THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS ESTABLISHED 1966
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 | VOL. LXI, NO. 16
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Keenan, Stanford residents evaluate transition By Isabelle Baier Reporter
Rumors of Keenan and Stanford Halls’ demolition came to fruition after all-hall meetings on Oct. 5. Undergraduate students were notified of the decommissioning via an email from associate vice president for Residential Life Karen Kennedy. Fr. Christopher Brennan, rector of Stanford Hall, wrote in a statement to The Observer that rumors of Stanford and Keenan being decommissioned had been circulating for years. He wrote that the announcement did not come as a surprise, and Stanford residents took the news in stride. “Last week when we made the announcement to the men,
I closed by encouraging them to remember that the most important thing about Stanford Hall is not the building but the community. I asked them to embrace a spirit of gratitude and to focus their energy on giving thanks to what we have and yes to our new beginnings,” Brennan wrote. Shane Unger, a sophomore in Stanford, said students were aware of the impending news of the decommissioning for some period of time, leading to a more muted reaction after the announcement was officially made. Deacon Keenan Bross, rector of Keenan Hall, wrote in a statement to The Observer that the knights of Keenan had been expecting the decommissioning, but had not known the official timeline.
“I think I can speak for them, it is nice to know the day and the hour,” Bross wrote. “Now, we can begin dreaming about how to make this last year in Keenan Hall special — how to make this year’s the greatest Revue yet, how to celebrate the history of the hall, how to welcome back alumni for a farewell.” Unger said Stanford residents love their building and have a deep connection to it, often calling it the “Cinderblock Palace.” Tommy Fickell, a freshman in Keenan Hall, said he is taking the news to heart, and he hopes the strong community in Keenan will continue as they move into Howard Hall while the new dorms are built. Fickell said he is proud to be a knight and will always
Greenop permitted to issue Meta subpoena to find Does By Mara Hall Associate News Editor
Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing series covering a defamation lawsuit filed by McGlinn rector Elizabeth Greenop disputing anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct. References to allegations are not intended to be construed as evidence of their accuracy or credibility. Reporting by The Observer is cited in legal filings referenced below.
A St. Joseph County judge has authorized Elizabeth Greenop, the McGlinn Hall rector placed on leave in June following allegations of sexual misconduct, to subpoena social media giant Meta for information that could identify the anonymous defendants in her defamation suit. The allegations originated on Instagram account shareyourstory.notredame, which collects and shares anonymous stories of “sexual assault, abuse, and stalking
victims” according to the account’s bio. Greenop’s Aug. 18 complaint refutes all allegations of misconduct in the nine posts that concern her. It requests damages for “injury to her reputation, personal humiliation, mortification, mental anguish and suffering and emotional distress.” Judge Mark Telloyan, a 1998 Notre Dame Law school graduate, granted Greenop’s see “Greenop” on page 4
Mara Hall | The Observer
The first hearing took place Oct. 6 at St. Joseph County Superior Court. Greenop was authorized to subpoena Meta Platforms, Inc. This follows a complaint issued on Aug. 18 refuting misconduct allegations.
be one, even when they are no longer called Keenan. Bross wrote that many students are concerned about their traditions continuing as they spend the next two years living in Howard Hall; however, he shared that he is sure they will be able to recreate Za-Land, Keenan’s basement pizza restaurant, and practice music for the Keenan Revue. “Za-Land will prevail through this,” Fickell said, noting that they will make an effort to keep their pizza restaurant open in Howard. Brennan wrote that he does not foresee any disruption to Stanford traditions, noting that they will still have their pirate dance, Mardi Scraw, Communio retreat and griffin kitchen. Both rectors wrote they do
not believe many residents will switch halls because of the news. “Men who forged friendships in Stanford Hall and maintained them all these years outside of the confines of the Cinderblock Palace. It is a reminder to me and to the current men of Stanford Hall, that true and authentic friendships, true and authentic community is not restricted to four walls. I am convinced that what has been true for our alums will be true for us during this time of transition,” Brennan wrote. Bross wrote that while most of their residents are not thrilled with the move from Keenan to Howard, they are open to finding a way to make it work. see “Transition” on page 4
SMC prof. seeks state House seat By Anja Schafer Reporter
Oliver Davis, a faculty fellow in Saint Mary’s College’s department of social work and gerontology and an at-large member of the South Bend Common Council, has spent years working with South Bend residents through social work and local government. Now, he hopes to bring his experience to the Indiana House of Representatives. Since joining Saint Mary’s College in January 2020, Davis has taught undergraduate social work courses and contributed to the College’s master’s in social work program. SMC students have also interned with Davis in the past through his community work. Davis, who is running for Indiana House District 7 as the Democratic nominee, shared that his background in social work has shaped the way he approaches politics. As a social worker, he said that listening to people, counseling them and empowering them are central to his work. He sees those same principles as essential to representing his constituents. “I think the biggest issue that is affecting my voters is the lack of being heard,” Davis said. “In
social work, we talk about listening to people, we counsel people, we empower people,” he said. Davis explained that the district’s combination of urban and rural communities means its residents face a variety of concerns, from public education and access to health care to the protection of farmland. Davis said he is concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding data center development, particularly when decisions could affect farmland. He criticized nondisclosure agreements that he said limit officials’ ability to share information about some developments with the public. “So many [data centers] have been signing non-disclosure agreements, which means that they sign these agreements with the elected officials and with appointed officials, and they are not allowed to talk to the local public about what’s going on,” Davis said. “I’m 100% against that.” Davis said he had heard from farmers who felt excluded from decisions about plans that could affect their land. “If somebody’s going to come and take your land, to make plans about your land, you need to be included,” Davis said. “You see “SMC” on page 3
NEWS | PAGE 3
OPINION | PAGE 5
SCENE | PAGE 8
SPORTS | PAGE 9
SPORTS | PAGE 11
Professors in and out of Mendoza College of Business evaluate AI implementations.
An execution should be a grim act carried out with restraint, not a demonstration.
It is a solid but less profound examination of Facebook than “The Social Network.”
The senior end caused all kinds of havoc against Stanford at Saturday’s game.
Reporter Jack Muething believes Notre Dame’s running back by committee should continue.
AI growth
Execution watching
‘The Social Reckoning’
Traore leads defense
Running back debate
DAILY
2 | THE OBSERVER
QUESTION OF THE DAY: Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026
If you could travel anywhere in the world tomorrow and money wasn’t a problem, where would you go?
Carolyn Robert
Keira Bierdemann
Luisa Monstwil
Drake Velez
Charlotte Seiser
“Mars.”
“Paris.”
“Morocco.”
“Bahamas.”
“Anguilla.”
freshman McCandless Hall
freshman McCandless Hall
freshman McCandless Hall
freshman Baumer Hall
freshman McCandless Hall
SOCIAL MEDIA POLL
PHOTO OF THE DAY | TEAGAN BARRY
Have an idea for a poll? Email lmartin01@saintmarys.edu
How has your experience with package delivery been this fall at Notre Dame? It has been great It had been average
8.5%
It has been terrible 29.3%
I have not yet ordered anything
19.5%
42.7%
THE NEXT FIVE DAYS
CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ
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Tuesday Student Diversity Board: Mosaic Attendees connect with clubs that promote diversity. 5 - 7 p.m. Le Mans Green
Wednesday Holy Cross women’s basketball vs. Lake Michigan The Saints face off against the Red Hawks. 7 p.m. McKenna Arena
Thursday Lecture: ‘The Information State’ Journalist discusses surveillance in age of AI. 5 - 6:30 p.m. Jenkins Nanovic Halls 1030
Friday Notre Dame women’s volleyball vs. North Carolina The Irish challenge the Tar Heels. 6:30 p.m. Purcell Pavilion
Saturday National Theatre Live: ‘Frankenstein’ The 2011 broadcast features Benedict Cumberbatch. 7 - 9:15 p.m. Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
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encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Correction On Friday, The Observer erroneously printed the text of Jonas Lane’s column “Why Columbus Day, and the Notre Dame murals, matter” under the headline “People over politics” with Jorden Poulson’s byline. The Observer regrets the error. “People over politics” has been correctly printed in today’s issue.
