Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, November 14, 2025

THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2025 | VOL. LX, NO. 31

ND omits support for Catholic mission from new staff values

University reframes Catholic mission as overarching ‘umbrella’ value

By Sophie Hanawalt and Henry Jagodzinski Notre Dame News Editor and Assistant Managing Editor

During the University’s staff town halls on Oct. 29 and 30, the University’s vice president for human resources, Heather Christophersen, announced a new set of “ND Values.” The previous list included a value that called for staff acceptance and support of the University’s Catholic mission, which was absent in the new list.

These organizational principles are geared towards the University’s roughly 4,500 staff members, such as those working in administration, communications, facilities, dining services, financial management and residential life, among other areas. They do not generally apply to faculty.

In an interview with The Observer, Christophersen explained that the values are meant

to drive staff’s mission. They are implemented through presidential awards, the highlighting of each value in publications, and are also used to evaluate staff during performance reviews.

The new values were described in the news release as “an expression of how we seek to advance Notre Dame’s mission as a global, Catholic research university.”

In materials released alongside the announcement, the list was prefaced with the statement, “In all that we do, we seek to advance Notre Dame’s mission as a global Catholic research university to be a force for good in the world.”

The values and their accompanying descriptions are:

Community: Treat every person with dignity and respect Collaboration: Work together with honesty, kindness, and humility

Excellence: Pursue the highest standards with a commitment to

truth and service

Innovation: Embrace opportunities with creativity and dedication

These values replace a previous set of values, which had been in place since their creation by then University President Fr. John Jenkins some 20 years ago, Christophersen shared.

The five former values were:

Accountability: Takes responsibility and ownership for decisions, actions and results. Accountable for both how and what is accomplished

Teamwork: Works Cooperatively as a member of a team and is committed to the overall team objectives rather than own interests

Integrity: Demonstrates honest and ethical behavior that displays a high moral standard. Widely trusted, respectful and honorable Leadership in Excellence:

see “Values” on page 2

University denies porn filter

By Gray Nocjar Managing Editor

Students for Child-Oriented Policy (SCOP), a Universitysponsored club, met twice this semester with Notre Dame officials to discuss implementing a pornography filter on campus Wi-Fi. The University denied the request for a blanket filter, but is adopting a SCOP effort to reintroduce an optional content censor.

In an interview with The Observer, SCOP vice president Theo Austin elaborated on the impetus of SCOP’s efforts to institute the filter.

“Our basic position is this is damaging. It’s against the teaching of the Church, which the University should uphold, and it’s in the University’s policy we ask that you enforce it,” he said.

The University’s Responsible Use of Data and Information Technology Resources policy, last updated in 2016, explicitly forbids “pornographic, sexually explicit or offensive material, except

for officially approved, legitimate academic or University purposes.”

SCOP became a Universitysponsored club in 2014. According to the organization’s website, they are unaffiliated with any political or religious group and are focused on multiple issues, including pornography. They host multiple events, including White Ribbon Against Pornography Week, which promotes conversations about pornography use and addiction through lectures and activities.

In 2018, the club sponsored a petition to institute a filter on Notre Dame Wi-Fi, gaining over 2,400 signatures and sparking coverage from multiple national news outlets. The next year, they met with former University President Fr. John Jenkins to discuss a filter. Jenkins denied the request for a mandatory campus-wide censor, but did offer to create a filter that users of the University network could manually approve.

An article by The Observer in April 2023 suggested the opt-in

Doctor, Navy veteran discusses service in Sudan

By Sophie Magnano News Writer

Tom Catena’s resume may stand alone. As a football player, engineer, Navy flight surgeon, doctor and now missionary, Catena’s calling has put him through a wringer of formative experiences. The Catholic missionary and physician spoke at the University of Notre Dame Institute for Social Concerns’ annual lecture in honor of Fr. Bernie Clark this Wednesday. Catena shared an inside look at his past 17 years as the only permanently stationed doctor in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains.

Raised in Amsterdam, New York, Catena first studied mechanical engineering at Brown University before realizing he felt drawn to service work. His original goal was to graduate in four years and join the workforce, but his plans quickly shifted during his time at Brown. After graduating, he attended Duke University School of Medicine on a U.S. Navy scholarship, completed his Navy commitment and eventually left for mission work in Africa. As a former defensive lineman, he discussed the

NEWS | PAGE 2

Govt. shutdown ends College Republicans, College Democrats and an ND professor comment on the final bill.

the vital role that football and other team sports can play in physically and emotionally demanding work.

“Sports, especially football, are wonderful for anything you want to do in life,” he said. Overnight emergencies, he added, “are like the fourth quarter.” Catena played nose guard for the Bears as an undergraduate at Brown.

His path to Sudan began with a

OPINION | PAGE 4 ICE facility Columnist Thea Bendaly on why we should recognize our proximity to ICE facilities.

year in Kenya, where he repeatedly met people fleeing conflict in the Nuba Mountains. “People kept coming from Sudan, and they were saying, ‘If you think Kenya is a challenge … they really, really need the help of doctors,’” he said. “I really wanted to go where my limited services were needed.”

In 2007, Catena established the Mother of Mercy Hospital and has

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been there ever since. The hospital is equipped with 485 beds and treats up to 75,000 patients each year. A typical day begins before sunrise at 5:30 a.m., arriving at the hospital chapel by 6:45 a.m., followed by ward rounds, surgeries and an afternoon clinic. His daily schedule continues after supper with overnight calls via walkie-talkie.

“Groundhog Day, right?” he said.

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When asked about burnout, Catena reflected on the difference between his work and that of a typical physician in the U.S. While he has experienced the “30 or 40 worst days” of his life in Sudan, he said, “There’s not any one time I have once felt I wanted to be anywhere else in the world.”

Catena attributed the burnout of many U.S. healthcare providers to repetitive tasks and heavy administrative work. A 2020 study indicated that outpatient physicians in the United States spend 44.9% of their time working with electronic health reports.

“In the Nuba Mountains, there is something different every second,” he said. “It’s tiring, but it’s not causing me to burn out, and that’s the difference.”

Catena’s Catholic faith, he said, is essential to sustaining his work in a region affected by war and chronic shortages. The most recent conflict, a civil war between factions of the military, broke out in Sudan in

see “Doctor” on page 2

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SOPHIE MAGNANO | The Observer

Dr. Tom Catena his experience as a warzone physician in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains Wednesday in the Eck Center Auditorium. Catena, a Navy veteran, was the only permanent doctor in the region for 17 years.

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Campus debates end of shutdown

By Mara Hall News Writer

After the longest government shutdown in American history, lasting over 40 days, the United States Senate rallied enough votes Monday to reopen the government. This vote hit the required 60-40 split in favor after eight Democrats broke ranks to vote with all but one Republican in favor of the bill.

The bill then moved to the House of Representatives, which reconvened on Wednesday to pass it by a 222-209 margin. Wednesday night, President Donald Trump signed the bill into law, officially marking the end of the shutdown.

Political science professor James Curry commented on the significance of Democrats breaking ranks, sharing what he sees as a need for bipartisanship within Congress, especially in the Senate.

He explained further that this year’s funding was bound to be a point of conflict, as both parties were eager to make a political point. Curry explained that the longer a government is shut down, the greater the effects are.

“In fact, [federal workers] are the only ones that are immediately affected by the shutdown. But over time, this can spread out to all sorts of other things, where you would need to have disbursements that would have been in appropriations bills, where now the funds have run out, or the disbursements are now due, and those disbursements don’t come in,” Curry said.

As Curry explained, this bill has several components, but also requires more legislation to pass before some appropriations run out again at the end of January.

“First, it reopens the government by extending funding for most agencies into the end of January. It reverses the layoffs for federal workers that took place during the 43 day shutdown. It guarantees back pay for any workers who were not paid during that time. It blocks any future reductions in force, which is how the White House has been firing people in the federal government through the end of January, and it also includes three full fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills, including the one for legislative bridge functions, agriculture in the FDA and military construction and Veterans Affairs,” Curry said.

Commenting on whether Congress will pass sufficient legislation prior to the end of January or if another shutdown could be on the horizon, Curry said, “I don’t know that they will necessarily get to a full set of appropriations bills before Jan. 30. I think they will get through a lot of them before

Jan. 30, but they may end up kicking the can again on some of them. That’s not entirely unusual … I don’t anticipate another shutdown, in part because shutdowns rarely happen in election years.”

Alex Funk, political director of College Democrats, expressed hope that there wouldn’t be further shutdowns. “I’m hopeful that we can keep coming to bipartisan agreements to keep the government open, but you never know. Today’s politics are a crazy world,” she said.

Shri Thakur, co-president of College Republicans, had a more pessimistic view. “I think it is possible that after the vote on the subsidies inevitably fails that the Democrats try and shut down the government again. I think they will [en]counter more resistance than they did this time … It would not shock me if we had another shutdown. It would probably surprise me if it went as long as this one,” he said.

Thakur and Curry both pointed out that these bills are very similar to those previously supported by the Democratic party.

“The Democrats were the ones that voted against continuing to fund the government. After 43 days I think you could see that the outcome of that was that nothing really changed. These three fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills actually had previously passed the Senate in August with overwhelming support and probably could have passed in the House a lot sooner without the shutdown,” Curry said.

Nevertheless, Curry did concede that Virginia senator Tim Kaine had successfully gotten some wins for the Democratic party.

Notably, this bill did not include anything about passing health care tax credits — a major point of contention and reason Democrats refused to fund the government.

“Essentially, there was a handshake deal between Senate majority leader John Thune and the Democrats who voted to reopen the government that there would be a vote sometime before the end of the year on Affordable Care Act subsidies, but we don’t know anything about what that will be. There was no promise from anybody to support the extension of the enhanced subsidies,” Curry explained.

