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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2025 |
Notre Dame survives Boston College in Holy War
Ben Hicks
Associate Sports Editor
Marcus Freeman and No. 12 Notre Dame overcame a comedy of errors, including turnovers, penalties and missed kicks to claim the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl over Catholic rival Boston College for the 10th straight time. For the better part of 45 minutes, the Irish appeared inconvenienced to have to share the field with the 1-7 Eagles, who made just as many dumbfounded mistakes as their counterparts. Notre Dame was unable to create separation until star junior running back Jeremiyah Love saved his team and boosted his Heisman candidacy with a 94-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to seal the 25-10 Holy War victory.
Despite being the only two Catholic institutions competing at the highest level of intercollegiate football, Boston College and Notre Dame didn’t meet on the gridiron until 1975. Saturday marked the 28th
Dowd notes challenges to University in faculty address
By Matthew Morin News Writer
On Thursday at 4 p.m., Notre Dame President Fr. Robert Dowd addressed faculty and academic staff members in the president’s faculty address inside Washington Hall. The University also hosted staff town halls on Wednesday and Thursday of last week.
Dowd began his remarks
NEWS | PAGE 3
Tour guides
ND student tour guides share how they deal with an influx of visitors on gamedays.
by thanking those present for their work and for attending the address. He quickly began discussing the “pace and degree of disruption in higher education,” including the increase in the endowment tax, reductions in research grants and financial aid, and “the dismantling of DEI programs.”
Dowd called this “an important inflection point in higher education in
OPINION | PAGE 5
Zohran Mamdani
Columnist Amaris O’Connor decries the misuse of “Communist” in politics.
the United States.”
Quoting the late Pope Francis, he said, “We are living in not just in an era of change, but in a change of era.”
However, amid the changes, Dowd told the faculty of his pride and gratitude for their work during a difficult time, when the University has “implemented a staff
meeting between the programs, which Notre Dame now leads 18-9. The Eagles have not defeated the Irish since 2008.
Both BC and ND were coached by legendary Irish alum Frank Leahy, who guided the Eagles to a national title in 1940 and the Irish to four championships in 1943, 1946, 1947 and 1949. The winner of the rivalry earns the right to hoist the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl, a cut-crystal trophy presented by the Notre Dame Club of Boston.
Speaking postgame on the importance of the rivalry, Freeman said, “It means a lot for the universities. But it also means a lot to the guys in our locker room.”
On the field, the Eagles have struggled mightily in year two under head coach Bill O’Brien. After a promising 7-6 campaign a season ago, Boston College has sputtered to a disappointing 1-7 start in 2025.
see “Football” on page 8
ND initiativeDemocracyexpands
By Maria Alice Souza Maia and Marie Stier News Writers
The University of Notre Dame’s Democracy Initiative is establishing the institution as a leader in the study of democracy in the United States and worldwide through the Democracy Talks, Democracy Fellows program and
Democracy Catalyst Funds for research projects.
David Campbell, director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, highlighted that the initiatives focus on advocacy and student engagement.
“The initiative is designed to deepen and broaden the work we
see “Democracy” on page 3 see “Immigration” on page 3 see “Dowd” on page 2
SCENE | PAGE 7
Broadway
What worked and what didn’t in “Death Becomes Here,” “SIX” and “The Great Gatsby.”
By Ella Novak News Writer
Saint Mary’s Belles Unite Borders (BUBs) hosted Andrea Cramer, the founder of Neighbor to Neighbor, a local nonprofit organization that seeks to raise awareness for immigrants and refugees, on Thursday evening at Haggar College Center. Cramer highlighted the
SPORTS | PAGE 10
Notre Dame vs. BC
Relive the key moments from the Irish’ 25-10 win against Boston College.
organization’s mission and urged her audience to advocate for immigrants in the talk.
“We’re trying to mitigate isolation for newcomers while also growing empathy and understanding among the community about what the newcomer experience is,”
SPORTS | PAGE 12
CJ Carr feature
Only a redshirt freshman, CJ Carr carries himself like a fouryear starter.
Matthew Morin | The Observer
Fr. Robert Dowd provides speech to faculty and staff members at the president’s faculty address on Thursday evening in Washington Hall, along with other town halls providing insight on Universiy plans.
Declan Lee | The Observer
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish earned a 25-10 victory over Boston College Saturday evening in their path to the College Football Playoff. The Irish moved up to No. 10 in the AP poll, despite a lackluster performance.
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Dowd
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hiring freeze, a 2.5% budget reduction and paused new construction.”
In this moment, Dowd said that the University’s Catholic mission helps the institution to continue on its path despite the worldwide setbacks.
“It anchors us in times of disruption and it opens us. It opens to new ideas and it opens us to one another in the pursuit of truth,” Dowd said.
He then discussed having met with faculty members over lunches, which he said he found inspiring. He also invited faculty members to contact him and said he would respond to all communications from them.
Dowd then discussed three areas of the University where he believes that they have made progress in and still have work to do: research and scholarship, teaching and learning and how Notre Dame is building community.
Beginning with research and scholarship, Dowd explained that “for many, many years, we have worked hard to become a stronger research institution. Our faculty’s achievements, your achievements, have earned us not merely recognition, such as membership in the AAU [Association of American Universities], but the responsibility to embrace our distinctiveness.”
Pursuant to the strategic framework, Dowd said that
the University hopes to continue the plans for each individual school and continue to attract academic leaders. He discussed how in the past four years, there have been 40 senior faculty hires as well as new junior faculty members. Dowd also stated that there are postdoctoral students who have come to Notre Dame, in addition to the graduate students, for whom they have done several things, “from increased stipends to extending health insurance to our doctoral students’ spouses and dependents.”
Dowd hopes to continue to increase innovation despite the many sacrifices. He shared that he has continued to advocate on behalf of Notre Dame with other institutions, including the AAU, on the national level.
He hopes “to offer unsurpassed undergraduate education … that is truly holistic, that integrates both the life of the mind and matters of the heart.” To this end, Dowd has worked to reimagine the Moreau First-Year Seminar.
Dowd highlighted the new Student Research at Notre Dame (STRAND) undergraduate research program, as well as the new four-year advising program as ways the University is seeking to help undergraduate students. Dowd also discussed AI and the new classes that are taking place relating to it. Each student and faculty member is eligible to take an online, introductory course on AI.
Last year, Dowd founded the Pathways to Notre Dame program, which he shared was made possible through a large fundraising campaign, that has helped to expand financial aid
and make Notre Dame both more accessible and affordable.
In the first year, the program has “increased students from middle-income families by 3%” following a decrease of 6% over the past several years. The program shifted the University towards a loan-free financial aid model, which Dowd mentioned has made it possible for these families to afford attending Notre Dame. He also stated that this year’s class has also become more globally diverse.
Dowd said he hopes to create a greater sense of belonging and community within the Notre Dame community by having students who become “the bridge-builders our country and our world need.” He called the Notre Dame community a place where students can continue to have respectful debate, which he is proud of. He cited the IsraelPalestine Series of academic talks and the Democracy Initiative’s ‘Disagreeing Better’ talk with Utah governor Spencer Cox and New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham, which he said demonstrates the civil dialogue and debate of Notre Dame across all borders.
In addition to the general faculty address, Dowd expressed similar themes in one of his staff town halls at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
Beginning his speech, he thanked everyone present for their work around campus, especially during what is the busiest time of year for tourists due to football season.
Dowd discussed several updates to the staff at Notre Dame. Brandon Roach, former executive associate general
counsel, has been appointed the new vice president and Robert K. Johnson has served as general counsel for the University since June.
Dowd also asked for every person to speak up if they witness misconduct at Notre Dame. As part of the University’s Catholic mission, Dowd emphasized that every person is a child of God and that he believes Notre Dame’s job is to ensure that everyone feels welcome.
Following Dowd’s speech, Provost John McGreevy spoke about the 2033 Strategic Framework plan for Notre Dame. He mentioned that the goal of this plan is to create “the best possible Notre Dame” and highlighted the hiring of recent new deans in a number of colleges within the University. Similar to Dowd during his faculty address, McGreevy also discussed the new Moreau course and the fouryear advising plan, which he hopes will lead to a better future for Notre Dame.
To conclude the event, University executive vice president Shannon Cullinan spoke about the new physical changes to the University, such as the creation of Coyle and Therese Mary Grojean Halls, where Fisher and Pangborn Halls used to be, as well as the South Dining Hall renovations. The University is also constructing Colfax Corner in downtown South Bend, which will be partially controlled by the University and partially leased by private companies.
Contact Matthew Morin at mmorin2@nd.edu
Tour guides handle influx of visitors
By Maggie Powell News Writer
Being a tour guide at the University of Notre Dame is one of the most sought-after campus jobs, with roughly 100 guides on call. Football weekends are full of prospective students and families, many taking advantage of programming from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Roughly 50 tour guides work on a football Friday, running 90 minute tours over a seven-hour period. The office is prepared for the challenge, with a tour coordinator hiring extra guides to fulfill the increased demand.
To become a tour guide, students submit multiple essays related to their Notre Dame experience and participate in an interview. If hired, they attend a two-hour training and give a mock tour. The training cultivates skills like public speaking and memorization. On average,
guides give anywhere from one to three tours a week, depending on their availability and the number of tours given.
