind the dominant play of Jesse Edwards. Notre Dame had no answer for the 6-foot-11 senior and allowed him to dominate the boards and score around the basket at will. Edwards scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds in the first half alone before the Irish utilized frequent double teams after halftime in

order to limit his impact.

Early in the half, Irish freshman guard JJ Starling briefly went to the locker room after a shoulder injury. He returned to the game soon after and was impactful on both ends of the court despite struggling to make shots. Starling, as he has consistently done throughout the season, used his elite quickness to effortlessly drive past defenders and finish at the rim several times on his way to seven points.

Brey lamented the Irish offense not being able to present Starling with more opportunities to attack Syracuse’s signature 2-3 zone.

“I know [Starling] had a tough night shooting but I’m thrilled with where he’s at.

He’s guarding, he’s defending, I thought he was great with the ball,” Brey said. “We probably have to look at ways of getting him drives more against zone.”

The latter stages of the first half turned into a back-andforth affair, with Syracuse’s Edwards and Joe Girard III keeping the Orange in the game despite Notre Dame making 8 threes in the period.

The teams went into the break knotted at 35-35.

After an explosive start, the game quickly became a defensive struggle, primarily due to some timely defensive adjustments made by Syracuse. In the first half, the Orange had struggled to defend the high post, allowing Notre Dame players to receive passes and either shoot or find open shooters in the corners.

Following the halftime break, Syracuse moved Edwards higher up in their zone to take away those opportunities, and the effect that it had on limiting the Irish’s ball movement was noticeable.

“They had us pushed out a little bit more in the second half, as that zone can do,” Brey said. “We couldn’t get into the lane to kick it out, we couldn’t get to the foul line.”

Several of Notre Dame’s second-half possessions saw them unable to get the ball inside the arc and eventually be forced to settle for a difficult three-point attempt late in the shot clock. Syracuse’s changes were perhaps most targeted at stopping Goodwin, who is extremely effective in that high post area and scored 13 points in the first half. Goodwin was complimentary of Syracuse’s second-half defense after the game.

“We couldn’t really get it into the middle, kind of just passed it around up top and then got [in late shot-clock situations] and we weren’t really sure what to do,” Goodwin said. “That’s just a matter of working through it and figuring it out as we go, but credit to [Syracuse]. They made some changes and we couldn’t figure it out.”

With newly-open space in the back of Syracuse’s defense, Notre Dame looked to take advantage by attempting passes over the top on several occasions. While this was effective at times, such as when Starling found fellow freshman Ven-Allen Lubin for

a huge alley-oop dunk in the second half, a lack of execution forced the Irish into several turnovers.

“The [plays] that stick in my mind are when they creep up, they push you out, we throw over the top and I think we were 2-7 [on converting those passes],” Brey said. “Then they’re just pushing you out further because you haven’t made them pay over the top.”

With just over two minutes left to play, a Girard III layup put Syracuse ahead 60-55, their largest lead of the game. The Irish responded quickly, as Ryan drilled a clutch three-pointer, his fourth of the game, to trim the lead back down to two.

After getting a critical stop on defense, Notre Dame graduate student guard Marcus Hammond made a tough jump shot while being fouled to tie the game. After he converted on the ensuing free throw, the Irish led by one with under 30 seconds remaining. Hammond, a transfer from Niagara, played in his first game with the Irish after suffering an MCL sprain in the preseason. He contributed six points and three assists in 19 minutes off the bench and Brey spoke about how impressed he was with Hammond’s play.

“We throw him into the fire and I thought he was fabulous.

He’s in there making plays, he makes the play to give us the lead, steps up and makes the free throw,” Brey said. “We throw him in an ACC game after five weeks off and he’s not

afraid.”

Trailing by one, Syracuse looked to Mintz, a freshman who showed veteran poise to put the Orange ahead after what had been a tough game for him offensively. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim described Mintz as someone who “wants to take that shot.” In the final seconds, Notre Dame found Goodwin, who had made a game-winning three-pointer against Lipscomb earlier in the season. While that shot had been a clean, wide-open look, he was forced to take a heavily contested fadeaway from deep in the corner against Syracuse.