Despite their majority, Curry believes that the Republicans have reason to engage in these conversations.

“I think Republicans in particular would not be thrilled with seeing those enhanced subsidies just expire, because then millions of Americans will see their health care premiums go up, and as the ruling party at the moment, they will be the ones who largely take the blame for that,” he said.

Thakur and Funk were quick to respectively condemn and support these subsidies along their party lines.

“We are not just trying to undo

Obamacare because it has the word Obama in it,” Thakur said. “This really isn’t a policy that’s been working.”

Thakur expanded on this idea, explaining that the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits are dependent on having both healthy and sick people in the same insurance market place so that they average out, and argued that there have not been enough healthy individuals participating in these systems for the system to thrive. Thakur said that this lack of balanced participation drives up government subsidies, which in turn drive up insurance premiums in a vicious cycle of ever increasing prices, although he conceded that the health care system needs reform.

Funk, on the other hand, praised Obamacare

“[Obama] did crazy things to lower the uninsured rate, and then Biden went even further with that by enhancing the health care subsidies when he was president. It makes sure that millions could have access to their health care. Without the premium tax credit, millions are expected to not be able to pay their premiums and they are likely going to have to cancel their health care. Health care is a human right, that’s what the Democratic Party believes, and the Affordable Care Act is great,” Funk said.

Curry suggests that a next step on healthcare should be the Republicans talking among themselves to establish what they are willing to support and then taking that proposal to the Democrats.

This shutdown was enabled by a filibuster, which requires a 60-40 majority to pass a cloture prior to needing a simple majority to pass the bill. Recently, the Republican party has discussed removing the filibuster to give more power to the simple majority.

Thaker indicated his support for this measure.

Funk echoed the notion that the filibuster as we presently know it needs to be reconsidered.

“Part of the reason that Republicans were very hesitant to weaken the filibuster or get rid of it to end the shutdown is because they understand that Democrats would use that against them when they hold the majority in the future, but I think there is a legitimate conversation to be had about the future of the filibuster, because a lot of the problems that Americans have with Congress is that it seems like it just doesn’t do anything. It’s ineffective, and a lot of that is because of the filibuster,” Funk said.

Throughout the shutdown, Republicans and Democrats alike traded accusations as to who was to blame for the shutdown. Political clubs on campus were no different.

“I really do think that it is shameful and very unfortunate that the Democrats have really decided to use, you know, the basic ability of families to eat, to put food on the table as leverage in a political fight to save Obamacare

and expand healthcare for political aliens,” Thakur said.

Funk indicated her displeasure with both the Democrats who defected and, most of all, the Republicans for the shutdown.

“I am a little upset with these eight Senate Democrats for signing on to this bill, but I also understand that the real party to blame is the Republican Party, because the Republican Party is the party that voted to shut down the government rather than keep Americans’ health care costs low because they would rather increase Americans health care costs dramatically than keep the government open.”

The shutdown as a ‘side show circus’

Curry suggested the shutdown may have been a distraction for the president to expand the power of the executive.

“The shutdown enabled the White House to continue to engage in extra-constitutional actions to either spend money or deny the spending of money in ways that they should not have been able to. The shutdown enabled it, because there was a side show circus going on in Congress, and people were not paying enough attention to what the White House was doing on disbursements,” he said.

This government shutdown enabled the delay of the swearing in of Democratic Arizona representative, Adelita Grijalva, whose special election victory was certified on Oct. 14, but was not sworn into the House until Nov. 12 when the House finally reconvened. Curry said this delay was not unique.

“There’s been plenty of other times in American history where the House majority has refused to swear in a duly elected member of Congress for an inappropriate amount of time,” he said.

Thakur said he was in support of the swearing in of Grijalva, as she is a duly elected representative; however he said that this was not an unusual timeline for a special election.

One of Grijalva’s first acts once sworn in was to add her signature to the discharge petition to release the files on Jeffrey Epstein. Her vote gave the petition its 218th signature, forcing the House to vote on the issue

“They will take a vote next week that will almost certainly pass the House on releasing these Epstein files, and then it’ll be in the Senate’s hands to decide what to do next,” Curry said.

Funk said she expects the files to be released.

“There are a lot of things that we don’t know about Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship,” Funk said. “I think we’re going to get those files and we’re going to see some gross things.”

Thakur declined to speculate about the future of legislation surrounding the release of the Epstein files.

Values

Continued from page 1

Demonstrates energy and commitment to improving results, takes initiatives often involving calculated risks while considering the common good Leadership in Mission: Understands, accepts and supports the Catholic mission of the university and fosters values consistent with that mission.

In an email to staff announcing the new values, Christophersen wrote, “At Notre Dame, our values are more than words—they are the foundation of our community and the guiding principles that shape how we work, interact, and contribute to a purpose greater than ourselves. These values reflect who we are and who we aspire to be.”

Doctor

Continued from page 1

April 2023.

“If I were not a practicing Catholic, I would not still be there,” he said. “There is absolutely no way you can stay in that job … if you’re not a person of faith.”

Reflecting on the difference between happiness and joy, he told the audience that joy comes from meaningful work.

“Happiness is temporal,” he said. “Joy is a feeling that lasts, in knowing what I’m doing is giving me meaning.”

Catena explained the greatest obstacle in the Nuba

SCOP

Continued from page 1

filter was still active. Today, it is not accessible.

Austin explained in an email to club members that the first meeting with administrators, held Sept. 26, was a result of an April 2025 petition to reignite a dialogue over the filter with University President Fr. Robert Dowd.

That petition garnered just 650 signatures. However, the 2025 petition was open for less time, and, according to Austin, one reason the University denied the petition in 2018 was because it was not exclusively reserved for students.

According to the email, the University was represented in the first meeting by Dowd, vice president and chief of staff Ann Firth and assistant vice president of Campus Ministry Fr. Pete McCormick. SCOP was represented by Austin and 2024-25 co-president Kate Apelian.

Austin said the discussion was an open dialogue, with both sides free to voice their opinions on the issue over the course of the 45 minute meeting. SCOP presented their argument that “by allowing pornography on our University Wi-Fi, we are partially complicit in its use and

She continued, “By embracing these values, we reaffirm our commitment to one another and to the University’s mission. Thank you for the work you do every day to make Notre Dame a place of care, respect, and excellence.”

Christophersen explained that the former values were determined to be too generic rather than distinct to Notre Dame.

“They could be values anywhere. They could be a value at Northwestern or Duke or Stanford, or they could be in the corporate world,”

Christophersen said.

“You know, the words like integrity and teamwork and accountability, they’re great words, but they didn’t feel Notre Dame,” she added. “We thought it was an opportunity to refresh them and to make these [values] feel more

Mountains is logistics.

“We are the end of the world,” he said. Supplies must be ordered a full year in advance and pass through several conflict zones in South Sudan, through roads that are only open a few months out of the year. “If we forget something in that order, it might be six, seven months before we get it.”

He recounted a recent delivery in which bandits shot through a supply truck’s windshield, killing a soldier riding with the driver. The driver survived, was robbed, and still completed the route. “That’s what we have to go through … to deliver just Tylenol to the hospital,” he

have not stood officially against porn in an effective manner.”

Austin said two options were presented to the University: a blanket filter over all pornographic content and a narrower filter that blocks only specific websites. Austin also clarified that the push for a filter was symbolic, as students could always access content via cellular networks.

“The University definitely were in agreement between the three representatives on how to approach the matter,” he said.

Ultimately, Austin said the University supported a continued pastoral approach, but denied the request because a campus-wide filter did not adequately prepare students for confronting pornography use outside of their time at the University.

“It’s easy to portray this as hostile or adversarial, but that’s not at all the climate of the conversations,” he said. “Yes, we wish the University would implement a blanket filter. We believe this is very helpful for our student body and representative of our Catholic character and enforcing our policies, but the University has been very recognizing of the damages of pornography and the need for healing among our students, and just disagrees on how that’s

connected to Notre Dame.” She said she had received feedback that the previous values were “stale.”

Christophersen shared that Jenkins first implemented staff values because he deemed it important that the University articulate values to guide staff culture and how staff work together.

Once Fr. Robert Dowd became president, Christophersen said he expressed his desire to update these values in one of his first meetings with her as leader of the University.

She shared that for the past year and a half, her team has been working to develop these new values with input from focus groups, University leaders and staff.

Christophersen shared that the key themes of these focus groups were kindness, humility

said.

Resilience is key in the Nuba Mountains. One frequent patient of Catena’s is Amud, who he says, “has more like 20 lives rather than nine.” Amud survived a bullet wound to the temple and returned months later with a shattered femur. “We put him in traction,” Catena said, and eventually, “he walked out of the hospital back onto the battlefield.”

Students considering medicine, he said, should pursue it for the right reasons. “Pick pursuit of medicine for medicine and medicine only,” he said. “Love science and people.”

He also advised maintaining

best carried out.”

On Nov. 6, the same groups, minus Dowd, met again to work out what an opt-in filter would look like. The University presented SCOP with six options for a filter that the Office of Information Technology would then carry out.

Austin did not share the specific options, but said they included trade-offs over the breadth of control over the content, where in the system it would be implemented and the price of doing so.

“Is this Google settings or is this an independent filter site that collects certain data? Is this a filter that accidentally blocks other stuff as well?” Austin said.

A decision by SCOP was tentatively requested for the week after Thanksgiving break.

Erin Blasko provided a University statement to The Observer regarding pornography use.

“While Notre Dame does not view the implementation of a campus-wide filter as an appropriate means of addressing this issue, we are committed to working with and supporting students who are struggling with porn use and addiction, and have been in conversation with SCOP and other campus partners about how best to do so,” Blasko wrote.

and a commitment to service and truth, characteristics she believes speaks to the University’s mission at large.

