Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, January 16, 2026

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026 | VOL. LX, NO. 38

Shooting leaves one dead near Notre Dame campus Staff Report The South Bend Police Department responded to a shooting at the intersection of Michigan Street and Angela Boulevard Sunday at about 7:20 p.m. The second of two press releases from SBPD stated police found a 21-year-old victim in a vehicle at the scene, who they transported to a hospital in critical condition. He later died from his injuries. The victim was identified in a third press release as Jacob Patchen, a South Bend resident. In their first press release, the SBPD advised people to avoid the area, as it remained “an active scene.” Students and other members of the Notre Dame community, many of whom were returning to campus for their first day of classes Monday, did not receive any communications from the University regarding the incident. A University spokesperson provided the following written statement on the shooting: “As always, we work closely with our partners in local law enforcement to ensure the safety of all students, faculty, staff

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

SOCO launches new justice minor By Lucy Loes News Writer

SOPHIE HANWALT |The Observer

SBPD officers investigating the scene of the shooting at the intersection of Angela Boulevard and Michigan Avenue 10:51 p.m. Sunday.

and visitors. We also realize that violence anywhere in the community is unacceptable and a concern to us all. With respect to Sunday’s incident, we determined early on that there was no threat to the campus community. The South Bend Police Department is currently investigating the incident, and given their jurisdiction in the matter, we refer all questions to them.”

The spokesperson continued, “We encourage members of the campus community to practice personal safety, to take advantage of resources such as the ND Safe App, and to contact the Notre Dame Police Department if they feel unsafe or encounter an unsafe situation on campus.” see “Shooting” on page 2

Freeman’s football program opens up hectic 2026 season Observer Sports Staff

This semester, the Institute for Social Concerns is launching a new minor: justice and society. Co-directed by professors Connie Snyder Mick and Dan Graff, the curriculum is designed to weave together the theoretical study of justice and its practical application, specifically focused on ensuring that students have the research skills to effectively grapple with justice questions and foster change. Inspired by both Catholic social teaching and Fr. Hesburgh’s legacy, the justice and society minor is aimed at students who seek to be changemakers in the world. “We believe that a commitment to justice is a fundamental lens through which to understand, experience and, indeed, change the world. Whether pursuing a degree in engineering or English, students gain a foundational understanding of justice with which to enhance their degree. The minor forms leaders of consequence through a constructive collision of perspectives where business and biology majors

grapple with wicked problems, bringing their unique expertise to the table,” Suzanne Shanahan, the Institute’s director, wrote in a statement to The Observer. The new minor is replacing the poverty studies minor previously offered by the Institute. For current poverty studies students considering continuing with the new minor, co-director Graff affirmed that the minor still encompasses poverty issues. Instead, he said, the new focus allows a broader perspective on the topic and a larger commitment to true action. Snyder Mick suggests that this evolution reflects the new faculty expertise. “The Justice and Society minor represents the research interests of all the faculty at the Institute for Social Concerns. We’ve had some wonderful new hires recently and this approach adds their expertise in technology, environment, and migration to our longstanding attention to labor, incarceration, and poverty,” Mick wrote in a statement. see “Minor” on page 2

Dowd announces new forum theme By Zack Pohlman Associate News Editor

to introspect and ref lect, kind of refine your values,” Blaschko said. “But as a community, it’s also distinctively important because what we think a good life consists of together, really shapes how we treat each other, it shapes the community that we’re a part of, what we’re striving for.” While he was not consulted on the theme, Blaschko said he was very excited when he received the email and learned about the Forum. According to him, Notre Dame is in a unique position to provide an answer to this question. “I think it’s worth asking why Notre Dame sees this as the guiding question for this year,” Blaschko said. “I’ll

Since Notre Dame football unknowingly concluded its 2025 campaign in the early morning hours of Nov. 30 in Palo Alto, California, the program has dominated the college football news cycle with multiple headlining stories. Despite the primetime 49-20 victory over Stanford, the Irish were omitted from the College Football Playoff, and then in an equally surprising decision opted not to participate in a postseason bowl game. Both decisions sparked intense debate within the college football landscape, and depending on varying perspectives, either reaffirmed Notre Dame’s status as whiny or signaled the continuity of the program’s feud with mega conferences and ESPN. But even as the calendar

turned to 2026 and only in-state foe Indiana and heated rival Miami remain alive in the CFP, the Fighting Irish have continued to take the top headline in football news. From declining

the interest of nearly every NFL team with an opening, to a disputed legal incident to his role in signing the number two

NEWS | PAGE 4

OPINION | PAGE 5

SCENE | PAGE 7

SPORTS | PAGE 8

SPORTS | PAGE 12

Faculty discuss Venezuelan history, current events and what this means for international law.

Columnist Richard Taylor argues escaping from the online life is important for the soul.

Bradley Cooper’s latest foray as a director includes funny and heartfelt reflections to marriage.

Irish travel to Penn State looking to improve on their 0-10 Big Ten record this weekend.

Notre Dame’s hot start not enough to topple Louisville in top-25 showdown at home.

ND on Venezuela

DECLAN LEE | The Observer

Marcus Freeman looks on before Notre Dame’s win at Boston College on Nov. 1. The 40-year-old enters his fifth full season in 2026.

Dumb phones

see “Freeman” on page 11

‘Is This Thing On?’

“What Does It Mean to Live a Good Life?” Philosophers and academics have been pondering the question for centuries, and Notre Dame will take its turn at answering it in 2026. In an email to the campus community Thursday morning, Fr. Robert Dowd announced the 2026-27 Notre Dame Forum theme. The theme will sound familiar to Notre Dame students who have taken God and the Good Life, an introductory philosophy course taught by professors Justin Christy and Paul Blaschko. “Asking what it is to live a good life, I think as an individual, is incredibly important. It’s important

Hockey

see “Forum” on page 2

Women’s basketball

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ndsmcobserver.com “TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH AND REPORT IT ACCURATELY” 900 Hesburgh Library, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Liam Kelly Managing Editor Gray Nocjar Asst. Managing Editor: Abby Hernan Asst. Managing Editor: Aynslee Dellacca Asst. Managing Editor: Grace Tadajweski Asst. Managing Editor: Henry Jagodzinski Notre Dame News Editor: Sophie Hanawalt SMC News Editor: Berhan Hagezom Opinion Editor: Redmond Bernhold Interim Sports Editor: Ben Hicks Interim Scene Editor: Luke Foley Photo Editor: Mariella Taddonio Graphics Editor: Isabelle Rutland Social Media Editor: Duncan Stangel Ad Design Manager: Isabelle Rutland Business Manager: Zack Pohlman Systems Administrator: Jack MapelLentz Advertising advertising@ndsmcobserver.com Editor-in-Chief lkelly8@nd.edu Managing Editor gnocjar@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors adellacca01@saintmarys.edu, gtadajwe@nd.edu, hjagodzi@nd.edu, ahernan@nd.edu Business Manager zpohlma2@nd.edu Notre Dame News Desk shanawal@nd.edu Saint Mary’s News Desk bhagezom01@saintmarys.edu Opinion Desk rbernho2@nd.edu

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The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Opinion space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Liam Kelly. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at 900 Hesburgh Library Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 900 Hesburgh Library Notre Dame, IN 46556-077

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Staff Report Beginning this semester, The Observer will be reducing its print quantity to twice a week, printing on Tuesdays and Fridays. The change in print quantity comes as part of the paper’s “Observer 60” plan, marking the 60th anniversary of the paper’s founding. The plan seeks to prioritize digital

content, deliver stories in the time and place most convenient to readers and produce the highest quality content for the next 60 years. During this coming year, readers will see a redesign of The Observer’s website, an increase in the paper’s social media presence, more video content, a more frequent newsletter and more. Most importantly, the Editorial Board

intends to focus on continuing to uphold the highest journalistic standards, expanding our coverage of campus events and serving as the home of free discussion for all students on campus. As we make this important shift toward greater digital content, we remain firm in our commitment to having a robust print presence at Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and

Holy Cross. The Observer is one of only two newspapers serving top25 universities in the country to print multiple times a week. The Observer is proud to hold this distinction and continues to believe that print is essential in maintaining high journalistic standards, providing a historical record and keeping the tri-campus community informed.

2026 student election cycle begins Staff Report Student government petitions became available Wednesday, marking the beginning of the annual student government election cycle. The Judicial Council administers student government elections. Providing insight into the election process and what the release of the petitions means for it, student body president Jerry Vielhauer said Judicial Council reviews and confirms

Minor

Mick additionally stressed the direct connection between poverty and justice. “Lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson argues that the opposite of poverty is not wealth but justice. This renaming of the Poverty Studies interdisciplinary minor emphasizes the expanse of our goal, which is a more just and beautiful world. Poverty is the problem, justice is the solution. Community action in society is how we continue to work toward that vision in this minor,” Mick wrote. The minor begins with a gateway “Doing Justice” course taught by Graff, which requires three elective courses that tackle questions of justice and culminates

Shooting

Continued from page 1 currently investigating the incident, and given their jurisdiction in the matter, we refer all questions to them.” The spokesperson continued, “We encourage members of the

the petitions and emphasized that student government executives take a “hands-off” approach. “As student government executives, we are not allowed to assist or endorse a campaign, which ensures a free and fair election, without bias. The Judicial Council utilizes understanding of rules and regulations,” Vielhauer said. A slide deck presented at the Judicial Council’s election information session on Dec. 8 detailed the parameters for the petitions. To appear on the ballot, candidates

must obtain 700 valid student signatures. They must also adhere to regulations on petitioning methods, social media use and endorsements. “Petitioning is a significant period, as during this time you plan with your running mate on strategies and policies, while gauging whether or not the student body is receptive to your petition,” Vielhauer said. During his petitioning process, Vielhauer said he launched an Instagram account to gather support and signatures.