Goodwin’s shot was on line but just short, and the Orange walked away as 62-61 winners after spoiling what could have been a perfect week for the Irish.

With the loss, Notre Dame falls to 6-2 (0-1 ACC) but remains optimistic in the fact that their roster is now at full strength for the first time all season following Hammond’s return.

According to Brey, this will allow the Irish to get valuable practice reps in advance of two games next week, something they have been unable to do thus far.

Up next, Notre Dame will look to take care of business at home against non-conference opponents, playing host to Boston University on Wednesday and Marquette on Sunday.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Sports

Pyne Continued from page 12

Buchner, he backed up Jack Coan, but all three quarterbacks saw meaningful action. He entered the game in the second half against Wisconsin at Soldier Field in September, and completed 6 of 8 passes for 81 yards and a score, helping lead the Irish to victory with a 31-point fourth quarter.

This year, he was expected to challenge for the starting job but was outperformed by Buchner in fall camp, who was named the starter prior to the season opener.

But after Buchner’s injury, Pyne got his chance.

Head coach Marcus Freeman had hinted that Buchner could

ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022 | The Observer

be cleared to play in the bowl game, and Football Scoops writer John Brice tweeted Tuesday after Pyne’s announcement that the true sophomore is expected to suit up. Without Pyne in the mix, Marcus Freeman said on Sunday that Buchner, true freshman Steve Angeli or sophomore Ron Powlus III could take the field for the Irish.

Notre Dame also recently received a commitment from Kenny Minchey, a four-star quarterback in the class of 2023.

The Irish will take on the South Carolina Gamecocks in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Dec. 30.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

SAM GODINEZ | The Observer

Irish quarterback Drew Pyne, who recently entered the transfer portal, evades Syracuse defenders during the Irish’s away 41-24 win.

Gator Bowl Continued from page 12

tr y ing to improve. Being a first-year head coach, you’re tr y ing to do whatever it takes to w in,” Freeman commented. “We talked about it being a bumpy road. It wasn’t how we foresaw it as the season started.”

However, for all the bumps and bruises the Irish experienced in Freeman’s first season, they have a chance to finish w ith at least nine w ins for the seventh time in the past eight seasons.

Freeman would be the first Irish coach to w in 9+ games and finish w ith a bowl game v ictor y in his first season.

His predecessor, Brian Kelly, did not w in nine games until his third season w ith the Irish.

To do this, Notre Dame w ill have to operate w ith a quarterback that has not won a game w ith the Irish. And maybe one that hasn’t started. Drew Py ne, who took over as the starter when Tyler Buchner went dow n w ith injur y, went 8-2 for Notre Dame.

However, he announced his intent to transfer and won’t play in the Gator Bowl.

“We still have three quarterbacks on the roster.

Tyler Buchner, Steve Angeli, Ron Powlus.

Could see any of the three play,” Freeman said.

The first-year head coach also expanded on Py ne’s decision.

“Drew was tremendous. You hate to see him leave and enter the

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portal. As I told him in our meeting, what he’s done for our program — and to step in, he’s done a tremendous job,” Freeman said. “I’m always looking for ways to enhance our roster and I always want to be upfront. I was w ith Drew and told him we were possibly looking at taking a transfer quarterback. I did not want him to leave, but he made the decision to enter the portal and I respect his decision.”

So Notre Dame w ill be w ithout their starting quarterback for the Gator Bowl. The only other major personnel update as of Sunday evening was that starting cornerback Cam Hart w ill officially undergo surger y and miss the game as well. Hart was injured versus Boston College on Senior Day and didn’t play against USC. Freeman is still waiting to hear from other players regarding transfer or opt-out decisions. Junior tight end Michael Mayer and senior v y per Isaiah Foskey are projected first-round draft selections and candidates to opt out, however, they have not made their decision know n.

