Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, September 10, 2021

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Doerer set for promising season after opener

By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

Graduate student Jonathan Doerer was the hero for Notre Dame last Sunday in Tallahassee by making a 41yard field goal in overtime to give the Irish a thrilling 4138 v ictor y over Florida State.

This year w ill be Doerer’s third season as the placekicker for the Irish, and he looks set to have a ver y successful year.

Doerer discussed Sunday’s game-w inning kick and how he prepared himself for the moment.

“Once we got the ball back in overtime, I really played it through my head a couple of times. I felt comfortable w ith the way I was kicking the ball that day,” Doerer said. “So I was v isualizing that, and I just kind of rela xed and just tried to get my mind ready to go out there.”

Doerer has a meticulous routine to prepare for kicking in overtime.

“W hen we’re on offense, I’m usually over by the net making sure I’m ready, depending on where we are on the field. On defense, there

are a lot of ups and dow ns, but there’s not a lot of time because it’s so quick, so I’m kicking the whole time. I was kicking when [Florida State] was on [offense],” Doerer said. “Nothing changes in terms of how I think about my process. You don’t want to add any pressure that doesn’t need to be added. It’s just another kick for me.”

Doerer made a 48-yard field goal from the same hash earlier in the game, which gave him more confidence to make the game-w inner.

“It was the same t y pe of kick as the one I made earlier in the game. It was just seven yards closer on the same hash, so I picked the same spot as I did and just let it go,” Doerer said. “I think hav ing one from there early on in the game certainly helped.”

Doerer did not let the crazy crowd of Doak-Campbell Stadium affect his kicking abilities on Sunday.

“We did a really good job of preparing for [the crowd].

We had the Tomahawk chop going all week long [at practice]. W hen I heard it, it was almost calming because I’d

heard it all week long. We had done field goal periods at practice w ith it,” Doerer said. “It almost kind of helped me. It was calming in a way.”

Hav ing fans back in the stadium was an asset to Doerer’s kicking throughout the game.

“I was so glad the fans were back. It was a great atmosphere. In circumstances like that, it almost kind of helps. There’s noise, but it’s white noise. It was a great experience for me,” Doerer said. “I’m not a young guy.

I’ve played in college w ith fans before, so I’m more used to that than not hav ing fans.

I welcomed the fans in those t y pes of atmospheres, and I have always enjoyed play ing in those t y pes of games.”

Doerer’s game-w inning field goal was the first gamew inning kick for the Irish since 2016 when Justin Yoon made one for the Irish to beat Miami 30-27.

Doerer discussed how important Sunday’s game-w inner was to him.

“I don’t think it was more memorable because it was a game-w inner, so to speak,” Paid Advertisement

Doerer said. “I remember each kick, and some mean more to me than others.

That one obv iously meant a lot to me. I won’t get to ref lect on it truly for a while, but it’s definitely one of my more memorable kicks.”

Doerer had never had the opportunit y for a gamew inning kick throughout his kicking career, but he did recall a similar kick from high school.

“I think I had a similar kick in high school. It was like 43 yards from the right hash, and I kicked a really good ball and it went over the right upright and they said it was no good. I was kind of thinking about that a little bit when I went out there. I was thinking I can finally exorcise those demons,” Doerer said.

The second that Doerer’s foot connected w ith the ball on Sunday, he knew that the kick was going to be good.

“There’s no w ind dow n there, and I felt prett y comfortable w ith the way that I was hitting the ball that day.

So once I saw it go up, I felt prett y good about where it was going to end up,” Doerer

said. “I’ve kicked a lot of balls in my life, so I have a general idea of if I hit it well or if I don’t. There were no conditions and no w ind to catch me by surprise, so I felt prett y good about it.”

After making the gamew inner, Doerer began running across the field.

“I didn’t want to get dogpiled,” Doerer said. “I’m kind of a skinny guy. I don’t think that would have been too good for me. I wanted to bring ever yone over to our fanbase. We had a lot of fans who traveled.”

Doerer discussed how meaningful it was for him to hear from friends and family members after the game, congratulating him on his kick.

“I heard from a lot of my buddies who I haven’t seen in a little while. That was good to hear from them,” Doerer said. “You hear from a lot of people that are close to you who have been a part of your journey that kind of reach out to you again in that situation. It’s really special.”

Despite not hav ing a see DOERER PAGE 15

4

4 Insider

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, September 10, 2021 | The Observer

HEAD TO HEAD

2:30 p.m. ET notre dame stadium on nbc’S Peacock

notre dame

TOLEDO

(Sr.) Braden

Lenzy

0

(Gr.) Avery

Davis

3

WR WR

(Fr.) Lorenzo Styles Jr. 21

(Jr.) Lawrence Keys III

(Jr.) Kyren Williams 23 (So.) Chris Tyree 25

13

(Fr.) Micahel Carmody 68

RB

(So.) Tosh Baker 79

(Sr.) Zeke Correll 52 (Fr.) Rocco Spindler 50

(Gr.) Jack Coan

17

(So.) Drew Pyne 10

QB

(Sr.) Jarrett Patterson 55

(So.) Andrew Kristofic 73

(Gr.) Cain Madden 62 (Sr.) John Dirksen 56

(Gr.) Josh Lugg 75 (Sr.) Tosh Baker

(So.) Michael Mayer 87 (Fr.) George Takacs 85

(Gr.) Kevin

Austin Jr.

4

(Jr.) Joe Wilkins Jr. 18

(So.) Clarence Lewis 6

(Sr.) TaRiq Bracy 28

(Jr.) Jack Kiser 24 (Gr.) Isaiah Pryor 10

(Sr.) Houston Griffith 3

(Jr.) KJ Wallace 16

SS

LT LG C RG RT TE WR

(Jr.) Kyle Hamilton 14 (Jr.) DJ Brown 12

(So.) Riley Mills 99

(Gr.) Kurt Hinish 41 (Jr.) Howard Cross III 56

(Jr.) Justin Ademilola 19

(Jr.) Shayne Simon

33

(So.) Marist Liufau 35

(So.) Ramon Henderson 11

(Gr.) Jonathan Doerer 39 (Jr.) Jay

Bramblett

(Sr.) Matt

Salerno

Notre Dame Passing Jack Coan solidified himself as the answer at quarterback against Florida State, bringing the downfield dimension to the offense that it needs to move like a well-oiled machine. The Wisconsin graduate transfer tossed for 366 yards and four touchdowns, finding four different receivers for scores. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees must have known he had something special and probably almost gave Brian Kelly a heart attack last week when he dialed up four straight pass plays on the opening drive to punch Florida State in the mouth. The Irish are going to have to throw the ball just as much as they did on Sunday against a stout Toledo run defense that gave up just 129 yards a game on the ground last season. The Rocket’s pass defense also has some confidence after giving up only 125 yards last week to FCS opponent Norfolk State, but I think that the Notre Dame head coach has learned that if he wants to bury opponents when the Irish grab the lead, he needs to let Coan throw the ball down the stretch.

19 29

PK P PR

CB

7

Zachary Ford (So.)

2 3 Troy Simon (Jr.)

Terrance Taylor (Jr.)

4 8 Nate Givhan (Jr.)

Yaya Diaby (Jr.)

6

17

92 Malik Clark (R-Jr.)

29

Tabarius Peterson (R-Sr.)

57 Dayna Kinnaird (R-Jr.)

(Jr.) Michael Vinson 65

Nate Bauer (So.)

Samuel Womack (Sr.)

0

27 Anthony Johnson (R-Jr.)

WR Bryce Mitchell WR Denzel McKinley-Lewis RT Nick Rosi RB Bryant Koback RG Tyler Long QB Carter Bradley C Bryce Harris LG Vitaliy Gurman LT Mitchell Berg TE Drew Rosi WR Devin Maddox (Sr.)

73

(Sr.)

(So.)

74 Lavel Dumont (So.)

60

65 Luke Doerger (Sr.)

72

78

2

7 Dequan Finn (R-Fr.)

74

(Jr.)

(Sr.)

8

(So.)

Bailey Flint (Sr.)

21

Jacquez Stuart (R-Fr.)

58

Sean Mills (Sr.)

EDGE: Even Notre Dame Offensive Coaching Tommy Rees once again displayed that he knows how to maximize his offensive weapons. Despite a couple of gutwrenching drops, Michael Mayer was the focal point against Florida State, and he figures to be against Toledo as well. Mayer is the perfect weapon for Coan who can attack the middle of the field better than anyone in the country, and Rees will continue to scheme his tight-end open against Toledo. Rees also found a way to get Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree in space with swing passes and short dump-offs that allowed them to use their vision and athleticism to pick up big chunks of yardage. Toledo didn’t bring much pressure in their last game, picking up only three sacks against an FCS team. Rees might not be able to draw up as many big plays, but he will be more than content to let Jack Coan march the offense down the field with short and intermediate throws.

EDGE: Notre Dame

(So.)

(Sr.)

71 Vinny Sciury (Fr.)

49

(Jr)

2 1 Jacquez Stuart (R-Fr.)

(Sr.)

63 Parker Bisek (R-Fr.)

H KR LS

22

(So.)

15 Matt Landers (Jr.)

H KR LS

6

2 5 Maxen Hook (Fr.)

1 Zay Peterson (Fr.)

9 Jamal Turner (Jr.)

CB

Dorian Etheridge (Sr.)

5 Robert Hicks (Jr.)

Jamal Hines (Jr.)

91

5

DE DT NG DE

C.J. Avery (Sr.)

7 Monty Montgomery (Jr.)

Saeed Holt (Jr.)

20

ILB ILB SS

9

41 Ramon Puryear (R-Fr.)

89

(So.) Chris Tyree 25

Notre Dame Rushing Notre Dame struggled to do anything on the ground in Week 1, which almost never happened in 2020. While the passing game thrived, the Irish couldn’t get Kyren Williams or Chris Tyree on track, as the duo combined for just 73 yards on under three yards per pop. Toledo faced a balanced Norfolk State running attack, but they gave up just 147 yards and a little over three yards per run. A week ago, this comparison wouldn’t have been close.

But after the Irish offensive line struggled immensely in Tallahassee – and lost left tackle Blake Fisher to injury – it becomes a little closer. The Rockets had eight tackles for loss in Week 1, albeit against a far inferior opponent. Given Toledo’s fantastic effort in run defense, and the Irish’s lackluster performance, it feels wrong to give Notre Dame the edge solely based on the assumed talent gap.

56

70 Michael Bergen (R-Fr.)

(Jr.) Jay Bramblett 19

The Irish will overpower the Rockets in the passing game despite being limited in the run game.

EDGE: Notre Dame

OLB

14 Isaiah Winstead (Jr.)

Buck

(Jr.) Cam Hart 5

FS

4

(Gr.) Adetokunbo Ogundeji 91

FS

13 Chris McDonald (So.)

19 Jerjuan Newton (R-Fr.)

(Sr.) Jayson Ademilola 95 (Jr.) Bo Bauer 52

Quinyon Mitchell (Fr.)

27

OLB

Rover

(Jr.) NaNa Osafo-Mensah 31

Mike

DE NB DE

CB

(Gr.) Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa 95

(Sr.) Drew White 40

CB

Notre Dame Offensive Special Teams This one is a weird one to analyze. On one hand, Jonathan Doerer was a perfect 7 of 7 on kicks, including five PATs and a pair of field goals. But other parts of Notre Dame’s special teams didn’t look as sharp.

The return game on punts and kicks was shaky at best, with Chris Tyree repeatedly calling for fair catches despite a bevy of returnable kicks.

Kyren Williams looked somewhat unseasoned as a punt returner, never doing much in that area. Doerer was a bright spot amidst a questionable performance. Toledo, meanwhile, had about as good of a defensive special teams effort as you can get, as the Rockets blocked two punts and returned them for touchdowns.

Toledo held Norfolk State punt returners to a 10-yard average return on four attempts and drilled their one kickoff return after just a 17-yard effort.

In a game Notre Dame should dominate, their special teams will need to perform better against a strong Toledo unit.

EDGE: Toledo

PK P PR

17

Thomas Cluckey (So.)

2 9 Evan Davis (So.)

49

Bailey Flint (Sr.) 8

Devin Maddox (So.)

Toledo Passing In Toledo’s first game of the season against Norfolk State, starting quarterback Carter Bradley finished the day 8/12 for 183 yards and a touchdown. The most notable play of the game came on an 84yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devin Maddox. The Rockets also utilized freshman quarterback Dequan Finn in the game. Finn is more of a dual-purpose quarterback, and he finished the game with 38 passing yards on four completions and 82 rushing yards on nine carries.

Kyle Hamilton will anchor the Irish secondary, and he will be a nightmare for the Rockets on Saturday. Hamilton will arguably be the best player on the field, and the Rockets simply don’t have the talent to match him. While the rest of the Irish secondary was prone to giving up big plays at times against Florida State, I expect them to limit Toledo’s ability to pass the ball on Saturday.

EDGE: Notre Dame Toledo Rushing Toledo’s top rusher in their win over Norfolk State was quarterback Dequan Finn.

The independent

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Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s

and report

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Volume 56, Issue 9 | Friday, september 10, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Revisiting September 11th, 2001 Remembering the tragic events and the people they affected 20 years later

By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN and DAGNY BRAND Saint Mary’s News Editor, News Writer

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

The Observer gathered persectives from around the tri-campus community to gain a better understanding of the events of September 11th, 2001 and continue to learn how the nation can grow from its tragedy.

Saint Mary’s appoints VP of Advancement Observer Staff Report

Saint Mar y’s President Katie Conboy announced New VP for Advancement Holly C. Johnson in a Thursday afternoon email.

Johnson w ill officially join the College facult y in late

October, the email said.

Conboy said she was thrilled to inv ite Johnson to Saint Mar y’s. “[Johnson’s] leadership skills and energ y for innovative fundraising, marketing/ see VP PAGE 3

Lewis Hall to host annual LHOP

By CLAIRE REID News Writer

If you saw junior Callie King wearing a bright yellow chicken suit to class Wednesday, here’s why: she was promoting Lew is House of Pancakes, her dorm’s most popular signature event.

Friday night at 9 pm, for the first time since last year’s COVID-19 residence

scene PAGE 10

hall v isitor restrictions were lifted, Lew is Hall w ill open its doors for the annual latenight breakfast fundraiser colloquially know n as LHOP. “On each f loor of Lew is, including the basement, there’s a different food,” King, who ser ves as this year’s hall president, explained.

“There’s bacon see LHOP PAGE 3

football PAGE 16

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the devastating events of September 11, 2001. The Observer reached out to many individuals in the tricampus about their experiences with 9/11 and how they believe the campus community can grow stronger from the tragedy of that day.

“Rarely a day has gone by where I don’t give thought to the day and to the people” Ed Zier (ND ‘80) recently wrote “Undaunted”, a book about his personal history with 9/11. He stated that he frequently remembers the day and hopes

others will do the same this weekend.

“During those 20 years, rarely a day has gone by where I don’t give thought to the day and to the people,” he said. “This weekend, we reflect on what happened that day, the horror, the sorrow and the unification that followed.”

Zier worked for Baseline Financial Services, which was located on the 77th and 78th floors of Two World Trade Center. Though he was not with his 16 coworkers when United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower, he was in awe of their courage as they faced unimaginable trauma. see 9/11 PAGE 4

College’s eating disorder club to raise awareness

By VERONICA NAVARRO Social Media Editor

Editor’s Note: This story includes mention of eating disorders and self harm. A list of resources can be found on the National Eating Disorder Association website or through their helpline.

