Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, September 25, 2020

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Volume 55, Issue 16 | Friday, september 25, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Groups urge voting ND athletics, ND Votes partner to register student athletes By ELIZABETH PRATER News Writer

Notre Dame athletics is collaborating with ND Votes and other organizations to register 100% of Notre Dame athletes to vote in the upcoming presidential election. ND Votes is a nonpartisan campaign — part of the Center for Social Concerns and sponsored by the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy and the Constitutional Studies minor. Under the direction of cochairs Rachel Sabnani and Michael Marotta, ND Votes teamed up with Notre Dame athletics to participate in a voting initiative to raise civic engagement amongst Notre Dame athletes. Sabnani explained the unique purpose of the

organization. “We’re not like a typical student club,” Sabnani said. “We run as a task force that’s made up of representatives from every dorm and a lot of political issue-focused clubs on campus.” Before ND Votes got involved, the athletic department’s voting initiative was catalyzed by the women’s basketball team in partnership with Howard, the historically Black university that Notre Dame will play in January. “Both teams came together and they’re having a voter registration competition through When We All Vote, the nonprofit website they’ve been using,” Rachel Sabnani said. “Then, Coach McGraw reached out to us and we were registering teams.” ND Votes has also been

Dorms aim to grow community

collaborating with Student Welfare and Development to organize Zoom meetings to get all the teams on campus registered. “There are 11 teams registered to vote and 446 student athletes currently,” Sabnani said. BridgeND co-president Gregory Miller said he admires the efforts of Notre Dame athletics and ND Votes in creating the voting initiative. However, he said that he believes there are further challenges. “It’s one thing to get people to register to vote, now the challenge is getting people to vote,” he said. “And then the further challenge is getting people to vote with an informed vote.” Miller also believes Notre see VOTING PAGE 5

By DARIA KUDRIAVTSEVA News Writer

While COVID-19 has limited the variety of activities dorms can host, halls are trying to keep their traditions and allow the students to immerse themselves in the dorm life in safer and socially distant ways. Sophomore Danny Brennan, a resident of Fischer Hall, reflected

news PAGE 3

on the pandemic as an opportunity for dorms to be more creative about planning events. “It’s definitely been tough so far,” Brennan said. “With all the restrictions, what we’ve traditionally done is a lot of barbecues and a lot of outdoor events with the dorm community, trying to tie people together in that way. see DORMS PAGE 5

viewpoint PAGE 7

The 2021 spring semester will begin Wednesday, Feb. 3 with classes ending Tuesday, May 11, University President Fr. John Jenkins announced in a Wednesday morning email. Reading days will occur May 12, 13 and 16 — Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday — with final examinations May 14, 15 and 17 through 19 — Friday, Saturday and Monday through Wednesday. Commencement weekend will be held May 22 and 23. Classes will not be held on Good Friday, April 2, and students will be offered ways to celebrate Easter on campus, the email said. Jenkins said the start date

was pushed back due to concerns over the virus and its effects during the winter months. “The cold temperatures of winter will not allow us to use outdoor spaces as we have so far this fall, and the winter months are also the peak for seasonal f lu in this region,” he said in the email. “Consequently, … we have decided to shift the dates for the second semester of the 2020-21 academic year to lessen our time on campus during these winter months.” The new schedule gives the University a 10-week break period. “We are calling this break the Winter Session of the see SEMESTER PAGE 5

Saint Mary’s will be hosting an outdoor Flu Fest and Blood Drive on Sunday at the lacrosse fields from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Though students can no longer reserve a shot, walk-ins are still accepted. The College is incentivizing students to attend with free food, games and prizes. A Wednesday email from Cynthia Horton-Cavanaugh, the interim director of Health and Counseling, said more than 500 students signed up to get their flu shot at the Fest. “All Saint Mary’s students who attend classes on campus are strongly encouraged to take part in this event,” she said in the email. “Bring your insurance card and we can bill your insurance for you. Otherwise we will bill the $20 vaccination fee to your student account. If you do not have insurance, the flu shot will be covered by the Emergency Fund.”

Katie Knisely, assistant athletic trainer and healthcare administrator at Saint Mary’s, noted the importance of receiving a flu shot this year. “Now since the temperature is starting to drop, people will most likely be spending extra time inside of buildings in a confined area with more people and at a greater risk of exposure,” she said. This year’s vaccination has been designed to fight against four different flu viruses, an email from the College said. Knisley said the flu shot can lower one’s risk of getting the flu or other related infections. “Getting the flu shot could help decrease the chances of getting the flu and help prevent co-infections,” she said. Saint Mary’s is working to make the flu vaccine easily accessible through the fest, Knisley said, and The Observer has found many students are planning on attending Sunday’s Flu Fest. Sophomore Kathleen McLeod said she is getting a

shot to protect her family and friends from getting sick. “The decision to get [my flu shot] this year was a no brainer,” she said. “I would never want to be responsible for giving the flu to a friend or family member and get them really sick.” Senior JoAnna Keilman said she wants to maintain her health during the pandemic. “Honestly, I have not gotten my flu shot since I have been in college, and it did not affect me until I got the flu in February,” she said. “I want to take every precaution to stay healthy during this time, especially so we can stay on campus.” Sophomore Lauren Lambros said bringing any virus home is not an option. “My mom has a compromised immune system, so getting vaccinated has always been super important to me just to protect not only my own immune system but hers as

scene PAGE 9

FOOTBALL PAGE 16

ND MEN’S SOCCER PAGE 16

News Writer

Duncan Hall hosted an outdoor yoga class in lieu of a traditional SYR. This is one tradition they have adapted due to the pandemic.

Observer Staff Report

College to host Flu Fest, offers vaccination By PAIGE MADDEN

Courtesy of Jason Wannamaker

Spring semester dates announced

see FLU FEST PAGE 5

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TODAY

The observer | Friday, september 25, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

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What is your dream travel location?

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freshman Walsh Family Hall

“Patagonia.”

“Barcelona, Spain.”

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freshman Morrisey Manor

junior Panborn Hall

“Madagascar.”

“Rome.”

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Meredith Heller

Hope Yuan

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freshman Howard Hall

freshman Howard Hall

“Bali.”

“Iceland.”

Editor-in-Chief Maria Leontaras Managing Editor Mariah Rush Asst. Managing Editor: Maeve Filbin Asst. Managing Editor: Claire Rafford Asst. Managing Editor: Sara Schlecht Notre Dame News Editor: Serena Zacharias Saint Mary’s News Editor: Mia Marroquin Viewpoint Editor: Nelisha Silva Sports Editor: Hayden Adams Scene Editor: Ryan Israel Photo Editor: Allison Thornton Graphics Editor: Diane Park Social Media Editor: Ellie Dombrowski Advertising Manager: Landry Kempf Ad Design Manager: Gabby Hong Systems Administrator: Stephen Hannon Talent & Inclusion Manager: Nola Wallace Office Manager & General Info

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webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of either institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Maria Leontaras. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077

Today’s Staff News

Sports

Genevieve Coleman Mia Marroquin

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Students discuss social security and other job benefits during a Bridge ND club meeting. Student groups and organizations have been able to continue their regular proceedings with additional precautions and attendance regulations given the situation.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Seminar virtual 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Hear about the pandemic’s impact on education in Brazil

Reconciliation Sacred Heart Crypt 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Everyone is welcome to partake in Holy Reconciliation.

The Big Draw virtual 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sketch works of art from Snite Museum of Art Collections.

Conversation virtual 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Conversation on racial justice and the upcoming election.

Virtual Lecture virtual 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. A discussion on social media, democracy and dangerous speech.

Lecture: “Flint” virtual 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Lecture led by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha. Register online.

Academic Conference: “Art, Desire, and God” virtual all day Register online.

Mass in Spanish Basilica of the Sacred Heart 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

SAB Bonfire outside of Le Mans 7 p.m. Join Student Activities Board for snacks and activities.

Guest Speaker Zoom 6 p.m.- 7 p.m. A discussion with alumnus John Beckham.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, september 25, 2020 | The Observer

3

Notre Dame hosts 1st ever music festival, ‘Rock’n in the House that Rockne Built’ By ISABELLA VOLMERT Associate News Editor

Over 500 student vocalists and musicians are about to be “Rock’n the House that Rockne built,” which is the slogan for the first ever Notre Dame Music Festival to be held Thursday night in Notre Dame Stadium. Twelve campus music groups w ill perform from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Gate E opens at 6:30 p.m and all tri-campus students are inv ited to enjoy the performances and free food trucks. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets to sit on the football field. Only students w ill be allowed into the stadium; however, the entire event be livestreamed. Office of V P-Universit y relations associate v ice president Jim Small said the event grew out of the concern that student performance groups would

not have the opportunit y to perform in front of live audiences this semester. “Opening up Notre Dame Stadium for this event gave us the platform for the groups to perform in front of a crowd,” Small said in an email. “And then w ith the capabilities of ND Studios, we’re able to broadcast this live to the Notre Dame family, all over the world. Ever yone w ins.” The music festival is a collaborative effort bet ween the Student Activ ities Office (SAO), the Div ision for Student Affairs and Universit y Relations. To safeguard against the v irus, all performers w ill wear masks and be physically distanced. The Notre Dame Glee Club, the all male a capella ensemble, w ill open the festival. President and senior Philip Lally said the group has been able to rehearse this semester w ith masks

and distancing outside. The Glee Club w ill sing from their classic game day repertoire of Notre Dame fight songs and Irish tunes. “It’s really fun to rehearse, but it’s so much more to share what we have rehearsed w ith people who haven’t heard us yet, and to perform in front of a live audience,” he said. Lally said the club was not sure they were going to perform at all this year, and Thursday’s event w ill be the first time for the club’s new members. “It’s a blessing and an absolute joy,” Lally said. The Notre Dame Drumline w ill then take the stage, where they w ill lead the crowd in fight songs, cadences and cheers. “Especially w ith all the things we’ve heard from other schools, I’m so blessed to perform w ith the drummer family,” senior and drumline section

leader Audrey Femrite said. The group plans to hy pe up the crowd, just as they do on game days. “We’ll jam out,” Femrite said. Later in the evening, Notre Dame Chorale w ill perform a medley of its arrangements including ancient Irish folk songs and “Hike, Notre Dame,” among others. Chorale is the official concert choir of Notre Dame. The co-ed group of around 60 members perform classics from the Renaissance to the present. “This w ill be Chorale’s first live performance since the pandemic shut dow n the Universit y last spring,” Chorale director A lexander Blachly said in an email. “We plan to make recordings later in the fall, but no live performances aside from the Music Festival are on the horizon.” Closing the concert w ill be

the Notre Dame Sy mphony Orchestra. Director Daniel Stowe said the group w ill be play ing “a few lighter classical pieces,” including selections from Carmen and Brahms. The orchestra and many other musical groups have been rehearsing in a tent by DeBartolo Performing A rts Center all semester. “The Festival event is our first concert of the term,” Stowe said in an email. The group plans on hosting an outdoor concert on the Irish Green next Saturday. Other groups performing throughout the night include the a capella groups and choirs Halftime, the Echoes, the Undertones, Notre Dame Folk Choir, Voices of Faith, Notre Dame Magnificat Choir, Notre Dame Liturgical Choir and the Gold & Blue Company. see MUSIC FEST PAGE 5

Senior Dillon Hall senator resigns from post ahead of impeding impeachment proceedings Observer Staff Report

Senior Michael Dugan, who serves as Dillon Hall’s senator, has resigned from his student government position effective 6 p.m. Thursday, at the start of the senate meeting scheduled to take place at the same time. (Editor’s Note: Dugan is a former News Writer and Systems Administrator at The Observer.)