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NEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13 2026
THE OBSERVER | 3
AI growth impacts ND’s academic departments and guidelines By Matthew Morin, Jessica Mayor and Alejandro Filló Nastase Associate News Editor and Reporters
As AI has become increasingly integrated into daily life, the University of Notre Dame has expanded its AI offerings with new AI minors within the Mendoza College of Business — including the AI Analytics in Business for Mendoza students and AI Essentials for Business minors, open to all University students. The latter was established this fall. Launching new AI minors Joe Ke, assistant department chair and director of undergraduate studies for the IT, Analytics and Operations academic department within the college, shared that some of the beginnings of both minors came from considering what qualities students would need when entering the workforce. Currently, there is capacity for 60 students per year to be enrolled in each of the two minors. MAEB requires Applied AI for Business Professionals, AI and Global Business and Ethics of AI and Data Analytics, with 7.5 credit hours. For MAIB, students are required to take two courses — Analytics Workflows with Power BI and AI in Business. Additionally, nine credit hours of electives from Mendoza and other colleges are needed, some of which could overlap for up to three credit hours, according to the minor‘s website. Ke noted that the essentials class will be more fundamental, as it teaches students the basics of AI, while the analytics class dives into greater depth. Martin Barron, director of undergraduate studies for the AI minors in business, believes that the most valuable thing for students regarding AI usage is that it acts as a tool to “think with,” as opposed to “something that hands them an answer.” “The minors give those students a structured way to do that, and ethics and governance are part of the core material from the start rather than something added on at the end,” Barron wrote, in reference to how AI is affecting the engagement of business decisions. AI equity Corey Angst, department chair of IT, Analytics and Operations, said that he believes Mendoza is at the “cutting edge of [AI] usage” and noted the importance of recognizing where there is equitable and inequitable distribution of AI tools, especially as it advances. “Everybody‘s well aware, at Notre Dame, that there are students that can afford a $200-amonth Claude account, and
some that can‘t afford a $2-amonth account,“ Angst said. ”If we start to see that this is creating competitive advantage for students that are using the expensive LLMs, then it‘s not right, and we have to figure out a way to fix that.” Ke shared similar concerns about AI within the University setting, noting his belief in AI as the “great equalizer,” which acts as both a positive and a negative in its existence. He shared that while in the past larger companies could afford to hire more individuals and be more efficient, now a substantially smaller number of people can do the same work with AI. “It used to be that, if you are privileged, you might have more information and more access, and a lot of times we say the difference in information, knowing something, is really what causes the inequality in wealth,” Ke said. “Now, with AI coming in, everybody has access to the best tool that can provide any information that you have.” Notre Dame AI policies The AI@ND website states that these changes have resulted in the constitutional updating of ethical considerations, regulations and guidelines. The website and the AI Enablement Team were both founded this year after Notre Dame’s 2024 Generative AI Task Force report. GAIT was a group responsible for exploring the benefits and risks associated with generative AI. The report noted four administrative recommendations as to how to proceed with AI, namely to “establish a process and guidelines for the adoption of AI tools,” “routinely review, update, and publish policies and guidance in light of AI developments,” “provide access to secure AI tools that protect ND data,” and “establish an AI consulting and acceleration team to enable AI activities.” Joe Buckhanan, the team leader of AI enablement, noted the University’s stance on AI, writing, “The University isn’t a monolith, so there’s no one stance to have on an issue as broad as AI.” Ke referenced an email sent Sept. 3 from Ardea Russo, director of the Office of Academic Standards, in which Russo addressed students‘ AI usage; while AI usage fluctuates between departments, the academic policy guidelines still remain the same. Referencing the new addition to the Honor Code made by the Provost‘s office in Aug. 2026, Russo wrote, “Remember that representing work that you did not produce as your own, including work generated or materially modified by AI, constitutes academic dishonesty.
Use of Generative AI in a way that violates an instructor’s articulated policy, or using it to complete coursework in a way not expressly permitted by the faculty member, will be considered a violation of the Honor Code.” Community perspectives Jason Kelly, associate director of the Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy, noted the uses of AI in journalism within the College of Arts and Letters. On his syllabus, he notes the importance of ethical standards in journalism and that each student‘s work must be their own reporting and writing. He wrote that AI tools may not be used in reporting, writing or editing and that AI-written stories violate the honor code, which is also not permitted in his introductory course. “If it‘s an AI, we need to know what the prompt was, what the platform was you searched on and what the information it turned up was, so that then the audience is able to evaluate the quality of that work, just as they would be able to evaluate the credibility of any source that you’re talking to, any document that you‘re referring to, any data set,” Kelly said. Barron did note the risk of AI usage by students in an academic setting but shared that his hope is to teach students to use it honestly to teach them rather than hand them an answer. This year, Barron has added an ‘AI clause’ to his honor code on his classes’ syllabuses. “For me, the line is about honesty and about following whatever rules the instructor has set. In my course, using AI is not the problem. The problem is a student handing in work they can’t account for, built on claims they never checked,” Barron wrote. Student body president senior Elijah Jones wrote, “For my non-Computer Science classes, the rules surrounding AI usage have become extremely strict. A lot of those classes have a strict no-AI policy, and some of my professors have said that they will not use AI in any capacity and that they encourage us not to use it either.” Dani Tutani, a senior majoring in English, shared that she has not paid much attention to the official rules regarding AI across campus apart from her own department. “The English department does not play about AI. They will have your head if they find out you used it and did not disclose,” Tutani wrote. Examination methods Angst shared that he is aware of professors at other institutions who use AI as a tool to help facilitate oral exams with
students, calling this “oral sparring.” Whereas in Mendoza, he noted that he doesn’t know of anyone who currently uses AI in this way. Concerning whether this will be implemented at the University, Angst said, within his department, “it won‘t be implemented until we experiment enough with it to know that it‘s going to work and be a fair assessment.” In regard to the oral sparring, he noted that it is adaptive and that, similar to the SAT, it will probe deeper for shallow responses and become harder as students answer them. “Now, all of that sounds wonderful in theory, but in practice, if it‘s not performing the way that we want, then it‘s not going to be that useful to us,” Angst said. He mentioned that the department has used Harvard Business School‘s case studies in the past. However, it has become substantially easier for students to use AI, specifically Claude, to complete these assignments. Due to this, he suggested that what professors are looking for in their answers must change to search for creativity and not a generic, albeit correct, response. He continued to say that presentations of material have also become a method of examination. Barron’s class has also changed, so the midterm is the only closed-book assessment, with all other assignments and assessments permitting AI use. He works to create assessments that require students to use more than AI, including an assignment where students must use at least two AI models to research a question and crosscheck the AI responses. “What I am grading is their judgement, how carefully they verified what the AI told them and how well they framed the problem in the first place,” Barron wrote. “I don‘t grade them on whether a [large-language] model was involved or on how much of the work it did. The one thing that will count against a student is AI output they didn‘t disclose or didn‘t check.” Ke similarly noted that in his courses, one of which is Applied AI for Business Professionals, he has needed to change his forms of examination, sharing that he uses presentations with Q&A sessions to test students, enabling them to think and defend their work. Editor’s note: Jason Kelly was an associate sports editor for The Observer from 1991 to 1995. Contact Matthew Morin at mmorin2@nd.edu and Jessica Mayor at jmayor2@nd.edu and Alejandro Filló Nastase at afillona@nd.edu
SMC
Continued from page 1 need to be at the table to say whether you agree, whether you disagree.” Public education is another priority for Davis. He expressed concern about policies that redirect funding away from public schools and toward charter schools. He argued that strong public schools benefit the broader education system, including students who attend private or religious schools. “Whether you believe in Catholic schools or whether you believe in private schools, you still need to have a strong public school base,” Davis said. He explained that public school systems provide services such as speech and occupational therapy to some students attending private schools. In his view, weakening public education can affect students beyond those enrolled in public schools. “The issues of our public schools are paramount because even in the city of South Bend, whether you go to a Catholic school or private school, when you are in need of special education services, the public schools take care of that,” Davis said. For Davis, standing up for others extends beyond his work in social work and local government. He traced that commitment back to his teenage years, when he challenged what he saw as an injustice at his school. As ninth-grade class senator, Davis recalled speaking out against upperclassmen who beat up younger boys in school bathrooms as a form of initiation into high school. He said that other students laughed when he raised the issue, but he continued to insist that the beatings had to stop. “They started laughing at me, and the more they laughed, I said, ‘That’s going to stop. That is going to stop. Y’all gonna stop, and y’all gonna leave us alone. We can go to the bathroom in peace, are we clear?’” He said. Davis said he has continued to advocate for people who feel overlooked or mistreated throughout his life. He also explained that his commitment to serving and taking care of his community is reflected in a personal symbol he has worn for years: bow ties. Davis said he and his father both wore bow ties, and he sees the accessory as a reminder of the community members he hopes to serve. “A bow tie ties the community together,” he said. “I want to tie the community together through the strength of our public schools, through protection of our land, through resources that we need to have to make sure that those who are in that bow tie, the children, the elders, are taken care of.” Contact Anja Schafer at aschafer01@saintmarys.edu
NEWS
4 | THE OBSERVER
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026
Former Howard students react to revival of dorm
By Mariana Medeiros de Sousa Reporter
Former Howard Hall residents have mixed feelings about the move of Keenan residents into Howard, which was retired last year as undergraduate housing. The dorm is now being revived as the University of Notre Dame’s newest swing dorm. Established as a men’s dorm in 1924 before switching to a women’s dorm in 1987, Howard has a prominent location on the South Quad and will serve as a new home for Keenan residents until fall 2029. On Oct. 5, Karen Kennedy, associate vice president for residential life, emailed students about the decommissioning and demolition of Stanford and Keenan Halls on North Quad.
