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 faith-based framework for a world of powerful AI.

The masculine urge to ... part 4

The masculine urge to drop out of Notre Dame and become armed security for an illegal mining operation somewhere in Africa has been one of my most recent intrusive masculine thoughts. It dawned upon me during a conversation in the kitchen with my roommate where I ranted about all the things I’d rather do and places I’d rather be than be studying for my finals. At that moment, I thought I would much prefer to give up living in the United States and return to my ancestral homeland of Vietnam, where I would wander rural towns with a palm-sized wicker basket to beg for alms. I thought I would much prefer to move to the plains of Argentina and immerse myself in rearing cattle, with the hopes of eventually opening up a steakhouse to feed the local community. But this idea about protecting an illegal mining operation and defending my transportation convoy from an ambush by a militia, backed by our competitor, seemed most attractive to me. 

Shooting leaves one dead near Notre Dame campus

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. 

ND Naval ROTC named best in the nation

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 early action admissions rate sinks to record low 11.8%

Notre Dame accepted just 11.8% of restrictive early action applicants, a record low and a decline from 12.9% last year. Prospective students for the class of 2030 were notified of their admissions decisions on Dec. 16 at 6:42 p.m., a time which, on a 24-hour time table, corresponds with the University’s founding in 1842.

Bevacqua advocates for reform after playoff omission

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua continued to declare his sense of bewilderment over the College Football Playoff committee’s decision to leave the Irish out of the CFP in a Tuesday press conference. 

Print Edition of The Observer for Monday, December 8, 2025

Editorial: It’s Notre Dame vs. everybody

At noon Sunday, 12 teams were selected to compete in the 2025 College Football Playoff — Notre Dame was not one of them. As ESPN talking-heads, the ACC and college football pundits around the country lauded the committee’s decision to leave the Irish out, a decades-old feeling reemerged in the hearts of Irish faithful: It’s us against the world.

AI reshapes internship search for University students and employers

The internship search has long involved networking for professional outreach. Now, the internship application process also involves the artificial neural and computer networks that make up AI. With both students and employers using artificial intelligence tools, the internship search for Notre Dame students today looks quite different from years past. 

University task force examines adding AI core requirement

Since September, a task force within the Data, AI, and Computing Initiative has been exploring the best means of incorporating AI into Notre Dame’s curriculum. 

'Word of the Year' selections sow campus backlash

Multiple dictionaries have released their selection for 2025’s ”Word of the Year”. Time Magazine reported the top selection for each of the major dictionaries: “rage bait” from Oxford Dictionary, “AI slop” from Macquarie Dictionary, “parasocial” from Cambridge Dictionary, “vibe coding” from Collins Dictionary and “67” from Dictionary.com.

Jeremiyah Love’s case for the Heisman Trophy

On Monday night, the Heisman Trophy committee will release its finalists for the 2025 award. With four players typically making the trek to New York City, this year will likely see Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love take center stage in the Big Apple.

The future of Irish football: Notre Dame secures all-time great 2026 class

The early signing period, which opened on Wednesday, cemented one of the greatest Notre Dame recruiting classes in the Internet era of rankings. All 27 committed recruits signed to round out the No. 4 class in the nation, according to 247Sports. The group included four five-stars and 19 four-stars, with 14 players inside the top 250. Twelve different states were represented in the class, a reflection of Notre Dame’s nationwide recruiting push under head coach Marcus Freeman.

University releases annual financial report showing strong endowment performance

The University released its consolidated financial report for the period between June 30, 2024 and the same date this year. It will be the last report to escape the effect of the new 4% endowment tax rate, which goes into effect for the 2026 tax year.

Award-winning author examines mainstream beliefs of the Arabic language post 9/11

Moustafa Bayoumi, journalist, author and educator, spoke Thursday evening for the Literatures of Annihilation, Exile and Resistance research collective and lecture series. The series is dedicated to exploring contemporary literature that focus on exile, transnational migration and human rights violations. The dialogues bring together speakers from the United States, North Africa and Southeast and Southwest Asia.

Irish football fails to make playoffs

There were two spots left, yet three very similar teams had strong arguments for those spots. The College Football Playoff committee had an incredibly tough choice to make, knowing that whatever decision it made was going to produce controversy.

Writing and Tutoring Center embroiled in finals season

The Writing and Tutoring Center at Saint Mary’s has served the campus community for 51 years. It began as the Writing Proficiency Program in 1974.

Hicks: Miami isn’t the problem. Alabama is.

Despair. Disappointment. Disbelief. Those were among the words ESPN’s Jen Lada used to describe the emotions inside Notre Dame’s football facility as the Irish hopelessly saw their national championship dreams slip away on TV. Not on the field, but behind closed doors, with no real rationale or consistency to support the arbitrary decision-making of the 12-member College Football Playoff committee.

‘Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair’: Two halves make a whole

“Kill Bill” was the fourth film made by Quentin Tarantino. Well, that depends on who you ask. Due to its problematic length, discovered when editing the footage, producers placed pressure on the filmmaker to cut his project into two parts so that Tarantino could not only retain all of the scenes that he loved, but also let each half of the film shine on its own. Thus, “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” was released in theaters in October 2003 as Tarantino’s fourth theatrical release, and “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” was released in April 2004 as his fifth. Though each film rightfully received heaps of praise and box office glory, I watched both films and was left unconvinced. I loved the aesthetic of each project in its own way, but I could not help but feel that each did not have enough weight to substantiate its existence. As a result of this, I left both films feeling like I had an incomplete experience. It was not until I witnessed this great saga in its original, uncut version that I fully understood the masterpiece that Tarantino had crafted. “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” is how viewers were meant to experience this story, and it was worth the wait. 

The dangers of imbalance on the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has nine justices, but its decisions impact the entire nation. In recent times, there have been a plethora of controversial and social policy-shaping decisions — the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the striking down of affirmative action among them. Do these positions reflect a changing society? Or simply a change in who is in power?