THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2025 | VOL. LX, NO. 35
Irish finish season 10-2 with win over Stanford
By Chris Dailey Sports Writer
Despite traveling 2,239 miles and operating on a three-hour time zone difference, Notre Dame fired on all cylinders in its 49-20 triumph over Stanford. The win virtually cements the Irish’s place in the College Football Playoff, marking their 10th consecutive victory following two early season defeats to Miami and Texas A&M.
Donning their crisp away whites and shiny gold helmets, Notre Dame took the field at Stanford Stadium to a roaring applause from the large contingent of Irish faithful in attendance. Even on senior day, the Cardinal home crowd was drowned out by a thunderous “Let’s go Irish” chant before kickoff.
The deafening noise made from seemingly all of Notre Dame’s California-based chapters grew significantly louder as junior running back Jeremiyah Love did Jeremiyah Love things on the Irish’s first drive. The Heisman hopeful
Sophomore running back Aneyas Williams runs the ball to the end zone on Nov. 29. The Fighting Irish finished out their regular season with a 49-20 win over Stanford, completing the season with a 10-2 record.
knifed his way through the antsy Stanford defense for a calm and cool 54 rushing yards, including back-to-back 18-yard gains. Once the hard work was complete, Love
lowered his center of gravity from three yards out and punched in the first score.
Just like that, it was Notre Dame 7, Stanford 0. It took less than 90 seconds
Thanksgiving storm creates travel odysseys for students
By Gray Nocjar Managing Editor
Junior Maria Emilia Quiroga was nearing the end of a snowy, hour-long drive from northwest Indiana to campus. She had just passed The Inn at Saint Mary’s when she was rearended. The driver had lost control in the icy weather, turning a quick trip into an odyssey.
Quiroga’s accident was one of several unfortunate stories among returning students that arose out of the potent winter storm that swept the Midwest over the Thanksgiving weekend.
LIAM KELLY | The Observer
South Bend saw 12 inches of snow over the weekend, which, coupled with Thanksgiving crowds, interrupted students’ travel arrangments.
of game-action for freshman quarterback CJ Carr and company to take the field again thanks to a quick threeand-out from the Cardinal. Unfortunately for the rowdy
Notre Dame fans, their jubilant mood was offset because of an injury to Love. After quintessentially spin-moving his way around a Cardinal defender, Love was met with a knee to the ribs. He stayed down for over a minute before slowly making his way toward the sideline.
Love stayed out of the game for several series before eventually returning. Freeman explained the process of his return in his post-game press conference, sharing, “I told him ‘you know how you feel. I know you’re hurting. But you have to make a decision about what would be best for the team. You feel like you can go?’ That’s what’s best for the team. I know he wanted to go out there and put on a Heisman worthy performance, and we owed it to him to say ‘if you feel like you can go, go.’”
In the short-term the answer to that question was no, and Love’s right-hand man junior running back Jadarian Price
see “Football” on page 8
‘Catholic mission’ back in ND values
Observer Staff Report
Less than a month after the University revealed a list of four new “ND Values” for staff which omitted a previous value calling for staff to accept and support the University’s Catholic mission, Notre Dame President Fr. Robert Dowd announced Friday that the University would be adding an explicit reference to the Catholic mission of the University back to the list of values.
included: accountability, teamwork, integrity, leadership in excellence and leadership in mission. Under the leadership in mission value, the University expected that each staff member “understands, accepts and supports the Catholic mission of the university and fosters values consistent with that mission.”
This change in the ND values was first reported by The Observer on Nov. 14 before being covered by national outlets such as Fox News and Catholic News Agency.
The National Weather Service officially announced a Winter Storm and Lake Effect Event on Saturday. “Blowing and drifting snow were reported, with road conditions becoming treacherous,” the statement read. The storm blanketed most of the northwest United States in at least an inch of snow or sleet.
NEWS | PAGE 2
Inspired Leaders
The Inspired Leadership Initiative welcomes skilled individuals to Notre Dame.
Nine inches of snow
OPINION | PAGE 5
Objectively subjective
Columnist Naasei Lynn discusses the trend of opinions veiled as news.
accumulated throughout the day in South Bend. It was the eighth-highest daily total for the city in the month of November since records
see “Travel” on page 3
SCENE | PAGE 7
‘Messiah’ is on!
Unlike previous years, the performance will be student-led and held off campus.
The new values were announced to Notre Dame staff during town halls on Oct. 29 and 30 and initially included four values: community, collaboration, excellence and innovation. The prior list of values, instituted by then President Fr. John Jenkins years ago
SPORTS | PAGE 11
Stock up, stock down
The Irish defeated the Cardinal 49-20 in the last football game of the regular season.
In a letter to Notre Dame staff posted to the ND Works website on Friday, Nov. 21, Dowd stated a fifth value — “Catholic Mission” — would now be added to
see “Mission” on page 3
SPORTS | PAGE 12 CFP rankings
Notre Dame falls to No. 10 as the Playoff Commitee decides on postseason contention.
KEIRA JONES | The Observer
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Initiative promotes lifelong learning
By Maria Alice Souza Maia News Writer
In some Notre Dame classes, students may look around them and see among the many college-aged students, a few students closer to the age of their parents. Often retired or semi-retired professionals, these students are usually fellows in Notre Dame’s Inspired Leadership Initiative, who engage with the University by auditing courses, attending lectures and performances and participating in campus life.
John Duffy, director of the initiative, wrote in a statement to The Observer that he feels fellows’ real-world experiences “enrich classroom discussions, provide mentoring opportunities, and contribute to the intellectual climate of the university.”
In addition to benefitting individual classrooms, Duffy said the program amplifies Notre Dame’s national and global impact. “Graduates often go on to serve in ways that reflect the University’s enduring commitment to ethical leadership and the common good,” he wrote.
For the fellows, the program is an opportunity to “embark on a transformational journey—to clarify ... their sense of purpose, identify new interests, and explore or further develop existing passions,”
Duffy wrote.
Duffy said the initiative seeks to connect fellows with one another and provide opportunities for discernment and academic growth as they look towards the rest of their lives.
Opportunities for fellows during the semester range from weekly “Lunch and
Learn” sessions featuring Notre Dame Faculty members to a midsemester retreat inviting fellows to reflect on spirituality and faith. In addition, “weekly community dinners provide space for fellowship and shared growth, and an end-of-year immersion experience helps fellows integrate and apply the insights gained throughout the program,” Duffy wrote.
Connie Chartrand, formerly the global head of talent development for Morgan Stanley, is a recent graduate of program. Going into the program with high expectations, Chartand was “pleasantly surprised that Notre Dame and the ILI Program exceeded them.”
Chartand said the program gave “a framework that challenged my thinking, inspired me, and provided opportunities to discern who I want to be, and what I want to do in the next chapter of my life.”
For Chartrand, participating in the program provided an opportunity for reflecting on her values.
“What I realized in the Program is, at my core, I am a teacher. Throughout my career working in investment banks, I approached my work, led my team, and interacted with my colleagues as a teacher – with curiosity, asking questions, imparting information, coaching / mentoring others, and constantly learning new things,” she said. “It was a powerful insight that I am using in figuring out how I want to spend my time and talent going forward.”
Duffy highlighted the contributions of graduates of the ILI make to their communities, including founding nonprofits, promoting education, and creating a social enterprise to hire and train formerly incarcerated men.
For example, five fellows from the 2019-20 cohort, Karen Cunningham, Bill Miller, Bill Schenher, Vickie Seeger and Phil White, founded the Imago Dei initiative, which is dedicated to ending human trafficking.
For White, the ILI inspired him to take a step towards ending the problem. “There are lots of things that you can’t control and can’t fix, but you need to take a step,” he said. “If we do it as a group, taking that step makes it less scary. Yes, this is a terrible challenge, a deeply rooted problem that touches so many different people, but with the group holding hands, we can take a step in the right direction and with God’s help hopefully have a positive impact.”
Impressed by the success of past fellows, Duffy said he believes “the Inspired Leadership Initiative embodies Notre Dame’s mission to be a force for good in the world.”
“We look forward to the continued growth and vitality of the program and to welcoming new cohorts of fellows,” Duffy wrote.
Contact Maria Alice Souza Maia at msouzama@nd.edu
Courtesy of the Inspired Leadership Initiative
The 2023-2024 cohort of the Inspired Leadership Initiative gathers for a photo atop Notre Dame Stadium. The initiative invites accomplished professionals to complete a year of fellowship and education on campus.
Mission
Continued from page 1
the new list of values. That list had not explicitly called for staff to support the University’s Catholic mission but included the following preamble to the values: “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.”
In an interview with The Observer, vice president for
Travel
Continued from page 1
began in 1893. Fort Wayne experienced its third highest total for the same met ric with 5.6 inches. On Sunday, another three inches fell, sinking campus a foot deep in heavy snow.