The decision to step down comes amid controversy sparked by a Letter to the Editor sent by Dillon officials — including Dugan — in which they criticized the delay to hear a piece of legislation that would prevent Student Union organizations from utilizing funds in companies that profit from prison labor. According to the Student Union Ethics Commission’s

recommendation letter sent to Dugan, the Commission unanimously found him to be in violation of three expectations of ethical conduct, including showing “disregard for the authority of the Student Union,” injuring “the good name of the Student Union” and undertaking actions that are “deemed unbecoming by the Senate.” The closed door

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ethics allegation hearing took place Tuesday at 9:45 p.m. over Zoom. After reviewing such violations, the Ethics Commission moved to “unanimously recommend that a Bill of Impeachment be brought before the student senate,” according to a letter acquired by The Observer. The Ethics Commission is chaired by Judicial Council

President, junior Matthew Bisner, and comprised of “randomly selected members” of Student Union organizations, according to the Judicial Council’s website. This academic year’s members include Thomas Davis, Student Union parliamentarian; Curt Gouldin, Hall President’s Council co-chair; Mariah Horvath, Junior Class Council; Koryn Isa, FirstYear Class Council; Sara Kirsch, Breen-Phillips Hall senator; Kyle McAvoy, Sophomore Class Council; Kate McLauglin, Student Union Board; Ryan Mullin, Senior Class Council; and Nick Poole, Club Coordination Council. As stated in the Student Constitution, whenever the Ethics Commission finds a senator’s misconduct merits removal, a Bill of Impeachment is brought before the senate’s next meeting. A majority vote in this student government branch accounts for impeachment. If this is achieved, a hearing is subsequently conducted. Facing this situation, Dugan sent an email to the Judicial Council expressing his intention to resign at the start of Thursday’s meeting. “I believe that my fighting the [Bill of Impeachment] would be disrespectful to the time of the other members of the senate,” Dugan wrote in the email acquired by The Observer. “I believe, since these allegations have been brought against see RESIGNATION PAGE 4

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NEWS

The observer | Friday, september 25, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Notre Dame admissions adapts to cater to prospective students virtually amid pandemic By ISABELLA LAUFENBERG News Writer

Following campus-wide restrictions on outside visitors due to COV ID-19, the Notre Dame admissions office has had to shift to an online platform when connecting with prospective students and families. Director of undergraduate admissions, Christy Pratt, said that these online changes are necessar y for the health and safety of the campus. “As much as we would love to be able to meet with our [prospective] families in person, the health and safety of our students and faculty and staff are what’s really important right now,” Pratt said. Pratt detailed the expansive online programs that her staff has implemented, including virtual preview days. “Our team has had to quick ly pivot to providing lots of opportunities to be able to connect with our students and families in a

Resignation Continued from page 3

me in that capacity, that this would make the issue moot, and it would allow the senate to continue pursuing its agenda unimpeded by impeachment proceedings.” According to the email, Dugan “firmly disagrees” with the Ethics Commission’s recommendations and said that removal from office was unwarranted given the situation. Moreover, the senator expressed concerns about the consequences the decision could invoke within student government, particularly surrounding the lack of free speech protections in the Student Constitution. “The decision is sure to have a chilling effect on free speech, and other senators who wish to speak out and contest the actions of the Chair of Senate may find themselves backed into a corner,” Dugan wrote. “I strongly recommend that [a free speech] clause be added to the Constitution in the future, so as to limit sorts of liability for speaking truthfully in a manner that does not breach confidentiality requirements.” So, what happened in the Senate? During the Sept. 17 meeting, members of the senate discussed three different pieces of legislation: an order to make $10,000 available from the Student Union COVID-19

virtual online platform,” Pratt said. “We did a whole series in July called virtual preview days that really focused on the college search process and gave some great different videos on ever ything from how to write an essay to what does it mean to be looking at a Catholic institution.” Pratt also explained that Notre Dame admissions officers are now doing high school visits, college fairs and information sessions online. According to Pratt, the admissions office now offers virtual tours of the campus. “We have not been able to do in-person tours since the University closed back in March,” Pratt explained. “We have a short video that is actually narrated by one of our current tour guides by plays on YouTube so students can see it on demand.” A long with the virtual tour in the form of an online video, Pratt said that the admissions office is now giving an online interactive tour. “We also have

integrated a virtual interactive tour that students can sign up for through our office,” Pratt said. “[It is] narrated by a current tour guide, and then at the end of showing those pictures, then the tour guide is available via chat to be able to answer those questions.” Along with the admissions directors, the jobs of the student tour guides have changed following the COV ID-19 restrictions as well. “We are still employing our student tour guides; they’re just shifting to an online platform,” Pratt said. The student tour guides are now involved in answering questions from the online chat feature on the admissions website and online information sessions. In addition, the admissions office started a new student-led panel, called Live at ND. “The student tour guides talk about their personal experiences at Notre Dame: why were they involved in their majors and what

they’ve done,” Pratt said. “And then [Live at ND] also provides that opportunity to take questions from the audience virtually.” Possibly the biggest chance to University admissions this year has been moving to a test optional approach. Pratt said Notre Dame is test optional this year for first year and transfer students with the possibility of continuing to be test optional in future years. “In the late spring, Notre Dame joined over 1,400 colleges and universities have been test optional,” Pratt said. “We are doing a pilot one year with opportunity for future expansion of that.” Pratt assures omitting test scores from an application will not negatively affect a student’s application. “There’s absolutely no penalization whatsoever,” Pratt said. “We have been actually having the test optional question in admissions for several years, because we were finding

that it was playing less and less of a factor in our decision-making process.” Pratt further explained that their admissions decision process is holistic, meaning that they look at the whole application and not one part is most important. “We always start with a student’s transcript and that academic preparation for Notre Dame, we look at the rigor of their program, we look at the grades achieved on them,” Pratt explained. “That provides the foundation and then we look at the entire application holistically.” As for any anticipated changes in application numbers this year, Pratt says time will tell. “We have not made adjustments to our application plans or our admissions deadlines, those are remaining the same,” Pratt said. “We will see how that plays out.”

Response Financial Account, another order to suspend latecomer elections and an order proposing an amendment to the Constitution replacing the Executive Programming Board with the Executive Committee. According to emails obtained by The Observer, Dugan submitted a resolution entitled Order Amending the Constitution to Prohibit Student Union Investments in and Consumption of Forced and Prison Labor on Monday at 2:40 p.m. to be included in the senate agenda. Senior Sarah Galbenski, student body vice president and chairwoman of the senate, informed Dugan that his resolution would not be included in this week’s senate agenda because it was submitted after the Sunday evening deadline, and the meeting was already at capacity with three other orders to discuss and an additional presentation. Dugan pushed back in an email response urging Galbenski to reconsider. “I have a large concern about delaying this, as delaying this would continue to leave the Student Union without a concrete policy on profiting from forced labor and prison labor,” Dugan wrote in an email provided to the Observer. “I believe that this is a significant and weighty moral issue and that we have a moral obligation to swiftly take action to correct this.” He cited Article III, Section 4(g) of the Student Union Constitution which reads, “Any

member of the Senate, nonvoting or voting, shall possess the right of agenda.” Galbenski agreed with the significance of the issue in an email, but cited her right as chairwoman to “set the agenda in alignment with what constitutes efficient and effective operation of the Senate.” When asked for comment, Galbenski said she could only confirm Dugan’s resignation. Dugan, along with Dillon Hall representatives, then wrote a Letter to the Editor describing Dugan’s intent to include the Order Amending the Constitution to Prohibit Student Union Investments in and Consumption of Forced and Prison Labor in the agenda to no avail. The order was spearheaded by Dugan and Club Coordination Council President, senior Ricardo Pozas Garza. “Alas, this Thursday, the senate will not see this order for debate. Why? Because student body vice president Sarah Galbenski, who serves as the ex officio chair of the student senate, is refusing to allow the senate to hear this piece of legislation then,” Dugan wrote in the Letter to The Observer, titled, “Student government must not punt on addressing prison labor.” However, other student government officials — including senators, sophomores Grace Franco, Margaret Allen, Michael J. Murakami, Patrick O. Lee, Henry Jackson and Sara

Kirsch, and class presidents, sophomore Renee Pierson and senior Sam Cannova — saw this as a direct affront to Galbenski, and sent a Letter to the Editor as well. “This letter, written by members of the Dillon Hall Council, was both misleading and inflammatory,” the officials wrote. “The senate attacks issues, not people.” “Today we, members of the student senate, want to set the record straight,” the letter said. The letter asserted Galbenski was not attempting to pick and choose bills to debate, rather, “the meeting was simply full,” something the student body vice president conveyed to Dugan in an email. Nevertheless, Dugan expressed that Galbenski’s justification of having the right “to set the agenda in alignment with what constitutes efficient and effective operation of the senate in [her] judgement,” as the senator wrote in the letter, was problematic. “This holding would allow for the student body vice president to simply deny debate time to any bill that she does not support, which fundamentally undermines the ability of the senate to be a free and open forum through which students can advance the position of the undergraduate student body on issues relevant to campus life,” the Dillon Hall Council members wrote. In response, the student government officials commended

Dugan’s “passion for fostering a better community,” but wrote that the “personal attacks” on Galbenski were unwarranted. Moreover, they criticized the senator for singling out the vice president in a social media post uploaded to Instagram — an action which the Ethics Committee perceived as a violation. In the midst of such controversy, the officials called on the student body to listen to both sides of the debate before formulating personal opinions. “With this in mind, we as the student senate would like to encourage the student body to view the recording or peruse the minutes from last week’s senate meeting and form their own opinions about the situation with full context,” they wrote. After Dugan’s resignation is effective at 5:59:59 p.m. today, the office of Dillon Hall senator will be considered vacant. The Judicial Council will move to begin vacancy election procedures under Article XIV protocols, Bisner said in an email. Article XIV, Section 3(a) of the Student Union Constitution reads, “In the event of a vacancy in an elected office due to resignation or recall, a new election shall be held within two academic weeks.”

Contact Isabella Laufenberg at ilaufenb@nd.edu

Editor’s Note: Notre Dame News Editor Serena Zacharias and News Writer Maria Luisa Paul contributed to this report.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, september 25, 2020 | The Observer

Voting Continued from page 1

Dame needs to encourage their students, especially athletes to vote. “There’s always going to still be challenges, but this is the first step in increasing the political culture on the Notre Dame campus, and particularly among athletes who might otherwise not register to vote because they’re a population that tends not to,” he said. Sabnani cited the large percent of unregistered athletes as part of the organization’s collaboration with Notre Dame’s athletic department. “We had found that a lot of the athletes weren’t registered at all, probably a larger

Music Fest Continued from page 3

“Especially because we can no longer sing for the 11:45 a.m. Sunday Mass at the Basilica, our normal ministr y, hav ing the chance to sing for people in person was such a wonderful opportunit y,” Folk Choir secretar y and senior Claire W halen said in an email. The group, who specializes in a diverse range of music to represent all of the “folk” of the Church, w ill perform three songs from their traditional repertoire including “Christ be our Light” and “Hallelujah My Father.” “We are excited because this could be one of our only opportunities to perform live,” senior Calais

Flu Fest Continued from page 1

well,” she said. “Now w ith COV ID, hav ing a strong immune system is more important than ever to protect ourselves and the members of our SMC communit y who are immunocompromised.” The first one hundred

5

percentage than the normal [Notre Dame] student body, just because they’re so busy,” she said. W hile the main focus of the initiative is to get the athletic departments to register to vote, civic responsibility doesn’t end with the athletes. Many other organizations have been getting involved during Civic Engagement Week in order to drive more conversations about civic responsibility and duty. On Monday, the Notre Dame College Democrats and College Republicans engaged in a debate over student-submission questions about current issues, candidates, and the election as a whole. Zach Holland, a co-president for Notre Dame College

Democrats, said he was really excited about the events that his organization participated in this week as it has boosted the energ y of the club. But he also stated that civic responsibility was even more than casting a ballot or taking part in debates. “We’ve all been given the privilege to make an impact, however small that impact would be. I would urge people to take that impact and their voice heard, even if it seems small,” he said. “Civic engagement is about coming together as a community to fight for the people that need your help. It’s important that you stand up to help other people.” The president of the Notre Dame College Republicans, Adam Mor ys, said that he

believed another aspect of civic duty and responsibility is keeping yourself informed. “Familiarize yourself with what’s going on,” he said. “That way you’ll know how your vote is going to impact the countr y.” Beyond campus organizations, dorm liaisons have even taken to conducting voter registrations within the dorm hall. Libby Messman, a sophomore living in Pasquerilla West Hall, said she has helped incentivize voting by spearheading a section competition within the dorm. “Especially in college, it’s really hard to vote absentee and that shouldn’t be the case, so I wanted to make sure that people who want to vote know how to do it and

are able to get their absentee ballot,” Messman said. The collaborative efforts of Notre Dame athletics, ND Votes, political organizations across campus and dorms have provided Notre Dame students with many resources to make an informed decision this election season. Rachel Sabnani got involved with ND Votes due to the number of these resources available during Welcome Weekend and it has stuck with her ever since. “Notre Dame has taught me that being involved in your community is an important part of our civic duty,” Sabnani said.

