Twenty-five centuries ago, Thucydides wrote of heroic men that their story, after death, “abides everywhere without visible symbol, woven into the stuff of other men’s lives.” We know them when they are gone by their enduring effect upon us, and upon those who knew them — and upon those whom they never knew, but who live and flourish in the shade of their works. The hero lives beyond his own.
That was the late great Coach Lou Holtz in full. After 89 years on the field, he has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beloved-notre-dame-football-coach-lou-holtz-dies-at-89">gone on</a> to his reward — and he also lives on, among us, in the lives he transformed, and in the country he served.
He was the greatest of men — a college football hall of famer, a devoted father, and a faithful Christian.
He was also one of my best friends. I had the opportunity to reflect upon his friendship, and his example, at his visitation and memorial in South Bend, Indiana this week. Seeing the men and women gathered there — the friends and family, and just as importantly the Americans who he never knew but knew him — it was impossible to miss the simple truth. Lou Holtz was a heroic man. It was a quiet heroism, a modest heroism, and a heroism he would have denied with all sincerity. But his life was one of heroism all the same.
Selfless service and a solid personal example, you see, can be heroic in their way. He possessed both in full.
<div id="attachment_1060871" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1060871" class="size-large wp-image-1060871" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-108124301-864x576.jpg" alt="GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: ESPN reporter Lou Holtz looks on during the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game between the Oregon Ducks and the Auburn Tigers at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-108124301-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-108124301-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-108124301-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-108124301.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images</div>
Coach Holtz was a source of inspiration to me ever since we first met 33 years ago at the 1993 Cotton Bowl game, where Texas A&amp;M played Notre Dame, and I was the Cotton Bowl Queen. It was a cold, cold day out, but it turned out to be the beginning of a warm, lifelong friendship.
Coach Holtz famously said, “God did not put us on this earth to be ordinary.” And his extraordinary life proves that he lived up to those words better than most.
We could point to his many victories on the field, as the only college football coach in history to lead six different programs to bowl games and four different programs to final top 15 rankings.
But those victories are just part of the story — the fruits of a lifelong commitment to servant leadership.
In addition to serving as an officer in the United States Army Reserve, Coach Holtz was active in national politics for many years. Decades after we first met, we reunited when I was at the helm of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. As the years went on, we developed a bond over a shared vision for America that solidified under President Trump. Coach Holtz was an early supporter of the president, who awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020 — an honor that was well deserved.
Coach Holtz was a great American, a great coach, a great man. But most important in the eyes of God: he was a good man. He was never content with merely speaking about the Gospel — he was intent on putting it into practice. His decades of charitable work, most recently through the Holtz’s Heroes Foundation, served communities in need and provided scholarships to former student-athletes facing financial, physical, or mental hardships.
In 2021, he helped me launch the America First Policy Institute, which he later told me was the most important team he would ever be a part of. Instead of kicking his feet up, he spent his final years coaching America back to greatness and inspired countless Americans along the way — including me. The last time I saw him, he was still working, still laboring, still leading for the causes he held dear — God and America.
Whether on the football field, on the civic field, or on the field of faith, Coach Holtz carried the ball and kept the flame of greatness alive. Although he’s no longer with us, his dedication to truth and goodness lives on in the lives of those he impacted. There are so many who will walk in the paths he set forth without knowing it was him who gave them the opening drive. But we who know, we who loved him, we will always remember.
Thank you, Coach, for your life, for your example, and for your faith. We won’t let you down.
* * *
Brooke L. Rollins is the 33rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
Disclaimer: Brooke Rollins is writing in her personal capacity as a private citizen and the views expressed herein are solely her own.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Remembering Lou Holtz, The Coach America Needed