The new values, she said, “might not say specific missionrelated words, but I think trying to weave them throughout was our goal.”

Christophersen said the decision to remove the value “Leadership in Mission” came in an attempt to make the Catholic mission an overarching theme, instead of a single value.

“Fr. Bob and I talked a lot about this, that the previous values had the one value that pointed into mission,” she said.

She described the Catholic mission as an umbrella, saying, “It’s in everything we do. We strive to be the best global Catholic research institution, to be a force for good. So that kind

spiritual practices and growing stronger in faith. “Stay close to your faith, don’t give up on it,” he said. “It will get you through all your difficult times.”

He urged students interested in warzone medicine to gain experience gradually. Not everyone can handle the intense lifestyle. “Soft landing first,” he said. “Don’t come to the Nuba Mountains first — join the army first, then maybe special forces later.”

As the only permanent doctor in the region, the question of who succeeds Catena is up in the air. Catena said his answer is rooted in the mission of teaching at the Mother of

The statement also included that “in keeping with its Catholic mission, the University has long condemned pornography, given the harm it causes both to those who view it and to many who are part of the industry.”

Fr. Terrence Ehrman, an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Theology and former SCOP speaker for a White Ribbon Against Pornography week lecture, elaborated on the Catholic perspective on pornography use and distribution.

“Sex is good, but there’s a certain time and place for it, so pornography is something that has a lust; it’s quite distinct from love,” he said. “There’s an inordinate desire for sex [that] is what lust is, so pornography incites that vice.”

When asked whether he would support a campus-wide pornography filter, Ehrman said he would, citing physiological, neurological and interpersonal effects.

“Why should the University be providing this for humans? If we think of sin as a poison, why should the University allow poison to be consumed on campus? Right, it doesn’t make any sense. We think this is poisonous for your soul. Why should we give you access to it?” Ehrman questioned. Ehrman clarified that in

of phrase frames these values.”

Additionally, she said the previous value that emphasized staff’s acceptance and support for the University’s Catholic mission “often caused confusion of what that really means, and what these [new values] are trying to do is have all of them reflect the mission.”

Christophersen said the University does not track religious affiliation for staff as they do for faculty and students. She specifically referenced the difficulty of evaluating staff on their adherence to the value of “Leadership in Mission” in annual performance reviews as a reason for the change.

Contact Sophie Hanawalt at shanawal@nd.eu and Henry Jagodzinski at hjagodzi@nd.edu

Mercy Hospital.

“We started a training school,” he said, noting that physician assistants, midwives and several Nuba doctors are now in advanced training. “We started at zero and are getting to a point where I can slowly step away and let them handle the day-to-day operations.”

Even with the challenges, he emphasized that his work remains rooted in purpose rather than ease. “It’s pure medicine,” he said. “What I am doing is giving me meaning.”

Contact Sophie Magnano at smagnano@nd.edu

circumstances where pornography is used in an academic or research setting, it should not be considered a sin. However, he said, to use this as an argument to remain without a campus-wide filter is flawed given the rarity of its use for these purposes.

The priest mentioned he had engaged in conversations with Notre Dame students that included concerns over an abuse of pornography, and that “on campus, it’s a widespread pastoral issue that I don’t think is adequately addressed.”

Blasko also shared current and potentially future approaches Notre Dame is taking regarding pornography use on campus.

“EthosND and Magdala are two campus organizations that currently provide support to those who are concerned about their use of pornography, and the University is exploring whether there are additional resources we can offer,” Blasko wrote.

The University did not directly respond to a request to confirm the content of the arguments given by either group toward or against a campus-wide filter.

Contact Gray Nocjar at gnocjar@nd.edu

You should be scared of ICE’s detention center

By Thea Bendaly Columnist, “Off Notre Dame Ave”

When you wake up in the morning and look out the window, you’re greeted by snow on the trees of South Quad. Maybe you see the dome gleaming in the sunlight, lightly frosted with snow. We take the bright light that shines through our windows every day for granted.

Seventy miles from campus, hundreds of people are detained in gray, windowless cells. Seventy miles from campus, we confront the stark reality of how normalized the dehumanization of immigrants has become in America.

On Aug. 5, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security announced the opening of a new detention center at the Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana. They colloquially named it the “Speedway Slammer.” This name reflects a disturbing attempt at humor that should disgust you. As an Indiana resident for all 18 years of my life, the Indy 500 has been a core part of my childhood. I remember sitting with my twin sister, eating homemade sandwiches as we anxiously waited for the race to start and watching Scott Dixon’s bright red car fly past us. It is abhorrent that law enforcement has taken a cherished piece of Indiana’s history and used it to name a place filled with despair, mistreatment and abuse.

Indiana stands to gain millions of dollars from this deal. The State Budget Committee has already approved nearly $16 million in funding to prepare the Miami Correctional Facility for ICE use. ICE plans to pay Indiana close to $300 per detainee per day — almost seven times the

pay rate Indiana pays sheriffs to house state inmates ($42 per day) and nearly four times the current rate of inmates at Miami. If the center remains at full capacity during its two-year contract, Indiana could gain as much as $213 million. In America, illegal immigrants have become an economic commodity. But how did they end up in this position?

Mainstream narratives often suggest undocumented immigrants arrive by scaling walls or sneaking into ports. The truth is different. In 2017, 70% of undocumented immigrants were visa overstayers — people who entered the country legally at first. Those who attempt to cross the southern border do so out of desperation, often seeking refugee status. However, the refugee quota is set on the president’s discretion. During President Trump’s first term, the refugee ceiling plummeted from 110,000 to 45,000, and

pandemic. When people are subject to fluctuating quotas, they take desperate measures, hoping to reach safety and seek asylum once here. That is rarely the reality they face. America’s immigration detention system is legally classified as civil and “non-punitive” — unlike the criminal legal system most prisons fall under. Yet immigrants are held in prison-like conditions where abuse is well-documented. Those detained under this so-called civil classification can be released entirely at the government’s discretion. The government insists detention is “non-punitive,” yet houses immigrants in prisons indefinitely. These centers have become breeding grounds for abuse. Between 2010 and 2016, the Department of Homeland Security received 33,126 complaints of sexual and physical abuse in immigration detention centers. More

recently, Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia conducted an investigation into human rights abuses within ICE facilities, receiving 510 credible reports of abuse across 25 states — 41 involving sexual abuse. His report details appalling conditions: 14 pregnant women denied medical care, food and beds, some forced to sleep on the floor due to overcrowding. One detainee testified that DHS staff let a pregnant woman bleed out for days before taking her to a hospital. Ossoff also documented 18 reports of mistreatment involving children as young as two years old, including U.S. citizens. In one case, when a mother begged for medical help as her daughter vomited blood, a guard told her, “Just give the girl a cracker.”

Read Senator Ossoff’s report — it provides damning evidence of the abuse citizens and non-citizens alike face in immigration detention. No human deserves this. No one

seeking a better life deserves to be stripped of their dignity. Seventy miles away from our campus, a child may soon be denied medical attention after vomiting blood. Seventy miles away, a pregnant woman may be left to bleed for days before getting help. Seventy miles away, children, mothers and fathers sleep in windowless cells while we take for granted the sunlight that floods our dorms each morning. It’s easy to feel hopeless when faced with such horror. But the moment we stop caring is the moment we give up. The first step toward change is conversation. Don’t call undocumented immigrants “illegal aliens” or use other dehumanizing terms. Interact with immigrants in your community. Local organizations like La Casa de Amistad and Neighbor to Neighbor offer ways to connect. La Casa de Amistad is always seeking volunteers for its after-school tutoring programs, many serving children learning English. Neighbor to Neighbor provides a friendshipbased network to help refugees and immigrants acclimate to life in the U.S.

Finally, call your senators and representatives. Tell them you oppose imprisoning immigrants in conditions of cruelty and neglect. Each small action matters. The more we raise our voices, the harder it becomes for policymakers to ignore them.

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

Contact Thea Bendaly at tbendaly@nd.edu

Not just ‘The Louvre’ was robbed

By Redmond Bernhold Opinion Editor

All I remember from my flight to Perth from Melbourne earlier this year, for roughly 1,700 miles, was listening to the same song on repeat for 4 hours and 15 minutes. Doing some quick math, I listened to “What Was That” by Lorde over 75 times consecutively on its release day. Yes, it was by choice, and yes, it definitely happened more while I was waiting to board. I even remember staring at the reclined seat in front of me and having the lyrics pierce through my mind in a way very few songs have ever done.

I could go on about how the single resonated with me like some of her other songs, including “The Louvre,” “Supercut,” “A World Alone,” “Ribs” and “Oceanic Feeling.” But the Recording Academy can’t.

Although many people enjoy these songs too, I can’t help but notice that Lorde’s newest album, “Virgin,” has enjoyed seemingly less popularity than her other albums. Further, it was snubbed for any Grammy nomination. But this disconnect actually started eight

years ago, and has resurfaced within the last month.

When the Louvre was robbed on Oct. 19, Lorde fans concocted many satire posts about her song “The Louvre,” from her 2017 album, and the situation on Instagram.

One post reads, “‘The Louvre was robbed!’ yeah I know, this song should’ve gotten like 15 Grammys,

a Pulitzer, a Medal of Honor, and a movie adaptation.”

Then the Grammy nominations dropped, and the joke continued.

Another post says, “the Louvre being robbed being a foreshadow to how lorde was robbed of (t)he(i) r grammy noms.”

“Melodrama” was snubbed, but it still is a favorite among many

fans, no matter how major of fans they may be. Though eight years ago, this was the catalyst for the public to continuously misinterpret Lorde’s art, most recently with “Virgin.” Often, people say her recent work is not as introspective or nostalgic as her earlier songs.