The storm exacerbated strained flight schedules as airlines continue to recover from a months-long government shutdown. Widespread cancellations and delays arose in major airports across the Midwest, especially in Chicago.
On Saturday, over 1,450
human resources Heather Christophersen described the Catholic mission as an overarching “umbrella” rather than one specific value for staff to adhere to.
In his letter, Dowd expressed a similar rationale for the original list.
“In that version of our Values, our commitment to our Catholic mission— which is the primary value that grounds all that we do—was referenced in the preamble to the four values as a way to show its overarching
flights were canceled between O’Hare and Midway airports. Midway was even forced to issue a ground stop for three hours after an aircraft became engulfed by the snow on the runway. On Sunday, Chicago airports accounted for half of all cancellations and 80% of all delays registered across U.S. airspace.
One flight that never took off was intended for the cheerleading squad, who were attempting to return from the football team’s win over Stanford. Initially slated to remain in California until Tuesday, the team managed to secure a flight
importance,” Dowd wrote.
The language in the new “Catholic Mission” value varies from the previous language, emphasizing support for Notre Dame’s broader mission as a research institution. It asks staff to “Be a force for good and help to advance Notre Dame’s mission to be the leading global Catholic research university.”
It is listed as the first of the five values.
In the letter to staff, Dowd said that the reference to the University’s Catholic
to Detroit and then bused back, arriving around 2 a.m. Monday.
South Bend International wasn’t spared either, with over half of weekend flights into the airport cancelled. Students driving back to South Bend faced a similar challenge navigating the conditions.
“The roads started getting really slippery, and we couldn’t really see anything. The car started spinning, and we almost went into the ditch on the side of the highway,” sophomore Emery Minnich said of the Indiana Turnpike. While Minnich avoided a ditch, she
mission was added to the list as an explicit, individual value “to avoid any further confusion.”
“Thanks to some constructive feedback we received, we now realize that placement is causing confusion, and that some could interpret that not as elevating our mission as we intended, but as a sign of diminishing commitment,” Dowd wrote.
Dowd maintained the importance of the University’s Catholic identity in its mission despite the controversy.
counted seven cars in her final hour of travel that weren’t so lucky.
Junior Kanella Katsikas, driving from Kansas City, said conditions were normal through Missouri and Illinois.
“Once I hit the Indiana border, roads were horrible, super icy, adding an hour to my Waze travel time,” she said. Katsikas listed off multiple friends who couldn’t make it back in time for class on Monday. The latest didn’t return until Tuesday afternoon.
Despite all of the troubles returning to campus, the University chose not to cancel
“I hope this change makes clear what I believe we all understand: Our Catholic mission guides and informs all that we do and how we work together,” Dowd wrote. “I invite each of us to reflect more deeply on how we can be a force for good in the context of ND’s mission to be the leading global Catholic research university. Our Catholic mission has animated our common work from the University’s founding, and it will always be our guiding force.”
classes. Notre Dame maintains a sparse record of cancellations over the past half century, choosing to close down only under extreme circumstances.
The last time the University cancelled class was Feb. 2, 2022 ahead of a two-day blizzard. In the 21st century, one snow day was recorded in 2000, 2011 and 2014, and one three-day stretch was registered in 2019. That tallies to just one full week of days off against streaks of on-time classes that stretch over a decade.
Contact Gray Nocjar at gnocjar@nd.edu
2025 Dean’s Speaker Series Presents:
Managing Your Happiness
BROOKS
New York Times best-selling author, columnist and podcast host 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
Co-sponsored by the Mendoza College of Business Burns Family Endowment and the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government
Mendoza College of Business Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Government
Students scramble to use meal swipes
By Jane Miller News Writer
As students rush to complete final essays and exams by the end of the semester, they are also rushing to use their remaining meal swipes. With a fixed number every semester and no option for swipes to roll over, unused swipes expire without benefit.
“You don’t use them, you lose them,” Robyn Bruneau, who works at the entrance desk in North Dining Hall, said.
Senior Kristen Rizkalli, a resident assistant in McGlinn Hall, opted for the meal plan with the least amount of swipes and most flex points available to on-campus seniors. The plan features 180 swipes and $1,000 flex points.
A week after fall break, and over the halfway into the semester, she shared that to be on track to use all of her meal swipes by the end of the semester, she should have under 90 swipes left.
When asked how many meal swipes she had left, Rizkalli said, “Oh God, probably a lot … I have 125.”
Rizkalli is not confident that she will get through all of her meal swipes by the end of the semester.
“I never get anywhere close to finishing them,” Rizkalli said. “I normally had probably, like, over 100 swipes left over when we were forced to do the Block 250.”
The standard meal plan for students, known as Block 250, includes 250 meal swipes and $500 worth of flex points, which can be used at on-campus restaurants. All freshmen are required to be on this meal plan, but sophomores and juniors can reduce their meal plan to Block 230 in exchange for money refunded to their Irish Pay accounts. Only seniors like Rizkalli can further reduce their plans.
Rizkalli finds that using up meal swipes is difficult with her schedule.
“I won’t get out of class or lab until, like, after two o’clock a lot of the time, which is when I get to eat lunch,” Rizkalli said.
“Normally, I know there’s not gonna be great options in the dining hall, because it’s just like the grill station and the sandwiches, so I don’t bother going.”
Students are also able to use meal swipes at Grab N Go, which was restructured at the start of the school year. Although this year has seen an increase in Grab N Go locations, Rizkalli noted it was
Off-campus seniors have more options for their dining meal plans, with a breakdown of the cost per meal for various senior plans featured above. The larger the plan, the cheaper the cost of each swipe becomes.
easier to use swipes at Grab N Go last year given the different point system. Instead of requiring students to get an entree, a side and a drink, students could previously get any items, as long as they added up to seven points.
“I could get like seven bottles of water from the Grab N Go,” Rizkalli said.
Sophomore Raymon Duran noticed the same thing.
“Last year, I would grab a bunch of one-point snacks or something and take them back to the dorm, but I can’t really do that anymore because it’s a three-item process.”
By mid-November, Duran had 153 meal swipes — over half of his 230 left.
“I usually have about 90 to 100 left anyways,” Duran said.
Junior Santiago Ralston had even more meal swipes than Duran by the same date, having used only 184 of his 230.
When asked whether he will use his remaining swipes, Ralston said, “Oh, absolutely not. There’s not enough time, and I can’t go to the dining hall that many times a day. I only go for lunch and dinner.”
“I dug myself into this hole and used all my flex points way too fast,” Ralston said. “If I was a smart person, and only got Starbucks like once a week instead of like five times a week, which is what I was doing for the first couple weeks of this semester, I think the meal plan would have been worth it.”
Instead of using meal swipes, Ralston prefers to save time and order food from
difficult to determine how much a single swipe costs.
For off-campus seniors, like Kirwan however, meal plans are directly purchased.
The larger the plan, the cheaper each swipe becomes. Based on these calculations, the cost of a single swipe for Kirwan’s Select 80 plan is $18.50.
When informed of this cost, Kirwan said, “Geez! That’s literally a scam. It’s way more than I thought.”
While unused flex points from the fall semester can roll over into the spring, meal swipes cannot.
“I’m paying for them,” Rizkalli said. “So if my flex points could roll over, why can’t my swipes? I probably still wouldn’t get through all of them, but at least then it wouldn’t feel like I’m immediately just wasting all that money.”
Duran voiced additional confusion over not being able to transfer swipes to other students who have run out of swipes, as well as the guest swipe policy.
“I think the whole guest swipe thing is kind of a little strange,” Duran said, referring to Campus Dining’s policy that prevents students from using their own swipes for guests beyond the five guest swipes allotted to each student per semester.
“If I bring my friends, why can’t I just use my own swipes? Even people that are off campus or whatever, if the swipes are on my meal plan, why can’t I use them at my convenience?”
an on-campus restaurant.
“The food [at the dining hall] is not as good, and you’re in line for upward of 20 minutes for it,” he said.
Kate Kirwan, an off-campus senior with an 80-mealswipe plan and $110 in flex points, had 30 swipes left as of Nov. 11. She noted she has used all of her swipes in years past and said this year will be no different.
“I’ll get between, like, zero to 10 left,” Kirwan said.
When asked if the meal plan is worth the price she pays, Kirwan said, “For the food, no, for the social aspect, yes.”
The price of a single meal swipe varies depending on the meal plan. Meal plans for students that live on campus are included in room and board, making it
If Duran ends the semester with his usual 90 to 100 unused meal swipes, based on the $15.59 price per meal for off-campus seniors on the select 230 meal plan, $1,403 to $1,559 would go unused. This number is an estimate, because the actual price for on-campus student meal plans are “internal operational details,” according to Campus Dining.
When asked what happens to the leftover money that comes from students’ unused meal swipes, Campus Dining wrote in a statement to The Observer, “Revenue generated from meal plans directly supports Campus Dining operations and the student experience. These funds are invested into quality, variety, facility improvements, sustainability initiatives, student employment, and overall service that benefit the campus community.”