Each tour begins with an information session where the tour guides introduce themselves. Then, students and families pick their guide based on similar interests or potential majors. The groups leave through McKenna Hall to begin walking predetermined routes around campus.
Guides must prepare for each tour. They keep in touch with campus developments, plan new routes depending on daily events and remind themselves of content through a fact sheet that is dozens of pages long.
Junior Tami Alli familiarizes herself with football Friday programming to accommodate curious families. She describes the Friday tours as “more challenging than a normal weekday” because of the sheer amount of people on campus. She alters the way she gives tours by stopping to
talk instead of walking backwards to allow everyone to hear her.
“Notre Dame is someone’s dream school, and I get to show them around and sell them on Notre Dame. It is also a really cool way to meet different people; I have met so many people from all over the country, the world even … It is a good way for me to take a break from my busy week and connect with families,“ she said.
Junior Kieran Lobo reviews the tour guide manual and keeps himself up to date with developments around campus, such as the new disability services minor. He strives to answer any question a prospective student could have.
He also loves “being able to meet a lot of amazing people” and seeing current students around campus who he gave tours to when they were applying to Notre Dame. He values his opportunity to “make an impact on their journey to coming to
Notre Dame … that has been the most fulfilling, amazing part of being a tour guide,” Lobo said.
Junior Maya Tuviera appreciates the opportunity to help students and families discern where to go to college.
“I think going to Notre Dame was the best decision I could have made and I want to help other people make that decision too,” she said. “It is very fulfilling to see students who are initially a bit shy or uneasy or maybe not necessarily as open gradually become more enthusiastic about the prospect of coming here.”
Tuviera loves watching students realize that the University “has become a possibility for them.”
Lobo aims to be personable and charismatic for his tour and create a connection between him and the students.
“At the beginning of my tours I ask all my students to tell me their name, where they are from and what major see “Tours” on page 4
Democracy
Continued from page 1
do related to democracy. That includes faculty research, student formation, that is the education we provide to students, and then our public outreach beyond the University,” he said. “In each of those three areas, we want Notre Dame to be recognized as a world leader in both the study of and advocacy for democracy. In the case of student formation, it means we run a democracy fellows program.”
He also shared that it including assisting research faculty members and students alongside programs engaging in policy or civic work.
“It also means that we support professors who are doing research and can hire undergraduates as research assistants. We have a hand in promoting the Washington program and other similar undergraduate programs that give students real-world experience working in policy or in the nonprofit sector,” he said.
To foster dialogue on campus, the initiative organizes events that serve its mission, including hosting a recent conversation between governor Spencer Cox of Utah and governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham of New Mexico.
More recently, the initiative was accepting applications for its undergraduate Democracy Fellows program. According to Joel Day, the managing director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, the program is for any student interested in a career in public service.
“The Democracy Fellows Program finds students not just in political science and in the social sciences, but really from across campus,” he said. “That could mean in academia, studying democracy or it could mean that they want to go into Washington, D.C., or run for office themselves. We have a cohort of juniors and seniors who come in every single year that are going to be working together as a cohort on individual projects that have something to do with democracy.”
He further described what these projects looked like for the juniors and seniors conducting it and discussed
Immigration
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explain that Neighbor to Neighbor tries to create organic friendships between volunteers and newcomers by offering hospitality in ways that limit power dynamics.
“A lot of times [in] service organizations there can be a real big power imbalance, it’s like we’re here to be a charity. Volunteers can, whether they would say it or not, sort of have a savior mentality, and we’re really trying to keep that from
special opportunities given to students in this cohort not shared by the rest of the campus.
“Everybody’s doing some sort of project. Usually, it’s a capstone or a senior thesis on a democracy-related topic. In addition to being part of a cohort of people studying democracy, we think that it’s important that they have extracurricular opportunities that maybe the rest of this campus doesn’t have. So, when governor Lujan-Grisham and governor Cox were here in September, they were able to have lunch with both governors,” Day said.
Senior democracy fellow Alice Lei was initially drawn to the program because of its ability to allow students to research topics they are uniquely interested in.
“I was a part of pro-Palestine demonstrations that happened my sophomore year, and we were arrested. We were totally quashed by University administration and arrested,” Lei said.
She then questioned a typical
happening. So we really want these relationships to be mutual,” she said.
Lisa Oglesbee, the organization’s program director, explained different features of the programs that they have between members and volunteers.
“Our main program is the Welcome Project, and that is where we actively take households with newcomers and pair them with teams of local community members to introduce them to each other and say ‘Okay, go be friends,’” Oglesbee said.
motto shared by the University administration across campus and how the program helped her in exploring its practical meaning.
“That got me thinking, what does it mean to be a force for good? On this campus, there’s the motto that we hear all the time, which is ‘be a force for good,’” she said.
“I think Democracy Fellows is an opportunity for me to parse out this disparity that exists between the ideal of a university as a space for critical thought — for students to develop their morals and their moral roots and then to continue this pursuit, even after they leave the University — and what’s actually exercised like on the ground level.”
Lei, who is now working on her senior thesis with the program, recommends Democracy Fellows for anyone interested in gaining insight into the inner workings of democracy and developing their own projects.
“It’s a great opportunity by Notre Dame, but I also think it’s really important to maybe
She further explained that there are two other programs: Craft’n’Chat and the Driving Education Program. The Craft’n’Chat program offers Afghan women a place to have community while also learning English and the Driving Education Program helps those who do not have a license by providing a driving simulator with volunteers providing supervision for required hours.
Oglesbee stated that there are three ways to help out at Neighbor to Neighbor, including through volunteering, donations
“It’s an accessible way to learn about the burning issues of the day. There’s professor Victoria Hui, who is bringing in activists who are in exile from China and exile from Asia who are real proponents of democracy. And they’re talking about their experiences advocating for democracy in their home countries,” he stated.
Looking toward the future, Day identified three areas of interest that will realize the initiative’s mission and create high-quality results, with a particular focus on research.
“We are going to be a leading institution that is studying democracy and that means we’re hiring the best faculty in the world. We’re producing the best research in the world,” Day shared. “We are bringing in new resources for scholars to do cutting-edge work, so at the end of whether it’s five years or 10 years, this initiative is about investing in the entire campus community to do their work at a really high caliber.”
Day also shared that public service is another area that they are looking at for students to take part in during and after their time at Notre Dame.
attend some of the events to get this diverse palette of what democracy means,” Lei said.
“Not only [examining] what democracy means in this day, but what democracy could mean by analyzing and looking inward at our own country.”
She mentioned the importance of seeing how democracy can be improved upon in the United States by using critiques to adjust its methods and systems.
“Not seeing democracy projects as something that we have to execute elsewhere but looking inward at in what ways is this notion of a democracy deteriorating within our society, and articulating these critiques … Because critique doesn’t necessarily mean tearing something down. Critique means you want something to be better and so you are fine-tuning it so that it could be better eventually,” she stated.
Day praised the Democracy Talks for addressing core social issues and problems in a national and global perspective.
and advocacy. She provided an emphasis on the advocacy portion by using social media to share the organization’s mission to interested family members and friends and to keep learning about the issue.
“Add your own little two cents of why you think it’s important to engage in those actions and maybe even contact your representatives,” she said. “Oftentimes, in our action alerts, we give a little script or a link to some other organization that has a script that you can use for the phone or for an email. So it doesn’t have to be super hard, we
“We are also really concerned about making sure our students are formed for public service. We’re interested in upskilling our students to do public policy analysis through the Hesburgh program. There are a lot of good opportunities for our students to be formed to really contribute to the public good once they graduate, and we’re investing there,” Day said.
Lastly, he described how conferences also help support the mission by creating an open dialogue on how to uplift democratic values and practices.
“We hosted a conference in May on social media and democracy that brought in dozens of academics and dozens of public policy experts to chart a path forward for regulating social media to be conducive to democracy, not corrosive to it,” he said. “That is establishing Notre Dame as a leading place where the most serious conversations about democracy are taking place.”
Contact Maria Alice Souza Maia at msouzama@nd.edu and Marie Stier at msteir@nd.edu
try to make it as easy as possible, to make your voice heard in our government.”
Junior Natalie Ortiz, president of BUBs, said she hopes that this talk would help students learn to use their voice and be more aware of what is going on in the world.
“It is important to advocate for those who need it the most, especially [in] immigrant communi[ties]... so please raise your voice if you can,” she said.
Contact Ella Novak at enovak01@saintmarys.edu
Marie Stier | The Observer
Notre Dame’s Democracy Initiative engages in academic programming on democratic health and practices through research opportunities and guest speakers, such as Democracy Talks and the Fellows Program.
‘Drunk on Film’ class grows in popularity
By Anna Doble News Writer
Five years ago, the University of Notre Dame’s Film, Television and Theatre Department and Department of Psychology created a new course, “Drunk on Film: The Psychology of Storytelling with Alcohol and its Effects on Alcohol Consumption,” that fulfills students “Ways of Knowing” requirement in their core curriculum. The course informs students on the effects of alcohol on the human brain and body, the portrayal of alcohol in media and how it subconsciously influences the way viewers consume alcohol in real life. It also debunks myths surrounding alcohol such as what normal alcohol consumption looks like compared to drinking on TV and in college culture.