Bible

Charity

Coach

Football

NCAA football

Notre Dame University

Opinion

Secretary of Agriculture

A University of Notre Dame professor, with a long public record of supporting abortion, has stepped down from a senior leadership role at the Catholic university following weeks of pressure from students, faculty, and Catholic leaders nationwide.
Susan Ostermann, an associate professor in Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, will no longer assume the role of director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, <a href="https://www.ndsmcobserver.com/article/2026/02/breaking-ostermann-declines-liu-institute-directorship-following-backlash-over-abortion-advocacy">according</a> to a February 26 email from Keough Dean Mary Gallagher. Ostermann had been slated to take the position on July 1.
Gallagher said Ostermann “decided not to move forward” with the appointment and thanked her for her “willingness to serve.” Ostermann will remain on the faculty in her prior role as associate professor.
The decision follows widespread backlash after Notre Dame announced Ostermann’s appointment in January. Critics pointed to her extensive public advocacy for abortion, including multiple articles in which she described restrictions on abortion as “violence” and rejected the claim that abortion ends human life.
The controversy quickly escalated beyond campus. Two faculty members resigned from their roles at the Liu Institute in protest, and students organized prayer events and demonstrations calling on the university to uphold its Catholic identity.
Notre Dame <a href="https://meca.nd.edu/our-catholic-mission/">describes</a> itself as an institution where “Catholic character” informs all it does, a claim critics said was incompatible with elevating an outspoken abortion advocate to a leadership role.
The news of Ostermann’s withdrawal from the leadership role was met with positive reactions from pro-life advocates, though some said it did not go far enough. Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, called the move “a good start,” but argued that Ostermann’s continued presence on the faculty remains incompatible with Notre Dame’s Catholic mission.
“It’s clear from her aggressively pro-abortion body of work, including her association with the Population Council, that she needs to be terminated,” Hawkins said in a statement obtained by The Daily Wire. “The premier Catholic school in America should not allow professors to blatantly oppose central teachings on the value of all human life, including babies in the womb. Her elevation was extremely troubling, but stepping down is not enough. She needs to go.”
Pressure intensified earlier this month when Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, whose diocese includes Notre Dame, <a href="https://diocesefwsb.org/statement-of-most-reverend-kevin-c-rhoades-on-appointment-of-new-director-of-the-liu-institute-at-the-university-of-notre-dame/">issued</a> a public statement condemning the appointment. Rhoades said he had “strong opposition” to the decision and warned it was “causing scandal to the faithful of our diocese and beyond.”
Ostermann’s “extensive public advocacy of abortion” and her “disparaging and inflammatory remarks about those who uphold the dignity of human life from the moment of conception to natural death,” Rhoades said, directly conflicted with a core principle of Notre Dame’s mission.
Catholic lay-leaders framed Ostermann’s withdrawal as a necessary step to preserve the university’s identity and credibility. Mary FioRito, a senior fellow at The Catholic Association, said the decision was a “win for consistency, clarity, and common sense” at the University of Notre Dame.
“As an explicitly Catholic university, Notre Dame owes its students and faculty truth in advertising,” FioRito said in a statement obtained by The Daily Wire, arguing that “Ostermann’s public advocacy of legal abortion would have overshadowed the good work of the Liu Center and significantly hampered its ability to form students.” FioRito also credited alumni, students, faculty, and staff who raised concerns through prayer and public advocacy, as well as Bishop Rhoades and other bishops who issued statements opposing the appointment.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I want to express my strong support for the statement that Bishop Kevin Rhoades made this morning concerning a controversial appointment at the University of Notre Dame. Please read his communication in full, for he makes the case more completely and eloquently than I could.…
— Bishop Robert Barron (@BishopBarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/BishopBarron/status/2021613562842489042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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On Tuesday, Rhoades <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/bishop-rhoades-leads-rosary-for-notre-dame-s-catholic-identity">joined</a> students, faculty, and staff at the university’s Marian grotto for a public rosary “for the cause of life.”
In a statement included with Gallagher’s email, Ostermann said her acceptance of the directorship was motivated solely by a desire to serve the institute’s faculty and students. She added that the ongoing controversy risked overshadowing the institute’s work and said there was “work to do at Notre Dame to build a community where a variety of voices can flourish.”
The Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred from conception to natural death and that direct abortion is a grave moral evil. In recent remarks honoring Mother Teresa, Pope Leo XIV <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-political-innovation-hackathon-one-humanity-one-planet.html">described</a> abortion as “the greatest destroyer of peace.”
Church teaching on Catholic higher education is laid out in St. John Paul II’s apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, which calls on Catholic universities to safeguard their identity while exercising academic freedom within the bounds of faith and reason.
Student organizers say demonstrations and prayer events will continue, framing Ostermann’s withdrawal not as an endpoint, but as evidence that sustained, faithful pressure can produce results.

University of Notre Dame Golden Dome

Pro-Abortion Professor Finally Caves To Pressure At Historic Catholic Institution

Student And Clergy Protest Leads Pro-Abortion Professor To Bow Out Of Notre Dame Director Role