The news was accompanied by the revival of an old residence hall: Howard, the previously decommissioned women’s dorm on South Quad. Kennedy’s email stated that Howard would house Keenan residents during the construction of their new, permanent residence hall. Stanford Hall residents will live in Zahm Hall, which was decommissioned as a permanent residence hall in 2021 and has served as a swing dorm since then. Junior Madeleine Fraser, who lives in Grojean Hall, shared that she heard rumors about the possibility of Howard becoming a swing dorm in recent weeks. “I’m a little bit disappointed that we weren’t told that this was going to happen because when we were told that we were going to move out of Howard, it was implied
to us that ... it was because Howard could no longer sustain a community,” Fraser said. “It’s mixed feelings because obviously we are so appreciative that Howard hasn’t been bulldozed.” Sophomore Josephine Burton echoed Fraser’s perspective. “Although thrilled about the expansion of the Howard community into Grojean, it is bittersweet to see others living in a dorm that shaped my freshman year after hearing that it was no longer suitable for us to stay in,” Burton wrote in a statement to The Observer. Howard is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That status does not forbid renovations, but it limits changes as a requirement to stay on the list. Maya Elias, a sophomore former Howard resident majoring in political science and sociology, said she was
Raise Your Voice honors memory of Lizzy Seeberg By Giselle Vari Reporter
The symposium is an annual sexual violence awareness dialogue forum where experts, alumnae, students and staff come together to discuss how to prevent normalizing sexual assault and empower the voices of survivors instead on college campuses. The event was the first of the day-long symposium where students were welcome to attend. Within the semester, two events have been held that remember the life of Lizzy Seeberg — including the Honoring Lizzy Seeberg event that occurred Sept. 10 as part of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. In 2010, freshman Lizzy Seeberg reported to police on Sept. 1, 2010, a sexual assault allegedly perpetrated by Prince Shembo, a Notre Dame football player. Shortly after the report, Seeberg received threatening text messages from associates of Shembo attempting to dissuade her from progressing the investigation. The police had not interviewed Shembo until five days after Seeberg’s death, according to the National Catholic Reporter. “Her story is important to me because although she was very special as a human, her story is honestly not unique,” Liz Baumann, director of the office for harassment education and response and Title IX officer, said. “We have so many students in our campus community that are impacted by violence that have a story very similar to Lizzy’s. What I and the rest of us are working to do is make sure that no story ends like Lizzy’s did.”
Giselle Vari | The Observer
Lizzy Seeberg was honored at the Raise Your Voice symposium on Tuesday through a prayer service held outside of Riedinger House.
Students and faculty gathered in remembrance of Seeberg and in support of victims of sexual assault. “I wanted to come here, pray and just know that people are with everybody and that support is an option,” senior Ava Gusentine said. “Coming together and just listening, singing and praying is a small part of healing.” Baumann noted that having the space to recognize Lizzy Seeberg is important for the Saint Mary’s campus community to have and to continue the knowledge of. She mentioned that incorporating the service into the overall event “felt like a really important thing to do during the symposium and has been a nice addition in the last few years.” According to Mallory Lipps, director of the Belles Against Violence Office, she also agreed that the overall purpose of the event is for “Lizzie’s memory [to be] part of that memorial or service as well.”
BAVO, a confidential resource office for students, provides services to help students dealing with interpersonal violence — such as harassment, sexual assault, stalking and/ or other gender-based violence. According to Lipps, having the office’s mission be known is a way for students to feel heard and know where to go in these cases, especially during the time of The Red Zone, where the majority of sexual assaults happen before Thanksgiving Break. “It’s really important that we put out that education and that awareness so that students can be aware that this is the time that they are most likely going to intercede or be able to be active by standards of that, so that awareness can bring that intervention in,” Lipps highlighted. The service concluded with the opportunity for attendees to place roses at the base of the memorial plaque. Contact Giselle Vari at gvari01@saintmarys.edu
happy to hear that Howard would host residents again. “A part of me was happy because this past year, it’s just been there with no people,” Elias said. “I thought it was good that Keenan’s going into it.” Burton felt similarly. “I am excited to see life come back into Howard Hall and hope that Keenan will preserve the community standards of kindness and family that Howard held so dear,” she wrote. “One of the reasons why we loved Howard the way we did was that it wasn’t perfect, but we sort of got to bond over that,” Fraser said. According to Fraser, being together in the common spaces forced students to get to know each other and connect. “We hope that the Keenan guys go in with, you know, an open mind and gratitude,”
Greenop
Continued from page 1 request to subpoena Meta on Friday following an Oct. 6 hearing in St. Joseph County Superior Court. The permitted subpoena may request information that could identify the authors of the allegations and the Instagram account’s operators. The subpoena is limited to information that would identify defendants and does not contain messages or other content-related records of defendants, since the inclusion of content-records would violate federal privacy laws. The suit cannot continue until the identity of the defendants is known. Between the hearing and the granting motion, the timeline of the subpoena process was extended. During the hearing, plaintiff ’s counsel requested 14 days to serve the subpoena to Meta, seven days for Meta to notify defendants, 21 days for defendants to object and 30 days to produce records after receipt of notice. The granting order gives the plaintiff 30 days to subpoena Meta, then 30 days for the company to notify account
Transition Continued from page 1
“This whole process is a reminder of the absolute treasure that our residence hall system is. No other university would ever consider going through anything like this. But we value the community
Fraser added. Elias thinks Keenan could benefit from Howard’s small size, which could facilitate creating tighter connections. She suggested that the new residents should bring back Totter for Water, Howard’s fall signature event that donates funds to increase access to clean water. “It’s gonna be really weird next year, seeing boys in Howard, even though it was originally a boys’ dorm,” Fraser shared. Elias said she wished Keenan residents the best. “But of course I also got to recognize there’s no AC, there’s no elevators. But you know what? It’s gonna build character. They’re gonna build character,” Elias added. Contact Mariana Medeiros de Sousa at mmeduira@nd.edu owners and submitters. The defendants have 30 days after being notified by Meta to raise objections before the records are produced. “Any such person may appear and be heard for that purpose without disclosing his or her identity of record,” the granting order states of the defendants. The order states that Meta holds the information needed to identify both the account operators and post authors. In the hearing, Greenop’s counsel acknowledged that Meta generally has policies in the interest of protecting user privacy but stated the company has turned over information in light of litigation. The plaintiff has been granted permission to revise the lawsuit to add the names of the defendants once discovered. Elizabeth Greenop is represented in counsel by Michael Smyth and Andrew Jones with Jones Law Office LLC. Smyth did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Contact Mara Hall at mhall27@nd.edu and traditions of a dorm so much that we are willing to jump through some seriously significant hoops to make sure that the place where our students live is not just a building, but a home,” Bross said. Contact Isabelle Baier at ibaier@nd.edu