Nobuhara, president of co-ed a capella group The Echoes said. The group w rites their ow n arrangements of all genres from pop to rap to ballads and w ill sing “Honey moon Avenue” by Ariana Grande, “River” by Leon Bridges and “Break My Heart” by Dua Lipa, which Nobuhara said is “kinda our homage to summer 2020.” Calais hoped many students come to v iew the performances of all of the groups. “This event has never really happened before, and this is such a cool collaboration of so many different music groups,” she said. “Even in non-COV ID years, this is so exciting.”

Semester

The email said research labs and library resources will remain open for use to faculty and graduate students. In addition, the fee for one online class will be waived for undergraduate students enrolled full-time for the spring semester. Jenkins said information regarding housing options during the winter will be available soon. “We are making plans and

will soon share details regarding housing options for some students during portions of the Winter Session, including some international students, student-athletes and students for whom returning home w ill represent significant hardships,” Jenkins said. Saint Mar y’s and Holy Cross also announced their spring schedules would follow that of Notre Dame.

smaller events. For example, everybody goes out on the field and does a quick 40-meter race. We also have games of the iPhone pool, checkers or ping pong. Over time, these points are adding up to see which section is going to win on all of it.” Another signature event, ND 110, is organized by Duncan Hall. President, junior Jason Wanamaker described the event’s success this year. “ND 110 is a stair climb that honors first responders that climbed the Twin Towers during 9/11,” Wanamaker said. “We got about 370 students to participate this year. Last year, only about 100 students participated, so we upped the participation a lot. At the end of the day, we got to write a check for $10,000 to the charity for disaster relief.” Duncan also hosted a Yoga SYR with a certified yoga instructor. “We have a certified yoga instructor in our dorm,” Wanamaker said. “He had people bring dates to the lawn behind Duncan. It was very fun. We got about 150 people total.” The dorm presidents realize the difficulties for new students in meeting new people and making friends. Pasquerilla East president Meghan Bolinger shared how Zoom makes it easier for students to engage. “The Zoom events could have helped with that as people were able to tune into things without necessarily taking that initial step right away,” the junior said. Pasquerilla East Hall teamed up with the Spreading Positivity and Radiating Kindness (SPARK) Commission which

allows freshmen to connect with upperclassmen. “Upperclassmen and freshmen could sign up to help plan events and facilitate things together,” Bolinger said. “They were put in their SPARK groups, as an opportunity to meet new people who weren’t necessarily their roommates, go get dinner with them and plan events. It’s more freshmen targeted just because it’s a really difficult time this year.” Lewis Hall and Walsh Hall have also created similar programs that could help freshmen get outside of their comfort zone and meet new people. Lewis president, junior Claire Wilson commented how her dorm’s Big Little program is connecting freshmen with upperclassmen. “This coming Friday is our Big Little reveal,” Wilson said. “This year, it is huge. We have so many littles that everyone has two littles.” Walsh chief of staff, junior Caroline Bice said the hall has altered its traditional events to adhere to new safety guidelines. “We have a lot of events that are Walsh traditions which we had to adapt for this year,” Bice said. “We have this thing called Soul Sisters which is basically a Bible study format discussion, where you just talk about your faith in a super informal way, its application to current situations so how you’re changing and how that affects you and your mental health.”

Contact Isabella Volmert at ivolmert@nd.edu

students who signed up to get their shots w ill received a free t-shirt from the College. Those attending the event are encouraged to wear short sleeves for easy access to the recipient’s vaccine administration location. Contact Paige Maddden at pmadden01@saintmarys.edu

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Continued from page 1

2021 spring semester and plan to offer a variety of opportunities to students from internships to group projects to virtual language tables to online courses,” Jenkins said. “You can expect to hear more about these opportunities in the weeks ahead from the Provost’s Office.”

Dorms Continued from page 1

But this year it’s been a little bit tougher than that, so we’ve had to be a little creative.” Fisher Hall has been fundraising for St. Adalbert Catholic School for many years. This year, Fisher planned a tournament with an entry fee that supports St. Adalbert. Brennan said it is important continue donating to St. Adalbert. “[Fisher residents] love the idea of not only them being able to have fun and a little competition, but also being able to give to St. Adalbert because we do have a commitment. I would say everyone, I mean I can’t obviously speak for everyone, but we really care about St. Adalbert,” Brennan said. The mood of competition also keeps residents active in Stanford Hall, who are participating in “Cross-Sectional Olympics,” Stanford president junior Allan Njomo said. “Cross-Sectional Olympics is a big competition we are all having as a dorm,” Njomo said. “We have a variety of big events and Paid Advertisement

Contact Elizabeth Prater at eprater@nd.edu

Contact Dasha Kudriavtseva at dkudriav@nd.edu

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The observer | Friday, September 25, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Thinking about thinking

Dive deeper into going green

Cate Von Dohlen News Writer

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about thinking lately. Maybe I’m thinking a lot about thinking because of my three philosophy classes this semester. Maybe I’m thinking a lot about thinking because there has just been a lot of time to think. Maybe I’m thinking a lot about thinking because the very process of creating a thought fascinates me. I recently read Pascal’s “Penseés” in one of my classes, and I think he might be an inf luence I can pin down for all my thinking about thinking. Pascal has some great one-liners. Here are a few Pascal quotes related to thinking that I’m thinking about these days. “W hen we read too fast or too slowly we understand nothing.” Perhaps when we try to do anything too fast or too slow, we don’t understand. Is the same with our thoughts? We can’t really rush an idea along in our head, but then again, we can brainstorm many ideas at once. How does that work? “We never keep to the present. We recall the past; we anticipate the future as if we found it too slow in coming and were trying to hurry it up, or we recall the past as if to stay its too rapid f light.” This aligns with the whole thought creation process. It’s a lot easier to think about what happened and what could happen or what was and what will be than what’s actually going on right in front of us — right here, right now. W hy is that? W hy is thinking almost easier when it’s about the past or the future? W hy can’t we think here and now? “We know the truth not only through our reason but also through our heart.” So if I’m sitting on a bench somewhere on campus trying to reason something out in my head, I may not actually find the truth by doing this. Thinking isn’t the only thing that leads us to the truth or an answer, but my heart actually does too? Intuition is absolutely wild! And I definitely don’t understand how it works. Pascal also asks us to “imagine a body of thinking members.” W henever you’re thinking on this campus, which is probably every minute you’re not asleep, everyone else on this campus is also thinking. And everyone is thinking about different things, or thinking about the same thing with a different perspective. That’s pretty wild if you stop and THINK about it for a while. I’ll stop sharing my thoughts about thinking here, but I will add there are definitely some great places for thinking about thinking on this campus. My favorite is the sitting circle area outside O’Shag looking out on South Quad. I also enjoy laying on the North Quad at night and seeing the stars if the night sky is clear. The sitting area behind the CSC is great if you can ever snag a table. My friend’s futon outside Stanford Hall is nice, too. The lake is never a bad place to sit, and the long NDH line during lunch rush hour isn’t too bad either. You can contact Cate at cvondohl@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The return to our campuses came with many changes, one of the most notable being the new take out requirement at all dining halls and on-campus eateries. All food is packaged in single-use containers. All utensils are designed and distributed to be thrown away. Individually packaged bags of carrots and cling-wrapped donuts wait to be picked up and tossed. This reliance on single-use materials might be the safest way for institutions to ensure the cleanliness and safety of all those involved in the food distribution process. But at what cost? Recycling is often touted as one of the best ways to “go green” — but the process is more complicated than it seems. The reality is that 91% of plastics aren’t actually recycled. In the past 60 years, 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced, 9% of which has been recycled, 12% burned and 79% placed in landfills. Additionally, the only types of material that can be recycled are clean recyclables, which are completely free of food or other residues, even if the material is plastic, aluminum or cardboard. Because of this difficulty in implementing clean recycling, Notre Dame has placed a “temporary pause” on campus recycling programs, Saint Mary’s has started only recycling cardboard and Holy Cross does not recycle at all. At the encouragement of students, Notre Dame Dining has taken measures to find more sustainable practices across campuses to lessen the production of waste. Notre Dame has stopped distributing food in plastic containers and no longer provides to-go bags, and Saint Mary’s restarted its composting program — both encouraging steps toward a more sustainable campus. Caitlin Jacobs is the associate program manager at Notre Dame’s Office of Sustainability. Jacobs primarily works on student outreach and looks for new ways to encourage the community to be eco-friendly. The Office typically works to see where Notre Dame’s waste really goes after leaving campus. This plan was upended when coronavirus safety measures were taken. The Office of Sustainability partnered with Campus Dining to provide every Notre Dame student with a dining plan with two sets of reusable silverware, Jacobs said. Assembling every kit by hand, Jacobs hopes this will be the first step of many in helping students find ways to live more sustainably on campus.

“We wouldn’t be doing that if we didn’t feel very strongly that this is something that needs to happen,” Jacobs said. “The amount of waste needs to change and students are asking for that.” The Office’s work with Campus Dining is a promising step, but the responsibility to follow through with sustainable living falls on every single one of us. Our administrations can provide eco-friendly options; however, the rest of the tri-campus community must commit to using these options. SGA Food Sustainability Chair Grace Floerchinger said Saint Mary’s Student Government Association and the Food Committee are partnering to bring reusable utensils and to-go bags to Noble Family Dining Hall, though they have yet to purchase the materials. A survey will be distributed throughout the community to gauge the likelihood of students using these replacements for the plastic containers that have been used since the start of the semester. The overf lowing towers of cardboard to-go boxes stacked on top of the campus’ garbage cans have become a familiar sight. “There’s just so much plastic,” Floerchinger said. “It’s very alarming.” Though recycling might not be the best option given how frequently recycled materials are disposed of improperly it is a good first step toward sustainable living. Recycling on campus needs to be an option, and there must be clear instructions for those looking to recycle. Additionally, we implore our institutions to release comprehensive, transparent information about recycling programs and provide guidance about the best recycling practices on campus. This information is crucial for encouraging students to be able to make sustainable choices regarding their plastic usage. Knowing where waste goes will also encourage the community to think about waste production and find new ways to cut back. These next steps become more of a shared responsibility. Invest in a reusable water bottle, and be sure to fill it up before starting the day. Take that reusable bottle to the dining hall, and pass on the disposable cups. Purchase the giant carton of Goldfish, and fill reusable containers with a daily snack. Carry reusable silverware, and use it as frequently as possible. The tri-campus is unified under Notre Dame Dining services, and we hope they can all begin working together to find new solutions to regulate sustainability practices within the community — starting with the towers of to-go boxes spilling out of the campus garbage cans.