Abortion

Catholicism

Christianity

Christians

As the University of Notre Dame faces concerns of false advertising, it may be time for Catholic students and tuition-paying parents to ask themselves if they can get a discount on the <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://financialaid.nd.edu/costs-and-affordability/*:*:text=Table_title:*20Average*20Cost*20of*20Attendance*20for*202025*2D2026,Item:*20Personal*20Expenses*20*7C*20Cost:*20$1*2C200*20*7C__;I34lJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VfAPiiLS$">$90,000</a> per year price tag. While the school&#8217;s website <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.nd.edu/faith/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VTuaGZjq$">reads,</a> “Notre Dame’s Catholic character informs all it does,” the recent promotion of a pro-abortion professor leaves that statement in doubt.
It’s hard to see how that Catholic character led the school to appoint an outspoken abortion activist to a leadership role. Either the Holy Father, church tradition, and the Bible are all mistaken, and the Catholic faith can in fact coexist with abortion, or Notre Dame is seriously misinformed as to what being Catholic actually means.
Susan Ostermann, the abortion proponent in question, was employed at the university for almost nine years as a professor before the school announced her appointment as the new director of the Keough School of Global Affairs’ Liu Institute of Asia and Asian Studies.
During her tenure, Ostermann used her platform to author and coauthor multiple articles on abortion.
“Forced pregnancy and childbirth is violence,” wrote Ostermann for <a href="https://www.salon.com/2022/05/04/forced-pregnancy-and-childbirth-are-violence-against-women-and-also-terrible-health-policy/">Salon.com</a>. “It is sexual abuse. It is trauma.”
“When the state supports forced pregnancy and childbirth, it is complicit in this violence,” she continues.
Attempts to outlaw abortion “have their roots in white supremacy and racism,” Ostermann explains in <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fwww.salon.com*2F2022*2F07*2F19*2Fabortion-and-guns-how-supremacy-unites-the-right*2F&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7C0cf1d02750f443d94e9c08de629fea78*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639056636131764390*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=TXL*2BrMPjzahb5dpgLcERcEvPkBHoMtHjKg4bomIhPNY*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VSkEFO79$">another article</a> titled, “Abortion, racism, and guns: How white supremacy unites the right.”
Of course, almost all of the claims in Ostermann’s articles are false. It was the early pro-abortion movement, not the pro-life movement, that stemmed from racism and promoted eugenics. Nor, as Ostermann implies in her other article, are a large portion of pregnancies (or abortions) the result of rape.
But even setting aside the accuracy of Ostermann’s claims, her articles highlight a much deeper issue: a lack of belief in the sanctity of life. It’s impossible to believe that life is sacred while also believing that protecting preborn lives is “violence.”
Most would have expected better of Notre Dame. Recently, the top-ranked school did get a “B” in <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.instituteforprolifeadvancement.org/christian-schools-tied-to-big-abortion-2025-research-results/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VbVu2X9l$">Students for Life’s Christian Schools</a> report that looked at 725 Christian colleges and universities claiming to be faith-based (excluding denominations that support abortion).
We found that fully 114 self-proclaimed Christian colleges have ties to abortion. That’s 114 schools directly violating the faith they proclaim. In Notre Dame’s case, their Gender Studies Program (and that’s a red flag) held an event “<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://genderstudies.nd.edu/events-and-news/events/2023/03/20/trans-care-abortion-care-intersections-and-questions/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2Vcm379w-$">Trans Care &amp; Abortion Care”</a> featuring outspoken abortion advocates. That makes two major strikes against the school, apparently masquerading as a mentor of future Catholic leaders.
The most fundamental Christian principle is the sanctity of life. God created humans in his image, bestowing upon them inherent worth and value starting at the point of conception. Through that creation, humans derive, or are “endowed by their Creator with,” certain rights — including, for example, the right to life.
Abortion directly contradicts that principle, painting life as something meaningless to be destroyed at the convenience of another. In fact, <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://catholicvote.org/pope-tells-political-conference-attendees-greatest-destroyer-peace-abortion/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VWoA4mIk$">Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Mother Teresa</a> recently by noting that “the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion.”
By appointing Ostermann, Notre Dame has established — in its leadership, no less — someone who stands against everything it proclaims to believe.
In one of Ostermann’s articles, she writes, “When we stand by… we are complicit as well.” She was referring to states “forcing unwanted pregnancies” by restricting abortion. Ironically, her words ring true for Christians. If we stand silent while “Christian” institutions betray the Savior they confess by supporting the murder of infants in the name of compassion and love, then we are complicit.
What must happen instead?
For students, parents, and donors, the path forward is clear: Pressure Christian schools to either cut ties to abortion or stop falsely claiming Christ.
For other Christians, speaking out can take different forms — volunteering at a pro-life pregnancy center, supporting a pregnant community member and enabling her to choose life, or even taking to a public platform to proclaim the truth that abortion is murder.
For a self-proclaimed Catholic university — one that describes its actions as motivated by its faith — to appoint such a person to a leadership role exposes, at best, a lack of wisdom and, at worst, complete and utter moral decay.
This is a good time to pray a Hail Mary, to pray for us sinners, and those leading the schools where we send the next generation of leaders, that they be taught to uphold the faith and not to ignore it.
* * *
Kristan Hawkins is president of Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action, with more than 1,600 groups on middle and high school, college and university, medical and law school campuses in all 50 states. Follow her <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Ftwitter.com*2Fkristanhawkins*3Flang*3Den&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7C27bf81b427ed4d25627b08de543f97de*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639040829270781521*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=C7ZzuOMy7XZf3hb*2BILic3mUgaqZuQh6MDnb0058Hz9Q*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VYCUQYHT$">@KristanHawkins</a> or subscribe to her podcast, <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https*3A*2F*2Fkristanhawkins.com*2Fpodcast*2F&amp;data=05*7C02*7Ckhamrick*40studentsforlife.org*7C27bf81b427ed4d25627b08de543f97de*7Cb3f92ab929b141449c57d11e0e7a368a*7C0*7C0*7C639040829270800277*7CUnknown*7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ*3D*3D*7C0*7C*7C*7C&amp;sdata=b*2FEcs9UMK8btQOVIQRZOYfijz83AGjLJGPSCY9iS12M*3D&amp;reserved=0__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSU!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!xeeyTqD64ZFzG_RrEs6Yd0Qaau2zcy6SUEERwZ4F45ZWTmEYrJm7W1nCOGIuVsLO4nor7TKURdD2VZIKwc82$">The Kristan Hawkins Show.</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Notre Dame in Winter

Notre Dame Touts Faith But Elevates Abortion Advocate

American Universities

Catholic

catholic university

Leftists

Pro-Abortion

Pro-Life Movement

Professors

Three key Ohio State football players in the team’s 34-23 national championship victory over Notre Dame publicly thanked God after the game Monday night.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, who was named offensive MVP of the game after passing for 231 yards and 2 TDs while rushing for 57 yards, stated, “First and foremost, I gotta give the glory and the praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, man. I wouldn’t be here without him. I wouldn’t be here without my teammates, without my family, without everyone that bet on me back in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, man, I’m at a loss for words right now.”
While receiving the Offensive MVP Award, he added, “Before I say anything, I gotta give my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ all the glory, all the praise. Amen,” adding he was “so glad God gave me a chance to be a Buckeye.’
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ohio State QB Will Howard following an MVP performance: “First and foremost, I gotta give the glory and the praise to my lord and savior Jesus Christ.” <a href="https://t.co/X9brwU8Hzw">pic.twitter.com/X9brwU8Hzw</a>
— OutKick (@Outkick) <a href="https://twitter.com/Outkick/status/1881568227341619534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Linebacker Cody Simon, named Defensive MVP, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/ohio-state-stars-praise-god-after-winning-college-football-national-title?intcmp=tw_fnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">echoed</a>, &#8220;The Lord did something special on this team and we’re just so thankful. Everyone on this team, we all bought in. I love every guy out here – put the work in this whole year.&#8221;
Defensive end Jack Sawyer, who made three tackles, added, “This is the best feeling I’ve ever felt in my life. This is exactly what we had envisioned when we all decided to come back – to go out and do it this way and end on this note. We just thank God for giving us the ability to go out and here and do it, through the ups and the downs. He was with us on our side and we knew that. Overcame the adversity and, man, this just feels so good.”
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It wasn’t just Ohio State players who publicly acknowledged God on Monday night; after he scored the first touchdown of the game, Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard pointed to his armband that had &#8220;Matthew 23:12&#8221; written on it: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
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Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
– Matthew 23:12 <a href="https://t.co/gSTkG4isSp">pic.twitter.com/gSTkG4isSp</a>
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidpollack47/status/1881508147321606493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Even before the game, Leonard told Sports Michiana, “I truly think things happen for a reason. Not only us, but Ohio State as well. I think we’re the two main teams to just publicly display our faith the most. I don’t know if this is some divine teaching, you know, who put us here. I truly believe that Jesus was looking over both our shoulders throughout the whole season and put these two teams on a pedestal for a reason.”
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Riley Leonard feels Notre Dame &amp; Ohio St are the 2 teams to publicly display their faith the most.
“I don’t know if this is some divine teaching that put us here but I truly believe Jesus was looking over both of our shoulders… and put these 2 teams on a pedestal for a reason.” <a href="https://t.co/gxcKMByPb0">pic.twitter.com/gxcKMByPb0</a>
— Angelo Di Carlo (@angdicarlo) <a href="https://twitter.com/angdicarlo/status/1879675689437393386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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2025 CFP National Championship Presented by AT&T- Ohio State v Notre Dame