On Lorde’s Spotify profile, she has 29.1 million monthly listeners.

Out of her 10 most popular songs, five are from her debut album “Pure Heroine,” two from her sophomore album “Melodrama,” one in collaboration with Charli xcx and two from “Virgin.”

“What Was That” is the most popular from the album with over 130 million streams, but despite these statistics being similar to “A World Alone,” a deep cut from her first album that many die-hards resonate with, there is less online discourse and recognition than these earlier songs.

The thing about Lorde is that each album — produced once every four years — is about entering a new stage of life with a different mantra. For example, her first album was about nostalgia and becoming in suburbia as a teenager in an out of focus world. “Melodrama” is about a house party and feelings of euphoria. “Solar Power” is a detachment from it all — the fame, the status, the expectations. This is the album that shifted public attention.

“Solar Power” was a complete rejection of the industry and what

LIAM FLYNN | The Observer

LIAM FLYNN | The Observer

Lorde

Continued from page 4

mainstream expectations are for her. With its release, public attitude tilted away. So, the industry excused itself in the following suit to — once again — snub.

In an episode of influencer Jake Shane’s podcast “Therapuss,”

Lorde says that making “Solar Power” was something that her career needed.

“I wouldn’t be here with another album if I hadn’t made ‘Solar Power,’” she said. “The zig and the zag is actually a really awesome part of it all.”

This album confirmed l Lorde doesn’t conform to the expectations that are often placed on pop stars:

OPINION

to produce for fans, not for the self. “Virgin” takes on another extreme of her commitment to self-expression and rawness. With pop music’s resurgence over the last year or so, especially with hyperpop and mainstream genres, her new songs are abrasively distinct. Lyrics are sharper and each song carries varying levels of layers.

The album explores gender

expression and emotionally reckoning a fractured relationship. The music itself is anxious, raw and at times meant for the club (or in your head while trying to make the most of Newf’s).

Although the tone and messages of Lorde’s music have changed over all of her albums, her commitment to herself and becoming — not the demands of fans — has preserved

her authenticity. “The Louvre” may have been robbed of a Grammy, but “Virgin” was robbed of much more.

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

Contact Redmond Bernhold at rbernho2@nd.edu

Apply to an Institute for Social Concerns program

By Ivy Clark Columnist, “The Education of an Idealist”

With the mad dash toward finals (did you know they’re just under a month away?), the additional stress to confirm a summer job, internship or experience heightens. The competitive nature of not only the job market, but Notre Dame’s environment itself, make securing a high profile position for the summer months seem like the be-all and end-all. In the midst of immense pressure to get accepted to some glowing opportunity that will be the pinnacle of all LinkedIn posts, let me compel you to take a step back and reevaluate exactly what a meaningful summer experience looks like.

If this seems to be a shameless plug for the Institute for Social Concerns (SOCO) summer programs, such as NDBridge for current freshmen and the Social Concerns Summer Fellowship for current sophomores and juniors, that’s because it is. Where else can one complete a fully funded experience where you immerse yourself within a community, do meaningful work that aligns with your professional interests, complete a research project under the guidance of Notre Dame faculty and reorient yourself in the pursuit of justice, all within eight weeks?

Further, the purpose of a Notre Dame education is not to produce generations of graduates with strictly professional aspirations.

are a crucial part of a college education, your finance degree shouldn’t be the only knowledge you leave Notre Dame with. I recently heard an ND alum refer to Fr. Edward “Monk” Malloy’s 2000 Welcome Weekend speech. In it, he said that a Notre Dame education should make you uncomfortable. Uncomfortable doesn’t just mean that classes are difficult and overwhelming — although there’s an element of truth to that — but rather that a Notre Dame education will force you to grapple with issues that are spiritually, personally and professionally difficult.

Notre Dame doesn’t require a foundation in theology and

dents suffer or to be elitist. They do it, particularly in one’s freshman year, to engage the “heart” aspect of education. The recurring theme of the Notre Dame experience is that it is MORE than simply an education. There is something deeper and more profound about coming to a place like Notre Dame. It challenges you to think critically about the world, about spirituality, about suffering and about justice.

Again, I ask you to reevaluate your intentions in finding a summer experience and further urge you to consider the “heart” component of your education alongside the “mind.”

To share how I felt my heart

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

and mind were educated this summer, let me just say that there will forever be a piece of me in Kolkata, where I worked with the Missionaries of Charity to not only gain healthcare experience, but also to walk alongside the patients in moments of vulnerability. I don’t know what my future holds, but I know that I will always be able to look back at the summer of 2025 and know exactly where I was, what I was doing and who I was accompanying. Not only did every single day of my work hold immense personal and professional significance, but each day also further served as the “uncomfortable” portion of my education that Fr. Malloy referred to. Sure, Physics

II was tough. But grappling with a lived experience in the pursuit of justice? Incomparable. That is what is so compelling about SOCO. In their partnerships, in their research and in the core belief and message of their work, they challenge students to respond to the demands of justice in our world. In pursuit of the common good, they facilitate opportunities for students to work in close proximity to issues through authentic accompaniment. SOCO creates spaces for students to not only work towards their professional goals, but further engage with the complexities of justice. These summer programs cultivate experiences that allow us to respond with conviction and humility. They educate our hearts and minds, and neither to the detriment of the other. SOCO is a beating heart of faith and hope, an enactment of Notre Dame’s mission.

And as a friendly reminder, applications for both NDBridge and the Social Concerns Summer Fellowship open today, November 14th. So, one last time, will you be educating your mind AND heart this summer?

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

Contact Ivy Clark at iclark@nd.edu

Intellectual life is irreducibly communal

In a recent article in The Observer, Notre Dame senior Richard Taylor reflects thoughtfully on tensions that arise for anyone pursuing the intrinsic goods of education — like wisdom, knowledge and understanding — in a course of study that is often aimed at, and shaped by, instrumental ends. In other words, Taylor writes beautifully about the dissonance one experiences when attempting to live the intellectual life on a campus like Notre Dame’s.

I agree with most of Taylor’s main claims. For instance, I agree that neither minors nor programs (not even Sheedy) can transform you intellectually without your own reasons and hard work. Indeed, the impulse to seek intrinsic goods we lack by joining another club or picking up another credential is among our worst habits (as high-achieving

faculty as well as students). It’s also true that the pleasures and value of the intellectual life is relatively low hanging fruit in our community, ripe for the picking without any need for permission or much more than a “worn-out library book.” Finally, I agree that there’s a paradox in using educational terms as a verb in a certain register, as if I could teach you something whether you like it or not. Taylor is right about the dilemma this poses for the pedagogue, but not — I think — about the final inference he draws.

Even if a healthy intellectual culture requires free and active participation on the part of individuals, the conditions for their growth can be actively created and intentionally sustained. Indeed, Taylor’s reasonable suggestion that students can and should decide for themselves

to value and prioritize the beauty of reflection and understanding starts sounding like the poetic individualism of Thoreau by the end of his article. We should celebrate our free will and use it wisely. We should recognize and activate our ability to impact our environment and culture. But at the end of the day we are dependent, rational animals, and learning through dialogue is an irreducibly communal endeavor. Even if building, and then inviting students into, communities of learning is — as Taylor implies — really the best an educator can aim to do. It’s also, for that reason, the least we can responsibly aim at.

The Sheedy Program is not a panacea for all the intellectual ills that afflict college students, nor is it even an antidote to all the most serious obstacles to pursuing an intellectual life

as part of “the anxious generation.” Instead, it’s a community, intentionally designed and embodied in space and time, that aims at a common good. Much like the Dominican community Sertillanges belonged to, or the faculty of which he was a part, the Sheedy Program aspires to structure our collective experience in order to inspire, invite and convene. And while it started small (with just two faculty and an inaugural cohort of 30 four years ago), we are a community that continues to grow (we’ll have 250+ students participating by 2027), in the hopes of serving as many students as would benefit from it. Looking around — at programs like Glynn, majors like the Program of Liberal Studies and programs like the Sorin Fellows — I’d say the appetite for such communities and the willingness to build and

sustain them is already a strong feature of our university’s ecosystem. My hope is that what we do in Sheedy can be a model for those wishing to create communities that support the disciplines of desire and habits of mind Taylor describes so eloquently. Not everyone needs, or even wants, to integrate business with the liberal arts. But I’d venture to say all of us could benefit from some more rituals, routines and structures that support our intellectual aspirations.

And I hope Mr. Taylor will consider being a guest of honor at our community’s next dinner.

Paul Blaschko

Assistant teaching professor of philosophy and director of Sheedy Family Program in Economy, Enterprise, and

BEN SMITH | The Observer

By Peter Mikulski Scene Editor

“Little Shop of Horrors” is a lot of things. On the one hand, it’s a tuneful doo-wop musical by Disney heavyweights Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. On the other, it’s a show about poverty. On the one hand, it’s a camp affair with a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” quality. On the other, it’s a piece about domestic violence. On the one hand, it’s comic. On the other, it’s tragic. In short, “Little Shop of Horrors” is a lot to juggle. Nevertheless, the Pasquerilla East Musical Co.’s production of the musical — which is running on Washington Hall’s main stage through Nov. 15 — pretty much manages to handle it.

The quality of the singing in this production deserves accolades. Male lead Daniel Loughlin, who plays a wincing flower shop employee named Seymour, and female lead Ryan Madrid, who plays Seymour’s love interest

‘Little Shop’: Big success

and coworker Audrey, have clear and powerful voices which filled the hall; both are freshmen. The vocal performances from Audrey II (a diabolical plant played by Sara Arellano) as well as from Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette — the three street urchins who serve as the musical’s R&B Greek chorus, played by Gretchen Nessinger, Sheila-Marie Manyara (Editor’s note: SheilaMarie Manyara is a Scene writer for The Observer) and Natalie Ampadu respectively — were also commendable.