Follow us on Twitter: @ObserverViewpnt

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The observer | Friday, September 25, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Don’t leave students out in the cold Dear Fr. Jenkins, The recent changes to the spring 2021 Notre Dame schedule are confusing at best and harmful at worst. Your goal to minimize exposure to the cold and enable outdoor activities so that COVID-19 exposure will be lessened is admirable, but the methods you have decided on do not seem to actually mitigate any of the problems you seek to address. I am not entirely sure what South Bend you experience every year, but, in my years here, the temperature has remained frigid until at least late April, with snow in that month being common — not to mention the fact that two years ago we had a polar vortex in February. Pushing the semester back two weeks is not likely to minimize the negative effects of people couped up due to the weather; the simple fact is that those effects will be experienced from February through April anyway. However, the real problem with the delayed semester lies in pushing the date beyond Feb. 1. For those of us who rely on student loans to pay for our living expenses, that is simply not acceptable. It is bad enough

that the University does not distribute our loan money until classes start, which results in a delay in our ability to access the funds that literally belong to us (and even then, the school first distributes them through its IrishPay system in some odd attempt to get us to only spend money at Notre Dame). But by delaying classes until Feb. 3, you are essentially telling students it’s “too bad if you needed student loans to do those pesky things like pay rent and not starve.” February rent becomes due on Feb. 1, and the school, it appears, will not make the money that is legally owned by its students available to them until well after that. It is shocking that an institution that claims to be a community of care would so brazenly and callously make a decision (with zero student input) that will cause significant harm to those students who are most vulnerable. I personally do not have the money to pay for expenses and rent without my student loan disbursement. I budgeted for this school year relying on the fact that I would have my spring student

loan money in hand by mid-January. I am angry this school arbitrarily made a decision that so negatively impacts the students it claims to care about. So, Fr. Jenkins, how exactly are you going to make sure that a good portion of the students you are charged with overseeing don’t get thrown out of their homes, or aren’t forced to choose between paying rent and eating? I challenge you to live up to the ideals you claim to promulgate at Notre Dame. Help those who are being disadvantaged exclusively because of your actions. If you cannot do that, if you cannot provide a solution to the problem that you have created, then your words of helping others are hollow. Sincerely, A frustrated Notre Dame graduate student Kevin Constantine third-year law student Sept. 23

Ginsburg, McConnell and the death of political norms Vince Mallett Independent Idealist

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is accusing Senate Republicans of employing “brute political force.” Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham is implying that after the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, he doesn’t trust Senate Democrats to respect institutional norms. In the wake of the sudden death of one of the most iconic figures in the 21st century American legal world, it appears that Congress is nearly ready to expose itself for what it truly is: 408 men and 127 women desperately fighting for increased power. The facade has been dropped, and we’re finally going to meet the terrifying man behind the curtain. How did we get here? As I’m sure almost all of you know, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme court of the United States, passed away Friday. This presents President Trump and Senate Republicans with an opportunity to appoint and confirm, respectively, the court’s sixth Republican-appointed Justice. Justice Ginsburg’s passing comes amidst pressure from the left for the Democratic party to support court-packing, which would allow Congress and a Democratic president to add extra seats to the court and to fill those seats. The tragic event also occurred 46 days before our presidential election. In 2016, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to consider President Obama’s nominee to the court, Judge Merrick Garland, based on the fact that it was an election year. Now, Democrats are calling McConnell a hypocrite for pushing forward with the nomination and confirmation processes for Justice Ginsburg’s replacement. Over the years, members of both parties have edited the normal procedures for judicial nominations in order to meet their political goals. In 2013, thenMajority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, changed the number of votes needed for confirming most executive and judicial nominees from 60 to 50. In 2017, Senate Republicans expanded this procedure to include Supreme court nominations. As I mentioned, McConnell is being accused of hypocrisy because he refused to consider Garland in an election year but is now dedicated to supporting President Trump’s nominee on the brink of an election. To deny these allegations, McConnell himself is relying on two justifications for his apparent switch. First, he is careful to say that no Senate has confirmed a Supreme Court nominee who was nominated by a President of the opposing party during an election year;

because the majority of the Senate and the President are in the same party, he sees no reason why not to go forward with the nomination. Second, he claims that Democrats have used every available tactic to influence Supreme Court membership in the past and have committed themselves to doing the same in the future; he implies that, given this lack of respect for norms on the other side, Republicans are free to do what they feel is necessary. Both of these justifications reveal the same reality: Republicans are done with pretending that Supreme Court confirmations aren’t blatantly partisan processes. They’ve all-but-committed to the principle that they will only confirm a nominee if they are in the same party as the President. It’s hard to say that Democrats are much different, given Schumer’s statement that, “Once we win back the majority, God-willing, everything is on the table.” All notions that the Supreme Court is beyond purely political machinations have vanished. Both parties will use whatever means necessary to exercise control over the court and to stop the other party from doing so. This absolute politicization of the court will not be healthy for the American republic, for a number of reasons. First, the court has, in the past decades, decided some of the most controversial social issues in American politics, including same-sex marriage, affirmative action in college admissions and, of course, abortion. With an entirely political court, these issues may very well be returned to the forefront of our hyperpolarized and hyper-contentious national discourse. Second, the Supreme Court was, until now, one of our federal government’s most trusted institutions because of its recognized lack of politics. Just last year, a poll found that 57% of registered voters trusted the court more than the other branches of government. Even more than that believed that the court was not political,

but instead simply interpreted the law in every case. If public trust in the court deteriorates because of its openly political nature, what does that say about trust in our federal government overall? How can our government operate in the interest of its citizens without their trust? Third, and in my opinion most importantly, the politicization of the Supreme Court reveals what American politics has focused on for a long time: power. If our elected representatives were truly dedicated to promoting the well-being of the American people, this would not be happening. Congress would be content with a qualified and politically-neutral Supreme Court simply interpreting the laws because Congress itself has the power to change those laws. Our Congress, instead, is not productive enough to actually make laws; it is too partisan, too self-interested and too greedy for influence to perform its constitutional task. They have given up on writing laws to benefit the American people and decided to focus their energy on eliminating any obstacles to their power, including our constitutional structure. Instead of a three-way power struggle between executive, legislative and judicial branches, as our founders imagined, we are heading towards a two-way power struggle between Democrats and Republicans. There will be no checks and balances in this struggle, only “brute political force.” I hope and pray that our country can survive it. Vince Mallett is a senior majoring in philosophy, with a minor in Constitutional Studies. He currently lives off-campus, though he calls both New Jersey and Carroll Hall home. He can be reached at vmallett@nd.edu or @vince_mallett on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer

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The observer | friday, September 25, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

It is not OK to be not OK Theresa Azemar Show Some Skin

This semester, ever yone seems incredibly resilient, and while I can only aspire to be at peak productivity at this time, I simply refuse to believe that I should have to perform being okay right now. Is that profound to say? Maybe. Maybe not. But maybe. Maybe I’m countercultural for always living on the verge of tears. Maybe I’m bold for being deeply depressed. Maybe I’m radical for needing a break. I guess it was my mistaking for thinking that being ver y, ver y much not okay would be okay during this time. But it’s clear that it isn’t okay here, no matter how many people will tell you to your face that it is. There is still so much to do, so many readings to f lip through, discussions to participate in, jobs to apply for, emails to send, friendships to cherish before they’re over. I’ve never felt more like a cog in a machine. Like I was brought here to work, get COV ID-19, get over COV ID-19 and then keep working. I’ve never felt more judgement and reluctance in asking professors for accommodations, and I’ve never felt more apathy in my personal discussions with my friends. And I get it. I know. No one really knows what’s going. Ever yone is having a harder time navigating life right now. But if that’s the case, why don’t we just act like it? I told my therapist last week that these days I feel like I am being gaslit by ever y single person in my life. Even said therapist. I sit in class and dissociate to the sound of hyper-scholarly psychobabble, feeling absolutely crazy and

inadequate for being unprepared, uninterested and unwilling to perform as okay when I’m not. The looks that you get when you’re openly not okay are enough to make you want to go completely feral. W hen I confide in my peers and tell them that I haven’t finished reading, our conversations are extinguished by their pity and judgement. They laugh ner vously to suggest that they, too, are unprepared. But they are. Somehow, they always are. They read closely. And posted 500 words to Sakai by 8 p.m. Because they know that performing being okay has benefits. And no matter how justified I am in being not okay, I’ll always just be framed as deficient when the rubber hits the road. I guess I thought that for the first time in my years at Notre Dame, my peers might be truly transparent with me. But once again, we’re clinging so tightly to normalcy that I am left in the dust. But I refuse to believe that I am the problem here. And when I share with my professors that I will need a number of accommodations in order to have an equitable opportunity for success, I’m met with compliance glazed in reluctance. Like, sorr y! I was cr ying last night. I got caught up in a loop of existentialism well into the nighttime. I got tired and went to bed. It was a miracle that I drank water. And that was me doing my best to be okay. I couldn’t go for a walk because I am a small black woman, I couldn’t eat a better meal because I don’t have the money and I couldn’t just get over it because I haven’t been hugged in months. In fact, I still haven’t seen some of my best friends and support systems since March. I’m sorr y that I thought we’d all be on the same page about the challenges of life right now.

Ever y fiber of my being is overf lowing with existential terror, academic/vocational anxiety, racial trauma, gendered pressure, health concern and over whelming ex haustion. So when someone sees that I’m struggling and tells me that I’ve “got this,” I can help but think … thanks, but maybe I don’t. W hy should I have to? W hy do I need to be resilient? W hy does ever yone in this institution keep tr ying to empower me when I just need a break? And you, dear reader, you need a break, too. I could not think of a worse time to be intellectually, emotionally and economically challenged, and I could not think of a better time for our standards for success to change. We are not machines, we are not commodities, we are not soldiers battling on the frontlines. And we are not going to do down as heroes for pushing ourselves to our limits for the sake of a headline or a 0.01 GPA boost. Can we all just agree to let ourselves be openly not okay? Or can you all at least pretend to not be okay so I can feel much less alone? Theresa Azemar is a senior member and Executive Director of Show Some Skin, a student-run initiative committed to giving voice to unspoken narratives about identity and difference. Show Some Skin is a student-run initiative committed to giving voice to unspoken narratives about identity and difference. Using the art of storytelling as a catalyst for positive social change across campus, we seek to make Notre Dame a more open and welcoming place for all. If you are interested in breaking the silence and getting involved with Show Some Skin, email s.someskin@gmail.com. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Everything but me Edward Brunicardi There’s More

I’m not a sucker for clever marketing, but damn, Notre Dame is good. From the moment that acceptance letter is opened, we not only become a part of this University family; we become it. Unhindered access to national-class football, rich Catholic traditions and a Fighting Irish identity all become aspects of our lives that are all but impossible to ignore. For an aspiring college student who wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by a community of entrenched traditions, Notre Dame was everything high school me could have hoped for. Yet at the same time, it was everything and anything but me. For full disclosure, when it comes to understanding identity, I have long been very confused. I grew up wealthy because my parents invested in real estate, and then suddenly wasn’t after 2008. I grew up knowing a Catholic grade school, yet bonded over the public school life in my later years. I am Irish, I am Italian, I am Indian and I am Chinese. I am capable of hoisting so many labels, and at the same time, feeling like I belong to none. College, though, seemed to be a time to get away from that. With so many different people and interests, the pressure to copy what’s popular would no longer be a thing, because there would be no one thing. Instead, I could put together the parts of myself that didn’t fit before. I could discover an identity that finally felt enough.

But in a way, the tight-knit community Notre Dame offers makes this exploration next to impossible. In both its high stakes spirit over religion and religiously followed football, the belonging you would expect to form yourself has already been superficially imposed. And for some, that belonging works. After all, nearly a quarter of all students here are legacy, being raised on the idea of Our Mother’s University. Other non-legacies too have been going to stadium games since they were kids, and many more have been longing to get in touch with their Catholic roots at the premium of Catholic universities. Nothing should detract the joy these people feel from being here. Likewise, though, nothing can feel more exclusionary to kids who may not feel the same. Unfortunately, countless Notre Dame students have been living with these feelings for years. As a wave of people each dealing with their shared problems alone, we try to fit in with the most popular festivities on campus. And, when it comes time to truly f launt what makes us unique, we opt for oversimplified labels about our identity in order to seem relatable and cohesive. Ironically, though, it is in this attempt to stop being an outsider and join an established community that we end up robbing ourselves. We rob those opportunities to understand our own identities in a deeper way, and we rob those chances to find a community of people who share the same nuanced passions that we do. Perhaps considering this, one shouldn’t be too shocked at one of the most shocking statistics our Campus Inclusivity

Surveys hosts: that nearly a quarter of students have “seriously considered leaving Notre Dame.” Despite all this though, many times we stay. Not because everything is perfect in our lives right now, or that we expect for dramatic change at the publication of columns like this. Rather, I believe it’s because we know there is a chance for things to get better. And if you were to ask me personally where it starts, I’d say this — acknowledge that these feelings of belonging aren’t a burden to be taken on by only those who feel different. It is a burden felt by all of us at Notre Dame, to be better at engendering a community willing to define themselves by more than what’s popular and hearing others out when they try so. In simple ways, that means taking the risk of working to listen and working to ask. It means figuring out the weird parts of your friends, and asking the questions we might usually try to draw attention from. Because as easy as it is to say that we should be ourselves in this tight-knit community, I think it’s time we do the harder part — to love the countless ways in which we aren’t. Edward Brunicardi is a sophomore at Notre Dame pursuing a major in political science and a minor with the Hesburgh Program of Public Service. Though he may have had all the creativity sucked out of him in high school, writing serves as Edward’s best chance at getting something back. He can be reached at ebrunica@nd.edu or @EdwardBrunicar1 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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

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The observer | Friday, september 25, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

By WILLOUGHBY THOM Scene Writer

Photography is something that we take for granted these days. We are constantly taking snap-shots of our lives through our cell phones, and we are forgetting about the essence of the photo in which we are taking. I believe the art of photography has been forgotten. Due to its accessibility, we have begun to know photography as a commodity, not as a form of expression. There are some people who use it as a form of expression, but it’s become stagnant — a way of trying to capture a perceived aesthetic, not a form to convey a message. We need to be reminded of the purpose of photography and the artistry of the platform. I write this in ref lection of the Snite Museum of Art’s current exhibition, “Touchstones of the Twentieth Century: A History of Photography at the University of Notre Dame,” which runs from Aug. 11 through Dec. 12, 2020. The Snite’s exhibit focuses solely on 20th-century works of carefully selected American and European photographs. The earliest of these,

By RYAN ISRAEL Scene Editor

It’s 2020, the world is on fire, they killed Pop Smoke, Kanye leaked his contract, Justin Bieber and Chance the Rapper released a devotional love song, Bobby Shmurda and Drakeo the Ruler are still in jail, Kendrick Lamar is M.I.A. and if it’s a hit, it’s probably a TikTok hit. But rap music hasn’t stopped. New artists and new songs are arriving everyday, almost too many to keep up with. Below are a few of the best tracks from the past month.