The course is offered in
Tours
Continued from page 2
they want to do. Throughout the tour, I try to remember those facts about them,” he said.
the Browning Cinema of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center to around 160 students every semester. By combining psychology, the arts and a topic familiar to most college students, it has become one of Notre Dame’s most popular courses with a waitlist every semester of students.
While anticipating his own children’s graduation from high school and transition into college, Ted Mandell, an associate teaching professor of film production, was inspired to create this course by his own curiosity on college drinking culture and general addiction, along with his passion for media. For the first five years of the course, the class was taught by Mandell and professor emeritus Anré Venter, who retired in May. It is now taught by Mandell and Andrea Christensen, a new professor in the Department of Psychology and the director of
Alli also makes her tour as relatable as she can by tailoring what she talks most about around her participants. As a science student, she spends more time in the Jordan Hall of Science answering questions and sharing her experiences. Alli tries to “represent the
the Education, Schooling and Society program.
Soon after the course was founded, the University transitioned to online learning due to COVID-19. Mandell shared that they integrated some of their online strategies into the course after the pandemic.
“Some students will talk in person, but then a lot of people are a little intimidated by 160 people ... They’ll share their story online,” Mandell said. Junior Anne Coffey shared these changes “brought about deeper conversation.”
Mandell shared that during the class, there is a live chat where students can anonymously contribute to the discussion or privately answer questions such as “What percentage of students do you think are intoxicated at a football game?”
At the beginning of the course, students have the opportunity to learn about the true effects
University to its fullest while being authentic on tours” and loves how the diverse cohort of tour guides represents various groups from the Notre Dame student body.
of alcohol on the human brain and body. Students are able to officially define terms such as “binge drinking” or “alcoholism.” Past students praised the course for being informative and eye-opening.
Senior Caroline Pankow, an aerospace engineering major, took the course during the spring 2025 semester and described how it provided more information behind alcohol consumption.
“It was definitely an eye opener to a lot of people ... learning about what alcoholism and binge-drinking actually are, the genetics behind it and how people are more prone to that. I think that was just very eye opening and something I never really thought I was going to get from this course or from something at Notre Dame,” Pankow said.
Students also watch films, ads and various TV show episodes
In an effort to make their tours more unique and memorable, the office began taking photos of prospective students and their families.The tour guides may sign the card and give it to them at the end of the tour.
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that might rely heavily on alcohol or even just subtly incorporate it. Then, in class students will observe clips from their viewing and dive into the way alcohol is portrayed in that specific form of media and the psychological effects it has on the viewer.
“It’s a class that is intended to get students to think about their drinking, and it works,” Coffey said.
At the end of the semester, students write a final paper about their personal experiences with alcohol and how the course has impacted them. A few of these essays are then selected to be presented as performed readings during the annual Notre Dame theater production, “RED CUP,” a play composed of students’ personal experiences with alcohol and college drinking culture.
Contact Anna Doble at adoble@nd.edu
Tour guides also represent the University, where Lobo describes them as “the first people that you see.”
Students will be able to apply for open tour guide positions in the spring semester.
Contact Maggie Powell at mmpowel25@nd.edu
2025 Dean’s Speaker Series Presents:
Leading in
JOHN DONOVAN CEO, Qudit Investments and retired CEO, AT&T Communications
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. | Fri., Nov. 7
The Dean’s Speaker Series is sponsored by the Burns Family endowment.
Stop calling Mamdani ‘communist’
By Amaris O’Connor Columnist, “Filibustered”
Socialism is a political and economic theory that states the community, rather than individuals, should own and control the means of production. Now, that is a blanket definition — and like most things, it’s just not that simple. There’s revolutionary socialism (closest to Marxism), democratic socialism and social democracy. Most strands of socialism advocate at the very least for a mixed economy. In observing the New York City mayoral election, I’ve noticed that socialism and communism seem to be utilized as political slurs. Mamdani describes himself as a democratic socialist, yet the ‘c’ word seems to be thrown around to describe him. Mamdani is not advocating a centrally planned economy; thus, he cannot be a communist. As a democratic socialist, he definitely has socialist elements to his political philosophy, but if communism and revolutionary socialism are far-left, a democratic socialist is creeping far closer to the center of the political scale.
Socialist thought is not singular, and it contains a plethora of different ideas and values. If I call someone a conservative, you get a broad sense of what I mean, but it doesn’t give you the full picture. Are they conservative in terms of the economy? Socially? Or are they one of the “I’m fiscally conservative, but socially liberal” bros? Blanket terms need to
be stopped. Ideology even varies by country; what counts as conservative in the U.S. is different than in other parts of the world, and vice versa. By labeling people under one broad ideology, ignoring the nuances, you run the risk of assuming every conservative is a Reagan fanatic, when in the U.K., for example, it was the Conservative Party that initiated the legislation for the legalization of gay marriage. Similarly, calling everyone left-leaning a socialist in the U.S. generates images of the USSR and the Cold War, when many modern socialists still want to work within a capitalist system.
The NYC mayoral election has revealed how politicians use the word socialism in an attempt to alienate a candidate from voters.
Zohran Mamdani has been consistently targeted and branded as a communist by President Trump, who called him a “100% communist lunatic.” Mamdani’s success in the primary, and now his leading of the polls in New York City, has made him subject to a lot of criticism — as is natural and right for anyone in politics.
But why are socialist and communist becoming the ‘s’ and ‘c’ words? The U.S. has a complicated history with the threat of communism — think back to McCarthyism and the Red Scare. Due to this, socialism and communism are inherently viewed as threats to the American way of life. They are seen as threats to capitalism, property rights
and individualism, all of which are key components of American culture. But when are we going to acknowledge that politics has changed, and so have the ideologies that govern it? Mamdani might be a democratic socialist — but to consistently criticize him for communist-adjacent views is incorrect and fear-mongering. We have now entered an age of American politics where there is no nuance; we can no longer analyze leftist policies without branding them as communism. This is a tool used by those who want America divided. We can’t brand Mamdani’s policies, such
as free transportation, free childcare for young children and building more houses, as “communist” without then implying that countries such as Luxembourg, Iceland and Sweden are communist, which is factually incorrect.
However, the point of this article is not to analyze Mamdani’s manifesto. The point is that blanket definitions and a lack of nuance are ruining political discourse. Communism has to stop being used as a political slur to wreck a candidate’s credibility and to fearmonger and intimidate. Politics and policies are
not black and white, and neither is ideology. If we follow this line of branding anything remotely leftist as communist, then we run the risk of calling anything right-wing fascist. Bring back nuance, bring back truthfulness and stop referring to candidates with the ‘c’ word, unless they really are.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Amaris O’Connor at aoconn27@nd.edu
In gratitude for a beautiful All Souls’ Day Mass
This morning, I attended the 9:30 a.m. Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which celebrated the Commemoration of All Souls, one of the most popular and characteristic Catholic feasts. For this Mass, the rector of the Basilica — Fr. Brian Ching — presided as celebrant, and the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir, along with a small orchestra, performed the famous “Requiem in D Minor” by W. A. Mozart. I have several students who sing in the Liturgical Choir, so I knew that they had been preparing for this day for quite some time. In fact, I had known since my orientation as a new faculty member in August that the Liturgical Choir was planning this great musical work for Nov. 2: Fr. Ching had told me about these plans himself, while the Congregation of Holy Cross warmly welcomed the new faculty into Corby Hall for a lovely reception and dinner. I was impressed by the joyful and collaborative spirit that Fr. Ching exuded when speaking of the work of the Liturgical Choir, and
I recognized it as the same kind of spirit I witnessed in his predecessor, the Fr. Peter Rocca, when I worked as a musician at the Basilica myself. “Not much has changed,” I thought to myself, and the warm memories returned.
The Mass for All Souls
today was truly remarkable. The Basilica was packed to the walls with people — mostly students. The Liturgical Choir processed in solemnly, with the director, Andrew McShane, filing in last. As the first notes of Mozart’s iconic work began,
the servers, Fr. Ching, and other C.S.C priests began the liturgical procession, and you could feel everyone in the space begin to offer up their prayer. Music professor that I am, I was delighted to hear Fr. Ching chant several of the prayers in English, as well as the fine musicians of the Liturgical Choir fill in the “gaps” between Mozart’s rich choral and instrumental music with beautifully executed liturgical chant. The congregation responded in kind, with full heart and prayerful voice. The Liturgical Choir had been preparing for weeks, but they reverently deflected the attention away from themselves. All present in the Basilica — priests, musicians, congregation — participated fully in the Mass, and at the end of the liturgy, Fr. Ching kindly asked us, at the Liturgical Choir’s request, to please not applaud; all involved wanted to preserve the deep sense of prayer that had surrounded the music and the Mass. After the final notes of Mozart’s “Requiem” had sounded, people lingered for much longer in silence,
soaking in the beauty and offering prayers for their departed loved ones.
Outside in the sun, students and other congregation members talked and laughed. It was clearly a Mass that everyone would remember for a long time. Saying goodbye to some students, I walked to Cedar Grove Cemetery, where I found the grave of Gail Walton, one of the founding directors of the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir. Gail has been one of the greatest influences of my life. She taught me how to be a musician, and she and Craig Cramer — her husband and my organ teacher — were generous to me in ways I can never enumerate. I offered a prayer of thanks for everything she, Craig and the Liturgical Choir have given to me. I know that, on this particular feast of All Souls, she would be incredibly proud of Dr. McShane and the Liturgical Choir.
