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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2025 | VOL. LX, NO. 27
AC/DC to headline Notre Dame Stadium in 2026
Observer Staff Report
On Monday morning, Experience Notre Dame, a branch of University Operations, Events and Safety, announced in a press release that “legendary” rock band AC/DC will headline Notre Dame Stadium for a concert on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.
The band is in the midst of their Power Up tour, with stops in Australia, South America and North America still to come. AC/DC will perform alongside rock band The Pretty Reckless, who will accompany the Australian group throughout the United States leg of the tour. The Pretty Reckless was also the supporting act for the European leg of the tour in 2024.
“These large-scale events are the perfect chance to showcase the exceptional experience Notre Dame provides to our guests. It’s all about bringing people together, the University and the community, to celebrate the partnerships that make
the South Bend-Elkhart region feel like such a remarkable home. We’re looking forward to another exceptional night at Notre Dame Stadium,” Mike Seamon, the vice president for University Operations, Events and Safety at Notre Dame, said in the press release.
Experience Notre Dame’s press release stated, “They are one of the most influential rock bands in history, with over 200 million albums sold worldwide.
The band’s ‘Back In Black’ LP is the ‘bestselling album by any band ever’ and the ‘third bestselling album by any artist’ with global sales of 50 million and counting.”
AC/DC is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2003. According to the press release, their first ever performance was on Dec. 31, 1973. Their most recent album, “Power Up,” was released in 2020.
The announcement comes nearly one month after Experience Notre Dame announced a Luke Combs
concert on April 18, 2025. AC/DC’s performance will be the sixth at Notre Dame Stadium, following concerts by Garth Brooks (twice), Billy Joel and Zach Bryan.
Experience Notre Dame announced in an email to the tricampus community that tickets will go on sale Friday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. EST on Ticketmaster. Unlike the Zach Bryan and Luke Combs concerts, there is no presale for students.
According to the Experience Notre Dame website, “nearly 60,000” attendees will be present for the concert. In comparison, Notre Dame Stadium’s capacity for the Zach Bryan concert on Sept. 6 was 88,000. The website also features a photo from the Billy Joel concert on June 25, 2022, which was the only concert at Notre Dame Stadium not to use a circular stage in the center of the field. For that concert, the stage was oriented facing north with only part of the bowl open for seating.
H-1B restrictions spark concerns
By Megan Cornell and Claire Lee Associate News Editor and News Writer
The United States has long been a global leader in science, technology and education. American tech companies continue to drive global growth and innovation, and American universities, including Notre Dame, are consistently ranked among the world’s best. In achieving this success, both technology companies such as Google, Apple and Open AI and universities have relied on H-1B visas to recruit foreign talent.
The H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant U.S. work visa that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals to work in specialty occupations, jobs that typically require at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent higher education. Those who plan to obtain an H-1B visa cannot apply on their own; a U.S.
employer must agree to sponsor the individual and file a petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on their behalf.
Obtaining these visas became more difficult when, on Sept. 19, President Donald Trump signed the “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” proclamation.
According to the USCIS, the proclamation aims to reform the H-1B visa program to “curb abuses and protect American workers.”
The proclamation introduces new restrictions and requirements such as a $100,000 payment to accompany any new H-1B visa petitions submitted after Sept. 21, 2025. This is a dramatic increase from the previous $2,000 to $5,000 fee, raising the financial burden on companies hiring foreign workers.
see “Visas” on page 3
International Security Center recieves endowment
By Matthew Morin News Writer
On Oct. 21, the University announced an endowment to the Notre Dame International Security Center, gifted by Kevin and Cynthia O’Brien. In addition to allowing for greater scholarship opportunities, the Center will be named in honor of the O’Briens.
“For nearly two decades, the Notre Dame International Security Center has been an exemplary force both in impactful research and in shaping the lives and careers of future leaders,” Kenneth Scheve, the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Dean of the College of Arts & Letters said in the University’s press release. “This incredibly generous support from the O’Briens empowers us to expand our commitment to fostering critical conversations and forming influential voices on national security policy for generations to come.”
ONDISC was founded in 2008 and has evolved over the past 17 years from a small program to a much
NEWS | PAGE 2
Hope
for climate
The former Irish Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, spoke on climate action at a forum lecture.
Courtesy of Jennifer Mayo
September by former CIA director and Notre Dame alumnus, John Ratcliffe, and will be hosting a similar event Friday afternoon with former CIA director and ambassador William Burns.
Explaining the Center’s work, political science professor and affiliate of the Center Eugene Gholz said, “There’s really almost nowhere else in the country that has this, an equivalent group of active, dynamic researchers doing a lot of work on international security or related work. It’s a community where we can talk to each other and riff off each other and kick around ideas. It’s a very exciting research place to be.”
larger one including the international security studies minor, an undergraduate fellows program and graduate education programs.
In addition to teaching
OPINION | PAGE 5 Politics at the table
civilian graduate students, the Center frequently enrolls senior military officials in its three-year Ph.D. program through a partnership with the Department of Political
Noirin Dempsey discusses the inevitable combination of politics and Thanksgiving. SCENE | PAGE 7
Science and welcomes fellows from the National War College, the Army, the Marine Corps and the General Staff.
ONDISC has hosted marquee events, such as a lecture in
Stone and director Vurgos Lanthimes deliver a brilliant and weird film. SPORTS | PAGE 8
The O’Briens first became involved with ONDISC in 2017, when they made a gift to the program which helped it to grow during its formative years. Kevin O’Brien is a 1988 graduate of the University who participated in the Naval ROTC program during his years here. Following his time at Notre
see “Security” on page 4
SPORTS | PAGE 12
Payton Dymek hands out the report card for Notre Dame’s offense after Boston College.
Notre Dame opened its season with a big win over LIU thanks to Towt and Burton.
Kevin and Cynthia O’Brien endowed the newly named O’Brien Notre Dame International Security Center, enabling the creation of an executive director position and a new graduate and post-graduate fellowship.
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Eamon Ryan speaks on hope for climate
By Lucy Loes News Writer
On Tuesday, Eamon Ryan, the former Irish minister for the environment, Green Party politician and current chair of the European Affordable Housing Advisory Board, came to Notre Dame to speak on climate action and hope.
Part of this year’s Notre Dame forum, “Cultivating Hope,” the lecture was hosted by the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies and the Nanovic Institute. The lecture was in conversation with professor Arun Agrawal, inaugural director of the University’s Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative.
Centered on both the realities of climate change and the progress that has been made towards mitigating the crisis, this event aimed to not only inform students about the current situation, specifically in Ireland and the European Union, but also to provide a more positive outlook that is largely associated with environmentalism.
“[I want to] share just some of my perspective and understanding of what’s happening in the world to try and give some sense of hope, particularly on climate, and to inform people what’s happening in Ireland and some of the political context … It’s a chance to share my sense of what’s happening and trying to inspire people rather than bore them or terrify them,” Ryan said in an interview with The Observer.
To kick off the lecture, Ryan mentioned that this event came at a pertinent time, just days before the UN’s 30th climate convention will occur this weekend.
Speaking on the importance of this conference, Ryan shared that
he met with the director of Notre Dame’s minor in sustainability.
“I met Phil Sakimoto the other day here, the head of the minor in sustainability. And I trust physicists when it comes to this, because what he said to me, and what I see is real, is that science is actually getting more trouble. The modeling may have underestimated the risks and the scale of change that’s taking place, the speed of the change that’s taking place. So it is so important, in my mind, that we get these negotiations right.”
Ryan further contextualized the impact of the upcoming convention in terms of what the United States’ new example on the climate crisis means for the world.
“In truth, I think probably the biggest issue is the political one: Does the rest of the world hold together and continue on the course, or does it accept or yield to the American presidency, which is saying that [climate change] is a hoax, this is a con job. And I think it’s the holding together that will be the most important signal, which I hope comes [out of this convention],” Ryan said.
As the central theme of the talk was hope, Ryan shared some positive statistics in terms of the rise of renewable energy use and the decrease of greenhouse gas emissions.
In terms of renewable energy, Ryan spoke on his belief in the EU and its continuation despite current uncertainties.