“hooligan” — Baby Keem Baby Keem is one of the most genuinely exciting and promising new rappers to come around in a hot minute. His new single “hooligans,” which arrives a year after his standout album “DIE FOR MY B—” and was released alongside “sons & critics freestyle,” proves that Baby Keem’s stock is still rising. The song is quick with a catchy chorus — shades of previous hit “ORANGE SODA” — and a piano-driven beat. Here’s hoping that the new releases from Baby Keem are a prelude to a 2020 full length project.

“Float On” — Baby Plug Baby Plug’s “Float On” sounds timeless. The high energy flip of Modest Mouse’s 2004 hit “Float On,” also reworked by Lupe Fiasco on his 2011 song “The Show Goes On,” radiates with the eternal joy of a day in the sun, a nice cold beverage and an afternoon with nothing to do but stay

Maurice Loew y and Pierre-Henri Puiseux’s 1901 lunar photo “Posidonius - Aristotle - Pôle Nord, from Atlas Photographie de la Lune,” is the first thing you see when you walk into the exhibit. The actual photo isn’t visible until you walk up to the illuminated frame in the back right corner; instead, you see it blown-up on the wall accompanied by text. The text gives some background of the exhibit and the types of photographs on display. After reading the grand entrance on the back wall of the first exhibit room, you must work clockwise around the gallery, turning to the right and looking at all of the photos in the room. Then entering into the next room you turn left and work around the room. You continue to do so in each room, working back towards O’Shaughnessy Hall before turning left into the next exhibit room and heading back into the Snite. The reason for this seemingly random setup is to allow visitors to follow the exhibit’s chronological presentation of 20th century photography, starting at the turn of the century and continuing through the Y2K era. The exhibit, as a whole, provides students and spectators with a broad understanding of

photography as an art form. It’s a great introduction to analyzing art and photography, and to appreciating photography not only as a way of communication but also abstract and conceptual expression. This temporary exhibit is something you don’t want to miss. It’s something which appeals to everyone and has the ability to stir up conversations. Don’t just browse; take time to read the information cards and look closely at each photo. Go more than once, do external research and learn to appreciate each piece deeply and thoughtfully. It’s a beautiful display of works which mark the beginning to a new, revolutionary and innovative time in art history. Notable pieces: “Bal Musette des Quatre Saisons, Rue de Lappe, Paris” (1932) by Brassaï, “Juliette Tournassound, The Photographer’s Daughter” (1913) by Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud, “The Lucy Photo-Booth Shot” (1975) by Cindy Sherman, “Four Snapshots” (1976-1981) by Andy Warhol and “Camera Obscura Image of Umbrian Landscape over Bed” (2000) by Abelardo Morell.

outside. Show some love for the forgotten but not gone Soundcloud and stream “Float On” on repeat or listen via the song’s abundantly fun music video.

the old school New York hip-hop sound, Armani Caesar has big shoes to fill. On “Gucci Casket,” she lives up to expectations and then some. Over a haunting, sparse beat she comes correct, rapping with unaffected bravado and swagger while setting up label mate Conway the Machine for a crushing closing verse.

“Whole Lotta Choppas” — Sada Baby Despite being a shining star in the rising Detroit rap scene, Sada Baby has been often unfairly dismissed as a regional rapper, which makes him all the more worthy of the TikTok generated success of “Whole Lotta Choppas.” Sada’s fast-paced, near-whispered verses lurk over a strobing dance beat, an unlikely combination that works well. Given the song’s TikTok virality, the chorus hits close to home, as Sada announces “They wanna see me do my dance / In these thousand-dollar pants.”

Contact Willoughby Thom at wthom@nd.edu

“Lemonade” — Internet Money, Gunna, Don Toliver and NAV This song is almost too popular to be on the list, but it’s also too good to be left off. Internet Money, a hot new record producer collective, distill the most popular sounds of rap music into a three-minute beat and invite two of the most popular rappers and NAV to lay down some sing-rap verses and create a song sweeter than lemonade.

“Richard Pryor” — Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin are two members of a growing scene of underground rappers delivering thoughtful verses over hazy, lo-fi and sample-heavy beats. Spotify calls it “Jazz Rap,” I’d call it lo-fi rap, but genre labels aside, it sounds cool. The two lyricists trade verses over a soulful sample reworked by producer Playa Haze and create a track that captures the best features of the genre. “Richard Pryor” comes off the duo’s collaborative album “Fly Siifu’s,” slated to arrive in November.

“Santos Party House” — Smoke DZA, Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y (feat. Big K.R.I.T., Girl Talk)

“Gucci Casket” — Armani Caesar (feat. Conway the Machine)

Despite the fact that no one contributing to “Santos Party House” is from California and that the song is named after a New York nightclub, the new track sounds like a certified Cali jam. Something about the song’s breezy, bouncing production, handled by Pittsburgh native Girl Talk, brings to mind a night time ride on Mulholland Drive with the top down. And although Big K.R.I.T.’s invitation ought to be rescinded due to his near vibe-killing verse, the song still comes out on top.

As the proclaimed first lady of Griselda Records, the Buffalo-based collective and label bringing new life to

Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu MARY O’REILLY | The Observer

JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer

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Crossword | ERIK WENNSTROM

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Put your house in order. Take care of situations that are slowing you down. Make changes that will encourage greater financial growth. Pay more attention to what’s going on around you and how well you take care of your health and well-being. Rethink your strategy, and make adjustments that will counter unsavory situations. Don’t get angry; get moving. Your numbers are 6, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 45. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Expect limitations if you fall behind with work responsibilities. A change to the way you do things will help you cut corners. Getting into an argument will work against you. Take pride in what you do, and avoid criticism. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Subtly alter the way you work with your colleagues, and it will make it easier for you to bring about the changes you want to make. Don’t take on something that will cost you physically, emotionally or financially. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Work diligently on your own until you are happy with the results you achieve. Personal satisfaction will lift your spirits and give you the confidence you need to pursue your personal and professional goals. Romance is in the stars. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Stay calm, do whatever is necessary and avoid getting into a spat with someone who doesn’t share your opinions. Be imaginative and show interest in what others do, but don’t leave yourself open for criticism. Practice moderation. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Be a leader, do your own thing and finish what you start. A personal change will encourage you to take on more responsibility. Before you make unrealistic promises, consider the time and cost involved. Romance and home improvements are favored. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Mix things up a bit. A change will be energizing and encourage you to try new things. Using social media, you will discover groups that share your concerns and interests. Think before you speak; an impulsive response will lead to trouble. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Process what’s going on around you. Refuse to let what others do slow you down. Offer suggestions, but don’t take on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. Choose peace and love over discord. Nurture meaningful relationships. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Change can be useful as long as everyone affected benefits equally. Listen to complaints, make adjustments and do your best to keep the peace. Put a personal vendetta behind you. Hanging on to the past will make you bitter and hold you back. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Avoid unnecessary purchases, and handle shared costs reasonably. Balance and structure will help you counter indulgent behavior. Concentrate on learning, fitness and selfimprovement. Strive to be and do your best. Love is in the stars. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Alter the space you live in to suit your current needs. The change will be refreshing and lend itself to creative flow and the ability to overcome any discord you face. Peace and unity will result if you honor promises. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put more thought and action into your pursuits. Refuse to get caught up in someone’s plans. Concentrate on what’s important to you, and you will overcome the pressure and demands you face. Personal improvements and romance are favored. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Help others without fuss, and the rewards will be worthwhile. A change regarding how others perceive you will depend on what you are willing to do and how well you manage situations that require insight and mediation. Birthday Baby: You are articulate, sophisticated and active. You are sensitive and feisty.

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The observer | Friday, september 25, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

Sports Authority

Sports Authority

Mariners, ‘right side of history’ David Kramer Sports Writer

“We are living on the wrong side of history.” Go ahead, throw your trusted copy of The Observer at a lucky nearby wall for me. With such a painfully cliched opener, I deserve no less. The sheer breadth of this phrase in American rhetoric truly appalls me. Journalists, reporters and public figures almost thoughtlessly append it to the tales of failures, ignorance and insufficiencies that pervade the 2020 American landscape. Needless to say, leaders and commoners alike merit criticism for the shortcomings that saturate the status quo. But as we prescribe our disapproval under this sweeping expression, we deeply misunderstand the heart of history as a field of study. I recently stumbled upon a credible and definitive Twitter account staking the claim that the 2020 Seattle Mariners merit a place on the “right side of history.” The blanket statement undoubtedly refers to the diverse racial makeup. The Mariners included 10 Black players on their Opening Day roster and another twelve among their taxi squad and summer camp. The staggering figures leave the Mariners with more Black players on their Major League team than the entire American League Central Division. Harkening back to the historic Negro Leagues that disbanded in 1948, the Mariners continue the work of pioneers like Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby and Branch Rickey through one of the most diversified rosters in recent memory. The question of history aside, the Seattle Mariners organization warrants some recognition as a trailblazer in racial integration efforts. Since 1998, Mariners front office executives have committed to reserving at least one spot on their roster for players born and raised in Japan. The likes of Ichiro Suzuki, Hisashi Iwakuma, Norichika Aoki and Kenji Johima have assumed this position with vast success. Now enjoying the myriad accolades of a long career, Ichiro remains in the conversation as one of the most consistent and brilliant players at his position. Skeptics rush to condemn this partnership with

Japanese leagues as a marketing ploy for an expanded Mariners fan base stretching across the Pacific. Even the current roster’s racial makeup leads countless critics to voice their doubts regarding the true intentions of the organization at large. But when taken within the broader context of our nation’s affairs, this loosefitting skepticism is invalidated. The 2020 Mariners confront an unprecedented challenge of coping with the residual anti-Asian sentiment that has followed the detection of COVID-19 on American soil. They stand as a unique host of talented Black players in the face of unspeakable violence against the BIPOC community in Portland. They uplift the very ideology with which a deeply fragmented society wrestles each and every day. Through it, their work becomes nothing short of an act of heroism. Whether history remembers the Seattle Mariners as such, however, depends on the character of our posterity. We cannot know the ideological, political and socioeconomic lens through which future historians evaluate our handling of deep-seated issues. History, at its core, stands as an ever-changing battlefield of ideologies and values, a medium for dissecting the context, development, and aftermath of our choices. Forces like the Seattle Mariners constantly draw, erase and redraw the “right side” and “wrong side” of history before our very eyes. Adversaries like the American League Central Division perpetually blur these lines in real time. As this absolutely bizarre and turbulent MLB regular season winds to a close, let us stop anticipating the long-term sociocultural ramifications of our lives just as we live them. Let us stop training ourselves to make our neighbors feel unnecessarily scared through our rhetoric. Let us stop coaxing the masses with ill-formed language. Let us stop evaluating our current affairs with distant insight on how our posterity will remember us. Let us stop convincing ourselves that we are the authors of history. 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.

2-on-2 basketball movie bracket, pt. 2 Hayden Adams Sports Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Sept. 24. We’re on to the conclusion of my basketball movie 2-on-2 bracket (albeit a month and a half after part one). Let’s skip the song and dance and get on with the show.