Mary Catherine Levri Associate Professor of the Practice,
Organ and Sacred Music
DIONE QUIAMBAO PAHILAN| The Observer
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
REDMOND BERNHOLD | The Observer
Football contracts: A symptom of a plagued America
$76.8 million. $62.3 million. $54 million.
Jimbo Fisher’s 2023 contract buyout. The GDP of Tuvalu, a micronation in Oceania. The initial estimation of Brian Kelly’s 2025 LSU contract buyout.
I believe in college football. I believe in the bargaining power of the worker. I don’t believe in coaches being paid more than a small country’s entire economy to not coach. Call me a radical.
The high-profile firings of James Franklin, Billy Napier and Brian Kelly last month brought the modern college football coaching contract situation into the limelight. With revenues higher than ever, college football coaches are being paid more than ever. Last winter, our own Marcus Freeman signed a lucrative contract extension, paying out nearly $10 million per year until 2030. With these contracts, however, come expensive buyouts in the event their employers relieve the coaches of their duties. It has been speculated that Marcus Freeman’s buyout, for instance, could be upwards of $40 million (God forbid!).
At ultracompetitive bluechip programs like Penn State and LSU, it takes very little for programs to fire their coaches. It took only three losses for Franklin and Kelly to lose their respective jobs, costing their schools over $102 million combined. Not winning a national championship at these schools constitutes a failed season. In a league with only one annual champion out of a pool of 136 FBS teams, there’s going to be a
lot of failure year in and year out. And of course, with such highprofile job openings, programs with highly coveted coaches respond with lucrative contract extensions. The contract extensions for Curt Cignetti (Indiana) and Matt Rhule (Nebraska) exceed well over $100 million combined. Cignetti and Rhule are just two of many coaches receiving extra compensation in the wake of an historic coaching shakeup.
We must remember, though, that hindsight is 20/20. At the time of his hiring away from Notre Dame, many LSU fans and national observers saw the hiring of Brian Kelly as a slam-dunk replacement for the embattled Ed Orgeron. Who would have
thought that James Franklin was at risk of losing his job as he brought his team to the playoffs last season? Undoubtedly, then, will at least some of these leviathan contracts prove to be costly mistakes in due time.
We must then ask the question: What on earth are we doing?
These firings represent not only the fruits of fiscal irresponsibility but also an immeasurable moral shortcoming for America’s universities. Paying such obscene amounts of money to fired coaches to not coach a college football team is the acme of foolishness in a country where nearly 40 million Americans live in poverty. Kelly’s buyout is particularly challenging, especially coming
from a taxpayer-supported public university in Louisiana, one of the poorest states in the United States. The gravity of such a burdensome state expense attracted national attention as Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry used executive pressure to coerce LSU’s dismissal of its athletic director.
Of course, gargantuan athletic programs like those at LSU are funded largely by their own revenue and through private donors. Louisianans’ tax dollars will not be deposited into Brian Kelly’s bank account. In fact, it was announced last week that one private donor would personally bankroll the “lion’s share” of Kelly’s buyout. With lucrative ticketing, merchandising and streaming revenue, the
Spend more time alone
By
Going from high school to college, we are expected to be in tune with our social life. This means hanging out with friends when you don’t have work to catch up on, studying with them, going out to parties and regularly planning and talking to one another on a somewhat daily basis. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if you have a group of friends, but you don’t hang out much or talk to them regularly? What if you don’t like parties and would rather spend time relaxing and turning on a movie to unwind from the week?
What if you struggled with making friends and find yourself spending most of your time by yourself and doing things you love alone?
As college students, we can often feel pressured to be a part of something; this can be in terms of having a set group
of friends, being a part of different clubs or putting yourself out there to be seen. The problem is that when students don’t follow this track, they can often be seen as being a loner or someone who stands on the sidelines of life watching everyone else.
The term “being on the sidelines” often carries a negative connotation. We see it appear in terms of sports: sitting on the bench or the sidelines while your teammates are working hard to play the game. Why does that automatically assume that the bench isn’t also playing the same game, but in different terms and conditions?
Being on the sidelines means taking time for yourself to regroup and look at the game in a new light. This game is our life and the way we decide to live it. Being “benched” means that you are still part of the team, still in the environment of others, still learning the “plays” of life. This doesn’t exclude you
from the rest; it means you are going on your own to focus on your own talents and abilities.
When you take a solo walk, try something new without company or go to study by yourself; this is where you build self-awareness, confidence and patience. Humans often need breaks after we rush onto the field to make the next move to expand our social network and to “get ahead” of the game. The sidelines are made for recharging and learning who you are off the scoreboard of a college student.
Doing things by yourself is an act of self-trust. You’re saying to yourself, “My company is enough, and I value taking time to spend with myself.” You don’t need validation from others or have to wait to experience something new, it’s your own personal choice, a quiet rebellion against the fear of being seen alone. The bench isn’t a waiting place; it’s a choice to sit with yourself
blue-chip collegiate football programs make significantly more money than they expend. One can view a strong coach as an investment, no different than paying for stadium renovations or updating the turf. Like any business investment, a coach may not work out. These buyouts are costly but survivable mistakes.
The more fundamental question to be asked is what we as a society should be valuing. Sure, tax dollars won’t be spent on Brian Kelly’s buyout (or any of the other buyouts discussed in this article). However, the donations and many millions that programs are raking in can no longer be used for investments that benefit the university or its student body. No libraries can be built with the $50 million going to Brian Kelly, nor will hungry children be fed, unless Kelly decides to do so himself. When LSU’s president announces the construction of a state-of-theart and community-beneficial Kelly Hall on campus in Baton Rouge, funded by its former coach, I pledge to retract this article.
At the end of the day, many college football programs are allocating their resources to appease a tiny group of wealthy men rather than spending money for the betterment of the masses.
Wait … have I heard this story before?
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Grayson Beckham at gbeckham@nd.edu
until the moment feels right to play again.
When you are alone, life can almost feel like it’s moving at a slower pace. You feel and experience things more fully and closely than you did before. You take notice of your surroundings, tune in to the noise and conversations happening around you and move through life as a new person. You’re not performing for others or splitting your attention between people and moments; you are fully there in that moment of time. Solitude teaches mindfulness without you even realizing it.
The sidelines of life can be a place where you rediscover what actually makes you happy, not what everyone else desires for themselves. When you give yourself space, you start doing things for yourself. You can stay in and read a book, choosing to go to parties because you want to, not because you should experience the “full” college experience. You
take long walks, paint, write or learn something new simply because it brings you joy.
You stop rushing just to feel involved. It allows you to step back and slow down to work on yourself, a key part of being in college. Being alone becomes less about missing out and more about catching up with yourself.
Maybe solitude isn’t about being left out of the game. Maybe it’s about learning how to play on your own terms and conditions. And when it’s time to step back onto the field, you won’t just play the game of life that everyone else does. You create your own version, because you took the time to get to know yourself and regroup when the crowd went silent.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Sienna Stephens at sstephens01@saintmarys.edu
Sienna Stephens Columnist, “Not Your Average Post”
By Grayson Beckham Columnist, “Citizen Gray”
Courtesy of 500px. Photo by Jeremy Meier.
Former head coach of Notre Dame’s football team and recently fired LSU head coach, Brian Kelly. Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU in 2021 and received a $54 million contract buyout after being sacked last month.
What’s working, and what isn’t, on Broadway
By Sheila-Marie Manyara Scene Copy Editor
On the first weekend of fall break, the Saint Mary’s College theater department organized a trip to New York for theater majors and minors as well as fashion and costume minors to see some Broadway shows. This was my first time seeing anything on Broadway and my first time in New York, outside of the airport at least. On the first night, one group saw “Death Becomes Her” while the other saw “Wicked.”
On Saturday afternoon, one group saw “Six” while the other saw “Chicago.” That evening, there were three shows. One group saw “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” another saw “The Great Gatsby,” and the third saw “Six.”
Friday night: “Death
Becomes Her”
Seeing “Death Becomes Her” instead of “Wicked” was the best decision I have ever made. I was afraid that the original cast was no longer doing the show, and I was so delighted to see not only Michelle Williams, from Destiny’s Child, but also Megan Hilty. She might not be as famous, but I know her
from the TV series “Smash,” her voice acting in the animated series “Centaurworld” and the video of her doing the iconic opt-up in “No One Mourns the Wicked” when she played Glinda on Broadway.
Of the musicals I saw, this was my favorite. It was hilarious and engaging. The performances, both the acting and the vocals, were phenomenal. The plot follows two friends, Madeline (Megan Hilty) and Helen (Jennifer Simard), who constantly try to one-up each other with their careers and romantic partners. Desperate to stay young and relevant, Madeline takes a deaging potion from Viola Van Horn (Michelle Williams). What she doesn’t realize is that Helen took the same potion as well, and now the two are essentially immortal.
I hadn’t seen the film it was based on so most of it was a surprise to me. The way they handled fight scenes and special effects managed to be both stunningly impressive and unbelievably hilarious. The iconic falling down the stairs sequence was so good, even knowing the way that it was done. The professor we saw it with was so confused as to how it was achieved without a wire.