Per the election calendar, on Jan. 26, the Judicial Council will announce who has qualified for candidacy. Then, a candidate meeting will be held by the Council. Therefore, campaigning will begin on the 27th. A candidate debate will be held Feb. 2, followed by election day on Feb. 4. “Most importantly, students have to remember to turn out and vote, as higher voter turnout is always better. Do your civic duty and go out and vote,” Vielhauer said.

in a collaborative capstone titled “Delivering Justice,” where students build off original research conducted throughout the program to produce a tangible project. Graff highlighted the connections between the minor and the Institute’s research endeavors. “We offer a variety of research opportunities at the Institute. For example, our justice labs—[including] just wage, mass incarceration, housing and the common good—offer students the option to conduct collaborative, engaged research with community partners on pressing social issues,” Graff wrote. Graff encourages students across majors to join the program, as the curriculum is fairly flexible. “There’s a sort of stereotype that the typical SOCO student is [studying] liberal arts, but we have a lot of students from the other colleges, and we want to keep recruiting and maybe

expanding. I think it would only enhance the community and the cohort if we had somebody from each of the colleges and schools… That’s one of the reasons we’re not requiring an experiential learning component, because that’s harder for some students,” Graff wrote. Working in tandem with that goal, the minor’s interdisciplinary approach to studying justice is designed to stretch across departments and emphasize the intersections. “Wisdom comes from many spaces, and this course recognizes that philosophy, theology, history, the social sciences, literature and the arts, and practitioners’ own thoughts and organizations and movements all contribute to a more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of how to think about and respond to demands for justice,” Graff wrote. Both Graff and Mick emphasize

how important it is that students are able to view the people impacted by injustice as concrete and fully human, rather than data points or distant abstractions, a problem they say the minor’s curriculum will address. At the launch party Thursday evening, the co-directors and other Institute faculty welcomed students interested in the new minor with s’mores and cocoa. Mark Bausch, a sophomore currently pursuing the poverty studies minor, solidified his decision to continue the program after attending the event, as he feels that justice is an essential part of studying at Notre Dame. “Notre Dame says that people should be a force for good, and you can’t be a force for good if you’re not thinking about justice,” Bausch said.

campus community to practice personal safety, to take advantage of resources such as the ND Safe App, and to contact the Notre Dame Police Department if they feel unsafe or encounter an unsafe situation on campus.” At 10:10 p.m. Sunday night, officers were still on the scene, taking photos of a car on the blocked-off

street. By 10:51 p.m., the road remained closed, and the victim’s car was loaded onto a tow truck. Michigan Street separates Notre Dame’s campus from those of Holy Cross College and Saint Mary’s College. Angela Boulevard runs between Notre Dame and Eddy Street Commons. The second press release

shared the SBPD had elevated the case to a homicide investigation, which remains ongoing with SBPD’s Violent Crimes Unit. The police urged anyone with information about the shooting to call Michiana Crime Stoppers at 574-288STOP or submit tips through this website.

Catholic institution meant that many would be interested in what the University had to say about the good life. “One reason why this is such a rich area for us to be discussing here at Notre Dame is because we really do have a history that involves defining and redefining, sometimes debating and disagreeing about what it means to be a Catholic university in America in the 20th century and now the 21st century,”

Blaschko said. In his email, Dowd also mentioned meeting with Pope Leo XIV in November, during which they discussed the role of Catholic universities, as well as hot-button issues like immigration and artificial intelligence. Dowd called on the Notre Dame community to be good listeners in imitation of the Pope. “As we begin a new semester, let us recommit ourselves to respectful

attentiveness and to constructive and robust engagement,” Dowd wrote. Dowd’s words continued to build on the theme of building bridges, which has permeated Dowd’s presidency. The 2026-27 Forum will be Dowd’s third as president.

Contact Lucy Loes at lloes@nd.edu

Sports

Ben Hicks Ellie Collins Payton Dymek

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The Observer updates print schedule

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026

Redmond Bernhold

Liam Kelly Abby Hernan Gray Nocjar

Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at editor@ ndsmcobserver.com so we can correct our error.

Forum

Continued from page 1 “I’ll be really interested to hear … what the leadership of Notre Dame, the institution, what it is about the question that really hit them as kind of relevant at this particular moment in history and in the school’s history.” Blaschko said he thinks Notre Dame’s stature as a global,

Contact Zack Pohlman at zpohlma2@nd.edu

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026

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ND Naval ROTC named best in the nation By Matthew Morin News Writer

Notre Dame’s Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program has received the Educational Institution Partnership Excellence Award from the Department of Defense, highlighting its “outstanding support to the education and training of our nation’s military officers” and designating it as the top Navy collegiate program in the nation. Signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the certificate states that the Naval ROTC’s “sustained collaboration, support, and superior performance exemplifies the strong partnership the Department of Defense enjoys with host educational institutions for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps to develop the next generation of military leaders.” Notre Dame’s NROTC began in September of 1941, following a long history of cooperation between the United States Navy and the

University. NROTC at Notre Dame initially consisted of a four-year program of naval science. However, with the start of World War II, the University expanded its ROTC program and shortened its completion timeline, enabling it to become one of four midshipmen training centers in the United States. The first NROTC class graduated in 1944, and Notre Dame produced nearly 12,000 officers throughout the war, making it among the nation’s largest contributors of commissioned officers. The same award was given to Notre Dame Army ROTC program last May. In addition to the certificate, Notre Dame’s NROTC also received a letter from Hegseth recognizing the program as superior in categories such as performance and educational institutional support. The letter notes that the University has historically supported Naval ROTC in multiple ways, including the participation of

University presidents in its annual three mile run. “The faculty here at the University supports us hands down,” Capt. John Smith, professor of naval science and commanding officer of the Notre Dame NROTC, said. “It’s one of the most supportive teams I’ve met … hugely supportive of what we do here and our ability to create future naval officers.” In total, the Naval ROTC teaches seven courses, all of which count toward a student’s degree at the University. The letter also cites benefits that active duty service members receive at the University, including “parking, tuition assistance, facilities access, and inclusion in faculty social events,” as well as the University’s recognition of service members at Notre Dame football games. Regarding the students themselves, the letter emphasizes the commitment of Notre Dame midshipmen to service — both to the

University and to the South Bend community, stating that, “The midshipmen collectively averaged 40 hours a week of community service to seven different organizations.” “They participate in a lot of events with the University: outreach programs, the Veterans Day vigil, our leadership weekend, and we do a lot of stuff with the athletics department,” Smith said. “The ROTC has been a huge team effort since 1941.” The certificate also commends Notre Dame for its ability to “continually [produce] a high standard of midshipmen that consistently exceed the standard in academic achievements, community involvement, and officer aptitude.” To that end, Smith praised the “caliber of midshipmen” Notre Dame produces, and recognized his predecessor as integral to the Notre Dame NROTC’s elite status. “Capt. Lance Thompson, who was my predecessor here, had a significant role in achieving this.

Specifically, he was here for three and a half years and developed and changed a lot of how we train the officers here and the midshipmen, which I think played a huge role in us receiving the award.” To ensure success for Notre Dame midshipmen, Smith emphasized the importance of proper development and mentorship and the need to maintain the right balance of handson and independent learning. “Here, we allow the midshipmen to come up with a lot of their own leadership tactics and things, which are all supervised by my staff. So, we have a hands-on role, but it’s more of a step back and allow them to lead and develop and come up with their own solutions to problems. Instead of us just providing solutions to things, they’re developing their own leadership styles and tactics.” Contact Matthew Morin at mmorin2@nd.edu

SMC political scientists contextualize Venezuela By Sophie Lewandowski News Writer

The United States carried out a military operation in Venezuela on Jan. 3, 2026, with President Donald Trump announcing that Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife Celia Flores, had been kidnapped and removed from power. Saint Mary’s professor Kristin Bail, a political scientist whose research focuses on global political systems, and political science majors Colleen Kepplin and Sarah Peabody, shared their thoughts on Trump’s force in Venezuela and what it could mean for the future of both countries. “I think that this case is a really good example of two different areas

or topics to pay attention to.” Bail said about the conflicting perceptions of the operation. “On the one hand, we have this case where we have an autocratic leader who is clearly doing harm by being in office. And, so, that is real, and that is understandably something that the Venezuelans who are abroad are very excited to see changing because I think it creates this maybe hopefulness that they’re able to have a different future that would look different than the one that they would have had under Maduro.” Bail explained the implications of international operations like the one the US has completed. “On the other hand, what we have is an instance of the leader, however democratically elected or not, the leader of a

sovereign country, being arrested and taken, extradited by military secret missions to another country. And so, this is a really big violation of international norms,” she said. All signatories of influential and powerful treaties like the United Nations Founding Charter have agreed that territorial sovereignty is one of the founding principles of the international system, Bail said, meaning each nation’s domestic politics should be free from interference. “The reason why we emphasize such rules is because sovereignty only works when everybody has it,” she said. “And as soon as one country says, ‘actually sovereignty doesn’t apply to this particular instance’, then suddenly, all bets are off, right?’”