Contact Jane Miller at jmille95@nd.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
Because students are unable to reduce their meal plans below 230 swipes, many students do not use all their meal swipes by the end of the semester. For some students, this means losing hundreds of dollars on swipes.
JANE MILLER | The Observer
By Naasei Lynn Columnist, “The Oregon Tale”
If you have paid attention to the opinion section of The Observer recently, you may have noticed an overwhelming number of political commentaries being produced weekly. Trump, ICE and polarization are the subjects of countless articles — oftentimes regurgitating similar arguments from politicized mainstream media. I don’t mind this work; the point of writing in a public domain in this manner is to express ideas important to you. I read these articles, sometimes enjoy them and move on with my day. I assume the same for most of those who pick up student papers.
In an article titled “How to write a boring Opinion article,” Joshua Tran wonderfully (and hilariously) articulated that to write about politics is a surefire method of lulling your readers to sleep. Given the nature of this article, I apologize for any yawns I have already incurred. I want to agree with Tran — the cyclical nature of our political discussion can be mind-numbing, and more importantly, boring. On the occasion that I sometimes don’t enjoy a political article, I often question the article’s value. Was anything new presented? Did I see a take that reached beyond a retelling of Fox News or CNN messaging? Did the article attempt to legitimize a counterargument? Usually, the answer would be no. I understand the complexities of certain topics: some articles are intentionally mainstream, and a well-thoughtout counterargument is not always realistic. However, most of these articles — boring or not — remain honest and nonetheless
Objectively subjective
important.
Nevertheless, I have recently seen some non-boring articles that don’t abide by the same rules as their boring counterparts. After reading Sophia Lekeufack’s article, “Biased journalism in The Irish Rover,” an idea came to mind. I, like Lekeufack, find myself browsing the Rover periodically, and I often come across intellectually stimulating, honest and valuable articles. Although I may disagree with a point or two, I can understand the integrity of the argument. Unfortunately, there have been times when I have found articles that do not follow this manner.
The subject of Lekeufack’s article was a recent Rover piece that scolded a student organization and a professor on campus. This article was not boring. It brought something new to my attention, contained an in-depth investigation and quite damning commentary from sources (or lack thereof). However,
I began to question the article’s legitimacy in light of the Rover’s professed views. I understand a disagreement from an argumentative standpoint, but are repeated public callouts of individuals such as this truly emblematic of the Rover’s self-proclaimed viewpoints, especially when subjectivity inarguably clouds the matter? I do not know the answer to that question. Although I don’t intend to call the recent Rover article dishonest, it begs the question of how much unbridled opinion can detract from honest journalism. The content of the Rover, particularly in its Political and Campus sections, often carefully guides the selection of quotes and statistics to advance the author’s opinion. Inherently, there is nothing wrong with this behavior. However, when this work is published and branded seemingly as news, not opinion, a veil of dishonesty is drawn over otherwise meaningful work.
This veil also obscures the message of other pieces — not in structure, but in content. I have observed moments in which Catholicism is used as a battering ram, rather than a foundational principle, to explain personal beliefs. I do not believe that I can definitively state what exactly is and what is not contrary to the Catholic identity, but I find themes of exclusion and divisiveness difficult to articulate alongside the charters of the Faith. And yes, there have been moments when I have seen these themes blindingly evident in Rover articles.
The Rover is not alone in its sporadic missteps. I have seen articles in The Observer that wear the same veil — an opinion is professed through haphazard and misleading means. Spending my high school years in a hyper-liberal Portland, Oregon, I have seen viewpoints I personally share expressed by others in ways so disastrous
Off the Dome: Xiaojing Duan
more secure job prospects, instead.
Professor Xiaojing Duan is typing at her standing desk when I knock on the door. As the most energetic professor I’ve had at Notre Dame, it doesn’t surprise me to find her on her feet. “Come in, come in!” she smiles, waving me into her office. It’s difficult to graduate from the Mendoza College of Business without taking a class taught by Duan. Her “Foundations of Coding with Python” — a required course for all undergraduate business majors — enrolls around 60 students across multiple sections each semester.
Duan has become a beloved legend among students for her far-reaching, infectious energy.
“I always wanted to be a teacher,” she explained. But she grew up in Xi’An, China after the Cultural Revolution of the 60s, where teaching was often looked down upon as a profession. Her parents encouraged Duan to pursue a degree with
That’s how she found herself studying electrical engineering in college. “It wasn’t my choice,” she laughed. But the experience did have value — namely, in how she discovered a love for coding.
Duan recalled the first time she wrote her own code to turn off the light on a circuit board: “That was so empowering, because I grew up in an environment where students — especially girls — were not encouraged to ask questions, to voice [their] opinions. I felt like, ‘Oh, my voice can be heard. I’m in control.’”
It’s clear that Duan never forgot that feeling of empowerment — or her dream of becoming a teacher. She went on to study computer science in graduate school before moving to the U.S. for a one-year, educational technology program. Wanting to be in the higher education environment, she then took a full-time analytics job in the Office of Information Technology at Notre Dame.
But it didn’t take long for Duan to be noticed by Mendoza’s Information Technology, Analytics and Operations (ITAO) department, who quickly pulled her to develop an introductory coding course for business students. And for how much students love her now, it’s difficult to imagine that Duan started at Notre Dame as anything other than a professor.
She hosts multiple office hours a week, demystifying the coding process for students by answering their questions and debugging their code. “I hope to use these office hours as an opportunity to build a relationship with the students. My favorite part is to see the ‘aha’ moment after we work through a problem,” she said.
I was curious if the “AI Boom” in higher education means that Duan experiences less of these personal “aha” moments with students. “Definitely, [there’s] less traffic during the office hours,” she said. Before ChatGPT came out, she remembers students posting
that I am ashamed to agree with them. This trend follows nationally. Liberal media strongholds such as MSNBC or The Atlantic are so eager to express a personal viewpoint that it denatures the value — and integrity — of their reporting. Even in sections marked for Opinion, a lack of attention to evidence or vigorously delegitimizing any opposition only serves to harm the credibility of the argument.
My aim is not to pick on the Rover, nor do I intend to equate its work with that of national media outlets; I believe the paper is essential in keeping open and meaningful dialogue on campus. However, as the sole student newspaper at Notre Dame that explicitly expresses a political ideology in its mission, its work is more susceptible to the ills I have described. Although I may ideologically disagree with certain views in the paper, the Rover has, and can continue to, beautifully articulate the value of the Catholic-conservative viewpoint at Notre Dame. Bias is innate to humans — it cannot be removed — but I believe it is a disservice to our own intellectual ability to intentionally write with bias and attempt to pass it off as objective.
There will never be a shortage of boring political think-pieces. I am aware that I have likely just joined this crowd — but we must remain honest with ourselves, with our argument and with those we address.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Naasei Lynn at wlynn@nd.edu
at least 20 questions a week to her discussion board on Canvas. When ChatGPT was first released, she saw the number decrease to 10 questions per week. Today? “Zero questions,” she admitted.
“I don’t agree with the idea that we need to ban AI,” she clarified. Yet, she is concerned that some students think AI can replace their learning process. She compares it to learning how to ride a bike: “AI can amplify our cognitive capabilities, but it cannot do the learning for us. We have to fall before we can learn to ride a bike. The same thing … [students] have to make mistakes to learn how it works.”
Duan is now on a mission to integrate AI into her classroom in a way that enhances, rather than inhibits, student learning. She turned her computer screen to show me an AI system she’s been working on. Within seconds, it can generate coding comprehension questions and provide students with personal feedback on their response.
But Duan doesn’t want to stop
there. “I’m concerned about this emerging AI divide between people who know how to use AI well and those who do not — especially the gender gap,” she said. In the future, she hopes to start a women in AI club that would offer technical workshops and training for female students wanting to better integrate the technology into their lives.
As AI seeps into more aspects of daily life, we face a choice: control AI, or let AI control us. I’d like to take a page out of Duan’s book and choose agency over comfort, to use new technology in a way that unlocks our potential instead of threatening it. But we must be willing to take the time — and perhaps attend Duan’s office hours — to learn how.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Allison Elshoff at aelshoff@nd.edu
MEG HAMMOND | The Observer
By Allison Elshoff Columnist, “Off the Dome”
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
‘Consensus’ doesn’t mean what you think it means
On Nov. 19, I read The Observer column “An era of consensus,” written by Sam Marchand. I frankly found myself baffled by the reasoning by which Marchand asserts that the United States has reached consensus on Trump policy. I would like to discuss that here. To preface, Marchand does not offer his own opinion on the Republican policies he mentions, though it’s straightforward to infer he aligns with them (His language provides him an out to claim otherwise, but to do so would be akin to putting Occam’s razor against a belt sander.). I am opposed to him politically (though I wouldn’t call myself a Democrat). But my frustration with his column is only partly about political positions. It is also about his idea of consensus, and the implications therein.