My only gripe with “Death
Becomes Her” is that Helen and Madeline don’t end up together. Don’t misunderstand me: I loved their friendship, but in the 11 o’clock number “Alive Forever,” they confess how much they love each other and how in all their competitiveness they never stopped thinking about each other. They vow to stay alive together and help each other when their bodies fall apart from the damage they did to them. The ballad was so beautiful and the music swelled, leaving the perfect moment for a kiss, but instead they hugged — huh!?
Either way, the last scene of the musical was the funniest. They find Ernest — played by Christopher Sieber, who was great, but Ernest is not that relevant a character — and he attempts to lecture them on the benefits of growing old only for them to cut him off and shoo him off the stage. If you can’t tell, I’m an Ernest hater to my core.
Saturday afternoon: “Six”
This was the only musical whose soundtrack I knew prior to the show. I’ve been listening to this musical since my musical theater obsession began in 2020. I thought I made a mistake seeing this instead of
“Chicago” since I felt I knew the musical well enough, but I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. The show follows the six wives of Henry VIII, who are trying to pick the lead for their band. They decide that the queen with the toughest life should be the one in charge. The dialogue between songs was really fun. Funnily enough, “Get Down” was always my least favorite song in the soundtrack, but it was my favorite performance watching it live — I wasn’t even expecting the small costume change. The energy onstage was unmatched especially from the first, third and fifth queens. Honestly, I felt that everyone really killed it — except Anne Boleyn, not too sure what happened there — but Catherine of Aragon kept the energy up through the whole musical. Most people in the group who saw “Chicago” instead said their expectations weren’t met, so I am really glad I saw “Six” instead.
Saturday night: “The Great Gatsby” I chose to see this because I thought Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada were still in it. They weren’t. Really, it was OK because I had so much fun with
this one. I was also introduced to Michael Maliakel, who played Nick Carraway, and he devoured his role. Gatsby was played by Ryan McCartan, the guy from “Liv and Maddie,” and he wasn’t bad — he just seemed a little bit full of himself. There was one song in particular where I felt that he stood soaking up the applause for a little too long, and it felt like he broke character enjoying the spotlight. I’d never read “The Great Gatsby,” so I really went in completely blind. I knew Gatsby would be shot, but I thought Daisy would be the one to do it. Myrtle and Jordan’s actresses stole the show in my opinion. Myrtle’s final song had me mesmerized, and I truly almost cried when she got hit by the car.
Overall, I was so grateful for this opportunity that SMC gave me. Seeing a show on Broadway was so different from just listening to the soundtrack alone in my room. The visuals were immersing, and the energy was unmatched. I truly hope I can go back again.
Contact Sheila-Marie Manyara at smanyara01@saintmarys.edu
Joffrey Ballet performs in residence at DPAC
By Mara Hall Scene Writer
The Joffrey Ballet, based out of Chicago, performed a series of shows this past weekend while in residence at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. First was “Broken Wings,” followed by an intermission and a performance of “Wabash & You.”
“Broken Wings”
Outside the theater, there was a content advisory posted for “Broken Wings” signed with the logos of DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and the University of Notre Dame.
It read: “‘Broken Wings’ is a story of the life of Frida Kahlo. This piece contains themes and events central to her life including miscarriage and adultery. This piece uses strobe lighting.”
The curtain rose to abstract skeletons standing on and around a large black box. One began to dance, and the others joined in before pulling Frida Kahlo out of the box they were standing on. The attention to quality of movement was clear and intentional here, with flexed feet and harsh movements when the skeletons held control over Kahlo and relaxed, artistic pointed feet when Kahlo held the power. After the skeletons stole Kahlo’s health, leaving her weak, at odds with her own body and with a shaking right leg, Kahlo came to know nature. What started with an invitation from a deer grew into Kahlo painting nine plants and flowers in long, colorful, culturally significant skirts.
As Kahlo turned inward, she shared a suggestive dance with her father in a contemporary style. The broader theme of her leg continued as her father frequently ran his hand along it and kissed it. This spiraled into her miscarriage as the skeletons took control of her life once again, entangling Kahlo in the red rope that was once the umbilical cord of her fetus.
Kahlo’s rebirth came in the form of vein-like leaf characters who walked with Kahlo through the journey of rediscovering nature and finding herself again. These costumes, along with many others in the show including Kahlo’s, made use of skin-colored leotards with patterns on top, blurring the lines between human and nature. These costumes were crafted with both an eye for design and an awareness of diversity, as the skin
tone matched that of the dancers wearing them.
This dance closed with all of nature reuniting and Kahlo becoming one with a butterfly as a bird marked her passing on from life in human form. Throughout the piece, the presence of animals marked key shifts, from her first interaction with the deer to the final word from the bird.
Over the course of the show, the dancers made their own noise from the stage by clapping their hands to their legs, snapping and even singing. While these noises were innovative and fitting, at times enhancing cultural elements of this work, when Kahlo would seemingly spank different characters to make noise, it felt out of place.
Overall, this show made expert use of a very minimal set. The singular box had many sides and
dimensions that were opened and closed to capture the different moments and perspectives of Kahlo. This was especially evident toward the beginning of the show when Kahlo met the deer for the first time, and the flaps of the box were mirrors, giving the illusion of theater in the round.
“Wabash & You”
“Wabash & You” was a shorter piece set in downtown Chicago. This story took the traditional trope of a man and a woman coincidentally meeting and reworked it for a younger generation. In an era of technology, “Wabash & You” captured the ways in which we yearn for a lover to text back or pick up the phone and the ways that friends gossip about one another’s love lives.
The female lead and male lead
shared an intimate moment of going into the female lead’s house after a date, shedding parts of their costumes and getting into bed together. This moment was lit in a manner that seemed like a blackout, but it was better lit than a traditional blackout so that the audience intentionally watched the blackout. It enveloped the audience in the story and prepared them for the dance that these characters shared with their bedsheet as a prop.
This show highlighted ease of connection and contrasted it with lack of commitment in the current dating world. At one point in the show, the female lead was on stage right with her female friends, and she was calling the male lead on the phone. He was on stage left at a party and blatantly ignoring her call as he danced with other women.
“Wabash & You” incorporated music in an interesting way by having a live band on stage with the dancers. The band had a short box to stand on, but at times, they would come join the dancers on center stage, intermixing the creativity of dance and music.
While most of “Wabash & You” told a compelling story and broadened an old trope for a younger generation, the ending of “Wabash & You” lacked something. The storyline was distorted in the progression of bows, a post-bows song and second bows.
Overall, these performances from the Joffrey Ballet were impressive works of artistry and creativity brought to life on stage.
Contact Mara Hall at mhall27@nd.edu
DIONE QUIAMBAO PAHILAN | The Observer
Continued from page 1
in 2025. Despite their passing attack ranking top-30 nationally, the Eagles were expected to turn to Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan at quarterback for his first action since Oct. 11.
Notre Dame is on a different track, starting the season 0-2 before winning its last five in convincing fashion. Led by Love and freshman signal caller CJ Carr, the Irish offense has averaged over 460 yards per game. Paired with a BC defense that has allowed at least 28 points in every game against FBS opponents, the dual-threat Irish attack seemed primed for a big day.
Even when the offense has struggled, the Irish defense has evolved to clean up its errors from their lackluster performances in weeks one and two. After allowing 98 points to Miami, Texas A&M and Purdue, Notre Dame has conceded just 51 in wins over Arkansas, Boise State, NC State and USC.
How it happened
Donning the maroon and gold in front of a soldout Alumni Stadium crowd, the Eagles won the toss and elected to defer their choice to the second half. After freshman Andy Quinn’s kickoff sailed through the endzone, the Irish nearly opened the game with a three-and-out before transfer receiver Malachi Fields drew a pass interference penalty. Notre Dame’s early operations were sloppy, as fellow transfer pass catcher Will Pauling dropped the succeeding third down attempt, before junior Luke Talich committed kick catch interference on the ensuing punt.
The Eagles wouldn’t do much with their first possession either, the only saving grace for Boston College being a dropped interception by freshman safety Tae Johnson on 3rd & long to allow a punt.
Despite pickups of 15 to senior tight end Eli Raridon and 17 to Pauling, the second possession was another ugly one for Mike Denbrock’s offense. The drive stalled out at BC’s 33-yard line, as a 4th & 3 attempt to Pauling was broken up. Freeman assessed the slow start bluntly, saying, “We didn’t execute enough to get points.”
The Boston College attack remained anemic on the following series. Senior Shamus Florio’s punt was nearly blocked by Irish sophomore Adon Shuler, before junior wide receiver Jordan Faison had to cover his own muff to save possession for Notre Dame.
The Irish offense also remained uninspiring, as it was almost another three-and-out before Pauling made a nice adjustment to reel in a tipped ball. Carr unleashed an ill-advised deep ball that was picked off by junior cornerback Isaiah Farris, but the takeaway was negated by a questionable defensive hold. Notre Dame was unable to convert by the end of the first, as a missed block on 3rd & 9 left Freeman
with a fourth down decision to spark his sputtering offense.
Freeman chose to leave his offense on the field to open the second, and after checking the play, Carr hit Fields for a 41-yard score over the middle of the field. The closest defender was actually Pauling, who nearly collided with Fields in the route pattern.