After suffering from an eating disorder and working toward recovery, Saint

Mary’s junior Julia O’Grady wanted to start a club for her peers at the College struggling with similar issues. Last semester, O’Grady decided to start the Saint Mary’s Eating Disorder Club.

“I noticed that being at an all women’s college, eating disorders are really prevalent. The toxic diet culture is so rooted in college-aged

girls. It ranges from thinking about how much you’re eating compared to your friends, to the harmful language used around campus when it comes to food,” O’Grady said.

After O’Grady’s recovery journey she realized the importance and urgency to start up a club on campus see CLUB PAGE 5

Campus prepares for gameday weekend

By RYAN PETERS Associate News Editor

Notre Dame recently announced policies regarding COVID-19, masking and activities for home football weekends in an email sent to students, faculty and staff. The policies include not requiring visitors to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test before entering the stadium, requiring

viewpoint PAGE 6

all visitors to wear masks when in indoor buildings on campus and permitting tailgating in designated lots.

Vice president for campus safety and university operations Mike Seamon said in an email that planning for how to bring back home football weekends began in early March, as members from the campus safety and university operations, athletic department, university enterprises and events

M soccer PAGE 16

divisions started addressing how to best prepare for the upcoming season, in consultation with local health officials.

One of the local health officials who worked with the University was Dr. Mark Fox, deputy health officer for the St. Joseph County department of health.

Fox said the factors taken into see GAMEDAY PAGE 3

Scene PAGE 9

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Courtesy of Lauren Honkan

The Notre Dame Women’s Rugby team poses in front of the Golden Dome at media day this week as they prepare for the upcoming fall competitve season. The team will take the field for the first time since 2019 after club sports were canceled last fall.

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News

Gameday Continued from page 1

consideration when planning for the upcoming season included monitoring large gatherings at events such as Major League Baseball (MLB) games and communicating with officials at other universities.

He said the insight gleaned from monitoring MLB games and large outdoor gatherings bode well for the safety of the campus as the football season starts, in addition to the high vaccination rate among Notre Dame students and other campus community members.

“Ultimately I think the decision was based on what we have seen from other outdoor large capacity venues, the risk of transmission in open air has not been identified as a significant risk as opposed to indoor concert venues or other large capacity gatherings in enclosed spaces,” said Fox. Additionally, Fox said another factor in the decision to not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test was the difficulty requiring vaccine passport data presents. Schools like Louisiana State University (LSU) and Boston College announced fans must present COVID-19 vaccination proof or a recent negative COVID-19 test in order to enter the stadium. Fox said the policy is

LHOP Continued from page 1

in the basement, juices in the lobby. Eggs are on the second floor, pancakes are on the third and cinnamon rolls are on the

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, september 10, 2021 | The Observer

easier to implement at a state school like LSU with more instate fans because the state vaccine registry is tied to Louisiana residents’ driver’s licenses and is more accessible as compared to Notre Dame which tends to draw a more national fanbase.

Both Fox and University spokesperson Dennis Brown said the University will continue to monitor Notre Dame home football games and other large outdoor venues and adjust policies as needed.

Seamon said another policy in place for the upcoming weekend is the University’s effort to move as many activities outdoors as possible. He said in the email “Trumpets Under the Dome” will take place outside on Main Quad rather than inside the Main Building. Other traditions including the Friday pep rally are currently scheduled to return.

The University also announced all visitors, regardless of vaccination status, are expected to wear masks when indoors on campus. All unvaccinated visitors are expected to wear masks at all times, even if outdoors. Members of the campus community are required to wear masks when in indoor areas where guests are present, including inside Notre Dame Stadium,

fourth. We have tables set up and lines throughout Lewis. We have music going the whole time, and it’s super fun.”

For a $5.00 ticket, students get access to unlimited, freshlycooked food from 9 pm to 1 am.

All proceeds benefit the Food

Courtesy of Callie King

LHOP returns after facing challenges due to the pandemic last year.

VP Continued from page 1

communications and alumnae engagement will guide us in supporting the next generation of Saint Mary’s students and enriching

their campus experience,” Conboy said in the statement.

A graduate of the Indiana University (IU) School of Public Affairs, Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in public affairs as well as a certificate in fundraising management.

according to the email.

Fox said he is more concerned about the transmission of COVID-19 during the peripheral events this weekend rather than in the open air inside the stadium. At the county level, he said the bigger risk is not the spread of COVID at the game but the gatherings in restaurants and bars around St. Joseph County.

“I think the bigger risk for the county as a whole is not what happens, either in the stadium lot or in the stadium itself,” said Fox. “It’s what happens in all the restaurants

and bars and kind of all the associated activities that the community will pursue over the course of a football weekend.”

Notre Dame announced it will switch entirely to mobile ticketing and cashless concessions inside the stadium.

Seamon said in the email he expects these to be permanent changes.

Seamon and Fox both said all the measures in place were made with the safety of all campus community members and visitors as the highest priority and that they are excited for the return of football

3

weekends. Fox said he is grateful for the responsiveness of University leadership throughout the preparation for the season and their willingness to adapt as the season progresses.

“I appreciate the fact that both Notre Dame athletics and the University leadership has said this is our plan for the first two games and they’re certainly open to revisiting any of these decisions based on what we find,” said Fox. Contact Ryan Peters at rpeters5@nd.edu

ANNIE SLERCLAK | The Observer

Notre Dame Stadium will allow a full capacity crowd this Saturday afternoon for the first time since 2019.

Bank of Northern Indiana.

Even last year, when COVID restrictions forced LHOP outside onto North Quad and permitted only the sale of pre-packaged food, the Lewis Chicks managed to raise about $4800. This year, King expects to raise even more money and anticipates a turnout of more than 1500 hungry students, a similar number to her first LHOP in 2019.

“It’s super exciting to be back to normal, especially because we have two classes — both the freshmen and the sophomores — who haven’t experienced a real LHOP,” said King. “All the girls in Lewis are super excited, and I’ve heard a lot of buzz on campus about LHOP being back.”

She fondly remembers her own freshman year working LHOP with her new friends at the basement bacon station which first years are traditionally forced to work because, as she explained, laughing, “you — and all of Lewis — smell like bacon for days after!”

“It was a great bonding experience for me and

my Lewis friends,” King — who went on to serve as the LHOP event commissioner last year and now offers her expertise to this year’s sophomore commissioners — recalled. “I’m most excited for all the freshmen to be involved.

Something we’ve really tried to do in Lewis this year is increase freshman engagement. We’ve been encouraging a lot of freshmen to sign up for shifts at LHOP, and I think it’ll be a super good opportunity for some inner-Lewis bonding that wasn’t possible last year.”

One of this year’s event commissioners, sophomore, Morgan Wolf knew she wanted to get involved in LHOP from the moment she was placed in Lewis the summer before her freshman year. Alongside fellow commissioner and classmate Anna Koziol, Wolf has been planning and preparing for the event since early August.

“We started with getting in contact with past commissioners to learn all the basics since

Anna and I have never actually experienced a traditional LHOP,” said Wolf. “Then we transitioned to making budgets and designing how we will advertise. Since getting back to school, we have ordered t-shirts to promote the event, picked up all the food and organized a team of about 150200 Lewis Chicks to work the night of as well as promote the event.”

Wolf said she looks forward to listening to music in Lewis, hanging out with friends and supporting an amazing cause.

She added that LHOP pre-sale tickets will be sold outside both dining halls Friday from 5 pm – 8 pm leading up to the event for $5. Students can also purchase tickets, as well as t-shirts for $15, at the door.

“It’s such a great cause and we’d love to see as many people as possible to raise money for the food bank,” said King. “We’re super excited to see everyone there.”

Johnson currently serves as the chief advancement officer at Culver Academies.

According to the release, she and her team “delivered record-setting fundraising results and spearheaded work to develop consistent branding and messaging

for internal and external audiences.”

Johnson previously held the position of vice president of development for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and founding director for Women’s Philanthropy at Indiana

University.

In addition, IU President Michael McRobbie awarded Johnson the Bicentennial medal for her successful efforts to bolster alumnae support.

Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | friday, september 10, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

9/11 Continued from page 1

“W hat amazed me that day was the fortitude and teamwork of my people,” Zier said.

“They were all over the f loor and somehow found each other. They tried different staircases, and when they finally decided to go dow n, it was pitch back, and it had dense white smoke and they all went in together.”

Sadly, according to Zier, four of these indiv iduals died when the f loor was hit by the plane.

In the days follow ing, Zier was heartened by the resilience of his team when they came together to rebuild the company.

“There was no office to meet at and discuss. We didn’t even see a shell of the building where we used to work - it was just gone,” Zier said. “So, as a team again, we pulled together, and on the Monday follow ing 9/11, we started commuting people [to Philadelphia], and we resurrected the company.”

Four years later, Zier sat and w rote ever y thing he could remember about the events of 9/11 and realized the importance of “this stor y of sorrow and resolve both.”

Hav ing read many factual books on the event, Zier wanted to share the human perspective of the day.

“One group, how they were impacted, how they were hurt. How did they mourn?

How did they dust themselves off ? ” It is in these personal stories that we realize the strength of the American people,” Zier said.

Looking back on the events of 20 years ago, Zier has gained lasting knowledge about the United States as a countr y.

“We, as Americans, no matter who we are, are resolute people and we need to not forget that,” Zier noted.

He also urges the American people to not condemn populations that have become associated w ith 9/11, “Hate combined w ith misunderstanding is brutal,” he said.

Zier is hopeful that the countr y can become more unified in the face of this anniversar y.

In ref lecting on the 20th anniversar y of 9/11, we remember the horror of hatred and the strength in overcoming adversit y. We also remember the first Notre Dame football game after 9/11, when our Band of the Fighting Irish came together w ith the band from Michigan State Universit y to play an “Amazing Grace” tribute. One of the most tragic events in American histor y, 9/11 should be remembered as a time of coming together and sur v iv ing catastrophe.

‘The minute the second plane hit, ever yone knew it

wasn’t an accident any more.’

Justin Patrick (ND ‘95) was teaching at the Naval Academy on the morning of 9/11. His w ife Meghan (ND ‘95) was pregnant w ith the couple’s second child. “[It was a] bright sunny day,” said Patrick. “Someone from another classroom started say ing that one of the towers was burning, so we stopped teaching the kids and turned on the T V. It was so surreal,” Patrick said.

However, by mid-morning, Patrick knew that what was happening was not a mistake.

“The minute the second plane hit, ever yone knew it wasn’t an accident any more.”

Amidst the confusion and terror, the two detailed a feeling of uncertaint y that spread across the nation.

“We lived on a f light path and airplanes were f ly ing constantly all the time,” Patrick mentioned. “And then it was dead silent.”

As Meghan neared the end of her pregnancy, the militar y family was shocked at the increase in securit y at the Naval Academy grounds where they had once felt comfortable.

“I just remember walking into this hospital in labor w ith my baby, walking past Marines w ith guns and thinking, ‘W hat world are we bringing this baby into? ’,” Megan Patrick said.

Her husband questioned how the Naval Academy could continue its mission after the events of 9/11.

“The school teaches people to think about being world citizens,” Patrick said.

“W hat would you fight for?

How do we continue that level of messaging and that level of communit y outreach? ” ‘I frantically began calling ever y relative I knew’ Saint Mar y’s humanistic studies professor Jessaly nn Bird noted that she was living in Chicago in Sept. 2001 and was in disbelief when she heard that the World Trade Center was being attacked.

“At the time of the attacks on 9/11, I was tr y ing to w rite an article and facing w riter’s block,” Bird said. “W hen my partner at the time called from his office that a plane had f low n into the World Trade Center in New York, I didn’t believe him at first.”

Bird’s brother and sisterin-law worked in New York at the time, so when she heard the news about the plane collision into the first of the Towers, she thought immediately about the safet y of her family.

“W hen I reluctantly came to the telev ision screen, it was filled w ith images of one of the World Trade Towers in f lames,” said Bird. “My first thought was that my brother often met w ith clients in

the Towers, so I frantically began calling ever y relative I knew to see if he and his w ife — who also worked in New York — were safe.”

According to Bird, she and her family saw the second tower fall while she tried to contact her brother.

“W hile we were scrabbling for phones and address books, the second tower was also hit, and while making calls, we watched in disbelief as they began to fall,” Bird noted. “We realized, w ith the second plane, that it was no accident.”

After some time, Bird learned that her family was safe, but she continued to have a variet y of emotions throughout the day.

“Our feelings were of relief when we found out that our loved ones were safe, disbelief that this was happening, guilt that our friends and family were safe while others’ clearly were not, pride in the heroism of the first responders and fear that the same might happen to Chicago —for example, the Sears or Hancock towers — where my partner taught in the Loop,” Bird said.

Bird also thought about her friends who were Muslims in the aftermath of the attacks and feared for their safet y w ith the rise of Islamophobia.

“After al-Qaeda claimed responsibilit y for the attacks and news of the other hijacked planes and their fates also emerged, I began to worr y about my friends who might be targeted by angr y and fearful Americans, particularly w ith the surge of ensuing Islamophobia and v iolence against indiv iduals and groups labeled as ‘terrorists’, for example, simply because they wore head coverings or worshipped at a mosque.”

Thinking about 9/11 w ith the knowledge of today, Bird hopes the tri-campus thinks more about the impact of discriminating against underrepresented groups who are often blamed for catastrophic events like 9/11 and the ongoing COV ID-19 pandemic.

“I would urge us to learn from both the Islamophobia arising from 9/11 and the anti-Asian hate crimes which proliferated during the COV ID crisis,” Bird said. “We need to take the time to come to know people as indiv iduals rather than profiling or discriminating against groups based on fake news, conspiracy theories or prejudice.”

Bird notes that America can still commemorate the tragedy of 9/11 while also avoiding the process of scapegoating certain communities.

“We ought to extend to others the benefit of the doubt and tolerance we w ish for

ourselves,” Bird noted. “We ought to learn to express genuine grief for those lost and admiration for the heroism of many while refusing to stigmatize a particular religion or culture for the actions of a few indiv iduals.”

‘The fear of not know ing what was happening —and how broad it could reach — was terrif y ing’ Saint Mar y’s head cross countr y coach Jackie Bauters (SMC ‘04) clearly recalls her disorientation after hearing the news of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center on the radio.

“I asked what was being broadcast, and she told me a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center,” Bauters said. “My room was on the east side of Le Mans and I raced up the stairs and turned on the T V, where my roommate was just getting up to see the second plane crash into the other tower. And I just felt shock.

I couldn’t understand what I was seeing — w ithin no time, ever y thing went cra zy.”

As the news reached more people, Bauters noted the fear of many students in the communit y who could not contact family members in New York. Bauters herself v isited her brother at Notre Dame, so she could feel a sense of securit y.

“A ll of the cell towers were working overtime and no one could make calls [or] reach families,” she said.

“The fear of not know ing what was happening — and how broad it could reach — was terrif y ing. Classmates had parents or siblings that worked in the towers or in part of the cit y and could not be reached. My brother was a senior at Notre Dame and I ended up running over just to feel safe — be w ith family.”

Recalling the unit y found on campus and around the countr y, Bauters was amazed by the positive reaction she experienced.

“The way the campuses and the nation responded was incredible,” Bauters said. “I don’t know if ever there was a time in my life that our countr y has been as patriotic as after 9/11. The

coming together, lifting each other up and working as one America was so strong. The nation was mourning and ever yone prov ided a shoulder to lean on.”