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Kepplin, a senior and president of the Political Science Club, has also recognized complicated convolutions of the US’ recent operation against Maduro. “While we acknowledge that many Venezuelan people have been living under a dictator, and that from this perspective, some may feel liberated, it is also important to consider broader concerns that have been raised about the legality and long-term implications of US involvement.” Kepplin said of the club’s stance on the issue. She added, “the lack of a clear public articulation or elaboration of objectives, I guess, along with uncertainty about the scope and duration of involvement continues to contribute to peoples’

concerns in regards to civilian harm and long-term instability.” Peabody, senior treasurer of the Political Science Club, noted that in the past, operations to remove autocratic and authoritarian leaders have been completed by various administrations. “Historically, the United States has also intervened in other countries with the goal of removing corrupt leaders. I know one example is disposing Saddam Hussein in Iraq in the early 2000s. These leaders have harmed their own people. The motive is very evident there,” she said. Peabody said that when outside intervention does not follow such operations with actions to support nations through transitions, this becomes a problem. “The biggest hope of a lot of people is that our involvement in Venezuela prioritizes the needs and well being of those in Venezuela first and foremost, and actually contributes to a lasting peace and functional governance, instead of primarily serving the U.S. interests,” Peabody said. Nonetheless, many unknowns persist surrounding U.S. involvement in Venezuela. “My biggest concern and point of interest is what’s going to happen now. Are we going to remain invested? And I feel like how we go about doing that is going to have the biggest impact on how we’re perceived by other countries and how we continue to act in other countries, with other countries.” Peabody said. Kepplin emphasized the imperative of engaging in productive discussions at Notre Dame as possibilities for the countries future abound. “As a Catholic institution, we should also hope for peace, for the preservation of human dignity, and for the safety of civilians who may be directly affected,” she said. Contact Sophie Lewandowski at slewandowski01@saintmarys.edu

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026

ND faculty deliberate over Venezuelan politics By Mara Hall News Writer

On Jan. 3, the United States conducted a military operation in Venezuela to remove president Nicholás Maduro and bring him to the U.S. to face charges in court. The Trump administration said his alleged ties to drug trafficking organizations pose an imminent national threat to the United States. Recent history of Venezuela Venezuela was a democracy prior to the election of Hugo Chávez in 1998. Laura Gamboa, assistant professor of democracy and global affairs, explained that when Chávez came to power he reformed the country’s constitution with support of his party to “diminish the ability of the opposition to compete in free and fair elections.” She said by launching a coup and boycotting elections, the opposition struggled to successfully oppose these actions and instead, she argued, worsened the situation. Professor of political science Michael Coppedge said Chávez was able to maintain some popularity and legitimacy in the country through his use of oil revenues to fund social programs and success in winning repeated elections. “When he died, Nicholas Maduro came in and he did not have the benefit of higher oil revenues because prices fell almost as soon as he became president — not because he was president but for other reasons, he was unlucky in that way — and he was not able to maintain any great level of popularity and so in order to hold on to power he became increasingly authoritarian cracking down on opposition, marginalizing the national assembly, controlling the press,” Coppedge said. Gamboa added, “All the way up until 2015 or 2016, Venezuela was what we call a competitive authoritarian regime. They had elections, the position was able to compete in the elections, but the elections were so unfair that the opposition had very little possibility to win.” Gamboa explained that the opposition consists of multiple factions, the more radical faction led by María Corina Machado. Recently, Machado was forced to resign from public office and Edmundo González Urrutia took her public-facing position. They advocate for international intervention to dislodge the Maduro administration. Aníbal Pérez-Liñán,

professor of political science and global affairs, explained that as a result of the struggle to win elections the regime became increasingly oppressive. In 2015, Maduro invalidated the election of several members of the opposition to the national assembly to ensure that the national assembly did not have a two-thirds majority. “It was kind of a red f lag for Maduro because he figured out he could no longer win elections,” Gamboa said. Paola Bautista de Alemán is a Venezuelan politician and Hewlett visiting fellow for public policy within the Kellogg Institute. She is a vice president of political education for Primero Justicia, a faction of the opposition. She has been in exile since f leeing the country in March 2025. Her husband and three children were forced to f lee in July. They reunited in South Bend on Aug. 25. She said most of the board of her political party are currently exiled or jailed. “Since July 28, 2024, the civic space has closed almost completely because we had presidential elections and Nicholas Maduro lost the election and Edmundo González Urrutia, which was the candidate of the opposition, won the election by a landslide. Nicholas Maduro made fraud and stayed in power, even though we had the proof that we won the election, and this started a period of massive human rights violations and crimes against humanity,” Bautista de Aleman said. Caribbean attacks Contextualizing U.S. military actions in the Caribbean prior to Maduro’s removal, Bautista de Alemán explained, “The boats were part of the district work of the Cartel de los Soles. They were used to bring drugs to other countries and that is why they were attacked by the US forces.” Gamboa said, “They are blowing up boats in the middle of the Caribbean with no concern. They are threatening countries across the globe just because they offend the president here.” Pérez-Liñán added that blowing up boats was a way to put pressure on the Venezuelan regime when negotiations failed. He said while standard policy dictated intercepting the boats, bombing them instead put pressure on the government. Maduro’s removal

Based on military intelligence, the United States decided to conduct a brief military operation to remove Maduro and bring him to face charges in the US courts along with his wife Cila Florez. However, the implications of such actions are that the rest of the Maduro regime did not fall. Bautista de Alemán explained that there were a limited number of casualties — mostly Cuban nationals who were protecting Maduro. She said Venezuelans were concerned that foreign nationals were involved with their government. The professors disagreed on the legitimacy of the claim of national security threat, debating the existence and threat of Cartel de los Soles. Coppedge said, “It is a really f limsy argument in part because, although Maduro protects drug traffickers, he is in no real sense a head of a coherent organization that is spiriting drugs into the United States. In the second place, because the really harmful drug that has been killing a lot of Americans is fentanyl. Venezuela mostly explores cocaine, and actually mostly exports cocaine to Europe.” “It is a narco-dictatorship and their relationship with Cartel de los Soles, which is a criminal organization that delivered drugs to the U.S. and other countries, operates and uses the Venezuelan state to do criminal tasks.” Bautista de Alemán said, “I think for the Trump administration there is an honest concern about security and that concern is not only regarding drugs, but is regarding the presence of irregular groups from autocratic forces in Venezuela, which is very close to the US, and it has a strategic location in the map. Gamboa added she did not buy the argument that Maduro was a direct threat to the United States, citing the same reasons as Coppedge and adding, “The cartel they claim Maduro runs does not exist … if really this was about penalizing drug traffickers, then Juan Orlando Hernández would never have been pardoned. There is evidence that he literally trafficked drugs.” President Trump held a press conference with oil executives on Jan. 9. He demanded that the 14 oil executives he met

with invest 100 billion dollars into revitalizing Venezuela’s oil and “got an underwhelming reception.” He attributed it to the low international market for oil and the ways in which many oil companies previously invested in Venezuela and were expropriated in the mid 1970s. While Venezuela claims they were compensated appropriately, some of the companies beg to differ. In an open letter to the president, ExxonMobil expressed hesitancy over the proposition, citing the ways in which they have had their assets seized twice previously in Venezuela. They acknowledged having a limited perspective from the current Venezuelan government. President Trump The professors offered their analysis on how this conf lict might impact Trump’s legacy. Gamboa said, “He is a leader with authoritarian tendencies. A lot of his actions in government have been authoritarian. He has no regard for human life, and he is turning the United States into a competitive authoritarian regime.” “I think Trump wants to be remembered as what we may call a president of reconstruction,” PérezLiñán said. The question remains what the American public perception of such transformation will be. Coppedge added, “There is a substantial part of the Republican base, the MAGA base even, that really supported Trump because he claimed not to be in favor of getting involved and getting bogged down in conf licts in other countries, but now he has done just the opposite.” Bautista de Alemán said, “President Trump right now has the opportunity to be the person who opens the door to democracy in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua or the other option is that he can be remembered as the person who took away a dictator and did not have democratic motivations and only was acting due to economic interest. I really really hope that he can be the first option.” International law After the United States went into Venezuela to capture Maduro, the United Nations held an emergency meeting to chastise U.S. action. This has led to broader questions

about respect toward international law. “The position with respect to Latin America is a very explicit statement of returning to the Monroe Doctrine. That is the idea that the US can intervene in Latin American militarily to defend its interests above and beyond the consideration of the sovereignty of other countries in the region and especially in order to prevent the presence of other powers in the hemisphere,” PérezLiñán said. Bautista de Alemán explained that Venezuelans followed the international law pathways as they were designed to be followed, but they did not receive help. “They failed us. I am concerned about what happened on Jan. 3, but I have a broader concern that is: what happens when a country does everything and the international law does not have the answers that we really need?,” Bautista de Alemán said. Gamboa said, “In the past, they at least pretended or tried to make an argument that they were not violating international law. Now, they do not even care.” Looking forward While President Trump claims the United States will run Venezuela, it is uncertain what that entails. Pérez-Liñán explained that so far it appears that the current administration has remained in power with Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president, stepping up to lead and appeasing the demands of the Trump Administration. As Bautista de Alemán said, “Secretary Rubio has said that they have a design for Venezuela to move toward democracy and there are three stages which are stabilization, recovery and transition to democracy. Our main challenge as Venezuelans and as a society that has been fighting for democracy for more than twenty five years is to be part of that process.” Gamboa added, “Transitions to democracy we have learned in the past happen in mysterious ways. It is possible that two decades from now the regime actually transitions, and to a certain extent this invasion was what sparked that process, but I would not give credit to Donald Trump even if that is the case.” Contact Mara Hall at mhall27@nd.edu

OPINION

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026

THE OBSERVER | 5

Greenland doesn’t want to be American

By Amaris O’Connor Columnist, “Filibustered”