“I was throwing to Malachi. Really good play by him to jump over two defenders and his own receiver to come up with that one,” Carr said.
The Irish’s kicking woes continued, as transfer Noah Burnette doinked the PAT off the right upright, leaving the score at 6-0 after the 85-yard drive.
Notre Dame got the ball right back, manufacturing its 16th takeaway of the season. After a tip from Shuler, Johnson remedied his earlier drop, hauling in an interception from the seat of his pants.
Coming off the sudden change, Carr perfectly executed a playaction fake to connect with Faison for a 46-yard strike. After working their way inside the Eagles
lack of discipline in the back end left Pauling wide open for a 44yard touchdown toss. The Irish opted to try for two with a screen to Love, but the Eagles stuffed it. BC’s offense had demonstrated improvement after reverting to regular starting quarterback Grayson James earlier in the quarter. After escaping a consortium of Irish tacklers deep inside his own territory on 3rd & long, the senior knifed through the Irish defense en route to a 75-yard scoring drive. The impressive series was capped with a 25-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wideout Reed Harris.
With just 22 seconds remaining in the opening half, Notre Dame capitalized on a roughing the passer penalty to move within opposing territory. After the Eagles confusingly opted to play prevent coverage with seven seconds on the clock, the Irish lined up for a 35-yard field goal to end the half. Fitting for perhaps the worst half of the year, freshman Erik Schmidt’s try sailed wide right, and Notre Dame entered the intermission locked in a 12-7
well-timed 4th down blitz in the redzone, but a controversial facemask penalty against junior edge rusher Joshua Burnham gave BC a fresh set of downs.
Disappointed with the length of the drive, but satisfied to only concede three, sophomore linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa said, “We’re relentless. Never going to be perfect but we’re going to be relentless to get off the field and put our offense in a great position.”
After an extended rest, the Irish offense fired on all cylinders, effortlessly carving through Boston College’s defense. Raridon continued his strong showing by hauling in a contested 30-yard catch, before Love found the endzone from three yards out. Carr was quick to applaud the work ethic of his tight end, saying, “He’s very consistent with what he does. The trust has continued to build.”
The baffling Notre Dame kicking experience continued though the contest, as junior Marcello Diomede pushed the point after, becoming the third Irish placekicker to miss right from short distance. “The issue is every
redzone, the team would come up empty-handed again after junior running back Jadarian Price was stripped by Farris while trying to fight for extra yardage. “We can’t fumble the ball on the plus-fiveyard line. When we have chances to score touchdowns, we have to score,” Freeman said.
Boston College utilized that momentum to engineer their best drive of the opening half. The balance of pass and run kept the Irish interior off balance, but they were rebuffed on the doorstep of the redzone as Talich made an athletic recovery to bat down a 4th & 2 checkdown.
The Irish would convert off the turnover, as Boston College’s secondary seemed unable to decipher Notre Dame’s deep crossers. The
dogfight with one-win Boston College.
Notre Dame outgained Boston College 286-163 throughout the first 30 minutes of football, but James completed 10 of 12 for 124 yards since taking the reins of the Eagles offense. An uninspiring performance from both sides, the first half saw two turnovers, 95 penalty yards and 0% redzone efficiency.
Boston College emerged from the locker room and pulled off the most methodical drive Notre Dame has conceded all season. The Eagles converted on 4th down three separate times over the 11-minute series, marching 74 yards before settling for a short field goal. Notre Dame nearly avoided all harm with a
sprint. After being held in check for the first three quarters, Love took an inside handoff 94 yards through the heart of the Eagles defense, saving Notre Dame’s season and his own Heisman campaign. Perhaps more surprisingly, Schmidt converted the PAT to make the lead 25-10.
Notre Dame played to a threeand-out and proceeded to attempt yet another fake punt. Seeing that senior Tyler Buchner and Love remained in the formation, the BC coaching staff recognized the fake and the Eagles flattened a hurdle attempt from Love.
All told, Notre Dame overcame its struggles to win the Holy War and sustain their College Football Playoff dreams. It wasn’t pretty, but it was better than a loss. “The only time we are outcome driven is the end of the game,” Freeman said. “The minute you’re satisfied you get passed up. If you’re satisfied, you stop getting better.”
His quarterback agreed, saying, “Our ceiling is really high and we are just trying to elevate every week.”
Carr finished the afternoon with 299 yards and two touchdowns, while Love took his 17 carries for 136 yards and a score. For BC, James racked up 240 yards through the air to go along with one touchdown and one interception. Senior receiver Lewis Bond led all pass catchers with eight receptions for 92 yards. The two sides combined for an impressively dismal 16 penalties, four turnovers and three failed kicks.
Chris Ash’s Irish defense continued their ascent, holding the Eagles under 300 yards, while also collecting five sacks and three interceptions. Johnson hauled two of those takeaways and also added a pass breakup, while junior linebacker Drayk Bowen led the interior with 14 tackles.
What’s next
time we kicked, the ball didn’t go through the field goal posts. If you’re rotating three kickers, you don’t have one,” Freeman said.
The ensuing BC possession again extended deep inside Irish ground, once again aided by penalties. After missing a sack on 3rd & long, junior linebacker Jaylen Sneed drilled James out of bounds, gifting yet another free first down to the Eagles. But Boston College was unable to allow Notre Dame the spotlight in stupidity. James made his first crucial error of the day, aimlessly flailing a pass while being sacked, falling into the waiting arms of Shuler.
The Irish finally gained separation on the following play, thanks to a patented Jeremiyah Love
Boston College has now dropped eight in a row since their opening week drubbing of Fordham, an FCS program. The Eagles will continue its threegame homestand in Chestnut Hill next Saturday against SMU. After a College Football Playoff appearance a year ago, the Mustangs have again been impressive under the leadership of rising star Rhett Lashlee. After toppling No. 10 Miami in Dallas this weekend, SMU will come to New England at 6-3.
Now bowl-eligible, the 6-2 Irish will need to look much better over their final four games of the season if their hope to return to the CFP. “As you move further in the month of November, everything is magnified,” Freeman said. Notre Dame returns to South Bend next Saturday for the final night game inside Notre Dame Stadium of the 2025 campaign. The annual contest with Navy will have high stakes, as the Midshipmen hold just one loss following this week’s defeat at North Texas. The rivalry showdown is set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff with national coverage presented by NBC.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
DECLAN LEE | The Observer
Senior tight end Eli Raridon celebrates his first down grab in Notre Dame’s 25-10 victory over Boston College in the Holy War at Alumni Stadium on Nov. 1, 2025. Raridon caught three passes for 59 yards in the game.
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
What movie genre would your college experience be?
Kellan Ren sophomore Keenan Hall
“Adventure.”
Cole Stehly sophomore Dunne Hall “Comedy.”
Sam Thornton junior Baumer Hall
“Nonfiction.”
DECLAN LEE | The Observer
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love rushed for 136 yards during Notre Dame’s win over Boston College. Love scored his second 90-plus yard rushing touchdown, setting another historic record for the Irish.
CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ
Jack Simpson junior Carroll Hall
“Historical Nonfiction.”
John Kroll freshman Standford Hall
“Fantasy.”
SOCIAL MEDIA POLL
Have an idea for a poll? Email dstangel@nd.edu
How sustainable are you living on campus?
In a recent survey conducted by The Observer via Instagram, the tri-campus community shared how they rate their on-campus sustainability. The majority — 71 students — said they were “somewhat sustainable” on campus, making up 67.7% of voters. Meanwhile, 28 students reported they were “not at all” sustainable, accounting for 26.7% of voters. The smallest group, five students (5.7%), said they were “very sustainable.”
THE NEXT FIVE DAYS
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Monday
Notre Dame men’s basketball vs. Long Island University The Irish face the Sharks Purcell Pavilion in the Joyce Center 7 p.m.
Tuesday
Lecture: “Publishing in Service to the World Church” Robert Ellsberg reflects on the 55-year history of Orbis Books 205-7 McKenna Hall 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Gold Mass and Lecture with Karin Öberg Öberg explores how scientific and Christian truth fit together Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Galleria Jordan Hall of Science 5:15 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Thursday
Art in the Aux with DJ PB
Experience the museum in a new light with a new soundtrack Raclin Murphy Museum of Art 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Glee Club Fall Concert
Classical choral works by Gabrieli, Verdelot and Monteverdi DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
SPORTS
Key moments from Irish win at Boston College
By Henry Lytle Associate Sports Editor
Following the bye week, Notre Dame headed east to face the 1-7 Boston College Eagles. The contest marked the first of three consecutive road tests for the Irish. In the look-ahead spot, the Marcus Freeman team won a physical victory against the scrappy and starving Eagles to move to 6-2 and keep its playoff hopes alive. Here are key moments that defined the win.
Irish stuffed for a turnover on downs
In the Irish’s second series, they began to find an offensive rhythm as redshirt freshman CJ Carr unloaded a 15 yard strike to senior tight end Eli Raridon on 3rd & 12 to keep the drive alive. Keeping pace, Carr followed with a completion to senior wide receiver Will Pauling who extended the reception out to a 17-yard play into Eagles territory. On 3rd & 9, junior running back Jeremiyah Love ran ahead for six yards, leaving the Irish with a critical decision on 4th & 3. With confidence in the offensive unit, Mike Denbrock elected to go for it, resulting in an incompletion and turnover on downs.