Bauters had a message for both those who lived through 9/11 and those who w ill learn about it as they grow up.

“My hope for the 20th anniversar y of this tragic event is both a reminder to those that lived through it —we can do big, great things to gether if we choose to, and to those who weren’t old enough to know what was happening, take the time to honor those who sacrificed their lives that day.”

‘We must be mindful not to repeat the injustices, prejudices and profiling that some American Muslims suffered’ Political science chair Sean Savage was scheduled to teach a class at Saint Mar y’s on the day of 9/11.

Before his class started, Savage saw a T V broadcast of fire spreading through the World Trade Center.

“At approx imately 10 :20 a.m, I walked into the mailroom area of the Madeleva building. A T V screen was broadcasting the image of a tall building w ith black smoke billow ing from it,” Savage said. “I went to my office and turned on my T V. At first, I thought that a fire began internally and accidentally w ithin the World Trade Center.”

Thinking back to the state of the world after 9/11, Savage commented on the waves of support and dissent in regards to the Patriot Act. “Most Americans initially supported the USA Patriot Act — the broader discretionar y authorit y of the president to locate and kill terrorists and the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan,” he said.

“However, most Americans began to regret and oppose restrictions on and v iolations of civ il liberties and internet privacy, especially toward Muslims liv ing in this countr y.”

Savage concluded by see 9/11 PAGE 5

Courtesy of Ed Zier

This photo was taken “where I stood and watched the events unfold on 9/11, before escaping from Hoboken,” Zier said.

News

Club Continued from page 1

and break the stigma.

“Last semester when I was going through recover y and fully able to ref lect on my env ironment, I realized that there are major changes that need to be made at Saint Mar y’s and in the tri-campus communit y,” said O’Grady.

During her recover y process, O’Grady notes that she didn’t begin seeking help until she had noticed major physical consequences as a result of her eating habits.

“I didn’t understand what eating disorders were or how to spot them. I think that if

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, september 10, 2021 | The Observer

I had an outlet like an organization on campus to help educate me or to prov ide me w ith resources, I would have gotten help a lot sooner,” said O’Grady.

The club’s general mission is to educate, prevent and promote awareness surrounding eating disorders and other comorbid disorders that eating disorders may bring about. However, one of O’Grady’s biggest goals in starting the club is to ensure that no other student has an experience similar to hers: waiting too long to seek help.

W hen O’Grady was working to gauge interest in the

club last semester, she decided to post about her idea on social media, sparking many Saint Mar y’s students to respond and ask questions.

“So many people reached out to me say ing that they related to my experience and loved the idea of a club.

It was eye-opening. So many girls were going through the same thing,” said O’Grady.

“It was disturbing and reiterated exactly why this club is needed.”

O’Grady wants her fellow students to be able to look to the club for resources, education and help when it comes to battling their eating disorder(s). During the

first week of classes this semester, she met w ith members of the Saint Mar y’s administration to finally get the club off the ground.

“Ideally, I’d like to make posters w ith resources to hang up in places where eating disorders most commonly thrive, like the dining hall, the g y m and bathrooms,” mentioned O’Grady. “We’re hoping to also host events alongside the Health and Counseling Center including a possible support group.”

She also noted the lack of eating disorder support generally throughout the tricampus communit y. “A few Notre Dame girls reached

9/11 Continued from page 4

reminding the tri-campus to be conscious of not continuing past practices of discrimination against the Muslim community.

“We must be mindful not to repeat the injustices, prejudices and profiling that some American Muslims have suffered immediately after 9/11,” Savage said. “As we learned from the post-World [War] I and post World [War] II Red Scares, people should not be persecuted for their political beliefs and associations of the past and present.”

‘It’s hard for me to remember the pain of September 11th without also remembering the love and community felt on September 12th’ Saint Mary’s dean of students and alumna (‘04) Shay Schneider was a first-year at Saint Mary’s College at the time of 9/11. She remembers that she was shocked about the attacks and immediately worried for her sister who was in New York. “[I was] walking into my McCandless Hall study carrel, being bombarded by more AOL Instant Messenger messages than I could handle — all asking if I had heard from my sister who had moved to [New York] just days before,” Schneider said. “Baffled at this question, I was told by one friend to turn on the TV —when I did my heart sank.”

Schneider clearly recalled being in class with other grieving Saint Mary’s students and how being in the College community comforted her.

“I remember feeling weak as I walked to my religious studies class that started at 9:30 — during which classes were canceled,” she said. “I remember sitting in class crying with other classmates — first-years to seniors. That day nothing mattered other than [knowing] we were Saint Mary’s women and we were there for each other.”

Schneider also noted her relief that her sister was safe and the recognition that she was a part of a caring community.

“I remember exactly who was sitting with me as I got the

Courtesy of Brian Branco

The memorial wall that surrounds the South Tower’s memorial pool displays the names of the fallen.

call from my mom that [my sister] Shannon (ND ‘01) was ok,” Schneider said. “I remember standing on South Quad surrounded by the ND/SMC/ HCC community and praying outside of McCandless with Saint Mary’s faculty, staff and students. I remember feeling so small but also feeling calm knowing I was exactly where I needed to be — protected with

and by the sisterhood that I had developed in just a few short weeks.”

Schneider admitted that these moments reinforced her sense of belonging at the College.

“I wouldn’t say I had the easiest transition my first year, but I attribute many of these experiences to the moments I saw Saint Mary’s and

our tri-campus community as something different and so special,” Schneider said.

Looking back on the time after 9/11, Schneider believes that the country became stronger through the common bond of the attacks.

“I like to think the events of that day and the growth that came from it was all for the positive — and our country

5

out to me and asked if I would be interested in making the club a tri-campus organization,” said O’Grady.

Currently, there is a team of students working to get the club approved at Notre Dame so that the Eating Disorder Club can w iden its reach.

“We want as many people as possible to know that we’re here. We want to educate people and we want them to know that there is always someone there for you,” said O’Grady. “You are not your illness.”

Contact Veronica Navarro at vnavarr3@nd.edu

came together in a big way,” Schneider said. “It’s hard for me to remember the pain of September 11th without also remembering the love and community felt on September 12th.”

Schneider also argues that the events of 9/11 will never be forgotten.

“The significance of 20 years is that we will never forget those days [and] that experience,” Schneider said. “ It’s a time burned in our history, where we will have the vivid memories of where we were in those exact moments.”

In terms of commemorating 9/11 as a tri-campus community, Schneider encourages the community to continue growing in unity, like in the days that followed the attacks.

“It’s important to look back and remember where we were, how far we’ve come and to continue to build our nation and individual communities through togetherness, support and love —no matter our differences.”

Contact Dagny Brand at dbrand@nd.edu and Geneveive Coleman at gcolema3@nd.edu

6

The observer | Friday, September 10, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Never forget

Inside Columns

See you later, Miss Genevieve Genevieve Coleman Saint Mary’s News Editor

In one of my education classes last week, my professor asked us how we can instill a sense of wonder in our students and in ourselves. I’ve been turning this idea over in my head ever since because I miss the fleeting wonder of my summer job at Notre Dame’s very own ECDC. Flash back with me for a second.

Last semester, I was looking for a chance to get back into the classroom — and really, back into the world after not being able to finish my first field placement in 2020.

Soon after my interview, I was asked to join what is known colloquially as “the big kid room” — the redecorated gross motor room converted into a classroom for seven to 10-yearolds during the summer.

I knew that I was in for a long summer of lesson planning because I was hired as an assistant teacher, in addition to my roles as drama director and creative writing instructor.

But what I didn’t realize was how much my kids would make my work worth it.

Despite the challenges of learning names with masks, making the summer entertaining without traditional field trips and adjusting my teaching strategies to comply with social distancing, I formed a bond with my students that I will never forget.

A year and a half into the pandemic, I was growing weary of the “new normal,” since I felt the world was still so unsettled, normalcy couldn’t be achieved. I wasn’t ready for normal — and I don’t think normal wasn’t ready for me.

I was optimistic for a good summer, but not expectant for one, so I wouldn’t disappoint my students or myself.

But then one of the kids would shout, “Miss Genevieve, look!” and show me the hummingbird that would come by our window every day.

And then a child trusted me hold her stuffed animals when she went off to play.

And a group of girls taught me to be a skilled mentalist.

And my class worked together to surprise me on my birthday.

And before my eyes, my students became capable actors, stage crew members and director assistants who wanted to put their energy toward making sure everyone had a good show.

And the only thing that mattered during work hours was the well-being of my students.

Looking back, I got to witness the resilience of kids who had been shuttled between online and in-person school, had sick family members and experienced unimaginable turmoil in their childhood.

The kids who still found wonder in a world that had denied it to them for much too long.

And now, I get to take these memories with me — of a time where I learned more from children than I could have possibly taught them.

So, here’s Miss Genevieve signing off and saying see you later, not goodbye, because she doesn’t ever want to lose her grasp on the hope she got from teaching this summer.

You can contact Genevieve at gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

Colin Capece Assistant Managing Editor

As a New Yorker, September 11, 2001 is a day that’s impossible to avoid. If you ask anyone who’s lived through it, no one forgets where they were or who they were with on that Tuesday morning. Twenty years later, it’s a day that continues to draw out a wide array of visceral emotions for people connected with it. I was just about to turn one when the attacks occurred, and I admittedly haven’t had to confront the entirety of what 9/11 conveys in the way others have. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned how to let the totality of that day take hold of me, and I’ve come to realize that there is no right or wrong way to feel about everything it recalls. I am never going to be able to do that day justice for people who have lived through it, but I believe it’s a story that needs to be retold with each passing generation. I’m going to share what that day means to me to the best of my ability.

From a young age, I felt the sorrow that the day brought for so many. I remember sitting on the carpet with my friends in kindergarten, watching my teacher sob uncontrollably as she courageously tried to explain that bad people had attacked our city and our country. I later learned that her brother was a firefighter who was killed saving lives.

When I was 13, I hugged my teammate at his dad’s funeral after he passed away following a long battle with cancer. He’d been a police officer who worked at Ground Zero. My parents describe it as months of familiar faces in the newspapers. Friends, neighbors, coworkers, fellow commuters who lost their lives on that day. Months upon months of NYPD and FDNY funerals, makeshift memorials on every street, candles lit in the windows of so many homes for loved ones who didn’t make it home that day.

In many ways, 9/11 represents the worst of humanity. In an instant, a group of hijackers turned the lives of thousands upside down, causing death and destruction on American soil the likes of which we haven’t seen since. Even as I write this now, I somehow connect with people’s confusion as a plane hit the north tower, the realization of what was happening as another plane hit the south tower seventeen minutes later and the despair of watching both towers collapse. I also feel the anger that people still hold towards the perpetrators.

When I was growing up, the immediate response to 9/11 was always described as a time when patriotism was at its peak. The image of President George W. Bush standing on top the rubble of the collapsed towers exclaiming that the people who knocked them down would feel the full force of the United States soon was something that resonated with me. I also now realize the xenophobia and bigotry those sentiments fostered towards other innocent people. I’m aware of the death and destruction they caused in other parts of the world, including the service men and women who gave their lives to protect us from further harm. All these emotions are simply inescapable.

Yet in humanity’s darkest hour, something else deep inside of us surfaced, something that fought to push down the evil that was attempting to take hold of us. As I got older, I discovered more stories of humanity responding with love when crisis reared its ugly head. The image of a firetruck crossing the Brooklyn Bridge with smoke and flames streaming out of both towers, everyone on that vehicle knowing they wouldn’t make it back, is something that also always resonates with me. In high school, I learned about Welles Crowther, a former Boston College lacrosse player and volunteer firefighter who led a dozen people to safety in the South tower before it collapsed. Stories of parents trapped above the flames calling their children at school to say goodbye, medical professionals rushing to nearby hospitals knowing instantly an

emergency was developing and people aboard the planes aware of their fate comforting each other in their final moments are all things that bring solace.

There are countless accounts of bravery and benevolence that emanate from that day, neighbors helping neighbors survive when it seemed like it would be impossible to do so. Where I’m from, everyone knows someone who was impacted by that day, and in its aftermath, communities came together to collectively support one another. For a long period of time, we were able to put aside the things that make us different and be drawn to our common human experiences. As my parents describe, it was a time where you could look someone in the eye and feel their every emotion: the sadness for those who were lost, the relief for those who survived, the uncertainty about what was going to happen next. We were there for one another through it all.

While I didn’t live through 9/11 the way others did, I can draw parallels to the way the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that Notre Dame undergrads also lived through in person, impacted our campus last year. The memories of an exciting return to school followed by a two-week shutdown that limited activity and social interaction are still vivid in my mind. Seeing the faces of my friends masked and sitting six feet away when we returned to class was difficult to comprehend. Being isolated for two weeks and having to look out a window at my home across the street was one of the lowest moments of my college career. Yet throughout the global pandemic, the Notre Dame community responded with love and care. Friends stood outside of quarantine hotel rooms to sing happy birthday to people locked inside. Professors learned how to teach virtually on the fly so that students could continue their educations. Dorm communities came together to console their brothers and sisters who lost loved ones to the disease. The COVID-19 pandemic turned our lives upside down, but it also brought out the absolute best of the Notre Dame family.

There’s a reason we should remember these events in their entirety, focusing on both the good and the bad they bring. Without the entire story, there would be no reason to pick up the pieces and rebuild. We draw tenacity and pride from our grief, allowing us to honor the memory of those we lost while moving forward to make this life meaningful once again. Where the towers once stood in Lower Manhattan, One World Trade Center rose to be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, serving as a beacon for the unbreakable nature of the human spirit. More than 90% of the Notre Dame student body received vaccinations to combat the virus and bring us back to campus safely this fall.

We remember the tragedy because it propels us to triumph.

Without the entire story, there would be no capacity for happiness. We draw faith and stability from the compassion we displayed and received, helping us find joy in all the good things this life has to offer. We cared for one another throughout the tumultuous fall 2020 semester, bringing a release of pure elation when the Fighting Irish knocked off No.1 Clemson. Our neighbors across the street lost their son in the north tower, and our neighborhood responded by bringing them trays of food and flowers to help ease their anguish. Our neighbors then brought everything to our house and insisted we celebrate my first birthday five days later. They found peace and exuberance in my life even after losing someone they loved, and I will be forever grateful for the strength that must have taken. We remember love because it provides us with hope.

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

The observer | Friday, September 10, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

My anti-racist vocabulary Mary Ellen Woods MEWsings

My return to campus as a Fellow in the Inspired Leadership Initiative (ILI) allows me to reflect and reexamine, not only thoughts about ND, but my own growth and experience. In today’s episode of my column, I will revisit racism and ultimately, anti-racism.

For many years, and with deep appreciation, I took pride in Fr. Hesburgh’s leadership and service on the Civil Rights Commission. When one considers that the Commission began working in the late 1950s, it really seems like a bold effort, and one that likely would take Theodore M. Hesburgh (TMH) away from campus a fair amount. (Keep in mind that he had only been named President of the University in 1952. He was appointed to the Commission at its inception in 1957 and served as Chair from 1969 to 1972 when he resigned in protest over Nixon’s obstructionism.) A product of the Hesburgh era at Notre Dame, I am familiar with this story: prejudice was strong, overt and present in all aspects of life. Even the Commission was not unaffected – Hesburgh had to seek assistance from President Eisenhower when U.S. military bases refused to provide housing for members because some were Black. We know that Richard Nixon took issue with Hesburgh’s demands that the Civil Rights Act be enforced in U.S. government hiring. After the deaths of John Kennedy and brother Bobby, we applaud President Lyndon B. Johnson who signed the landmark “Civil Rights Act” into law addressing all the major tenants recommended by the Commission: banning discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin and addressing voting rights, public accommodations, desegregation of public facilities and education, equal employment and nondiscrimination.