When the United States first began to express interest in Greenland, any proposal to “buy” the land was quickly dismissed by Denmark and its Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen as absurd. Yet, this Monday a House Republican introduced legislation to annex Greenland. The legislation is largely a symbolic show of support by Republicans for Trump’s foreign policy, but nonetheless shows how the question of Greenland has begun to worm into both domestic and international politics. Absurdity is now becoming reality, and Denmark and Europe must reckon with the fact that the President of the United States is insistent on claiming this autonomous territory “one way, or another.” Greenland is positioned between North America, Russia and Europe, and as global warming continues to destroy icy environments and habitats, it simultaneously opens up more northern shipping routes. The potential of new trade avenues paired with Greenland’s vast natural resources makes it an extremely economically viable land mass. In addition to its economic edge, it is militarily advantageous. President Trump told reporters on Jan. 4 the U.S. needs Greenland from the standpoint

ALYSSA SIRICHOKTANASUP | The Observer

of national security, emphasizing how it is “covered” with Russian and Chinese ships. The U.S. has its most northern military base in Greenland, and has not left the Pituffik Space Base since it was established in World War II. News in recent weeks has centered on Greenland from several angles — national security for America, potential economic advantages for all interested parties and emphasis on the dangers of the territory slipping into another country’s grasp. But, so little has been said on what Greenlanders want. It is clear what the President, and most

of his Administration, wants with language surrounding the “threat of Russia” and the incapability of other countries’ defense mechanisms without intervention being reminiscent of Cold War discourse. The President has shown disregard for NATO and has been met with European countries asserting their support for their continental allies. French President Emmanuel Macron warned of “cascading consequences” should the U.S. take Greenland, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer bluntly stated that only Greenland and Denmark should decide its future. Similar statements have

been made from several other European countries. The size and wealth of the United States often means that statements from smaller countries remain actionless words. But, the unification of Europe on this matter is something that everyone should be cautious about, lest the philosophy of “an enemy of my enemy is a friend” begins to cause the alignment (however tense, and maybe only on a single issue) of U.S. allies with U.S. adversaries. In the realm of geopolitical complexities, the wants of Greenland are being echoed by European countries, but not being constituted in their own

right. Nielsen has said, “We choose Denmark.” In a perfect world, where sovereignty is always respected, that statement should be the end of this matter. The leader of a nation, or territory, should be able to decide what is in the best interest of their nation. If choice is not respected, then freedom is limited to the most powerful. Greenland is not against co-operation with the U.S., it is against being ruled by it. There are several ways that the U.S. could work with them if national security is truly the primary reason for their insistence on a heightened presence in the region. However, to take over a country by force without the explicit consent of its people would be modern-day colonialism. Long ago, the people of the United States decided to rebel against being ruled by a repressive force that refused to listen to the plea of the people. It would be incredulous to see the very concept of consent which founded the systems of government in America, be pushed aside in an attempt to acquire a territory that does not wish to become the 51st state. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. Contact Amaris O’Connor at aoconn27@nd.edu

Dumb phones and spirituality By Richard Taylor

Columnist, “Just Glad To Be Here”

A year and a half ago, in my sophomore year of college, I summoned the courage to do something I had wanted to do for a while: I got a dumb phone — a phone without internet, email, social media or any other distracting apps. The process of dumbing down my digital life began out of a desire to minimize distractions from my homework and my budding reading habit, but has since rekindled my spiritual life from its embers at the end of adolescence to a crackling fire in young adulthood. Just as my smartphone once infiltrated many aspects of my life, so too has my dumb phone detoxed my work, my prayer and everything in between. Life with a dumb phone need not be a monastic life of work and prayer only, nor does it demand the monastic fuga mundi, a f light from the world and utter detachment. Rather, living with a dumb phone has freed me to attach myself to the real, authentic and ordinary world — the world of long conversations and eye contact and

ALYSSA SIRICHOKTANASUP | The Observer

close friendships, of sunsets and rustling trees and chirping birds, of gripping novels and profound ideas, and, most importantly, of silence and prayer, the interior world where the Holy Spirit has been waiting patiently for me to enter and relax and open myself to all His graces. I spent years without social

media, chipping away at my screen time and trashing extraneous apps, before I finally replaced my iPhone with a cheap Nokia “candy bar” phone. I drew the courage I needed to jump off the grid from how sick I had grown of using my phone against my will. I embodied in my divided being, multiple times a

day, perhaps the fundamental moral conundrum: Why do we do things we know we shouldn’t, or we know we don’t want to? This problem of akrasia, as it became known with Plato, is famously expressed by St. Paul in Romans 7:15, “What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but

I do what I hate.” This moral puzzle has, to my (admittedly ignorant) mind, staunchly resisted adequate treatment by analytic philosophers, but has a very straightforward explanation for Catholic theologians (and even for St. Paul himself ): We are fallen, and thus our wills are fraught with concupiscence. Yet, the very nature of the problem was that no matter how thoroughly my mind grasped this explanation, my will budged not one bit from compiling its venial errata. When I was sick of being sick with akrasia, I forced down the medicine of extreme technological inconvenience. One minute of focus or conversation or prayer at a time, I began to heal. One of the most common reactions I get when people see or hear that I have a dumb phone has been, “Respect! I wish I could do that, but I’m honestly too addicted to my iPhone.” My heart sinks at their sickness of akrasia. The fact that my generation has dubbed the very content many consume the most “brain rot” is, first, see “Phone” on page 6

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Phone

Continued from page 5 so ridiculous it’s funny and, second, sad. I am not here to sound alarms and declare that my generation is in a crisis; I have too much confidence in and admiration for the grit and resilience of the human person to forecast that a few bad habits will overcome us. But I see so many trapped in their own concupiscence and wish to bear witness to the graced life outside the digital dungeon. As a child, I was once enamored by the strangeness of everyday things; but as I grew up, I began to dismiss as mundane the very things that gifted my fresh imagination with whole worlds. Had I exhausted these worlds hidden in every gadget or invention, every f loor pattern or ceiling molding, every plant or insect — and, now that my reason has matured, every word or rhyme, every adage or notion, every argument or leap of logic? G. K. Chesterton found bottomless treasures in the miscellaneous trinkets filling his pockets, not one of which was a smartphone. My concupiscence at first tricked me into seeing the life outside the digital dungeon as but a darker void of Stone Age inconveniences and blank boredoms — that is why I struggled to escape, despite knowing in my head

the benefits of a decluttered mind, a cleansed spirit and all the fruits of a surplus of silence. It is true: Life with a dumb phone will at first be painfully tedious and stif lingly silent and frightfully boring. But only at first. Soon, I would never know boredom again, tedium would teach me of my own ingenuity and resilience and silence would become home sweet home. Now, all creation has begun to glow for my ready eyes; all invention has roused my curiosity toward the nature of man; all conversation has been a balm for my previously lonely soul. Most know the saying, “What goes up must come down,” as a law of gravity; Catholics know it is a law of grace. What ascends to heaven must have first descended into hell. As St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:36, “What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.” Be not afraid of your own thoughts or of the voids of silence or of the awkward moments staring into the distance or of choppy and sparse conversations or of long spans of empty time. Be not afraid, for in the death of anxious, restless attention, the new life of a calm, content spirit blossoms — a spirit that tastes true rest in the Heart of Jesus, in the love sustaining and overf lowing all creation and all human hearts. Cutting off my smartphone, which had become for me like a fifth limb, was not itself

sanctifying. I, like many of my generation, switched to a dumb phone for its psychological and interpersonal and educational benefits, oblivious to its potential spiritual benefits. I can now say, however, that switching to a dumb phone undeniably cultivated within me a disposition toward prayer. It has uprooted the weeds overgrowing the garden in my soul and has plowed and fertilized its soil. Then, it was up to me to ask the Gardener to plant His precious seeds and water them. I may not have — and what a shame it would have been to squander such a fertile garden! But I did — I asked, and I received; and I still ask and still receive, because, without His grace, my concupiscible will disintegrates into its old, divided, akratic sickness. First, I ask the Crucified for the strength to kill my concupiscence and the courage to confront a life at first so still it is often immobilizing. Then, I ask the Gardener to grow in the now-fertile garden of my heart an ardent desire for His Heart. Confident, I do not doubt that I will then yield a hundred-fold. Though I know I will never rest my restless heart in the Heart of Jesus in this life, now with my dumb phone I at least enjoy the peace and quiet that awakens my desire for Him. Apart from cultivating

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026

in me a disposition toward prayer, switching to a dumb phone has exercised in me a resolve to do what I believe in despite what others are doing or what others might think. This resolve is indispensable for today’s Catholic — for, as Charles Taylor has observed, this secular age is one in which religious belief is no longer the default but must be chosen — and it is especially crucial for today’s young Catholics who are students at secular universities. I fear that many of us students, both those of us who have wandered from our childhood faith and those who did not grow up with religion, begin to feel a hole in our hearts which we try to fill by studying harder or partying more or accumulating more loose acquaintances we call “friends,” only to realize that we have succeeded only in deepening this hole. If we see truly with the eyes of our lost, longing hearts, we can recognize this hole within us as the desire for Christ, for prayer, but I fear that we are so infected with doubt and anxious ref lection on our secular milieu that we try to bury this desire as we remain, as T.S. Eliot put it, “distracted from distraction by distraction.” I fear that the ambitious among us feel as though we are trying to break Olympic records running on a track of quicksand. We exhaust

ourselves f lailing our limbs with great tenacity. We are secretly proud of how exhausted we are. We would like to rest but feel ourselves sinking as we slow down. We look around for solid ground but find none — except for a narrow, rocky path that does not lead to the finish line but some other place we can’t quite make out. For a moment, we feel our heart jump within us at the sight, but then we turn back to the finish line and to all our “friends” in the quicksand, and feel once again caught up in our race, convincing ourselves that there was nothing for us on that strange, rocky road walked only by old looneys here and there. Living in the silence and boredom in the absence of our smartphones will help us, first, wake up to the fact that we are sinking in quicksand, that we run our race in vain; and, second, it just might give us the resolve to turn around and find refuge on that one piece of solid ground we glimpsed — that narrow, rocky road, the Catholic Church, whose destination is the Narrow Gate, Christ Himself. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. Contact Richard Taylor at rtaylo23@nd.edu