“We are in a very frightening situation in the world. [With] geopolitical strains for Europe … we were considering, do we stick with this agreed agenda? And actually, from the European perspective, if you think about it, how could we be competitive on burning other people’s fossil fuels if we don’t have our own? How could we be secure in that? And we’ve seen the security issue with the war in Ukraine be critical and central to us, and for
that reason, my expectation is that Europe will continue the course,” Ryan said.
While Ireland hasn’t been historically sustainable, Ryan said his country serves as an example that development can be sustainable both economically and environmentally, because of the switch to renewable energy.
“Historically, we’ve had very high emissions, not from industry, particularly, but mainly from agriculture. 38% of our emissions come from agriculture, but also we’re as car dependent a country as any, and we historically have not had a great record in protecting our environment. In recent years, we’ve lost our pristine rivers to pollution. We have seen real difficulty in meeting the scale of ambition we need to make,” Ryan said. “But in Ireland, I would argue, too, that that is actually changing. And if anything, we’re a good example of a country which can maintain and grow an economy and still reduce emissions.”
Ryan also highlighted Ireland’s carbon taxation system as a sign of improvement.
“Europe has committed to this carbon tax system in the big industrial sector. But what we’ve done in Ireland is we’ve applied
that down to every sector in the use of fossil fuels. Each year, the carbon tax goes up seven euros a ton, and we spend it on improving buildings. The majority go into people with very low incomes and small farming and on social welfare increases to protect against the [economic barriers] that do come with the tax, or could, if you didn’t adjust in that way,” Ryan said.
However, despite these instances of progress, Ryan emphasized that there are still three main issues left that need to be addressed in order to stop climate change: the inequalities between the global north and global south, the political divide and the cultural divide over climate action. Ryan suggested one approach to addressing these inequalities is to start at the local level.
“I think [we need to] stick to a very simple message that’s at the heart and earliest days of the Green Movement, that we need to think global and act local, that we can’t carry the whole burdens of the world on your shoulders. It’s too difficult. It’s too overwhelming,” Ryan said.
He applauded Pope Francis’ framing of the crisis, saying, “It’s integral in two or three ways. It’s integral in putting climate change
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The former Green Party leader in Ireland, Eamon Ryan, discussed climate action and hope with Notre Dame professor Arun Agrawal.
Visas
Continued from page 1
The H-1B visa has a congressionally mandated annual cap at 65,000 and an additional 20,000 for advanced degree exemptions, known as the master’s cap. Because demand consistently exceeds these limits, petitions are selected through a lottery system.
The American Immigration Council believes this new “restrictive criteria likely will discourage many U.S. employers petitioners from applying.”
The USCIS maintains that additional reforms are also under consideration and will be announced in the coming months.
Trump’s main argument in introducing these restrictions, as noted in the proclamation, is that H-1B visas take away high-paying jobs from qualified American candidates, specifically technology jobs in Silicon Valley.
“I do think that the H-1B visa [restrictions] are targeted at Silicon Valley, but they have serious implications for universities,” political science professor Sebastian Rosato said.
Rosato clarified that these regulations are yet to be enforced, as no action has been taken on the visas following the proclamation.
“[The Trump administration] has announced it. I don’t know if it’s happening, the details are
unclear. I don’t know if academic universities are going to get an exemption. Will these policies be reversed when the Trump administration steps down? I don’t know. But if it goes through as described, the results are going to be catastrophic,” Rosato said.
When asked about H-1B visas, university spokesperson Erin Blasko wrote, “absent clear federal guidelines on the new policy, we have nothing to share at this point.”
Economics professor César Sosa-Padilla was critical of Trump’s argument. In a statement to The Observer, Sosa-Padilla wrote, Trump’s “view is that restricting the ability to attract top talent from overseas is and will be detrimental to the US’s leadership in science and technology. As long as H1B visas are used for this talent acquisition (which they are), then this doesn’t seem to be the best idea.”
Rosato echoed that criticism, saying that the restrictions have “portrayed foreigners as taking advantage of the United States and denying Americans opportunities. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.” Instead, Rosato believes highly-skilled foreign workers have “made America great.”
The restrictions abandon the idea behind the “U.S. visa scheme, which was designed to attract the best talent,” Rosato said. “Now you’re going to shut out the best talent.”
As an elite university that employs many foreign professors and doctoral candidates, both professors noted that Notre Dame will feel the weight of these restrictions if they are implemented.
Rosato, originally from Europe, started his work at Notre Dame on an H-1B visa (He now has a green card.). He recalled his own hiring process and the hiring process of most faculty jobs, which involve “a hiring committee and the department that votes, and the dean gets to say something, and the provost gets to make a decision.”
This process ensures that candidates are selected based on their talent and not their nationality.
“So all of those people thought, in my case, and I know a lot of other foreign students who came [through] hiring committees, and they believed that the best person for the job was not an American, right? It’s not like they didn’t have American candidates. They had tons of American candidates, but they thought we were the best,” Rosato said.
According to Rosato, these restrictions pose “a huge problem for American higher education,” as universities may not always choose the most qualified candidate.
“You have to ask yourself, who do we want in these jobs? Do we want the smartest people in these jobs?
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Do you want open competition for these jobs? Or do you just want competition amongst Americans? If you want to have competition among Americans, is that going to yield the smartest or most productive faculty members?” Rosato said.
Typically, Notre Dame would cover the small fee and sponsor faculty members applying for H-1B visas.
“I don’t think a university would likely spend $100,000 to hire a junior faculty member,” Rosato said.
Sosa-Padilla believes Notre Dame should shoulder the costs of the visa because it would pay off for the University, as universities with smaller endowments may not be able to afford the higher costs.
Although Rosato believes that while possible, given Trump’s hostility toward elite universities in the past, Trump will not grant an exception for universities.
“It’s interesting that [Trump] seems to be coming at universities from all different directions.
There’s the DEI stuff, the H-1B visa, anti semitism on campuses, the endowment tax … I don’t think he has any fondness for universities,” Rosato said.
From a global perspective, restrictions on international hiring in tech and education threaten America’s power status.
“The United States is the greatest country in the world right now
because, in so many respects, it has the greatest university system in the world. If you look at how power has evolved over time, back in the 19th century, Britain was the most powerful state in the world, and Britain had the best universities …. what people are worried about is that China could be next. Every time you look at the rankings for universities, you see more and more Chinese universities. That tells you one thing. It tells you that China is getting smarter,” Rosato said.
The restrictions also pose a threat to innovation worldwide, as American tech companies and universities are often at the forefront of developing global solutions to medical, environmental and technological problems.
“As I said earlier, if these policies stick, we’ll be putting at risk America’s role — and our universities’ role — as the world’s main engine of science and technology. Where does growth really come from? From innovation, from better technology, from new ideas — all things that take time to develop. Keep this up for long enough, and twenty years from now we might look back and say, ‘Wow, that was an obvious mistake,’” Sosa-Padilla wrote.
Contact Megan Cornell and Claire Lee at mcornell@nd.edu and clee35@nd.edu
With a variety of options to choose from, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to explore campus and discover why graduate programs at Saint Mary’s College are right for you.
GRADUATE ADMISSION ON-CAMPUS VISIT DAYS
You’ll have the opportunity to hear from members of the Office of Graduate Admission and Student Financial Services, take a tour of campus, and see academic centers and labs. Lunch will be hosted by current graduate students, and your day will end with a visit to your specific graduate studies department where you’ll meet faculty and staff.
Friday, November 7
VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSIONS
In these program-specific virtual sessions, faculty from your department of interest will provide a short presentation followed by a Q & A session. A member of the Graduate Admission team will also be there to answer any admission or financial aid questions.
Visit the Register Today QR code for information regarding session dates and times.
If you can’t attend any of these visit days, we invite you to request a virtual or on campus visit.
VISIT AWARD
All prospective graduate students who attend an on-campus visit (regular daily visit with our team or an event) will earn a one-time $1,000 award added to their graduate financial aid package if they enroll.
Open to women and men
Security
Continued from page 1
Dame, he went on to serve in the Navy during Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf War.
Cynthia O’Brien spent 20 years serving on nonprofit boards including the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas following her time as a professor of engineering technology.