OPINION
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026
THE OBSERVER | 5
Executions are not entertainment By Harrison Fischer Columnist
On Aug. 14, 1936, an estimated 20,000 people gathered in Owensboro, Kentucky, to watch the hanging of Rainey Bethea for the rape and murder of a 70-yearold woman. His death is attributed as the last public execution in American history. For 90 years, the United States has kept executions away from the general public. Now, the Pentagon wants to revive the practice for the digital age. I will not be watching Nidal Hasan’s execution. Neither should you. In 2009, Hasan opened fire at Fort Hood, killing 13 people and wounding 32 others. He was convicted and sentenced to death, and the Army has scheduled his execution by firing squad for Dec. 3. On Oct. 8, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that his execution will be livestreamed for the public to watch. Now, Hasan committed an atrocious and despicable act. Nothing in this column is meant to excuse his actions or minimize the suffering he caused. Whether his sentence should be carried out, however, is a separate question from whether our government should turn his death into a public spectacle. My own position on the death penalty is mixed. I understand the value of preserving the harshest possible punishment for the most terrible crimes, both as a consequence and a potential deterrent. As someone still growing in my Catholic faith, however, I have serious theological concerns about the government deliberately taking a human life, even one belonging to someone who has taken many others. Fortunately, I do not need to settle the death penalty debate to know that livestreaming
an execution is wrong. One can support Hasan’s death sentence and still oppose inviting millions of people to watch him be shot. Catholics should be especially uncomfortable with this plan. The Catechism calls the death penalty inadmissible because it violates the dignity of the person. Someone’s God-given dignity does not disappear when they commit an evil act. A livestream would go even further than carrying out the execution: It would encourage the public to watch, endorse and perhaps even celebrate the taking of a human life. This is not a trend we want to introduce into our society. Secular conservatives should object for their own reasons. The United States regularly claims moral superiority over authoritarian governments that use public executions to demonstrate their power. According to Amnesty International, the only documented public executions in 2025 occurred in Iran and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. In December, tens of thousands gathered in an Afghan stadium to watch a man convicted of murdering 13 family members be shot by one of their relatives. North Korea also continues to carry out executions under a secretive regime. These are not governments the United States should be imitating. There is something deeply unconservative about the government placing its power to kill on public display. Conservatives are usually skeptical of government power and wary of cultural decay. A state-sponsored livestream of several soldiers shooting a restrained man should offend both instincts. It would not project strength. It would make the United States look cruel and insecure. A public execution could also hand Hasan exactly what he wants.
ALYSSA SIRICHOKTANASUP | The Observer
At his trial, he admitted to the shooting and cited his desire to be on the “right side” of America’s “war against Islam” as a justification. Broadcasting his final moments worldwide could transform his execution into extremist propaganda, spreading clips and images that would remain online long after Dec. 3. Why should our government provide him with one final opportunity to become a martyr? Liberals, meanwhile, have long opposed capital punishment because of concerns about human dignity, racial disparities and wrongful convictions. They need no new reason to reject this plan. Conservatives should oppose this livestream because it glorifies violence, expands state power and places America alongside regimes we condemn. We have found an issue so extreme that both sides have good reasons to reject it. Supporters may argue that a livestream would provide
transparency. If the government is going to execute someone, perhaps the public should be allowed to see what is being done in its name. I understand that argument, but transparency does not require spectacle. Journalists, attorneys, officials and representatives of victims’ families can already witness an execution and report on whether it was conducted properly. There is a major difference between permitting oversight and broadcasting a man’s death to anyone with an internet connection. The Pentagon’s plan would not simply bring back the public execution; it would give it a reach the crowds of 1936 could never have imagined. Instead of 20,000 people gathering in one town square, millions could watch from their phones and circulate it across social media. A practice America left behind nearly a century ago for its encouragement of bloodlust would return as permanent, shareable content.
Hasan deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison. There is a strong argument that he deserves the death sentence he received. What he does not deserve is the power to make America abandon its dignity along with him. An execution should be a grim act carried out with restraint, not content promoted for public consumption. We should remember Hasan’s victims, not gather around our screens to give our attention to their killer. I will not be watching, and I hope the Pentagon gives the rest of the country nothing to watch either. Thanks for reading this week’s “Tuesday Takes.” The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. Write to Harrison Fischer at hfische3@nd.edu
ND Democrats: People over politics By College Democrats Columnist
Recently, someone shared a clip with me of a Fox News interview between host Jesse Watters and Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. In the clip Watters attempted to have a bit of a “gotcha moment” with El-Sayed when he asked if he “wanted to replace the Second Amendment” with the “right to healthcare.” El-Sayed answered the way any politician would and said that he thinks “more people are more worried whether they can see a doctor than whether or not they can have a gun.” Personally, I think that he answered the question well and accurately, but my opinion is irrelevant here. This interaction and the following response show exactly the different strategies from Republicans and Democrats in this midterm. The asking of this questions fits perfectly into the broader Republican strategy of fearmongering voters. They want to make the everyday person scared of what are, in this realm of reality, nonissues. Now, I should not say that this is
true for all Republicans; actually, we have seen few turn away from President Trump (sadly they lost their primaries). This is a strategy we recently saw in play on Monday in my home state of Oklahoma, when former U.S. senator turned secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin talked to a crowd of people at a local Chamber of Commerce event in Edmond, Oklahoma, a conservative suburb of Oklahoma City. At this event, the Republican former mayor of Edmond, 79-year-old Randel Shadid, stood up during the Q&A to ask Mullins, “How can a Christian, who Jesus said love your neighbor as yourself and do unto others as you do unto you, treat another human being the way you and your people treat the ones you’re rounding up,” before Mullins sharply cut him off, threatening to have him removed. Shadid then said, “I still have a hard time figuring out how a Christian who reads the Bible like I do and listens to Jesus and his teachings can abuse the number of people that your agency abuses.” The two then got into a bit of a back-and-forth before Secretary Mullins had him removed by police.