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

We don’t have to allow AI to do everything for us This is the sixth installment of Meghan Sullivan’s series about DELTA, Notre Dame’s faithbased framework for a world of powerful AI. In today’s column, we’re covering the fifth and final letter in the DELTA framework: A, for Agency. Let’s face it: Human beings have never been superstars at making decisions or taking moral responsibility. There’s a reason why we got kicked out of the Garden of Eden. As f lawed beings, we need to rely on our families, our churches and our schools to teach us how to cultivate and use our moral agency correctly — to know when we’ve done something wrong, when to ask for forgiveness, when we need to own our decisions and when it’s okay to depend on someone else to decide for us. That’s what moral development means. Moral development is hard work. To succeed, we need to be able to lock in and focus. And that’s getting more difficult all the time, because our capacity to pay attention is under siege. In the last 20 years, the

Courtesey of the Institute for Common Good

economic model for the internet and social media has been an economy of attention. You do a Google search and you look at an ad at the same time. You check out a video on YouTube or your favorite Pinterest inf luencer; more ads. Using algorithms that customize our social media and streaming feeds, corporations keep us scrolling in order to monetize our attention. This raises a series of really interesting moral questions that will be compounded as we move to an economy fueled by artificial intelligence

that not only captures our attention, but makes decisions on our behalf. The great promise of this new technology is that certain aspects of human work can be delegated to agentic AI systems and completed more efficiently. And sometimes that’s what we want: I love having AI give me a recipe based on the ingredients I have available in my refrigerator so that I don’t have to take a trip to the grocery store. But there are other times when we should choose the slower, less efficient option because that

is how we exercise our conscience. If you ask a friend to go to the gym in your place, you won’t improve your own strength. The hard choice bears the most fruit — not simply in the end result, but in the value of the labor itself. The philosopher Simone Weil talks about this in her essay “Ref lections on the Right Use of School Studies in View of the Love of God.” The struggle with a particular calculus problem has value beyond finding the solution, because through this strenuous work, you build your capacity for attention. In this new era of AI helpbots, we need to be very mindful of these types of choices. Generating a recipe for dinner may be a reasonable use of AI, but using AI to summarize the “Nicomachean Ethics” for a class assignment is not. Even though it requires you to give more of your time, energy and presence, the challenge of sustained effort is key to forming virtue and growing as a person. Despite the narratives that we hear in the media, we don’t have to allow AI to do everything for us. You can

choose when to use AI and when to not, and you should deliberate over that choice in light of what kind of person you want to become. There are many things that we absolutely should not pass off to AI — determining whether or not a civilian casualty is morally acceptable in battle, for example, or the loving, nurturing and deeply inefficient work of raising a child. Delineating those boundaries requires us to be ref lective about what we ultimately value. This work is difficult, and the proliferation of AI systems will only intensify the challenge. But the effort is worth it. In order to f lourish as humans, we need to cultivate our attention and exercise our agency. Remember the words that Marcus Freeman uses to challenge and inspire his players: “Choose hard.” Meghan Sullivan Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy and director of University-wide Ethics Initiative and the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good Dec. 8, 2025

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THE OBSERVER | 7

‘Is This Thing On?’ A refreshing take on marriage By Luke Foley Scene Editor

Bradley Cooper is a director I will always root for. His directorial debut, “A Star is Born,” was a surprisingly raw look at love and addiction, immediately proving he had real talent as a storyteller. And his sophomore effort, “Maestro,” was a towering work whose ambition and sincerity deeply resonated with me. However, the film drew undeserving jeers from the film community, who labeled it as desperately pretentious — God forbid a man wants an Oscar! It seems like Cooper took this derision to heart, as his newest film, “Is This Thing On?”, is far more modest in scope and topic. And while it is definitely a lesser work than his two previous outings, “Is This Thing On?” is still a tender and thoughtful look at marriage and the resilient love it demands. The film centers on Alex (Will Arnett) and Tess (Laura Dern), a middle-aged couple who have decided to split up after 20 years of marriage and two kids. The story doesn’t kick off with a big blowout fight or even much exposition about what triggered the separation; all we get is a simple “We need to call it. Right?” from Tess during the opening scene, as Alex prepares to move to his new bachelor pad in New York City. Relations are ostensibly amicable between the two; they pleasantly tolerate each other’s presence at their friend’s house party, but they both carry a latent sadness and bitterness that they don’t know how to express. But this changes as Alex, high off a weed cookie from the house party,

ISABELLE RUTLAND | The Observer

stumbles into a comedy club’s open mic night and begins riffing to the crowd about his marital issues. He finds the experience cathartic and thrilling, and decides to start doing stand-up regularly. Alex’s excavation of self through stand-up is fascinating and inspiring. You get the sense he was just drifting through life, full of emotions he couldn’t quite articulate until now. He’s not amazing at stand-up, but watching him delight in honing his craft and working through his emotions is infectious. Cooper’s intrusive camera uses extreme close-ups and long takes during Alex’s stand-up, evoking a stark emotional intimacy. This visual style also brings to life the tight spaces of the comedy clubs and apartments where the story unfolds. Even under such a scrutinizing camera, Arnett shines

throughout the film. He plays Alex with a winning vulnerability and affability; he’s just a kind-hearted finance bro who let his marriage pass before him and is now resorting to stand up to pick up the pieces. It’s surprising it took Arnett this long to get a meaty, dramatic role after his brilliant work in “BoJack Horseman,” but I’m glad Cooper finally gave him the opportunity. However, Cooper devotes equal attention to Tess’s journey. Her grievances with the marriage stem from her frustration with the volleyball career she gave up for her family. Dern is predictably great in the role — she might be the most dependable actress in Hollywood. Tess embarks on a journey of self-discovery concurrent with Alex’s, as she explores returning to volleyball as a coach. This helps

balance the relationship drama and establish a sense of mutual development between the two. She especially knocks it out of the park during a pivotal scene where Tess inadvertently attends one of Alex’s stand-up performances with her date. As she watches her husband unflinchingly dissect and joke about their failed relationship, Dern’s face deftly conveys a dozen different emotions: anger, shock, arousal, sadness and ultimately, respect. Cooper’s endearing penchant for sincerity ensures the marital drama never becomes a grueling war of attrition like “Marriage Story.” Thanks to Arnett and Dern’s excellent chemistry, it’s clear right from the start that Alex and Tess have a true, abiding love for each other. Yet, there’s been a growing distance between them over the

years. It is Alex’s standup that enables them to achieve emotional breakthroughs in their relationship, and the second half of the film is dedicated to them working through years of pent-up issues. I would say this is where the film falters a little, as the script becomes somewhat flimsy and lacks emotional precision. The part where they have their big heartto-heart about their relationship issues could have been written a bit more sharply, especially since the film is otherwise vague about exactly what led to their divorce. Further, the film glides a little too easily to its resolution in the last ten minutes, but Cooper’s heart is certainly in the right place. Rather than treating Alex and Tess’s mutual dissatisfaction as grounds for dissolution, the film frames it as an occasion for candid dialogue and renewed commitment. It’s a remarkably hopeful film about marriage, asserting that growth can occur even in seemingly ossified relationships. Their love for each other is resilient, it just needed some honesty and introspection to course-correct. “Is This Thing On?” is a refreshing chaser after the excess of “Maestro,” even if it doesn’t reach that film’s heights. Two excellent central performances and Cooper’s intimate direction make this a smart, affecting reflection on marriage. I hope this film renewed Cooper’s confidence. Give me another audacious swing for an Oscar — ambition suits him. Contact Luke Foley at lfoley2@nd.edu

What you missed from the Golden Globes By Mara Hall Scene Writer

This year’s Golden Globe Awards were held Jan. 11, 2026, and broadcast by CBS. For the second year in a row, comedian Nikki Glaser hosted the event. The night started off with an opening monologue from Glaser, as she took stabs at current political happenings and poked fun at A-listers in a lighthearted fashion. Overall, Glaser has been a well-received host these last two years — a pleasant change after the disaster of Jo Koy hosting in 2024. First, Glaser sarcastically gave the United States Department of Justice the award for best editing, a nod to the recently released yet heavily redacted Epstein files. She also called out the broadcast channel she was actively on, quipping, “CBS News, America’s newest place to see BS news.” Later, Glaser sang a “Marty Supreme” parody of the viral song “Golden” from the film “K-Pop Demon Hunters.” Both of these projects took home awards this year. Timothée