Ohio State Players Publicly Thank God After National Championship Win

Jesus Christ

Ohio State University

Religion

Sports

U.S.

After winning the Orange Bowl on Thursday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/notre-dame-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Notre Dame</a> head coach Marcus Freeman swatted down a question from an ESPN reporter about how Freeman&#8217;s race factored into the achievement.
The Fighting Irish edged out Penn State in a 27-24 nail-biter of a victory. The team now advances to the College Football Playoff national championship game, which is scheduled for January 20.
&#8220;You are the first black head coach to go to a national championship game in college football,&#8221; ESPN reporter Molly McGrath said to Freeman following the win. &#8220;How much does this mean to you?&#8221;
&#8220;You know, I’ve said this before, I don&#8217;t ever want to take attention away from the team,&#8221; Freeman responded. &#8220;It is an honor, and I hope all coaches — minorities, black, Asian, white, it doesn&#8217;t matter — great people continue to get opportunities to lead young men like this.&#8221;
&#8220;This ain’t about me, this is about us,&#8221; the coach, who is half black and half Korean, added. &#8220;And we’re going to celebrate what we’ve done because it’s something special.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ESPN reporter tries to play the race card with ND Head Coach Marcus Freeman &#8211; Freeman turns it down. <a href="https://t.co/oHfxoxRb3F">pic.twitter.com/oHfxoxRb3F</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1877581760592019693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
Folks online were quick to react to Freeman&#8217;s response, and McGrath&#8217;s racial question.
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&#8220;Notre Dame just won its biggest game since 1988. How does ESPN react? By focusing on one half of Marcus Freeman’s race,&#8221; Clay Travis posted on X. &#8220;Freeman absolutely crushes his answer and says he hopes all coaches regardless of race get great opportunities like he did.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Notre Dame just won its biggest game since 1988. How does <a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn</a> react? By focusing on one half of Marcus Freeman’s race. Freeman absolutely crushes his answer and says he hopes all coaches regardless of race get great opportunities like he did. <a href="https://t.co/GL3DL6lzB6">pic.twitter.com/GL3DL6lzB6</a>
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1877586728938013055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
NFL legend Brett Favre said McGrath&#8217;s question was &#8220;terrible,&#8221; but Freeman had a &#8220;great response.&#8221;
&#8220;Sports should bring people together not separate,&#8221; Favre added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Terrible question but great response by Notre Dame head coach.
Sports should bring people together not separate. <a href="https://t.co/odzoVsmK7w">pic.twitter.com/odzoVsmK7w</a>
— Brett Favre (@BrettFavre) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrettFavre/status/1877591253455356400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
Earlier in the month, Freeman was asked a similar racial question from the press. He responded by saying he was &#8220;grateful&#8221; to be one of two black coaches in the playoffs.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a reminder that you are a representation for many others &#8212; and many of our players that look the same way I do. Your color shouldn&#8217;t matter, and the evidence of your work should, but it takes everybody.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
This is extremely bad journalism by Ross, completely taking out of content of what Marcus Freeman actually said, where he did in fact acknowledge the significance:
Here was the actual quote: <a href="https://t.co/gMP4egPT9M">https://t.co/gMP4egPT9M</a> <a href="https://t.co/K8Nh6DWpm8">pic.twitter.com/K8Nh6DWpm8</a>
— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChancellorTV/status/1875036526876491847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
Freeman has also won over support for his decision to refocus the Notre Dame football program on God. A Christian his whole life, Freeman converted to Catholicism back in 2022 and he notably reinstated mandatory mass attendance for his players before games, a tradition that was dropped by the previous Fighting Irish coach.
“That’s important for me,&#8221; Freeman <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/interview/coach-marcus-freeman-talks-faith-fatherhood-and-notre-dame-football" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the National Catholic Register in 2022 about the school&#8217;s Christian context. &#8220;I want our guys to wonder about what it means to embrace Jesus Christ.”
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Marcus Freeman is a class act. A convert to Catholicism in 2022, he quickly reinstated the traditional ND practice of the team attending a pre-game Mass—something which had been abandoned by his predecessor. <a href="https://t.co/thTcDMoK7Z">https://t.co/thTcDMoK7Z</a>
— Father V (@father_rmv) <a href="https://twitter.com/father_rmv/status/1877737743121305632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Capital One Orange Bowl – Penn State v Notre Dame

‘Class Act’: Notre Dame Coach Swats Away ESPN Reporter’s Race Question After Orange Bowl Win

Notre Dame Coach Marcus Freeman Swats Away ESPN Reporter’s Race Question After Orange Bowl Win