The pit was great, too, although the version of the orchestration used in this production is a little spare. Take the number “Mushnik and Son”: The clarinet and brass are sorely missed when the song goes full klezmer and starts to sound like “Yentl.” Still, the pit did their best with what they had, the playing steady and colorful.

Neither can we blame PEMCo — I imagine handling musical theater licensing as a student-led organization is hell.

The stand-out comic performances were, of course, Mushnik (Seymour’s boss) played by Ben Nascimento and Orin (a sadistic dentist and Audrey’s abusive boyfriend) played by Ben Rohr. Nascimento comes off energetic and witty, the sort of actor who could kill one of Shakespeare’s clown roles should he ever defect to NSR. Rohr’s humor is no less physical — he can move like Elvis — but it’s earthier. Nascimento may play the Ashkenazi character, but Rohr is the mensch. His voice isn’t unimpressive, either.

Nascimento was the only actor who fully committed to a New York accent and he pulled it off. When every character in “Little Shop” is given Curtis Sliwa voice, as it is in some productions, it gets tiring fast, but this production steers around that pothole.

Mushnik and Orin were consistently funny, but could be dramatic when they needed to be. “Little Shop” is indeed, as director Carolyn Dell so loftily puts

By Luke Foley Scene Copy Editor

On Monday, I practiced one of my favorite rituals: watching an arthouse film in an empty South Bend movie theater. It’s a very transcendent experience; it’s just you, the faint warmth of a wornout projector bulb and the weird artistic vision of the filmmaker. And when you walk back to your car while still processing the film’s ideas and moods, you’re met with the harsh whiplash of frigid winds and a barren parking lot filled with black ice. It’s great. The feature film to grace the screen this time was “Die My Love,” the newest film from Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay. Her films are bleak, uncompromising affairs, and this latest one is no different.

“Die My Love” is about a young couple, Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson),

it in the program notes, a show about “taking accountability for our actions.” Built into the show are moments of pseudo-Brechtian moralism about the plights of working people: One of Seymour’s first lyrics is “Poor, all my life I’ve always been poor,” and the final number — which forewarns us from the temptations of “fortune and fame, love and money and instant acclaim” — explicitly provides an ethical take-away.

“Little Shop” is neither a tragedy nor morality play, though. It’s a tragicomedy, and you can’t neglect its jokes. Occasionally, Seymour and Audrey would deliver a funny line humorlessly, so absorbed in the show’s heft they forgot its levity. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a huge problem. Their dramaticism felt more and more appropriate in the second act as funny characters died off and the stakes rose, and their absorbing love duets (e.g., “Suddenly Seymour”) made up for their sometimes overwrought line delivery.

The production design

reinforced all the other areas of strength. The sets were atmospheric, and the costumes were well-matched to the characters. In much the same way, the choreography added some pleasant spectacles without getting in the way or seeming contrived.

The program notes assert that this production of “Little Shop” is “heavily influenced by the tradition of drag and queer art.” I don’t know if I really got that from watching it. The show is and this production was certainly camp — certain lines, for instance, were punctuated by a slide-whistle sound effect — but recasting Audrey II as a woman, giving her acrylic nails and dressing her in a Mother Ginger dress drag does not make.

All in all, PEMCo’s “Little Shop” is worth your time and money. The music is great, the gags are hilarious, and the acting can be touching.

Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu

‘Die My Love’: A mother in crisis

who move into a rural house in Montana to start their family, but then become engulfed in turmoil as Grace struggles with postpartum depression. The film wastes no time exploring Grace’s descent into madness and despair. The opening scene shows the couple playfully exploring their new home for the first time, hopeful about this next chapter in their lives. The film then time-skips to a few months after their baby’s birth, and you can immediately tell something is off.

Grace is erratic, detached and full of self-loathing. She spends her time crawling through a field of grass with a knife in her hand, approaching her baby as if it were prey; while eating a grocery-store cake with her family, she bitingly remarks that a real mom would have baked one.

Grace is deeply unwell, but the film never gives clean-cut answers about her condition. It assumes the wisdom of “Show, don’t tell,” opting

for raw, discomforting depictions of Grace’s postpartum depression instead. This makes its exploration of mental anguish all the more realistic and affecting, capturing how it can swarm a person and defy all rationality. Grace’s despair is gnawing, suffocating and isolating, and the film’s lyrical and enigmatic style complements it hauntingly. The film also holds no bars in showing the depths of her madness; animal cruelty, self-harm, adultery and substance abuse are all stops on her inexorable downward spiral. The film sometimes feels like it’s spinning its wheels with scene after scene of Grace doing something baffling, but it’s still mostly effective.

Lawrence’s unflinching and dangerous performance elevates this character study. She could have easily devolved into bombastic hysterics given the material, but her performance is instead both precise

and chaotic. She pairs explosive moments with quiet unease, knowing when to charge and retreat with Grace’s madness. It’s sensational and deserves all the acclaim it is getting. Pattinson also puts in good work as the reactive Jackson. He’s entirely useless in helping her, but his genuine care for Grace makes him more than a one-note idiotic husband character.

The film boldly denies Grace any kind of peace. It has a fake-out beat toward the end where Grace is committed to a psychiatric institution and receives therapy. Her therapist gives her a facile diagnosis of abandonment issues based on one incident from her childhood — if only it were so simple! She is then discharged and admitted right back into the domesticity that was driving her insane, but this time she’s seemingly at peace and baking cake herself now — how wholesome. But at her welcome back party,

she snaps after condescending remarks about how much healthier she looks. It’s a brutal moment of regression, illustrating that the demons that haunt her can’t be exorcised with therapy and cake mix. There’s a deeper discordance, an unfixable incompatibility with the domestic, rural life she’s stuck in. She’ll be forever restless; there’s no escape. Following this, the film arrives at its tragic yet liberating ending for Grace.

“Die My Love” is a joyless watch, but a good one. Watching Lawrence unravel with no respite or meaningful help is difficult, but it makes for an important, powerful depiction of an issue many women silently face. If you can find the film in an empty theater in the Midwest that hasn’t been renovated since the ‘90s, I’d highly recommend it.

Contact Luke Foley at lfoley2@nd.edu

MARIELLA TODDONIO | The Observer

Seymour (Daniel Loughlin) and Mushnik (Ben Nascimento) twirl Audrey (Ryan Madrid) around on a table in the flower shop while Audrey II looms in the background.

MARIELLA TODDONIO | The Observer Orin (Ben Rohr), who’s addicted to laughing gas and dating Audrey, begins to examine Seymour (Daniel Loughlin), who happens to have a crush on Audrey, his coworker.

‘Titus Andronicus’ is a timely, timeless tragedy

By Harry Penne Scene Copy Editor

“Titus Andronicus” is William Shakespeare’s most violent play, and for their fall mainstage show, the Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company presented their interpretation of the notorious tragedy under the direction of Scott Jackson, executive artistic director of Shakespeare at Notre Dame, assisted by undergraduates Francie Surdyke and Eavan Kelly. At its core, “Titus” is the story of revenge with no “good guys” and all of humanity’s problematic traits placed front and center.

The cast is fantastic across the board, but I want to highlight some standout performances. Tommy Liddy has menacing command of his scenes as Titus Andronicus, illustrating a wide array of emotions, from powerful militaristic monologues to the tragic discovery of his assaulted daughter. Lily Brustkern’s Lavinia is heartbreaking and her non-verbal storytelling haunting. Will Barrett plays a sleazy Emperor Saturninus, parodying jealous, power-hungry politicians. Imaad Jafri’s Aaron is villainous in the best ways. I was particularly struck by the performance’s intimacy. Washington Hall’s lab isn’t large, containing no elevated stage. Audiences sit in a semicircular orientation around a center performing area, directly in the play’s action for better or worse. With this closeness, I was delighted by several audience interactions; if you sit in the front row, prepare to be messed with. The action happens mere feet from and within the audience, and I had to actively look around the auditorium to take everything in, as cast members were in the aisles and entering from all directions. The show is also multisensory. During the cannibal feast, real cooked meat is used, and the aroma envelopes the lab.

The design of “Titus” is

minimalistic, having few set pieces. This minimalism brings me to a critique: costuming. I found Tamora’s and Saturninus’ costumes to be brilliantly regal, but Titus and his sons wore all black, which, given the venue’s darkness, was a little dull. Also, the athletic shoes worn by several cast members felt out of place. I’m all for minimalist theater, but not at the expense of interesting visuals.

My personal favorite scene of the play is the emotionally dissonant wedding of Tamora (Isabel Olesinski) and Saturninus. On the one hand, you have a wellchoreographed tango between the newlyweds, but around them menacingly stand the other players, separated by familial allegiance. A wedding should be joyous, but no joy is found. Rather, it’s uneasy, sinister and, due to the scene’s blocking, I felt stuck in it.

“We are putting story first with Shakespeare, as opposed to it getting lost in concept,” Jackson explained.

The show has no special gimmick; nothing in the design indicates when this telling is set, making it timeless. The subject matter and content of the play, while told through Romans and

Goths, could theoretically occur today.

Jackson commented on this timeliness: “Even more, in this moment, is the idea of blind loyalty. In the second murder of the play, Titus kills his youngest son because he is standing in his way, and he feels he has loyalty to the new emperor, Saturninus, that makes him completely blind to any familial loyalty. I think that this speaks to this moment, because I am watching so many friendships and families being compromised by politics, and allegiance seems to be to politics before anything.”

The show begins with eerie music and red lighting, and, immediately, I felt like I was having a nightmare. I admit, the violence and 14 deaths are disturbing, but nevertheless well done. While the horror genre may not have existed in Shakespeare’s day, “Titus” is, by modern standards, a work of horror literature. The plot is suspenseful, scary and gratuitously violent.

