Notre Dame’s keys to victory against Syracuse
By Ben Hicks Associate Sports Editor
Although the 3-7 Syracuse Orange shouldn’t present the most difficult of challenges when they enter Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, head coach Marcus Freeman’s Irish still have much to accomplish and prove through their performance. With its star running back in prime Heisman Trophy contention and a College Football Playoff spot yet to be nailed down, Notre Dame better win convincingly to remain in the good graces of the national media and the CFP committee. Here are four keys for Notre Dame to not only squeeze the Orange, but also secure its spot in the postseason.
Start hot
Despite the 3-7 record and lack of inspiring play on both sides of the football, Syracuse should not be overlooked by an Irish team that already played a tight game with 1-10 Boston College. That disappointing result, albeit a 25-10 win, was Notre Dame’s one mulligan.
If it hopes to keep separation above potential SEC champion Alabama, one-loss BYU and the hated Miami, Notre Dame needs to dominate the Orange. That begins with the first quarter. Even extending beyond 2025, Notre Dame has seemed to be a second-half team under Freeman. Contests with Purdue, NC State and Navy this season were all close at the intermission before the Irish pulled away late. The Irish can’t afford to let the Orange hang around and apply game pressure. They must be in complete control for all 60 minutes and all four quarters. That begins with a score and a stop on the opening possessions Saturday afternoon.
Feed Jeremiyah Love
While Freeman has continued to stress team glory, a heavy dosage of touches for the junior running back will not only benefit Notre Dame’s prospects, but also boost the St. Louis native’s chances at the game’s most prestigious honor. Love has been dominant in the month of November, running
for 136, 94 and 147 yards in Notre Dame’s three games, also finding the end zone five times. All told, he has scampered for over 1,100 yards on the ground with 14 scores, while also proving dangerous in the passcatching game.
The typical threshold for a running back to be in contention for the Heisman Trophy is 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns, which Love assuredly won’t reach. However, two more strong games with opportunities to add even more “Heisman moments” may be enough in a wide-open field with no clear favorite. Regardless of whether or not Love is among those honored in New York City this December, it is in Notre Dame’s best interest to continue feeding its workhorse meaningful touches as the team gears up for a postseason run.
Continue the defensive domination
These may seem like straightforward, cliche keys to victory, but the running game and stout defense have been the Irish’s recipe to success across
FOOTBALL
their active eight-game winning streak. Strong defensive performance is also critical to the eye test of former coaches, who seem to be dominating the discourse within the CFP committee. While Notre Dame’s resume certainly isn’t the strongest amongst the plethora of two-loss teams, the perception of the Irish holds weight in a room that includes former bench bosses Mark Dantonio (Michigan State and Cincinnati) and Mike Riley (Oregon State and Nebraska).
Since the train wreck first three games of defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s tenure, the Irish defense has been lockdown, allowing just over 12 points per contest. Across the field, Syracuse’s attack has sputtered since former Notre Dame signal-caller Steve Angeli went down, averaging just under 12 points per contest. All the goodwill the Irish pass rush and secondary have built up over the previous two months will be forgotten if they slip back to their previous habits. The committee would be hard-pressed to omit a defense that hasn’t
allowed more than 15 points since the middle of October.
Control the emotions
Notre Dame is 3-0 on Senior Day in the Freeman era, but the added fanfare always presents the potential for distraction. In his weekly press conference, the head coach noted the importance of balancing the due recognition of the senior class with focus on the task at hand. Add in the return of Angeli and the push for the Playoff, and Notre Dame could be battling much more than just a subpar Syracuse team. All in all, Notre Dame should have no problem handling the Orange to move to 9-2. After all, the Irish have Jeremiyah Love, and the Orange do not. Despite the doomsday scenarios unfolding in the minds of loyal Notre Dame fans nationwide, the Irish should find themselves safely in the CFP as long as they continue to follow the adage of former Raiders owner Al Davis: “Just win, baby!”
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
Fields finds himself as ‘a part of the brotherhood’
By Claire Watson Associate Sports Editor
While Notre Dame continues to get closer to the College Football Playoff, its new addition has stood out — senior wide receiver Malachi Fields. A transfer from Virginia, Fields has kept pace with his previous seasons at Virginia in his year under the Dome. So far this season as a starter for the Irish, Fields has a total of 596 receiving yards, five touchdowns and an average of 18.6 yards per game.
His most impressive game of the season came last weekend against Pittsburgh. The senior led with season-highs of 99 yards on seven receptions, tied his personal career-high of two touchdowns and, most notably, nabbed an immaculate 35-yard onehanded reception.
“It was crazy,” Fields said. “We got a free play because they jumped offside. I was figuring the ball would come to me, so I saw the ball in the air, tried to go make a play, and it happened.” When asked about his reaction to the play in the moment, Fields said, “Watching it back, I was like, ‘Alright, that’s kind of freaky.’”
As a senior leader on the team, Fields spoke about his feelings about the recognition for Senior Day before kickoff.
“Taking it in before, being
a part of the brotherhood and just enjoying the moment,” were what Fields described as the highlights of the big day.
But while recognizing this, Fields also acknowledges the importance of refocusing. “When you run back in the locker room, you flip that switch and you go to work like any other day.”
But being the new kid in town is not always easy, especially as an out-of-state senior coming to the high expectations of the Notre Dame football program. That said, the team has helped him adjust to a new environment, become a part of a new family and grow as a person.
“Super beneficial, just getting out of that Charlottesville bubble, really being on my own,” Fields said. “Being able to grow with a different set of boys in the locker room and different plays as a whole. It’s just been awesome.”
Fields also cited the impact of head coach Marcus Freeman, both on him and on the team in fostering a sense of community. When asked about what stands out about Freeman, he had this to say.
“How he cares about us as players, but also as a man in the world,” Fields described. “All of his lessons that he talks about that correlate from football to life. He really homes in on that life part on, just being the best man,
husband, father, brother [and] son we can be ... that’s just been huge with his teachings.”
But it is safe to say that Fields’ success has not been a one-man effort. The senior transfer has quickly become a regular target for freshman quarterback CJ Carr, who himself has thrown for 2,487 passing yards since taking over for Riley Leonard.
He had a couple of words to describe his chemistry with Carr.
“Trust and consistent are the two that I would go with,” Fields said. “He’s trusting in me to make plays, and it’s just continued to show up throughout the season. When he’s throwing the ball my way, I’m usually making a play on it and I just plan to keep doing
that. I’m just thankful he has that trust in me that we’ve built throughout summer days and camp and practice each week.”
Notre Dame prepares to face off against Syracuse this Saturday with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Senior wide reciever Malachi Fields scores his second touchdown on a six-yard reception in Notre Dame’s 3715 away win against Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium on Nov. 15. Fields finished with 99 yards on 6 receptions.
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Howard Hall to be retired as residence hall
Observer Staff Report
Howard Hall will be retired as a permanent residence hall after the 2025-2026 academic year, ending over 100 years of service as an undergraduate community at Notre Dame. Current residents will become part of the inaugural cohort at Therese Mary Grojean Hall.
The University has not officially determined how Howard Hall will be used in the future. In the past, residence halls that have not been demolished have been converted into temporary residences like Pangborn and Zahm Halls, or faculty offices such as Flanner and Grace Halls.
Residents were notified of the development in a meeting with hall rector Anna Kenny, director of Residential Life Nathan Elliot and associate vice president of Residential Life Karen Kennedy. The announcement comes just one day after Kennedy informed the Lyons Hall community of their move to Zahm Hall to accommodate a major renovation.
Howard Hall’s president, Athena Westland, said residents cheered and cried after the announcement was made.
The building was established in
GRAY NOCJAR|The Observer
A view of Howard Hall in 2022, including its signature archway. Begining in the 2026-27 school year it will no longer house students. The current Howard community will become the seed comunity for Grojean Hall.
1925 as a residence hall for freshmen. In 1987, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building to Notre Dame’s 116-acre historic district. One year later, the dorm was converted from a men’s to a women’s residence hall in accordance with a University plan to admit more undergraduate women.
After the meeting, Kennedy sent an email to hall residents to confirm the news. In it, she credited the Residential Master Plan for guiding the University’s decision. She also
ROTC navigates govt. shutdown
By Mara Hall News Writer
Salaries for federal workers across the country were impacted by the recently resolved government shutdown, but the lapse in appropriations did not reach ROTC students at Notre Dame, whose stipends were unaffected during the shutdown.
Limited changes in training
Lt. Col. William Kobbe, a professor of military science at the University of Notre Dame working with the Army ROTC program, described his perception of the shutdown’s impact.
“There has been little to no impact on their day-to-day leadership development experience. This is our number
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one mission, to recruit, educate, develop and inspire senior ROTC cadets in order to commission officers of character for the total Army,” Kobbe said. Echoing the same perspective that the shutdown did not significantly impact ROTC programs, Lt. Col. James Delongchamp, director of public affairs for the U.S. Army Cadet Command, confirmed in a statement to The Observer after the reopening of the government that “Senior ROTC cadet life does not change drastically during a lapse in appropriations, but programs continue to train cadets with all resources available to commission future Army officers of character,” he wrote.
see “ROTC” on page 3
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revealed that the number of residents a building can support plays a role in decisions regarding its future.
“Importantly, it aligns with our ongoing commitment to increase hall capacity to accommodate all current, new, and transfer undergraduate students while also improving equity across residence halls related to student experiences,” she wrote. “At times, this requires making very difficult decisions about the life span of a particular building,
while prioritizing the residential communities that are at the heart of a Notre Dame undergraduate education.”
Kennedy specified that the manner in which the building was constructed ruled out the kind of restoration other residence halls had received through the Residential Master Plan.
Howard Hall is the oldest undergraduate residence hall to not receive renovations as part of the plan, which over the past decade has redone
Alumni, Badin, Breen-Phillips, Dillon, Sorin and Walsh Halls, and demolished Fisher and Pangborn Halls. The plan was also evoked for Pangborn and Zahm’s transition to “swing dorms” that temporarily housed residents from halls that were undergoing renovations.
The approximately 150 Howard Hall residents will comprise only part of Grojean Hall, which supports a capacity of 275. The building will also be open for “floaters” — students who request to change their residence hall.
“This transition to an entirely new hall is necessary to both meet the housing needs of students and provide sufficient common spaces for community building,” Kennedy wrote.
According to Westland, the new community will support eight residential assistants, more than the four currently employed in Howard Hall.
Kennedy assured residents that the community’s mark on campus would be considered after the move.
“As we prepare for this transition, please rest assured that hall staff, in collaboration with the current Howard community, will decide how to best honor the hall’s legacy,” she wrote.
Christmas Lecture brings physics to South Bend
By Matthew Morin News Writer
Each year for the past five years, Notre Dame’s College of Science has held their annual Christmas Lecture. This year, the lecture featured Texas A&M professor Tatiana Erukhimova and was held at the Century Center in South Bend in order to encourage community engagement. Both Notre Dame students and local elementary school students were invited to listen to the lecture and explore stations with different science experiments.