Race

Social Issues

A state judge ruled against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/notre-dame-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Notre Dame</a> professor Tamara Kay on Monday after the pro-abortion faculty member at the Catholic university <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-abortion-professor-sues-conservative-college-newspaper-for-defamation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued a conservative student newspaper</a>, alleging it defamed her.
Kay, who teaches sociology, sued the student newspaper — the Irish Rover — last May, claiming it made “false and defamatory statements” about her in two articles that revealed the professor was promoting abortion access, even though Notre Dame states that it <a href="https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/institutional-statement-supporting-the-choice-for-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">holds</a> a view consistent with the Catholic Church opposing abortion. St. Joseph County, Indiana, Judge Steven David ruled that the court found the statements made about Kay in the articles “were true, within the meaning of the law, not made with actual malice, [and] did not contain a defamatory inference,” the College Fix <a href="https://www.thecollegefix.com/pro-abortion-notre-dame-professor-loses-defamation-lawsuit-against-student-newspaper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“The Court concludes that the allegedly defamatory statements were made in the furtherance of the defendant’s right to free speech, were made in connection with a public issue, were made with good faith and with a reasonable basis in law and fact,” David <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/697698325/St-Joseph-County-IN-judge-dismisses-Tamara-Kay-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
Kay alleged that after the Irish Rover published its articles on her, she “has been harassed, threatened, and experienced damage to her residential property” and “has suffered mentally and emotionally.” In his ruling, however, the judge wrote that Kay “has intentionally placed herself into the national discussion on abortion” after she posted on social media and published commentary in newspapers “advocating abortion legalization.”
The professor complained about a headline used by the Irish Rover for one of its pieces, which stated that she was “Help[ing] Students Obtain Abortions.” Kay argued that the headline defamed her, but Judge David wrote that the headline “was not unreasonable given all of the facts of this case,” according to the College Fix.
The Irish Rover <a href="https://irishrover.net/2022/10/keough-school-professor-offers-abortion-access-to-student/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Kay placed a poster on her door that had a “J” with a circle around it, which “denotes Notre Dame professors who are willing to help students access abortion.”
“This is a SAFE SPACE to get help and information on ALL Healthcare issues and access—confidentially with care and compassion,” the poster said.
Judge David wrote that the encircled “J” on the poster “can most reasonably mean to infer” that Kay was “willing to help students access abortions,” which was the crux of the Irish Rover’s article.
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Kay’s lawsuit also alleged that the newspaper misrepresented her quotes. The National Review listened to the audio obtained by the Irish Rover and found that the quotes were accurate while there was some deviation. The Daily Caller also analyzed recordings of Kay and found that there were a few “minor inaccuracies” in the Irish Rover’s reporting, but its articles accurately preserved the substance of the professor’s statements and actions.

Notre Dame

Judge Rules Against Pro-Abortion Notre Dame Professor Who Sued Conservative Student Newspaper For Defamation

Courts

Defamation

Indiana

Newspaper

Notre Dame University President has defended the school&#8217;s decision to sponsor a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drag-queen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drag queen</a> show stating in an automated response that the event will happen on the grounds of &#8220;academic freedom&#8221; and &#8220;freedom of expression.&#8221;
The university&#8217;s school paper &#8220;The Irish Rover&#8221; recently reported that the Film, Television, and Theater (FTT) Department will host a school-sponsored drag show on the campus on November 3.
News about the event has drawn criticism from students of the Catholic University who wrote an email to the school&#8217;s administration stating that the invite needs to &#8220;be rescinded [and that] the University offer an apology, especially to her women, for ever considering such a degrading portrayal of femininity, and direct its funds to events that support authentic femininity and the dignity of the human person,&#8221; the <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2023/10/26/notre-dame-admin-defends-university-sponsored-drag-show-under-the-guise-of-academic-freedom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federalist</a> reported.
In the automated response from the University President John Jenkins, those upset about the event were told that it&#8217;s a matter of &#8220;academic freedom.&#8221;
&#8220;We defend this freedom even when the content of the presentation is objectionable to some or even many,&#8221; the letter read. &#8220;The event you reference is part of a one-credit course in Film, Television and Theater on the history of drag, and the principle of academic freedom applies.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Notre Dame Admin Defends University-Sponsored Drag Show Under The Guise Of ‘Academic Freedom’<a href="https://t.co/Wi1UZiDzvp">https://t.co/Wi1UZiDzvp</a>
— The Federalist (@FDRLST) <a href="https://twitter.com/FDRLST/status/1717520451436724545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
The response also stated that &#8220;the right of free expression does not, of course, extend to speech that threatens violence or constitutes harassment against an individual or a group. Such expressions violate University policies and will not be tolerated.&#8221;
The event-which is billed as featuring several <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taxpayer-funded-lgbtq-center-teaches-kids-as-young-as-11-fundamentals-of-drag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drag performers</a>&#8211; is co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Letters Initiative on Race and Resilience, the Departments of Music and American Studies, and the Gender Studies Program, the Federalist noted.
The Rover&#8217;s editor-in-chief Nico Schmitz wrote a plea to &#8220;Students, faculty, and staff who care about preserving Notre Dame as an authentically Catholic institution [to] make their voices heard on the matter.&#8221;
In his <a href="https://irishrover.net/2023/10/no-place-for-drag-at-our-ladys-university/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">column</a>, he wrote that by the university &#8220;supporting lies about the human person — lies that say men can be women and that a minstrel show of femininity is a legitimate art form — the university is not only actively working against her mission, but permitting irreparable damage to its community and image.&#8221;
More than 400 people have emailed the university in opposition and if the event does happen, students who are upset have planned to host a rosary rally outside of the performance in November, the outlet noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-christians-need-to-be-a-lot-less-welcoming-and-tolerant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Why Christians Need To Be A Lot Less Welcoming And Tolerant</a>

Duval Street

Notre Dame President Defends School-Sponsored Drag Show On Grounds Of ‘Academic Freedom’