“We have all of these films [today] that are so gory … so there’s still this appetite for gore or vengeance, whether onstage or on film,” Jackson noted.

I found myself looking away and cringing during some of

the more gruesome sequences, thanks to the tech crew’s realistic, oozing blood effects. Knowing the gore was fake didn’t lessen the emotional impact. I appreciated, however, that some of the more gruesome sequences, such as Titus severing his own hand, occurred off stage. Instead of watching it unfold, you hear Liddy scream and then witness the gory aftermath of him holding his severed hand in a bag.

Brustkern sums it up well: “Theater is actually a sort of almost safe way to re-sensitize ourselves to violence because we know it’s not real, but we can instill a sense of proper horror at these people’s lived experiences.”

Before the performance, I was informed of the show’s comedic aspects and told it’s okay to laugh. Honestly, I struggled to find them all, feeling the darkness was overpowering. Some of the dialogue is objectively funny, and I did crack a few smiles, especially at the legendary Shakespearean “thy mother” joke. Another comedic touch was using paper airplanes in lieu of arrows.

Olesinski encourages viewers who “have the urge to laugh, laugh. Some scenes can be

treated in a little more absurd manner.”

I attended a dress rehearsal, so maybe a full audience’s energy would’ve changed my perception. I urge you, go see the show and form your own opinion on its humor.

In conversations with cast and crew, one theme kept surfacing: re-sensitization to violence. We’ve unfortunately become numb to violence as a human reality, consuming it in our media and entertainment.

“You can turn violent [content] off on your phone but coming to a show and being forced to watch it … it makes people more aware of the violence people are capable of,” Surdyke commented.

I can vouch that the actor’s proximity to the audience increases the stakes; the safety of a screen is eliminated. I was informed that NSR hopes to increase empathy within the audience and make them more aware of violence’s true destructive horror.

When asked what audiences should take away, Olesinski said, “The actions in this play could have been avoided with forgiveness instead of constant violence. Instead of trying to let go of their grief, a lot of it’s just trying to find the worst coping mechanisms ever.”

If the long content advisory looks worrisome, Surdyke comments, “Take the trigger warning seriously, but don’t let it scare you away. [“Titus”] is still ridiculously funny in some scenes. It’s just as crazy as any NSR show.”

It’s intense. It’s bloody. But that’s the point: critiquing society’s obsession with violence and revenge. It certainly stuck with me, and I hope that it encourages conversation well after bows. Plus, 100% of ticket sales support the Family Justice Center of St. Joseph County, a local non-profit that aids survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.

Contact Harry Penne at hpenne@nd.edu

BEN SMITH | The Observer

MARIELLA TODDONIO | The Observer

Titus Andronicus (Tommy Liddy) holds Lavinia (Lily Brustkern), his daughter, who has had her hands and tongue removed. Titus, too, looses a hand, sending it to the emperor.

MARIELLA TODDONIO | The Observer

Emperor Saturninus (Will Barrett) embraces Tamora (Isabel Olesinski), who has an affair with a Moor named Aaron. Saturninus elects to marry Tamora instead of Lavinia.

Irish host Sunshine State opponents after big win

By Payton Dymek Sports Writer

Notre Dame volleyball is currently 9-13 (6-8 ACC) and broke its three-game losing streak last weekend with a five-set win over NC State. They were led by sophomore outside hitter Morgan Gaerte, who had 21 kills, making it her sixth game this season in which she earned over 20 kills and her 22nd game this season in which she had double-digit kills. Junior outside hitter Sydney Helmers followed Gaerte closely, getting her second career double-double with 14 kills and 19 digs, also setting a career high. Defensively, the Irish continue to dominate the net, with sophomore middles Anna Bjork and Grace Langer having 91 and 98 blocks, respectively. Gaerte is currently fourth in the ACC in kills per set with 4.36 and fourth in points per set with 5.07, and senior outside hitter Lucy Trump is currently ninth in the ACC in aces with a total of 28. If the Notre Dame defense can stop Miami and Florida State’s hitters, whether it’s through blocking or digging, the offense will fall into line and find as many chances for scoring as they can, creating potential for an Irish success.

Miami

Miami is currently ranked 14th in the AVCA coaches poll and could potentially become the fifth seed for its region of the NCAA Tournament bracket with its current record of 21-4 (11-3 ACC). The Hurricanes are currently riding a high, having

two back-to-back five-set wins over Florida State, their first victory over the Seminoles since 2021, and are hoping to continue their winning streak moving into the back half of ACC play. Both wins were headed by senior outside hitter Flormarie Heredia Colon, who totaled 74 kills with 42 in their first win, setting a new personal and program record and continuing to top the ACC stat charts leading in kills per set (5.96), points (622.5 total) and points per set (6.77). After their performance against Florida State, Colon and redshirt sophomore setter Ariana Rodriguez earned ACC Player of the Week honors. Colon received ACC Offensive Player of the Week and Rodriguez received Co-Setter of the Week for her back-to-back doubledoubles with a total of 96 assists and 28 digs. Rodriguez leads the ACC in service aces with 97 total and is sixth in the ACC with 9.63 assists per set.

Florida State

The Seminoles are currently 13-10 on the season and 7-7 in conference play as of the afternoon of Nov. 13. They are currently riding a two-game losing streak after their games against Miami. Florida State currently leads in matchups against the Irish 16-5, and Notre Dame hasn’t beaten the Seminoles since 2021. Senior outside hitter Iane Henke has put on one of the best seasons the Seminoles have seen, being second on the team with 321 kills but third in the ACC in kills per set (4.52) and points per set (5.97). Henke’s

stats put her 13th in the country in points per set and 20th for kills per set. Henke is second in kills to junior outside hitter Kyleene Filimaua, who

has 343, making her ninth in the ACC in kills per set (3.73) and eighth in points (4.27).

Notre Dame will face Miami on Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. and

Florida State on Nov. 16 at noon, both in Purcell Pavilion.

Contact Payton Dymek at pdymek01@saintmarys.edu

ND’s history as College GameDay’s villain

By Ben Hicks Associate Sports Editor

When ESPN’s College GameDay sets up shop on the North Shore of the Allegheny River outside Acrisure Stadium on Saturday morning, it will be Pittsburgh’s first time hosting the preeminent tailgate show since September 2005. The Panthers’ visitor that day: also the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Despite appearing on the show 41 times, including hosting the first-ever on-site taping of the program, Notre Dame has only hosted College GameDay from Library Lawn 12 times. With its massive brand and exclusive television partnership with NBC, any Irish road game becomes the marquee contest on the opponent’s slate, as well as a prime opportunity for ESPN to take advantage of Notre Dame’s

following.

Whether it’s Pittsburgh on Saturday, Riley Leonard’s Duke Blue Devils in 2023 or even top-ranked USC back in 2004, it doesn’t matter how good the Irish opponent is, the attention will follow. With Notre Dame’s first appearance on the show this season, let’s take a look at how the Irish have performed in the role of spoiler.

Although the 2024 Irish hosted Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and the rest of the GameDay crew for the College Football Playoff First Round matchup with Indiana, their lone regular-season appearance came in Week One in College Station, Texas. Opening up year three of the Marcus Freeman era, the Irish stormed into Kyle Field, quieting Aggie fans en route to a critical 23-13 win to build momentum for their national runner-up campaign.

Prior to that, Notre Dame’s most recent road appearance on GameDay also resulted in a win over another Mike Elkoled team, with the Irish topping Duke in September 2023. Just one week after hosting the show in South Bend for a marquee battle with Ohio State (which Notre Dame lost), ESPN followed the Irish to Durham, North Carolina for Duke’s maiden appearance.

Notre Dame also opened Freeman’s tenure as the visitors for the show, with College GameDay planting down in Columbus, Ohio, for a top-five battle to jumpstart the 2022 season. The Buckeyes got the better of the Irish that day, as they have in each of the last three meetings, but Ohio State is also one of only five schools to appear on the program more than Notre Dame.

The show has also made a

habit of traveling to neutral-site contests alongside the Blue and Gold. Alongside national championship games in 2012 and 2024, the Irish were also the marquee matchup for last year’s Orange Bowl with Penn State, 2021’s Shamrock Series against Wisconsin at Soldier Field and the 2020 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte. With all the recent discourse surrounding Notre Dame’s independence, it is fitting that in its lone season in a conference, the Irish reached the championship game and were featured on College GameDay.

Notre Dame’s national draw hasn’t been limited to meetings with up-and-coming programs, however. Perennial powerhouses Georgia and Miami hosted Notre Dame for College GameDay in 2019 and 2017, respectively, and that aforementioned battle with No. 1 USC in

2004 came while the Irish were 6-4 and unranked.

Some other smaller programs that needed Notre Dame’s presence to lure GameDay to their campus (or historical site) include Temple at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall in 2015, Georgia Tech in 2006 and Air Force in 2002.

All told, Notre Dame sits just under .500 with a 19-21 mark in its first 40 appearances on College GameDay. With the show returning to the Steel City for the first time since 2005, when the Irish knocked off another talented Panther squad, Notre Dame has an opportunity to remind the college football world of its brand power and widespread fanbase, while also securing its spot in the College Football Playoff.

Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu

GABRIELLA MARTIN | The Observer

Sophomore outside hitter Morgan Gaerte spikes the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-1 loss to Syracuse at Purcell Pavilion on Sept. 26, 2025. Gaerte, an Angola, Ind. native, recorded 19 kills in the four-set loss to the Orange.

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Where on campus would you like a third dining hall to be located?

Colin Farrell senior Off campus

“Near DPAC.”

Jake Engelhart sophomore Siegfried Hall

“Near DPAC.”

Elizabeth Panfile freshman Pasquerilla East Hall

“On the lake.”