Chalamet received his firstever Golden Globe in the category of best actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy for his work in Marty Supreme; “K–Pop Demon Hunters” won best motion picture, animated and “Golden” won best original song. The biggest snub of the night seemed to go not to a singular project, but to the entire community of film music artists and enthusiasts. The award show failed to air Ludwig Göransson’s win for best original score for “Sinners,” occurring during a commercial break to cut the run time of the full show, much to the dismay of many fans. Billboard reported, “The Globes’ decision to not air the presentation of the award for best original score came across as a sign of disrespect for film music.” Additionally, in a surprising turn of events, “Wicked: For Good,” “Frankenstein” and “It Was Just an Accident” all went home empty-handed. If the “Wicked” sequel continues to underperform in the awards this spring, other projects may

reconsider having multi-part films going forward. Overall, “One Battle After Another” and “Adolescence” tied with the most awards this year, each taking home four Golden Globes. Despite only taking home two Golden Globes, “Hamnet” caught significant media attention for unexpectedly winning best motion picture, drama. Historically, one of the winners in the main categories at the Golden Globes — best leading actor/actress and best motion picture — usually goes on to win at the Oscars. By this logic, the best motion picture will be either “Hamnet” or “One Battle After Another,” and the best leading actor will go to Timothée Chalamet or Wagner Moura. Many are predicting that no one will be able to compete with Chalamet for best leading actor this year. However, there is always a chance that the Academy will flip the tables and select a winner who did not take home a Golden Globe. Time will only tell. In celebrity news, Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet

did not walk the carpet together, but they met up inside, and their PDA reassured fans that they are still dating. At one point in the night, rumors broke out that the pair were engaged after a viral video circulated of Jenner pointing to the name of her place card written as “Jenner-Chalamet.” However, E! News debunked the rumor, confirming that the font on the alleged name card with her name hyphenated did not match that of the actual place cards. Beyond the goal of the Golden Globes in awarding film and television, they also serve as a chance for celebrities to show off fashion on the red carpet, and this year was no exception. Glaser herself wore nine distinct outfits throughout the night. Black dresses were in this year with varying levels of success. Chase Infiniti led the top of the pack in custom Louis Vuitton, but Selena Gomez, Odessa A’zion, Jenna Ortega, Miley Cyrus, Teyana Taylor, Kristen Bell, Lisa and Julia Roberts, among many others, were all in on the trend as well.

Even Ariana Grande broke out of her Glinda-pink era, showing up in a voluminous Vivienne Westwood black gown. Alternatively, Jennifer Lawrence chose a more risqué route, opting for a custom Givenchy skin-toned sheer mesh dress with floral appliqués, which garnered mixed reactions. While some colors on the carpet can be a fun deviation from the black, the bright green from Rose Byrne, the bright purple from Haley Kalil and the metallic from Leighton Meester landed somewhat flat. However, Olandria Carthen’s green Christian Siriano dress, Laufey’s orange Balenciaga dress and Kylie Jenner’s metallic Ashi Studio dress seem to have brought a more tasteful note of color according to fans. All in all, the night proved to be a welcome and successful precursor to the highly anticipated Academy Awards, which are airing in March. Contact Mara Hall at mhall27@nd.edu

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SOPHIE HANAWALT | The Observer

Junior forward Brennan Ali crashes into the boards as he fights a Wisconsin skater for the puck during Notre Dame’s 7-4 defeat to the second-ranked Badgers at Compton Family Ice Arena on Dec. 5. The Illinois native has tallied four goals and five assists on the season, after recording a career-best seven goals and 12 assists during his sophomore campaign. HOCKEY

Irish face Penn State without defenseman Fischer By Ryan Murphy Sports Writer

Although it’s been a chilly start to winter in South Bend, with campus now under a foot of snow, there’s still time for Notre Dame hockey to get hot. With 16 games remaining, the Irish nearly have half their schedule left to play. However, after becoming the lone remaining team in the nation without a conference win, Notre Dame (4-15-1, 0-10-0 Big Ten) faces a familiar story entering this weekend’s series at Penn State (14-6-0, 6-4-0 Big Ten). The Irish are now mired in their second consecutive losing streak of six or more games, and they’ve lost 13 of their last 14 games dating back to October. “I believe in the group that we have currently. I believe that we should have more results than we do right now and don’t,” first-year head coach Brock Sheahan said Wednesday. “A lot of that has to do with a change in how we are playing and what we’re doing day-to-day, and another part of that is like, the winning standard has not been here for the last however many years. And we are

working through that.” 2026 already has included some near misses for the Irish, who have lost all four games in the new year but played two close contests against No. 1 Michigan last weekend. Notre Dame’s expected goals figure was essentially equal to the Wolverines on both nights, but couldn’t land a result in the win column. The upcoming series with the Nittany Lions presents another opportunity to make progress, especially on the defensive issues that have held the team back as of late. Notre Dame’s 4.3 goals against per game are fourth most in the country, and the Irish have conceded at least four goals in each of their last seven games. Cleaning up those issues will be made more difficult this weekend by the absence of the team’s top defenseman and scorer. The Big Ten handed junior Paul Fischer a two-game suspension for a crosscheck to the back of Michigan star forward Michael Hage late in the third period of Saturday’s contest. The suspension will keep Fischer out of both games this weekend.

The Irish will also be without freshman defenseman Caeden Carlisle, whom the Big Ten suspended one game for a check to the head, also in the series finale against Michigan. The two teams compiled 173 total penalty minutes over the course of Saturday’s contest, most of which came in the third period. “We can only control what we can control. It’s frustrating to lose Paul,” Sheahan said. “The penalty by Paul is not a good penalty to take at a time when it’s a contentious game. It was a good distance from the boards. I thought he’d get one game, he got two. And then Caeden’s hit was unacceptable and something we addressed as a team. He gets the one game, and I would’ve thought he would get two.” Discipline has already hampered Notre Dame’s ability to build any sort of momentum in the second half. Freshman forward Cole Brown and junior forward Brennan Ali served one game and two game suspensions, respectively, during January’s opening weekend series against Western Michigan. Those absences took two important

forwards out of an already jumbled Irish lineup. For his part, Sheahan felt grateful the Irish aren’t looking at three players suspended for this weekend. The first-year head coach went to bat this week for captain and junior forward Danny Nelson, whose incidental collision with Michigan goaltender Jack Ivankovic Saturday drew the ire of Wolverine fans. “I’m just happy that people realize — well, at least the league realize — that Danny Nelson’s was incidental contact. He’s not a dirty player. He was not trying to injure their goalie, which is, I think, very obvious,” Sheahan said. Absent Fischer and Carlisle, Notre Dame will need to embrace a next man up mentality on defense this weekend. Fischer leads the team in points (with 16) and average time on ice, tallying 21 minutes and 36 seconds per night. “[Seniors] A xel Kumlin and Michael Mastrodomenico are veteran defensemen for us that’ll definitely play a ton of minutes like they normally do,” Sheahan said. “And like I said, [Sophomore] Jaedon Kerr and [ junior] Henry

Nelson, those guys’ minutes will bump up. And [sophomore] Jimmy Jurcev and [freshman] Drew Mackie, especially for Drew, will have to play more than he’s played for most of the year.” Sheahan praised the play of senior captain Mastrodomenico in Saturday’s Michigan contest, calling his game “much more simple, solid [and] consistent.” The Irish will need that out of Mastrodomenico again this weekend as they attempt to overcome what Sheahan believes is a plague of defensive issues that have kept the Irish out of the win column. “We haven’t been able to put it together. We’ve had good moments, we had good moments last weekend, and then we continue to fall apart. [It’s] stuff that we addressed, especially on the defensive side of the puck,” he said. “It’s nothing new that we’ve been talking about, teaching, working through in practice, and I’m hopeful that it’ll all start coming together here as soon as possible.” Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu

DAILY

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

THE OBSERVER | 9

How “sylly” was “Sylly Week” on a scale from 1 to 10?

Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com

Suzy Youn

Joanna Phung

Patrick Jackson

Grace Combs

Nadeem Azad

“Five.”

“Three.”

“Three.”

“Eight.”

“Six.”

freshman Pasquerilla West Hall

freshman Farley Hall

freshman Alumni Hall

senior Howard Hall

graduate Off-campus

SOCIAL MEDIA POLL

PHOTO OF THE DAY

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

What is the hardest part of coming back from break? Sleep schedule Leaving home 24.6%

26.2%

Going to class Cold weather

16.8% 32.4%

THE NEXT FIVE DAYS

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

MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer

Freshman Colin Gibson waves to the audience in Washington Hall Thursday after winning the Mr. ND pageant hosted by Walsh Hall. The annual event raised $7,020 to support Jiffi, a South Bend charity, this year.

CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ

Friday Film: “Frankenstein” (2025) A modern remake of the classic novel “Frankenstein”. Browning Cinema 9:30 p.m. - midnight

Saturday The Notre Dame and Ohio State Glee Clubs Concert The Irish and Buckeyes perform their favorite choir pieces. Leighton Concert Hall 7:30 - 9 p.m.

Sunday Film: “Bend It Like Beckham” (2002) Jess struggles to pursue her passion and please her parents. Browning Cinema 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Monday Mass at the Basilica Daily Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Basilica of the Sacred Heart 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday Kellogg Lecture on an Approach to Reduce Gang Recruitment Maria Sviatschi shares research on recruitment in schools. Hesburgh Center room C103 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.

SPORTS

10 | THE OBSERVER

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026

FENCING

Fencing continues quest for another national title By Chris Dailey Sports Writer

The Notre Dame fencing team returns to collegiate action this weekend to travel to the Philadelphia Invitational on Saturday before competing at the St. John’s Invitational on Sunday. This will be the Irish’s first strictly-collegiate meet since the triumph at the Elite Invitational hosted by Ohio State in November. Notre Dame will be led by reigning national champions senior Eszter Muhari and sophomore Magda Skarbonkiewicz. Muhari has been near untouchable in épée through her first three years at Notre Dame. The 2024 Olympic Bronze medalist posted a 23-1 record last season, ultimately recording herself as one of the most

prolific individuals in collegiate fencing history. In sabre, Skarbonkiewicz has been no less bounteous. In her first year with the Irish, Skarbonkiewicz’s fierce style of play paved the way for her national triumph. Now a sophomore, her early experience in the national spotlight is destined to serve her well. It’s very likely that Skarbonkiewicz’s main competition nationally will come from teammate, sophomore Siobhan Sullivan. A former high school club teammate of Skarbonkiewicz, Sullivan earned First Team All-American honors in her freshman year and finished the season 25-2. In foil, sophomore Stavrina Garyfallou is set for a breakout season. After finishing 4118 last year, Garyfallou went

6-0 at Ohio State. Sophomore Emma Griffin is also set to make waves. A versatile fencer, Griffin brings a high IQ to the strip. Gallyfallou and Griffin will be paced by senior Ariadna Tucker, who finished 13th at NCA A’s a season ago. On the men’s side, Notre Dame is hoping to emulate their past successes. Junior foil specialist Chase Emmer won the individual national championship last season. Emmer is primed to be a leading figure in head coach Gia Kvaratskhelia’s surge for another national championship. Sophomore Liam Bas will serve as another important piece alongside him. Bas won the ACC individual championship in his freshman year. Junior sabre specialist Radu Nitu also took home gold at ACC’s last season.