“Consensus” is an imprecise term, one which could imply a litany of different things depending on context. In his use of the word, Marchand partly lays consensus at the feet of basic practicalities of politics. As Marchand states, President Trump has indeed been able to pass legislation with a congressional trifecta (and a 6-3 favorable SCOTUS). That’s not particularly shocking. Marchand is content to dismiss President Biden’s onetime trifecta by alluding to “steep opposition” (unspecified), without deigning to cite one of the 400 bipartisan bills signed over the entirety of his presidency (the CHIPS and
Science Act, there’s one for free).
So, legislative success equals consensus. If, in the 2026 midterms, the Democrats gain back a majority in the House and Senate, will Trump suddenly become a divisive figure to Marchand? In his first term, a blue House impeached him twice, and his second trial saw seven senators of his party break ranks for a guilty vote. Did Trump suddenly learn how to create an agreeable political climate in his second term? As is so often the case in politics, even wins aren’t always pretty for Trump. The Democrats who sided with Trump on the shutdown issue (creating a health care crisis for millions) were responded to by their voters with
outrage and betrayal. Is that a sign of consensus on Trump policy?
Disturbingly, Marchand also positively highlights consolidation of power into the executive branch and big government by the Supreme Court. These SCOTUS actions include gutting preliminary injunctions, permitting ICE to racially profile suspects and lifting antidiscrimination measures in the armed forces. These are conservative wins, certainly. Do they mean consensus simply because Marchand asserts so?
Extreme rhetoric also seems to be an important concern of Marchand’s regarding consensus. Indeed, for him, Kamala Harris’ labeling of Trump as a fascist seems enough to
torpedo any sentiment of consensus in the Biden term. I wonder whether Marchand considers Trump’s blatant call for Democratic congresspeople to be executed (stated the day after his column was published) to be divisive. Perhaps Trump’s continued unhinged posting of AI slop content showing him going to war with protesters and the city of Chicago might qualify. By Marchand’s standards, it certainly should, since any hyperbolic or violenceimplying language from the previous president and vice president does.
The only thesis statement I can glean from Marchand’s column is a celebration that his candidate and policies are currently seeing success. “We
A letter to my freshman self
Dear Jonah,
Do not be afraid. It is I, your future self, who is four years older, jaded and hopefully wiser. In this letter, I wish to impart some wisdom that I have collected along the way in hopes of giving you some more excitement for what lies ahead, not to ruin the timeline but to help you.
As a freshman, you are hopelessly naive, ignorant even, but rightfully so. Lofty aspirations of a career in investment banking compel you to spend late nights crunching away at numbers and problem sets. The reality of corporate servitude appears to you in the guise of financial stability and achievement. You still think that your opinions in your Observer Opinion articles are important, meaningful and widely read. You take great care in crafting your articles and even share them on social media with friends
and family. You still treat your relationships like you’re still in high school: you converse digitally primarily through emojis and snapchat. As an 18-year-old, you are full of hope and faith in humanity: you firmly believe that you are (and will be) a force for good. You think your voice as a student at Notre Dame can impact the outcomes of University policies and you care about community.
But as a freshman, this is the way things should be. You should, rightfully, be a fool. This sort of foolishness is what made Notre Dame seem to you, as an 18-year-old, a mystical and magical wonderland. And many of your peers have felt the same way.
Now, I no longer think that Notre Dame is the mystical and magical wonderland that it once appeared to be.
Disillusionment with the world around me has extinguished that flame. I know my time at Notre Dame is coming to a close. There are friends and
peers who repeat that their time at Notre Dame is and will be the best four years of their life. And to that, I cringe. I am thankful for my education, but I know that I am destined for so much more, that my future life will be so much mo re exciting and meaningful than these four years. To think that the best years of one’s life are the ones spent in constant drunken stupor, void of true responsibility and decision-making opportunities, is ridiculous.
Though many will tell you otherwise, your disillusionment is a good thing, in a way. They are scars from your battles in struggling to live with meaning. They are the notes from your internal conversations with yourself about death, God and the life afterwards. Above all, they are the clearest indication that you have realized, finally, that you are not satisfied with what the world offers. And in this regard, the disillusionment was worth it.
won, you lost. Nyah, nyah.” It is a show of artless partisanship, hiding behind a conveniently nebulous word.
Frankly, Marchand wastes his time entertaining an argument like this. His energy should go to promoting and defending the policies he favors, arguing for them on their merits instead of dressing them up post-hoc with the rosy word he favors.
Historically, Marchand’s logic could be used to defend a multitude of reprehensible ideas. Slavery, genocide, repression: all things which had (or have) popular support, institutional backing and foundation in law. We can both agree that their social legitimization does not equate to their correctness. Follow this logic tree with me. Regarding some opinion or policy: Is there a majority? Consensus! Only a plurality? Consensus! Only a favorable comparison to something else? Consensus! Oh, and if any of the above are predicated on the failures of establishments or elected representatives? Too bad. Consensus! The consequences? Our neighbors are being kidnapped by ICE. Our health care costs are skyrocketing. Our friends are scared to be out of the closet at work or school. Our money is being stolen by billionaires. Consensus. You keep using that word...
I know this will be hard for you to understand now. You have not yet asked yourself the right questions, had the necessary conversations or contemplated the higher ideas. But, the process is ongoing and it will eventually start creeping in subtly. It will work through the people around you and the unfortunate circumstances that will beset you. People will treat you poorly. You’ll shake your fist in protest against brick walls of cold indifference. There will be moments where you feel as if people’s gazes pass right through you. I recall moments where I questioned if we even spoke the same language. But these are all moments of recourse, to think hard and long about what really matters, to think about what is true, good and beautiful. And then act accordingly. Responsibility is something that you don’t quite understand. Charity is unknown to you, yet. But during every day of these next four years, Christ
will pass you by, offering you your cross to take up. After plenty of times rejecting that offer, you will eventually discover the wherewithal to take it up. You will understand that the Christian life is one marked not by superficial affectations and idyllic reverie but one of deep commitment to suffering and struggle. To be united to the truth of the world is to endure its most broken aspects, patiently but joyfully.
Like I said before, you won’t understand this when you read it now. But later, you will. And you then will realize that you are finally on your way to true joy and fulfillment.
Love, Jonah T. Tran
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Jonah Tran at jtran5@nd.edu
Aaron Fassler 2026 Ph.D. candidate Nov. 25
ALYSSA SIRICHOKTANASUP | The Observerr
By Jonah Tran
Columnist, “Esto basatus”
Hallelujah for student-led ‘Messiah’
By Peter Mikulski Scene Editor
The Notre Dame Chorale’s annual Christmastime performance of “Messiah” was conspicuously absent from the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center’s schedule this year, but fear not: A student-led version of the popular concert is on at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mishawaka at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5.
Having attended the choir and orchestra’s Monday rehearsal, I feel I can say it’s much the same “Messiah” we’re used to. At the very least, it’s many of the same musicians — and the exact same vocal scores — as always. Soprano Madeline Huie told me they’re even using the same portative organ, former Chorale director Alex Blachly’s very own.
Inevitably, though, much is not the same, the most striking difference being the performance space: St. Joseph is a far cry from DPAC’s Leighton Concert Hall, the traditional home of “Messiah” at Notre Dame.
I spied at least three musicians genuflecting and two blessing
themselves with holy water on their way into rehearsal; no doubt many more did the same. As conductor Desheng Huang and senior alto Molly Mendenhall arranged the choir in the chancel, Mendenhall asked, “Where’s the soloist going to go?”
“In the pulpit!” a chorister joked.
The venue is nevertheless charming, albeit different. “I like the scenery better,” senior concertmaster Andrew Mangini remarked.
Mendenhall, something like the group’s ringleader (i.e., it’s her signature on the program notes), concurred. “Since Handel’s ‘Messiah’ is a sacred oratorio, it is a blessing to have the opportunity to perform such an incredible piece of sacred music in a religious setting,” she said.
Freshman soprano Sasha Gilders agreed too, saying, “I actually kind of like the atmosphere of the church.
I think the acoustics here are actually better than they are in the giant concert hall, because when you have a smaller space you can really hear everyone, and it really brings the choir together.”
The acoustic really is beautiful,
one power-hitter vocalists like sophomore bass Daniel Balof — who sings the oratorio’s first vocal numbers — can revel in filling. Although a bit of a schlep from campus, St. Joseph seems like an ideal pick and a natural home away from home for the students’ “Messiah.”
“There’s some relationship between Notre Dame and this parish,” Jerome Cole — the church’s director of sacred music — said. “There’s some former students who are parishioners here. They know me and they reached out to me to see if the space was available.”
About the logistics behind the show, Huang said, “It’s really a lot of work, from recruiting to finding a venue, and finding schedules that work for the majority of the singers and players. I understand this is not a class or a university event, so people, including me, are doing our best to adjust our schedule to make it work, and I appreciate it.”