My own experience in racial advocacy came during my undergraduate studies here. I channeled my growing sense of right and wrong into learning

about apartheid in South Africa. Working with a fellow senior, we examined the University’s policies, especially the investment of the University’s endowment. The thinking at the time was that activism and disinvestment in South Africa would help to bring about a non-violent end to the African apartheid state. We dug into the topic, meeting with the chief investment leader (a Catholic priest) and the Chair of the Trustee’s Investment committee. Many thanks to Fr. David Burrell CSC for being our academic advisor for this work. More thanks to Nelson Mandela who proved that one person could be more consequential than anyone might have thought. In 2020, I learned of a new campus seminar, Professor Dory Mitros Durham’s “Building an Anti-Racist Vocabulary.” It would be conducted virtually and offered to students, faculty, staff and alumni weekly.

Durham modeled it on Ibram X. Kendi’s book of the same title. Working from home in Chicago, and conducted over the noon hour, it fit my schedule and interest. I enrolled and quickly was hooked. I should note that Durham piqued my interest both with her guests – the experts whom she hosted each Friday – and her skill as an interviewer. Her “leadoff” experts each semester were of a sort: ND and religious leaders and friends who told a story. In the fall we began with now Cardinal Wilton Gregory; Nikole Hannah-Jones, ’98; and James Goodwin, ’61, publisher of the Tulsa African-American newspaper and student of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. And in the spring, Rev. Bryan Massingale welcomed us back from ND’s extended break. On the one hand, the material we studied leaves no room to deny the policy, legislative and cultural antecedents of structural racism in the US, notably strongest in the last 100 years or so since Reconstruction. Racism is present in housing, access to capital, voting suppression, health and health care and myriad other venues. I encourage all to watch the collection of videos contained on the course website. Each expert also provided three resources for further study including books and other writings, podcasts and the occasional video. Not only was I hooked, but I was

profoundly convinced. Ours is a racist society and we are called to action to end that racism and its roots, practices and enablers.

Along the way, I began a regular correspondence with Durham who cautioned me about “American Exceptionalism” when I harkened back to Hesburgh’s leadership. She gave me pause. Was I being naïve or star-stuck by Hesburgh? Then, as I do now, I think not. We, as students and scholars, are called to learning. We must continue our journey of self-improvement. In fact, is that not why I have embarked on the ILI program? Knowing Hesburgh and his constant struggle for learning, I feel confident that were he with us today, he too would challenge us to be our better selves and not complacent in our past.

KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer

Mary Ellen Woods is a graduate of the Notre Dame class of 1980. She has returned to campus as a Fellow in the Inspired Leadership Initiative (ILI). As an undergraduate, she lived in Breen-Phillips and now lives off campus. Her columns appear every other Thursday.

A longtime resident of Chicago, she can be reached at mewoods80@nd.edu or @MEWsmuses on Twitter.

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

What the doctor ordered Alexa Schlaerth Soapbox Symposium

I’m a bit of a hypochondriac. I’ve been accused of faking illness for pity or a break or even attention.

I had been in some situations where going into the doctor led to no diagnosis at all. Sometimes aches and pains would come and go for no particular reason. There was no instruction packet sent home with me from the doctor’s office.

Throughout the past months I have thought back to those times of undiagnosed, but very real, situations.

I had just let them go as the symptoms subsided. I wondered if I had damaged my credibility as a patient. Did my healthcare providers believe me? Did I believe me?

Last year, I took a COVID-Related Leave of Absence.

During what would have been my sophomore fall semester, I worked at a health and wellness nonprofit just outside of St. Louis. While there, I learned a lot about holistic health and preventative care. The other employees and I ate a whole foods, plant-based diet and we all took on active roles and responsibilities while still making time for rest. Living that lifestyle, I was the healthiest I had been in awhile. Learning to listen to my body and trying to heal it was incredibly important, yet I found myself slipping into old habits once I got back on campus last month. I can stay up until 4 to finish assignments. I can go out on consecutive nights. I can sleep when I’m dead. I wanted to do everything, now! Why was it so hard to get the rest I needed?

Flash forward to this week. To no one’s surprise,

my overworked and under-slept lifestyle did not yield great results. I fell ill once again with what I thought were classic “freshman flu” symptoms — fever, malaise, congestion, headache. So I stayed in for a weekend, took some zinc and acetaminophen and called it good. I thought, well, it’s been a while since my last cold or flu, maybe it’s not a big deal. So I went into class masked, drank lots of green tea and conserved as much energy as I could while still getting my work done. Full speed ahead, or at least as much speed as I could muster. I was not feeling well but very much did not want to fall behind. So rest & rehabilitation took a back seat to my other activities. I was exhausted, and my condition worsened.

So when I tested positive for COVID-19, I felt oddly relieved. At first, I thought Yes! Evidence to corroborate my perceived illness! It’s real and I’m not just being dramatic. But underlying those thoughts were relief at the promised break of 10 days in quarantine and isolation. I’m forced to take a pause and a rest — one I likely would not have given myself if I had the choice. Writing this now, I can admit, I much rather would have taken smaller breaks without getting sick.

The coronavirus has not been kind to me.

As much as I would like to use this piece to complain about COVID-19, I think there’s a broader message to send. If there’s anything to be learned from my story, I think it’s this: 1. Believe people (including yourself) when someone says they feel sick. Listen to and honor your body and its needs.

It has been said that those who do not listen to whispers are forced to hear screams. Being in tune with how you feel emotionally and physically are key

to achieving and maintaining wellness.

2. Make time for rest.

Attendance awards, class participation, the fear of not being able to catch up — these are all reasons I’ve gone to class sick. I remember there being a consistent pressure to stay on top of my work, to be the most present and engaged. I thought just by showing up I was proving to myself my commitment to my studies. I was prioritizing school over my own health.

Looking back at this view now, I see how problematic its implications really are. I’m looking to get back to listening to my body and prioritizing its needs over my wants. What I learned in my year away and in the first three weeks of readjusting to campus and getting COVID-19 are things I need to take with me moving forward.

Sometimes being forced to take a step back and to actually take a breather are just what the doctor ordered. When we get sick, there’s a complete evaluation and thought process behind our course of action. From even just a contagion perspective, it is not only in our best interest to stay away from others, it’s in the best interest of the general public. We should look out for ourselves and others. We should take care of what we need. It’s the right thing to do.

Alexa Schlaerth is a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame pursuing degrees in Chinese and philosophy. As an Angeleno, Alexa enjoys shopping at Erewhon Market, drinking kombucha and complaining about traffic because it’s “like, totally lame.” Alexa can be reached at aschlaer@nd.edu over email.

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

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The observer | Friday, September 10, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Argue, but have fun David Henry Corrupting the Youth

I love to argue. Arguing is for the mind what sports are for the body — good exercise. Yet arguing seems to have a bad reputation. For many, “arguing” conjures images of bickering and yelling, or in other words, a conflict. But arguing, at its core, is really just putting forth and defending a view. Arguments of the more successful kind can be called civil disagreements or even just discussions — although disagreement and thus conflict are essential components.

Conflict can be stressful, so it seems almost natural to try to avoid it. But plenty of us love sports, and sports are only fun because of the competition. I think the reason that many of us tend to like sports more than arguments is that we take arguing far more seriously than we do sports. When we play soccer, for example, we know that it’s just a game where the goal is to have fun with the other players. The game becomes much less fun when someone starts to take the game too seriously. Yes, one team might win the game, but it only becomes personal if you make it personal — no one likes a sore loser or a boastful winner.

The issue with arguing is that we tend to take arguments personally. Having someone contradict you or tell you that you’re wrong feels invalidating. However, how personally a disagreement is taken has a lot to do with what is being disagreed upon. If my friend and I disagree on whether regular Coke or Diet Coke is better (hint: it’s Diet Coke), neither of us are likely to get upset because we know we each have our own preferences. Arguing about it might be a fun way to pass some time, but only because we know the argument is of little consequence. But if my friend and I disagree on the validity of his or my religious beliefs, the argument has much

greater potential to cause strife. We all usually like to think of ourselves as open minded, but when our most deeply held convictions come under question, we tend to dig in and become more entrenched in our positions. We cannot compromise on these convictions because they are essential parts of how we view ourselves and who we believe we are. An argument about our religion or other moral positions become a lot more than just an argument about ideas, it becomes an argument about ourselves. An attack on the ideas that make up our identity becomes an attack on us.

This way of thinking is actually fairly intuitive and is reflected greatly in what we feel makes a “good person.” A good person certainly does good things, but they also do those things for the right reasons. The story of Tony Stark, as portrayed in Marvel’s films, is compelling because it is the story of an egoistic billionaire who eventually changes and seeks to do good. In the end, he sacrifices himself for others, knowing full well what the consequences for his own life would be. If we later learned that Tony Stark was motivated by a desire for revenge rather than a selfless commitment to the greater good, it would call into question his image as a hero, even though the action he performed would have been the same.

This feeling that our motivations socially matter at least as much as our actions adds increased pressure to arguments about moral issues. When we present our arguments, we often feel like we are presenting ourselves. We defend our image to ourselves and others just as much as we defend our position. We can also end up taking arguments too seriously by feeling a duty or obligation to convince those on the other side of the disagreement. If we view arguments as saying anything about us morally, it makes sense that we might feel an obligation to convince others of their incorrectness. Like missionaries, we try to convert them in order to save their

souls. Or perhaps we are just so convinced of our own positions, that we see convincing others as just one more step in making our view become reality. From Person A’s perspective, what they advocate is a simple and obvious truth, so when Person B is unable to see it just as Person A does, it becomes a personal failing on their part. Disagreement then gives way to disrespect. It should be clear by now that nothing above is helpful when trying to have a successful, constructive argument. Taking attacks on your ideas as attacks on your person, or feeling that your reputation is tied to your arguments, or believing that your ultimate goal is to change the mind of the person you’re arguing with will only lead to frustration and anger. Rather, the goal should be to have fun, to understand your opponent’s position, and to maybe even learn something new. Persuasion should be understood as a possible byproduct rather than a goal. One of the best arguments I’ve had was with my roommate last semester.

We were arguing about the Problem of Evil. We both enjoyed it greatly, and other members of the dorm found it interesting enough to join in. I think it’s safe to say that he did not abandon his faith, nor did I abandon my atheism as a result of the argument, but rather we understood each other and each other’s perspectives better than we did before. Just like playing a sport, when your only goal is to have a good time, no one really loses.

David Henry is a sophomore majoring in the Program of Liberal Studies with a supplementary major in ACMS and a minor in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

Originally from Minnesota, David lives in Baumer Hall on campus. He can be reached at dhenry3@nd.edu over email.

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

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The observer | friday, september 10, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN Saint Mary’s News Editor

As we approach the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, I wanted to think back to a story that has stuck with me since I read it three years ago: Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2005 novel, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.”

The novel’s protagonist, Oskar Schell, is a nine-year-old boy determined to keep the memory of his father — a victim who worked in 1 World Trade Center — alive by going on a truly heartwarming journey through New York City.

Before he died, Oskar’s father sent his son on “reconnaissance expeditions,” which allowed Oskar to explore the world around him and develop social skills by interacting with the people he came across along the way.

While Oskar suspects these are his father’s motives, he doesn’t let it stop him from enjoying solving the mysteries that his father created for him.

On the day of the attacks, New York schools send their students home early and Oskar is at his apartment; there, his father has been leaving messages on the answering machine. Haunted by his father’s descriptions of his environment, Oskar hides the machine, so his mother doesn’t have to hear his father’s last words.

A year after 9/11, Oskar is still struggling with his grief, wearing what he calls “heavy boots.” One day, he searches his father’s closet for something when he knocks over a vase, which shatters and reveals a key hidden inside.

Searching for who the key belongs to takes Oskar all around the city and introduces him to a community of

By LEXI KILCOIN Scene Writer

As I walked into the Moreau Art Galleries — conveniently located just north of my dorm at Saint Mary’s — I was greeted by dim lighting and slight confusion. I was expecting the gallery to be filled with sculptures and statues, all waiting to be reviewed by an (un)professional with a notebook and pen.

Water bottle in hand, not ready to give up on my task, I turned around the corner and was met with something less than spectacular: One framed photograph and two hand-drawn maps suspended to the wall. Being an amateur art critic — if I might even call myself that — I did not realize that every photograph hanging around the gallery was the work of Kay Westhues and her series, “The Specialness of Springs.”

I started with what seemed to be the first photograph of the series, “Spring at Trail’s End.” Photographed in Grant County, Ind., there were beautiful flowers — flashing bright red and yellow —sticking out of what seemed to be a small spout. But what really caught my eye was the water that came from the spout, sparkling and smooth. This water drew my eye from the center of the painting to the left edge, an intentional movement on the part of Westhues, yet so natural I almost didn’t notice its true starting point: The out-of-focus leaves at the right of the photo. Satisfied with my viewing, I moved on.

supporting characters who are living through their own unique experiences with grief.

The novel is interspersed with the story of Oskar’s paternal grandfather, who dealt with unspeakable losses during World War II and leaves his family because he doesn’t know how to cope. Eventually, Oskar and his grandfather are reunited, and together they learn more about each other and share in the loss of Oskar’s father.

At the end of his journey, Oskar doesn’t receive closure from finding who owned the key, but instead finds a way to begin to realize that he is not the only one who wears heavy boots — the tragedy of 9/11 encompasses the city.

Those in this community, like Oskar, should continue loving those they lost, so their boots don’t completely weigh them down.

Rereading the book and reflecting on this momentous anniversary, I was struck first by Oskar’s narrative voice.

It’s refreshing when an author allows children to speak authentically, and Oskar is one of the most genuine characters I have ever read.

Oskar uses such unique metaphors to depict the world he is living in. Though at times this disguises his grief, when the reader can piece together how Oskar sees his life their heart breaks for him. Oskar’s honesty both deepens the collective grief that the reader feels on behalf of Oskar and brings levity to a moving story.

One thing that I noticed that is not necessarily a central part of the novel is that Oskar doesn’t hide his fear of Arab individuals, though he notes that “he is not racist.” While 9/11 created deep misunderstandings of the Muslim

community, reading the novel through a contemporary lens asks the reader to consider what this apprehension means after years of senseless violence against Arab Americans, who live in a country that professes the freedom of religion.

Though Oskar’s loss is a very personal one, the novel also offers readers the chance to reflect on their own losses on 9/11, even years later. Due to Foer’s extraordinary writing, Oskar’s grief seems fresh every time the reader experiences the novel, which lends itself to my final words: Even after 20 years, the tragedy of 9/11 is so deeply profound to our country and its people. Grieve and comfort the grieving, and know that in the end, love will keep us strong.

Passing intricately hand-drawn maps of Westhues’ journey around Indiana, I made my way to a beautiful threepart photo. Each individual portrait was suspended about three inches apart and made up one larger image, that of a bright red, flatbed freight truck carrying a windmill blade through Iroquois County, Illinois. It reminded me of the giant windmill blade I had seen in Iowa City this summer driving down I-80. The memory made me appreciate the quality of this photograph even more; it must have been hard to capture such a large, moving target. If it weren’t for the title, “Artesian Well on Old Butterfield Trail,” I wouldn’t have noticed the well centered towards the bottom of all three photos. The last frame even had a vial of water from the source, secured tightly to the wood.