Steven Corcelli, the interim dean of the College of Science, opened the lecture, calling it a “gift from the College of Science to share our love of the College of Science.”
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Further elaborating on the lecture’s purpose following Erukhimova’s presentation, Corcelli said, “Tonight was all about bringing the fun and joy of science to the South Bend Community. It is our gift to bring science to the local community to inspire young folks and get them excited about science.”
Kate Biberdorf, a professor of chemistry in the College of Science known for her experiments on social media as “Kate the Chemist,” introduced Erukhimova.
Erukhimova, known to her fans and students as “Dr. Tatiana,” has been a physics professor at Texas A&M for the last two decades. Erukhimova shared that her love of physics developed early in life. She is the daughter of two physicists
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and said she grew up in a city where the physics education was, “superb,” which she said led her and many of her friends to become physicists. She even married a fellow physicist.
She attended the University of Nizhny Novgorod in Russia and received her Ph.D. from the Institute of Applied Physics at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Ultimately, Erukhimova came to the United States when her husband got a job at Texas A&M. She began teaching at the university as a postdoctoral research scientist and “realized how much I enjoyed it, so that turned into my career. I teach students, and walking into my class is always a highlight.”
see “Physics” on page 2
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She then began teaching upper-level classes to juniors but, after three years of teaching, decided to teach an introductory-level physics class. Walking into the class, she recalled, “they expected to see an Einstein-looking professor and they saw me. It did not go well. That’s how I learned the importance of making every class interactive and memorable … You must create this ‘wow’ factor for students to know that this is an exciting class for them to enjoy rather than be scared or bored.”
At Texas A&M, she works to make science more engaging through several projects. One is the Physics Festival, in which students share over 200 hands-on demonstrations with the general public.
Erukhimova also works on Discover, Explore, and Enjoy Physics and Engineering, an initiative which allows students to create their own hands-on demonstrations for the festival. “We invite everyone to celebrate physics with us,” she said.
This engagement, Erukhimova said, is important for both the public as well as the students, as students gain the opportunity develop presenting skills and gain recognition for their work.
In order to instill passion for science in children, Erukhimova said that the scientific community must “organize high-quality events or high-quality venues. It could be festivals. It could be videos, but you don’t want to dumb it down
Texas A&M professor Tatiana Erukhimova is pictured creating a liquid nitrogen cloud at the Christmas Lecture. Many of the experiments demonstrated revolved around the powers of liquid nitrogen.
for people, but at the same time, you have to have the ability to explain concepts at the level that people understand and appreciate.”
Erukhimova said communication with students both inside and outside of the classroom is what makes her day, calling it, “an absolutely amazing experience. They are scientists by design.”
She proceeded to share her favorite experiments with those in attendance, from cloud explosions with liquid nitrogen to phase transitions, condensing the gases inside a balloon and freezing rubber using liquid nitrogen.
While conducting the experiments, she explained the concepts of paramagnetism, superconductors, Faraday’s Law and many others to the audience. With help from audience members, Erukhimova turned flowers brittle using liquid nitrogen and froze a magnet until it turned into a superconductor, which raced along a track.
Biberdorf offered her praise for the lecture.“Just as a fan, this was one of the most rewarding things in my life,” she said. “I have dedicated my life to doing what she does with physics, so this is one of the coolest things I’ve been a part of.”
Frank Qian, a lecture attendee and Notre Dame freshman, said, “It’s impressive how consecutive those experiments were – one followed by another, and I’m impressed by her passion for physics.”
Following the lecture, the children in attendance were encouraged to visit different tables dedicated to scientific topics. Some of the tables included the ‘take a bacteria table,’ the liquid nitrogen spinning disk, a flame made by the frequency and in the shape of a sine wave and magnetic breaking using a steel beam.
These tables were run by undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, all
eager to share science with the community. Joseph Derkin, a postdoctoral in Nuclear Physics, said, “I thought the event was great. I really like bringing physics out to people who have no idea what might happen and lifting up the hood to show them that it’s all just physics.”
Astrophysics graduate student Lauren Henderson echoed this, saying, “As a graduate student, doing activities like this makes me realize why I like science and why I’ll be doing this as a career.”
Chemistry graduate student, Marla Gravino, similarly offered her praise.
“Exposure is everything when it comes to encouraging young kids to pursue science,” she said. “It can only have a tangible impact, and we’re all here today to, hopefully, get some kids to pursue science.”
Contact Matthew Morin at mmorin2@nd.edu
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Campus divided on state redistricting efforts
By Mara Hall News Writerr
Over the past few months, legislators in Texas, California and Indiana have considered various bills to redistrict their states’ congressional maps, partly in response to one another’s efforts. This redrawing of maps comes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections as Republicans and Democrats get ready to battle over majority rule in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Presently, Republicans hold the majority in both chambers.
James Curry, a professor of political science at Notre Dame, said redistricting is becoming more and more common and that mid-decade redistricting is particularly unusual.
“What stands out this time is how those pushing for it are not even trying to obscure their reasons for doing it,” Curry wrote in a statement to The Observer. “Trump and other Republicans were explicit in telling Republican legislators in states like Texas and Indiana that they wanted them to find congressional Republicans more seats. Usually, the reasons for these
ROTC
Continued from page 1
Benjamin Nickerson, Naval Service Training Command public affairs officer, confirmed that this was true for naval cadets as well. “There was no interruption to training during the shutdown. Naval Science Instructors are active-duty service members assigned to universities, and they continue to train Midshipmen for the duration of the lapse in appropriations,” Nickerson wrote.
Rachael Parks, a captain of the U.S. Air Force and public affairs officer, elaborated on the smaller ways in which the shutdown did impact ROTC programs.
“The lapse in appropriations impacted Air Force ROTC much like the rest of the Department of War. Some extracurricular activities were postponed, but routinely scheduled military training and academic classes progressed like usual. No matter where our nation is in the decision-making process around budget or policy, our program continues to develop leaders of character,” Parks wrote.
An ROTC student granted
efforts are presented in less starkly transactional terms.”
Shri Thakur, co-president of College Republicans, expressed his support for these efforts.
“The College Republicans support the redistricting efforts of Texas, Indiana, and other red states,” Thakur wrote.
“This process is necessary to rectify past gerrymandering by the Democrats in New York and Illinois, as well as the rigging of the 2020 census to count illegal alien populations for representation, which significantly benefit Democrat-run states.”
Patrick Kompare, vice president of College Democrats, offered his perspective on the redistricting.
“It is sort of like a nuclear arms race where it started off with Texas redistricting and then states reacting and all trying to offset each other with California redistricting to offset Texas and other Republican states trying to redistrict off of that,” he said.
Curry claimed the redistricting is inevitable.
“There is no way to draw a ‘perfect’ district because we don’t even know what that means. Moreover, because where people
anonymity after ROTC students were asked by ROTC leadership not to speak to The Observer said that Notre Dame’s ROTC students were not permitted to do “open facing events” during the shutdown. The student noted that this impacted color guard and football game flyovers and also caused the cancellation of several guest speakers.
This was confirmed by Parks, who wrote, “If cadets have planned extracurricular activities that include community engagement, those activities may be limited.”
Effect on employees
According to Delongchamp, civilian employees working for senior ROTC programs were furloughed as of Oct. 1, 2025 until the government reopened.
Each ROTC program keeps a list of employees who are not required to work when furloughed, Delongchamp said, but noted that group is a minority of employees. He said those required to work fell on the training and development side of operations while those exempt from working were largely responsible for administrative and
live is correlated with their politics, any drawing of district lines is going to result in most districts being uncompetitive. But where most people find gerrymandering unacceptable is when it is blatantly done in a way that affects the degree to which different groups of voters are represented in a government,” Curry wrote.
Curry claimed that the redrawing of maps in Texas was an effort by Republicans to create more Republican seats to offset the consequences of the seats they are likely to lose in the 2026 midterm elections. However, he emphasized that this could fail on multiple levels.
“You can try to draw district lines to achieve certain ends, but sometimes you make mistakes in your assumptions about how different groups of voters will vote, and your gerrymander turns into a dummymander,” Curry wrote.
“The push by California Democrats to redraw lines in that state was absolutely a response to the effort in Texas. This is part of how the Republican effort may be backfiring. Not only might the new
recruitment responsibilities.
Within Army ROTC at Notre Dame, The Observer confirmed that at least recruiting operations officer Christopher Pratt and administrative specialist Connie Pearson were furloughed.
Despite a Notre Dame Army ROTC recruiting officer being furloughed, Kobbe said recruiting has not been affected.
“There has been no change. Right now, the first board for national scholarships is occurring this week as normal. We have done mission analysis to ensure that there is no impact to our candidates,” said Kobbe.
Parks explained that Air Force ROTC is run by “cadre of active-duty officers and enlisted personnel.”
Air Force cadre, who are paid by the Defense Department, worked during the government shutdown and were paid as normal, according to Parks. Air Force civilian personnel are paid by the University and thus were unaffected during the shutdown.
Student stipends
Student stipends did not seem to have been impacted during the shutdown.
Texas map be rejected by the Courts, the Democrats’ response in California may make it even easier for Democrats to win control of the House of Representatives in 2026.”
Kompare interpreted this mid-decade redistricting as a sign of a lack of trust between parties, explaining that the ability to redistrict is not new but previously there was a mutual trust, so parties did not feel the need to “systematically shut people out of the system through the efforts of government.”
In terms of President Donald Trump’s role in the redistricting, Kompare claimed he has been interventionist.
“There has been a record of him intervening ... [Trump] as well as JD Vance came to Indiana personally to urge state leaders to redistrict,” Kompare said. “[Trump] has used the bully pulpit to a large extent, and I think these principles of state autonomy are very important, especially with this right of managing your own elections. That is something that can only be touched with due consideration and
Delongchamp, Kobbe, Nickerson, and an anonymous student confirmed to The Observer that Notre Dame ROTC students continued to receive stipends during the lapse in appropriations.
However, some Air Force ROTC students’ stipends were delayed.
“Some students experienced minor delays in their stipend payment, but monthly stipends were distributed during the lapse,” Parks said.
Tuition delays
ROTC tuition payments to the University were delayed as a result of the shutdown.
Regarding the shutdown’s impact on tuition, senior assistant provost
Jim Frabutt explained that the specifics come down to ROTC leadership and the Office of Student Accounts, but said ROTC students would not be punished for their tuition not coming in on time.
“We will not let their schedules or their enrollment or their registration be impacted, and we will sort it out when it is able to be sorted out,” Frabutt said.
Gene Pilawski, senior director of the Office of Student Accounts, explained that ROTC scholarships
caution. I worry that that was not used in the Texas case.”