I think this showdown shows that even Republicans are fed up with being fed nonstop fearmongering about issues that do not affect them. This is something that became more and more apparent to me as I worked on Jena Nelson’s Democratic campaign for Congress in Oklahoma’s 5th district — the very district where this exchange took place. Trump won the district by 19 percentage points in the 2024 election, and by 35 on the state level, yet the race is in a dead heat. This is because Nelson continues to go against this fearmongering strategy by actually talking, face-to-face, with voters about the issues that are actually concerning them. On the campaign trail I talked to Democrats, Republicans, independents, Libertarians and (as Jena says) “I-don’t-care-ians.” There was one thing that we continuously heard from all these people: They are fed up. They are fed up with skyrocketing prices for groceries, gas and medications. They do not want unnecessary wars that have taken the lives of 18 U.S. service members. They are tired of hearing about transgender
people and Muslims. My 80-yearold conservative Christian neighbors in Oklahoma do not care about the mosque behind our house. They care about people and what is best for them. They “love thy neighbor.” They care about people like my mother, a 45-year-old woman who is unable to work due to her lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and an unfortunate combination of other diseases. My mother has to take a combination of medications that, without insurance, would cost her $8,396 per month, or $100,755 per year. That is nearly double what the median income is in our area. This is not something people are going to be able to afford simply by cutting back on lattes. This shift in Republicans, in a state where Trump won all 77 counties, shows a broader shift in the nation that people have finally decided to put people over politics, and Democrats are the ones they are turning to. Democrats like Nelson, who has gained national attention for being neck and neck with incumbent Republican Stephanie Bice. Democrats like Dr. Annie Andrews,
who is taking on Senator Darline Graham, who could not tell you how many people live in South Carolina. Democrats like Abdul El-Sayed, who is not wasting his time playing into irrational notions that are only intended to scare people. Democrats like James Talarico, who is connecting with voters all across the state of Texas and serves as a beacon of hope for people all over the nation. Now more than ever, it is important that people realize that just because you are a registered “R,” “D,” “I” or whatever, does not mean you have to vote solely for that party. You should take the time to learn about the policies the candidate is supporting rather than the party they are representing. Because at the end of the day, we live in a representative democracy, and our representatives should be exactly that: representative of the needs and wants of the people in their district. Jorden Poulson junior Vice President, College Democrats of Notre Dame
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Notre Dame vs Stanford Notre Dame football demolished Stanford on Oct. 10, 2026 at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish won 58-7. Photos by India Doerr and Declan Huggins
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‘The Social Reckoning’ won’t break the algorithm By Alex Fitzpatrick Scene Writer
In the 16 years since its release, “The Social Network,” the semibiographical drama about Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook, has cemented its status as arguably the most important film of the 21st century. Beneath the endlessly quotable lines (“Sorry, my Prada’s at the cleaners!”) and rewatchable scenes, it’s since become something of a prophetic document. The film’s exploration of post-dot-com bubble Silicon Valley culture captures the ambition, isolation and desire for status that have come to define our lives in the social media age. I first saw it right around the time I was turning double digits, a formative age for any budding cinephile still figuring out their taste. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s rapid-fire dialogue stood in stark contrast to the Marvel quips that made up most of my viewing diet at the time. And unlike a lot of “film bro” flicks I’ve since moved on from, my appreciation for this one has only intensified with time. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ groundbreaking electronic score powered me through innumerable SAT study sessions. Every time I go to O’Rourke’s Public House, my mind goes back to The Thirsty Scholar Pub, the iconic and kinetic setting of the opening breakup scene. I can go on and on, but the gist is that this movie is, in a way, my Roman Empire. When its new legacy sequel was announced, I remember a sizable group questioned why it was being made at all. I saw where they were coming from — the chances
DIONE QUIAMBAO PAHILAN | The Observer
of “The Social Reckoning” being on the level of its predecessor were slim. To make matters worse, many key pieces that made the first what it is opted not to return. Previous lead Jesse Eisenberg no longer wanted to be conflated with Zuckerberg, and David Fincher turned down an offer to return to the director’s chair. This time, the original’s renowned screenwriter Sorkin is behind the camera, and the No. 1 boy himself, “Succession” star Jeremy Strong, finally gets his shot at the top job as CEO. Despite the almost entirely new cast and crew, this was still one of my most anticipated movies of the year. So much has happened within Facebook (now Meta) in the last decade and a half: data harvesting, harmful mental health impacts, child safety
concerns, Meta AI glasses, etc. There’s undoubtedly a story here that’s worth telling. However, “The Social Reckoning” shifts its focus from Zuckerberg to the Wall Street Journal investigation that culminated in the 2021 series “The Facebook Files.” Academy Award winner Mikey Madison plays Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower who exposed the firm’s malpractice, while Jeremy Allen White portrays Jeff Horwitz, the Journal’s notso-tech-savvy tech reporter who worked with Haugen to bring the company’s wrongdoings to light. The decision to center the story on journalism and an exposé results in a follow-up that has more in common with classics like “All the President’s Men” and Michael Mann’s “The Insider” than the
original’s ferocious character study. Now that’s not inherently a bad thing. This genre has greatly inspired Sorkin throughout his expansive career, and he’s clearly in his element here. Unsurprisingly, the conversations that make up this movie are, at their best, wholly riveting. Sorkin is also keenly attuned to what audiences expect from his work. A fist-pumping gag in the second act elegantly comes to fruition in the movie’s final moments almost an hour later. References abound, ranging from affectionate nods to Hollywood classics (Horwitz is given slack for his affinity for banana daiquiris, much like Fredo in “The Godfather II”) to self-referential moments where Sorkin’s drinking his own KoolAid (Haugen remarks that a congressional waiting room reminds
her of “The West Wing”). All things considered, “The Social Reckoning” is a solidly engaging film bolstered by strong performances and a timely, if occasionally heavy-handed, message. That said, I think Sorkin’s lack of vision behind the camera and the absence of fully fleshedout characters keep it from getting anywhere close to being as profound as “The Social Network.” Acclaimed composer Alexandre Desplat delivers a disappointingly underwhelming score that, at times, puts the film in an uphill battle to avoid resembling an NBC procedural. On top of that, a final set piece that reenacts the Jan. 6 insurrection simply wasn’t choreographed in a way that was believable in the slightest. It’s also an interesting choice that Trump isn’t mentioned by name once here, especially considering Zuckerberg’s turbulent relationship with the president. Shortcomings like these litter the film, but they don’t keep it from being a worthwhile watch. Finally, it’s worth noting this struggled at the box office just a week after the release of “Digger,” Tom Cruise and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s commercially disastrous and divisive satire of satire itself. Among that film’s many provocations, the one that stayed with me was the cynical suggestion that art alone cannot bring about meaningful reform. With Facebook’s immense influence at the forefront of my mind, it’s sharply ironic that both films ultimately fell on deaf ears and struggled to find an audience. Contact Alex Fitzpatrick at afitzpa5@nd.edu
‘Drawing From the Well’ transcends tradition By Nolan Scozzaro Scene Copyeditor
Sunday, the Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) put on an Irish traditional music concert in conjunction with Notre Dame in DeBartolo Performing Arts Center’s wonderful Decio Theater. The show was a continuation of ITMA’s “Drawing From the Well” series, which came to the United States this year for the first time to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The “Drawing From the Well” series allows some of the premier Irish musicians alive to dive into a wealth of Irish history in the substantial recordings preserved by the ITMA. The musicians are instructed to find something that resonates with them — often something which was quite literally made by their forefathers in the case of this performance — and to put their own spin on the music. The performers tied together all of this archival wonder into such a complete body of work, so smooth it was often hard to figure
out where one song ended and the next song began, contributing to a delightful flow-state feeling. The performance acted both as a vehicle for a star-studded lineup of Irish musicians to breathe new life into seldom-heard, archival music on the stage and as a representation of the storied connections between Irish music, America and the University of Notre Dame. It was the sort of event that only comes around once in a blue moon (or, more accurately, once in a semiquincentennial). The appeal of a truly passionate live performance is undeniable. When watching musicians who are masters of their craft do their thing, it doesn’t matter if you know the pieces or have no relation to the music at all: The musicians make that connection for you. This was the case Sunday. The venue of the Decio Theater was cozy and intimate. When the performers played, they did so only feet away from the audience, and the sounds of their music filled the hall free of distortion. All of this contributed to a personal atmosphere where we, the audience,