Professor Michael Desch, the Brian and Jeannelle Brady Family director of the Center, praised the O’Briens for their generosity. “Service is a big part of the O’Brien family ethos. They’re absolutely delightful people. They’ve not only made possible a lot of our undergraduate overseas travel, but have joined us for it,” Desch said.
Desch added, “Their vision for the program and Notre Dame’s mission in general are remarkably in sync. And they’re great people who have a vision for what we can do that really is perfect for what Notre Dame and what the country needs today in preparing the next generation of senior international security scholars and practitioners.”
Similarly, Gholz said that the O’Briens “want to help enable that for others, which I think is a very noble thing to do … They’re the kind of
people who recognize the importance of these topics and the importance of passing on the interest and the expertise to future generations.”
Desch said the mission of the Center is “to train the next generation of American leaders in national security at a time when most of them will not have served in uniform.”
He said the Center does this through coursework and extracurricular activities, citing the work the program does with NROTC marine students to bring them together with midshipmen learning at the Center. He added that ONDISC conducts trips to pertinent sites such as the Department of Energy, the nuclear labs at Los Alamos, Sandia National Laboratories and a nuclear test site in Nevada.
The O’Brien endowment will also go toward helping with research at ONDISC. All ONDISC fellows are required to write a senior thesis. This, Desch said, allows undergraduates to “get the opportunity to meet the next generation of scholars and practitioners who are doing research.”
Graduate students affiliated with the Center will have new opportunities to get involved following this endowment, as an O’Brien Fellowship for two
graduate students and two postdoctoral scholars will be created.
Both students and faculty in ONDISC will be able to apply to use the money within the O’Brien Endowment, as well as previously donated grants, in order to facilitate their research projects. Gholz said, “One of the great things about the center is that we have a very high concentration of faculty who are actively engaged in cutting-edge scholarly and policyoriented research in international security.” Faculty research, Gholz said, can be aided with research assistants, who will also gain experience from this opportunity.
The O’Brien’s endowment has also allowed for the creation of a position for a new executive director under Desch. Jenna Gibson, a recent Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, will assume this role and work with the Hans J. Morgenthau Predoctoral Fellowship. This nonresidential program allows 20 scholars to work on international security issues.
Contact Matthew Morin at mmorin2@nd.edu
Hope
Continued
connected to the protection of nature and by loss of biodiversity, and integral in terms of social advancement, social justice protection as well,” Ryan said.
To tackle the political and cultural divides over climate action, Ryan emphasized a solution that starts at the University level. Although he noted areas where progress could start from, including engineering and business fields, Ryan centered on the importance of theology and the arts as drivers of change as they can alter the way people think and feel.
“I think the school of the arts and the school of philosophy are equally important as theology in this regard … If it’s just done
in a piecemeal way through architecture or engineering or other schools, we won’t make the leap in consciousness we need to make, and I think that’s why I start with the school of theology as the place where this begins, and the arts,” Ryan said.
Sophomore Sophia Buck, a French and global affairs major, felt that Ryan’s lecture gave her a new perspective on Ireland.
“I think prior to the lecture … I knew less about how Ireland has been kind of been a really good example of reducing their admissions and things like that … Now I’m seeing Ireland, I guess, as an example to look towards, which prior to this, I probably wouldn’t have,” Buck said.
Contact Lucy Loes at lloes@nd.edu
2025 Dean’s Speaker Series Presents:
By
Now that we have all recovered from the frights of Halloweekend, it’s time to bury our costumes in the backs of drawers, toss out any straggling jack-o-lanterns and start mentally preparing for the next big holiday: Thanksgiving. Many of us are already dreaming about catching the quickest plane, bus or car back home in time for a cozy, home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner. There, we’ll gather with family and friends as healthy portions of turkey, stuffing and politics are inevitably served.
While the merits of turkey and stuffing are generally undisputed, there are mixed opinions on whether the subject of politics likewise deserves a place at the Thanksgiving dinner table. On the one hand, holidays are a time to enjoy being with our loved ones, and we shouldn’t let the intrusion of touchy subjects take that joy away. But, on the other hand, if we really love each other, shouldn’t we be able to have those conversations without stirring up resentment and anger?
These days, we increasingly live in our own political bubbles. Our phones make it easy for us to absorb whatever news we want with a simple click, swipe and scroll, which gradually encloses us in an echo chamber in which any dissenting opinion is seen as a threat. Obviously, this is a net negative for our society, and we see evidence of that all the time. Just since coming to campus a few months ago, I’ve heard everything from “All conservatives are racist” to “Liberals are the dumbest people in this country.” The statistics also seem to suggest rising levels of political polarization in our nation. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 61%
Don’t spoil your dinner
ful and frustrating” to have a conversation with someone they disagree with politically. Intolerance for other people’s political opinions has escalated so much that it has culminated in a recent surge of politically motivated attacks, making it impossible to ignore how serious our nation’s crisis of polarization has become. Collectively, we need to address this issue, and that starts on an individual level. One way to start escaping our own echo chambers is to start reading news from both sides of the political spectrum, which helps expose us to different points of view and develop nuanced opinions based on all and not some of the facts. This can also help us become more media literate — we’ll improve at distinguishing truth from lies. But at some point, we have to put our phones down and talk to an actual, real-life human being.
We can’t be afraid to engage with people who are different from us.
This is where friendship comes in. For many of us, an important priority in choosing our friends is shared values. It’s completely fine and
with people with whom we have things in common, especially when those things are highly important to us. Having shared values immediately provides a foundation for a relationship that makes it stronger and more likely to last. However, when we always gravitate towards people who think much the same way as we do politically, it can perpetuate the echo chamber we have built through our phones by continuing to homogenize the views to which we are exposed on a daily basis.
So, what does it mean to be friends with someone you disagree with? I think the most important part is simple: just spend time with them. Find activities you both like to do, things you have in common and allow yourself to just enjoy their company, as you would with any other friend. You may disagree on certain subjects, but that shouldn’t dominate the nature of your relationship with them. Focus on who they are beyond their opinions. And when a topic of disagreement naturally arises, you should feel comfortable enough to have an honest conversation
with them, having already built a relationship founded on mutual respect and trust. These types of honest friendships can be some of the most unconventional, yet some of the most rewarding – they broaden our worldview, introduce us to new perspectives and teach us how to engage in respectful and constructive disagreement.
Unlikely political friendships between public figures line the pages of history. Take Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia, for example, two colleagues with opposing political views who enjoyed a warm friendship over the course of their careers. The two bonded over their love for opera and came to genuinely value each other’s company, going so far as spending holidays with each other’s families. And, of course, there’s the relationship between two of our nation’s founding fathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The surprising friendship between an uptight northerner and a cool southerner blossomed as they united for the sake of the Revolution, and although they experienced a period of conflict
over their different opinions on government, the two men eventually reconciled and remained close until their deaths.
Imagine how different our political climate would look if people weren’t afraid to befriend (or at least view favorably) their political opponents. I believe we would see polarization de-escalate, for one. I also think there would be an increase in tolerance, empathy and — dare I say — progress in passing legislation? Maybe once we remember the humanity of the opposite political party, we wouldn’t straw-man their arguments so much, label them as dumb without first listening to them speak or let petty squabbles get in the way of everyday improving our country together.