While water in art is typically symbolic of life, a number of these photos made me think just the opposite.

“Shelman Spring,” photographed in Union Star, Ken., presents a large well with an empty spout hanging over its opening just so. It more or less reminded me of a coffin.

With its cold, concrete structure and bare background, it would be the perfect scene for a Lifetime original movie to take place.

“Avilla’s Artesian Well,” photographed in Avilla, Ind., had one giant well just slightly off center. I stared at it for a while.

Its tall, wooden structure and planks hanging across had the poet in me analyzing a stark contrast between life and death, as this well looked more like a guillotine than anything else. Nevertheless, there was water flowing from the

bottom, clear and bubbly, just waiting to be used for one of the million life-giving purposes that water is capable of.

Despite the attractiveness of Westhues’ photography, some of the photos didn’t interest me, particularly the images with people. It’s not that I don’t like people, it’s just that I felt it took away from the central idea of the series: Water.

Upon looking at Westhues’ website, I noticed many of her photos are centered on people and the things they do, where they work, etc. It seems to me that “The Specialness of Springs” drifts away from her niche. But Westhues, unable to stray too far from humanity, creatively found a way to bring humans into this display. Tucked away in a corner of the gallery was a wooden table with various water bottles stacked on top, all from different locations around the United States. It serves as its own kind of well — for students to add water and bring together life sources from everywhere.

Water is meant to represent a life-giving source, yet somehow I managed to find the depressing qualities.

However, I don’t think that’s a bad thing, as it means Westhues’ work is dynamic. As I closed my notebook and walked out of Moreau, I thought of all those life givingqualities. But somewhere deep down in my budding, art critic soul, the uneasiness of Westhues’ contrast between life and death stayed put, waiting to be discovered on my next adventure into her universe.

Contact Genevieve at gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” Jonathan Safran Foer Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Genre: Historical fiction, coming-of-age story If you liked: “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime,” “Here I Am”

Contact Lexi Kilcoin at akilcoin01@saintmarys.edu MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

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The observer | friday, september 10, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By JOYCE FU Scene Writer

Warning: This review contains spoilers for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”

Admittedly, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” was better than I expected. From comedic moments — mainly the faceless, winged, four legged Morris, a hundun — to beautifully choreographed fight sequences — the grace and balance of Tai Chi coming together with the traditional, forceful martial arts of Jackie Chan and Jet Li in a character that chooses the kind of hero he wants to be — the first superhero film with an Asian majority cast does not make any overt blunders.

And yet, I would be cautious about lauding “Shang-Chi” as a win for diversity. Because even as we’re seeing an increased number of POC on our screens, it’s important to remember diversity isn’t just color. Real diversity is cultural diversity, it’s ideological diversity, not the same American ideas repurposed in colorful packaging; that’s tokenism.

This is where “Shang-Chi” falls short. At the end of the day, “Shang-Chi” exploits a foreign culture in order to increase exposure for the hegemonic Chinese American culture. In grappling with the standard immigrant conflict — identity — it utilizes and perpetuates centuries-old stereotypes about Chinese people and culture, at times leaning dangerously into savior-interventionist ideology.

Starting with the commentary on sexism woven throughout the entire storyline, it’s taken as granted that Xialing (Shang-Chi’s sister) has been overlooked by her traditionally-minded father, Wenwu, her entire life. In the context of the underlying thematic conflict of the friction between ancient tradition and modernity, the implication appears to be that Chinese culture is traditionally sexist. And while that wouldn’t necessarily be untrue in regards to Chinese

By NICOLE BILYAK Scene Writer

We all know the saying that good always triumphs over evil. That is what Disney was known for back in the day to the younger generation, but the tables have turned as now evil is the new good. Arguably, “Maleficent” was one of the first films to tell the origin story of the villain. Since then, we have not had a really good origin story until May 28, 2021 rolled around, when director Craig Gillespie released “Cruella,” the origin story of Cruella de Vil from the 1960 animated Disney film “One Hundred and One Dalmatians.”

“Cruella” takes place primarily in London during the punk rock movement of the 1970s. It tells the story of Estella (Emma Stone), who is an up-and-coming fashion designer who butts heads with the Baroness (Emma Thompson), a haute couture designer who runs the House of Baroness fashion brand, slowly causing Estella to transform into the vengeful and notorious Cruella de Vil. The movie has a very dark tone to it, in that there are a lot of very dark colors used in the film’s costumes. The primary colors are black and a lot of dark red, mainly from Estella since she is the one who is with black and white hair, but later dyes it dark red after the death of her adopted mother. The colors seem to represent Estella dying figuratively and Cruella de Vil taking

culture, or any other culture for that matter, the tendency of this stereotype is to assume that Chinese culture is defined by its sexism, whereas we in the West are not. In particular, it is the stereotypical attribution of sexism to a specific culture that contrasts with other Marvel productions such as “Black Widow,” which broadly references the global tendency to overlook girls, or even “Black Panther,” which chooses the route of empowerment rather than critique.

And perhaps the creators are aware of this on some level, as the commentary on ancient cultures appears to change — though again, without any explanation why — with Ying Nan of Ta-Lo (an equally ancient culture) offering her perspective: “We train as equals … you’ve been in the shadows long enough.” Regardless, the lack of commitment in either direction ends up making Xialing’s character feel flat, created for the purpose of representing empowerment, capable of doing everything Shang-Chi does, just not as well. Unlike Shuri, the head of technology in Wakanda, Xialing is nicheless.

Essentially, Chinese culture is characterized (through the two factions of Shang-Chi’s parents) as either irrational and dangerous (Wenwu’s Ten Rings) or exotic and protectionist (Ying Li’s Ta-Lo). It took the Shang-Chi Gang (Shang-Chi, Katy, Xialing) with their western influence (even Xialing’s co-worker in Macau “speak[s] ABC,” in his own words) to drive Ta-Lo — who apparently just abandoned Shang-Chi and Xialing after their mother died — to utilize their wasted potential and work together against Wenwu. Even disregarding the distasteful your-father-is-your-greatest-enemy cliché often applied to Chinese characters in western lore, the implication, clearly, is that the Chinese people are inherently lacking — incapable in some way — asking for intervention.

Western superheroes work for the good of humanity (ex. every Marvel movie ever), but those in the Far East? They’re either power hungry like Wenwu, or ambivalent like Ta-Lo about the evil being done until it’s at their doorstep.

From beating children (ex. Ten Rings Shaolin-style training), to unexplained connections to what appear to be Russian hitmen (ex. Razor Fist), to being a lawless and unethical place (ex. tricked into signing contracts, surfing the dark web, illegal fighting rings, gangs coming after you, etc.), Shang-Chi’s search across China for his identity manages to touch upon just about every stereotype that exists in contemporary western culture.

Therefore, while Shang-Chi does render the Asian American experience with sensitivity and complexity, such as touching upon the ideas of cultural ownership, language barriers and belonging, it does not do justice to the culture it is set in nor the culture whose motifs it uses. And so, ShangChi is better, but it cannot be enough. Perhaps this is just film major idealism, or perhaps it’s my upbringing at the intersection of cultures, but no international blockbuster is ever just a movie. They are trend setters, they are mediums for cultural exchange and they shape our subconscious perceptions — for some, our only glimpse — of foreign countries more than even we ourselves are aware of.

the spotlight. The film is also dark in that the atmosphere seems to be very dark. There are points in the movie where the lighting is very dark and can sometimes be very gloomy. This film technique is very well used in that it captures the essence of a broken woman who now has to make a name for herself in a rather devious but creative fashion (no pun intended).

One of the things I personally love about the movie is how it really delves into the psyche of Cruella. It was so interesting to see how Cruella was first portrayed as an outcast who had a sense of rebellion against her superiors at the beginning of the movie. It was also very interesting to see how she had met Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) and Jasper (Joel Fry) and how Cruella first started off as a thief.

The other really interesting thing about the exploration of the psyche of Cruella, is how her relationship with the Baroness is affected throughout the movie. At first, Cruella had dreamed of working with the Baroness because she saw the fashion designer as a huge idol in her eyes. But as the movie progresses, Cruella becomes bitter rivals with the Baroness after she deduces the Baroness may have caused the death of her adopted mother. I won’t go into spoilers about how the relationship comes to a head, but all I can say is that I was shocked.

I also really liked the setting and timeframe during which the movie takes place. Obviously, the movie takes place in London, as the source material before it, but setting the movie

during the punk rock movement was a unique addition to the film. Fashion was a huge staple during the punk rock movement of the 1970s so the tie-in with the movie was a nice touch. Not only did the punk rock movement inspire a lot of the costuming for the characters, but it also influenced the soundtrack of the movie. Bands like Black Sabbath, Queen and the Bee Gees were featured on the soundtrack.

Overall, I personally have nothing bad to say about this movie. It was one of the best villain origin stories that Disney has ever made. Hopefully, they’ll make more of these in the future.

Contact Joyce Fu at jfu3@nd.edu

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” Starring: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai Director: Destin Daniel Cretton Genre: Superhero, Action If you like: “Black Widow,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home”

Contact in Nicole Bilyak at nbilyak01@saintmarys.edu

“Cruella” Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson Director: Craig Gillespie Genre: Crime, comedy If you like: “One Hundred and One Dalmatians”

CLAIRE KIRNER | The Observer

Classifieds

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, september 10, 2021 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Explore possibilities, and make adjustments that encourage you to use your attributes in new and exciting ways. Update your plans, and make alterations to the way you live and how you take care of yourself, your finances and your relationships with others. Take the time to recognize what’s meaningful to you, and restructure your life to fulfill your dreams. Your numbers are 9, 17, 26, 28, 33, 37, 41.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take part in something you feel passionate about, and you will be exhilarated by the people you meet and the progress you make.

An opportunity to head in a creative direction will boost your need to explore new territory.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When in doubt, take a pass. Get involved in something that is geared toward peace of mind, fitness and productivity. Restlessness will set in if you don’t keep moving. Make decisions based on what you want, and you will excel.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Get out and away from situations that are causing you grief. Spend time with someone who shares your beliefs, enjoys the same pastimes and makes you feel good about yourself. Networking functions will prove to be beneficial. Romance is featured.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Go over details and size up situations. Having a clear picture will help you decipher the best way to deal with problems that involve others. In the end, you are better off choosing what fits your lifestyle. Please yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Gravitate toward people, places and opportunities that you find exhilarating. If you get caught in someone’s drama, you’ll miss a chance to explore new possibilities. Personal gain, educational pursuits and finding your bliss are in your best interest.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Let new energy into your life and pursue the people, places and things that bring you joy. Live in the moment, and share your feelings with someone you love. Don’t fear change; move forward with confidence, and see what unfolds.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Set things up to suit your needs. Be responsible for what transpires. Aim to stabilize your life and your home environment, and dedicate more time to enjoying the company of those you love. Choose what makes you happy. Romance is favored.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Refuse to let anyone upset you or stop you from getting things done. Declutter your life, your home and your mind of stuff that belongs in the past. Learn from the lessons you’ve encountered, and strive for better days ahead.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ll pick up valuable information if you participate in discussions that interest you or spark your imagination. A chance to help someone or something you believe in will lead to a revelation that will change the way you move forward.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Leave nothing to chance. Double-check whatever information comes your way before you pass it along. Expect someone to use emotional tactics to swing your opinion. Take physical action, and do the work yourself to avoid mistakes and disappointment.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Experience will pay off. Embrace what’s available, and make the most with what you’ve got. Your ingenuity and dedication will shine through and give you the platform you require to get your point across. Celebrate a victory with someone you love.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Observe the way others think and do things. Don’t feel the need to interfere when it’s best to make sure you have your life in order before you judge what someone is doing. Nurture relationships instead of trying to change them.

Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, compassionate and steady. You are optimistic and novel.

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Classifieds

The observer | friday, september 10, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Sports Authority

Sports Authority

Praise Ohtani for Mac Jones is the QB for NE who he is Mannion McGinley Sports Editor

David Kramer Sports Writer

Amid the rise of the coronavirus pandemic, fingerpointing surged to an almost unbelievable high. Cooped up behind their computer screens, Americans absorbed the barrage of news coverage and slowly shifted blame from China to political figures to socioeconomic disparities to personal ideologies. We know the story.

But nearly a century before the pandemic, Americans sparked an ever-changing anti-Asian sentiment that still pervades our country today.

The valence of anti-Asian hate has seen some remarkable volatility. The AsianAmerican stereotypes of the early 20th century — ones of illiteracy, uncleanliness and inability to assimilate — fueled the devastating internment camp initiative. The pre-war image of what many people deemed marginal society was gradually turned on its head to today’s archetype of vast intelligence, dedication, craftiness and orderliness. Following 20th century law reform, the wave of South Asian immigrants sparked unjustified associations with violence and terrorism. And on the coat tails of the pandemic arose endless conspiracies and hate crimes toward an Asian-American population viewed as dangerous, untrustworthy, even criminal. As a result, over 9,000 reports of discriminatory hate incidents have been reported to the Stop A API nonprofit group since March 2020.

The volatility of AsianAmerican stereotyping is no different in the sports world.

The arrival of pitchers like Hideo Nomo and Chan Ho Park in the 1990s led mainstream media to apply stereotypes of “craftiness” and “deception” to Asian rookies for nearly three decades.

Oftentimes laden with negative connotations of trickery or peculiarity, talented pitchers like Hisashi Iwakuma, Yu Darvish and Koji Uehara have fallen under this same lens of media coverage. For years, MLB analysts pointed to the strange pitch mix of Darvish, the technical and mechanical focus of Iwakuma and the crafty composure of Uehara.

At the plate, Hideki Matsui and the almighty Ichiro Suzuki stood as figureheads of Asian-American baseball for nearly a decade. Sure, Matsui maintained the home run and OPS totals of

a tried-and-true power hitter during his full seasons.

But it was undisputed that Suzuki, through his contactfirst, technical and quick play style, reigned supreme in the 2000s. His approach at the plate made him the most formidable bat in the Mariners lineup for years. His incredible speed left few f ly balls outside the realm of possibility in the outfield. The media devoured his success, showering him as “the greatest Asian player of all time” and forcing the Asian archetype of scrappy small ball into the limelight.

More than any other player demographic, Asian players were framed to epitomize the “old-school” or “traditional” paradigm of live-ball era baseball.

Today, the continued dominance of Shohei Ohtani fits no paradigm whatsoever.

Through his explosive bat and effective pitching, Ohtani remains the league leader for Wins Above Replacement (WAR), the catch-all metric for valuating players. Even as a two-way player, he narrowly trails Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in OPS and is atop the home run leaderboard. His splitter is arguably the most effective pitch in baseball, and his ever-increasing list of “firsts” are becoming overwhelming.

No matter how you look at it, Ohtani is a player like no other. Babe Ruth submitted to the outfield after only 218 games as a two-way player — a departure from the mound that feels all too distant for the Babe of our generation.

The facts are simple. In many ways, the media coverage of Ohtani’s success is not.

In light of Asian-Americans having faced extreme, sometimes suffocating stereotypes in their history, don’t frame Ohtani in any other way than who he is: the best player on the field. Period. Don’t reinvent Asian stereotypes so he fits a narrative, but deem him the most impactful player on the field. Don’t nestle him next to Ichiro Suzuki as the greatest Asian player in baseball, but praise him outside the confines of race.

Don’t compare his talent to the power-hitting of Matsui or the brilliance of Suzuki or the craftiness of Darvish, but paint him as an incomparable star, a truly once-in-acentury player.