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court in El Paso, Texas ruled 2-1 that Texas could not use their new redrawn map in the 2026 midterm elections, arguing it disproportionately targeted Black and Hispanic residents. Racial gerrymandering is considered illegal, but partisan gerrymandering is legal California’s newmap still remains in place, barring any future legal challenges.
In Indiana, Governor Mike Braun’s efforts to redistrict have thus far been unsuccessful, as Republicans in the State Senate have resisted supporting such measures. Kompare praised these senators’ efforts.
“I think it speaks to a certain level of integrity,” Kompare said. “I think that it gives me hope that this sort of situation will continue where we will reach a state where we feel like the redistricting has affected both parties equally and it will not go further.”
Contact Mara Hall at mhall27@nd.edu
internally function in much the same way as any other scholarship that a student would receive from an outside organization.
Pilawski explained that the scholarship delays are minimal at this time.
“Historically it has been either October or November when ROTC funds have been received, so for us to be waiting at this point, the government shutdown is just prolonging that a little bit more. We are not holding families responsible for or asking them to pay anything that the government ROTC branches are going to be covering at a later point. We are giving families all the assurances to say we do not want you to pay that,” Pilawski said. He reaffirmed that the funds are still expected to arrive, even if a little late.
“The branches have reached out to us and basically said, ‘The money is coming.’ They have said we should be expecting payments within two to four weeks after the government shutdown has been resolved” Pilawski explained.
Contact Mara Hall at mhall27@nd.edu
Veteran speaks at first official TPUSA event at SMC
By Berhan Hagezom
St. Mary’s News Editor
Turning Point USA, which was newly approved as a student organization at Saint Mary’s College, held their first official event in collaboration with the Leadership Institute. Retired staff sergeant Joey Jones, a Fox News contributor and Fox Nation host, delivered a lecture titled “The American Military Under the Trump Administration” on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Regina Hall
Jones spoke to the roughly 100 audience members about his life leading up to a 2010 IED explosion during his time as an explosive ordnance disposal bomb technician in the Marine Corps, from which he lost his legs and injured his arm.
Senior Mary Gunnell, president of the College’s TPUSA chapter, opened the event by thanking the audience and chapter leaders for their attendance, along with the College for their approval of the chapter. She then provided a brief introduction to Jones’ life growing up, his service in the Marine Corps, the 2010 incident, the position he currently holds in Fox News and his status as a New York Times bestselling author.
In an interview with The Observer, junior Sabrina Olivarez, treasurer of TPUSA at Saint Mary’s, shared the purpose of the TPUSA chapter at Saint Mary’s, which was founded in 2021 and approved a few months ago.
“As far as I’m concerned, we just wanted to have a conservative body on campus, no better than a veteran of our United States. It was fabulous to have him speak today,” she said.
Jones began the lecture speaking about his upbringing in Dalton, Georgia, discussing working with his dad to make carpets and the advice he gave him throughout his childhood. He decided to join the Marine Corps after a few semesters at Dalton State College, reflecting upon wanting to prove he could be more than what others thought of him despite his low socioeconomic background.
“The Marine Corps specifically spoke to a guy like me. Spoke to someone who, at some level, wanted to go through something difficult because it was better for other people,” he said, adding that later, he realized he’d become part of something bigger than himself as he navigated the trials and tribulations of bootcamp with the help of others.
He shared that former President Barack Obama’s handling of the war in Iraq
and Afghanistan made him pay more attention to politics.
He discussed losing one of his fellow soldiers, Daniel Greer, during Operation Roadhouse II on Aug. 6, 2010 in Safar Bazaar, Afghanistan. Two days after the tragedy, Jones shared, the nurse attending to him had a response to his grief that changed his outlook on life.
“She washes my face off now. And I say, ‘Hey, where’s Greer? Is he here?’ And she looks at me, she kind of smiles and her response to that question was, ‘Don’t worry hon, you’re going to walk again,’” Jones said. He shared his appreciation with the audience for attending the event.
“Most of you are here because you agree with what I had to say. Some of you are here because you don’t, but you’re here because you care, because you have passion for life and what’s in front of you,” he said. “You’re here because you know whatever it is you’ve gone through or are going through, it will not defeat you.”
He also spoke on what he sees as the patriotism found in the America’s ideals and values, along with the people who choose to live here.
“This place that’s so unique … [made up of people] that come from somewhere else, that speak a different language, pray to a different whoever, that vote different, that eat different food,” he said. “But somewhere in our DNA, we’re truly American. So in our DNA, we know that when we wake up in the morning, we open the door, we walk outside and we see someone trip and fall, it’s inherent in us to walk over to
them, pick them up, dust them off and say, ‘Don’t worry hon you’re going to walk again.’”
Jones reflected upon the podcast he did with Mike Rowe days before the shooting of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10. Rowe asked Jones what scared him most and he said that it was not being there for his kids one day.
Jones tied this sentiment to Kirk’s passing, saying, “A light bulb came on and I said, ‘You know what? That’s true, but there are people in this world who have overcome that and doesn’t worry about what kind of world we’re leaving for our kids. They’re excited about what kind of world our kids will build.’ And that’s to me what Charlie did. Two days later, I had to figure that it makes sense.”
In the following Q&A session, junior Elysia Morales, vice president of TPUSA at Saint Mary’s, asking anyone to come forward if they disagree with the thoughts shared by opening the floor to them. When no one spoke up, it was then opened to any general audience member.
One student asked how to have an honest dialogue to build bridges in exchanging ideas with no false narratives attached to them.
Jones said, “You got to have an opportunity to respect the person in front of you before you even have a conversation.”
Answering further questions about political polarization, including one asking him to comment on Zohran Mamdani’s election and the “evils of socialism,” he shared that he prefers showing people his political viewpoints rather than fear-mongering
or forcing people to a certain side.
“It’s not my job to tell you how ‘effed up’ you are because you disagree. It’s my job to tell you how great it is over here where I’m at and hope that you find your way here,” he said. “That’s how I feel about it. Maybe that’s a little bit passive, maybe that’s a little bit too much [of a] pacifist or whatever you want to call it, but it’s where I’m most comfortable.”
In an interview with The Observer following the event, Jones shared how important speaking to young people is to him as well as his own personal viewpoints on the current political and social climate.
He shared that he chose to partake in the Leadership Institute’s Free to Speak national campus tour because of the opportunity to directly engage with students.
Following his lecture at Saint Mary’s, Jones will also speak at the University of Cincinnati.
“I was asked by the Leadership Institute and Turning Point and I don’t get a chance to speak to young kids a lot. Most of the time I’m speaking to older audiences, like at a military charity or a corporate event or a Republican event,” he said. “And so I felt like this was an opportunity for me to learn as much as speak to them.”
He emphasized that the main message from his talk is to for students to feel empowered and note they can build a better future.
“I believe it’s incredibly important that we build up our youngest generation, not tell them how screwed up they are, even if we don’t
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understand them,” he said. “I don’t think we can understand them because we’re not in their position. We didn’t grow up in the world they grew up in.”
He hopes that schools across the country are more open to lectures and organizations like Turning Point USA for further dialogue.
“I hope that every school out there opens their doors and their minds to an organization like Turning Point and doesn’t make things hard and difficult for groups that may be more conservative to have opportunities to have lecturers or speakers come,” he said. “I think that the conservative movement encompasses more than partisan ideas, it encompasses people of all walks of life that have been through a lot and have a lot to share, and that’s what I hope I brought.”
Five Saint Mary’s students protested outside of Regina Hall during the event, holding signs commenting on larger principles of TPUSA.
Freshman Sydney Wells said she protested due her belief that TPUSA does not align with the College’s inclusivity values.
“I saw that they were hosting an event with Turning Point USA and I’m standing out here today because I don’t believe in anything that they stand for and I don’t think that they really should have a place here,” she said. “Because we are taught that Saint Mary’s is a place for inclusivity, diversity and just a place to belong and I don’t think it’s a really welcoming thing to see.”
Contact Berhan Hagezom at bhagezom01@saintmarys.
By Sam Marchand Columnist, “The Bridge”
As hard as it might be for some, especially the political left, to see reality, the fact can’t be ignored: 10 months of Trump have been extremely good for consensus. The end of the shutdown proves it, even Democratic opponents in Congress almost entirely conceded to the president’s votermandated agenda.
Since he came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower in 2015, Trump has been painted by the political left as the most divisive leader in American history. This assertion peddled by legacy media fails to see the truth as of late. The record of the past year tells a fundamentally different story than left-leaning mainstream media would have you believe. Trump has delivered on years of campaign promises with de facto cooperation from nominal opponents, the very meaning of consensus.
On the left, this represents a categorical shift from just one year ago. Think back to summer and autumn 2024. Kamala Harris labeled him a fascist, and President Biden called for a bullseye on Trump shortly before his first assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. That lack of consensus extended into Congress and the courts, where GOP leaders and conservative-leaning judges had effectively stalled
Trump is a consensus leader
Biden’s agenda on voting protections for illegal aliens and student loan forgiveness. Consensus would have been a pipe dream going into November 2024.
We’ve since seen a massive paradigm shift. The 75-million-strong voter wave in the November elections sent a clear signal: Biden-era division and hateful rhetoric toward the other side were no longer politically viable. In Congress, where Biden faced steep opposition even when his party controlled both houses in his first two years in office, Trump has seen a string of major legislative victories. The passage of numerous Trump priorities,
namely the Laken Riley Act on illegal immigrant deportations, H.R.1, referred to as the Big Beautiful Bill, the subsequent rescissions package and the recent surrender by Democrat holdouts during the shutdown all paint the same picture. The lack of consensus that paralyzed Biden has vaporized now, and the initiative taken by the administration since Jan. 20 is evidence clear as day that momentum has translated into legislative success.
The courts have also formed ideological policy consensus relating to the Trump administration. SCOTUS’ decision in Trump v. CASA limited the
ability of lower courts to hamstring the federal government. Appeals courts greenlit national guard policing in Los Angeles in June. Trump has won scores of other victories in the nation’s highest court in cases over government downsizing, transgender people in the military, mass deportations and more. The Biden years never saw this kind of successful legal consensus around policy, which makes the attribution of Trump as divisive from the left all the more humorous.
This consensus goes beyond our own borders. Foreign leaders and corporations pledged to invest a massive sum into the United States during
Trump’s term, exceeding $21 trillion, a number Trump revealed in his Tuesday meeting with Mohammed bin Salman. Wars ending in the Congo, Gaza, Pakistan, Cambodia and Azerbaijan clearly show that the world at large took that same signal from the American electorate, that they want consensus and that division isn’t an option any longer.