felt more a part of the music, the artistry and the Irish tradition. The afternoon began with an accordion solo, where 2022 TG4 Young Musician of the Year Diarmuid Ó Meachair set the tone for the afternoon with lively renditions of Ed Reavy’s reels. How a person’s fingers can move as fast as his did on that accordion, my hotdog-finger body and mind cannot comprehend. The real treat here was the difference in sound between the music played on an old Italian accordion and the section that utilized a much more modern, American accordion. This duality epitomized the relationship being highlighted in the performance between traditional Irish music and America today, and it immediately drew my attention to the beauty of what we would hear in the coming 90 minutes. We also had the pleasure of hearing many more talented performers, including living legend and flute player for The Chieftains Matt Molloy; director of the ITMA and absolute beast on the fiddle Liam O’Connor;
skilled concertina player and infectiously joyful dancer Caitlín Nic Gabhann; internationally renowned harp player Sophie Ryan; another skilled player of the concertina and member of ITMA Maebh Ní Raghallaigh; wonderful fiddler with a transcendent voice for lilting Doireann Ní Ghlacáin; another recipient of the TG4 Young Musician of the Year award and Irish film/documentary maker Ciarán Ó Maonaigh; absolute master on the uilleann pipes Seán Potts; and Hannah O’Brien, a fiddle player so attuned to her craft it (almost) makes up for the fact that she went to the University of Michigan. Though all of these musicians mixed and matched pairings to deliver 10 stunning acts throughout the show, it was the finale where they all played as one that was the most beautiful part of the day. In this, the group from ITMA hammered home the importance of togetherness and the communal nature of live music. Here, as all the art made from their mastery of the instruments harmonized into a tune rivaling the siren
songs, they earned their well-deserved standing ovation. Of course, the program was not without fault. Due to the relatively brief nature of the concert (only an hour and a half), we only got to hear so much live music. I would have loved to hear more numbers with the whole group together had the show gone on another half hour. Then again, if the biggest problem with a performance was that I wanted more of it, I’ll take that any day. I find it important to remember, perhaps more than anything else, how this event represents the wealth of unique experiences available to us as Notre Dame students. In these four years we share, there will be a plethora of experiences just like this one (maybe slightly less cool sometimes) that we would be foolish not to take full advantage of. As enjoyable as this concert was, it’s but one example of these opportunities. Check them out sometimes, and you may find yourself as delighted as I was. Contact Nolan Scozzaro at nscozzar@nd.edu
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Boubacar Traore leads Irish Jonaz Walton sets through ‘God-given ability’ freshman records By Henry Lytle
By Jack Muething
Associate Sports Editor
Boubacar Traore is no stranger to versatile production in an Irish uniform. The senior defensive end made his presence felt from the start against Stanford with a forced fumble on the first play from scrimmage. He also added the second interception of his career to lead the Irish defense to a blowout 58-7 win. After the game, head coach Marcus Freeman said, “He’s making some huge plays for us. It’s a credit to, yeah, his God-given ability, but the way he is working his talent and his gift. He’s playing really well.” On Stanford’s first play from scrimmage, Traore beat the Cardinal offensive tackle off the line and forced a strip sack on quarterback Davis Warren. The fumble was picked up by senior linebacker Jaiden Ausberry and led to an Irish rushing touchdown four plays later. Notre Dame’s defensive line has forced 15 sacks so far this season, and Traore has been a large part of that with 3.5 in Saturday’s game. After the game, Traore said, “I just want to be a tone setter for the whole defense.” Then, with 13:54 left in the second quarter, Traore dropped back in zone coverage and found the ball thrown in his direction. He tracked the pass and intercepted it at the Stanford 37-yard line, returning it all the way to the Stanford 19 before being wrestled down. His efforts led to an Irish field goal to take a 23-0 lead. Ref lecting on the interception, Traore said, “I had to drop to a receiver. We kind of had that same play in practice in the spring.” Traore is familiar with expectations and production. His brother Badara Traore was a member of the 2018-19 LSU Tigers championship team that took the college football world by storm. Starting at offensive tackle, Badara Traore earned his shot in the NFL playing a game for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 and one for the Arizona Cardinals in 2022. Boubacar Traore came to Notre Dame as a 6-foot-2, 215-pound 4-star recruit in the spring of 2023. In the 2023 fall season, Traore found a way into the rotation, playing in five games and forcing a sack and a fumble. His first moment to shine came in his sophomore campaign following the injury to Jordan Botelho. The edge rusher stepped up and made his presence felt immediately. In his first start, Traore
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DECLAN HUGGINS | The Observer
Senior defensive end Boubacar Traore crosses the sideline after his interception against Stanford. Traore also leads the team with 3 sacks.
earned two sacks and a forced fumble against Miami of Ohio as the player of the game. He suffered a season-ending injury against Louisville and missed out on contributing in the playoff run. Then in 2025, he measured in at 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds and led the Irish in sacks with 7.5. Traore decided to return for the 2026 season alongside junior Bryce Young with sights set on a national championship. So far, Traore has appeared in every game for the Irish. He has led Notre Dame’s defensive intensity, totaling 3.5 sacks, good for first on the team. Alongside Young, who has recorded 3 sacks this season, the Irish defensive line has provided much-needed pressure against opposing quarterbacks. Chris Ash’s defense held Stanford to 144 yards passing and 58 yards rushing behind the effort from the defensive unit at the line of scrimmage. The defense has averaged 58.4 yards conceded on the ground, and 158 conceded through the air this season, and held Stanford under both totals. A big share of that success can be attributed to the Irish pass rush and, in large part, to Traore. Ref lecting on the work of the whole defense, Traore spoke on the importance of team dynamics. “Playing for each other,
playing together as a defense, I think that’s been what’s helping us a lot. We do a lot of things outside of football, so we got a lot of chemistry as a defense and a whole team. I feel like that plays a huge role in how we play on the football field.” Traore has been mocked in the first round of the NFL draft by Yahoo Sports this season, along with three other Notre Dame defensive players. Not only does he show up on the stat sheet, but on the field, he stands out with an incredibly high motor. Marcus Freeman said, “When I think about Boubacar and where he started to where he is now, the way he practices is tremendous.” Traore will help lead Notre Dame’s defense on the road at BYU next weekend for College Gameday. Traore has only recorded 0.5 sacks in true road games this season and, with an injury to Cougars starting running back LJ Martin, will be asked to step up to lead a unit against a high-powered offense heavily reliant on the passing attack. Whether in the pass or run game, Traore has found ways to make an impact. Expect Traore to continue to be a defensive leader for Notre Dame this season. Contact Henry Lytle at hlytle@nd.edu
Last week, freshman running back Jonaz Walton made himself known to the college football world with a monster game against North Carolina, amassing 23 carries for 120 yards. The performance made Irish fans wonder whether or not he may in fact be the best running back on Notre Dame’s roster despite being a true freshman. That question may now be answered. Walton was the third running back to get a touch in Notre Dame football’s 58-7 victory over Stanford. With the Irish offense backed up on their own 3-yard line, he took it up the middle, then bounced right and took it 97 yards to the house. It was a play reminiscent of Jeremyah’s Love famed 98-yard touchdown against the Indiana Hoosiers in the 2024 College Football Playoff. Junior quarterback CJ Carr explained how he knew that Walton had the touchdown right away. “I saw it immediately. I put my hand up, I knew he was gone,” Carr said. “People don’t know about him, but you’re not gonna catch him.” They know about him now. Walton had 13 carries for 181 yards, averaging just under 14 yards per carry, while also rushing for two touchdowns. It is the most rushing yards in a game by a freshman in Notre Dame history, breaking the record once held by Josh Adams, who rushed for 168 yards against, coincidentally, Stanford, in 2015. His second rushing touchdown was another explosive run as he got the carry on a long second and 20, and he broke a couple of tackles on his way to the endzone for a 40yard touchdown. The Irish are going to be a top2 team in the country after this week, but if there’s been a criticism about their play, it’s been the
running game. With their past two games against North Carolina and Stanford, the Irish have combined for 602 rushing yards. Walton has been the leading rusher in both of those games, accounting for exactly half of those yards in those contests. “It just means that we have another point of attack, whether it’s throwing, whether it’s running, it makes us a really scary team,” Walton said. That game against North Carolina was the one that really put Walton on the scene. He got a large chunk of the carries in the second half, and with the poor weather in Chapel Hill during that contest, it made the run game matter even more. “The more reps I get, the more comfortable I get, and I think that just showed up a bit today,” Walton said after the team passed the Tar Heels 37-26. It remains to be seen what Walton’s overall role for the team will be as the Irish head into their toughest stretch of the season, but he is keeping his process the same. “I’s just my freshman year, so I have such a long road ahead of me to continuously try to improve, try to work on my craft, no matter whether it’s getting faster, getting stronger, reading better. So it’s just going every single day and try to get to the best version of myself.” To succeed on the field requires good practice, and that is something head coach Marcus Freeman has emphasized during his time at Notre Dame. “We know he’s gifted. He has a lot of ability, but what you’re seeing now is that he’s being consistent in practice, consistent in his reads, consistent in who he is every single day. That’s given him more opportunities to go out there and play on the field, and so when you’re consistent in your everyday play and everyday expectations, now you’ll get more opportunities,” Freeman said. Contact Jack Muething at jmuethin@nd.edu
DECLAN HUGGINS | The Observer
Freshman running back Jonaz Walton sprints to the end zone against Stanford on Saturday. Walton has emerged as a star in the backfield.