Clara Mayer freshman Pasquerilla East Hall

“On the lake.”

JJ Lewis senior Siegfried Hall

“In DeBart.”

SOCIAL MEDIA POLL

Have an idea for a poll? Email dstangel@nd.edu

What would be the most impactful outcome of creating a disability studies minor?

THE NEXT FIVE DAYS

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

Friday

Notre Dame volleyball vs. University of Miami The Fighting Irish take on the Miami Hurricanes Purcell Pavilion 6:30 p.m.

Saturday

Saint Mary’s basketball vs. Hiram College Belles face off the Terriers Angela Athletic and Wellness Complex 3 p.m.

Sunday

‘Magnificat: Lifting up the lowly’ performance Concert featuring historical music written for victims of war DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 4 - 6 p.m.

Monday

Discussion and donuts on affordable healthcare Student-led dialogue on accessible medicine

SGA lounge 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday

23rd annual Baraka Bouts tournament Women’s boxing tournament to fund schools in Uganda Dahnke Family Ballroom

7 - 11:30 p.m.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

MARIELLA TADDONIO │The Observer

Three performers in PEMCo’s “Little Shop of Horrors” read a newspaper during a rehearsal of the musical. The show by the student-led musical theater troupe is on stage in Washington Hall through Saturday.

SPORTS

Cahill: Saturday is season-defining for the Irish

By Noah Cahill Sports Editor

“This is not a trap game. This is a challenge.”

Head coach Marcus Freeman has no misconceptions about the weight of this game for Notre Dame. He shouldn’t. Since the Texas A&M loss, the Irish have been no strangers to must-win games. In the current College Football Playoff landscape though, this one means a lot more than the others.

Before the season, a Pittsburgh team with a freshman quarterback coming off a 7-6 2024 season may have looked like a trap game. However, the Panthers have exceeded expectations in 2025, proving they cannot be looked past. Sitting at 7-2 after a five-game winning streak, No. 22 Pittsburgh has the opportunity to be an agent of chaos in the CFP race.

After facing the Irish at home this Saturday, they close with No. 16 Georgia Tech and No. 15 Miami, controlling their destiny in the ACC. Win those last two games, and they punch a ticket to the conference championship. However, head coach Pat Narduzzi’s eye-opening comments this week suggest that his team isn’t concerned with the Irish.

“They can put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two after that,” Narduzzi said in his Monday press conference.

This was a surprising stance to

take, and not just because College GameDay will be heading to the Steel City for the first time since 2005. Narduzzi has been a notorious Notre Dame hater dating back to his time as the defensive coordinator of Cincinnati under Mark Dantonio. The two helped the Bearcats to winning ways in the Big East before departing for Michigan State. Brian Kelly took Cincinnati to another level after the two left, leaving open questions about who gets credit for the program’s success. Narduzzi and Dantonio continued the rivalry with Kelly when the latter took over at Notre Dame and faced Michigan State from 2010-13 and again in 2016 and 2017. What began as a beef with Kelly extended to a Notre Dame program that now dominates the ACC year after year. A 0-4 record against the Irish during his Pitt tenure adds fuel to the fire. Narduzzi’s tenuous history with Notre Dame makes the dismissal of a chance at killing its Playoff hopes all the more confounding.

Notre Dame cannot share that sentiment. Narduzzi may not feel this game is significant for his team, but it sure is for the Irish. The CFP committee has been kind to Notre Dame, even with its 0-2 start and lack of impressive wins.

The ACC’s official X account made that point clear with its blind resume comparison to Miami, which fell six spots below the Irish despite having two more top-25 wins and

a head-to-head victory. While I don’t agree with the conference’s argument and see Notre Dame as the better team, the consistency of the committee’s ranking criteria is certainly up for debate. At a certain point, a hypothetical eye test can’t outweigh a team’s resume. That is why the Irish can’t just hope to escape with a win on Saturday. They need to make a statement.

Outside of their 34-24 victory over No. 17 USC, Notre Dame’s strongest resume points are their losses. Losing to a No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 15 Miami by a combined four points, however, is not a very compelling CFP case. While the Irish may appear to be on the verge of hosting a First Round contest at No. 9 in the poll, there are several nightmare scenarios that may eliminate them completely, even if they take care of business in the next three weeks. This week, No. 10 Texas and No. 11 Oklahoma travel to No. 5 Georgia and No. 4 Alabama, respectively. If both Red River rivals pull off the upset, all four of Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama could be above Notre Dame at 8-2. BYU winning out with a Big 12 title is a frightening possibility, as is a Miami ACC title. That’s not to mention the uncomfortable conversations that would happen if No. 18 Michigan finishes 10-2 with a win over No. 1 Ohio State. If the Irish approach half of Narduzzi’s hypothetical to win convincingly, they could fend these teams off and

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all but guarantee a spot in the 12team field with two more wins. But the reigning national finalists did not envision merely sneaking into the postseason in year four under Freeman. Combine the returning talent with freshman CJ Carr’s answer to their quarterback question, and Notre Dame would have expected to play a first-round game in their stadium for the second year running, or even skip the first round entirely. Two narrow losses to start the season may mean that plan won’t come to fruition. Their chances are not zero, though. It all comes down to No. 8 Oregon. If the Ducks win out and chalk holds around the country, they will likely be hosting the Irish in Eugene for round one. That will be a tough task, as they finish the season with No. 17 USC and then Washington on the road. The ideal scenario for Notre Dame would be a USC victory, which seems highly unlikely considering Lincoln Riley’s disappointing track record in pivotal road games. Washington, on the other hand, is 3-0 against the Ducks in the Dan Lanning era and could spoil Oregon’s hosting chances on Thanksgiving weekend. That would set up a heated debate between 10-2 Notre Dame and 10-2 Oregon. A decisive Pitt victory may very well be the edge the Irish need.

Freeman preaches team glory above everything. But he acknowledges that the most prestigious

individual award in the sport is on the line as well.

“I think it is one of the highest honors you can get as a college football player,” Freeman said when asked about junior running back Jeremiyah Love’s Heisman Trophy chances. “He’s going to do everything in his power to make sure we are prepared and win a game. If the Heisman Trophy comes with it, then great, that’s amazing.”

Love knows about all of the hype. Through it all, he echoes his coach’s team-first sentiments.

“I think of the Heisman buzz as a credit to how good this team is,” Love said in a press conference on Tuesday. “Whoever wins the Heisman, you can attribute that to them having one of the best teams in the country.”

There is a world where, in three weeks, we are talking about a Heisman Trophy finalist playing a first-round Playoff game in South Bend. This team is finally playing its best football, through all of the ups and downs. It may not be listed among the explicit criteria, but narrative undoubtedly plays a role in those final CFP rankings. It will be hard to deny the pull of a national brand like Notre Dame, especially riding a 10-game win streak into the postseason. Saturday is their last shot to make a statement. They’d best not miss.

Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu

Forcing Pitt off script: Notre Dame’s keys to victory

By Henry Lytle Associate Sports Editor

In front of a sellout College GameDay crowd, Notre Dame takes on Pittsburgh at noon in a critical matchup to stay in the playoff hunt. The No. 9 Irish and No. 22 Panthers are both 7-2, boasting strong run defenses and at times suspect pass defenses. Here’s how the Irish can get it done with the world watching.

Establish the run early

Pitt boasts one of the most statistically effective run defenses across the entire Power 4, yielding only 2.5 yards per rush and 86.4 yards per game. The Panthers have given up 170 rushing yards twice this season: once against West Virginia in an overtime loss and once against Florida State in a three-point nailbiting road win. Mike Denbrock’s offense on the other hand is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and nearly 200 per game. In fact, the junior tandem of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price has only been held under 100 yards once, in the game against Miami in the season opener.

In that game, the Irish only attempted 16 rushes between Love and Price, season-low carries for both. Simplifying the game plan for freshman CJ Carr resulted in quick throws, and the Irish didn’t have the

luxury of leaning on the struggling ground game facing a double-digit deficit in the second half. This was the only game where the Irish were outrushed by an opponent throughout this season.

Notre Dame must control the line of scrimmage by leaning on the run against Pitt. Even if the attempts fail to yield early success, Notre Dame must run the ball to open up space for receivers in play action. Notre Dame has been fantastic creating chunk rushes and converting third downs, which it must excel in once again.

Prevent the deep ball Freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel has filled in nicely as quarterback for Pitt after the 2-2 start that left the season on the ropes. However, the inexperienced passer has tossed five interceptions in his five starts, and has made normal mistakes for a young quarterback against good defenses. Pitt has liked to push the ball deep and is averaging 300 yards through the air. Pitt is below average on the ground at just 120 yards per contest and 3.4 yards per carry. While Pitt may not be able to break big runs, it uses its backs to create play action looks to push the ball downfield. Irish corners Christian Gray and Leonard Moore will likely be tested in man

coverage against receivers Kenny Johnson and Poppi Williams, both of whom have eclipsed 500 yards.

Put Pitt’s offense under pressure by scoring early

After the shaky start for the Irish defense at the beginning of the season, it has molded to resemble many of the opportunistic Marcus Freeman defenses of the past. Now averaging two takeaways and over two sacks per game, the defense has shown its backbone in a big way, especially in seemingly every second half. Building an early lead could be the difference for the Irish against a young, untested offense.

With Pitt’s young quarterback and mediocre rushing attack, an early deficit could be fatal for the Panthers. Heintschel overcame a 21-14 deficit against Florida State on the road, but outside of that game, the freshman has not been in many demanding situations. Florida State has selfdestructed since the Pitt loss, which cannot be said for an Irish defense which is only improving. With Notre Dame’s ability to control a lead, scoring on the first drive of the game and coming out of the half well should be essential parts of Mike Denbrock’s game plan on the road.