Nitu’s 6-foot-4 frame makes him a tough target. Although Notre Dame’s schedule for either meet has yet to be released publicly, NYU, Yale and Ohio State will be at the Philadelphia Invitational. One thing is for certain, however: Kvaratskhelia will have his team ready. Fresh off his sixth national championship as head coach, Kvaratskhelia has become a legend of the sport and has instilled an elite culture within the program. At the ACC Championships last year, Notre Dame fencers not competing on the strip were seen emphatically cheering their teammates on. Kvaratskhelia has also guided Notre Dame fencers to new heights. He was instrumental in the development of

foil specialist Lee Kiefer, who has since gone on to win three Olympic gold medals. Kiefer’s four individual national championships stands alone as the most of any Notre Dame fencer. Men’s sabre specialist Luke Linder isn’t far behind, racking up three across his time under Kvartskhelia’s guidance. The weekend offers Notre Dame fencers an opportunity to start their journey as the new all-time great to come from Kvartskhelia’s mentorship. The Irish will return home the following weekend to host the Michael DeCicco Duals. From there, it’s full steam ahead as the Irish continue the quest for a fifteenth national championship. Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu

ND MEN’S TENNIS

Notre Dame tennis prepares for spring season By Jacek Kawczynski Sports Writer

The Notre Dame men’s tennis program enters the spring season with high hopes following a stellar individual fall season. After a strong 10-2 start to the 2025 team season, the Irish struggled against a tough ACC schedule, finishing 1-12 in conference matchups. By the end of the ACC Men’s Tennis Championship, Notre Dame gutted out a promising 4-3 win over Miami, avenging a 2-4 loss earlier in the season, before falling 1-4 to No. 19 Duke. With f lashes of potential last spring, combined with a strong recruiting season, tennis fans are hoping for a big jump for the Irish men’s team in 2026. Notre Dame’s men’s team rebounded in the fall of 2025, with strong individual performances on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) circuit. Senior Sebastian Dominko continued his dominant form from the spring before. Dominko went 9-3 in ITA matches, and beat three ranked opponents at the ITA Sectional tournament in November, securing a place in the NCA A Singles Championships for a fourth straight year. The 6-four-8-inch lefty from Maribor, Slovenia will aim to cement his legacy with a strong run this spring, before potentially turning to the professional tour. Freshmen Nolan Balthazor and Nicholas Patrick showed poise and maturity during their individual seasons. Balthazor posted a 9-4 singles record, while Patrick went 4-4

in individual matches. The former five-stars also went 5-3 as a doubles pair, foreshadowing a potential dynamic duo in the team season ahead. Sophomore Giuseppe Cerasuolo, junior Kyran Magimay, and graduate student Perry Gregg also performed well in the singles department, finishing 9-4, 10-4, and 10-4, respectively. Magimay and Gregg participated in six doubles ITA’s, dominating the circuit with a 5-1 record. The strong individual season last fall was the perfect warmup for what looks to be another tough schedule this spring. The Irish season kicks off with a trip to New Haven, Connecticut for a duel against Yale. Last January, the Irish earned a hard fought 4-3 home win against the Bulldogs, with four of the seven matches going to a deciding third set. The Notre Dame men’s team will hope to emulate that grit in Friday’s away duel at 5:00 P.M. The Irish will start the year with three non-conference matchups before heading to Kentucky for a showdown against Louisville on Jan. 25. February’s schedule consists of solely non-conference play, which the Irish will use as a tuneup before hosting three top-ten ranked ACC rivals: No. 1 Wake Forest on March 13, No. 9 NC State on March 15, and No. 4 Stanford on March 20. If the Notre Dame men’s team can upset at least one of their ACC rivals during this stretch, they will set themselves up for a solid run at the ACC Tournament in mid-April, and a potential

JONATHAN KARR | The Observer

A Notre Dame tennis player jumps for a backhand shot during a duel with North Carolina on March 9, 2025. Notre Dame will open its spring campaign on Jan. 16 in New Haven, Conn. against the Yale Bulldogs.

qualification to the NCA A DI Men’s Tennis Team Championships. The return of seasoned veterans like Dominko, paired with the rise of young talent

and a solid ITA season has left Irish men’s tennis fans with much to hope for. Despite the daunting schedule, Notre Dame’s men’s tennis team is poised for a strong rebound

after last spring, and potentially its first winning season since 2022. Contact Jacek Kawczynski at jkawczyn@nd.edu

SPORTS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026

Freeman

Continued from page 1 transfer portal class in the country, head coach Marcus Freeman has been the topic of conversation for college football fans, pundits and analysts everywhere. Freeman to stay at Notre Dame despite NFL interest While Notre Dame football’s 10-2 mark did not earn it a spot in the 2025 College Football Playoff, Freeman continued to generate interest in the professional ranks. The 40-year-old has had quite a successful career since being elevated to the helm of the program in 2021, including leading the team to the National Championships in just his third full season. Freeman’s captivating personality, strong leadership and onfield success led many National Football League teams to reach out and gauge his interest in potentially making the leap. In a press conference last December, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua advocated for Freeman to remain in South Bend, and made it very clear that the University would do whatever it could to ensure that. Bevacqua also referenced that Freeman has a “living, breathing contract” and would be willing to compensate the coach and resource the program to the top tier of college football. Bevacqua and Freeman have both acknowledged the mystique of the NFL, and Freeman hasn’t ruled out a future move,

but the coach is content and motivated in South Bend for 2026. “Maybe some time in the future if it’s the right time and I think it’s what’s right for me, then maybe I’ll pursue it,” Freeman said. “I don’t love wasting time thinking about things that aren’t right in front of me. Right now, I am convicted and motivated to being the best head coach of Notre Dame football.” While the NFL noise will accompany Freeman as long as success continues, Notre Dame will employ Freeman again for at least the 2026 football season. Prosecutors decline to charge Freeman following accusations of battery Freeman opened his 40-minute press conference on Tuesday by expressing his gratitude for the Notre Dame administration’s unwavering support throughout the allegations of battery made against him by a local high school wrestling coach. He also commended the journalists who were aware of the Jan. 3 incident at Penn High School but waited to report details until the Mishawaka Police Department had concluded their report. Feeling as if he and his family had “been dragged through the mud with clickbait headlines,” Freeman was accused in a police report published by The South Bend Tribune of two-hand-pushing New Prairie High School wrestling coach Chris Fleeger during an altercation following a match

involving Freeman’s son, Vinny. Fleeger’s account of the incident was that Freeman shouted at him and made forcible contact after Vinny lost a match at the Al Smith Wrestling Invitational. Notre Dame responded by releasing a statement that it was Vinny who had been verbally accosted, and that Freeman and his wife, Joanna, had simply removed their son from the situation. The statement went on to attest that the police report, which included video evidence, would fully exonerate the Irish head coach. Eventually, security footage from the gymnasium was made available, and although blurry, it was evident that Freeman’s hands never left his pockets during the brief interaction with Fleeger. After being handed the police investigation, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office declined to pursue any charges. The office cited that the existing evidence would have made it difficult to prove that any crime occurred. Freeman concluded his remarks on the incident by saying, “I behaved in a respectful and professional manner while protecting my family, and that should have been the only headline.” Irish overcome slow start to secure highest-ranked transfer class Immersed in the current chaos of the transfer portal and NIL, the Irish looked to retain most of the impact players from a squad that finished a few snaps away from the

THE OBSERVER | 11

CFP. Notre Dame’s offseason began slowly with the departure of quarterback-depth in redshirt sophomore backup Kenny Minchey and walk-on Anthony Rezac. The Irish lost fourth-string running back Gi’Bran Payne to the portal, which amounts to a loss of three running backs, including Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price to the NFL. Other offensive contributors that left include receivers KK Smith and Scrap Richardson. On the defensive side, the Irish lost Karson Hobbs, and Joshua Burnham, with the latter heading four hours south to suit up for the Hoosiers. On special teams, backup kicker Marcello Diomede also transferred. Despite all of these exits, Notre Dame is one of the few programs in the country to not have a starting player enter the portal. As Freeman and staff turned the page to 2026, Notre Dame looked to bring in pass rushing help on defense and explosive skill position players on offense. To do this, the Irish spurned decades of tradition and targeted undergraduate transfers with multiple years of eligibility. Much to the ire of previous coaching staffs, the precedent of only acquiring graduate transfers has remained due to rigorous academic standards, but Freeman was able to secure the change. Despite such a fact, Freeman made it clear on Tuesday that the standards within his football program wouldn’t be loosened to accommodate new talent when he said, “If you’re

coming here to just play football, it’s not going to work. You have to understand you’re coming to a place to where you have to put the team before yourself.” While the additions came later and in fewer numbers, Notre Dame has once again found success in the portal. The most important player added on the offense was Quincy Porter, a former five-star recruit and the No. 2 receiver in the class of 2025, who comes from Ohio State. The Irish also added Porter’s teammate, Mylan Graham, a four-star receiver with three years of eligibility. To bolster the defensive front, Notre Dame brought in Keon Keeley from Alabama, a previous five-star edge rusher with two years of eligibility remaining, as well as Pitt freshman All-American defensive lineman Francis Brewu. In the secondary, the Irish secured safety DJ McKinney from Colorado, who started 22 games in Boulder, and cornerback Jayden Sanders from Michigan. To solve the inconsistent and injuryfilled kicking room, special teams acquired Purdue kicker Spencer Porath. At the direction of their tireless, and perhaps persuasive leader, the Irish have bucked tradition and embraced the new world of college athletics. If there were any doubts or apprehension from administration about the ideological shift, Freeman made sure to quell those by securing the No. 1 class in America.