Contact David Kramer at dkramer2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Of all the rookies, on all the teams in the NFL, there was no better match for the Patriots than Mac Jones. (Yes I’m making the Casablanca reference but that’s because it’s also a Gilmore Girls reference and that’s the one that matters—anyway, moving on.)

I will admit, when Bill Belichick picked him, I don’t know that I was fully on board. I knew I wanted to see the Pats take a quarterback, but it didn’t matter to me which quarterback it was. There wasn’t anyone who could be more of a nuisance than Cam Newton had become, so I didn’t think there was a bad choice overall. Now, as the season approaches, I see that Jones is so much more than just not a nuisance.

He wasn’t my first choice though for reasons that seem ridiculous now.

The most glaring reason: he went to Alabama. I, like everyone who doesn’t go to Alabama, do not care particularly for their team nor any of their players, especially when one of those players gets a DUI at 19. Despite that, I respected that he made it on the field, but I got swept up in the idea that Jones was a decent quarterback surrounded by unbelievably skilled receivers. With DeVonta Smith as the focal point of the offense, you could get a little bit lost in the noise, and the quarterback easily becomes just the guy who gets the ball to his best player. I definitely fell into that trap with Jones.

And, when it came time for draft picks, everyone was downplaying Jones further because they heard New England wanted him. Coming off a dynasty, the idea of another one starting was a turn-off to Jones for most NFL fans that were not also Pats fans.

That noise got so distracting, I lost sight of Jone’s capabilities again.

Then, when he didn’t automatically jump into the driver’s seat like Trevor Lawrence did this year and Alabama quarterbacks have in the past, I was concerned he was just filling space and we wasted our first pick.

But still, I had my doubts.

After he arrived, I was still tentative, but over time, he got me fully on board. If you’re not there yet, here are a couple of things that helped sell me on the JonesPats relationship that I think any Pats fan could get behind: He was willing to do the work without the limelight results.

Every time Belichick was asked about his thinking at the position, he said Cam Newton was going to start. At multiple press conferences, his argument was, Cam

had the position in the previous season, and he had already proven he deserved it over Stidham.

So, unless someone came in and looked better than him in terms of chemistry with the team and overall skill, they weren’t getting the position.

This meant Jones was going to have to come in with a quarterback who had coach ready to back him and a name everyone already knew.

Cam Newton was seemingly in it for the limelight (I mean, that was evident in his playmaking decisions), but Jones was going to have to prove his own worth way out and around Newton’s presence if he wanted to see the field.

Despite that mountain to climb, he maintained his effort.

In a radio interview with WEEI FM in Boston, Jones was asked if he was ready to start with Cam out. He was not even willing to look at something with that big picture lens, he just looked to the pieces that would get him there.

“Today, I am trying to just learn the plays I messed up on in practice.” He said “That’s really my focus. Fix those and move on to the next day. I think I’m starting to get a good grasp of it. I am just here to be a good teammate and help the quarterback room. When I am in there I need to execute the plays and I can continue to get better at that and I will, so it’s just a learning experience. I am ready to play any role that I need to play.”

Now, he needs to fill the role of “Patriots Quarterback.” For 20 years it was synonymous with G.O.A.T. and for the last year, that box just hasn’t been completely filled in.

When he was called on, he proved he’s ready.

During preseason, Cam Newton had yet another run-in with COVID-19 which left Jones to take the field. This came just after New England’s 35-0 destruction of the Eagles and the entire NFL was in consensus: Jones was either making immensely quick progress OR we had all undersold him from the beginning. In that win, Jones threw 13 completions on 19 attempts for 146 yards. He saw more plays in the most real NFL play he had ever seen yet.

A week later, with Cam out, it was time to put those plays and new skills to the test. In a practice scrimmage, against the starting Giants defense, Jones was surgical. He threw back-to-back touchdowns, going 35-4- on completions. In the final two minutes, he threw an additional touchdown to Jakobi Meyers that was over 50 yards and made it through double coverage.

It was this performance that sold me and ultimately sold Belichick.

What Belichick must have seen.

Shortly afterward, Belichick made the announcement they would be releasing Cam Newton, and I had never been more ecstatic.

Belichick waited until it was obvious to Patriots fans everywhere that Jones was the best option. He waited until we could see his stats, but there’s an intuitive part to it as well. It makes more sense to have a great new quarterback learn to work with a fairly young receiving corps, rather than a semi-washed-up star trying to work with a young team. Brady couldn’t do it, I don’t know why we expected Cam to be able to.

This is especially true when you consider who Belichick is as a coach. His favorite way to operate is to take the fairly good player and make a star out of him. That doesn’t work if he already thinks he’s the star and doesn’t think he has work to do.

Cam Newton, whether he feels that way or not, carries that air and Brady left when he started to feel bigger than the Patriots had space for. If Jones feels that way he hasn’t shown it. He has put the work first, and Belichick saw that before any of us could. He knew we would get on board for it once. We couldn’t see it though as fast as he could.

Overall, I should’ve been on board.

Looking at it now, too, his Alabama days should’ve been the main reason I wanted Jones.

He threw for over 400 competitions, 311 of which were in his 2020 season and he threw for 56 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.

I should’ve also trusted that Belichick had thought things out farther than I had. You know, being head coach of the Patriots for 22 years, a coach in general for 46, and all of those little facts.

The fact that he consulted Nick Saban several times before taking anyone from Alabama, especially his starting quarterback, should’ve been confidence enough. He’s never let me down before, why would he now?

The new stats were just the icing on the cake though and pushed me over the edge. I’ve seen the light and Jones can be a really good weapon for the Patriots this season. And, if he’s not completely ready yet, we can afford one more mediocre season to work out the kinks (although Mac if you’re reading, I would appreciate it if we didn’t, so keep up the good work!)

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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.

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Sports Authority

Edsall season’s first firing, could Frost be next Luke Thompson Sports Writer

Less than two days after the first full Saturday of the college football season w rapped up, we have already w itnessed the first coaching casualt y of the year. UConn’s Randy Edsall closed out his memorable (not in a good way) tenure in Storrs on Monday after beginning the season 0-2, including an embarrassing loss to the FCS Holy Cross Crusaders this past Saturday.

During his second stint in Storrs (his first one was much more successful, as he brought the program to the 2011 Fiesta Bowl and won two Big East Championships during the league’s tw ilight), Edsall led the Huskies to a 6-32 record over three-plus seasons. But the main stor y of his time as UConn’s head coach for the past few years was not simply the Huskies’ futilit y, but how that futilit y compared to his ridiculous, bonus-laden contract.

W hile the Huskies struggled to scrape w ins against the

bottom of college football’s barrel, Edsall cashed in bonuses based on a number of unusual criteria, including single-game statistics and who scored first in a game rather than traditional metrics like the team’s number of w ins or championships.

The inanit y of it all was most clear when Edsall raked in $ 56,000 in on-field performance bonuses during the Huskies’ 1-11 2018 campaign.

UConn’s strange arrangement came to an end when Coach Edsall announced he would retire at the end of the season on Sunday, before abruptly announcing that he would instead be retiring immediately on Monday as part of a “mutual agreement” w ith the school.

W hile this whole stor y doesn’t seem particularly newsworthy, as the Huskies are among the FBS’s worst teams this year and UConn doesn’t have much tradition as a program any way, the first firing of a head coach this year prov ides us w ith the opportunit y to look around the countr y at other coaches that might be heading the way of Edsall before

season’s end. Plus, there’s never a bad opportunit y to point out the insane structure of Edsall’s contract that continually rewarded him for his team’s on-field performance even as the Huskies repeatedly faltered.

Looking around the countr y for where the next mid-season coaching drama might arise, there is perhaps no more obv ious candidate than in Lincoln, Nebraska — Head Coach Scott Frost. Much like Edsall at UConn, but at a much more significant program, Frost was once revered as a hero in Nebraska due to his national championshipw inning campaign as the Husker quarterback in 1997. After pulling off an incredible transformation of UCF’s program in only three years as head coach, Frost’s return to Lincoln in 2018 was met w ith as much fanfare as you can imagine.

Certainly, even as someone who has no special interest in Nebraska football, I couldn’t help rooting for Frost to succeed at his alma mater. His enthusiasm, his connection to the school, the Huskers’ long dormancy

as a nationally relevant program, the team’s resurgent talent under a touted young quarterback: ever ything seemed to line up for Nebraska to make an exciting return to national contention.

But the results never arrived on the field. W hile the Huskers’ struggles in Frost’s first couple seasons were reasonably excusable due to the sorr y state of the program when he arrived, the utter lack of improvement in year four of his tenure (most exemplified by Nebraska’s week 0 30-22 loss to Big Ten bottom feeder Illinois) and the high expectations that seem to sprout up at the beginning of ever y season for Nebraska have made Frost’s time back in Lincoln especially painful for Husker fans. The excitement he arrived w ith now seems to be working against Frost’s chances of sur v iving in Lincoln, as the actual results have presented a brutal contrast for Nebraska fans and have crushed their renewed hopes.

These realities appear to prov ide ample reason for why Scott Frost

could be next on the midseason chopping block if the Huskers can’t improve throughout the year.

Though, in complete opposition to Edsall’s situation, Frost’s contract could be his sav ing grace, as the massive buyout that’s owed to him if he’s fired before the end of the season could prove a decisive deterrent for Nebraska’s administration as they weigh their options amid the program’s painful situation. But then again, Nebraska’s fan base and administration could be w illing to pay almost any price at this point in order to regain some semblance of their program’s former glor y.

There’s one thing that both Edsall and Frost’s situations make clear: unlike the teams themselves, the hot seat does not even need to wait until week 2 to reach its post-season form.

Contact Luke Thompson at lthomps7@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

FooTball

Notre Dame must adress wide receiever loss Observer Sports Staff

The announcement that Lawrence Keys would be sitting out the remainder of the season — and then likely transferring — highlighted a growing problem for Notre Dame. And that is not only their recent struggles to retain wide receivers on their roster, but frequently an inability to recognize the most talented players on the roster.

Whether Keys was a starter or not, his two years of experience and a strong spring suggests that he deserved more than five snaps in the opener. And the issue isn’t exclusive to Keys — the Irish have lost five wide receivers from their depth chart since the end of the 2020 season. In an interview with the Observer, Bryan Driskell of the Irish Breakdown expressed his concern about this trend: “They need to re-evaluate what they’re doing at recruiting. Notre Dame doesn’t seem to have any pressing concern at that position, and I think that’s a mistake.”

The struggles to retain receivers tracks back to a tendency of Notre Dame that has long frustrated Irish fans. And that is frequently refusing to play young, talented players. They saw a five-star receiver in Jordan Johnson leave, another talented receiver in Jay Brunelle depart and just recently, four-star

recruit Xavier Watts has been switched to linebacker.

“The depth chart is getting thinner and thinner at receiver,” Driskell said. “It’s a matter of [wide receivers coach] Del Alexander doing what he’s been reluctant to do and that’s get those young guys ready to play … [freshmen receivers] Lorenzo Styles and Deion Colzie are simply too talented to not use them.”

Styles was on the second-team offense for the Florida State game, but he played just a single snap in the contest. Colzie did not see the field after not being listed in the two-deep depth chart. Alexander appears to prefer waiting until year 3 or 4 to utilize his receivers in the offense, and that trend simply must end. It has cost Notre Dame some elite talent, continually plagues their offense, and may begin to cost them recruits.

Driskell added: “Who’s to say the departures end with Keys?”

The incoming 2022 recruiting class is a fantastic one, by virtually any standard. But for all the outstanding talent, Driskell does believe the Irish need to add more wide receiver depth.

“They’ve got an outstanding 1-2 punch, but they need more,” Driskell said.

Indeed, the Irish have a pair of outstanding recruits in C.J. Williams — the 12th ranked

receiver in the class by 247Sports — and Tobias Merriweather, who Driskell said is “the top player in Notre Dame’s class on my board.”

Both are promising four-star recruits, but that’s beginning to mean less when it comes to the Irish’s receiving corps. Five stars are transferring out, switching positions or never breaking out. It’s an anomaly almost entirely exclusive to the wide receivers, as Notre Dame’s roster continues to improve, with their program on the rise by virtually every other metric.

“The best schools find ways to get their best players opportunities,” Driskell said. “And the fact of the matter is that there are players in the freshman class who are some of your more talented players. They don’t have to start, but you’ve got to find a role for them.”

Despite Struggles At Receiver, Notre Dame recruiting thriving elsewhere Despite some needed additions, the Irish have been recruiting at an elite level, spurred by their recent on-field success. With two playoff appearances in the last three seasons, the Irish are raking in quality classes. “It’s no coincidence,” Driskell said. “Winning sells.”

The Irish have lost just two regular season games in the past three years, and that has helped lead

them to a 2022 recruiting class ranked 2nd in the country. Amidst the many strengths of the class is an exceptional linebacker room.

“I really like the linebacker class.

You’ve got three top-100 players,” Driskell notes. “It’s the best class in the country, and it’s the best linebacker class in the Brian Kelly era”.

Driskell noted that even outside the top linebacker recruits — Jaylen Sneed, Joshua Burnham and Niuafe Tuihalamaka — the Irish have great depth with guys like Nolan Ziegler. Driskell commented on Ziegler’s fantastic start to his senior season in high school, as he outplayed 2023 five-star linebacker — and Notre Dame target — Drayk Bowen in the season opener.

Elsewhere, the Irish have some talent to get excited about. Holden Staes is a four-star tight end worth some hype, while Tyseon Ford and Aiden Gobaria give the Irish a pair of four-star defensive line recruits.

The offensive line has some talent in four-stars Joey Tanona and Ty Chan, but Driskell would like the Irish to improve their depth. “The offensive line class has to be elite.

You’ve had some good players — Blake Fisher and Rocco Spindler — in the past few years, but the depth hasn’t been there.”

Early

start,” Driskell said of Notre Dame’s early return from their 2023 recruiting efforts. Four-star Keon Kealy and five-star Brenan Vernon form a fearsome pairing of D-line recruits.

Tight end Cooper Flanagan and safety Adon Schuler are another pair committed four-stars that the coaching staff is excited about.

But even more exciting than the haul of already-committed prospects is Dante Moore. Moore is one of the consensus top quarterbacks in the 2023 class — Driskell even went as far as saying Moore is a better prospect than Arch Manning.

“He’s smart, accurate, he’s got a big arm. He has some leadership and swag to him that I love at the quarterback position,” Driskell said of Moore. “Once you get a five-star quarterback, you get other elite players that want to come and play with him, and I think Dante Moore is that kind of name.”

It’s no secret that the Irish have been held back by quarterback play in their recent trips to the Playoff. They hope freshman Tyler Buchner may be the answer, but even still that’s not enough to start challenging the premier programs.

With the Irish’s control in the wide receiver room slipping away, beginning to land some big-time targets under center could help the Irish boost their recruiting at other

“They’re off to an incredible

see RECRUITING PAGE 14

2023 Class Promise

Show

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The observer | friday, september 10, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

M Soccer Continued from page 16

both a goal and assist to the scoresheet — the only player on the roster to have a mark in both statistical categories thus far on the year. A pair of freshman in Matthew Roou and Eno Nto have both also wasted no time opening their Notre Dame accounts in their first

W Soccer Continued from page 16

unbeaten start to the season snapped on the road Sunday against Missouri, in a shock 3-2 upset that saw the Irish

Predictions Continued from page 16

their success by the result in this one. A win should be virtually guaranteed — but Notre Dame evidently needs to iron out some wrinkles. I want to see Avery Davis more involved in the offense, the Irish stay aggressive on defense and the run game to get some traction. If the Irish do those things, they should be able to play Drew Pyne and Tyler Buchner in the second half and cruise to victory.