While the political left has cast Trump as the incarnation of division and hate, that division does not functionally exist in policy, and indeed the opposite is true. Polling cements this fact strongly, showing that Americans support Trump’s agenda on both immigration and the economy compared to Biden by almost a double-digit margin. While Democratic voters remain opposed to Trump, the Democratic Party in Congress has all but conceded to the consensus demanded by the electorate. Voters sent a message in November 2024, and that message was clearly received by the political establishment. Americans want consensus, and that consensus is Trump.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Sam Marchand at smarcha3@nd.edu
The uneasiness of feeling at home in the kitchen
As a little dreamer child and a budding snarky feminist, I had a strong sense of what the future married me would look like. “I will marry a man who cooks amazingly, and then all I’ll have to do will be to eat his delicious food,” I proclaimed to my family.
Even as a child, I knew that cooking was a gendered activity. At family gatherings, the mother would always emerge from the kitchen carrying a tray of drinks, play the role of a good hostess briefly and then disappear once again into the kitchen to bend breathlessly over the many curries simmering on the stove. At some point, the women would migrate into the kitchen or the dining hall to talk about womanly matters such as the recipe for “that amazing chicken fry,” or the “snack that my kids love,” while men spoke in serious tones in the living room about pressing matters of the world.
Even though I grew up in a home where my father frequently crossed the threshold of the kitchen to chop vegetables, to prepare rice and buttermilk curry, I learned that he was an exception to the rule, that other fathers kept their distance from this woman’s space because they
believed that cooking would demean and emasculate them.
Perhaps, because I experienced the exceptional and the normal, I was firm in my conviction even as a child that I wouldn’t be trapped into a life of domesticity. I knew that I did not want to be the women who had gone before me.
When I told my family that I would never cook, even as a married woman, to my great surprise, the patriarchal uncles and aunts actually nodded their heads in agreement. This is when I realized
that cooking was not only a gendered construct, but that it had a close relationship with my disability. “A blind girl cannot cook,” everyone in my world said emphatically. Even my parents, who told me I could do anything I wanted, did not try too hard to make me a culinary genius. I too began to entertain the thought that perhaps cooking, and the scary uncertain arena of the kitchen, weren’t for me. When it came to cooking, the adventurer in me, the girl who wanted to prove herself to the
ableist world, decided to curl up under a comfortable blanket.
But last summer, that blanket was wrenched away when I realized that I would have to cook for myself during my internship in Indianapolis. I panicked. Suddenly cooking became a necessity, and unfortunately, the husband with the amazing culinary skills still belonged to a distant future.
When I went home in May, my mother gave me a crash course in cooking. I learned everything she taught me, but the insecurities did
not go away. After years of telling myself that this was not for me, I struggled to convince myself that I could really prepare a meal without my mother’s protective supervision.
But then one day I stood alone at the kitchen counter in my Indianapolis apartment. Assuring myself that I did not have to eat anything that I cooked, and if worst came to worst, I could always DoorDash, I took up the knife and curled my hand around an onion. The sharpness of the knife cut through the thick layers of the onion and struck the chopping board with a triumphant thud. Later, my unscarred hands proudly cradled three bowls of cut vegetables. Then I finally turned to the instapot, coated with a layer of oil. With a whispered prayer of, “Jesus, its just you and me now. Also, please don’t let the fire alarm go off!” I added the cut vegetables to the hot oil. An ominous sizzling filled my ears, and steam drifted towards my face. I wanted to run, but I couldn’t afford to. So I clutched the wooden handle of the spoon and stirred, a desperate prayer on my lips.
At some point, the stirring became mechanical, the sizzling
MEG HAMMOND | The Observer
By Hannah Alice Simon Columnist, “Eyedentity”
LIAM FLYNN | The Observer
Kitchen
Continued from page 5
became almost normal, the heat more bearable. As I added chili and masala powder, I breathed in the sharp notes of the spices, recognized its mellowing as it mixed well with the vegetables.
When the instapot finally turned off with a cheerful beep, I reached in and gathered a spoonful of my ginger garlic fried rice. Hesitantly, I lifted it to my lips. I winced at the heat, then I smiled in something like awe.
As I continued to return to the kitchen, to inhale the cent of
familiar spices, as my ears accustomed themselves to the sizzling music of oil, the slightly scarier song of the pressure cooker, I wondered why no one had told me that cooking didn’t have much to do with the eyes. I began to experiment with flavors and sauces, make my own recipes. Cooking became something that my hands wanted to do, and the kitchen became mine, my space. I began to become my mom.
But I didn’t want to become my mom!
I could understand needing to cook because it was a necessity. But what did it mean that I, the modern feminist, was falling in love
OPINION
with cooking? Wasn’t I becoming everything the patriarchal grandfathers said a perfect domesticated woman should be? “Look, you do belong in the kitchen after all. Your woman’s hands were created to prepare food. You just needed some time to come to terms with this truth.” I could hear their smug, smoky voices whispering to me.
“I don’t want to confirm their beliefs about me.” I told my best friend and fellow feminist.
“But they are always going to believe what they want about you, Hannah. They will always wish to trap you into their narratives.”
For a moment, I allowed myself to remember all the disbelieving
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questions that people met me with, every time I, the blind woman, did something that they thought I couldn’t.
All my life, I had wanted to prove myself to the ableist world, to the patriarchal world. “But what’s the point?” I asked myself. “They are still going to believe what they want to believe, and I can’t really change that.”
“Hannah, just do what gives you joy,” my best friend told me. “That’s the best kind of rebellion.”
For a moment I allowed the dreamer in me to picture the kind of feminist I wanted to be.
I pictured a mother, a wife, a therapist, a writer, a musician.
I pictured a woman singing in the kitchen, a man beside her, a man too comfortable in his masculinity to fear emasculation at the hands of vegetables and spices.
I pictured this woman, so comfortable in all she was and all she wished to be. In that moment, I wished to be her. I believed that I would be her.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Hannah Alice Simon at hsimon2@nd.edu
TPUSA is incompatible with SMC values
As a senior at Saint Mary’s College, I have always appreciated the attention given to bipartisan voices and different perspectives on campus. Thanks to the passionate work of our faculty and students, diversity and empathetic dialogue are two of our most valued strengths. However, Turning Point USA — which was recently approved for official club status at SMC — is a very different story. TPUSA’s values are deeply at odds with the mission of Saint Mary’s College and its founders, the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
Justice and community are two of SMC’s core values, and TPUSA endangers both. TPUSA has been classified as a hate group by two human rights watch organizations: the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. Its politics and methods are not only divisive but also hateful and bigoted toward marginalized communities, including people of color,
immigrants and queer people — all of whom are present and valued within the SMC student body. Many Belles who identify with these groups have felt frightened and unsupported since SMC’s recognition of TPUSA as a valid organization. Allowing hate on campus does not promote equality or dialogue — it simply makes vulnerable communities feel unheard and unwelcome. That is the opposite of SMC’s call to community.
Ironically, TPUSA is also notoriously antifeminist. It promotes women’s place as in the home, decries single women as a critical issue in society, undermines the importance of consent, and claims feminism is responsible for the flaws of modern society and Christianity. This blatantly contradicts and insults SMC’s history and mission. Since 1844, we have been a trailblazer for women’s education, career advancement, academic perspectives and empowerment
within Christianity. This focus on empowering women is what makes us so special as an institution! I am proud to be a Belle in no small part due to these values. As a woman with strong career goals and a Christian with a deep love for Jesus, SMC has absolutely shaped me into who I am today and has also enhanced my faith. I know firsthand the value of such an intellectually rich, feminist education. Allowing TPUSA to function on campus sullies our legacy as a leading, progressive Catholic women’s college. Many more factors demonstrate the incompatibility of TPUSA with SMC’s mission. TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk failed to adequately condemn gun violence, considering it a necessary aspect of living within a free society. Please compare this to the insistent protests against gun violence and war by the Sisters of the Holy Cross as part of their social charism, which centers compassion and justice for
all. Furthermore, TPUSA advocates Christian nationalism and American exceptionalism, which overlooks and undervalues the diverse communities around the world whom God loves and whom the Church calls us to love, as well. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world,” not just the United States. This “America First” mentality flies in the face of not only God’s all-encompassing love but also the Sisters of the Holy Cross’s call to global ministry toward the poor. The Sisters, inspired by Catholic social teaching, emphasize solidarity within the global community, including the rights and wellbeing of immigrants as a central aspect of pro-life teachings. TPUSA has made no secret of its antipathy toward immigrants, utterly ignoring their inherent value and dignity as children of God, not to mention the recent calls of Catholic leaders for more humane treatment. These foundational TPUSA beliefs
blatantly contradict our mission as a Catholic women’s college.
This kind of hateful, exclusionary group does not belong at SMC, which has always fostered a community of inclusion, empathy and justice in keeping with the mission of the Sisters of the Holy Cross and Catholic social teaching. Welcoming TPUSA as an official presence on campus is no less than a slap in the face to the Sisters who founded us, the women who this institution continues to educate and empower, and our Catholic call to justice and unconditional love for all. I ask members of the SMC community to reflect on what our values truly require of us and what kind of campus climate we hope to foster, especially during this current political moment.
Sarabeth Spencer Saint Mary’s College class of 2026 Nov. 20
Kash Patel’s excessive jet use is hypocritical
Something I’ve noticed since joining The Observer is how difficult it is to be in the public eye, even in a small way. While writing for the university publication is a far cry from the level of stress many professional journalists face, having my name attached to my opinions and made public online does make me somewhat uneasy, and I’m sure there are others who can relate. After all, a necessary byproduct of having my work published is that I invite people I’ve never met before to react to my personal values through compliments and criticisms alike. Regardless of how it may make me feel, however, this critical examination of public figures and their arguments is highly important. Discussion and disagreement are key steps to achieving social progress, as well as simply working to understand the world in which
we live. And while it’s good to hold accountable student journalists like myself, it’s even more important for the people we’ve charged with running our government.
The higher the position, the more scrutiny politicians face — and for good reason. Selecting leaders who serve the public interest is one of the privileges of living in a democracy, so when they fall short, it’s up to us to call them out for it. Recently, FBI director Kash Patel has drawn criticism from the public regarding the use — or misuse, as some argue — of his government jet. As FBI director, Patel is required to take the $60-million plane whenever he travels for security reasons, but many people have taken issue with his use of the aircraft for various personal trips. For instance, he has frequently flown out to visit his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, traveling to watch her perform at a wrestling event at Penn State
in October and often visiting her home in Tennessee.
Naturally, someone has to pay for Patel’s flights, and unfortunately, that burden falls largely on taxpayers. While the FBI director must reimburse the government for the price of a commercial airline ticket each time he flies, this constitutes a small fraction of the total cost. As conservative commentator Brett Cooper pointed out, it costs around $15,000 per flight — most of which taxpayers pay for.
Like many taxpayers, I find it a bit hard to swallow that for each of Patel’s flights, we bear the brunt of the bill. While it is unrealistic to expect we will never have to pay a dime for Patel’s flights, it would be helpful to have some clarity on whether we are funding trips for business or personal reasons. And to some extent, I think it’s reasonable for Patel to take a not government-related flight — to get home, for example — once in a while. However, the
number of times he has done so since his appointment seems to suggest an abuse of power and an exploitation of the very taxpayers who supported him.