“For our guys that are deciding whether they’re going to play, they understand the sooner the better,” Freeman said.

Notre Dame faces a red hot opponent in South Carolina. The Gamecocks also started somewhat slow, going 1-2 in their

11

first three games w ith losses to Arkansas and Georgia.

Beamer described the Gamecocks as “uncompetitive” in the Georgia loss.

South Carolina then won three straight games but struggled for a bit.

They f loundered in a 30-6 loss to Florida, dropping to 6-4. However, the Gamecocks ended their season w ith a pair of statement top-10 w ins, slamming No. 6 Tennessee 63-38 and edging out No. 7 Clemson, 31-30.

“Any competitor wants to play great teams,” Freeman said. “I remember watching a couple plays w ith my kids [against Tennessee] and thinking ‘wow, this team is explosive’, You know you’re facing an extremely talented opponent and we want that, we want a chance to play a great opponent.”

The Freeman noted that he hasn’t watched much South Carolina film, but he’s seen some of Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler. Rattler has showed out in the past t wo weeks, throw ing for eight touchdow ns, including six against Tennessee.

He threw eight in the first ten games of the season, compared to nine interceptions in that time frame.

However, Rattler showed just how high his ceiling was in those past t wo games, completing 55 of 76 passes for 798 yards. His quarterback ratings against Tennessee (97.3) and Clemson (70.0) were t wo of his three highest on the season.

“I did take a couple of minutes to peek at just the offense versus Clemson.

He’s special.

Their offense is explosive, and it all starts w ith their quarterback. Spencer is an extremely talented indiv idual.”

Freeman said. “The abilit y extend plays w ith his legs, to throw the ball in tight spaces, make good decisions, he’s a talented quarterback.

We’ve faced some talented quarterbacks this season and he’ll be just as good as some of those quarterbacks we’ve faced.”

Kickoff for the Gator Bowl w ill be at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 30.

ESPN w ill have the broadcast.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

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The observer | MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND women’s basketball

Irish upset undefeated UConn with stunning 74-60 victory in near-capacity Purcell

By MADDIE LADD Associate Sports Editor

No. 7 Notre Dame women’s basketball came out on top tonight in an impressive 74-60 upset over No. 3 longstanding rival UConn. This marks the Huskies first loss of the season, spoiling their perfect record.

Sophomore All-American guard Olivia Miles and junior forward Maddy Westbeld were dubbed “players of the game” by Karen & Kevin Keyes Family head coach Niele Ivey, for their substantial contributions to the Irish squad.

This Irish victory follows a devastating buzz-beater loss against No. 20 Maryland on Thursday. Lessons from that defeat helped to drive the women’s desire to fight today.

“Thursday’s loss really fueled us today,” Ivey said. “That was a really tough loss and obviously went down to the wire.

We learned a lot from that game, that we can score, had a lot of balance offensively but that it’s our defense that wins

games.”

The Irish took on the challenge and played with heart today against the Huskies. Miles was timid in the Maryland game, but demonstrated aggressiveness and precision right out of the gate. She was the star of the show early, with 13 points and an assist in quarter one alone. She would go on to amass a total of 21 points (tying her season high), four assists, and eight rebounds. Miles’ play helped propel the Irish to an 18-13 lead at the end of the first.

“She’s unstoppable at the dribble,” Westbeld said.

“Nobody can guard her, especially when she’s that aggressive coming out of the gate. It opens up the rest of the floor when she’s that aggressive.”

Westbeld herself was also an asset for the Irish, as she scored 17 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots in one of the best games of her career. Graduate student center Lauren Ebo was a major player, as her strength

in the post, scored 12 points on 6-10 shooting to go with a pair of blocks.

“I think she’s one of the best posts in the country,” Ivey said.

“She’s so efficient. We know when we run it to her she’s going to make it 80% of the time.

I thought she had some great looks and was more aggressive today. She finished with contact and she didn’t really let the game get to her today.

She had the chance to play her game with freedom.”