Unlike Chorale’s typical performances of “Messiah,” which tried to use period-accurate instruments, this production’s orchestra is modern and relatively large. For me, that’s a plus. Call me a kook,
but I don’t want restraint out of my Handel — I want bombast. I don’t want the sublime, I want a melodrama. When the bass sings “The People that Walked in Darkness,” you want a dismal, enveloping sound to match his voice and the text. Later, when a multitude of the heavenly host suddenly appears to shepherds abiding in the field, you want the opposite, a sound that’s diaphanous and technicolor. It’s a lot harder to get those effects out of a tiny orchestra of players using gut strings, no matter how historically accurate it may be. When the orchestra and the choir are driving at full throttle — the violins slashing away, the oboes sounding out, the hefty three-cello bassi section thrumming below, the singers weaving in and out of the texture — it’s great. There’s nothing like a good performance of “For Unto Us a Child is Born.” (I have an embarrassing predilection for the synth version by The Roches). The choruses are probably the best thing about Handel, being the dessert of his oratorios.
Mendenhall said that among her favorite moments of the rehearsal process was the first time the choir
and orchestra played through the piece together. “That was the moment when I felt like the concert was starting to come together and that we would actually be able to pull this whole thing off,” she said.
If the choruses are dessert, that would make the arias the vegetables (the recitatives are either the soup or the salad), but the soloists managed to make them palatable. Of what I heard, the renditions of “O Thou that Tellest Good Tidings to Zion” by senior alto Grace Organ and “Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion” by senior soprano Claire Burks were particularly enjoyable.
If you can make it, this concert — the guerrilla stepchild of Chorale’s beloved “Messiah” performances — will be worth your time. And it’s free and unticketed, so it’ll certainly be worth your money.
“Everybody has worked extremely hard inside and outside of the rehearsal process to create a beautiful concert that I hope the South Bend and Mishawaka communities will enjoy,” Mendenhall said.
Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu
‘Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness’ 30
By Luke Foley Scene Copy Editor
I’ve been waiting for this one. The time has come for me to talk about one of my favorite albums by one of my favorite bands. The Smashing Pumpkins never quite fit in with their ’90s rock peers and always defied clean-cut categorization. They weren’t grunge like Nirvana, shoegaze like My Bloody Valentine or art rock like Radiohead, yet they were all these things and more. Despite their success, people never knew what to make of them, which I think is why they haven’t had the same renewed interest as other bands from their time. But those who take a chance on their eclectic sensibilities and ringleader Billy Corgan’s brilliant songwriting won’t be disappointed. While their 1993 album “Siamese
Dream” is excellent in its own right, Corgan’s blockbuster ambitions wouldn’t be fully realized until their 1995 album, “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.” To celebrate its 30th anniversary, the band released an anniversary edition on Nov. 21 featuring demos and live performances, making it the perfect opportunity to discover the album. Do not let its very cringey title dissuade you: It’s two hours of abundant creativity and adventure, full of virtuoso performances, emotional sincerity and stylistic diversity.
The album opens with the titular track, an entirely instrumental piece. It’s a simple but elegant piano ballad, setting the tone for the album’s melodrama and whimsical aspirations that become fully apparent on the next song, “Tonight, Tonight.”
Corgan returns to the string ballad he mastered with “Disarm” on “Siamese
Dream,” this time trading despair for a rousing ode to making the most of the night. It’s a simple sentiment executed with such sincerity and gravitas that you can’t help but get swept up in the dramatic orchestral arrangement and Corgan’s nasal belting.
This is the MO of the rest of the album: infectious earnestness. Corgan said he wanted the album to capture the heightened emotions of adolescence, and he achieves exactly that. “Muzzle” is cut from the same cloth; propulsive and grandiose, it’s a song about living life with no shame.
“Bullet with a Butterfly Wing” captures teenage angst perfectly, with nonsensical vitriol and an exhilarating bridge. A forlorn Corgan whimpers about regret and loneliness on “To Forgive.” And “In the Arms of Sleep” is a tender song about restless nights due to yearning too hard.
The breadth and depth of the
album’s soundscapes are also remarkable. You have the aforementioned live orchestra on “Tonight, Tonight,” but also ballistic drums and chugging guitars on the subsequent “Jellybelly.” This sonic whiplash is one of the defining features of the album, as the band explores all kinds of textures and instruments. Glitchy guitars and an industrial beat propel the spurned “Love.” A gorgeous harp illuminates “Cupid de Locke.”
The band dabbles in prog rock with “Porcelina of the Vast Oceans,” a multi-stage suite that takes four minutes to build to its blistering chorus. The album’s second disc is somehow even more experimental. It sees the band dabble in metal, electronic and even country — sure, why not? “Bodies” is a pathetic howl of romantic rage with acidic guitars that threaten to destroy the entire mix. “Thirty-Three” is a bizarre
years later
electronic-country fusion song; it shouldn’t work at all, but we somehow ended up in the one timeline where it does. And then there is “1979,” the band’s most popular song. I remember the first time I listened to it: I couldn’t believe it was released in 1995 — it sounds so modern and fresh. The song has an ethereal quality, capturing the intoxicating allure of nostalgia with its hazy guitars and drum loops. The album rounds out with the quirky but fun “We Only Come Out at Night,” the Beatlesesque “Beautiful,” and the lullaby closer “Farewell and Goodnight.” What Corgan and company achieved with this album is legendary. It’s a work of art that will continue to enthrall audiences for many more decades to come.
Contact Luke Foley at lfoley2@nd.edu
FINN SCALLON | The Observer
Desheng Huang, a conducting student in Notre Dame’s sacred music program, rehearses the choir and orchestra before the altar of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mishawaka.
FINN SCALLON | The Observer
August Berchelmann plays a portative organ borrowed from Alex Blachly and Mary Anne Ballard. This year, the choir’s playing “Messiah” in modern — not baroque — pitch.
Continued from page 1
entered the game. Stanford had no answer, and Price exploded for a pair of 14-yard receptions and 15 yards on the ground. Like his dynamic partner in crime, Price’s final carry ended up in the back of the end zone.
Stanford’s interim head coach Frank Reich experienced deja vu during Stanford’s next drive, as the Cardinal went three-and-out. With that, the first quarter drew to a close. Notre Dame opened the second with fireworks. After Carr’s intended pass for senior wide receiver Malachi Fields on third down had a little too much mustard behind it, Freeman opted to send out his punting unit. In yet another story we’ve seen before during the Freeman era, the gutsy head coach decided to go for it on a fake punt. That decision proved successful, sparking a SportsCenter worthy highlight as junior defensive lineman Joshua Burnham received the snap.
Burnham quickly tossed it to the junior safety Luke Talich, who sprinted 84 yards to the house.
“It was something we’ve been working on for a couple of weeks. We knew if we got a certain look we would check to it. We got the look that we wanted and we checked to and we executed,” Freeman said.
With the lead growing larger and the likelihood of a blowout looming greater for Stanford, the Cardinal tried their own fourth down luck. Seven yards from a
fresh set of downs, Stanford’s redshirt freshman quarterback
Elijiah Brown was unable to find an open receiver, setting Notre Dame up on their own 46.
Freeman’s platoon made quick work of their advantageous fieldposition, driven largely by the exemplary play of sophomore running back Aneyas Williams. The former four-star recruit who played a pivotal depth piece in the Irish’s run to the National Championship a season ago has slowly but surely worked into a larger role through the past few weeks. From his career high 72 yards against Navy to his 30-yard touchdown against Syracuse, Williams has turned lemons into lemonade every time he’s been given a chance. This was no different against Stanford. Williams rushed for 23-yards and a touchdown paired alongside an impressive 25-yard grab off of a wheel route. His excellence extended the Irish lead to 28-0.
“Aneyas practices hard every day,” Love said of his teammate. “He makes sure he is ready for his opportunity when it comes. Everytime his opportunity comes, Aneyas is ready.”
Stanford finally produced something offensively in the following drive. The Cardinal picked up some free yardage through a facemask from senior defensive lineman Jason Onye and a premature jump offside from sophomore safety Adon Shuler. This did enough to provide them with well-enough field position to opt for a field goal. Graduate student Emmet Kenney nailed the
39-yard attempt, giving Stanford some sort of moral reward. Notre Dame got the ball back with 2:31 on the clock. After a quick three-yard pass to senior Eli Raridon on second down, Carr tied Burnham for the game’s lead in passing yards. From there, the Irish’s momentum simmered down. But, they were able to get right back on the field after Stanford threw the ball down the right sideline in the direction of sophomore cornerback Leonard Moore. The Midseason AllAmerican picked the ball off, paving the way for a 55 yard-Notre Dame drive capped off by a swift 12-yard receiving touchdown from Price. With that, the Irish marched into the break halfway to 70 points, leading 35-3. Moore was ultimately targeted a surprising six times, an abnormally large amount for one of the premier players nationwide in his position.