To me, the most frustrating part of the entire controversy has to do with some comments Patel made on his podcast two years ago. In the particular episode, Patel called out then-FBI director Christopher Wray for his “private jet travel that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country” and argued for the privilege of using the private jet to be revoked. Clearly Patel has changed his mind — now, finding himself in the same governmental position, he is doing the same thing for which he condemned Wray. This hypocrisy is not only bad for Patel’s image, but it puts forth a negative image for the current administration, which touted transparency as one of its main goals.
I think the whole situation with Patel has broader
implications for society. For one, it’s disheartening to witness how power and authority can easily change people’s values. It’s easy for us to shout about the need for transparency and integrity, but Patel’s complete 180 degrees illustrates just how difficult it can be to fight against the allure of power. Still, we can acknowledge these challenges without excusing his actions. The public who supported Patel’s appointment as FBI director should not back down in calling for his integrity. It’s time we started holding people accountable in the public eye — especially when the power they wield comes directly from us.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Noirin Dempsey at ndempsey@nd.edu
By Noirin Dempsey Columnist, “Through the Overton Window”
By Harry Penne Scene Copy Editor
The 2020s have been filled with “nostalgia sequels” like “A Christmas Story Christmas,” “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “The Exorcist: Believer” and “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.” Nostalgia sequels are hit or miss. Sometimes it’s fun revisiting beloved characters under new circumstances: Seeing a mature Ralphie share his holiday experiences on the adult magic-giving side of Christmas as opposed to the childhood magic-receiving is beautiful. Other times, it’s sad and disheartening watching beloved heroes grow old, like Indiana Jones in “Dial of Destiny.” I think “Spinal Tap II” fits the first category — a nostalgia sequel done well.
The film follows up “This Is Spinal Tap,” a 1984 mockumentary that, while not the first, was incredibly influential on the genre. It chronicled the American tour and shenanigans of fictional British rock band Spinal Tap. Even if you’ve never seen it, you’ve definitely heard its famous quote: “These go to eleven.” The sequel picks up forty years later, with Tap forced out of retirement to perform one last concert under an overlooked contractual obligation.
“The End Continues” was directed by Rob Reiner (“The Princess Bride”) who also reprises his on-screen role as film director Marty DiBergi. The English rockers are played by Americans Christopher Guest (guitarist Nigel Tufnel), Michael McKean (singer David St. Hubbins) and Harry Shearer (bassist Derek Smalls). Valerie Franco joins the
‘Spinal Tap II’ is a worthy sequel
cast as Didi Crockett in the ill-fated drummer role. These actors thrive on improv, with the majority of the film unscripted, allowing for authentic dialogue. Further, their improvisational aptitude was highlighted by their commitment to conduct all media interviews and film promotion in character.
I had reservations going into “The End Continues,” fearing it would be a soulless cash-grab exploiting nostalgia and unsure how it could add something substantial to the original. Thankfully, it surprised me in story and quality; it’s a riot. After a long legal battle over rights, in 2021, all intellectual property ownership returned to the four creators, after years of them not earning royalties
from the film or music.
One thing I liked about the film is that it shows what the band members are doing in their post-music life. Smalls owns a glue museum, St. Hubbins runs a cheese shop and Tufnel does minor music jobs. Throughout the film, these interests influence the characters and are running jokes. I enjoyed this character development beyond their rock personalities.
The film features many celebrity musician cameos that surpass “Oh! Look it’s Paul McCartney,” but rather serve story purposes. For example, while searching for a new drummer, the band fails to recruit drummers Questlove (The Roots), Chad Smith (The Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Lars
Ulrich (Metallica). Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood appear in a short clip covering Tap’s song “Big Bottom,” explaining the sudden spike in interest in the band amongst younger listeners. Paul McCartney and Elton John both play larger roles in the film with substantially lengthier scenes. McCartney jams with the band, offering advice they ultimately reject. John joins Tap both in rehearsals and on-stage during the concert at the end of the film, performing his version of Tap’s anthem “Stonehenge.” However, his fate in the film is rather disastrous, as he and Tap are wounded by an overly large (compensating for the 1984 mistake) Stonehenge prop malfunctioning.
My primary complaint with the
An evening with Josh Peck
film is that it barely spends time at the ending concert. Sure, I know it’s not the focus, but the ending feels very sudden and abrupt. The first film’s humor leans into concert mishaps, like the band being unable to find the stage. Those iconic moments aren’t in “The End Continues,” and I would’ve liked to see more on-stage action.
The film brings a new Tap album and songs. My top new track is “Let’s Just Rock Again,” a self-aware tune recognizing the fact the band is getting older. Smalls’ solo effort “Hell Toupee” is a strange, albeit comedic, beat (if the joke doesn’t register, say “Hell Toupee” aloud). John and McCartney both have songs on the album, with John’s “Stonehenge” being simultaneously absurd and incredible. Across the board, the album’s vibe is authentically classic rock and the lyrics are authentically Tap levels of comedic.
Tap’s legacy isn’t over. A third project, “Spinal Tap at Stonehenge: The Final Finale,” filmed at Stonehenge in August 2025 and releasing theatrically in 2026, is a concert film featuring Tap’s final performance with appearances by Eric Clapton, Shania Twain and Josh Groban.
Overall, the film is a worthy successor to the original. As with most sequels, there’s an argument for why it shouldn’t exist, but “The End Continues” positively adds to the band’s lore and story. The humor is great, the acting is phenomenal and the cameos are star-studded — it’s an all-around good time. I say: Rock on!
Contact Harry Penne at hpenne@nd.edu
By Mara Hall Scene Writer
This Wednesday the Student Union Board hosted an evening with Josh Peck in DeBartolo Hall 101.
He is known to most of our generation as half of the titular pair on the Nickelodeon sitcom “Drake & Josh” and to your dad (and pretentious film bros) as the guy who pushes the button in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”
DeBartolo Hall 101 was buzzing with excitement on that Wednesday night. The sight of a packed house, especially at a ticketed event, was a delightful surprise, and it underscored the widespread appeal of Peck. It was a moment of shared anticipation and excitement.
When Peck first came into the auditorium, he tripped on one of the stairs — which I have also done from time to time — and when he got down to the stage, he lightly quipped, “You really need a railing there.”
The interview began, and the moderator (junior Lindsey Lark) gave him a few softball questions about college and whether he wished he had attended. These questions were about his thoughts on the college experience and his personal journey, to which he did have some interesting answers, though he also
utilized these early questions to comment on how many toll roads there are between Chicago and South Bend.
The interview then shifted focus to Notre Dame. He spoke a lot about enjoying visiting campus and how much he loves Fr. Pete — though I do have to make fun of him a little bit for misspeaking and calling the “Word of Life” mural “Superbowl
Jesus.”
He was a very animated speaker; he spent much of the engagement pacing up and down the stage, often turning to Lark, making her and the audience laugh.
He regaled us with some truly side-splitting stories about his time in sitcoms, doing vlogs with David Dobrik and being a dad. My personal favorite was when he shared how
he ended up as the button pusher in “Oppenheimer.” It turns out he wasn’t supposed to do it, but the other guy couldn’t make it that day. His stories were so humorous that they had the entire audience (including me) in fits of laughter.
Peck’s animated and energetic performance was a testament to his skill as a performer. He didn’t just speak, he captivated the audience,
making the hour-long talk feel like a brief, engaging conversation.
The other half of the talk was mostly him giving advice, which made him sound like a life coach. He shared advice on learning how to be yourself in your twenties and the importance of self-discovery and self-acceptance, which I found really interesting. I think this definitely resonated with a college-age audience, and even when he talked about his experience being a father, I felt that these stories were told in a way that universal truths could be gleaned from them. However, he had the cadence of a millennial YouTuber. I don’t know if he was speaking like this to try to relate to college students or if he talks like this all the time, but after the first 40 minutes, it started to get a little grating on me.
At the end, he opened the floor up to questions from the audience, which was also interesting, and even after an hour of speaking he was still just as animated.
It was a very engaging event filled with some laugh-out-loud moments, corny advice and great stories. Overall, a pretty good Wednesday evening.
Contact Mara Hall at mhall27@nd.edu
BEN SMITH | The Observer
BEN SMITH | The Observer
By Chris Dailey Sports Writer
Irish fall in overtime to Ohio State
The No. 2 Notre Dame women’s soccer team was stunned in overtime by Ohio State on Thursday. Despite the Irish peppering 36 shots, the Buckeyes scored the lone goal in the waning moments of the match, courtesy of forward Jadin Bonham. The loss is heartbreaking for a Notre Dame team that many college soccer pundits and fans across the country deemed would compete for the National Championship.
“I’m proud of them and I’m sorry,” head coach Nate Norman said after the devastating defeat. “They have done nothing wrong. They fought, and I love them.”
The Irish started the match off on the right foot. Ten minutes in, a well-placed cross from the left found the head of sophomore forward and All-ACC First Team selection Annabelle Chukwu, deflected off fellow sophomore forward Izzy Engle and ended up in the back of the net. Engle, who was nestled by the post after making her initial run for the cross, was ruled offside by the side judge.
Notre Dame continued with an onslaught of chances, but none were truly definitive. The Ohio State defense played its heart out,
blocking shots left and right. Goalkeeper Molly Pritchard took command of the box.
The Irish looked to utilize the flanks of the pitch, with senior defender Leah Klenke making positive runs forward. However, crosses into the box were either cleared away by the bruising Buckeyes or hit with too much pace to find a target. In the midfield, the slick surface due to misty conditions created challenges for both sides.
Early in the action-packed second half, Ohio State quickly broke forward with a rare burst of offense after sophomore midfielder Riley DeMartino was dispossessed in the defensive third. The Buckeyes fired off a strong shot that seemed destined for the top corner. Sophomore goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica, however, made a full-extension save to punch the ball over the bar and keep the match knotted at zero.
Notre Dame moved forward with vigor. The Irish powered in 22 shots throughout the second half. However, only five of them were on frame.
The Irish had many great chances, though. Sophomore forward Ellie Hodsden was fed a perfect cross before perfectly placing the ball into the lower corner. Somehow, Pritchard made a highlightworthy diving save. The Buckeye netminder defended
the goal once again as the Irish fired in a strong shot, which she met with another save.
Sophomore midfielder Lily Joseph contributed with several nice plays of her own for the Irish. Joseph did her best to create opportunities from outside the box. Ohio State dropped into a low block, though, either blocking the shots or watching as they soared over the bar.
Despite Notre Dame’s best efforts in the dying embers of the second half, the match went to sudden-death overtime. It looked as if Ohio State was playing for penalties, especially considering Pritchard proved to be the best player on the pitch that night.
Notre Dame’s best chance in overtime came off a transitional play with Engle and Hodsden. Hodsden used her lightning speed to track the ball down on the left side. With room to run, she took a few smart touches before delivering the ball to Engle. The quick run of offense put the virtually sold-out crowd at Alumni Stadium on their feet. But, as the story seemed to go throughout, Ohio State’s defense was there to diffuse the attack.