Now that I think about it, maybe politics doesn’t belong at Thanksgiving dinner. No matter how tolerant we may be ourselves, there will always be people offended and perhaps it’s not worth souring the taste of Grandma’s homemade stuffing by bringing up immigration policy or suggesting who’s to blame for the government shutdown. But in the spirit of the first Thanksgiving, which brought together the European colonists and Native American tribes to share a meal, the pure act of coming together out of mutual respect and love for each other shows we are being intentional about growing relationships with the people we love, despite conflicting political beliefs. And that, in itself, is a small step toward a country less divided.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Noirin Dempsey at ndempsey@nd.edu
In the trenches: surviving dissertation boot camp
By Oliver Ortega
Over the last week and a half, I have scrupulously avoided asking people about their fall break. To do so would have entailed giving a reciprocal explanation of what I did. I would have had to explain how fall break, spring break’s less-glamorous cousin, saw me sweating it out at a dissertation boot camp in Hesburgh Library. I would have groaned. I would have griped. I would have cursed in my head while marveling outwardly at how much
work I got done. Thankfully, it’s November now. So people don’t care about fall break anymore. But I’ll tell you about it, anyway, dear reader. Just to get it off my chest. From roughly 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, I was part of a crew of about 30 graduate students from a variety of disciplines who gathered in the northwest wing of the library’s second floor to write in three-hour blocks. Some were first years barely scratching the surface of this battle of the nerds we call graduate school. Others, like myself, were several chapters
deep into their dissertation, with scores of gray hairs and forehead wrinkles to show for it. Every morning, a tray of breakfast foods, including bagels, yogurt and eggs, would greet us. For lunch, we got catering from a variety of local restaurants. Then, in the afternoon, one of the librarians would wheel in a snack cart with cookies, chips and chocolates. There were two Keurig coffee machines and instant coffee, so I was wired the whole week. On Monday, we had lunch from Aladdin’s; Tuesday, we ate Panera; Wednesday, there was Franky’s Tacos; Thursday, we
got Jimmy John’s; and Friday, lunch was Cottage Inn Pizza. By day three, my stomach felt like hot garbage. But I kept eating and pounding down the coffee like a madman. I went all five days and worked diligently. I accomplished my goal of writing a 15-page conference paper that would also serve as the basis of one of my dissertation chapters. At the end of the week, though, I was wiped out. And sad that my break was over. I began to question myself. When did I become this person? The one who foregoes vacations to duke it out with
dusty books in the silence of the library? I look back and see myself caught in some monstrous time warp. The four years I spent working after my bachelor’s degree are a blur. The seven years I’ve spent in graduate school a mirage. Was it intellectual curiosity or intellectual masochism that put me on the Ph.D. path? How did I go from being a married man to a divorcé with two cats? Maybe, at the end of the year, I will have a good answer for you, dear reader. For now, I’ll keep writing about the
see “Boot camp” on page 6
Noirin Dempsey Columnist, “Through the Overton Window”
ALYSSA SIRICHOKTANASUP | The Observer
Columnist, “The O.G. Grad Student”
Boot camp
Continued from page 5
boot camp and see where that takes me.
Fourth-year Ph.D. student Nidhi Surendranath, who, like me, is in the English Department, used the boot camp to work on her first chapter. Her project focuses on contemporary British and American elegies — that is, poems that mourn the dead. She’s interested in how these compositions interact with other media, such as songs and television, to reanimate the departed (very apropos Halloween). This is Nidhi’s first year writing her dissertation. “Basically, after coursework, you are told to go away and write,” she said. This can be a lonely and bewildering
experience. So the structure of the boot camp, with goal-setting in the morning, and a wrap-up the afternoon, was especially helpful, she said.
Lauren Mayer, a fifth-year Ph.D. student in Integrated Biomedical Sciences, said something similar. The boot camp set-up “really works for people who are Type A,” she said. “Personally, I really thrive on schedules and having things at the same time.” Mayer studies irritable bowel disease within the human digestive system. Even though she had to step out for a day to check on her mice experiment, she was able to get a ton of writing done — around 5,000 words, in fact. “My advisor was really impressed,” she said.
My friend Noemi Fernandez
OPINION
Labarga participated and also led the morning goal-setting (full disclosure: Both of us are graduate tutors who work for the University Writing Center. I did the afternoon wrap-up for the boot camp). During lunch one day, Nidhi and I joked that Noemi, a fifth-year in English, should get an award from the dean of the library. She’s done every boot camp since spring 2022, which amounts to eight. Noemi describes herself as a binger, meaning that she gets the most work done in spurts of intense writing, such as these camps. “Just being in a room where people are doing the same thing makes you feel like you are part of something bigger,” she said. “It helps knowing that you are not the only one having such a bad time” with the writing. Well said. For my part, I will try to emulate Noemi and do as many boot camps as I can. Until next time, dear reader.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Oliver Ortega at oortega1@nd.edu
Leave learning alone
As my final semester of college hurtles towards me, I have — likely more times than necessary — stopped to ask myself: what has defined my four years here? Have I reached enlightenment through my exposure to ancient literature? Or, perhaps my four years have been characterized by the practical skills I’ve obtained, which will equip me for a corporate career. Have I learned how to be an active citizen or maybe even a better person? From activity to activity on our busy calendars, my peers and I play a delicate balancing act between career preparation and academic exploration, attempting to maintain a semblance of a sleep schedule and social life between the blank spaces. I’m not the only one trying to define higher education. The purpose of the university in the U.S. has been anything but stagnant. Today, prestigious research universities like Notre Dame have significant roles in society; they act as community stakeholders, revenue-generating entertainment sources and cultivate some of our generation’s best and brightest minds.
This year, despite their contributions to the nation, higher education has been faced with an unlikely foe: the federal government. President Donald Trump’s use of federal funding as leverage for his prerogatives, namely concerns over antisemitism and diversity, equity and inclusion, have resulted in funding threats to over 600 universities and colleges. This past summer, multiple prestigious universities (notably UPenn,
Brown and Columbia) regained access to hundreds of millions of federal dollars as a result of their cooperation with the administration’s demands. Other universities, such as Harvard and UCLA, remain entangled in legal battles. Questions remain about the monitoring of such compliance, and if universities who step out of line will be met with an unhappy administration. A myriad of negative outcomes have materialized from these threats to academic freedom. Last April, my sociology professor showed us the list of words he’d been advised to avoid as they would lead research publications to be flagged. More recently,
a tangible decrease in the number of Ph.D. admissions has caused panic. Even universities with comfortable amounts of funding have reduced their incoming class sizes or are considering pausing admissions amid financial uncertainty. However, pressure on universities does not only stem from the federal government. In March, as news alerts covering frozen funding appeared on my laptop, I was hurriedly finalizing a paper on Thorstein Veblen and “The Higher Learning in America: A Memorandum on the Conduct of Universities by Business Men.” For those unfamiliar with Veblen and his scathing
review of the modern university, he vehemently opposes the integration of academia with business schools and other colleges of practical study. Veblen claims business practices have infected the modern university, demanding measurable outcomes from professors and students alike, subsequently tainting the universities’ true purpose: to provoke debate and curiosity. Undoubtedly, Veblen would be horrified at a real estate professional turned politician cutting funding for research, the only kind of work he deemed truly fit for the university. Paul Blaschko, assistant teaching professor of philosophy at Notre Dame,
spective of incongruities present on Notre Dame’s campus in his piece “Creating a Culture of Virtuous Leisure in a World of Total Work”. He writes, “I think we all know deeping pressures to produce, omplish, and achieve
ible with the environmentucators”. Perhaps he would find humor in the fact that my Veblen paper was crammed into a three-hour
eted junior-year summer
ates who may have once embarked on a journey viational scholarship may now fall back to plan B — say, a finance position in New York. Is this our nation’s most pressing issue? Certainly not. Yet, I believe it epitomizes an erosion of the pursuit of knowledge, fueled in part by federal overreach and a culture (and economy) that demands our prioritization of a practical path.
As members of a vibrant academic community, we must continually work to ensure the value of learning is not compromised. Our universities should be free to pursue research and focus on cultivating bright minds who can, in turn, pursue their passion — whether in consulting, social work or academia. Those who oppose this ideal should reassess.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Erica Dowd at edowd4@nd.edu
OLIVER ORTEGA| The Observer Oliver Ortega works on his disseration during fall break as a part of Hesburgh Library’s boot camp at the University of Notre Dame.
By Erica Dowd Columnist, “The Bridge”
MEG HAMMOND | The Observer
By Mason McCart Scene Writer
When Yorgos Lanthimos achieved his first proper mainstream success in 2018 with his film “The Favourite,” I became a bit weary of his future career path as I was worried he would begin to lose his peculiar sense of humor and storytelling in favor of commercial success. I am happy to report that after viewing his new film, “Bugonia,” I could not have been more wrong.
Based on the 2003 Korean film “Save the Green Planet!,” Lanthimos’ fourth collaboration with Emma Stone pushes bold and creative boundaries and provides a searing commentary on global class dynamics and critiques of corporate America.