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Lytle: The AP Poll has too much influence By Henry Lytle Associate Sports Editor
Notre Dame has just been ranked No. 2 in the latest AP Poll and will face off against No. 8 BYU this Saturday with ESPN’s College GameDay in attendance. While many fans and pundits across the country want to share their opinions on what the AP Poll frequently gets wrong each week, I would prefer to discuss why its voice matters and what it disturbs in college football discourse. What the AP Poll gets right It is important to first acknowledge what the AP Poll is and what it gets right. The AP Poll is an independent collection of 69 sports writers and broadcasters who submit a weekly ballot to determine the rankings — the teams with the most votes end as No. 1, No. 2 and so forth. The ballots are also released to the public each week so fans are able to see which media members voted for which teams, allowing for transparency and accountability. This week, much of the college football world was left perplexed by the one reporter who still picked Indiana as the No. 1 team in the country, despite narrowly winning on the road against unranked Nebraska. Unlike the College Football Playoff committee that subjectively changes its criteria and whose members are intimately tied with universities, the AP Poll has always remained robust to outlier votes. It also has enough feedback from 69 voters where
one poor ballot does not shift the entire weight of the polls. The committee only has 13 members, who are all uniquely chosen based on their university experience. Many of these decisions often come down to one university voting against another, whereas the AP Poll totals all votes, which come from media members unaffiliated with universities. The first College Football Playoff rankings will appear at the conclusion of Week 9, the first weekend of November. Until then, we are stuck with the AP Poll as the presumptive voice in evaluating the first nine weeks of college football. What it gets wrong Even six weeks in, the poll is still dominated by preseason projections that still carry more weight than five or six games of sample size. While there is merit in having projections dictate the first few polls, the public starts to lose confidence in the validity of the ranking system when teams with big names remain in the poll above teams with objectively superior resumes. Notre Dame was the beneficiary of this a season ago, staying in the AP Poll after beginning the season 0-2, when an objective ranking system derivative of on-field results would not have included the Irish ahead of 2-0 teams. This year, Oregon stayed in the poll after a narrow home win against Boise State in Week 1 and a grueling loss at Oklahoma State in Week 2. Even through six weeks of the
poll, this issue is still evident. LSU stayed at No. 22 after losing on the road as a double-digit favorite against Kentucky. As a two-loss team with no quality ranked wins this season, LSU has no business as a ranked team if we are judging resumes. That in no way precludes LSU from re-entering the rankings after a ranked win later in the season against Alabama or Tennessee, but for now it should carry weight. The AP Poll still holds value Coaches leverage AP Poll rankings during the early season recruiting process to help pitch national exposure to prospective players. A team that is historically unfavored in the rankings, such as Kentucky, is at a disadvantage compared with other big name programs. The Wildcats beat South Carolina in overtime on the road and fell from No. 25 in the Week 4 poll to out of the rankings completely, leaving many fans puzzled. Then, Kentucky proceeded to beat No. 10 LSU the following week as a double-digit underdog and shot back into the rankings. The game did not mean anything less to Kentucky fans who packed out the stadium in the most expensive game of the weekend for attendance, but it lost allure to the national conversation as it wasn’t a “ranked” matchup. Conference reputation is also debated in the AP Poll each week. The SEC was a hot topic of debate in the first few weeks of the season, with many teams stacked
close in the rankings. The narrative for fans of the Big Ten or Big 12 was that the SEC was favored by the national media. Most glaringly, the AP Poll determines narratives around college football that influence the College GameDay schedule, as well as what games qualify as quality wins. This weekend Notre Dame is heading to Provo, Utah, for a top-10 matchup with BYU. However, the Cougars might simply be a product of a favorable schedule at No. 8 in the country. BYU is ranked 86th in terms of strength of schedule and struggled on the road at TCU without star running back LJ Martin. The Cougars will have a chance to prove whether they merit a top-10 ranking against Notre Dame and No. 11 Utah. The GameDay visit is a huge benefit for Notre Dame and BYU fans, who get to attend a GameDay in Provo for only the second time in BYU history. The current betting line for the game favors the Irish by 10.5 points on the road. Of course, the game has yet to be played, but the analytical perspective paints a much different picture than the AP Poll would show in terms of votes. Betting lines often better account for the gap in a team’s expected play on the field than rankings. For a better comparison, the betting line for No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 17 Iowa in Week 5 had the Buckeyes favored by 13.5 points on the road, coming close to the final score of 3114. Then, this past weekend, No.
6 Alabama was a 2.5-point favorite against then-No. 2 Georgia, which won 20-17. I bring up these other matchups as an example of how the rankings can be deceiving for which team is better or expected to win on paper. In Alabama’s case, one would assume the underdog would be the lower-ranked team, but the lower-ranked Tide were actually favored by a field goal. In the other example, the ranking disparity between Ohio State and Iowa was not indicative enough of the lopsided expectations for the game. These disparities will continue to happen as long as preseason narratives continue to affect midseason polls. This is the reality of any imperfect ranking system, but it has real consequences for smaller programs, emerging teams and surprise storylines. For a nationally renowned program like Notre Dame, the AP Poll is a wonderful asset in helping advance its narratives. Consider any other team with similar onfield credentials to the Irish, such as no ranked wins, sloppy firsthalf performances away from home against Wisconsin and North Carolina and an injuryriddled start for its defense. That team would likely not warrant the No. 2 spot in the country through six weeks of football. Notre Dame will have an opportunity to prove its status as No. 2 on the biggest stage in prime time on ESPN this Saturday. Contact Henry Lytle at hlytle@nd.edu
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Olivia Miles earns WNBA Rookie of the Year By Josie Brown Sports Reporter
After a decorated college career, Olivia Miles, the former Notre Dame women’s basketball point guard, was recently named the Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year for her standout first-year performance with the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx finished regular season play with a record of 33-11 and secured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the second year in a row. Miles led all rookies, averaging a staggering 19.8 points per game. Although Miles is listed as a product of TCU, where she spent her final season of college basketball, her four years in South Bend developed her into the professional she is today. A member of head coach Niele Ivey’s program from 2021-25, Miles led the Irish to four consecutive Sweet Sixteens. She turned heads from her first career start in 2021 and enjoyed continued success throughout her tenure, despite missing the entire 2023-24 season due to injury. In the 2020-21 season, the Irish finished 10-10 and missed the postseason. Miles joined the team
midway through the season as an early enrollee, and as a freshman in 2022, Miles took charge on the court, averaging 33.3 minutes per game. Additionally, she was one of the program’s top scorers, averaging 13.7 points per game, and No. 2 in the nation with an average of 7.4 assists per game. While still a raw talent, Miles’ potential to be a future force in “The W” was demonstrated through her freshman campaign. In the seasons following, Miles continued honing her game, rounding out her complete offensive package. She became known for having enhanced court vision as she always placed the ball exactly where her teammates were on court. Her sophomore season, Miles made history with her third tripledouble, to that point, the most in school history. The 2022-23 season solidified her as not only a strong collegiate player but also a top prospect for the WNBA Draft. Miles reached new heights as a junior, but an injury in the season finale at Louisville forced her to miss play the entire 2023-24 season. Following her injury, Miles told ESPN she was “able to come back as
a result stronger both physically and mentally, and just more confident.” In addition to her own rehab, Miles worked behind the scenes to mentor then-freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo. Hidalgo is now one of the best players in the country, having led the Irish to the Elite Eight a season ago. Miles finished her career at Notre Dame by pushing the Irish to the No. 1 ranking in February 2025 before reaching that fourth Sweet Sixteen. At the end of the season, Miles made the decision to transfer to TCU, citing its “pro-like” atmosphere. In fact, Miles declined declaring for that year’s WNBA Draft because she felt TCU could help develop her game more before turning pro. Miles was drafted second overall by the Lynx this spring and quickly established her presence in the North Star State. Miles led her team to key victories against both the Las Vegas Aces and the Golden State Valkyries, and even stood her ground against eventual MVP A’ja Wilson. In Minnesota’s three wins over Wilson’s Aces, Miles used her passing abilities to diversify their offense, whereas the Aces mainly placed the ball in the hands of
Wilson and fellow former Notre Dame star Jackie Young. Despite her regular season success, the rookie still must learn the ropes of the playoffs. Miles struggled against the New York Liberty in the first round, unable to make it to the basket against a strong Liberty defense. Although the Lynx were upset by New York in the first round, Minnesota has a bright future with Miles at the wheel of the offense. As the Notre Dame women’s basketball season draws closer, the young team can look to Miles as an example
of how to develop a complete offensive game. As one of Notre Dame’s most successful alums, Miles has left her mark on the program despite spending her final season elsewhere. The Notre Dame women’s basketball season gets underway against Villanova in Rome on Nov. 1 at noon. Led by Hidalgo, this year’s Irish squad has multiple talents who could strive to the heights achieved by Miles. Contact Josie Brown at jbrown68@nd.edu
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Then-Irish guard Olivia Miles inbounds against Duke on Feb. 17, 2025. Miles enjoyed a decorated career in South Bend before leaving for TCU.