If the second half was an offensive explosion, consider the second half more of a slow cook. If you ask some Irish fans, it could even be considered a burn. After all, Notre Dame was outscored 1714 in the next 30 minutes of play. Things started off strong for the Irish. An inch-perfect throw from Carr to junior wide receiver Jordan Faison landed for 54-yards. A few plays later, Carr delivered a bullet to Faison in the end zone. With relative ease, Notre Dame moved out to a 42-6 lead. From that moment on, the Cardinal appeared to finally obtain a sense of control.
Halfway through the third quarter, the Cardinal went on a
FOOTBALL
methodical seven minute 33 second drive, moving nearly the entire length of the field. Although they were only rewarded with three points, the drive proved Stanford can piece together a strong run of plays on a stingy Notre Dame defense.
At the dawn of the fourth quarter, the Cardinal branched out once again. This time, they went 91 yards in seven plays. A large 27-yard gain from talented senior tight end Sam Roush coincided with another considerable gain courtesy of junior wide receiver Caden High. These big-time gains culminated in a nine-yard touchdown. Not enough to make Notre Dame worry in the grand of things, but certainly enough to make them question their execution.
As soon as Stanford started to develop this new-found confidence, Williams washed it all away with a monstrous 51-yard touchdown on third down. In the game to feed the rock to him was sophomore quarterback Kenny Minchey. Williams’ swift run was nicely helped along by a powerful block from freshman receiver Cam Williams to clear the way.
Stanford did their best to hang in the game, stringing together one scoring drive to make the game 49-20. The Irish defense didn’t have an answer for the quick feet of redshirt junior quarterback Charlie Mirer. His 30-yard scramble on third and eight from the Notre Dame 40 appeared to deflate the defense’s morale.
The strong outing gives Notre Dame a favorable position headed
into the College Football Playoff selection day on Sunday, Dec. 7. If you ask Freeman, the win solidifies Notre Dame’s spot as one of the best in the land.
“You talk about a team that is probably playing as well as anyone right now, have won 10 straight games in a row, I think all of them by double digit points maybe, and you want the 12 best teams now. I know about the conference champions and the highest ranked group of five team, but you talk about who are the best teams now. Not week one. Now. It’s hard to argue we’re not one of those teams,” Freeman said.
Indeed, it is hard to argue with Freeman’s statement. Even Notre Dame’s two early losses were by a combined four points to highlyranked opponents. Since then, the defense has soared to new heights under Ash, Love has produced a Heisman-caliber season and Carr looks all the part of a future first-rounder.
However, the CFP committee have their own way of doing things. In years past, decisions such as the exclusion of an undefeated Florida State team have caused controversy. With 12 teams in the mix, it’s a near certainty that there will be some drama next Sunday. Add in the Miami factor, and questions about Notre Dame’s place in the playoffs loom all the more relevant. For the Irish, all they can do now is hope that the committee rewards their strong body of work.
Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu
Love: Notre Dame’s greatest showman
By Chris Dailey Sports Writer
In Notre Dame’s first series against the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday night, junior running back Jeremiyah Love looked the part of a Heisman Trophy winner. The Irish’s greatest showman put on a spectacle, racking up 54 yards and ending the drive with a touchdown. The score moved Love past Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis for the all-time single-season touchdown record at Notre Dame. With no quarterback making a definitive statement, the Heisman seemed to be within Love’s reach for the first time all season. He was dancing around defenders, showing off his otherworldly bursts of speed and even making key contributions in the passing game. However, as fate would have it, Love took a knee to the ribs on the next play. The blow left him struggling to get up. After returning to his feet, Love hobbled off the field gingerly. It was a bleak sight for all Irish fans in attendance and the rest of those watching well into the night. If Love is unsuccessful in his quest for the Heisman, this play could
be the reason why.
Love was officially diagnosed with bruised ribs. Although he did eventually re-enter the game before the end of the half, his snap count was limited. The recordbreaking sensation was only able to gain an additional eight yards on the ground.
Meanwhile, Love’s biggest competitors in the Heisman race did what they had to. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza had limited production against Purdue, but still finished the season undefeated with the Hoosiers, an achievement that can’t be overstated. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin threw for three touchdowns, helping the Buckeyes get past arch-nemesis Michigan for the first time since 2019. Both were solid performances, but neither had a stand-alone “Heisman moment.”
The two highly-touted gunslingers are set to face off Saturday in the Big Ten Championship with the Heisman on the line. Even after breaking Bettis’ longstanding record, producing highlight-worthy moments galore and ranking in the top five for rushing yards despite
not being among the top-20 in rush attempts, Love will likely have to take a backseat in the Heisman conversation.
But still, in the midst of this heartbreak for Love, it was never about personal glory.
“I wasn’t really focused on [the Heisman],” Love said when asked about his pregame mentality. “I came into this game focused on making sure that we end the season how we wanted to. I really didn’t come into it trying to do anything individually. I just wanted the best thing for my team. We ended up getting the best thing for our team, which was a win.”
Heisman Trophy or not, Love is ready to take on whatever is next for Notre Dame. While his injury gave Irish fans a quarter-long scare, it turned out to be minor. To Love, it was hardly anything at all.
“The guy just fell on my ribs,” Love said. “I went into the tent, felt like I was good immediately, but they wanted to make sure I was good. So, they took me back to do extra tests. Everything came out right. Just a bruise.”
However, it’s unfair to assume that Love’s Heisman
odds are completely tanked. It’s all but certain that Love will represent Notre Dame in New York City at the ceremony on Dec. 13. Every major oddsmaker has Love within the top five. Heck, there is a possibility that both Mendoza and Sayin underperform in the Big Ten Championship. Hypothetically, that would open the door for a host of scenarios. One of them could be Love becoming Notre Dame’s eighth all-time Heisman Trophy recipient, the first since Tim Brown in 1987.
If given the opportunity to speak to the Heisman voters, Love was clear on the message he would deliver.
“I’d just say what I always say. When you’re looking at me, evaluating me, I’m a team player. I want the best for my guys. I’m the type of player that elevates everyone else around me,” he said.
Love later added to the message of team glory.
“Nothing is done by yourself,” he said. “Everything is a credit to your team and your coaches.”
Love’s touchdown against Navy, in which he miraculously avoided the ground at midfield, was the product of
his own Houdini-style magic. The same can be said for his score against Penn State last season, when Love brushed off several Nittany Lions, including No. 3 draft pick Abdul Carter, and powered his way into the end zone. At the end of the day, Love’s willpower got the job done in both instances.
That’s exactly what makes Love special. He’s quick to deflect the praise that comes his way to those around him. It’s a redeeming quality that will continue to bolster his sky-high NFL Draft stock.
Love ultimately finished the season with 1,372 yards, a staggering six games with over 100 yards on the ground and 21 total touchdowns. Lauded by coaches for his character and celebrated by fans for his talent, Love has earned himself a ticket to New York City. Whether the Heisman ends up in his hands is beyond his control, but even in the face of the injury he sustained against the Cardinal, Love has done everything in his power to make a worthy case.
Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
How tall do you think the average guy at Notre Dame is?
Giselle Nunez junior Pasquerilla West Hall
“5’7.”
David Vallejo senior off campus “5’8.”
Alex Huang freshman Knott Hall “5’10.”
A young
CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ
DECLAN
Jordyn Bever freshman Pasquerilla East Hall
“5’8.”
Lilly Keegan junior Johnson Family Hall
“5’10.”
SOCIAL MEDIA POLL
Have an idea for a poll? Email dstangel@nd.edu
What will Notre Dame football be ranked tonight?
THE NEXT FIVE DAYS
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday
German/Austrian Christmas Bash
Join the faculty and staff of international descent for treats Information Technology Center 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Thursday
Moustafa Bayoumi in conversation with Ebrahim Moosa
Hear from two scholars on Islamic thought Geddes Hall
5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday
Notre Dame hockey vs. Wisconsin-Madison
Watch the Irish take on the Badgers
Compton Family Ice Arena
7 p.m.
Saturday
Lessons and carols with the Notre Dame Children’s Choir
Listen to elementary, middle and high school singers
Holy Cross College St. Joseph Chapel
1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sunday
Film: “Elf” (2003)
Watch a Christmas classic that follows an elf in everyday life
Debartolo Performing Arts Center
1 p.m. - 2:40 p.m.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
LEE | The Observer
Irish fan makes another push for junior running back Jeremiyah Love’s Heisman campaign by holding up a large sign at the football game in Palo Alto, California. The Irish won 49-20 against Stanford.
Notre Dame beats undefeated Missouri
By Harrison Brown Sports Writer
After a 1-2 stretch at the Players Era Festival, Notre Dame came into Tuesday’s contest with a 5-3 record. Both of last week’s tournament losses came against AP top-25 teams in Kansas and Houston. With only five games remaining before the beginning of Atlantic Coast Conference play, the Irish were looking to find momentum against an undefeated Missouri team. They had their own undefeated record to protect as they hosted the Tigers, a 4-0 mark inside Purcell Pavilion.