By delving into the more fantastical elements of the story, Lanthimos does not sacrifice any of his artistic merit as he tackles his biggest production yet ($45 million to $50 million). Because the sets for the film are quite minimal, I expected the budget to be significantly smaller, but after seeing how intricate and beautiful the production design and cinematography are, you can
‘Bugonia’: bold, bloody, brilliant
tell exactly how the budget was spent.
The two strongest aspects of the film are by far its writing and acting. The main trio of the film (Stone, Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) give strong and convincing performances that complement the material incredibly well. Because the screenplay is very technical and dialogue heavy, it would have
‘Back
By Harry Penne Scene Copy Editor
“Back to the Future”, one of the greatest films of the 1980s, celebrated its 40th anniversary with a theatrical re-release this past weekend. Let’s go “back in time” to examine its production and see how well it holds up.
The film follows Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), a teenager living in 1985. His friend, eccentric scientist Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), makes a time machine out of a DeLorean, which sends Marty to Nov. 5, 1955, the day Doc uncovered the secret to time travel: the flux capacitor. While stuck in 1955, Marty accidentally stops his parents from meeting. Now, he must set them up so that he and his siblings don’t fade from existence. But there are complications: His mother is interested in him instead of his father, and his time machine is out of fuel. After fixing his parents’ timeline, the only way to send Marty back to the future is harnessing a bolt of lightning, but he only has one chance because it never strikes twice.
Writer Bob Gale first conceived the film while looking through his dad’s high school yearbooks, wondering: “Would I have been friends with him if we went to high school together?” Gale thought this had movie potential, pitched it to director Robert Zemeckis, and the two began writing the first draft of what would become
to appear pretentious and for the performances to be flat. But through the approach of the actors, the writing is elevated in every regard to match the quality of performances. As a result of this, the conversations between the characters flow so naturally and provide a more grounded element to the admittedly outlandish premise.
I find this film to be extremely important in the current theatrical landscape because, even though it isn’t necessarily an original film, it still strives beyond the commercial expectations that are set for films nowadays. By prioritizing his auteur vision instead of conventional plots and narratives, Lanthimos proves that he is a director that refuses to yield to the
to the Future’ at 40
“Back to the Future.”
While Fox was always the first choice to play Marty, he wasn’t the first actor hired. Fox was working on the sitcom “Family Ties” and could not leave for other projects. Instead, the role of Marty was offered to Eric Stoltz. Stoltz was difficult to work with, going method and only responding to “Marty,” even off camera. Furthermore, his interpretation of the character was far more serious and tragic than the filmmakers wanted. Zemeckis knew that Stoltz wasn’t right and sought Fox again. Fox accepted without reading the script and told the crew that he was never approached about the part before; the “Family Ties” producers kept it from him. Fox was
permitted to work on the film and “Family Ties” concurrently, filming “Ties” during the day and “Future” at night. Fox replacing Stoltz led to a shooting delay of 34 days.
The initial plan was for the time machine to be a stationary object, specifically a refrigerator. Steven Spielberg shut this down, worried that a kid might mimic the film and climb into one. This is quite ironic considering in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” Spielberg included a scene of Indy taking shelter in a fridge during a bomb test. Zemeckis suggested the DeLorean as a compromise due to its strange design and mobility. The production purchased three cars for the film; the rest was
commercial expectations that come with greater budgets and scale of projects. It is also incredibly refreshing to see an actor as reputable as Stone continue to take creative risks and endeavors such as this because the payoff is ultimately so great.
In the end, this film provides a unique experience because it ultimately gives the viewer the opportunity to reflect on the pitfalls of humanity and how we contribute to help negate the negative effects. As someone who has been extremely reflective on these concepts due to the current political climate in our world, I find this film to be extremely relevant and worth seeing if you are interested in furthering your opinions and perspectives on these matters. And to be frank, this film is honestly just beautiful to look at on a large screen, so it is absolutely worth seeing in theaters. Even though Lanthimos just declared a break from directing after a rather hectic first half to the 2020s, I will gladly wait however long it takes in order to see his next project. I love cinema!
Contact Mason McCart at mmccart@nd.edu
Huey Lewis of Huey Lewis and the News to write a track for the film. Lewis declined at first, worried due to a lack of experience writing movie music and reluctance to write a song with “Back to the Future” in the title. Zemeckis told Lewis not to worry and to write about anything he wanted. The product: “The Power of Love,” Lewis’ first number one U.S. hit. In the film, Lewis makes a cameo appearance judging battle of the bands. Marty auditions with “Power of Love,” but doesn’t make the cut, with Lewis’ character claiming, “I’m afraid you’re just too darn loud.”
history.
To keep continuity, the production team used practical makeup effects to age the young actors rather than casting older actors for Marty’s parents and Biff in 1985. Lea Thompson, who played Lorraine McFly, reminisced about wearing her old lady makeup home from the shoot and scaring her mother.
Another fun time-travel detail is that the name of the mall changes because of Marty. When first shown, it’s the Twin Pines Mall, but, because Marty knocked down a pine tree in 1955, the name changed to Lone Pine Mall when he returns to 1985.
Like any good ‘80s film, “Back to the Future” has iconic songs. Zemeckis approached
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to watch “Back to the Future” in a large group setting. What was fun was that not everyone in the group had seen the film before or even knew what it was about. It’s always a special moment to introduce someone to a classic or personal favorite movie, and this was no different. They laughed, cheered, cringed and held their breath all at the right times. When I asked them what they thought, the general consensus was: “That was really good!” This positive reaction, I think, is a good indicator that it stands up today. People’s fond memories of it are not merely nostalgic; it still has the ability to hold and entertain new audiences.
Contact Harry Penne at hpenne@nd.edu
ALYSSA SIRICHOKTANASUP | The Observer
MEG HAMMOND | The Observer
Notre Dame offensive grades: Boston College
By Payton Dymek Sports Writer
This past weekend, Notre Dame was able to scrape out a win against the now 1-8 Boston College Eagles. However, the team on the field didn’t look like the same one we’ve been watching all season. Although special teams left a lot to be desired, some argue that offense wasn’t at their best either. The game, played the day following Halloween, was quite a spooky one to watch.
Quarterback
Freshman CJ Carr was the lone quarterback for the Irish, which came at no surprise. What also wasn’t surprising was his inconsistency in the opening drives. On the first possession, Carr threw two incomplete passes and totaled only four yards, an inconsistency we’ve seen a couple of times this season. The next drive saw little improvement with two incompletions and little rhythm, explaining the no-score first quarter.
Despite the slow start, Carr found his groove in the second quarter. Eight seconds in, Carr was able to connect with senior
wide receiver Malachi Fields for a 40-yard touchdown, finally putting Notre Dame on the board. From there, he was significantly more successful in the second quarter, finding senior wide receiver Will Pauling for the second touchdown of the game. Until halftime, Carr only had one nogain play where he chose to spike the ball and stop the clock.
In their first possession in the third quarter, Carr handed the ball off to junior running back Jeremiyah Love, who powered through the defensive line and successfully scored a 4-yard rushing touchdown, extending the Irish lead. Boston College had possession until the end of the third quarter and early into the fourth quarter. Carr threw two incomplete passes, ironically mirroring how the game started.
Carr had 299 passing yards and was 18 for 25 on passes, throwing two touchdowns and no interceptions. Carr’s offense showed moments of skill and others of novelty. His shaky accuracy improved after the first quarter, and his composure in a daunting, soldout crowd of Alumni Stadium helped keep the Irish in the game.
Missed opportunities and a lack of consistency prevented this from being a dominant win for Notre Dame.
Grade: “B+.”
Running backs
Despite Notre Dame’s low reliance on the rush game, only totaling 159 rushing yards as a team, Love led the Irish with 136 rushing yards. Love wasn’t able to find the end zone until late in the third quarter when he ran in for a short 3-yard touchdown, marking his 58th rushing yard of the game. In the fourth quarter, Love had his explosive 94-yard rushing touchdown that was a result of an Irish interception, stopping Boston College’s opportunity to tie the game.