Notre Dame 52, Toledo 13

Mannion McGinley Sports Editor

—

Sunday night’s game had an end no one expected and my immediate reaction was “Oh no. I can NOT do this all season.” Then the stats came out the next day, and the reality of it all was that the Irish played really well. A Milton-led FSU was just better than expected. What does concern me is how quickly injuries popped up but even then, the guys who stepped in for Fisher and Liufau were ready to play.

So now, in this Week 2 matchup, the Irish just have to do all the good again (killer passing game, insane turnovers, clutch kicking, etc.) and be properly prepared for any potential bad (previously injured but incredibly high skilled QBs, for example). However, with very little space in their roster to have any looming threats, Toledo should be a game for the Irish to fill in any holes or clean up any messes on the field before taking on a long stretch of intense games.

It is also a game to consider the future. Jack Coan will leave after this year. If I have said anything, it’s how much of a problem that is for next season if we don’t get Drew Pyne or Tyler Buchner some time on the field — preferably Buchner, for longevity’s sake.

The Irish need to score a lot and

Recruiting Continued from page 13

offensive skill positions, as they gain players that want to play with the top quarterbacks in the country.

“Dante Moore is an absolute

three games, with graduate student Dawson McCartney the other Irishman to find the back of the net so far this season.

Stefan Sigurdarson and Michael Suski will highlight the Eagle (2-1) attack, with each of the two having scored twice in three games. And while Boston College’s record stands at present more impressive than the Irish’s,

the clash in Chestnut Hill should be their first real test of the season. The Eagles have matched up with Quinnipiac, Boston University, and Hartford respectively, a far cry from national top twenty five perennials such as Indiana and Kentucky. BC rides a two game win streak into the match, but a season opening loss to MAAC side Quinnipiac is still likely fresh in the minds

of both the Eagles and the Fighting Irish.

As each team’s first ACC match of the season, the contest should prove an interesting bar for both sides. The ACC is generally regarded as one of if not the nation’s hardest soccer conference, and both teams will be eager to register whatever conference victories they can early on. It’s never too early to start thinking

about tournament seeding, and home field advantage could prove crucial for either the Eagles or the Irish should they find themselves jockeying for the national tournament in November.

Notre Dame will square off with Boston College to tomorrow night at 7pm at the Newton Soccer Complex. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.

concede more than a single goal for the first time all season. Coach Nate Norman didn’t hesitate to make changes after an uncharacteristically rough match in Columbia, bringing in VanDyck and goalkeeper

Ashley Naylor to rejuvenate his starting X I for the Detroit match.

v isit from Brow n to A lumni Stadium on Sunday. After Brow n, the Irish w ill kick off a difficult ACC schedule that w ill see them face off against some of the nations top teams, like North Carolina, Duke, and Virginia.

The Irish w ill look to keep the momentum going this Sunday in a 1pm contest against the Brow n Bears at A lumni Stadium. The game can also be found on the ACC Network.

score early, leaving both enough time and enough breathing room for the quarterback room to take turns on the gridiron. While the Rockets played a very lopsided game against the Norfolk State Spartans, holding them to 10 points gives me hope that the defense will be just strong enough to make time in the game worth it for Pyne or Buchner, but not so tough that any member of our offense feels impeded.

While I know ND isn’t the school to run up the score (either because we can’t or we won’t, depending on the day), now is the time to figure out a way to make that happen and allow the depth chart to stretch its legs.

Notre Dame 55, Toledo 10

Norfolk State, Toledo won easily and displayed a good combination of passing and rushing in a dominating victory. Notre Dame will be a much stiffer opponent, however, and I expect the Irish to pull away late in the second quarter.

Notre Dame 45, Toledo 24

Norman w ill hope the overf low of goals w ill get his side in hot form for their final out of conference test, a

Emily DeFazio — Associate Sports Editor

After an emotional, stressful victory in Tallahassee, the Irish travel back home for their home opener against MAC opponent Toledo. There were a lot of positive and negative takeaways from the performance against Florida State.

Jack Coan and the Irish passing game was arguably the best part of the Irish win on Sunday. Coan commanded the offense and made some big-time throws when needed. The incorporation of wide receivers Kevin Austin Jr. and Joe Wilkins Jr. into the passing game alongside tight end Michael Mayer should be a great combination going forward. I would love to see the Irish utilize Braden Lenzy and Avery Davis more going forward as well. The offensive line could be an issue for the Irish, especially with left tackle Blake Fisher out for some time. The defense will have to improve as well, as Florida State found a way to run and pass the ball very consistently against the Irish in the fourth quarter.

As far as the Toledo game this week, the Irish must not underestimate the Rockets. In their opening win of the season against

I am warier of my prediction this week than I was for FSU, given that all of our forecasts were far from what actually occurred in Tallahassee that night. Never had it crossed my mind that the season opener would be a close battle, and an overtime road victory at that. That being said, it also hadn’t crossed my mind that certain aspects of the Irish game could be better than I expected. Jonathan Doerer went from completing only 65% of his field goal attempts in 2020 to posting a perfect night and eventually winning the game for Notre Dame. I was also thoroughly impressed at the passing game on offense; Jack Coan’s debut proved to be one of the instrumental parts of the victory and, frankly, one of the most enjoyable aspects to watch. Kevin Austin Jr. had a career night because of this, and I anticipate Coan’s arm to become a more integral part of the offense in the future.

My trepidation this week comes in the run game and the defense.

Chris Tyree was able to make a few good rushes; the second an opening began, the running back was already through. Even then, he was stopped far shorter than he should have been. Kyren Williams was also consistently shut down by the FSU defense, and he will need to be able to make moves down the field for the running game to be effective. Kyle Hamilton was a star on the field with his two interceptions (still trying to figure out how he crossed the field at that speed for the second one), but the rest of the defense needs to iron out the

must-get. Tyler Buchner is an elite player, but elite programs get those players every couple of years,” Driskell said, referring to the string of successful quarterbacks at Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson. “Notre Dame has to start stringing some of those recruits together.

You don’t know if Buchner is gonna pan out or if he’s going to leave after his junior year or if he’s going to get hurt. You need players ready to step in and replace him and Dante Moore is clearly that guy.”

It’s been a largely successful era of Notre Dame recruiting,

Nate Moller Writer

—

Sports

kinks and become the well-oiled machine we know them to be. For these reasons, again, Notre Dame should not underestimate Toledo.

Especially after seeing what happened in Florida, watch for the Rockets to come prepared to exploit these weaker aspects of the game. Despite this, I anticipate this game being a little easier on the Irish, and expect them to pull away by a larger margin, and wouldn’t be surprised if Drew Pyne or Tyler Buchner sees the field late in the second half.

Notre Dame 50, Toledo 21

Jimmy Ward — Associate Sports Editor The perfect cap to a Labor Day weekend of football proved to be a stressful affair for Irish fans.

They escaped Tallahassee with a win but it was surely not in a fashion that anyone was expecting. I think we can chalk this up to first-game jitters, playing in an atmosphere unlike anything they had experienced in the past year. Not to mention the fact that they were battling a team that was coming into that atmosphere at Doak Campbell Stadium honoring ’Noles legend Bobby Bowden, hungry for a win and looking to make a statement on national television.

I think this game against Toledo will provide this team an opportunity to showcase what they are capable of doing on their home turf, in an environment some players on the roster haven’t even had the chance to experience quite yet, in front of a rowdy, loud, excited crowd filling Notre Dame Stadium. The good things we saw surface in the thriller at Florida State will continue to pour over into this team’s play for the rest of the season, and this game against Toledo will be the first real preview we get of just how much this new roster can do. I expect the Irish to be too much for this Toledo team to handle and we

but recent struggles to retain top recruits and players on the roster could begin to affect these fantastic classes. Dante Moore could act as a stabilizer, as Notre Dame tries to stem the bleeding from yet another blow to their receiving corps.

With a lot of exciting talent

get an exciting home opener that sees the Irish run it up and extend their record-breaking home win streak.

Notre Dame 48, Toledo 13

Colin Capece — Assistant Managing Editor The Irish came away with a victory last week in Tallahassee and that’s really what matters, but they sure did everything they could have to blow their season opener in the second half. I predicted last week that the Irish would come out of the gate fast and bury Florida State later on, and they certainly looked the part with a perfect opening drive that included four pass plays and zero (zero!) run plays. But the Irish let Florida State claw their way back and erase an 18-point deficit before needing a missed field goal in overtime to squeeze out a victory on the road.

There’s a laundry list of things the Irish need to improve after Week 1, but the most glaring is the run defense. As Brian Kelly alluded to after the game, Notre Dame did not execute well at all and had missed tackles in both the backfield and the open field, which led to a handful of big plays for the Seminoles. The defense will have an opportunity to right the ship against Toledo at home, a team that the Irish should be able to dominate at the line of scrimmage. The offense also needs to continue with the aggressive play calling that Tommy Rees utilized from the jump because Jack Coan is clearly an offensive differencemaker. I expect him to throw early and often against the Rockets to put them on their heels before Kyren Williams finds his groove in the second quarter. The Irish are more talented in every facet of the game and should win this one handily.

Notre Dame 48, Toledo 7

entering South Bend, Notre Dame fans should be tracking the commitment status of Moore, because he could be a piece that ties things together for the Irish.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

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ndsmcobserver.com | friday, september 10, 2021 | The Observer

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SMC Soccer

Belles frustrate Aurora, prepared for Goshen Observer Sports Staff

Saint Mary’s soccer continued their hot start to the season with a 2-0 victory over the Aurora Spartans. Senior forward Rose Stackhouse notched two goals, and freshman goalkeeper Kara Stacey continued a dazzling start to her collegiate career with a three-save shutout. The Belles move to 3-0 on the season, outscoring opponents 7-2 on the year, ahead of a Friday night clash with Goshen.

For Saint Mary’s, the key has been defensive composure and efficient offense. On Wednesday, the Belles put six of their 11 shots on frame, converting two of them. Freshman forward Izzie Linus put a pair of shots on goal, while sophomore defender Caroline O’Keefe also created some offensive chances for Saint Mary’s. Linus put the early pressure on Aurora on Wednesday, forcing keeper Kelsey Deck into a pair of diving saves in the first ten minutes. However, it was only in the 18th minute that the Belles did get on the board.

Sophomore midfielder Lindsey Adent connected with senior midfielder Sophie Bubnar on a pass. Bubnar redirected it to Stackhouse who beat her defender and whistled a shot past Deck for the game’s first score.

Capece Continued from page 16

team. W ho wouldn’t be behind an offensive line that included three future NFL draft picks? The Tide ran the ball a whopping 45 times with behemoth Lacy toting the rock 20 times on his own.

Much of that was running out the clock, but the Alabama offense was still predicated on running the ball on early downs with the occasional play action thrown in. Brian Kelly, wanting to sit at the grownups’ table, adopted the same run-first philosophy, and he’s stuck with it for the last ten years. The problem is that it’s not 2013 anymore.

Alabama has adapted to become the air-raid, spreadem-out, throw-it-early and often offensive juggernaut necessary to win in today’s college football landscape, while the Notre Dame offense is still plowing it up the gut on first and second down.

Doerer Continued from page 3

chance for a game-w inning kick before, Doerer has proven to be a clutch option for the Irish in years past as well. In his junior season, Doerer made three field goals of over 40 yards

The Belles applied continuous pressure throughout the first half, limiting Aurora’s own chances while constantly creating their own. O’Keefe, Stackhouse, and junior forward Jillian Bowen linked up with some beautiful combination play but were thwarted by the Aurora backline. However, for all the near misses, it only took a few minutes of play in the second half for Saint Mary’s to finally extend their advantage.

This time, no combination play was needed, as Stackhouse received a free kick opportunity from about 20 yards out. The senior stepped up and fired a rocket into the upper 90 on the left side for her 26th career goal.

It moved her into a tie for fifth all-time in program history.

That advantage was more than enough for the Belles’ strong defense. The stingy effort was led by impressive work from freshman defender Syden Sharbek, sophomore defenders Emily Mikitka and Molly McMann and senior defensemen Lindsey Herdman and Becca Stella. On the rare occasion that shots got through, Stacey was there for the save, collecting the needed three for the shutout. It was the best performance of her young career, and she’ll look to continue the momentum versus

Goshen.

The Maple Leafs are far from an easy opponent, however.

They’ve run up a 3-1 record thus far in 2021, outscoring opponents 10-1. Both the Belles and Maple Leafs have been very solid on both sides of the ball, and Goshen provides a great measuring stick game for Saint Mary’s. They’ve scored with ease so far this season, getting four goals from Stackhouse, a pair from Bowen and one from Skarbek. The combination of seasoned veterans and young talent has made the Belles an exciting team to watch, and they’ll have to be on point against Goshen. The Maple Leafs have had seven different players notch goals in 2021, so the attack will come from all sides.

Paige Renshaw, Amy Drew and Beatriz Meneghin all have two goals apiece. Defensively, opponents have mustered just 2.5 shots per game on Goshen, with Makiah McCain saving nine of her ten opportunities.

Excitement should be building around the hot start of this Belles’ soccer team — and they’ll get a chance to live up to some of the hype with a primetime home clash against a dangerous opponent under Friday night lights. Kickoff is at 7 pm at Purcell Athletic Fields.

Belles senior forward Rose Stackhouse squares off with a defender during Saint Mary’s 2-1 loss to Anderson on Sept. 4, 2019 at home.

The Irish pulled out the victory in overtime against Florida State on Sunday, but I sure hope Kelly realizes the one guy he shouldn’t execute is Jack Coan. In his first start, he silenced anyone who labeled him as just another game manager and showed he can be the gunslinger Irish fans have been waiting for.

Coan needs to be the focal point of the Notre Dame offense if the Irish even stand a chance of competing with college football’s elite. There are two major reasons why I feel this way. First, he proved on Sunday that he’s actually really good, something that even Kelly himself may have been unsure about heading into the season opener.

He torched the Florida State defense for 366 yards and 4 touchdowns in a brilliant performance that made him look like the second coming of All-American quarterback Joe Montana. He can make throws to all three levels of

the field, something that Ian Book struggled with at times last season. He brings an element to the Notre Dame offense that simply didn’t exist before Sunday night. Coan wasn’t asked to do much more than hand the ball off at Wisconsin in Paul Chryst’s ground and pound system, and he looked like he was finally having some fun out there Sunday night. Every time the camera panned to him on the phone with Tommy Rees, you could almost see him thanking his offensive coordinator for letting him sling the rock. It’s very clear that Coan is not only a reliable bridge to fivestar recruit Tyler Buchner, but is instead a game-changer in his own right.

Second, allowing Coan to throw early and often will make stud running backs Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree even more dangerous.

We know that Williams is capable of having another monster season, and that Chris

Tyree can have a much-improved season as compared to last year. But that will only happen if both players still have their legs underneath them. The Irish can now give their main guys a breather on first and second down so they still have enough left in the tank in the fourth quarter. Letting Coan cook defenses with his downfield passing ability will also help open up more running lanes.

If defenses have to respect the pass, they can’t stack the box to stuff Williams and Tyree at the line of scrimmage. With more room to operate, both backs are talented enough to absolutely feast on opposing defenses.

The athleticism and shiftiness the two possess will be a nightmare for cornerbacks and safeties in the open field.