With one minute left in overtime, Notre Dame lost possession just above their own 18. Ohio State barely had any offense all day besides a
ND VOLLEYBALL
few scrappy chances from its goal-getting junior Amanda Schlueter.
With less than a minute left, however, Ohio State had their moment. The Buckeyes worked the ball to the left side. The ensuing cross rainbowed into the box. Kasica moved off her line to retrieve the ball, but the ball had just enough height to elude her reach. The ball skipped to Bonham, who fired a shot to the near post. Graduate defender Carolyn Calzada, who was closest to the post, couldn’t get a sufficient clearance on the ball, and Ohio State went up.
The Buckeyes celebrated with their contingent of fans at Alumni Stadium while Irish players were left in pain watching.
Norman choked up after the match, talking about how proud he was of the 2025 squad.
“We have had lots of adversity, and they kept overcoming it,” Norman said. “I’m so proud of them. I don’t know what else to say is the highlight right now. I feel like I’m in a little bit of a bad dream right now.”
Although the ending was sour, the Irish’s season is one that will be remembered for some time. The team was undefeated through the regular season until its final match against Pittsburgh. They took No. 1 Stanford to penalties
in the ACC Championship. Even with one of the toughest schedules in all of college soccer, the team finished 15-2-3.
Engle led the way with a season that will have her in contention to win the Hermann Trophy. The do-itall forward netted 19 goals and six assists.
“She’s been unbelievable,” Norman said about his star. “Probably the best season of anyone I’ve ever coached. She’s just a great person and unbelievably resilient. Just a wonderful ambassador for our program, great teammate and just a worker.”
Ohio State will face Baylor in the Sweet 16 on Sunday. The match will take place at Alumni Stadium. On the other hand, Notre Dame has to wait its turn for another year. The program loses five seniors to graduation, but brings in a highly touted recruiting class.
Regardless of the way things ended, the Irish had a year marked by unprecedented success in the regular season. The 2025 team will always be remembered for their comeback against Florida State, their thrilling 4-3 win at home over North Carolina and, above all, their relentless determination.
Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu
Volleyball heads south for key ACC matchups
By Payton Dymek Sports Writer
Coming off a hard fiveset loss to Florida State this past weekend, Notre Dame is currently 9-15 on the year and 6-10 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. With only four matches left in the season, including two this weekend, the Irish are looking to finish strong, despite their limited chance at making the NCAA Tournament later this year. Although the season hasn’t ended the way many were hoping for it to, players such as sophomore outside hitter Morgan Gaerte have been beacons of light for the Notre Dame program. Gaerte is currently fourth in the ACC in kills per set with 4.28, which also makes her 37th in the nation. Aside from Gaerte, senior outside hitter Lucy Trump has made a recent impact for the Irish, leading the team with 31 aces this season and 110 in her career, two away from the
top-10 in program history. Blocking has also been key for the Irish, where sophomore middle blockers Anna Bjork and Grace Langer help Notre Dame place fifth in the ACC in blocks per set with 2.58.
Clemson
The Tigers are currently in the bottom half of the ACC, sitting at 16-12 on the year, with a disappointing 4-12 mark in the ACC. Within the ACC, Clemson has lost to top programs such as Florida State, Miami, Pitt, SMU, North Carolina, Duke, NC State, Wake Forest, Stanford, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. Their ACC wins come against the likes of California, Virginia, Syracuse and Boston College. The series between Clemson and Notre Dame is currently 17 matches deep, with the Irish leading 11-6. However, the Tigers won the most recent matchup 3-1 in their home gym in November 2023.
This season’s iteration of
the Tigers has lots of main attackers, displaying their ability to spread out the offense and keep the other team’s defense on their toes.
One of these is senior pin attacker Mia McGrath, who has started all 28 matches and leads the team with 287 kills, notching 2.78 kills per set. Behind McGrath, junior pin hitter Kennedy Wagner has 208 kills and 3.85 kills per set, despite playing in half the number of games. She ranks seventh in the ACC in kills per set as well as overall points with 4.31 per set. Their strong hitting numbers are largely thanks to sophomore setter Kathrine Sandt, who has a total of 958 assists on the year, ranking sixth in the ACC. Although junior McKenna Gildon is a libero, she’s added 126 assists of her own, displaying how well the Clemson attack can hit out-of-system. In addition, Gildon has 390 total digs, averaging 3.86 digs per set, making her fifthbest in the ACC. After their
pair of sweeps against Notre Dame’s second opponents of the weekend, Georgia Tech, the Tigers will look to bounce back against the Irish on their home floor.
Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech is currently hanging with the big dogs in the ACC, sitting at 10-6 in the conference. Their six losses came against Miami, SMU, Pitt, North Carolina, Stanford and Boston College. Their wins came against Florida State, Duke, Wake Forest, NC State, California, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Syracuse and Clemson, taking two in a row from the Tigers. Historically, Georgia Tech leads the Irish 10-6 in their series, winning their last three meetings in dominant fashion.
The Jackets are led offensively by freshman outside hitter Lameen Mambu, who has 258 kills on the year and averages 3.04 per set. Freshman outside hitter Anna Fiedorowicz is coming off an instrumental week,
as she collected her first career conference honor, being named ACC Freshman of the Week. Fiedorowicz led the Jackets through two sweeps over Clemson with 28 kills, 4.67 kills per set and an attacking percentage of 0.479 across both matches. In the setting department, Georgia Tech relies on junior Heloise Soares, who totals 890 sets on the year and 9.67 per set. Freshman setter Sara Toth has also gone on some run to give her a taste of the collegiate experience. The rookie has 115 assists on her stat sheet in 2025. Riding a three-match win streak, the Jackets will look to start a late push in the conference this weekend.
Notre Dame travels to Clemson on Friday with the first serve set for 6 p.m. They then continue south to face Georgia Tech on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Contact Payton Dymek at pdymek@nd.edu
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
How many dorm chapels have you visited?
Daniel D’Alessio Sophomore
Graham Family Hall
“Five.”
Felipe Muller
Senior Alumni Hall
“Two.”
Jackson O’Neill
Senior Off campus
“Two.”
DECLAN LEE | The Observer
Carson Towt jumps to grab a rebound in the Irish’s 86-79 defeat of Bellarmine University on Nov. 19, 2025. The basketball team will return to Purcell Pavilion on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 9 p.m. to play the Missouri Tigers.
CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ
Lucy Konrad Sophomore Pasquerilla East Hall
“20.”
Michael Rourke
Senior Stanford Hall
“Four.”
SOCIAL MEDIA POLL
Have an idea for a poll? Email dstangel@nd.edu
What do you think of Notre Dame renovating the residence halls?
THE NEXT FIVE DAYS
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Friday
Concert: ‘Tragedy and Triumph’ ND Symphony Orchestra presents a late fall concert. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 8 - 9:30 p.m.
Saturday
Notre Dame football vs. Syracuse The Irish take on the Orange. Notre Dame Stadium 3:30 p.m.
Sunday
Film: ‘A Town Called Panic’ Three toys share a house in a town with mysterious events. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 1 - 2:15 p.m.
Monday
Notre Dame women’s basketball vs. Central Michigan The Irish face the Chippewas. Purcell Pavilion 9 p.m.
Tuesday
Film: ‘Amazing Grace’ (2018) Documentary of Aretha Franklin recording her 1972 album. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
8 - 9:30 p.m.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
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Innovation Fellowship candidates will automatically receive a $45,000 scholarship when admitted to the program, with the opportunity to apply for additional need-based aid
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Irish beat Bellarmine for fourth win of the season
By Nikki Stachurski Sports Writer
Purcell Pavilion hosted some good old fashioned basketball Wednesday night as Notre Dame men’s basketball faced off against Bellarmine University. The two Catholic universities were eager to secure a win after losing their previous games, and the quality of tonight’s matchup reflected that.
The Irish were back in home territory after earning their first loss of the season to Ohio State on Nov. 16. The Irish battled closely with the Buckeyes, but couldn’t answer a layup from Ohio Stare center Christopher Tilly in the final seconds. The Irish had won their first four games going into the match.
The Knights lost to Wofford College, being outscored 94-86.
Steals have been a considerable success for the Knights and they find success by capitalizing on their opponent’s offensive mistakes. The Knights had double the amount of steals against the Wofford Terriers. They played sticky basketball in the paint and relied on opportunities falling through the cracks to contribute to their scrappy style of play. Going into the first half, the Irish quickly underestimated the intensity the Knights were going to display following tip-off. The Knights pressured Notre Dame where they were strongest, along the threepoint line. Adapting quickly, the Irish found success with bounce passes while the Knights applied full-coverage defense, learning not to make any hesitant passes with a Bellarmine defense eager and able to steal the ball.
For the first 15 minutes of the game, the Irish and the Knights alternated the lead, neither team maintaining their grip consistently until the final five minutes when the Irish found their rhythm. Notre Dame got frustrated early, with foul calls and the Bellarmine defense. The Irish could not seem to get ahead of Bellarmine’s passes and had difficulty anticipating its offense, allowing for an early lead from the Knights.
The Knights continued playing tough, high-energy basketball that quickly caught up with them. With four minutes left in the first half, the Knights were noticeably running out of steam and playing with a decreased speed, allowing Notre Dame to snatch the lead. The momentum carried through the second half with the Irish able to pad
their lead to 22.
Bellarmine got a second wind late in the second half, and with nothing to lose, they played
desperately to reduce their deficit. The inertia got the better of the Notre Dame defense; a combination of fouls and hard drives allowed Bellarmine’s score to tick upwards, until only five points separated the teams.
Notre Dame maintained their play, swapping fouls and free throws back and forth between the two teams in the final minutes of play. The Irish emerged with a seven-point differential thanks to two free throws made by Burton in the last few seconds, emerging with a 86-79 victory.
Notre Dame and Bellarmine eacj displayed some positive aspects of their play. Notre Dame was able to adapt to the defense Bellarmine restrained them with in the first half. Likewise, Bellarmine proved their offensive-heavy style of play, which included utilizing five guards, was a strategy to be taken seriously. Their program was able to present a considerable challenge, even to a tough ACC opponent like Notre Dame.
Although the Irish did not play the game to the high standards they hold themselves to, they are still taking the victory as a learning opportunity moving forward.
“At the end of the day, it’s hard to win basketball games,” Burton said after the game. “Props to Bellarmine. They fought, they fought extremely hard. We’ve just got to do a better job staying locked in, but at the end of the day, we won the game.”
Burton led the Irish with 25 points and graduate student forward Carson Towt earned a double-double with 11 rebounds and 12 points for the Irish.
Burton’s perspective is vital to the locker room’s mindset moving forward, especially as the Irish prepare for the Player Era Men’s Championship next week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Irish have confirmed games against Kansas on Monday, Nov. 24 and Rutgers on Tuesday, Nov. 25 and their third opponent to be determined.