Junior running back Jadarian Price had a slow game with only 12 yards and nine carries, being his worst performance of this year by a large margin. This marks the third time this season Price fumbled the ball, but in this game, he would’ve helped the Irish move up two scores in the second quarter. The ball was lost near the goal line and helped the Eagles gain some momentum to finish the half.
ND FOOTBALL
Grade: “A-.”
Wide receivers
Notre Dame relied heavily on the receiving game, and had three big performers throughout the day. The first touchdown of the game, which was 40 yards deep, was caught by Fields, who totaled 52 yards on the night. Fields was in a jumble of players: Pauling and two Eagles defenders. Despite this crowded mess, Pauling jumped and caught the ball around the 10yard line, stumbling slightly after the catch, but able to cross the line into the end zone, securing the first score of the game. Pauling caught the second of the game toward the back half of the second quarter in a one-on-one situation near the 5-yard line, which gave him 44 of his 73 yards.
Junior Jordan Faison led with 82 receiving yards and four receptions, giving the wide receivers 299 total yards with the help of Love, Raridon and Price. Lewis Bond, Boston College’s strongest receiver, outperformed all Irish receivers with a 92-yard game. However, Notre Dame still had more yards since the Eagles only totaled 269 yards.
Grade: “A.”
Overall, Notre Dame’s offense was significantly more efficient than Boston College’s. However, how does it rank against one of its best away games this season against the Arkansas Razorbacks? Against the Eagles, the Irish had 22 first downs, compared to its 32 earlier in the year at Arkansas and their third down efficiency decreased from 6-10 against the Razorbacks to 3-10 this past weekend. Notre Dame only had 458 total yards (299 passing and 159 rushing) when visiting Alumni Stadium, compared to their 641 (431 passing and 210 rushing) in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Just comparing a couple of statistics from these two away games, there is a degradation in offensive efficiency and plays from the Irish, which leaves fans to question what the next games will look like against more challenging opponents.
After taking a comparison of Notre Dame’s away games into account, a “C+” would suit the overall performance of the offense.
Contact Payton Dymek at pdymek01@saintmarys.edu
Notre Dame defense and special teams grades
By Jack Muething Sports Writer
Notre Dame emerged victorious last Saturday against Boston College, but it is certainly fair to say that the Irish were looking a little bit out of the game. However, even with a lackluster performance, there were certainly some bright spots, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Notre Dame had a very solid game on defense, only allowing 10 points. Today, we grade each defensive group’s performance in the win against the Eagles.
Defensive line
Notre Dame only allowed 12 total rushing yards during Saturday’s game, and a large part of that can be attributed to excellent play from the defensive line. While star edge rusher Boubacar Traore was limited to three tackles and 0.5 TFL, he received help from junior defensive lineman Joshua Burnham, who contributed three TFL, including a sack. Senior defensive tackle Jared Dawson also picked up 1.5 tackles. The guys up front aren’t often going to pick up a large number of tackles, but the tackles they do record often end up being incredibly impactful, and the game on Saturday was a key show of that. The strength of the Notre Dame defense this season has been defending the run, and Saturday’s game was no exception as the defensive line continued their excellent play.
Weekly grade: “A-.” Season
grade: “B.”
Linebackers
Saturday’s game was the linebacker group’s best game of the year, and that is largely because of Drayk Bowen. The junior had the best game of his Notre Dame career, picking up 14 solo tackles and a sack. He was the star of the game on the defensive side. He was flying to the ball the entire game, and it’s the first time in his Notre Dame career that he picked up doubledigit tackles in a game. He was everywhere for the Irish on Saturday and is the main reason the Eagles’ starting running back only had 26 rushing yards on 16 attempts.
Sophomore linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa also continued his great form, picking up nine total tackles, which was second on the team and good for his season high. He also picked up 1.5 sacks and 2.5 TFL. Sophomore Jaiden Ausberry also contributed five tackles, and junior Jaylen Sneed had three tackles and a sack. Overall, the linebackers succeeded on the field as they were responsible for 4.5 total sacks and were also the key piece in holding Boston College to 12 total rushing yards.
Weekly grade: “A.” Season grade: “B+.”
Secondary
The Notre Dame secondary was definitely a huge factor in the matchup on Saturday as they ended three drives by forcing interceptions. True freshman Tae
Johnson picked up two interceptions, and sophomore Adon Shuler picked up one as well, the second of the year for the team captain. However, Saturday’s game showed how the cornerback position is the spot on the team where depth is a concern. Christian Gray was inactive, and his leadership was missed as the Eagle offense threw for 269 total yards, receiving contributions from both Grayson James and Dylan Lonergan. The Eagles’ yards are the third most passing yards Notre Dame has allowed in a game this year, the other two being top-25 opponents in USC and Texas A&M. Additionally, the secondary allowed three different receivers to pick up five or more catches. Overall, while the secondary was able to force turnovers, turnovers alone don’t tell the whole story. They allowed a lot of passing yards, and they may be looking for a bounce-back game when they play Navy this Saturday.
Weekly grade: “B.” Season grade: “B-.”
Special teams
Special teams mistakes left a lot of points on the table. Notre Dame had three different players attempt kicks during Saturday’s game, and only one of the four kicks attempted was converted. Erik Schmidt missed a chip shot 35-yarder at the end of the first half, and Marcello Diomede and Noah Burnette each missed extra points. Additionally, the Irish offense failed a 2-point conversion that they only had to attempt
because of previously missed extra points, meaning the Irish special teams’ mistakes cost the team at least six points. While those mistakes didn’t end up costing the team the game, they are signs of concern for Notre Dame as this team needs to continue to play
flawlessly in order to make the playoffs. If they want to compete in postseason football, the kicking unit has some things to clean up.
Weekly grade: “D-.” Season grade: “B-.”
Contact Jack Muething at
DECLAN LEE | The Observer
Sophomore linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa swarms an Eagles ball carrier in the 25-1o win against Boston College. He tallied nine tackles.
QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Anthony Fedoruk junior Siegfried Hall
“Several hundred.”
Bernice Antoine senior Howard hall “34,765.”
Ellis Weekley junior Pasquerilla East Hall
Maria Souder sophomore Lewis Hall
CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ
Sarah Nicolson sophomore Lewis Hall
SOCIAL MEDIA POLL
Have an idea for a poll? Email dstangel@nd.edu
In his talk about higher education Fr. Dowd highlighted three focus areas: research & scholarship, teaching & learning, and comunity building: Which do you think needs the
In a recent survey conducted by the The Observer via Instagram, the tri-campus community shared their thoughts on which focus areas need the most attention. There was 166 respondents to the Instagram poll. 82 respondents think that community building, consisting of 49% of voters. 28% of respondents shared that teaching and learning should have the most attention which made up 45 voters. 39 votes said that research and scholarship are in need of attention, consisting of 23% of voters.
THE NEXT FIVE DAYS
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday
“‘All the Reality of Life’: Osborne, People, and Portraiture” Brendan Rooney talks about his study of Osborne’s portaits. Raclin Murphy Museum of Art 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m
Thursday
Notre Dame men’s soccer vs. UNC
The Fighting Irish take on Tar Heels. Alumni Stadium 7 p.m
Friday
(AI)rish Series: Al in the present & Tomorrow’s Trailblazers Conversation on use of data science and AI for societal good. 117 DeBartolo Hall 2 p.m. - 3 p.m
Saturday
Notre Dame football vs. Navy
The Irish face the midshipmen. Notre Dame Stadium
7:30 p.m
Sunday
Film: “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” sing-along A nun transforms misfit students into a talented choir. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
1 p.m. - 2:45 p.m
PHOTO OF THE DAY
DECLAN LEE | The Observer
Freshman safety Tae Johnson celebrates after making a defensive play during Notre Dame’s 25-10 win over Boston College Saturday. The Irish were ranked No. 10 in the first CFP ranking of the year Tuesday night.
Irish teams finish top five in ACC Championships
By Sam Harshman Sports Writer
This past Friday, the Notre Dame men’s and women’s cross country teams travelled down to Louisville, Kentucky, for the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, and both left the meet with top-five team finishes.