SPORTS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026
THE OBSERVER | 11
FOOTBALL
Stock up, stock down: Notre Dame vs. Stanford By Kathryn Murano Sports Reporter
Notre Dame demolished Stanford 58-7 on Saturday and heads into next weekend’s top10 clash at BYU with very few questions. The Irish still have yet to face a true threat, and more answers will be provided about this group’s chances at a national title following their meeting with the Cougars. Stock up: Jonaz Walton No true freshman in Notre Dame history has rushed for more yards in a single game than Jonaz Walton did on Saturday. His 181 yards against Stanford came on just 13 carries, breaking the program record for a freshman. He averaged nearly 14 yards a carry and also scored 2 touchdowns. His output was the most rushing yards by an Irish running back this season. Walton didn’t get a carry
until Notre Dame’s 13th rushing attempt, but he made his presence felt on the first play of the second quarter with a 97-yard touchdown run. This score was the third-longest offensive play in Notre Dame Stadium history, right behind two 98-yard runs: Josh Adams against Wake Forest in 2015 and Jeremiyah Love against Indiana in 2024. Walton added a 40-yard touchdown run later in the game and had two receptions for 28 yards. On Sunday, 247 Sports named Walton the True Freshman of the Week. Walton made his collegiate debut against Rice, rushing for 48 yards on 8 carries. He proceeded to rush for 61 yards with 7 carries against Purdue, then 23 carries for 120 yards against North Carolina, averaging 5.2 yards per carry against the Heels. With his breakout Stanford performance, Walton has amassed 409 total yards on 52 carries so far this season.
A Carrollton, Georgia, native, Walton played at Central High School and was rated a fourstar prospect by both ESPN and 247 Sports. ESPN ranked him the 14th-best running back in the country and the 19th-best recruit in Georgia. He was an all-state player in 2023 and 2024, earned all-region first-team honors in 2024, was named region offensive player of the year in 2025 and made the Touchdown Club of Atlanta’s preseason all-state team in 2025. Over four games, Walton has gone from just 8 carries to the leading rusher on the roster this season, and if Saturday was any indication, he is just getting started. Stock up: Defensive line Notre Dame’s defensive line bounced back from an uncharacteristically undisciplined performance against North Carolina, where the Irish gave
up 285 total yards (208 passing, 77 rushing) and three touchdowns. Against Stanford, the Irish held the Cardinals to only 202 total yards and 7 points, with just 58 yards on the ground and 144 through the air. Notre Dame entered the game ranked No. 1 in total defense, averaging just 216.4 yards allowed per game, and they finished better than this benchmark on Saturday. Stanford managed just 82 yards in the first half and went 0 of 7 on third downs before the break, marking a huge improvement in conversion holds from the North Carolina game. For the whole game, the Cardinals went 2 of 11 on third downs, for a conversion percentage of 18%. Senior defensive end Boubacar Traore set the tone for the defense 12 seconds into the game. On Stanford’s first play from scrimmage, he forced a fumble on a strip sack,
and senior linebacker Jaiden Ausberry recovered the ball to set up a touchdown just two plays later. Traore also picked off a pass, the second interception of his career, and made a tackle for loss on Saturday. The other Notre Dame interception came from sophomore corner Mark Zackery IV. As a whole, the defense has 15 sacks this season, led by Traore’s 3.5. Notre Dame didn’t allow a score until there was 2:43 remaining in the third quarter, when Stanford ended hopes for an Irish shutout with a 3-yard touchdown pass. The Irish haven’t recorded two shutouts in a season since 2002, when they blanked Maryland 22-0 and Rutgers 42-0. Editor’s note: This is an abridged version of this story. The full version can be read at ndsmcobserver.com. Contact Kathryn Murano at kmurano@nd.edu
FOOTBALL
Muething: Does it matter who starts at RB? By Jack Muething Sports Reporter
After losing both Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to the NFL Draft, the Irish have seen many different running backs get touches this season. Junior Aneyas Williams, the starter at the onset of the year, has been the leading rusher in only two contests this season. He had a solid game against Wisconsin with 20 carries for 90 yards but also struggled against Rice and Michigan State, combining for just 18 carries for 54 yards in those games. With Williams’ inconsistent play, sophomore Nolan James Jr. has arisen as a steady presence in the backfield. His best performance came against Michigan
State, against which he had 26 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown. Most recently, freshman Jonaz Walton has been the guy with a combined 43 carries for 362 yards in Notre Dame’s contests against Purdue, North Carolina and Stanford. Williams has gotten a lot of flak from Irish fans this season. He was electric in the carries he got last season as the third-stringer to Love and Price, taking 24 carries for 224 yards and 5 touchdowns. These impressive stats led Irish fans to believe that he’d be the running back one on a team that has dreams of a national championship. However, Williams is averaging 4.4 yards per carry, which is the lowest among the three running backs that get meaningful
touches. Additionally, his longest run of the season is only 24 yards. He has simply lacked the explosiveness that his counterparts have sometimes had, and his inability to get meaningful yards in certain situations has led the Irish to be in some bad down-and-distances. He has definitely been the most disappointing of the running backs this season. James Jr. has been the best dual-threat running back for the Irish this season. He has 10 catches for 87 yards, but his magic has been as an elite receiving threat in the red zone with 3 touchdowns. He is also averaging 5.2 yards per carry with 5 rushing touchdowns, and his combined 8 scores lead the Irish so far this season. However, he has a similar problem as
DECLAN HUGGINS | The Observer
Freshman running back Jonaz Walton celebrates on his way to the end zone during Notre Dame’s 58-7 win over Stanford on Oct. 10. The Georgia native set a Notre Dame freshman record with his 181 rushing yards.
Williams, in that the explosiveness hasn’t been there like it has with Walton. James Jr. had disappointing rushing performances against Wisconsin and Purdue but was efficient with his carries against North Carolina and Stanford, averaging just over 7 yards per carry in both of those contests. He’s been solid this season but not amazing. The final back to cover is Walton. In their past two games against North Carolina and Stanford, the Irish have combined for 602 rushing yards. Walton has been the leading rusher in both of those games, combining for exactly half those yards with 301 in those contests. He’s also had multiple runs of over 40 yards, something that neither Williams nor James Jr. boasts. Against Stanford, he had 13 carries for 181 yards, averaging just under 14 yards per carry, while also rushing for 2 touchdowns. 181 yards is the most rushing yards in a game by a freshman in Notre Dame history, and his play has been stellar when he’s gotten chances to play. Right now, Walton has the best stats, but every running back has shown flashes of what they can do. So the question is this: In a situation where the Irish need to run the ball in the fourth quarter, who should be getting the touches? The best answer is whoever’s hot. What head coach Marcus Freeman is doing with his running backs is incredibly smart. By giving all of them touches in the first half, he can see who is reading the defense the best and then make adjustments according to that. Walton was listed third on the depth chart heading into Stanford, but with his performances in the
past few weeks, I believe the plan should be for him to get a majority of the carries against BYU. He led the team in yards and carries in the past three games, and he deserves to be rewarded for that. However, that doesn’t mean I think he should start, largely because Notre Dame is 6-0 and 4-2 against the spread. There is no reason to mess with a system that has been working so well in the past few games. In fact, Walton himself talked about the benefit of being the third running back to get into games this season. “It helps me see how the defense is playing. For the running backs, it doesn’t matter who starts. It matters just what you do when you get into the game, and I love learning from those guys, seeing how they play, and how I can play when I get into the game.” Ultimately, I don’t think it matters what the depth chart says on any given day, and it is irrelevant who starts a game at running back this year. Additionally, even if the plan heading into BYU is for Walton to get a majority of the carries, that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. For example, if Williams is the third running back to enter against BYU but is the most efficient rusher by the fourth quarter, he should get the important touches. That’s what is so good about having three solid running backs. One of them is bound to get hot. In short, Jonaz Walton has been elite for the Irish, but he has benefited from the system that he is in, and it doesn’t need to change any time soon. Contact Jack Muething at jmuethin@nd.edu
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