Notre Dame takes the lead even with extra point struggles
The Irish defense held strong even after the offense gave the Eagles a shorter field. Boston College achieved a 19-yard drive before punting the ball away. Narrowly avoiding a muffed punt, junior wide receiver Jordan Faison recovered the ball and gave the offense the ball back on the 15. Carr used his power on 2nd & 8 that earned 10 yards to get the ball to the ND 27. The Irish drive continued into Eagle territory again with the help of penalties and timely plays for first downs. It all came to a head on fourth down when the offense went for a 4th & 6 play, throwing the ball to senior wide receiver Malachi Fields, who turned it into a 40-yard score. Despite the touchdown, Noah Burnette missed the extra point, the first of many woes for the special teams unit.
Tae Johnson earns his first of two interceptions
With the 6-0 lead, Boston College felt the pressure to push the ball downfield and score in its home environment. Starting off the next drive in the 2nd quarter, the Eagles picked up a first down, then looked downfield for a big play that was taken away by freshman safety Tae Johnson with help from sophomore safety Adon Shuler. This was the first of the three Irish interceptions of the day and helped set the offense into motion.
Irish give the ball away at the goal line
The Irish took over at their own
36 and on the first play, Carr zipped a bullet into the outstretched arms of Faison for a 46-yard pass deep into Boston College territory. With the ball inside the 10 yard line after two rushes for nine yards from redshirt junior running back Jadarian Price, Carr handed the ball back to Price on 3rd & 1. Price fumbled the ball with contact from the Eagles to give the ball back to Boston College.
The Eagles followed this turnover with their most successful drive of the game. With another critical defensive possession, it was junior captain linebacker Drayk Bowen that stepped up for the Irish. He brought down McDonald for a one-yard loss on 3rd & 1, forcing a critical 4th & 2 from the Irish 27. Boston College also chose to go ahead for the two yards and Talich broke up Franklin’s pass to the outside for the turnover on downs.
Irish finish the half with a 44-yard bomb to Will Pauling
The Irish only needed four plays to cash in the next possession for a score. Senior wide receiver Will Pauling broke free from the secondary to score a 44-yard touchdown pass, the second explosive 40+ yard play for the Irish of the day. It resulted in another missed extra point, this time from junior kicker Marcello Diomede. The Irish led 12-0.
Running an efficient two minute drill, the Eagles responded with a drive that only took 1:31 to score. Even with two Irish sacks on the possession, Chris Ash’s secondary got caught playing deep press coverage prevent and allowed the Eagles huge plays for a score. They gave up three plays of 20 yards and one play over 15 yards for the easy touchdown to bring the score to 12-7 with only 22 seconds left in the half for the Irish. Notre Dame was able to sneak into field goal territory after a 15-yard penalty and two first down completions, but freshman kicker Erik Schmidt
missed the 35-yard field goal to bring the halftime total to 12-7.
Second half
Boston College received the second half kickoff and bled 11 minutes off the clock on a 21-play mammoth of a drive. Mixing in short passing, short running, and doses of play action, they were able to convert one 4th down and pick up a penalty on the Irish for the other. With the ball inside the red zone, the Irish defense picked up another critical stop. Stuffing quarterback Grayson James, junior defensive lineman Donovan Hinish and Kyngstonn ViliamuAsa forced a 0-yard play. Then, James threw another incompletion as the Irish blanketed all Eagles receivers in the end zone. Boston College wanted to bring the total inside three points and did just that as Luca Lombardo sank a 25-yard field goal to make the score 12-10.
CJ Carr’s 30-yard completion sets up Jeremiyah Love for another score
The Irish broke open the next drive with another big pass. Carr threw a spiraling deep ball on the left sideline to Eli Raridon, who bulldozed ahead for 30 yards and the first down near midfield. The Irish benefited from a roughingthe-passer call and a 12-yard Fields reception to push the ball to the Eagles four yard line. It only took two plays for Love to punch in his first touchdown of the day. Despite rushing less than three yards a carry to that point and under 50 total yards, the junior’s determination would soon pay off. The score brought the total to 18-10 as the offense was unable to convert the two point attempt.
Irish defense closes it out with a pair of interceptions in the 4th
On the next drive, Shuler got his turn on the interception from James as classmate linebacker Jaden Ausberry got pressure to
force an awkward 3rd & 7 throw at the Irish 23. Shuler only returned the ball for two yards, but it only took one play for the Irish to take it the distance. Reminiscent of the college football playoff dash against Indiana, Love took it 94 yards to the house to give the Irish a comfortable 25-10 lead. Schmidt came through on the PAT, the only successful point from the Irish special teams.
Boston College mounted an 11play 13-yard drive that ended in a turnover on downs with help from another Viliamu-Asa sack and a pass breakup from cornerback
DeVonta Smith on 4th & 32. Johnson earned the final takeaway as he intercepted James for the second time with 1:41 in the game. Despite the lack of special teams performance and offensive consistency excluding the monumental 94-yard run from Love, the Irish struggled some on the road against the Eagles. They will be challenged next against Navy, then Pitt to keep playoff hopes alive this season.
Contact Henry Lytle at hlytle@nd.edu
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Sophomore edge rusher Boubacar Traore celebrates in Notre Dame’s 25-10 victory over Boston College at Alumni Stadium on Nov. 1, 2025.
Notre Dame drops weekend series to Michigan
By Caloe Peretti Sports Writer
Notre Dame hockey struggled to find the back of the net in a weekend series at Compton Family Ice Arena, falling to Michigan 5-3 on Friday and 2-1 in overtime on Saturday. The Irish generated scoring chances throughout both games but were unable to consistently convert against a disciplined and efficient Wolverines roster. Notre Dame is now 3-4-1 overall and 0-2-0 in Big Ten play, while Michigan improved to 9-1 and 2-0 in conference competition.
Friday’s contest featured a high-tempo first period in which Michigan opened the scoring and maintained puck possession in the neutral zone. The Wolverines built a 4-2 lead by the second intermission, executing clean breakouts and cycling the puck effectively along the boards. Will Horcoff led Michigan with two goals, while T.J. Hughes contributed two assists. Notre Dame generated scoring opportunities through slot chances and net-front pressure, with junior forwards Danny Nelson and Evan Werner recording goals. The Irish recorded 33
shots on net to Michigan’s 27, winning 30 of 49 faceoffs and blocking 21 shots, but Michigan goalie J.J. Ivankovic turned away 30 saves to preserve the lead. Despite steady forechecking and strong defensive zone coverage, Notre Dame could not overcome timely Wolverine finishes.
Saturday’s matchup was tighter, with both teams trading scoring chances throughout regulation. Michigan opened the scoring midway through the first period when Horcoff beat sophomore goaltender Nicholas Kempf with a clean finish from behind the net. Notre Dame answered later in the period when Danny Nelson found the back of the net off a feed from his brother, junior defenseman Henry Nelson, evening the score at 1-1. The Irish applied sustained pressure in the offensive zone, creating rebound opportunities and high-danger chances from the slot, but Ivankovic recorded 19 saves to keep the Wolverines ahead. Strong puck retrievals and disciplined backchecking by Notre Dame limited high-quality Michigan opportunities, but the series’ second game required overtime after both teams failed to break the deadlock. Michigan
scored the eventual game-winner, taking the 2-1 victory. Notre Dame outshot Michigan 40-20 and controlled 30 of 61 faceoffs, while blocking 11 shots over the course of the contest.
Over the weekend, Notre Dame’s defensive corps emphasized shotblocking, defensive zone coverage and disrupting Michigan’s puck movement. Players contributed to limiting high-danger chances from the point and slot, with effective stick work and gap control. The Irish maintained solid forechecking to generate turnovers and create rebound opportunities in front of the net. Penalty killing was disciplined, with Notre Dame committing only three minor penalties across the two games, while Michigan was limited to a 4-for7 conversion rate on Friday and 0-for-3 on Saturday.
Notre Dame’s offensive attack demonstrated flashes of depth and balance. Danny Nelson scored in both games, Werner contributed with secondary assists and puck battles in the offensive zone and junior defenseman Paul Fischer and graduate forward Sutter Muzzatti recorded points, while helping sustain pressure along the boards. Notre Dame executed
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several clean zone entries and cycling plays, maintaining time of possession in Michigan’s end. Finishing proved a challenge, though, leaving Kempf as the standout performer with 22 saves on Friday and 38 on Saturday. Michigan’s roster showcased efficiency and depth. Horcoff tallied three goals across the series, while Hughes, Fantilli and Perron contributed multiple assists. The Wolverines executed quick breakouts from their defensive zone, maintained a strong net-front presence and capitalized on scoring opportunities created from clean puck movement and highdanger slot chances. Ivankovic’s goaltending and Michigan’s disciplined defensive coverage limited Notre Dame’s top lines and forced the Irish to generate offense primarily from perimeter shots and rebound chances.