College

Drag Queens

Free Speech

LGBTQ

News

A pro-abortion professor at the University of Notre Dame has sued the university’s Catholic conservative newspaper for defamation.
Tamara Kay, a <a href="https://sociology.nd.edu/people/tamara-kay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">professor</a> of global affairs and sociology and ardent abortion advocate, <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/07/11/liberal-professor-files-defamation-lawsuit-against-notre-dames-conservative-campus-paper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a defamation lawsuit on May 22 alleging that the newspaper, the Irish Rover, intentionally made “false and defamatory statements” about her in two articles. 
In a <a href="https://irishrover.net/2023/07/we-will-not-be-silenced/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> released Tuesday, the Rover said Kay’s allegations were “entirely false.” “Her lawsuit reflects only the latest stage in a tenured professor’s baseless public campaign against undergraduates at her own university who had the temerity to publish accurate stories about her very public abortion advocacy,” the publication said.
The professor sued over two articles in the Irish Rover published in October 2022 and March 2023, both criticizing her promotion of abortion access against the Catholic university’s <a href="https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/institutional-statement-supporting-the-choice-for-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> opposition to abortion and <a href="https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/letter-on-health-care-coverage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contraception</a>. 
Kay alleged that the articles “contained false and defamatory information” and have “a motive of bad faith and a reckless disregard for truth and falsity.” Analysis of the relevant recordings by the Daily Caller reveal that while the Irish Rover’s quotes contained a few “minor inaccuracies,” the articles accurately preserved the substance of the professor’s statements and actions. 
She also claimed that because of the articles, she “has been harassed, threatened, and experienced damage to her residential property” and “has suffered mentally and emotionally.”
Joseph DeRuil, the publication’s former editor, told the Daily Caller that “there is no merit to any of Professor Kay’s claims, so we hope to put this lawsuit behind us as quickly as possible in order to reestablish our focus on promoting Notre Dame’s Catholic identity.”
In response, the Irish Rover filed an Anti-SLAPP motion to dismiss the tenured professor’s lawsuit. SLAPP stands for “strategic lawsuits against public participation” and describes lawsuits that seek to silence criticism.
“I am not at all worried about the result of the lawsuit. I know that everything we published is true and written in good faith, so I firmly believe that the lawsuit can only be decided in favor of the Irish Rover,” DeRuil said.
The <a href="https://irishrover.net/2022/10/keough-school-professor-offers-abortion-access-to-student/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">October article</a>, written by DeRuil, alleged that Kay and other professors “offer help in obtaining both Plan B ‘morning after’ pills and ‘Plan C’ abortion pills, which are efficacious up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.” Such pills are not available on the pro-life university’s campus due to university policy.
The article cited a post on Kay’s door that said, “This is a SAFE SPACE to get help and information on ALL Healthcare issues and access—confidentially with care and compassion,” and included an encircled “J,” which DeRuil said is a symbol for professors who secretly help students obtain abortions.
The article also presented since-deleted tweets posted by Kay, whose Twitter account is named “Dr. Tamara Kay &#8211; Notre Dame abortion rights expert,” as evidence of her pro-abortion activities. “Will help as a private citizen if you have issues w[ith] access or cost. D[irect] M[essage] me,” the tweet read.
The <a href="https://irishrover.net/2023/03/tamara-kay-explains-herself-to-notre-dame-democrats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March article</a> said that Kay, in a College Democrats event, was asked how she — as an abortion advocate — ended up at Notre Dame, which does not allow student groups who promote abortion or contraceptives. The article claims that she answered that she had reservations about working for Notre Dame, but &#8220;[her] Catholicism is about social justice [and] liberation theology.&#8221; She also stated, “For me, being Catholic means … that you do the right thing even when it’s difficult. …Because if I don’t, who will?”
Kay also denies the article&#8217;s claims that she said, &#8220;If you have that academic freedom, you should use it,&#8221; and, &#8220;She acknowledges that not all the students in the crowd could be as forward in their pro-abortion activities as she is: I can&#8217;t impose that on you&#8230;but I&#8217;m doing me, and you should do you.&#8221;
The University of Notre Dame has not yet addressed the lawsuit. The university’s president, Fr. John Jenkins, <a href="https://ndsmcobserver.com/2022/12/jenkins-disavows-professors-chicago-tribune-op-ed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> a December 2022 letter to the Chicago Tribune disavowing a pro-abortion op-ed Kay wrote and has <a href="https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/letter-on-health-care-coverage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">maintained</a> the university’s stance against abortion.

Pro-Abortion Professor Sues Conservative College Newspaper For Defamation

Lawsuit

Federal judge Kyle Duncan spoke about the recent debacle he suffered during a talk at Stanford University.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/notre-dame-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Notre Dame</a>&#8216;s Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government hosted a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A7W4OiN4Rs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lecture</a> from Duncan Friday. The speech was about his lecture at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stanford-president-law-school-dean-apologize-to-judge-after-verbal-assault-on-campus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stanford Law School</a> earlier this month, when he was shouted down by students and an administrator. Duncan spoke about the consequences and ramifications of free speech that the Stanford debacle highlighted.
“The importance of today’s event I think really needs no explanation,” Notre Dame professor Philip Munoz said while introducing Duncan. “What happened two weeks ago at Stanford Law School raises fundamental questions about free speech and our liberal democracy and how healthy our free speech culture is … especially at our nation’s elite schools.” Munoz also noted that members of the Stanford Federalist Society were watching the lecture virtually.
Duncan began his talk by praising the enduring tradition of free speech, including student protests. “[America is] a great country, where you can harshly criticize federal judges and nothing bad will happen to you,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You might even get praised or promoted. &#8230; The students at Stanford and other elite law schools swim in an ocean of free speech.&#8221;
“But make no mistake, what went on in that classroom on March the ninth had nothing to do with our proud American tradition of free speech,&#8221; Duncan noted. &#8220;It was rather a parody of it.”
“It is not free speech to silence others because you hate them,&#8221; Duncan continued. &#8220;It is not free speech to jeer and heckle a speaker who has been invited to your school so that he can’t deliver a talk. It is not free speech to form a mob and hurl taunts and threats that aren’t worthy of being written on the wall of a public toilet. It is not free speech to pretend to be harmed by words or ideas you disagree with, and then use that feigned harm as a license to deny a speaker the most rudimentary forms of civility.&#8221;
Duncan rebuked the idea that the hecklers were engaging in &#8220;counter speech,&#8221; or participating in the &#8220;marketplace of ideas.&#8221;
&#8220;Counter speech means offering a reasoned response to an argument,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It doesn’t mean screaming ‘Shut up, you scum we hate you,’ at a distance of 12 feet. &#8230; The marketplace of ideas describes a free and fair competition among opposing arguments, with the most compelling one, we hope, emerging on the top. What transpired at Stanford was no marketplace. It was more like a flash mob on a shoplifting spree.”
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Duncan said the mob had no intention of engaging with his ideas. “[T]he mob had no interest in my talk at all,” the judge remarked. “They were there to heckle and to cheer and to shame. Let’s say the quiet part out loud: The mob came to target me because they hate my work and my ideas.”
The protest had nothing to do with free speech, he concluded. “It had everything to do with intimidation. And to be clear, not intimidating me. I’m not intimidated by this. I’m a life-tenured judge. I’m going to go back to my court and keep writing opinions. No, the target of the intimidation was the protesters’ fellow students.&#8221;