The race was held at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park, a 554-acre park on the edge of Louisville. This high-level conference meet featured some of the toughest competition the Irish have faced all season on both the men’s and women’s sides.
Women’s race
In the first race of the postseason, the Irish placed second in the 6,000 meter, with a team score of 89. The Irish finished runner-up to North Carolina State, which dominated the top 10, finishing with a team score of 28. North Carolina rounded out the podium, finishing third with a team score of 127.
Sophomore Mary Bonner Dalton led the way for the Irish as she finished second. Bonner Dalton surged through the final meters of the race, emerging out of the pack to claim a runner-up finish with a time of 19:14.9. In the final meters, Bonner Dalton broke up an NC State 1-2 finish, surging past a struggling Grace Hartman and holding off Clemson’s Silvia Jelego. This marks another personal record for Bonner Dalton, who finished over 25 seconds faster than she did two weeks prior at the Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin.
The second Irish runner to cross the finish line was freshman Amaya Aramini. Aramini finished 16th with a time of 19:56.2. She also finished second among the freshman runners in the race. Finishing not far behind was a pair of Notre Dame seniors with Siona Chisholm and Sophie Novak, 19th and 22nd, respectively, and rounding out the point-scoring finishers was junior Gretchen Farley, who finished in 20:13.1. Bonner Dalton, Aramini and Chisolm all earned All-ACC honors, which were awarded to the top21 finishers in the conference meet. The 2025 ACC champion is NC State sophomore Angelina Napoleon, who finished with a time of 19:13.1.
Men’s race
In the men’s 8,000 meter, the Irish finished fourth with a team score of 114. Virginia took the team championship with a score of 61. This was closely followed by Syracuse with a team score of 65, and Wake Forest took third with a score of 111. Junior Ethan Coleman was the top-finishing Irish runner, finishing seventh overall
in a time of 22:55.6. This is the highest Coleman has finished at the conference meet as he also earned his third consecutive All-ACC honors. The next Irish finisher was junior Daelen Ackley who finished 22nd with a time of 23:22. Senior Dylan Throop and sophomore Kevin Sanchez finished back to back for 26th and 27th, respectively. Throop finished in a time of 23:29.5 while Sanchez finished in 23:30.8. Junior Izaiah Steury was the fifth Irish finisher, coming in at 23:34.6 and placing 32nd. The race was won by Wake Forest junior Rocky Hansen, with a winning time of 22:18.6.
As the Irish head into the NCAA’s, the women find
themselves ranked fifth nationally in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Coaches’ Poll for week four and second in the ACC. The men are ranked 16th nationally and fourth in the ACC.
The teams will be back in action at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Evansville, Indiana, on Nov. 14. The women’s team is the highest-ranking team in the region while the men are the fourth-highest ranked team. Here, Irish runners will look to prolong both their personal and team season, and reach the NCAA Championship.
Contact Sam Harshman at sharshma@nd.edu
National Vocations Awareness Week
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JONATHAN KARR | The Observer
Sophomore Mary Bonner Dalton strides for the finish line at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 3. She earned the individual title at 15:53.1.
Notre Dame meets Navy for the 98th time
By Payton Dymek Sports Writer
Navy will travel to South Bend this weekend to face off against Notre Dame in front of a soldout crowd. This will be the 98th matc up between the two teams, and this year’s edition has a lot riding on it, as a loss for both teams would eliminate them from College Football Playoff contention.
This matchup started in 1927 and was played annually through 2019, making it the longest uninterrupted intersectional rivalry in college football, as well as the third-longest college football rivalry overall. The streak was broken in 2020 due to the COVID-19
pandemic, despite both teams still playing a full schedule. Notre Dame leads the series 81-13-1, with the longest winning streak coming from the Irish claiming 43 straight meetings before a triple-overtime loss in 2007. The two will be competing for the Rip Miller Trophy, named after Edgar “Rip” Miller who played as a tackle for Notre Dame from 1922-1924 before serving as head coach at Navy from 1931-1933, line coach from 1934-1947 and as assistant athletic director from 1948-1974.
This rivalry is also unique because it has never been played in Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Navy’s traditional home stadium,
due to its small size compared to the game’s large popularity. The Midshipmen instead host the game at a handful of stadiums across the Eastern Seaboard, notably Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium and New York’s MetLife Stadium or even West Coast stadiums such as San Diego’s SDCCU Stadium, due to the city’s large naval fleet. Notre Dame has also hosted the game away from its campus, as both teams have traveled to Dublin to face-off in 1996 at Croke Park and in 2012 and 2023 at Aviva Stadium.
Despite a long rivalry, there have been few standout games, as it is usually a routine win on Notre Dame’s schedule. However, the first iconic game was in 1933 as Miller guided Navy to their first victory over Notre Dame by a score of 7-0. The Irish would win a majority of the games in the belly of this showdown, but Navy would pull out another win in 1963 by a score of 35-14, as eventual Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach dominated the Irish defense. 1964 began Notre Dame’s infamous 43-game unbeaten run with a complete 40-0 shutout thanks to 1964 Heisman winner John Huarte, and the Irish would only continue to dominate for the next three decades.
In 1991, Notre Dame achieved its 700th all-time victory in a 38-0 defeat of Navy. The back half of the ‘90s almost saw an Irish setback, but Notre Dame’s Allen Rossum saved the 1997 game and knocked Navy out-ofbounds one yard short of a touchdown, keeping their streak intact. Just two years later, Notre Dame converted on a fourth and nine with a little over a minute left to score a touchdown and escape with a 28-24 win. Even into the 2000s the meetings were close, with their matchup in 2003 coming down to a buzzer-beating field goal made by Notre Dame kicker D.J. Fitzpatrick. After 43 years of heartbreak, Navy finally snapped the streak in a triple overtime 4644 triumph in 2007, with a massive defensive stuff to stop Notre Dame’s two-point try and secure the win for the Midshipmen. Since then, Navy has won three more times, but the Notre Dame win streak is currently at seven games.
To both of these schools, this tradition is less about a football game and more about mutual respect for history and tradition. The good news for fans of the Irish and Midshipmen is that the two programs have signed an agreement to continue playing through 2032, embodying the consistency and honor these two teams hold for each other and their country.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Notre Dame Stadium.
Contact Payton Dymek at pdymek01@saintmarys.edu
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Then-graduate student Irish lineman Howard Cross III battles Navy’s offensive line in the 2024 matchup. The Irish took home the 51-14 win.
Irish beat Long Island in season opener
By Nikki Stachurski Sports Writer
Men’s basketball made its longawaited return to South Bend as Notre Dame hosted Long Island University for the first game of the season. The Irish came off a winlose split in their two exhibition games of the preseason, holding off against Butler 77-76 and falling short to DePaul 69-62 after a close second half.
The Irish established an early lead and maintained their pace for the entirety of the game, with a final score of 89-67. Graduate student forward Carson Towt led the Irish to victory with 19 rebounds and, alongside him, junior guard Markus Burton put up an impressive 24 points.
Energy on the Irish bench was electric coming into warmups, the assurance no doubt due to the leadership of Towt and Burton. Towt, who played throughout his undergraduate career at Northern Arizona, is a steadfast presence on and off the court. His experience has aided the Notre Dame locker room in the transition to a new season.
The Irish secured possession at
tip-off, setting freshman guard Jalen Haralson up with a floater to capture an early lead for the Irish. The Sharks struggled to maintain possession, falling victim to the Notre Dame defense that loves to cherry pick passes. Despite their size, this Irish team emerged playing a smart defense, anticipating passes and forcing turnovers they could manipulate in their favor.
One of Notre Dame’s predominant offensive concerns is its hesitancy to drive to the basket. The Irish have shown their preference in shooting from the 3-point line or just inside it, resulting in the Long Island defense recognizing their strategies holding the Irish offense back. Sophomore guard Cole Certa was Notre Dame’s best three-point shooter in the first half, scoring three on four attempts. The reluctance on the Irish offensive end to drive deep towards the basket is no doubt due to Long Island junior center Isaiah Miranda, standing at 7-foot-1 and a key component to Long Island’s defense.