Both the Kansas and Rutgers games will challenge the Irish in different ways, both offensively and defensively, but the Irish have demonstrated their ability to learn and adapt under pressure.
Nikki Stachurski at mstachu2@nd.edu
Contact
DECLAN LEE | The Observer
Irish freshman guard Jalen Haralson rushes past a Knights defender in Notre Dame’s 89-79 win against Bellarmine on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Notre Dame readies for 2025 Players Era Festival
By Andy Caron Sports Writer
Over the Thanksgiving break, the Players Era Festival will play host to 18 different men’s collegiate programs. The structure of this tournament is different from a stereotypical survive-and-advance bracket format. Each team will play two games on Monday and Tuesday before being ranked based on record. On Wednesday night, there will be a third-place game at 7 p.m. followed by the championship game at 9:30 p.m. Tiebreakers will include point differential, points scored and points allowed. With nine games occurring on each of the opening two days, more than two teams will find themselves with a record of 2-0 following the culmination of Tuesday night’s games. This format sets up an exciting and dynamic two days of pool play action, where teams will constantly be pushing the pace in spite of the score to gain an advantage in a possible
tiebreaker scenario.
An immense amount of talent will be displayed over the Thanksgiving holiday. Nine AP top-25 teams will take the floor in Las Vegas, including the likes of Houston, Michigan, Alabama and Gonzaga. No. 2-ranked Houston is coming off a National Championship appearance earlier this year and has already picked up a huge win against Auburn in Birmingham. In Ann Arbor, head coach Dusty May and the Wolverines reloaded in the offseason, bringing in immense talent through the transfer portal. May successfully recruited Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB), Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois), Aday Mara (UCLA) and Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina), contributing to an early 4-0 record. Meanwhile, Alabama is off to a hot start in non-conference play with ranked wins over St. John’s and Illinois. The Crimson Tide average a remarkable 91 points per contest through four games. Coaching in his
27th year, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few has the Bulldogs playing at their best through five games. The Bulldogs boast home wins against Oklahoma and Creighton, alongside a road win over Arizona State. These four teams will be the favorites in a stacked tournament field.
Notre Dame will travel to the entertainment capital of the world to participate in this tournament for a second year in a row. In 2024, the Irish lost all three of their matchups in Las Vegas against the likes of Rutgers, Houston and Creighton. However, junior guard Markus Burton sustained a knee injury early in the Irish’s first matchup and was unavailable for the rest of the tournament. Hoping for better results and an injury-free road trip, Notre Dame will face off against Kansas on Monday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., Rutgers on Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m. and an undetermined third opponent on either Wednesday or Thursday, depending on
results.
The Kansas Jayhawks have gotten off to an underwhelming 3-2 start and will be searching for a bounce-back victory when they travel to Las Vegas. After an opening night blowout win against Green Bay, Kansas lost to North Carolina 87-74 at Chapel Hill. Less than two weeks following their secondhalf collapse, Kansas fell 7866 to Duke in the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden. ESPN’s secondranked prospect in the class of 2025, Darryn Peterson, has sat out the past three games for the Jayhawks while nursing a hamstring injury. On some boards, Peterson is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft. He led Kansas in scoring in their loss against North Carolina with 22 points. News regarding his injury will be ever-important as the Irish approach another early-season test.
Notre Dame and Rutgers have a history of thrilling matchups. Last year in this
same tournament, the Irish suffered an emotional overtime loss against the Scarlet Knights. In a game where future NBA second overall draft pick Dylan Harper dropped 36 points on 12-of-22 shooting for Rutgers, the Irish fell 84-85. These two teams are also just over three years removed from a dramatic double-overtime First Four matchup in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Notre Dame sent Rutgers home, winning by a score of 89-87, with Paul Atkinson Jr. leading all scorers with 26 points. It will be hard to recreate the drama the past two matchups have produced when the two meet on Tuesday.
Despite a brutal loss to Ohio State last Sunday, where they held a lead with less than 20 seconds to go, there is heavy optimism for the Irish as they head into what will be the hardest part of their non-conference schedule.
Contact Andy Caron at acaron2@nd.edu
Irish prepare for matchup against USC
By Harrison Brown Sports Writer
After starting the season with three straight commanding wins, Notre Dame suffered a devastating 93-54 loss to No. 6 Michigan. After a few days off, the next matchup will be another ranked battle as the Irish welcome the No. 11 USC Trojans to South Bend.
Following the loss to the Wolverines, the Irish dropped from No. 18 in the AP poll to No. 24. A win against the Trojans would be important, not only to get back in the win column, but also to remain firmly within the top 25. It would also help to build momentum before the team opens Atlantic Coast Conference play against Florida State in early December.
Since 1999, Notre Dame and USC have faced each other nine times. The Irish were victorious in eight of those games. In last season’s matchup, the Trojans suffered a 74-61 defeat at home to the Irish. Notre Dame will have an opportunity to extend their two-game series winning streak on Friday.
So far this season, USC is 3-1, its only loss coming to No. 2 South Carolina. Against the other ranked opponent they faced this season, No. 9 NC State, the Trojans escaped with a onepoint win. Overall, they have an average scoring margin of +12.5 and two wins by more than 30 points. Last season, the Trojans advanced to the Elite Eight of the
NCAA Tournament, being eliminated by the eventual champion. They have built on last year’s success with a competitive start to this season.
The top-scoring Trojan is standout freshman guard Jazzy Davidson. Davidson has averaged 15.5 points per game and has led her team in assists, blocks and steals to start her rookie campaign. Even as the top prospect in ESPN’s 2025 class, she has surpassed expectations, playing a key role in a Trojan guard rotation that is without the reigning Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year, JuJu Watkins. After suffering an injury in last year’s tournament, Watkins is set to miss the 2025 season with a torn ACL. Her injury was a seismic blow to the team’s title hopes, but players like Davidson have kept the team in championship conversations.
In addition to Davidson, two more Trojans have averaged double-digit points: senior guard Londynn Jones and sophomore guard Kennedy Smith. USC’s guards will be facing off with a Notre Dame guard rotation that is headlined by Hannah Hidalgo. In her junior year, the star guard is the nation’s top scorer, averaging 28.8 points per game. She also leads the nation in steals, with 6.5 per game.
Notre Dame has been elite at forcing turnovers. The 26.5 forced per game is the 13th most of any team in the country. Against Akron, the Irish had 30 steals, the second most in program history. In this game,
Hidalgo broke an NCAA Division
One record with an absurd 16 steals of her own. USC, on the other hand, has been able to limit its turnovers, coughing it up only 12 times a game, one of the lowest averages in the nation. The turnover battle will be crucial in directing the flow of the game.
The ranked matchup between the Irish and Trojans will tip off at 6 p.m. on Friday in Purcell Pavilion.
Contact Harrison Brown at hbrown23@nd.edu
KEIRA JONES | The Observer
Irish junior guard Hannah Hidalgo passes the ball while driving up the court in Notre Dame’s dominant, 11658 victory against Chicago State in the Joyce Center on Nov.9. Hidalgo tallied 32 points and eight rebounds.
By Chris Dailey Sports Writer
After Notre Dame’s heartbreaking 41-40 loss to Texas A&M, a defeat that dropped the Irish to 0-2 on its young season, I wrote a column titled “Ash must fix Notre Dame’s defense,” asking questions of the first-year defensive coordinator. In that article, I said things such as “Notre Dame’s defense is fractured” and “The execution was certainly lackluster.” In my defense, I also stated, “What matters is how Ash responds to the adversity, just as Freeman did a year ago after the Irish’s shocking loss to Northern Illinois.”
And to his credit, he has responded to the adversity with flying colors. Although the unit was far from perfect in their ensuing game against Purdue, they’ve slowly but surely improved. Resemblances of Notre Dame’s star-studded 2024 defense were seen when they held Arkansas, Boise State and NC State to a combined 27 points. However, its most remarkable sign of progress before this past weekend came against USC. Notre Dame held the highflying Trojan offense to only 24 points. Not bad considering the Trojans average 38.2 points per game behind Lincoln Riley’s airraid offense.
I’d also be remiss if I ignored the Irish defense’s dominance over Boston College and Navy. That said, I believe it’s safe to say the comeback is complete after their performance against No. 22 Pittsburgh – the final act Notre
Dailey: I’m sorry, Chris Ash
Dame fans needed to know that Ash has rewritten the script on his defense.
Midway through the first quarter, freshman safety Tae Johnson picked off Pitt’s highly-touted freshman quarterback Mason Heintstchel for a house call. Those first 15 minutes of play also featured the stellar play of junior defensive lineman Joshua Burnham. Entering the game with only one sack on the season, Burnham notched two in the first quarter alone. His relentless effort set Heintschel back significantly, disrupting any sort of coherent rhythm for the Panthers’ offense.
Johnson and Burnham are just two examples of the Irish defense’s great day at the office. As a collective, Ash’s unit allowed a mere 219 total yards. It’s worthwhile to note that the Panthers entered the game averaging 426.8 yards of total offense, with 302.6 of those coming through the air. Against Notre Dame, the Panthers could only muster up 149 passing yards. On the ground, they were just as lackluster, averaging only 2.8 yards per carry.
After the Purdue game, the Irish ranked 114th in sack rate. They are now sitting pretty at 32nd. Notre Dame has allowed just 45 points in the second half since their game against Purdue, which includes a controversial garbage-time touchdown in the final seconds against Pitt. In that seven-game span, they are allowing just 12.3 points per game.
Last week, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee
appreciated the growth of Notre Dame’s defense. The unit has clearly improved drastically since the team’s two early losses. With that trend continuing this past weekend, the team has found favor in the eyes of the committee. That is largely thanks to Ash.
Needless to say, Ash hasn’t just turned the Notre Dame defense from bad to good. He’s done something much more. He’s made the defense great. This is the same Chris Ash who was scrutinized by Notre Dame fans calling for his job in week three. This is the same Chris Ash who could hear boos at Notre Dame Stadium after his units’ poor performances. Now,
FOOTBALL
those same fans are begging for his forgiveness.
What Ash has been able to accomplish in the wake of these early rumblings is flat-out impressive. He never once blamed anyone but himself. He remained committed to what Freeman describes as “team glory.” Under his guidance, the Irish defense is finally playing its role.
With manageable games against Syracuse and Stanford left on the schedule, the Irish defense should continue along the path that Ash has forged. Defensive dominance is no longer wishful thinking for Irish fans. It’s now the expectation. That is largely due to Ash’s leadership.
If it’s any indication, his brilliance will help lead Notre Dame into the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame fans in attendance on Saturday should listen to those making their voices heard on social media. While negative crowd reactions are part of the job, it doesn’t feel right to boo Ash when the defense is poor without applauding him when it is excellent. Consider this my apology of sorts. Even more so, a thank you. It’s now time for the fans to echo the sentiment. We all owe Chris Ash one giant apology.
Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu
The best of Notre Dame football’s senior class
By Tyler Reidy Associate Sports Editor
During this Saturday’s game against Syracuse, the Notre Dame football team will recognize 33 of its players for Senior Day. Many of the seniors have led the program through the beginning of the Marcus Freeman era, playing a role in the run to last season’s National Championship game. Additionally, a number of transfers have stepped in to enhance Notre Dame as their college careers wind down.
As we look forward to Saturday’s celebration, let’s take a look back at the best moments offered up by the seniors of Notre Dame football.
Botelho scores in first collegiate game
Some seniors have been around for longer than others. For defensive end Jordan Botelho, this is year number six in South Bend. The Honolulu native made quite the splash to start his first, suiting up against South Florida in game two of the shortened 2020 season. Late in that game, a 52-0 Irish win, Botelho found himself in the right
place at the right time on special teams, scooping up a punt blocked by Osita Ekwonu. He ran it the other direction for a touchdown, making a lasting memory in his Notre Dame debut.
Heading into Saturday, Botelho has played 51 games across six seasons, fighting through injuries to get on the field during the last two years. In 2023, his best campaign, he made 12 starts and totaled 32 tackles along with four sacks.
Buchner returns from injury, leads Gator Bowl victory
The beginning of Tyler Buchner’s time as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback wasn’t pretty. After spending 2021 as a change-of-pace rushing option off the bench, he took the reins as a top prospect in 2022. As expected, he didn’t do much in a tough opening assignment at Ohio State. The following week, however, Notre Dame’s offense sputtered to a loss against Marshall, and Buchner hit the shelf with a shoulder injury.
Then a sophomore, Buchner wouldn’t return until the Gator Bowl for a matchup against South Carolina. Reclaiming the starting
role from Drew Pyne, he put on a show, accounting for five total touchdowns, including the gamewinning pass to Mitchell Evans in a 45-38 victory. The Gator Bowl MVP has had quite the career trajectory since, transferring to Alabama before returning to Notre Dame as a wide receiver and lacrosse fixture. He’s now the holder for Irish football.
Onye bookends 2023 with blocks
Always a presence on Notre Dame’s defensive interior, Jason Onye made his mark on special teams two years ago. First, in the home opener against Tennessee State, he shut down an early opportunity for the Tigers to capture momentum on a field goal, blocking the kick. The play helped to set an Irish touchdown drive. Later, at the end of the regular season, he got his hands on another one at Stanford. That block ended up in the arms of Javontae Jean-Baptiste, who muscled his way down the sideline for a 60-yard touchdown.
This season, Onye has become an even greater factor for Notre Dame on the regular. The Rhode Island product has made the first
seven starts of the year, sitting just one tackle shy of his career high with 16 on the season.
Tuihalamaka seizes Sugar Bowl momentum
Any Irish fan could tell you where last season’s Sugar Bowl was won. Coming off a takedown of Indiana in the College Football Playoff opener, Notre Dame was in a low-scoring tussle with Georgia through a quarter and a half in New Orleans. The game would change in the middle minutes, as the Irish grabbed a touchdown right before halftime and collected another on the kickoff to begin the second half. The first score was set up by none other than defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka, who fell on a Gunner Stockton fumble deep in Bulldog territory.
That play was part of Tuihalamaka’s best season in an Irish uniform. Last year, he racked up 33 tackles, making five of them for loss while adding three sacks. He’s impressively never missed a game since joining the Irish in 2022, preparing to play his 53rd contest this Saturday against Syracuse. Fields puts on a show in
Pittsburgh
You don’t have to look far to show the transfer seniors some love. Just last weekend, former Virginia wideout Malachi Fields fattened up his highlight reel in Notre Dame’s 37-15 defeat of Pittsburgh. “Free-play Fields” made a pair of spectacular catches when freshman quarterback CJ Carr caught Pittsburgh jumping offside, chucking the ball downfield with nothing to lose. After ending the first quarter with a one-handed snare at midfield on a free play, he made another contested catch along the sideline for a deep-ball touchdown. He’d add another score on the goal line in the second half for good measure.
All told, Fields finished the day with season highs across the board — seven catches, 99 yards and two touchdowns. He’s put together a high-quality season in the blue and gold, totaling 596 yards and five scores as Notre Dame’s top receiver. Fields heads into his Senior Day with a combined 196 yards in his last two games.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Irish defensive coordinator Chris Ash stands on the sideline in Acrisure Stadium during Notre Dame’s Nov. 15 game against Pittsburgh. After a discouraging 0-2 start to the season, Ash has turned his unit around.
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Football beat picks: Notre Dame vs. Syracuse
By Observer Sports Staff Football Beat
Noah Cahill
Syracuse picked up right where they left off last season, starting 3-1 behind a new transfer quarterback. Former Notre Dame backup Steve Angeli more than filled Kyle McCord’s shoes for the Orange through three games. But as he seemed to be punctuating a prolific start with a Week 4 win over Clemson, Angeli tore his Achilles, taking him out for the season. Syracuse has been stuck at three wins ever since.
Notre Dame can’t afford to take any games easy when they are this close to a College Football Playoff berth. With Senior Day added to the existing weight that already comes with every remaining game for the Irish, I wouldn’t expect them to. Even without the former Irish sign caller at the helm, head coach Marcus Freeman will have his team prepared to dominate. Two more wins all but lock up a CFP spot. Don’t expect the Irish to take their foot off the gas now. The Irish should cruise to a ninth-straight win and celebrate their seniors.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 49, Syracuse: 10
Chris Dailey
Earlier this week, fellow sports writer Payton Dymek wrote an article brilliantly titled “Will Notre Dame continue to juice Otto the Orange?” I share this partly because that’s my favorite Observer title of the year and partly because I would love to give my answer to this
clever question.
My answer is yes. The Orange are allowing 430.3 yards per game. That mark ranks them 123rd in the nation. While Syracuse’s offensive production, or lack thereof, has been a concern, its defense has been the biggest issue. Their secondary was ripped to shreds against No. 16 Georgia Tech a couple of weeks back, allowing 304 yards through the air in a 41-16 loss. On the other side of the ball, the group has struggled to find a rhythm after former Notre Dame quarterback Steve Angeli tore his Achilles in week four.
If the Irish offense carries forth with the energy they displayed against Pitt, they will see this game out with relative ease. Expect junior running back Jeremiyah Love to continue his case for the Heisman, freshman quarterback CJ Carr to get back on track and Notre Dame’s wide receivers to make a big impact.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 56, Syracuse: 14
Ben Hicks
After 10 wins in head coach Fran Brown’s first season a year ago, Syracuse was off to another impressive 3-1 start to begin 2025. The Orange are still sitting on three wins six games later, though, sputtering after former Irish quarterback Steve Angeli went down late in their week four victory at Clemson.
Since Angeli’s injury, the Orange offense is averaging just over 11 points a contest, which likely won’t improve against a surging NAs for the Irish attack, Saturday will present a prime opportunity to further
its run-pass balance, while also advancing junior running back Jeremiyah Love’s Heisman candidacy. The Orange defense has provided little resistance against premier offenses, allowing 45 to Tennessee, 31 to SMU, 30 to Pittsburgh and 41 to Georgia Tech. Despite the emotions of Senior Day and the potential for a wintry mix in South Bend, Notre Dame should have no problem dominating Syracuse on both sides of the ball. Although their No. 9 ranking suggests a College Football Playoff spot should be secured with two more Irish wins, a dominant showing on Saturday could go a long way to improving their case for hosting a first-round contest for the second straight year.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 45, Syracuse: 6
Henry Lytle
Syracuse has struggled to move the ball since Irish transfer Steve Angeli suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against Clemson in the Orange’s last win. I have full confidence in Notre Dame to keep its win streak alive, as head coach Marcus Freeman and company have everything on the line. Freshman quarterback CJ Carr is coming off his first multi-interception game of the season against Pittsburgh, and still has plenty to prove. Junior running back Jeremiyah Love is cementing his name in Heisman conversations with jaw-dropping highlights and consecutive over 100-yard games. The Irish offense has had its way with opposing defenses since the
opening game of the season. I don’t see that changing this weekend.
Syracuse is a shaky 3-7 on the season with six straight losses heading into South Bend. The Irish’s top-15 run defense should hold an offense that has relied on the run game with an inexperienced freshman at backup quarterback. With defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s dominant schematic effort against Pittsburgh’s scorching hot freshman quarterback, I expect Syracuse’s offense to struggle and turn the ball over. While Notre Dame might take its foot off the gas late on Senior Day to give players lower on the depth chart opportunities, I think the Irish will cruise to a comfortable victory in their penultimate contest of the regular season.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 38 , Syracuse: 6
Tyler Reidy
Well, this one’s pretty simple. It’s Notre Dame on Senior Day, a game the Irish have not lost since the anomalous, 4-8 season of 2016. And their opponent for this edition is a Syracuse team desperate to find some direction after last year’s promising campaign. The Orange are 3-7, they’ve lost six in a row while scoring fewer than 20 points in all of those losses and they’re calling upon a freshman quarterback to enter the bear’s cage at Notre Dame Stadium.
I can see Saturday being a feast for an Irish defense that has earned its flowers and then some after an alarming start. Head coach Marcus Freeman’s fourth Senior Day as the Irish head coach will be much like
his first, when Notre Dame shut out Boston College and its freshman quarterback. So as long as the Orange can’t establish a run game, something they’ve tried to do with 30-plus attempts in each of their last five games despite being blown out, Notre Dame rolls in this one.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 41, Syracuse: 3
Claire Watson
Heading into the final weeks of its season, No. 9 Notre Dame now prepares to face a 3-7 Syracuse team. Things have gone downhill for the Orange after their 34-21 win over Clemson marked an impressive 3-1 start. They have lost six straight since.
While the Irish defense has been strong, the offense has slowed down in comparison to its best games (Purdue or Arkansas, for example). But that does not mean they are not playing well. Freshman quarterback CJ Carr has a total of 2,487 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns in his stellar rookie campaign. Alongside him, junior running back Jeremiyah Love has once again hit the 1000-yard mark, with 1,135 rushing yards, and continues to find the end zone with 17 touchdowns.
Syracuse’s downward spiral coincided with former Irish quarterback Steve Angeli’s Achilles injury, sidelining him for the season. Should Notre Dame take advantage of their undermanned offense, missing Angeli at the helm, the game should easily go in its favor.
Prediction: Notre Dame: 56, Syracuse: 14
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Irish junior running back Jadarian Price gets tackled by a Panther defender during Notre Dame’s matchup against Pittsburgh on Nov. 15 at Acrisure Stadium. Price had two kickoff returns for 71 yards and rushed eight times for 21; with fellow running back Jeremiyah Love and freshman quarterback CJ Carr, the Irish totaled 175 rushing yards in their 37-15 victory.