Faceoff performance was consistent for Notre Dame, winning 30 draws in both games, giving the team opportunities to control puck possession early in offensive sequences. While the Irish created scoring chances and pressured the Michigan defense through sustained cycles and net-front screens, missed opportunities on
odd-man rushes and ineffective power-play execution kept the score close but ultimately tilted in Michigan’s favor. Notre Dame went 2-for-5 on the power play Friday and 0-for-3 Saturday, struggling to find shooting lanes and maintain puck control against the Wolverine penalty kill.
The weekend highlighted Notre Dame’s competitiveness against a top-tier Big Ten opponent. The Irish demonstrated strong backchecking, forechecking and defensive zone coverage while generating rebound opportunities and time in the offensive zone. However, timely Michigan scoring and a lack of finishing on highdanger chances prevented the Irish from escaping Compton with a victory.
Notre Dame now turns to refining offensive execution and maintaining disciplined defensive play as it continues its Big Ten schedule.
Final Scores: Friday, Oct. 31: Michigan 5, Notre Dame 3 Saturday, Nov. 1: Michigan 2, Notre Dame 1 (OT)
Contact Caloe Peretti at cperett2@nd.edu
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Notre Dame is kicking itself in the foot
By Henry Lytle Associate Sports Editor
Between missed extra points, muffed punts and failed punt fakes, special teams had an afternoon to forget in windy Boston. While the Irish ultimately earned the 25-10 victory against Boston College, their special teams unit had glaring problems in the kicking department. The Irish went 1-for-3 on extra points between three kickers and had other notable issues that must be solved if this team is to make the College Football Playoff.
Injuries can certainly affect the outcome of kicking, but between the three kickers on the Irish roster, you would expect at least one to have confidence. Veteran senior kicker Noah Burnette was the first to attempt an extra point, and he sent it off the goalpost. At the end of the first half, freshman Erik Schmidt pushed a manageable kick inside of 40 yards way wide. Next, junior Marcello
Diomede missed an extra point in the third quarter. Schmidt finally converted an extra point in the third quarter, but leaving five critical points on the board from reasonable kicks could be the difference in a closer game.
After the game, head coach Marcus Freeman reflected on the struggles.
“The issues were every time we kicked the ball, it did not go in between the field goal posts,” Freeman said. “That’s the issue ... we have three kickers, but if you rotate three kickers, you don’t have one.”
This was not the first time Notre Dame had a significant issue in the kicking game. In the home opener against Texas A&M, senior quarterback Tyler Buchner botched the hold on the extra point for the late, goahead touchdown. That singular point was the difference in a heartbreaking 41-40 loss against the Aggies. Kicking issues have come in the form of Burnette’s injuries, holding problems for Buchner and
flat-out missed kicks from everyone on the roster. These problems are starting to become trends for the Irish. If Notre Dame wants a chance to make the Playoff, or much less win out this season, the kicking has to be solved.
The trouble didn’t end there for the Irish special teams. Junior wide receiver Jordan Faison muffed a punt that luckily did not end in a fumble for the Irish. While Faison has been impactful on both sides of the punt game, returning kicks and completing passes on punt fakes, this was his second muffed punt of the season. While neither ended up in the hands of the opponent, those mistakes will need to be cleaned up. The Irish were also stuffed on a fake punt attempt for one of the few mishaps on a fake this season. It was a jarring night for Irish fans, as every special team issue imaginable came to fruition on the road.
Overall, the Irish are 34-for38 on extra points and 5-for-8
FOOTBALL
on field goals between three kickers. The percentages may be acceptable, but the total numbers tell a bigger story. The Irish have only attempted eight field goals this season. They have gone for it on fourth down in more places with less confidence in the kicking unit, and it has changed the game plan in what many teams would consider kicking territory. As the margin for error becomes tighter toward the end of the season, the Irish need to build confidence in this kicking unit to be able to at least make 30-plusyard field goals.
While survive and advance might be the mantra for this battle-tested Irish team trying to win out to sneak into the postseason, these results certainly don’t seem promising for a close game in the future. Notre Dame is up to No. 10 in the most recent AP Poll, jumping Vanderbilt and Miami, who both suffered their second loss of the season. All it takes is one slip-up for Notre
Dame to join the ranks of the three-loss teams that will almost surely miss out on the Playoff altogether. Right now, it seems plausible that another special teams disaster could result in a loss against a more dynamic scoring team. Leaving any points on the board is frustrating for Irish fans in the moment, and it becomes a larger issue when these patterns add up over time.
I suspect many people, myself included, are skeptical of this team’s ability to kick in the clutch. If Notre Dame had to kick a game-winning field goal, or even convert an extra point for that matter, there wouldn’t be a stadium full of believers. It’s one thing if this were an early-season problem, but the Irish have already experienced these struggles, and it’s not getting better. Notre Dame needs to find its go-to kicker, and it needs to do so soon.
Contact Henry Lytle at hlytle@nd.edu
Wise beyond his years, Carr steers playoff push
By Ben Hicks Associate Sports Editor
With less than a minute remaining in the third quarter on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass., Notre Dame was staring at a potentially season-crushing upset at the hands of one-win Boston College. After struggling in all three phases for nearly three quarters of an hour, the Irish offense had the ball leading by two after a nearly 12-minute Eagles scoring drive. Notre Dame was in desperate need of points and leadership. Both were needed fast to save the season and continue the College Football Playoff push.
A less mature team and a less mature quarterback would have crumbled. But behind the calming presence of freshman signalcaller CJ Carr, the Irish marched down the field and got six. Then, they got the ball back and scored again, riding a 94-yard wave from junior running back Jeremiyah Love to seal the Holy War and hoist the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl.
With the way he has guided Notre Dame’s offense through an 0-2 start and ensuing six-game winning streak, it can be easy to forget that Carr has started just eight games in his collegiate career. He possesses the poise, game control and arm talent of a fourth-year veteran, but the Saline, Mich. native is just 20 years old.
After plucking transfer portal quarterbacks from the Atlantic Coast Conference in each of his first two years at the helm, head coach Marcus Freeman opted for
an in-house competition at the sport’s most important position last offseason. He was comfortable with the candidates he already had in South Bend, in part because Carr has been molded for this role and these moments.
“He’s ultra-talented, but he also prepares in a way that I don’t know if you can even improve that,” Freeman said of his quarterback’s talent and steady approach following the 25-10 win over BC.
The grandson of legendary Michigan bench boss Lloyd Carr, CJ has grown up around the college game and understands that anything can happen on any given Saturday, especially in rivalry games. Despite their lack of success on the season, Boston College’s interior seemed to confuse the Irish attack on the opening two series of Saturday’s showdown. However, the freshman was able to process how the Eagles stacked the box and change his approach.
“They were gonna take away the run, so going over to the sideline and seeing what they were doing allowed us to win the next play and next series,” Carr said.
Despite his youth, Carr has displayed an innate ability to decipher defenses and adjust Notre Dame into the correct formation.
“He’s been good at making ingame adjustments,” Freeman said. “He’s got a great arm and great decision-making.”
Carr put those traits to use, and instead of panicking after coming up empty in the first quarter, he worked with Boston College’s pressure to exploit the favorable
matchups.
“We started slow, but did a really good job of adjusting to their pressures and their zero coverage,” Carr said.
Sporting the arm talent that has impressed Freeman and fans alike, Carr calmly connected with multiple pass-catchers over the middle of the field to exploit the Eagles’ run fits.
“We hit some deep ones to loosen them up and then open the run game a little more,” he added.
All told, Carr left Alumni Stadium having connected on 18 of 25 attempts for 299 yards and two scores. While Freeman has preached the process, Carr and the offense have remained focused on improving every week in preparation for the Playoff hunt.
“When you think of it like you have to be perfect, then you have to be perfect,” Carr said. “The reality is that we have to come into every game and narrow it down to one play at a time.” He continued, “It’s not ‘we gotta win four games’ and all this stuff, it’s just continuing to get better starting tomorrow.”
In a success-driven business, it can be incredibly difficult for young people to work through the external noise and anchor in on steady improvement. But behind its first-year leader, the Irish offense has done just that.
“The main goal for this offense and this whole team is just to reach our full potential,” Carr said.
He also understands that celebrating Saturday’s team glory is warranted, but the outcome was far from clean.
“He’ll be the first to tell you that the two touchdowns were great, but there’s a couple other ones that he wants back,” Freeman said.
Carr summed up his feelings briefly, saying, “Consistently doing our job is something we can get better at.”
Although he may not be the national superstar that Love is, or garner the same Heisman Trophy respect of fellow quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza, Julian Sayin and Ty Simpson, Carr has become the fearless leader Notre Dame needed under center. Already named to the Alexander, Manning and O’Brien Award watchlists, Carr has topped 2,000 yards and added 18 touchdowns while throwing only four interceptions
across eight games.
Perhaps most importantly, CJ Carr recognizes the pressure that comes with being the quarterback at Notre Dame. He doesn’t wither in fear of failure, or worry about not living up to the standard set by last year’s team. The maturing, budding superstar is confident Notre Dame can win that elusive national championship, and he knows his play is a big reason why.
“We had a really good team with really good players last year,” Carr said. “We feel like we have the same talent, if not better, this year. Our ceiling is really high and we’re just trying to elevate every week.”
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
DECLAN LEE | The Observer
Freshman quarterback CJ Carr loads up to throw in Notre Dame’s 25-10 victory over Boston College at Alumni Stadium on Nov. 1, 2025.