ND MEN’S BASKETBALL

Analysis: Irish struggle to find offensive rhythym By Ben Hicks Interim Sports Editor

Now in the midst of a frustrating three-game ACC losing streak, Micah Shrewsberry’s Notre Dame men’s basketball team has struggled to find an identity on the offensive end of the court. Since star junior guard Markus Burton hobbled to the floor with an ankle injury during the first half of the Dec. 5 overtime triumph at TCU, the Irish have averaged just 68 points per game. Prior to the preseason all-ACC first teamer’s ailment, a much more fluid Notre Dame attack had been averaging upwards of 75 points per game. Even factoring in his measly six-point performance prior to the injury in Fort Worth, Texas, Burton accounted for 18.5 points and 3.7 assists per night. His absence is one of the main factors for the Irish offense screeching to a halt, but this team has plenty of secondary characters more than capable of filling the void left by last season’s conference leader in points.

So, why has Notre Dame’s offense been so inconsistent in recent competitions? First, let’s look at the analytics. Ken Pomeroy, a godfather of college basketball statistical tracking, measures offensive and defensive efficiency, as well as the adjusted tempo for all 365 Division I programs. Despite its lack of length and athleticism, Notre Dame ranks in the top-50 defensively. Yet a team that is supposed to be littered with skillful, versatile offensive weapons has dipped all the way to 106th in offensive efficiency. Additionally, Notre Dame’s adjusted tempo is 294th nationally, meaning tat the Irish play at one of the slowest paces of any power conference team. The sluggish, almost unhurried pace lies at the root of Notre Dame’s offensive woes. At risk of sounding oversimplistic, basketball teams tend to score more points when they shoot more shots. The slower the pace at which a team plays, the fewer shots it attempts each game. Add in Notre Dame’s offensive rebounding struggles, sans graduate forward Carson

Towt, and Notre Dame simply isn’t attempting enough shots to score enough. While lacking Burton’s ability to create shots for himself and others early in the possession certainly doesn’t help, Notre Dame’s pace of play has been slow all throughout Shrewsberry’s three-year tenure. The Irish were a ghastly 314th in adjusted tempo a year ago, even with Burton and even after the head coach placed an offseason emphasis on playing faster in transition. The other concern for Notre Dame is its scheme. Despite earning the moniker “Micah Shrewsberry: More Plays than Broadway” during his reign at Penn State, Shrewsberry has opted to rely heavily on a motion-based system over the past two seasons in South Bend. Although not an exact replica, the Irish have primarily ran a version of the continuity ball screen offense popularized by head coach Mark Few and Gonzaga during the mid to late 2010s. The system, which involves perimeter ball swings and timing-based backcuts, lifted the Bulldogs from perennial

West Coast Conference champion to legitimate national title contenders by 2017. The offense is dependent on shifty, creative ball-handlers to attack off-ball screens, which Burton definitely fit the mold of. However, is also most effective with versatile big men who can stretch defenses to allow for more space and opportunities at the rim. Future NBA big men Kelly Olynyk, Zach Collins, Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren all thrived in the offense, but those players had much more solidified skillsets than Notre Dame’s rotation of Towt, senior forward Kebba Njie and sophomore forward Garrett Sundra. Furthermore, outside of Burton, the Irish lack a true downhill driver to exploit aggressive defensive coverages. Their go-to guy of late has been freshman forward Jalen Haralson, but his repetoire is much more post-oriented and back to the basket. Additionally, in a screeningbased offense, teams need strong, physical screeners, which Notre Dame lacks. With such a young team, Shrewsberry

almost always has to play at least one of sophomore guards Cole Certa and Sir Mohammed, the lanky Sundra or freshmen forward Brady Koehler and guard Ryder Frost. All of these players can space the floor and shoot the three at a high clip, but lack the physicality to screen and cut effectively against bigger ACC competition. While the Irish don’t possess the horses to play with the pace of Georgia or the efficiency of Alabama and Purdue, a change in identity could propel them over the hump in upcoming games against physical ACC defenses. Although deployed sparingly, Shrewsberry has demonstrated his keen ability to scheme his scorers open out of timeouts and in late-game situations. A faster transition pace to get their perimeter weapons more threepoint looks, and more sets to get Haralson post touches could be the spark Notre Dame needs to reclaim its early-season identity and make one final push for March Madness. Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu

SPORTS

12 | THE OBSERVER

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026

ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Second half run dooms Irish against Louisville By Jack Muething Sports Writer

The No. 23 Notre Dame Fighting Irish women’s basketball team lost to the No. 9 Louisville Cardinals 79-66 in a highly anticipated battle at Purcell Pavilion. The result drops Notre Dame to 12-5 on the year and 4-3 in the ACC, while Louisville improves to 17-3 on the year and an undefeated 7-0 in the ACC. The loss showcased some glaring issues for the Irish as they look to improve their form in the coming games. The first quarter was a very back-and-forth battle, which ended 17-16 in favor of Notre Dame. The Irish mainly focused on post play by feeding graduate forward Malaya Cowles underneath

as she recorded six points, all of which came from the paint. Graduate guard Iyana Moore was also very involved in the first quarter, scoring seven points, including a three-pointer and two long two-pointers. Junior guard Hannah Hidalgo was unable to get anything going early, missing two free throws and being unable to convert on the rare occasions when she got open looks. For Louisville, the leading scorer in the first quarter only had four points, but that is a great summary of how the Cardinals have played all year. They have many different weapons to utilize, as they have five different players who average more than nine points per game. Louisville head coach

Jeff Walz spoke about his team’s depth and explained how even though they don’t “have a Hannah (Hidalgo),” they still have 8-10 very talented weapons they can utilize. They spread out their offense very well, and they proved that in the first quarter. Additionally, Notre Dame outrebounded Louisville 127, which was surprising given that Louisville is ranked third in the ACC in rebounds per game, while Notre Dame is ranked 15th. In the second quarter, Hannah Hidalgo came to life and entered takeover mode. She scored 13 of Notre Dame’s 16 points in the quarter, and she also pulled down four rebounds. The All-American became very aggressive at

driving to the basket, and she was really the only source of offense for the Irish throughout the frame. For the Cardinals, they got very good production off the bench from senior guard Reyna Scott, who scored seven of the team’s 21 points. They completely dominated the post, with all their field goals being two-point shots, and they also won the rebound battle, which helped them extend the lead to four by the end of the half, entering the locker room at 37-33. The third quarter was a completely different game for each team’s offense. In the first half, both sides relied heavily on feeding the post and driving to the basket. However, the game became much more focused

DECLAN LEE | The Observer

Notre Dame graduate forward Malaya Cowles scans the floor for an open teammate during a 79-66 loss to No. 9 Louisville at Purcell Pavilion on Jan. 15. The Wake Forest transfer scored 12 points and added 5 rebounds in the defeat, upping her season averages to 9.8 points and 5.5 rebounds.

on three-point shots in the second half. The third quarter was when the game was decided as the Cardinals built their lead up to double digits, receiving large contributions from their leading scorer, sophomore guard Tajianna Roberts, who had struggled in the three games prior to this one. Coach Walz talked about how impressed he was with Roberts’ contributions in the second half, as she scored eight points in each of the final two quarters. For the Irish, they entered the second half shooting 2-8 from deep, but they went 5-6 in the third quarter. Senior guard Cassandre Prosper had an off-night in the post, but she knocked down both her attempted triples in the quarter. Moore, who started the night hot, continued her form, knocking down a pair as well. Hidalgo contributed as well with seven points in the quarter. However, it seemed like every time Notre Dame knocked down a three and was about to reclaim the momentum, Louisville answered and killed the Irish’s hopes of making a comeback. The Irish entered the fourth quarter only down six, and it seemed like they had a chance to make a comeback. However, the Cardinals came out hot, led by Roberts. She canned two momentum-killing treys that all but sealed the deal for the Cardinals. The Irish just looked uncompetitive in the fourth quarter, only scoring 10 total points, with Hidalgo being held to just two. Overall, the game came down to Notre Dame having a lack of depth compared to Louisville. The Irish didn’t make a single substitute in the second half, and it caught up to them as they struggled to defend Louisville from outside the arc. Hidalgo talked about their limited bench in the postgame press conference, saying, “We know we have enough and whoever’s on the f loor, it’s enough for us to win, and it’s just a matter of everybody buying into what we’re doing.” She also said that the defense is the “common denominator in a lot of these losses.” She may be right that the Irish have enough, even with their small reserve production, but there were certainly issues on the defensive side tonight that could be attributed to fatigue. The Irish will have their hands full with their next opponent as they take on the No. 1 ranked Connecticut Huskies in Storrs on Martin Luther King Day. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. on FOX. Contact Jack Muething at jmuethin@nd.edu