Stanford University

‘It Is Not Free Speech To Silence Others’: Judge Kyle Duncan Speaks Out About Mob Crashing His Stanford Law School Talk

'It Is Not Free Speech To Silence Others': Judge Kyle Duncan Speaks Out About Mob Crashing His Stanford Law School Talk

Education

Lawyer

Protesters

The president of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/notre-dame-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Notre Dame University</a> disavowed two professors after they pushed pro-abortion messaging in a major newspaper.
Writing in the <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-opinion-abortion-misinformation-health-policy-trap-laws-20221205-ildvxeb66bblfc2qml3xcvsfu4-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago Tribune</a>, Notre Dame professors Tamara Kay and Susan Ostermann defended abortion by attempting to debunk three “lies” told by pro-life advocates and policymakers. The two professors made spurious claims about abortion while leveling accusations at pro-lifers. Notre Dame’s president then wrote a letter to the editor disavowing their comments.
“During the last 50 years, lies and intentional misinformation have dictated abortion health policy in the U.S. Abortion has been demonized and characterized by utter falsities; it has gone under the radar for far too long,” the professors wrote. “Because lies have dictated health policy, it is even more important to correct them now that voters are choosing policy on the state level.”
The first “lie” the professors targeted was the idea that abortion bans prevent abortion. Instead, Kay and Ostermann claimed that abortion bans lead to more abortions, more unwanted pregnancies, and infant and maternal mortality. They offered no evidence to support the first two claims, but pointed to the fact that in El Salvador, which completely banned abortion in 1998, abortion complications are the second leading cause of maternal mortality and the third leading cause among adolescent girls; and that “[h]undreds of women have been jailed for abortion and aggravated homicide.”
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The second “lie” the professors attempted to debunk was that abortions kill babies in the womb. To counter this idea, they claimed that 90% of abortions take place within 10 weeks of conception and fell back on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stacey-abrams-declares-it-is-a-fallacy-that-we-know-exactly-when-a-pregnancy-starts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claim</a> that at such an early stage, the developing embryo is neither a baby nor a fetus. Going further, they claimed that since a transvaginal ultrasound is required to detect the embryo, laws in several states that require an ultrasound before an abortion are immoral, and women who receive them before obtaining an abortion are victims of sexual violence, especially women in minority communities.
Next, Kay and Ostermann took at aim at claims that abortion is dangerous and that legislative exceptions for rape, incest, life-threatening fetal anomalies, or to protect the life of the mother only affect pregnant women. Instead, the professors claimed that abortions are perfectly safe; they then attacked Crisis Pregnancy Centers, which they labeled “anti-abortion rights propaganda sites,” and said that women who don’t abort their babies experience worse health and economic outcomes. They also claimed that doctors are affected by abortion laws because they create obstacles to health care for the woman or for administering abortifacient drugs used for other ailments.
Finally, Kay and Ostermann claimed that women are not having elective abortions up until birth; they instead claimed that abortions after 21 weeks “almost always a matter of life or death, and the pregnancy was very much wanted.”
In a <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/letters/ct-letters-vp-120722-20221206-zpg3tr2p5vaipa22wxhuffkgqa-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter to the editor</a> in the Chicago Tribune Monday, Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins disavowed the two professors, saying their article did not reflect the values of Notre Dame.
&#8220;Tamara Kay and Susan Ostermann are, of course, free to express their opinions on our campus or in any public forum. Because they chose to identify themselves as Notre Dame faculty members, I write to state unequivocally that their essay does not reflect the views and values of the University of Notre Dame in its tone, arguments or assertions.&#8221;
Kay was previously outed by Notre Dame’s conservative Catholic student newspaper, The Irish Rover, for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/professor-at-catholic-notre-dame-university-helps-students-access-abortions-despite-indiana-abortion-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facilitating abortion</a> on campus, in violation of both Catholic doctrine and Indiana state law.