Tune the noise out

Notre Dame is firmly in playoff

contention as the highest-ranked two-loss team, sitting in the playoff committee’s No. 9 spot. Despite the team’s red-hot success, winning seven games in a row, drama looms in college football discourse.

Coaching rumors are swirling about Marcus Freeman bolting to the NFL or an SEC job, and even while it might be speculation, the rumors have been all over major media outlets. Additionally, fans have questioned Notre Dame’s merit at No. 9 as the highest two-loss team in the playoff committee’s most recent ranking.

Most notably, coaches across conferences have taken shots directly at Notre Dame for remaining independent from a football conference. This

week, when asked about concerns of the pressure of College GameDay, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said, “It is not an ACC game … I’d gladly get beat 103 or 110 to 10 … They could put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two after that.”

Notre Dame’s players and coaches must tune out the noise in the most important game of the season. This requires focus, trust in the preparation and most importantly, attention to detail on Saturday. The Irish will have an opportunity to prove the chatter meaningless in front of America. Notre Dame and Pitt kick off at noon inside Acrisure Stadium.

Contact Henry Lytle at hlytle@nd.edu

An offensive showman: Jeremiyah Love

By Claire Watson Associate Sports Editor

A top contender for the Heisman Trophy, junior running back Jeremiyah Love has continued to climb the leaderboards nationwide.

Furthering his storied journey as Notre Dame’s starting running back, Love has never

failed to show up for his team and never fails to keep the audience guessing with his insane runs. Against Navy, Love showcased his skills on the field as he finished the game with 94 rushing yards on 13 attempts and two touchdowns. For his overall season statistics, he now has a total of 988 total rushing yards on 154 attempts, averaging 6.4

yards per attempt to go along with 13 rushing touchdowns on the season.

But Love doesn’t stop there, as he continues to be a showman on the field. In the postgame press conference following the Navy game, freshman quarterback CJ Carr commented, “I had the best view in the house, to be honest. Honestly, I was

like, ‘Alright, it’s third down, let’s get ready for the next play.’

I’m looking over to the sideline, hear the crowd go crazy. I’m like, ‘What just happened?’” Carr’s response embodies the thrill of Love’s impressive, tackle-breaking touchdown, involving an impressive roll over the Navy defense to somehow stay on his feet to make it to the end zone.

Love also laid out the play, saying, “the play was kind of blown up from the get-go. I tried to make a guy miss and get as many yards as I could. The guy ended up trying to get me down. I felt no part of my body touch the ground, so I just got back up and just kept on running and that’s really all it was … It’s a one-in-a-lifetime type of play.”

Despite his outstanding play, Love continues to remain humble, not taking all of the glory for himself. “It was kind of a lucky play, but, you know, I credit that play to how we train day in and day out. Playing through the whistle, playing just as hard as we can through and through, the whole interval of the play. You never know when the play is over, so credit to the way we train.”

Across the sideline, Pitt also has strong rushing numbers with a total of 1,349 yards on the season, averaging 124.2 yards per game.

“They got a great group of players that want to compete. I’ve heard that the coach preaches to his players to be violent and so on and so forth. A great group of players, a great group, just a great team in general. I’m just looking forward to competing with them and want to take some shots with them … they have a great linebacker corps, great defense in general, so I am looking forward to competing with them,” Love said.

Sophomore offensive lineman Anthonie Knapp agreed with Love on the physicality of the Panthers, saying, “I have a lot of respect for them, obviously, and I am excited to play them this Saturday. I think they do a good job of being physical.”

But what does this long-lasting rivalry mean, not just to Love, but to the team as a whole?

“Me personally, it’s just another game. I mean that’s how I go into every single game. It’s just another game, you know.” Love said.

Knapp shared Love’s excitement, adding, “I always love a good rivalry, I think that’s what makes this game great.”

In addition to this, Love spoke about how the Irish are preparing in terms of what they need to focus on in practice and what mindset the team needs. “We think of ourselves as a violent team, a team that’s going to just be very physical from the get-go of the game. So [Freeman] kind of made sure we understood what type of team that we are, made sure we understood the standard we need to play to,” he said.

Love and the rest of the Irish football team will face Pitt on Nov. 15 with kickoff set for noon.

Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu

KEIRA JONES | The Observer

Junior running back Jeremiyah Loves prepares to get set before an offensive snap against Navy on Nov. 9, 2025. A Heisman Trophy frontunner, Love took 13 carries for 94 yards and two scores in the 49-10 win over the Midshipmen at Notre Dame Stadium, extending the win streak to seven.

Football beat picks: Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh

By Observer Sports Staff Football Beat

Noah

Cahill

This is Notre Dame’s last chance to make a statement to the committee. On Saturday at noon, they will take the national stage at No. 22 Pittsburgh with College GameDay in town.

The Panthers have been surging since their pair of losses to West Virginia and Louisville. They played both contests without starting quarterback Mason Heintschel, making them undefeated with the freshman at the helm. The first-year signal-caller has been a revelation for a Pittsburgh scoring offense that ranks sixth in the nation. They also boast the fifth-best rushing defense, allowing only 86.4 yards per game on the ground.

Pittsburgh has the right formula and a home crowd behind it. However, the Irish will present a different challenge than any team on an ACC schedule. Despite their strength against the run, the Panthers’ secondary has been beatable, and the Irish have a quarterback who can punish them. Head coach Marcus Freeman will not take this game lightly with everything at stake. Notre Dame has too much talent and is playing far too well for Pittsburgh to keep up. Don’t expect the Irish to put up 100, but expect

a comfortable win. Prediction: Notre Dame: 42, Pittsburgh: 21

Ben Hicks

Although Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi opened his weekly press conference by expressing his indifference to this Saturday’s game with Notre Dame, I suspect his players will display some effort with the top-ten Irish and College Gameday coming to town. While it is true that the outcome won’t necessarily affect the Panthers’ Playoff outlook, the season will be on the line for Marcus Freeman and company. Barring a shocking defeat to poor Syracuse and Stanford teams over the final two weeks of the season, or complete chaos elsewhere, a win Saturday at Acrisure Stadium would lock up a second consecutive CFP bid for Notre Dame.

In a jumbled ACC, Pittsburgh has established themselves as a perennial contender, with this year being no exception. After starting 2-2, the Panthers made a change at quarterback and have since reeled off five straight victories. Although Mason Heintschel has injected life into the Pitt offense, Notre Dame’s defense has been otherworldly since its trip to Fayetteville back on Sept. 27. Pair that turnaround with the consistency and balance of CJ

Carr and Jeremiyah Love in the offensive backfield, and Notre Dame should be just fine in Saturday’s raucous atmosphere. After a back-andforth start, I like the Irish to pull away in the second half to punch their ticket to the Playoff.

Prediction: Notre Dame: 31, Pittsburgh: 17

Henry Lytle

The Irish make their first Gameday appearance this season on the road in what Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi has deemed a meaningless game. While this game might be less meaningful for a Pitt team that has already collected a conference loss and takes on the Irish as the first of three consecutive ranked opponents, it is more or less the season for Notre Dame. Pitt is 2-2 in games where opponents score 30+ points and Notre Dame’s offense is easily the most potent the Panthers will have faced this year. The Irish are averaging 38 points per game and have not been held under 100 yards rushing since the season opener at Miami.

Pittsburgh’s run defense is the best the Irish have faced on paper since Miami, but they have been prone to allowing big plays in the passing game. The Irish are averaging more than a first down per completion, so

Pitt’s back end needs to step up its production in a big way. I only see this game being close if Pitt can score in bunches in the second half, although Notre Dame has been dominant after halftime this season. Seeing how Notre Dame pulled away in a gritty, rain-filled game against USC, I have a lot of confidence in its defense’s ability to control Pittsburgh.

Prediction: Notre Dame: 45, Pittsburgh: 18

Tyler Reidy

With rain in the forecast for Saturday and Pitt generally tough against the run, I don’t expect this game to open up very much. And with the Panthers carrying in the “rah-rah” factors of College Gameday and Aaron Donald’s jersey retirement, Notre Dame will probably be in a close one for a good portion of the game.

The difference for me this weekend is Notre Dame’s defense. In a battle of freshman quarterbacks, it’s not as much a matter of who can outduel the other. It’s about who can operate more comfortably in a tight, gritty battle with postseason implications. I view the Irish as more consistently disruptive than Pitt on defense, with their ability to pressure the quarterback and turn opponents over the path to winning on a slow offensive day.

Prediction: Notre Dame: 27, Pittsburgh: 17

Claire Watson No. 9 Notre Dame will face off against No. 22 Pitt this coming weekend, looking to extend their win streak to eight, with both teams coming into this game evenly matched as they are both 7-2.

The balanced Notre Dame rushing and passing game has been key in its victories. Freshmen quarterback CJ Carr has excelled on the field as he has completed 152 of 225 passes for 19 passing touchdowns and 252.8 yards per game. Alongside Carr is the junior running back duo of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. As a Heisman Trophy candidate, Love continues to show why his resume should not be ignored. Over the nine games that the Irish have played, Love has a total of 998 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns and an average of 110.9 rushing yards per game. In addition to this, Price has a total of 568 yards, nine rushing touchdowns and an average of 63.1 rushing yards per game.

Should the trio of Carr, Love and Price continue to work together on offense, the Irish will be able to break apart the Pitt defense.

Prediction: Notre Dame: 56, Pittsburgh: 27

KEIRA JONES | The Observer

Freshman quarterback CJ Carr and the Irish offense line up in victory formation to close out Notre Dame’s 49-10 win over Navy at Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 9, 2025. In a nearly perfect offensive showing, Carr threw for 13 completions on 16 attempts, 218 yards and three touchdowns, while the ground attack added 253 yards and four more touchdowns.

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