A pass-first offense will actually make the run more effective as compared to running to set up the pass like the Irish have traditionally done under Kelly.

Brian Kelly was probably sweating bullets when Tommy Rees started the game with four straight pass plays and didn’t run the ball once. Florida State seemed to be doing the same when they let Michael Mayer waltz untouched over 50 yards of green grass into the end zone for an opening drive score.

Unfortunately, Kelly reverted back to his old ways and tried to run the Seminoles into submission as soon as the Irish took the lead, which of course let the home team back into the game and prompted me to try and throw a folding chair through my wall. If the Irish are going to compete for a playoff spot again, Kelly needs to trust his veteran quarterback to throw the damn ball. Gone are the days where the Irish need to be a run first team, and Jack Coan will prove they’re better off for it.

to lead the Irish to v ictor y against USC. A lso, in last year’s v ictor y over first-ranked Clemson, Doerer made four field goals to ensure an eventual Irish v ictor y.

Doerer and the Irish have their eyes set on the home opener this Saturday against Toledo.

Doerer emphasized the importance of taking care of himself and resting up for Saturday, especially w ithout an extra day of rest due to the Sunday game.

“We have to take care of ourselves. That’s the biggest thing this week. It’s the same t y pe of week of

practice. But w ithout that extra recover y day, we have to spend more time off the field taking care of ourselves,” Doerer said.

A lthough it is likely that Doerer w ill not face a game-w inning situation again this season, the Irish w ill definitely rely on their veteran kicker to make

some kicks in high-pressure situations going forward. Doerer has proven in his career that no stage has been too big for him, and he w ill certainly be ready for any situation he faces.

Observer File Photo

Contact Colin Capece at ccapece@nd.edu

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

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The observer | friday, september 10, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Column

ND Men’s Soccer

Welcome to the Coan Zone Colin Capece Assistant Managing Editor

If you’ve watched Notre Dame football for long enough, you probably remember the last Irish national championship game appearance back in 2013.

Actually, you probably don’t remember it because you stopped watching after A labama scored three times in the first 15 minutes. That game had a little bit of ever y thing for the Crimson Tide. Now NFL journey man A.J. McCarron threw for four touchdow ns, NFL bust Eddie Lacy ran for two scores, and the Tide defense got in on the action w ith an interception by Ha Ha Clinton Dix. Heck, play-by-play guy Brent Musburger got so bored he started romanticizing about McCarron’s girlfriend in the stands, prompting ESPN to issue an apologetic statement the next day.

To be fair, that game was probably over for the Irish

Notre Dame prepares to take on Boston College

before it started thanks to the Manti Te’o catfishing scandal. The guy who really got catfished, though, was Brian Kelly. After he watched his team get obliterated at the line of scrimmage by A labama’s unstoppable defensive line, the Irish head coach made it his goal to transform the Irish offensive line from the starting gates at the Kentuck y Derby into a certified brick wall. Over the last decade, Kelly has built his teams to the standard of the A labama team that rolled him in Miami, priding himself on finding players that embrace physicalit y and toughness. And boy has he succeeded, because the Irish sure don’t get pushed around any more.

Year in and year out, Notre Dame dominates people in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

How exactly did Kelly get catfished then? Well, back in 2013 A labama was a run-first see CAPECE PAGE 15

Observer Sports Staff

GABRIELLA PENNA | The Observer

Irish freshman defender Josh Ramsey goes up for a header during Notre Dame’s 2-0 win over NIU on Aug. 30 at Alumni Stadium.

Football

This Friday Notre Dame men’s soccer will kick off their conference schedule when they travel to Chestnut Hill, MA to take on the Boston College Eagles.

Notre Dame will enter on the back of an up and down out of conference schedule that saw the Irish fall to two nationally ranked opponents in Indiana and Kentucky, but also beat in-state rival Butler. The team’s two losses are a far cry from the mark of a poor team, however, as the Indiana loss only came after a late penalty sent the match to extra time and a stone cold winner shocked the Irish on home turf. The Kentucky match was equally hardfought, with Notre Dame only conceding the winner on a long throw in late on in a rowdy away environment.

Jack Lynn has led the way so far for the Irish, as the senior forward has contributed see M SOCCER PAGE 14

ND Women’s Soccer| nd 8, Detroit Mercy 0

Staff predictions: Toledo Rockets 2021 home opener Aidan Thomas — Sports Writer

Irish steam past Detroit Mercy Observer Sports Staff

Three days later and my heart rate still hasn’t really recovered from Sunday night. That game was closer than I ever wanted it to be, but I took more positives than negatives from the performance.

The passing offense was far better than expected, the play calling actually had some creativity at times and the defense forced three turnovers. Jonathan Doerer was 7-7 on kick attempts, including the gamewinner. There were struggles on the new-look offensive line, which led to struggles in the run game.

And there were questionable play calls from Marcus Freeman after what had been a very solid defense for three quarters, sans a couple of big plays.

But the Irish are 1-0 and that’s what matters. They’ve got two must-wins heading into a brutal five-game stretch that will really determine their season. First up is Toledo. No offense to the Rockets, but Notre Dame will not measure

NATHANIAL GEORGE | The Observer

see PREDICTIONS PAGE 14

Irish junior defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey runs down the field with the ball during Notre Dame’s 41-38 win over FSU last Sunday.

Thursday night Notre Dame women’s soccer recorded their biggest w in of the season, as they pounded the Detroit Mercy Titans 8-0 under the lights at A lumni Stadium.

The goal fest started early in front of the home crowd of 250, as senior midfielder and South Bend native Brooke VanDyck fired the Irish in front after just t wo minutes of play. Graduate student midfielder Sammi Fisher would then make the scoreline 3-0 w ith a quickfire brace, before junior midfielder Maddie Mercado and junior for ward Kiki Van Zaten each added a goal of their ow n (each’s first on the season) to give Notre Dame a comfortable 5-0 lead heading into halftime.

Things didn’t improve for Detroit Mercy after the break. It took just five minutes for freshman Korbin

A lbert to add her name to the scorers column, and just a minute and t went y six seconds later she doubled up to make it 7-0. Maddie Mercado would then grab a brace of her ow n to cap off a high f ly ing night for the Irish offense. A last second buzzerbeater attempt on net nearly made it nine goals for the home side, but the referees ruled that the shot crossed the line just after the final whistle.

Ashley Naylor, who made her first ever start for the blue and gold in net on the night, didn’t have much action to handle in a game where the Irish defense kept Detroit comfortably at arms length, but the sophomore goalie did chip in a couple solid saves to ensure the clean sheet was maintained.

The w in comes as a key momentum boost for Notre Dame, who saw their see W SOCCER PAGE 14

Insider Whenever he is on the field, the Irish will need to account for his passing and running ability, which could prove to be difficult. In addition to Finn, the Rockets have two capable backs in Bryant Koback and Micah Kelly, who both had over 40 yards rushing in Toledo’s week one victory. The Irish run defense looked lackluster at times against Florida State, and they ultimately gave up over 250 yards on the ground. The Irish have no depth at linebacker and key veteran players on the defensive line need to play better going forward as well. There were too many missed tackles on Sunday for the Irish and they will need to clean that

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, September 10, 2021 | The Observer

up. At this point, it’s too hard to tell who has the advantage.

EDGE: Even Toledo Offensive Coaching As coach of the quarterback room and offensive coordinator for the Rockets, Brian Wright may have the perfect weapon in his quarterback tandem to shake the Irish defense. If he was watching closely enough, he could easily use the pair to find gaps in the Notre Dame defense. Marcus Freeman has more knowledge than that. As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you, but fool me twice… Freeman should have the Irish ready for both quarterback styles after last week’s brief but costly

falter when Mackenzie Milton took the field. A change-up at any moment should be no problem this week especially since Wright has a slightly weaker tandem to work with.

If it is a problem, then shame on the Irish.

EDGE: Notre Dame Toledo Offensive Special Teams The Rockets have a young and unproven group of kickers. Sophomore placekicker Thomas Cluckey went 11-12 on extra points last season and he is already a perfect 7-7 this year. Fellow sophomore placekicker Evan Davis went a perfect 11-11 last year but has not gotten the chance to

kick any field goals this season. Senior punter Bailey Flint serves as the veteran anchor for the kicking squad.

The Melbourne, Australia native was a nominee for the Ray Guy Award in 2020 and 2021, given annually to the nation’s top punter. However, with Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree leading the charge with punt and kickoff returns, the Rockets special teams squad will have their work cut out for them.

EDGE: Notre Dame TOLEDO SCHEDULE (1-0) Sept. 4 Norfolk State (W 49-10) Sept. 11 @ Notre Dame Sept. 18 Colorado State Sept. 25 @ Ball State

5

Oct. 2 @ UMass Oct. 9 Northern Illinois Oct. 16 @ Central Michigan Oct. 23 Western Michigan Nov. 2 Eastern Michigan Nov. 10 @ Bowling Green Nov. 16 @Ohio Nov. 27 Akron

IRISH SCHEDULE (1-0) Sept. 5@Florida State (W 41-38) Sept. 11 Toledo Sept. 18 Purdue Sept. 25 Wisconsin Oct. 2 Cincinatti Oct. 9 @ Virginia Tech Oct. 23 USC Oct. 30 North Carolina Nov. 6 Navy Nov. 13 @ Virginia Nov. 20 Georgia Tech Nov. 27 @Stanford

Rockets look to QB and special teams on road

By MANNION McGINLEY Sports Editor

Notre Dame’s home opener this weekend will already be one for the history books, and the Toledo Rockets have barely set foot in South Bend yet.

This is the first time in well over a year that Notre Dame Stadium will be at full capacity. It’s the sixth time Notre Dame will host a MidAmerican Conference team (5-0). All six of those matchups have occurred in head coach Brian Kelly’s tenure.

Additionally, Saturday will mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11, so emotions will already be running high across the country.

Toledo head coach Jason Candle captured the weight of all three of those pieces when he first discussed the game this week.

“Obviously this game [is on] the 20th anniversary of 9/11,

the worst event in our country’s history, and the first [regular home] Notre Dame football game in a long time,” Candle said. “This is a big deal not only for Notre Dame fans but Toledo fans and fans of college football. We’re looking forward to going out and playing a great football team and giving it our best shot.”

The Rockets are fresh off a 49-10 win over the Norfolk State Spartans. They scored two touchdowns in each of the first three quarters and a seventh in the fourth. They are ready to make an appearance and a name for themselves.

“It’s going to be a great experience, but we’re not going for a great experience,” Candle said. “We want to go win the football game and do the best job we can to try and make the plays necessary to go win the game.”

Kelly and the Irish aren’t taking this game lightly either,

especially as the Rockets are coming in with one more day of rest than the Irish — a fact that has also been on Kelly’s mind.

“We’re playing a really good football team in Toledo.” Kelly said, “In my estimation after watching some of their film, this is probably the finest MAC team that we’ve brought into the stadium since I’ve been here.”

The Irish defense and their coordinator Marcus Freeman have to be prepared for another quarterback duo in sophomore Carter Bradley and redshirt freshman Dequan Finn; especially after Milton’s presence threw a wrench in the back half of Sunday’s game.

While the Irish offense expects to use this game to work out the kinks in the run game, they’ll also have to be on high alert for the Rockets defense both on special teams and in

regular play.

Freshman Rocket safety Maxen Hook, a native Hoosier, was a major factor in Toledo’s defensive special teams performance. He returned the first blocked punt 25 yards to put Toledo up 14-0 midway through the first quarter.

Hook then blocked a punt on his own that redshirt freshman running back Jacquez Stuart returned 14 yards to make it 21-7.

And while the Rockets have faced Goliaths before and won, (Michigan, Penn State, Arkansas and Pittsburgh) they know this week is nothing like last week. But, they’ll still bring their A game and intend to do all the math they can to ride Week 1’s upset wave.

“Obviously, this week is a whole different animal,” Candle said. “I’m grateful and honored to go play a topfive program and one that’s

historically been at the top of college football for decades.

It’ll be an awesome experience for our young people and one we’re looking forward to very much.”

“This is what every young man wants to be a part of,” he continued. “College football’s pageantry is back, the stands are full, the bands are there, the cheerleaders are there, reporters are there, everybody’s tweeting, everybody’s talking, it’s back to normal.

Let’s go have fun with it and go play as hard as you possibly can, stay disciplined and have that emotional intelligence we were talking about, and let’s see how the chips fall.”

Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The game will stream exclusively on Peacock from Notre Dame Stadium.

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

Isaiah Foskey ready to lead on Irish defense

By EMILY DeFAZIO Associate Sports Editor

Though the defense did not perform at their normal level, junior Isaiah Foskey posted a breakout performance in the Irish’s matchup against FSU on Sunday. His eight tackles and two sacks made him a force to be reckoned with on the field, demonstrating his versatility as a player. Foskey said that he believes himself to be multifaceted in the coverage and rushing aspects of the game, and he is excited about his changing role this season. For Foskey, with these changes at hand, it is all about the mindset going forward.

“I’m way more comfortable than I was,” Foskey said of the new dynamic. “I was more concerned with covering, but now I’m excited when I see a tight end and I’m about to cover it. I already know I can stick with it,

put my hands on him and stay with him.”

With this change of pace under Marcus Freeman comes the added role of linebacker for Foskey. The defensive line underwent significant alterations this season; key players like Daelin Hayes and Ade Ogundeji took their leave from the program, creating spaces for new players to fill, Foskey included.

The junior said that though he has never played the position of linebacker before, he thinks he did well in his first showing, attributing his comfort level to the countless repetitions performed in practice.

“I can just see it and react off of it,” he said. This added aspect of his game only increases his potential on the field. With the ability to shift gears, the possibilities of Foskey making integral plays rises substantially.

“I can cover now,” Foskey said. “I do a lot more covering,

and I rush a lot, and I’m usually in on third down, so I always have my opportunities to rush the quarterback.”

These rushes proved successful on Sunday, as Foskey had two of the five sacks that night.

He described the game as moving slowly for him, allowing him to see the openings he needed to make these important plays.

He knows that the rest of the defensive line will cover him when he acts on this, noting that someone is going to be free to help. This is a testament to the capacity of the defense on a whole. Foskey said that they take advantage of this, jointly playing off of the confusion of the opposing offense at the several different fronts the Irish can pose.

“It was a great collective win that we put on,” Foskey said. “It wasn’t just me who had a great game.”

Moving onto the rest of the

season, Foskey continues to attribute the success of the team to the shared and individual mentalities of the players.

Especially for the defense, who are looking to get back to how they are used to playing, a positive and determined mindset will be essential in the coming months.

The team has a quicker turnaround than usual this week, as they lost an extra day of practice due to the game being played on Sunday. Foskey said it is all about pushing through everything and focusing on the task at hand.

“Soreness always goes away,” he said. “I feel like we are all physically ready to play, and mentally it’s all just something that we all just have to set our minds to. But I feel like we’re going to get progressively to that.”

mind already has a sole focus: Saturday’s game.

“We’re just moving forward from Florida State right now, just focusing on Toledo and trying to dominate Toledo right now,” he said.

That is the mentality of the season: to dominate every game. For this weekend, Toledo’s offensive line and left tackle will prove formidable opponents for the Irish defense, but Foskey is excited about the challenge and the opportunity to go up against them. He is seeking to take the experience against FSU and use it as fuel to elevate their performances even higher against their next rival.

“We have the same mindset, doing the same stuff, just doing it even better right now,” he said.

With the match against Toledo on the horizon, Foskey’s

Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu

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