Elite Eight 1-seed Michael Jordan and Lola Bunny (“Space Jam”) vs. 8-seed Jackie Moon and Clarence “Downtown” “Coffee Black” Withers (“Semi-Pro”) The Tropics are certainly more competitive than Josh Framm and Air Bud were. However, it doesn’t really matter who is guarding who here. Neither Withers nor Moon can stifle Jordan, and on the other end Jordan is a lockdown defender, while Lola’s got the hops (get it? bunny hops) to protect the rim against both of the ABA-ers. Gotta give this one to the Tune Squad, but Jackie and Clarence don’t go down without a fight (literally, Jackie will try to brawl with Jordan and get punched everywhere from the armpit to the jejunum). 2-seed Calvin Cambridge and Tracy Reynolds (“Like Mike”) vs. 7-seed Uncle Drew and Big Fella (“Uncle Drew”) It’s a young gun and his soonto-be adoptive father against a couple of senior citizens. Honestly, if this were Kyrie Irving and Shaq against Cambridge and Reynolds, I’d go with the former duo. However, you have to factor in their age when it comes to this matchup. Sure, Big Fella could still dominate the paint, but despite the massive height differential (4-foot-8 Cambridge against 7-foot-1 Big Fella) Cambridge can still use Jordan’s skill to get his shot off down low. Uncle Drew can cook either of the LA Knights off the dribble, but he’s not as consistent on the defensive side. Ultimately the youth wins out as father time catches up with Drew and Big Fella. LA Knights advance to the semifinals. 3-seed Bobby Joe Hill and David Lattin (“Glory Road”) vs. 11-seed Kyle Lee Watson and Thomas “Shep” Sheppard (“Above the Rim”) It’s a tough one here because we’re comparing across eras. Even so, there are similarities between Hill and Watson, as seen in the former’s athleticism-heavy playing style, which was progressive in the ‘60s. However, we

run into trouble with Sheppard trying to handle Lattin. Shep’s khakis start to take on a toll on him here, as well as his age. He just can’t match the stamina and strength of Lattin, and Watson doesn’t have a prayer down low against Big Daddy D either. Miners take it. 4-seed Billy Hoyle and Sidney Deane (“White Men Can’t Jump”) vs. 12-seed Troy Bolton and Chad Danforth (“High School Musical 3”) A little more “Ebony and Ivory” action here. I wanna give a little credit to the East High boys for making it here, even though it was by disqualification of their first-round opponent. That said, the street hustlers take it. Hoyle and Deane are still clicking on all cylinders, and they each bring something to the table (three-point shooting and ball handling wizardry, respectively) to go along with an edge to their games that the opposition doesn’t have. Let’s be real, Cal and Arizona aren’t getting much from Bolton and Danforth other than some decent singing chops. (Who am I kidding, better than decent; who doesn’t get down to all three HSM soundtracks?)

Final Four 1-seed Michael Jordan and Lola Bunny vs. 4-seed Billy Hoyle and Sidney Deane It’s sad to see the run come to an end for Hoyle and Deane, but it has to at this point. Their relationship has wound tighter and tighter, and it reaches a fever pitch as they start melting down against stiff competition. It would be interesting to see how Jordan’s self-described “competition problem” (NOT a gambling problem) would impact him wagering on this pointless tournament against two street hustlers. In any case, the Toon Squad takes it, but I’ll give Hoyle one two-handed slam just to show that white men can in fact jump. 2-seed Calvin Cambridge and Tracy Reynolds vs. 3-seed Bobby Joe Hill and David Lattin It’s been mostly chalk throughout this entire tournament, but the buck (and chalk) stops here. As much as I would love to see Jordan go against someone with his skill-laced sneakers (I guess Spike Lee was right that it really had to be the shoes), it just isn’t fated to be. Reynolds puts up a fight, but Hill and Lattin both have far fewer miles on them and a bit more athleticism. However, the real kicker (no pun intended) is that Cambridge’s kicks rip. Sorry to break it to you, kid, but you can’t just coast by on someone else’s abilities your entire

career, or even for the entirety of this tournament. Miners advance to the championship.

Championship 1-seed Michael Jordan and Lola Bunny vs. 3-seed Bobby Joe Hill and David Lattin Well, we’ve finally reached the final showdown. It’s Hill and Lattin against MJ and Bunny. I will say, while they aren’t intergalactic amusement park employees, Hill and Lattin are the closest thing to the Monstars that Jordan and Co. have had to face (they took on Air Bud and Will Ferrell in the first two rounds for crying out loud). The thing here is that we’re playing half court, which means each team gets an advantage. MJ (circa 1996 and still rusty after a baseball stint) operates best in isolation as opposed to the open court, and he presents a matchup nightmare for both of the Miners with his combination of size and speed. By the same token, Lattin is going to benefit from the halfcourt game as a power post, and Jordan historically struggled against teams with a quality big man (OK, Olajuwon and the Rockets were pretty much it, but the Knicks/Ewing and Orlando/ Shaq did give him some trouble). It kills me inside to pick between these two teams, but I’m going to go with the Tune Squad. Lattin gets physical down the stretch and ends up knocking Lola out of the contest. As MJ looks around for a sub, suddenly Bill Murray shows up in the clutch. He explains that he knows the producer (in this case, me) and manages to stop the bleeding just enough to dish Jordan the game-winning dime as he rises and jams one-handed over Lattin and Hill for the gamewinning deuce (well, technical not a deuce since it’s ones and twos to 21, but you get the idea). There you have it. MJ walks away from tonight with six championship rings, six Finals MVPs, two gold medals, an Emmy for “The Last Dance” and — perhaps most impressively — one basketball movie 2-on-2 fantasy bracket championship. He had something to prove, and he proved it, but don’t disrespect Lola Bunny or Bill Murray for their contributions (but you can omit what the latter contributed in “Garfield”). Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Roundtable Continued from page 16

Last week, Louisville’s defense was exposed by Miami. The Cardinals gave up 485 total yards while having no answer for D’Eriq King. Their offense looked above average, but, during key moments, Louisville’s stars failed to produce. The Cardinals only converted on four of their 14 third down attempts and gave up three costly turnovers. Pitt may not be one of the most talented teams in the country, but their offense has looked solid through two weeks. Quarterback Kenny Pickett has thrown for over 200 yards in every game this season and has delighted fans with creative touchdown celebrations. The Panthers’ offensive line will need to perform better this week, but I predict that Pittsburgh remains undefeated just covering the spread by a few points. Army has collected two of the most dominant wins of the season thus far. Their quarterback play leaves much to be desired, but their balanced rushing attack has been beyond excellent and will cause problems for Cincinnati this weekend. While the Bearcats have a more complete roster, this game will be decided in the fourth quarter. Cincinnati’s deep receiving core will give them the edge with a late touchdown, but they will not cover the spread. While they showed some real grit in their comeback victory against Atlanta, Dallas still has much to prove if they are going to make any noise this postseason. Dak Prescott is looking exceptional through two weeks, but Russell Wilson seems to be on another level. Wilson has already scored nine total touchdowns and dominated a Belichick led defense throwing for 322 yards in that matchup. As the Cowboys’ defense looked especially porous last week, I expect Wilson and the Seahawks to score often, comfortably covering the spread. Even though the Saints have one of the best rosters in the NFL, I have not been overly impressed with their performance so far. At the center of this disappointment lies Drew Brees. The legendary quarterback has started the season off slowly by accumulating costly turnovers; however, his level of play is trending in the right direction as he threw for over 300 yards in the loss against the Raiders. On the other hand, Aaron Rodgers is playing with a chip on his shoulder after the Packers drafted Jordan Love as his eventual successor. Rodgers is proving that he is far from past his prime and his competitive spirit will fuel Green Bay. Packers win outright. In what should be one of the best games of the season, Baltimore will look to earn a statement win. Lamar Jackson’s astounding sophomore season is not looking like an aberration as the quarterback has thrown for 479 yards through two weeks. Jackson has infused the Ravens with a great amount of momentum, and, while the Chiefs’ defense has not been as bad as in the past, I fully expect Baltimore to perform well offensively. Kansas City will be a tough test, but the Ravens defense makes all the difference. They rank

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, september 25, 2020 | The Observer

first in fewest points allowed and hold the third lowest opposing quarterback rating, so Mahomes might struggle more than most expect. I predict that Baltimore remains undefeated and will manage to cover the spread. For my upset pick, I will be bold and predict that Mississippi State shocks the defending national champions. LSU is still a good team, but they have just lost too much talent over the offseason. With Ja’ Marr Chase opting out, the Tigers will have to soldier on without their top playmaker, and the Bulldogs’ defense is better than many think. I expect the Tigers to get off to a slow start, which will allow Mississippi State to keep the score to a manageable deficit. Once the fourth quarter begins, Mike Leach’s air raid offense will facilitate some long yardage passing plays and more red zone opportunities. Although Coach Leach has not officially decided the starting quarterback yet, Stanford transfer KJ Costello brings a veteran presence that could serve the Bulldogs well in crunch time.

Liam Coolican I already picked Auburn to make the CFP, and nothing has changed in my assessment of the Tigers. They have a terrific all-around team, and at the very least, will challenge for the SEC championship. Kentucky is perennially underrated, but losing Lynn Bowden Jr. will hurt. The Wildcats will struggle to run against one of the best front sevens in the country, and Bo Nix will begin his surprise Heisman campaign this week and toss four touchdowns. Auburn wins and easily covers the spread. Louisville’s offense was better than I expected last week, but their defense was terrible. It doesn’t get any easier for the Cardinals when they travel to Pitt, who I think is one of the best teams in the ACC. Their defense is fantastic, so they should be able to slow down Louisville’s offense. Their offense might not be quite as prolific as Miami’s, but they’ll get the job done. The fact that Pitt is only favored by three in this game is shocking, given the difference in quality between these two teams. Panthers cover easily. This might be the most interesting game of the week. Both these teams, after easily winning their games against inferior opponents, get their first real challenge of the season. Cincinnati’s offense was outstanding in their opener, as was Army’s in the first two games. Army has a knack for close games against highly ranked opponents, and I think we’ll see another one here, but Cincinnati has superior talent. It’ll be a close one; Bearcats win but don’t cover the spread. The Seahawks offense has looked incredible to start the season, with Russell Wilson playing like an MVP candidate. However, they lost some defensive key players to injury, including Bruce Irvin, which could be a problem for a team with an already weak pass rush. They struggled to get pressure on Cam Newton last week, and it’ll be difficult again with the Cowboys great offensive line. These two teams are evenly matched on paper, but I trust the Seahawks offense far more. The

Cowboys comeback win against a mediocre Falcons team did little to inspire me. The Seahawks win, but don’t cover. Two of the best quarterbacks in the league going at it. This will be a fun matchup. Aaron Rodgers seems to have heard the doubters this season and has been playing some of the best football of his career through two weeks. Drew Brees has also looked very good, but losing his most reliable target in Michael Thomas showed last week. While the Packers have played two bad teams in a row, their defense has looked solid, while the Saints let Derek Carr carve them up for nearly 300 yards. If they can’t stop him, I don’t have confidence they’ll be able to slow down the RodgersDavante Adams duo. Packers win outright in a shootout. The NFL really is treating their fans well this week. In a matchup of the last two MVPs, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes should put on a show. It’s difficult to evaluate the Ravens thus far, because they’ve only faced the Browns and Texans, but they’ve looked very good thus far. The Chiefs, on the other hand, needed a fourth quarter comeback to beat the Chargers. This will be a very close game, and while both quarterbacks are undoubtedly clutch, I trust Mahomes more with a game on the line. Mahomes leads a game-winning drive and the Chiefs win outright. Georgia Tech has, simply put, not looked good through two weeks. They barely beat Florida State in a game which they did not deserve to win, and then were dismantled by UCF. Syracuse, on the other hand, is much better than their 0-2 record indicates. They kept it relatively close against two teams who I think are among the best in the ACC in UNC and Pittsburgh. Their defense is outstanding, and while their offense is not great, they shouldn’t need many points to beat Georgia Tech, whose offense is equally abysmal. Syracuse wins this one is a low-scoring affair.