On the other end of the court, the Sharks had the opposite opinion influencing their offensive strategy. Long Island drove deep into the paint on most possessions,
forcing their way to the basket, hoping to draw as many fouls as possible. Free throws accounted for 11 of the Sharks’ 25 points in the first half, betting on Notre Dame’s heavy-handed defense to place the Sharks on the free throw line.
Both teams earned 11 fouls in the first half, but Notre Dame was not dependent on them to get on the board. The smart passing of the Irish accounted for their maximized possessions, securing a 15-point lead for Notre Dame.
The first half was choppy for both teams, and the inconsistent whistles and missed calls made for a disjointed start to the game. Coming into the second half, both teams tried to minimize their fouls and play as smart as possible.
The Sharks specialized in a scrappy style of play, and their greatest strength was their ability to rotate all positions on the ball. They were cohesive and communicated well on the court, and their ability to anticipate and adjust to each other contributed as well. The Sharks refused to be counted out of the game despite trailing the whole time. Long Island worked to reduce the deficit as much as possible, but their urgency made them
brash on defense, giving up fouls they could not afford.
Notre Dame rotated most of their bench into the game, and Monday’s game pace was perfect for easing into the flow of the season while continuously working to maintain their lead. In his first career start, freshman forward Ryder Frost scored 15 points and went 4-for-5 at the arc in only 14 minutes.
Tonight was a good night for the Irish bench, and although they emerged with a victory, there is still room to grow moving forward in the season. Notre Dame must lessen its turnovers, because giving up 19 in the game tonight caused their lead to be far less. The beginning of the season is always a journey to find the team’s rhythm, but more confidence in driving to the the basket and making those plays will increase their offensive play. A greater willingness to experiment with plays will make them more difficult to guard, and the foundation of strong communication with the players on the court is already present. It just needs to be built upon.
Regardless, the Irish had phenomenal aspects to their play that,
if continued throughout the season, will set them up for success. The rebounding, thanks to Towt, was a great strength for Notre Dame. The team, despite whichever players were out, had a really strong passing game around the key, which enhanced their playmaking.
Looking forward, there is room to improve on the strong basis for this Notre Dame men’s basketball team, and the coaching staff has plans to capitalize on the potential they know is present.
“Sometimes the best teacher is experience, and this is that experience for how a game gets called early,” coach Micah Shrewsberry said after the game. “So we did good things. You know, you want more of it, right? We’re not peaking on game one.”
The Irish take the court again this Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. against Detroit Mercy. The next few days will be ample for fine-tuning details and will be vital for the next two home games, especially as the Irish prepare for a season full of tough ACC opponents.
Contact Nikki Stachurski at mstachu2@nd.edu
Stock up, stock down: Boston College
By Sam Harshman Sports Writer
On a windy afternoon in Boston, the now No. 10 Fighting Irish topped their rival Eagles by a score of 25-10. In a game where many Notre Dame fans were expecting utter domination, the team struggled to amass much control over its much inferior opponent. Heading into the matchup, the two teams had been trending in completely opposite directions. Boston College won their first game of the season against Fordham, but rattled off seven consecutive losses heading into Saturday’s Holy War. As for the Irish, dropping games one and two had been followed by a five-game winning streak, including a win over rival USC last time out. Despite this underwhelming performance on Saturday in Beantown, there were still hopeful trends that Irish fans should feel confident about heading into Navy week.
Stock up: offensive explosiveness
Although the Irish did not run up the scoreboard, the scoring that the Irish did do was rather explosive. In a game in which Notre Dame lost the time of possession battle by over 10 minutes, these explosive plays were essential, as the offense did not have as many long and methodical drives as they are accustomed to. The explosiveness began at the beginning of the second quarter, as freshman quarterback CJ Carr found senior wide receiver Malachi
Fields on a deep post route for a 40yard touchdown. On a play in which Fields nearly collided with fellow senior wide receiver Will Pauling, Carr perfectly placed the ball in stride for the first Irish score of the game. The explosiveness continued on Notre Dame’s second touchdown, as Carr then found Pauling for a 44-yard strike. Here, Pauling lined up in the slot and ran a beauty of a post route to create separation from the defender, and another well-placed ball from Carr led to another Irish score.
Yet the most explosive play from the evening came in another moment of ridiculousness from junior running back Jeremiyah Love. Backed up deep in his own territory, Love took the first play of the drive for a 94-yard touchdown run. After bursting through the seam and shooting past Boston College’s linebackers and defensive backs, Love began talking to his own sideline en route to a patented long touchdown run. These big plays proved vital for the Irish’s scoring attack as they look to carry on this offensive momentum deeper into the season.
Stock down: kicking
In a season that has already seen multiple mishaps in the kicking department, the game on Saturday was perhaps the most egregious performance yet. In an era of kicking where any attempt inside 50 yards is almost automatic for some kickers, the Irish have repeatedly struggled with seemingly routine kicks.
The struggle began after the first touchdown, as senior Noah
Burnette missed the extra point. It was reported by Tyler Horka that Burnette had also missed an extra point in warmups prior to the game. After the next Irish score, head coach Marcus Freeman decided to try a two point conversion that ultimately failed, leaving the Irish with an awkward twelve points. Following a Boston College touchdown, a quick Notre Dame drive granted the team the opportunity to put points on the board before the break, but freshman Erik Schmidt missed a 35-yard field goal to the right. The kicking struggles continued further in the second half, as junior Marcello Diomede missed another extra point late in the third quarter.
Fortunately for the Irish, the kicking game did not ultimately cost the win, but concern was definitely heightened. If three kickers are consistently struggling to make kicks from inside the 20-yard line, changes on special teams need to be made. It was seen last year how crucial Mitch Jeter was for the Irish in clutch moments, and, by the looks of it, none of the kickers on the current Irish roster seem able to replicate his performance.
Stock up: linebackers
Although the Irish offense struggled to sustain long drives, the Irish defense and, most notably, the linebackers stepped up. Headlined by junior Drayk Bowen and sophomore Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, the Notre Dame defense held the Boston College rushing attack to only 12
yards on 33 carries, an average of 0.4 yards per play. The Holy War very well could have been Bowen’s best game of the season, as he amassed a team-leading 14 solo tackles. Bowen also recorded two tackles for loss, one being a big sack in the fourth quarter on a third and seven, when he overpowered Boston College’s running back en route to sacking quarterback Grayson James.
Viliamu-Asa was also big, recording nine tackles and 1.5 sacks on the evening. Sophomore Jaiden Ausberry also had one of his best games of the season with four solo tackles, including a tackle for loss. Sure, Boston College does not pose the most threatening run game in college football, but shutting down the run will surely help the Irish as they get deeper into the season, especially in their upcoming game with Navy. Statistically, the Midshipmen hold one of the best running attacks in the country, leading the nation in total yards, yards per game and yards per rush.
Stock down: Jadarian Price
Coming off a standout performance against USC that included a kickoff return touchdown and 87 yards rushing, junior running back Jadarian Price struggled against Boston College. Price rushed for only 12 yards on nine attempts, marking his worst rushing performance by quite a wide margin. But Price also cost the team a likely touchdown, fumbling the ball on the Boston College five-yard line. This giveaway deep into the red zone added
to Notre Dame’s goal-line struggles and marked a rare mistake from the usually reliable Price.
Now this is, of course, no call for panic for Price. The running back still has been an unbelievable asset for the Irish offense, providing great balance sharing the backfield with another superstar in Love. Price will continue to be used heavily in the offense, and will still be a key contributor to the team down the road.
Stock down: preparation
I would never want to bring strong criticism upon Marcus Freeman and his ability to get his team ready for a game, but I do not think I am alone in feeling disappointed in how the Irish looked to start this game. This assessment applies more so to the offensive start, but the team seemingly looked flat to come out of the gates. In a game in which the Irish were a 30-point favorite against a one-win team, fans expected domination, especially coming off the bye week. However, the first two offensive drives were simply uninspiring, with the first resulting in a punt and the second a turnover on downs. The Irish lead was only 12-7 at halftime, with the Eagles trimming the advantage to two during the third quarter. This performance from Notre Dame left supporters stressing more than they had anticipated, and hints that the team may have underestimated its opponent throughout preparation.
Contact Sam Harshman at sharshma@nd.edu