Sonia Citron and Dara Mabrey also scored 10 points, giving the Irish five different players in double digits.

Notre Dame built off Miles’ momentum in the first and went on to dominate the second quarter. The defensive intensity of the Irish was shown here and a high scoring performance brought the score 41-28. The Irish’s FG% was over double that of the Huskies — 65% to 28% — by the end of the first half. Even by the end of the see UCONN PAGE 10

Football

Sports Editor

After a reported battle bet ween the Holiday Bowl and the Gator Bowl for the team’s attendance, Notre Dame is headed for the Ta xSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonv ille, Florida. The 21st-ranked Irish w ill take on No. 19 South Carolina on Dec. 30. It is Notre Dame’s fourth appearance in the Gator Bowl, going 1-2 in their three prev ious v isits, w inning in 1976 and losing in 1998 and 2002. For the Irish, it’s their fifth consecutive year being selected for a bowl game and the 11th time in the past 12 years.

“Can’t tell you how excited we are to play in the Ta xSlayer Gator Bowl, and to play a great opponent in South Carolina,” head coach Marcus Freeman said. “To see what they’ve done to

Irish junior forward pushes her way towards the basket during Notre Dame’s 74-60 win over UConn on Dec. 4 at Purcell Pavilion.

Pyne Transfer

Irish set to battle U of SC in TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

By AIDAN THOMAS

MARY VOTAVA | The Observer

finish off their season is remarkable. We are excited to be able to play South Carolina on Dec. 30.”

Shane Beamer, in his second season at the helm for South Carolina, remarked on getting to play Notre Dame and commended the Irish for a great season.

“We’re really excited about our fantastic bowl.

A lot of those ticket sales have to do w ith who we’re play ing. A lot of respect for what [Notre Dame] has done this year,” Beamer said. “Both of us started off 1-2 and we’ve both rebounded to get to where we are right now. A lot of respect for Coach Freeman.”

The coaching matchup w ill be between two young head coaches. Beamer, 45, took his first head coaching gig w ith the Gamecocks, taking over the program in 2021. He’s 1510 through two seasons, going 7-6 last year w ith a w in

in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Freeman is just 36 years old.

At the time of his hiring, he was the third-youngest coach in the FBS. He has a career record of 8-5, losing last year’s Fiesta Bowl and going 8-4 this season.

2022 was an up-anddow n season for the Irish, who entered the year ranked fifth in the countr y. They promptly lost to No. 2 Ohio State and unranked Marshall, dropping out of the Top 25. A three-game surge was overshadowed by a brutal midseason loss to a f loundering Stanford squad. Then, the Irish ripped off five straight w ins, including a w in over then-unbeaten Clemson.

They ended their year w ith a loss to then-fifth-ranked USC. “It was just to focus on see GATOR BOWL PAGE 11

Pyne enters transfer portal

By LIAM COOLICAN Associate Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online on Dec. 2.

Notre Dame starting quarterback Drew Pyne will enter the transfer portal, he announced on Twitter Friday afternoon. He is not expected to compete in the team’s upcoming bowl game, according to multiple sources.

“One of my proudest honors is to have been a student-athlete at the University of Notre Dame,” Pyne wrote on Twitter. “I have been blessed to be among great coaches and teachers and play with teammates I consider brothers. Now, it’s time for me to take on a new challenge, and I will be entering the transfer portal.”

The junior signal caller was thrust into action when sophomore quarterback Tyler Buchner went down with a shoulder injury late in the second game of the season against Marshall. After assuming the startingrole, Pynecompleted65 percent of his passes for 2,021 yards this year. He threw for 22 touchdowns against six interceptions, also adding two scores on the ground.

It was an up-anddown season for Pyne, yet he finished wit the fourthhighest passer rating in Notre Dame’s history and went 8-2 as a starter.

The former four-star recruit from New Cannan, Conn. arrived in South Bend prior to the 2020 season, where he served as the third-string quarterback behind Ian Book and Brendan Clark. Last year, alongside see PYNE PAGE 11