Nate Moller The SEC is back, and there is a solid opening matchup between Kentucky and Auburn. This Auburn team last year showed flashes of greatness by beating Alabama, and their only SEC losses last year were to quality opponents in Florida, Georgia and LSU. I think Kentucky keeps this one interesting throughout, but I like Bo Nix to lead the Tigers to victory in the fourth quarter. Auburn wins but doesn’t cover. Pittsburgh has looked pretty impressive in their first two games of the year with a blowout win over Austin Peay and a 21-10 victory over Syracuse last week. Senior Kenny Pickett appears to be a reliable quarterback for the Panthers, and their defense has played well so far as well. I was really high on Louisville going into the season, but last week against Miami, the Cardinals defense struggled mightily and gave up 47 points. I like the Panthers to win by 10. This is definitely the matchup of the week. While this game is important for both teams, this is a must win for Army if they want to have a chance at a New Year’s Six

bowl. The Black Knights’ triple option attack worked well in their first two games, as they put up over 300 yards on the ground each game, but they will face a different test from a tough Cincinnati team. I think this one is back and forth at first, but Cincy is the more talented team and that will be the difference. The Bearcats win but do not cover the spread. The Cowboys looked less than impressive in their crazy comeback against the Falcons last week, but they were able to get the job done. If the Cowboys are going to beat the Seahawks, however, they are going to need to figure out their defense. Russell Wilson has gone off the first couple of weeks, and I expect him to ride that momentum into this game. I can see the Cowboys defense coming around by the end of the season, but they are not firing on all cylinders yet. Seahawks win and cover. The Saints are greatly missing Michael Thomas, and it showed in their 10-point loss to the Raiders last Monday. They will have another big test this week against the Green Bay Packers who have absolutely shredded the opposing defenses they have faced so far. Aaron Rodgers has already thrown for 604 yards on the year, and running back Aaron Jones already has 234 yards on the ground. I think this one is close, but I’ll go with the Packers to win this one outright. The Chiefs definitely did not play their best football in last week’s overtime win over the Chargers, and they will need to be at their best if they are going to beat the Ravens this week. Even if the Chiefs are at their best, I am not sure they can beat this solid Ravens team. The Ravens have one of the best quarterbacks in the game, and they also have an elite defense to go along with that. Overall, I think the Ravens are a more efficient, wellpolished team than the Chiefs at the moment. I’ll pick the Ravens to win and cover the spread. The Washington Football Team hasn’t looked too bad in either game so far this season. They shocked the Eagles in week 1, and although they lost to the Cardinals last week, it wasn’t too ugly. They face a very overconfident Baker Mayfield-led Browns team this week, and I like Washington to pull off the upset in this one. The Browns looked less than impressive in their 35-30 victory over the Bengals last week, and they won’t play much better this week. Mayfield makes some mistakes late and Washington picks up their second win of the season.

Dominic Gibson The Kentucky vs. Auburn game should be one of the better one’s this week and it is a perfect way to kick off the start of the SEC schedule. Auburn and Bo Nix will be building off of a strong season last year and with a very solid receiving corps to back him up, I think that they will have relatively little issue dispatching Kentucky. The Wildcats should keep it relatively interesting, but I’m going to take Auburn to cover. Pitt has been one of the more solid teams at the start of the season, taking care of business to go up to a 2-0 record. They’ll look to

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bring their stout running game and defense into the picture this week against Louisville. While the Cardinals certainly can throw the ball around the yard, their defense leaves a lot of questions to be answered. I think that Pitt will be able to slow their tempo down enough and limit the damage to give their offense enough time to work. I’ll take Pitt to win and cover. Cincinnati is going to need to work for this win. Army will always find ways to put up points and their defense has been dominant in their last two showings. I think that the Bearcats will find a way to limit the rush from the Black Knights and sustain enough offense to wear down the defensive front of Army. I’ll take Cincinnati to win but not cover. The Cowboys were lucky to walk away with a win after the total collapse from the Falcons. Atlanta was able to put up 39 points against a less than impressive Dallas defense. With that in mind, I think they are in some serious trouble against Seattle. Wilson put on another show against New England, putting up 288 yards and five TDs. I think that Russ will continue his form and find a way to expose and carve up the Cowboys. The only thing of concern is that banged up Seattle defense. Linebacker Bruce Irvin and Corner Marquise Blair are both out of the picture forcing some of the younger guys to step in. Even with injuries, I think Seattle will hold off the Cowboys and easily win and cover. The Saints struggled last week and the loss of Michael Thomas was a clear impact. Their next game against the Packers will not be any easier, especially against a red hot Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers looks like he hasn’t lost a step this year, throwing for just over 600 yards so far this season. The Saints will struggle to stop him and Aaron Jones. I’ll take the Packers outright. While the Ravens have not been tested by a quality opponent yet this season, they’ve won their two games in convincing fashion. The Chiefs will need to step their game up a new level, especially after barely walking it off last week against the Chargers. Baltimore should win and cover. For my upset pick, I’m going to head to the Big 12. Oklahoma State was supposed to win easy over Tulsa last week, especially with star running back Chuba Hubbard leading the way. That wasn’t the case however, as they were only able to put up 16 points total. Now, West Virginia is by no means a powerhouse squad, but anything and everything seems to happen in the Big 12. Coming off of a large win last week against Eastern Kentucky should give the Mountaineers a little confidence going into their matchup. I’ll take West Virginia over Oklahoma State. Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu, Dominic Gibson at dgibson@hcc-nd.edu, Patrick Gallagher at pgallag4@ nd.edu, David Kramer at dkramer2@nd.edu and Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Sports

The observer | Friday, september 25, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com

to take down the Wake Forest expectation pesky Panthers ahead of the Continued from page 16

co., but they will have to do it on less rest. That extra rest becomes extremely beneficial to Clemson, who end their regular season with games against Pitt and a road trip at Virginia Tech, ranked No. 21 and No. 20 respectively at the moment. Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s end of season schedule becomes just a little more difficult. The Irish had been slated to end their year with Syracuse, who has scored only 16 points in two games so far. That game would have likely allowed Notre Dame to rest starters, but Wake Forest, while not a powerhouse, may not grant the Irish that same gift. Wake Forest has shown life on offense, putting up 13 points against Clemson — which is pretty impressive given the opponent — followed by 42 points against NC State. Notre Dame should still win this game, but Wake Forest is a far tougher opponent than the Irish would like, particularly now that they’re faced with a potential one-week turnaround to the ACC Championship.

Potential trap game becomes even worse Pitt is a scary opponent already. Although Notre Dame is 5-1 against the Panthers in the Brian Kelly era, their biggest margin of victory was 12 points, and that was the only win by more than one possession. In both of Notre Dame’s most recent undefeated regular seasons, Pitt gave the Irish a sizable scare, forcing triple overtime in 2012, and losing by just five points in 2018. Thus Pitt’s presence on the Notre Dame schedule on Oct. 24 was not exactly a welcome sight. Now, that game presents an even bigger challenge. The clash with the Panthers was already scheduled for the week after a home game with a Louisville team that could be ranked at the time, and just two weeks after a home night game with Florida State. The road trip to Pitt seemed dangerous enough after those two higher-profile games, with the anticipated Clemson game just two weeks away as well. Now, let’s toss in the fact that this will be Notre Dame’s first true road game. Due to the postponement of the Wake Forest game, Notre Dame’s first four games will now be played in South Bend. While road atmospheres are hardly the same this year, this game is still going to be played in an NFL Stadium (Heinz Field), and, if Notre Dame is 4-0, the

Clemson game will be astronomically high. For a Notre Dame team that is breaking in a lot of new playmakers, particularly in their receiving corps, having their first true road game be a contest that was already being listed as a potential upset is far from ideal. Notre Dame did not look ready for big road games last season, committing a dozen false start penalties at Georgia and being laughed off the field against Michigan. Road game struggles and Pitt have me really nervous about this one. Brian Kelly absolutely has to have the Irish ready for this game.

Potential for rusty performance against Florida State Florida State has a talented roster. They’ve recruited well, but for some reason, their on-field product has been pretty miserable the last few years. That being said, taking the Seminoles lightly would be a grave mistake. Florida State will come into a night-game atmosphere that should be about as loud as it can be with socially-distanced seating. Their recent showing in South Bend, a 42-14 humiliation at the hands of the Irish, will be on their minds, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them chomping at the bit for a road upset. Moreover, if Florida State loses to Miami this weekend (they are listed as 11.5 point underdogs), they will enter that game 0-2 against FBS opponents, with potential ranked clashes with No. 11 UNC, No. 24 Louisville and No. 21 Pitt looming in the weeks following. A date with No. 1 Clemson also graces their November slate. That would make the game against Notre Dame even more critical as FSU tries to scrap their way into bowl contention, after a stunning and ugly season-opening loss to Georgia Tech. Notre Dame will enter this game on 21 days of rest, which means they should be ready to go, but the danger of rust, particularly in their passing offense, which has not clicked as a unit yet, is definitely a concern. The Irish cannot come out slow in this one. Everyone wants to beat Notre Dame, and FSU may be desperate for a victory. If they smell blood after a fast start, it could bring a close to Notre Dame’s CFP hopes before they even get off the ground. Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

COLUMN

Irish Impact in the NFL Mannion McGinley Sports Writer

Notre Dame has had its fair share of NFL stars. From Joe Montana and Golden Tate to Chase Claypool and Mike McGlinchey, the Irish have spread well across the NFL. With 537 players drafted from Notre Dame and 34 more as free agents, it’s no question there has always been an Irish presence in the league. This year is no different. Notre Dame is represented on 20 different teams. This column will unpack just how much of an impact they have on each team.

Baltimore Ravens (2-0) While most of the Ravens’ offensive prowess can be attributed to quarterback Lamar Jackson, Irish graduates Miles Boykin (wide receiver) and Ronnie Stanley (offensive tackle), have played important roles in their time on the Ravens first string. This year alone, Boykin has seven receptions for 75 yards. The run game is where the team generates most of its offense, though. Without a strong offensive line, that wouldn’t be possible. That’s where Stanley comes in. Despite getting injured this past week, he had played every other snap this year and plans to return to their game Sunday. Irish Impact: 8/10

Dallas Cowboys (1-1) The Cowboys have two former Irish players on their roster this year in Jaylon Smith and Zack Martin. Smith has contributed significantly over his four years on the Cowboys as a linebacker. This year alone he has 13 solo tackles, 10 assisted tackles, two pass deflects and one stuff for a loss of 2 yards. Martin continues to anchor Dak Prescott’s O-line. For a list of stats and a right guard from quote-on-quote ‘O-line U’, Irish Impact: 6/10

Detroit Lions (0-2) The Lions have three Irish graduates on their roster including Jalen Elliot, who is a rookie on the practice squad, and Julian and Romeo Okwara. The pair missed playing on campus together by one year but now are both on the second-string of the Detroit roster. Romeo has had more experience and this year has had the chance to make three solo and two assisted tackles, one of which was a stuff. Because of the brotherhood and the second-string action, Irish Impact: 5/10

Green Bay Packers (2-0) Wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown is on Injured Reserve and second year running back Dexter Williams is currently on the Practice Squad. With one player contributing, Irish Impact: 1/10

Houston Texans (0-2) Carolina Panthers (0-2) The Panthers also have two Notre Dame grads on their roster. J.J. Jansen, a long snapper who has been on the team since 2009, is the first-string long snapper and continues to be reliable this year. Troy Pride Jr. is a rookie cornerback, and in the two games he’s played has made eight tackles. Because they have both longevity and newcomer talent, Irish Impact: 7/10

Chicago Bears (2-0) The Bears have three Irish players. Rookie Cole Kmet and third year player Alex Bars are both second string. Kmet has had one catch for 12 yards, but Bars has not seen the field yet this season. The third player is Sam Mustipher, who has been contributing on the Bears’ practice squad. Irish Impact: 3/10

This year, wide receiver Will Fuller V has contributed nicely to the Texans with eight receptions and 112 yards. Nick Martin is the first-string center who was picked by Houston in 2016 and has been there ever since. CJ Prosise is on the practice squad. Irish Impact: 5/10

Indianapolis Colts (1-1) The Colts have two Irish players. Defensive tackle Sheldon Day is on Injured Reserve but Quenton Nelson has been on the team since 2018 as a first-string left guard. Irish Impact: 3/10

New York Jets (0-2) Running back Josh Adams and Cornerback Bennett Jackson are both on the practice squad for the Jets. Safety Matthais Farley has had one tackle on the season. Irish Impact: 2/10

Signed in the fifth round of this year’s draft, Khalid Kareem is the only former Notre Dame player currently on the Bengals. He hasn’t contributed as much as Pride this year, but as a second-string defensive end, he has had one solo tackle and one assisted tackle in the two games, which is a good start. For one contributing player, Irish Impact: 4/10

Las Vegas Raiders (2-0) The Raiders have three former Irish. DeShone Kizer and Theo Riddick are currently on the practice squad, and right tackle Sam Young is currently active in his first year on the Raiders. Without much statistical detail, Irish Impact: 2/10