The matchup held additional stakes as a part of the ACC/ SEC Challenge. It is now the third consecutive season that the two premier conferences have been pitted against each other. In the first iteration, the two leagues finished the year tied 7-7, while the SEC prevailed with a dominant 14-2 finish the next year. The Challenge is not just about deciding bragging rights between the conferences, but also providing teams like Notre Dame an opportunity to boost their resume with a quality non-conference win. The Irish have a poor track record in the Challenge, entering the game holding a 0-2 record. Missouri, on the other
hand, has mirrored those results, going 2-0 against ACC foes.
On the first possession of the night, the Tigers were forced into a miss, and graduate forward Carson Towt secured the defensive rebound. From the very first play, the importance of the rebounding battle became evident. Towt’s 10.4 boards per game is tied for the 11th most in the nation.
Tied at 4-4, junior guard Markus Burton drilled a stepback three, which was quickly followed by another three from junior backcourt partner Braeden Shrewsberry. This capped an 8-0 run that invigorated the Notre Dame student section into a deafening roar, forcing Missouri to take a timeout. Coming out of the break, the Tigers reestablished themselves in the game, going on a run of their own. Halfway through the first half, the two teams were deadlocked at 17-17.
One of the most important periods for this Notre Dame team has been the minutes when Burton is on the bench. Missouri capitalized on the time when the Irish were without their leading scorer, forcing a plethora of turnovers and reclaiming the lead. Notre Dame faced a seven-point deficit with four minutes remaining in the
first 20. After trading buckets in the waning minutes of the half, both teams headed to the locker room with the Tigers leading 40-33.
Notre Dame scored the first points of the half with a layup from freshman guard Jalen Haralson. Haralson continued his hot streak to start the second, getting fouled on the next two possessions and scoring the first five Irish points. It was clear the offense was being run through the freshman, and it was effective. He had seven points through the first four minutes of the half and brought his team back within one score.
Haralson’s production took the defensive focus off of Burton, who took the opportunity to drill a three, bringing the Irish within a point. Continuing the shooting streak was Shrewsberry, who connected from downtown to give Notre Dame a 48-46 lead, its first since early in the first half. With all the momentum in their favor, the Irish stepped on the gas pedal, extending the run to 11 unanswered and leading by seven with just over 10 minutes left. They held the Tigers scoreless for over five and a half minutes.
Missouri took a timeout and returned to the floor completely reenergized. The
Tigers were able to stifle Notre Dame’s offense, snap its scoring drought and reclaim a 57-53 lead with an 11-0 run of their own. A series of calls left the arena ringing in boos, as Haralson picked up his fifth foul, leaving the Irish to face the scoring drought without one of their star players.
Entering crunch time, sophomore guard Cole Certa stepped up, drilling a three to give the Irish a 61-60 lead. The teams went back and forth, staying within a score going into the final minutes. Once again, Certa hit a clutch shot for the Irish, tying the game at 67 with 1:35 remaining. After Burton was fouled and shot two for two at the line, Notre Dame led 69-67 with under a minute left. Jacob Crews responded on the next possession for Missouri, connecting on a pair from the charity stripe to tie the game. Calling a timeout with 29 seconds remaining, head coach Micah Shrewberry put the ball in the hands of his star. Burton drew a double at the top of the key and kicked it to Certa on the left wing. The 6-foot5 shooting guard pulled up from way behind the arc and connected on his fourth 3-point make of the game,
with only 17 seconds on the clock. The Irish held on to the lead until the buzzer sounded, surviving a thriller in Purcell Pavilion to earn a marquee victory.
A large portion of Notre Dame’s scoring came from its guards. The trio of Haralson, Shrewsberry and Burton had 20 of the team’s 33 first-half points, and scored a combined 42 points overall. Burton recorded a double-double, adding 10 assists to his 18 points. Towt continued his rebounding dominance, logging nine, seven of them in the first half. Certa’s shooting in the clutch was instrumental, and he finished the game as Notre Dame’s second leading scorer with 14 points. The Irish have a short turnaround before travelling to Fort Worth to face TCU. The Horned Frogs are 5-2 this season and have proven to be a competitive matchup for any team. They defeated No. 15 Florida last week and were competitive with No. 3 Michigan until the final seconds. The game will tip off at 8 p.m. on Dec. 5 inside Schollmaier Arena, with ESPN+ providing the broadcast.
Contact Harrison Brown at hbrown23@nd.edu
Irish women’s basketball prepares to face Ole Miss
By Payton Dymek Sports Writer
Notre Dame women’s basketball will travel to Oxford, Mississippi where they will face No. 13 Ole Miss in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 4. The Irish are currently 5-1 on the season, placing them second in the ACC and 18th in the nation for NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball. Notre Dame has pulled off impressive feats against Fairleigh Dickinson University, Akron, USC, Central Michigan and a 58-point victory over Chicago State. Although the Irish fell short to Michigan earlier in their season at the 2025 Shamrock Classic, they’re looking to continue their two-game win streak.
In their most recent 83-51 victory over Central Michigan, junior guard Hannah Hidalgo continued to dominate the stats sheets as she’s done all season long, leading Notre Dame with 25 points. Hidalgo, earlier in November against Akron set the program record for points scored in a single-game with 44 and set the NCAA Division 1 record for steals with 16. Aside from her statistics Hidalgo’s been put on the Wade Trophy, Wooden Award, Lieberman Award and Naismith Award watchlists for her performance on
and off the court.
Aside from Hidalgo, four other Irish players put up double digit numbers, with senior guard KK Bransford and graduate guard Iyana Moore both scoring 12 points. Bransford has won a number of ACC accolades including regular season champion and tournament champion, which is largely due to her being a “jack-of-all-trades” player especially after her sophomore season where she played every position except for the five. Moore, who spent her undergraduate time at Vanderbilt, has earned many SEC honors, including All-SEC Second team, and has already broken her career record of five steals. She is hoping to break her career record of points, which she set at Vanderbilt with 23.
The Rebels are currently first in the SEC, opening their season 7-0 for the first time since the 20082009 season they’ve been able to pull off such a feat. Ole Miss has dominated the court in non-conference play, producing a 41 point win over Norfolk State and two wins by over 50 points against Southern and Longwood. Most recently, the Rebels found success in dominating George Mason 81-67.
This season’s roster boasts
many players who have allowed the offense to be extremely explosive on all parts of the court.
Senior forward Christeen Iwuala led Ole Miss against George Mason with 21 points, shooting 72.7% from the field and totaling 10 rebounds.
Iwuala not only excelled during the tournament, but has shown consistent efforts having two doubledoubles prior to last weekend’s matchups. Alongside Iwuala, senior guard Debreasha Powe and senior forward Cotie McMahon scored 14 points each, a monumental accomplishment for all three players. The last time an individual player scored double-digit points for the Rebels in the first seven games was in the 2020-21 season.
McMahon has led Ole Miss in points this season, averaging 17.7 per game, and boasts a number of accolades, earning an AP AllAmerican Honorable Mention in 2024 and 2025, a USBWA AllAmerican Honorable Mention in 2024 and spot in the top-10 finalists for the Cheryl Miller Award.
Iwuala is both an offensive and defensive weapon for the Rebels, averaging 17.4 points per game but leading with an average of nine rebounds. After spending her first
two seasons at UCLA, Iwuala transferred to Ole Miss where she was a pivotal player during the SEC tournament and NCAA tournament. Although she only averaged 6.8 points per game in these two occasions, she averaged about five rebounds per game. With these two forwards playing at their best, Notre Dame will have tough competition to overcome if they want to win the ACC/SEC showdown. The Irish and Rebels will tip off at 9 p.m. in the Pavilion at Ole Miss on Dec. 4 before traveling to play Florida
Dymek at pdymek01@saintmarys.edu
Stock up, stock down: Notre Dame vs. Stanford
By Ethan Laslo Sports Writer
Notre Dame got off to a blistering start Saturday night in Palo Alto, as rival Stanford saw its season finale slip away before it was ever really within reach. The Irish started on a 28-point run that included some special teams trickery along with the defensive dominance that has become a hallmark over the back half of the season. But, in a game that saw junior defensive lineman Josh Burnham throw as many touchdown passes as freshman quarterback CJ Carr, the Irish found themselves on their heels for the second 30 minutes. In a surprising turn of events, Stanford outscored Notre Dame 17-14 in the second half.
Nevertheless, the Irish persevered en route to a 4920 win that capped off a 10-2 regular season and a 10-game winning streak, which is tied for the third-longest in the FBS. Now, with postseason play on the horizon, here’s where things stand.