Minnesota Vikings (0-2) First-string tight end Kyle Rudolph and first-string safety Harrison Smith have been making a name for themselves on the team. Rudolph has had two receptions for 28 yards. Smith has had eight solo tackles and one assisted, as well as one pass deflected on the season. Together they represent the Irish well. Irish Impact: 6/10

New York Giants (0-2) The Giants also have an offensive and a defensive weapon from the Irish. Wide receiver Golden Tate has been reliable on the offensive front with five receptions and 47 yards. Rookie Julian Love has been holding his own as well. With seven solo tackles, an interception, one pass deflection, one stuff and an assisted tackle. For success per player, especially for a rookie, Irish Impact: 8.5/10

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) The Steelers have three former Irish players. Rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool has begun to make a name for himself on the Steelers roster, with a toetouch catch last week bringing him to five receptions for 127 yards, eight rushing yards and one touchdown on the season. Defensive end Stephon Tuitt has had one individual tackle, one assisted and one sack this season. Jarron Jones is on the Pittsburgh practice squad. With three players, two of which with heavy impact, Irish Impact: 9/10

San Francisco 49ers (1-1) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)

Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)

three solo tackles and one assisted tackle this year. Tillery has had three killer solo tackles this year in his second year with the Chargers as a defensive tackle. Bilal and Gilman have not seen the field yet, and Drue Tranquil is on injured reserve at the moment. For spirit impact and potential to match that on the field, Irish Impact: 7/10

Tyler Eifert joined the league in 2013 and came to the Jaguars this year. Since he arrived, he’s had four receptions for 44 yards. Irish Impact: 4/10

Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) The Chargers currently have the most contributing Irish players. Alohi Gilman is their newest gain. The rookie safety joined Isaac Rochell, Jerry Tillery and Asmar Bilal. Rochell has had

The 49ers have Mike McGlinchey, offensive tackle, who has been on the field since he arrived. This year they also signed rookie Chris Finke from free agency directly after the draft, but he hasn’t been on the field yet. Irish Impact: 5/10 Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author

sports

M Soccer Continued from page 15

split up into a north and south region, with every team playing six conference games against division opponents over a nineweek period to minimize travel and other risk factors associated with COVID-19. The Panthers join the Irish in the north region, and both squads will meet again in Pittsburgh on Oct. 30 to play their conference matchup. Notre Dame was picked to finish last in the north region in the ACC coaches’ preseason poll. The Panthers were picked to finish second, receiving two first-place votes behind runaway north region favorites, defending ACC champions and 2019 national runner-up Virginia. Last Thursday’s victory over Kentucky suggests the Irish could be a dark horse in the conference this fall, however. Despite periods of sustained pressure from the Wildcats, the veteran Irish back line held firm and did not allow a single shot on target in the final 14 minutes. Senior keeper Keagan McLaughlin looked assured in just his fifth game for Notre Dame, making a career-high four saves in difficult goalkeeping conditions. The Zanesville, Ohio native has yet to concede a goal in an Irish uniform.

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, september 25, 2020 | The Observer

The breakthrough came courtesy of freshman debutant Daniel Russo off the beach, who headed home a corner taken by senior midfielder Aiden McFadden in the 62nd minute. Jackson, N.J. native Russo and McLaughlin were awarded ACC offensive and defensive player of the week, respectively. Freshmen Matthew Radivojsa — who led all players with four shots — and Paddy Burns, sophomores Reese Mayer and Ethan O’Brien and senior Michael Lynch joined Russo in making their Notre Dame debuts against the Wildcats. After the victory, Notre Dame head coach Chad Riley said he was excited by what he saw from his freshmen as the rest of the squad continues to mature. “It was good all around for the young guys,” he said. “I think we have a good, deep group. I think we’re kind of … turning the corner to become more of a veteran team.” The Irish also possess leadership and a goal scoring threat with junior forward Jack Lynn, who was one of the eleven players highlighted on the ACC preseason watch list. The St. Louis, MO native led Notre Dame with 10 goals last season. Five were game-winners, which was tied for second in the ACC and 11th in the country, respectively. One of those match-winners came

against Pitt last November, as his 17th-minute strike proved to be enough in a 1-0 victory at Alumni Stadium. Leading the line for Pitt is Edward Kizza, a senior forward who was also featured on the watch-list. Kizza is coming off two consecutive AllACC first-team selections. He finished fourth in the conference with twelve goals in 2019 and also scored five matchwinners. Last year, the Panthers advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, where they were thumped 5-0 by eventual champions Georgetown. Saturday’s game will be Pitt’s official season opener, but they are coming off a 5-0 home win over Louisville Sunday. Kizza scored the opener 25 minutes in before fellow senior forward Alexander Dexter, who led the Panthers with six assists in 2019, added a brace before halftime. Sophomore midfielders Valentin Noel and Veljko Petkovic added goals of their own after the break to complete the rout. Kickoff at Alumni Stadium Saturday is scheduled for 7 p.m. No in-person attendance is permitted, but the match will be available to stream on ACC Network Extra. Contact Greg McKenna at gmckenn2@nd.edu Paid Advertisement

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allison Thornton | The Observer

Irish senior midfielder Aiden McFadden dribbles around a defender from the University of Denver during Notre Dame’s win Sept. 8, 2019.

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ND MEn’s SOCCER

FOOTBALL COLUMN

WF postponement impacts season By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Writer

Initially, this column was supposed to be about the new-look Notre Dame offense, as they prepared for their third game of the season, at Wake Forest. Instead, the Fighting Irish now face a double-bye, as a COV ID-19 outbreak in the locker room forced them to postpone their game with the Demon Deacons until Dec. 12. Ideally, with two weeks until their next game, Notre Dame should have time to recover from the outbreak and start practice in plenty of time to prepare for their battle with the Florida State Seminoles. But the consequences of this postponement go beyond just the next two weeks, as there are several things to look at regarding the long-term hopes of the Irish in 2020.

No rest for championship

Irish set for top-5 clash against Pitt

ACC

By Greg McKenna Sports Writer

Let’s look at the most direct effect first. If Notre Dame’s season goes according to plan, and they are in position to compete for the ACC title game, they will now be entering that game with even less rest than they were originally slated for. With the Irish now slated to take on the Deacons on Dec. 12, the ACC Championship will likely be moved to Dec. 19, which was already listed as the alternate date for the game. This means Notre Dame will play three consecutive weeks prior to that potential title game clash. Clemson, Notre Dame’s likely opponent should the Irish extend their season to the 19th, will now have a week off prior to that game, meaning that Notre Dame will not only be tasked with taking down Trevor Lawrence and see WAKE FOREST PAGE 14

allison Thornton | The Observer

Irish junior midfielder Mohammed Omar dribbles downfield during Notre Dame’s 1-0 win against Denver on Sept. 8, 2019.

After last Thursday’s 1-0 win over Kentucky to open the 2020 season, No. 5 Notre Dame (10) returns to action at Alumni Stadium Saturday night against No. 4 Pittsburgh (0-0). With the ACC being the one of the few conferences still playing this fall, the United Soccer Coaches’ poll cut their customary top 25 to just a top five. Unsurprisingly, the first poll solely consisted of ACC teams. The voters took notice of Notre Dame’s professional performance against the Wildcats, placing the Irish right behind Pitt to round off the list. Though Pitt has been a traditional conference foe dating back to both programs’ days in the Big East, Saturday’s top-5 clash will be considered Notre Dame’s last non-conference game of the season. This fall, the ACC has been see M SOCCER PAGE 15

ROUNDTABLE

Observer Roundtable: Week 2 CFB, NFL Liam Coolican, Dominic Gibson, Patrick Gallagher, David Kramer and Aidan Thomas Sports Writers

We’ll start this week’s roundtable out with a shoutout to last week’s top performers in our weekly predictions. Leading the way was Dominic Gibson, who was simply on fire. He came away with 20 points out of a possible 24 points, nailing all six game predictions and four of six spreads. He rallied into the leaderboard via his upset pick, which was Navy over Tulane. As the Midshipmen furiously rallied in the second half, Dom punched out a 7-0 record in week 1. Following in close pursuit was Patrick Gallagher, whose 18 points were achieved via a 6-1 overall record in game picks, including his upset call in Liberty over Western Kentucky. Aidan Thomas went 6-0 in his regular game picks and nailed all six spreads, but he unfortunately did not see his upset call (Jags over Bucs) come through, leaving him in third place for the week.

Leaderboard after week 1: Dominic Gibson — 20 points Patrick Gallagher — 18 points

Aidan Thomas — 12 points Liam Coolican — 7 points Nate Moller — 6 points And without further ado, here are this week’s top games and predictions: NCAA No. 23 Kentucky @ No. 8 Auburn (-7.5) No. 24 Louisville @ No. 21 Pitt (-3.0) No. 22 Army @ No. 14 Cincinnati (-13.5) NFL Dallas Cowboys @ Seattle Seahawks (-5.5) Green Bay Packers @ New Orleans Saints (-3.0) Kansas City Chiefs @ Baltimore Ravens (-3.0)

Aidan Thomas Kentucky-Auburn is the best game of the week, but College Gameday stayed away, probably hoping to return in a week for Auburn at Georgia. They’ll make that trip if both teams are undefeated, which I fully anticipate. I’m not super high on Auburn’s chances in the SEC this season, but I’m even lower on Kentucky, who I believe is criminally overrated at No. 23. I’m not a believer in their offense, and I think their defense is good, but Bo Nix should handle business at home. Give me Auburn by 10 in the

opener. Louisville struggled last week defensively, but they put up 34 points on offense, and that was with three turnovers. I think they’ll clean up the mistakes and force Pitt to score a lot of points to win, which I’m not sure the Panthers are capable of. I’m going Louisville outright in this one. It’s been 16 years since Army and Cincinnati met on the gridiron, so there’s not a lot of recent history in this clash. Cincinnati is trying to stake their claim as the best Group of 5 team, and they could make a statement with a win over a ranked Army squad that has looked dominant. I think Army’s defense will make it a slog for the Bearcats to score, and their offense will chew clock and notch 30 points against a Cincy defense that gave up 20 to FCS opponent Austin Peay. Black Knights outright in this one. Heading to the NFL, where we’ve got an intriguing DallasSeattle clash in week 3, I’m really excited by the slate of games this weekend. Russell Wilson is an early MVP candidate with nine touchdowns in his first two games, leading the Seahawks to a 2-0 start. Dallas avoided an 0-2 start with a miraculous comeback against Atlanta that figures to give the ‘Boys some

momentum. I don’t think it’s enough to beat Seattle at home, but I like Dallas to cover, while the Seahawks snare the victory. The Saints looked absolutely horrible in the second half last week, as the Raiders simply dominated after falling behind 10-0. That didn’t inspire much confidence in what New Orleans can do without Michael Thomas, and the Green Bay Packers have looked absolutely monstrous on offense in a pair of easy victories to start their year. After the Saints looked like a mess, I’m not picking against the red-hot Packers here. Green Bay outright on Sunday Night Football. I was leaning Chiefs for this much-anticipated Monday Night clash, but Mahomes and co. did not give me confidence when they needed overtime to take down the Chargers. The Ravens have looked to be on another level than both their opponents so far, holding the Texans and Browns to a combined 22 points, while notching 71. The Ravens have just been too impressive to bet against, so give me Baltimore winning and covering the spread. I came just short on my upset pick last week, as Gardner Minshew was intercepted on a potential game-tying drive for the Jaguars. So, with that being

said, I’m going to go bolder. Ole Miss hosts a top-10 Florida team to open the season, and they are being absolutely disrespected as 14.5 point underdogs. John Rhys Plumlee is a good quarterback, Lane Kiffin will have his guys ready to go and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask will struggle to gel with new playmakers in a delayed season opener. Ole Miss opens in style with a stunner over the Gators.

Patrick Gallagher While Kentucky has looked more impressive than usual during the last couple of seasons, the Wildcats are still one of the weaker programs in the SEC. Their 3-5 conference record in 2019 really speaks for itself as they struggled against historically mediocre teams like Arkansas and South Carolina. This season, Auburn is just a class above the Wildcats in most positions. Bo Nix should have a strong sophomore campaign guided by new offensive coordinator Chad Morris, who helped create some of the most explosive offenses in recent memory during his time at Clemson. I expect the Tigers to look dominant in their home opener easily covering the spread. see ROUNDTABLE PAGE 13