Stock up: Aneyas Williams Sophomore running back Aneyas Williams has seen
his usage limited to garbage time this season. That hasn’t stopped him from giving up, though. In four of his five appearances this season, he’s scored a touchdown. This past weekend, with junior running back Jeremiyah Love injured early in the game, Williams returned to a feature back position alongside junior Jadarian Price and took advantage of the opportunity. He finished the night as Notre Dame’s leading rusher, tallying 83 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while averaging a staggering 8.3 yards per carry.
Williams has proven himself to be both an explosive and powerful back during his young Notre Dame career, and his 51-yard burst for a touchdown at Stanford continued to prove that. Next year, with Love gone to the NFL, Williams should step into an elevated role, one he has proven ready to fill.
Stock up: Notre Dame’s special teams
Early in the season, Notre Dame’s special teams were one of the biggest question marks of the team. The botched PAT that cost them the Texas A&M game began
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a downward spiral worsened by the injury to senior kicker Noah Burnette. The kicking disaster against Boston College solidified a major problem that desperately needed solving soon.
But, since that game, the Irish special teams have been trending in the right direction. Erik Schmidt hasn’t missed a PAT since Boston College and went 7-for-7 against the Cardinal. The freshman kicker has proven to be far more reliable than many initially believed. In addition to the kicking improvements, special teams coordinator Marty Biagi showcased his creativity, dialing up a fake punt that saw Burnham hit junior safety Luke Talich for an 84yard touchdown, extending an early three-score advantage. Senior punter James Rendell has also proven that, when needed, he can flip the field on a dime with his 44.6 average yards per punt. He dropped two inside the 20-yard line on Saturday. Despite their early-season struggles, the special teams units have come back stronger than ever and appear primed to assist in a potential College Football Playoff run down the road.
Sheedy Award for Excellence in Teaching
Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Professor of German Language and Literature
Stock up: Jeremiyah Love’s impact on the history books
It was a quieter-than-usual night for Jeremiyah Love against Stanford, as an early knee to the ribs saw him sidelined for the majority of the game. However, that didn’t stop him from further etching his name into the Notre Dame history books. His only touchdown of the night brought him to 21 total touchdowns on the season, breaking Jerome Bettis’s record for the most by a Notre Dame player in a single season. His trip to the end zone also saw him tie Audric Estime’s record of 18 rushing touchdowns in a single season.
A lesser-known but still significant record to keep track of the rest of the season for Love is Notre Dame’s single-season rushing record. He now sits at 1,372 rushing yards in 2025, good for the fourth most in a single season at Notre Dame. With another 66 yards, exactly what he had against Stanford, he would surpass Vagas Ferguson’s mark of 1,437 rushing yards and hold the single-season rushing title for the Irish.
Stock down: Notre Dame’s CFP chances Notre Dame currently sits at -520 odds to make the College Football Playoff, according to FanDuel. Each passing day, however, those chances appear worse and worse outside of Vegas. Since their 0-2 start, the Irish have done all they possibly can to stake their claim for a playoff spot. As of now, the rankings reflect that, with Notre Dame retaining possession of an at-large bid from the first set of rankings to now. But with conference championship weekend looming, the chances seem to be dwindling.
In the SEC, Alabama and Georgia face off for the second time this season, a matchup the Crimson Tide emerged victorious from the first time around. It seems that both teams are locked into the Playoff regardless of the result. Alabama sits at No. 9 as of now, and it is far-fetched to think that they would be eliminated with a loss in a conference championship game, especially considering SMU’s fate in 2024 after a loss to Clemson in the ACC title game.
In the Big 12, BYU would be eliminated from contention with a loss, which could be good and bad for Notre Dame. With a Cougars loss, the discussion could come down to Notre Dame and Miami. If there is still
the buffer of Alabama and/or BYU between them, then the Irish should be in. But if they find themselves right next to Miami, the committee may be forced to respect the week one head-to-head result and award the Hurricanes with Notre Dame’s spot. A BYU win eliminates the Irish instantly, as Texas Tech will retain a spot regardless of Saturday’s result, and BYU would earn an automatic bid with the conference title. Either way, things don’t seem to be trending in the right direction for Notre Dame, even if the Vegas odds say otherwise.
Stock down: finishing the football game
All season, Notre Dame has been a second-half team. During the first half of the regular season, the Irish were characterized by their slow starts, especially against teams like NC State, Purdue and Boise State. Despite this, the defense was always able to stand tall in the second half, with the offense tending to follow suit. As the season progressed, the first half got slightly better, albeit still slow at times, while the second half remained Notre Dame’s most dominant phase, one that frequently saw backup units getting run in blowout results. Against Stanford, however, something seemed to shift in the second half. Notre Dame’s first-half avalanche saw them leading 35-3 at the break, but the Cardinal had no quit in them. They won the second half 17-14, becoming the first team to outscore the Irish in a half since the first 30 against Texas A&M, when they surrendered 28 points. The 17 points let up in the second half against Stanford were more than they had given up in an entire game since USC scored 24 back in mid-October. Since the first two weeks of the season, Notre Dame’s defense has come into its own under defensive coordinator Chris Ash. The offense has found similar success, with Carr adjusting to his role, surrounded by a talented collection of playmakers. While backups came in during the second half, previous games proved that those backups could more than hold their own. In a game the Irish were expected to utterly dominate, even with a second unit on the field, their secondhalf performance was uncharacteristic, to say the least. Contact Ethan Laslo at elaslo@nd.edu
CFP rankings announced, Irish fall to No. 10
By Carson Didden Sports Writer
The penultimate set of College Football Playoff rankings was released ahead of conference championship weekend and featured Notre Dame coming in lower at No. 10. The CFP selection show will follow those games Sunday at noon on ESPN.
The top five spots looked a little different after Texas A&M suffered its first loss of the season to Texas, dropping the team from No. 3 to No. 7. With this result, Oregon joined the top five in the No. 5 spot.
Ole Miss also surpassed the Aggies, rising to the No. 6 spot. The Rebels will be relieved to retain their ranking after now ex-coach Lane Kiffin announced his departure for LSU. Athletic director Keith Carter turned to defensive coordinator Pete Golding to
fill Kiffin’s role as the interim head coach for the playoff run.
The uncertainty will undoubtedly pose a challenge for an Ole Miss team losing not only their head coach, but entire offensive staff as well.
Let’s focus on the highly anticipated question of the week: Where will Notre Dame sit?
The Irish fell to the No. 10 spot with Alabama taking over at No. 9. The Crimson Tide won the Iron Bowl last Saturday, overcoming Auburn 27-20 on the road. A victory in the historic rivalry matchup served as their case for moving up a spot. It proved to be more compelling to the committee than Notre Dame’s domination over Stanford in Palo Alto.
BYU and Miami round out the top 12 at the No. 11 and No. 12 spots, respectively. Texas and Vanderbilt were left on the outside looking in at No. 13 and No. 14.
So what does this ranking, along with the upcoming conference championship games, mean for Notre Dame’s chance at a playoff berth? There are a lot of factors to consider. For starters, the SEC Championship may or may not affect Notre Dame.
If Georgia wins the rematch with Alabama convincingly, the Irish may retake the No. 9 spot. However, a close loss should keep them behind the Crimson Tide, since conference championship losses are not supposed to hurt a team. An Alabama win creates movement above, but leaves Notre Dame unaffected, as both SEC contenders will stay above the Irish. So while the outcome of the SEC Championship will not make or break Notre Dame’s playoff chances, an Alabama loss could be beneficial for the Irish.
Notre Dame’s bigger
worry is BYU. If the Cougars defeat Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship, they would replace the Irish, almost surely eliminating them from contention. While a BYU loss would seem to punch Notre Dame’s ticket to the postseason, it may not be that simple.
The debate between Notre Dame and Miami has raged on since the Irish jumped the Hurricanes, despite losing to them head-to-head in week one. Notre Dame’s only other loss was by a point to Texas A&M a week later. Miami’s two losses came later: 24-21 to Louisville and 26-20 to SMU in overtime.
The Irish have passed the eye test, following their 0-2 start with a 10-game win streak. While that has kept them above their rivals thus far, the committee did not rule out the possibility of a closer comparison next week. If a BYU
loss leaves Miami and Notre Dame next to one another at No. 11 and No. 10, it is not out of the realm of possibilities for the Irish to get jumped by the team that handed them a loss.
If the brackets were set by tonight’s rankings, Notre Dame would be up for a rematch with the Aggies in College Station. After the devastating loss in South Bend, the Irish would surely be hungry for an attempt at revenge. With the nightmare start tainting a flawed resume, the Irish would be relieved to get a spot in the 12-team field. If they get one, though, they would have as good a chance as anyone to win a national championship. For now, Irish fans must wait in anticipation, hoping the results fall in their favor.
Contact Carson Didden at cdidden@nd.edu
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Notre Dame took the field in their last regular season game after traveling to face Stanford University in a rivalry a century in the making. The Irish beat the Cardinal 49-20 thanks to strong efforts by junior running back Jadarian Price and sophomore running back Aneyas Williams after junior running back Jeremiyah Love exited the game due to a bruised rib.