F5DC5EDA-DE52-4BAE-B036-93DAC0A268B9_1_201_a

Notre Dame University President Disavows Professors Who Promoted Abortion In Major Newspaper

Notre Dame University President Disavows Professors Who Defended Abortion In Major Newspaper

Chicago Tribune

All students at the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/notre-dame-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Notre Dame</a> will have a COVID vaccine booster <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vaccine-mandate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mandate</a> imposed on them for the 2023-24 school year.
Notre Dame&#8217;s University Health Services announced Tuesday that it was imposing the mandate on all students for the next school year. In order to attend classes on campus, and even remotely, next year, students must receive a booster of the COVID vaccine. Conservatives blasted the university for imposing the policy on students.
Mary Frances Myler, a postgraduate fellow at Notre Dame&#8217;s Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government, shared a screenshot of the email on Twitter. &#8220;As of today, Notre Dame will require yet ANOTHER round of the vaccine for students,&#8221; Myler wrote. &#8220;The pandemic ended, but the Covid Regime remains fully intact and detached from reality.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
As of today, Notre Dame will require yet ANOTHER round of the vaccine for students. The pandemic ended, but the Covid Regime remains fully intact and detached from reality. <a href="https://t.co/iyjlgsqwdz">pic.twitter.com/iyjlgsqwdz</a>
— Mary Frances Myler (@mfmyler) <a href="https://twitter.com/mfmyler/status/1592322475073105920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
In the email itself, University Health Services Director Edward P. Junkins touted the University&#8217;s low rate of COVID cases and attributed it to the school&#8217;s vaccination rate. &#8220;In an effort to continue this trend and prevent serious illness related to coronavirus, I write today to inform you that the COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccine is required of all students — undergraduate, graduate, and professional, including students studying or performing research remotely and/or virtually — to enroll in classes for the 2023-24 academic year,&#8221; Junkins stated.
The email encouraged students to receive the booster either before traveling or during the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays, or at a University vaccination clinic once students return in January. Once they have received their booster, they must upload documentation to the university system. Students can also receive exemptions, but must apply for one unless they have an existing exemption.
&#8220;As with all required University vaccines, if you fail to complete this requirement or are not granted an exemption, a hold will be placed on your student account, which will prevent you from registering for classes for the fall 2023 semester,&#8221; the email stated. &#8220;All current students have until Wednesday, March 1, 2023 to fulfill the bivalent booster vaccine requirement for the 2023-24 academic year.&#8221;
<a href="https://ndsmcobserver.com/2022/11/university-announces-additional-covid-19-booster-requirement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Observer</a>, an independent newspaper covering Notre Dame and her sister colleges, also reported on the email.
The University&#8217;s vaccine mandate comes even as leading experts have shown a high risk of adverse effects. In October, Florida Surgeon General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-surgeon-general-issues-warning-for-mrna-coronavirus-vaccines-fl-will-not-be-silent-on-the-truth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joseph Ladapo</a> announced that the state recommends against giving mRNA COVID vaccines to adult men ages 18 to 39 because of a heightened risk of cardiac-related death, as The Daily Wire reported. In addition, a study from the American College of Cardiology showed that adults, both male and female, experienced higher rates of myocarditis and pericarditis from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/myocarditis-risk-from-covid-19-vaccines-up-to-3-times-higher-from-moderna-than-pfizer-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moderna vaccine</a>.
Conservatives blasted the University in response to the news.
&#8220;Notre Dame requiring bivalent covid booster for all students… including remote students,&#8221; conservative commentator <a href="https://twitter.com/Liz_Wheeler/status/1592755840880373760?s=20&amp;t=Dkrinsnou6yAa-p3-wx8wg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liz Wheeler</a> wrote on Twitter. &#8220;Good Lord, don’t waste your money sending your child to an anti-science institution.&#8221;
&#8220;The fact that it&#8217;s a Catholic school makes this absurd requirement even worse, I say this as a Catholic&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristinaPushaw/status/1592611941234913280?s=20&amp;t=Slr9bAAWoi_EvxHejcCH1g" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christina Pushaw</a>, Rapid Response director for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, replied to Myler&#8217;s tweet.
&#8220;You have to wonder what exactly it is they’re teaching at ND for 58k a year, because clearly it isn’t science,&#8221; digital strategist <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexaTamlyn/status/1592560324431183874?s=20&amp;t=h1kchlAB6tnLtwOxIS2uRg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tamlyn Sheng</a> tweeted.
&#8220;Do you realize now that none of this will eventually &#8216;run out of steam&#8217;?&#8221; venture capitalist <a href="https://twitter.com/RickDeVos/status/1592646383798194176?s=20&amp;t=NFQMtr6QFWlpnYyAj70EMA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rick DeVos</a> commented.
&#8220;Absurd,&#8221; Republican Texas Congressman <a href="https://twitter.com/chiproytx/status/1592590054358421504?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chip Roy</a> wrote.
&#8220;Insane. These poor students,&#8221; podcast host <a href="https://twitter.com/megynkelly/status/1592603639126056960?s=20&amp;t=GJFiOUD0PFPtJfeZkcOPYg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Megyn Kelly</a> tweeted.
&#8220;So much science,&#8221; Maryland state delegate <a href="https://twitter.com/MattMorgan29A/status/1592668784770547712?s=20&amp;t=FZta7Ncqe7e19-4mVRK4Xw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Morgan</a> mocked.

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‘An Anti-Science Institution’: Long After End Of COVID Pandemic, Notre Dame Imposes Vaccine Mandate On All Students, Even Remote Ones, For 2023-24 School Year

Long After End Of COVID Pandemic, Notre Dame University Imposes Vaccine Mandate On All Students, Even Remote Ones, For 2023-24 School Year

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The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/professor-at-catholic-notre-dame-university-helps-students-access-abortions-despite-indiana-abortion-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Notre Dame</a> refused to sponsor an event with Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro, but supported events with pro-abortion and pro-prostitution advocates.
Right to Life Michiana, a pro-life activist group, celebrated its <a href="https://www.prolifemichiana.org/upcoming-events" target="_blank" rel="noopener">annual benefit</a> in October; the university is typically the largest sponsor of the event. But according to Notre Dame&#8217;s Catholic conservative student newspaper, <a href="https://irishrover.net/2022/11/11577/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Irish Rover</a>, the school abruptly pulled its money, and prohibited student groups from donating or selling tickets because Shapiro was set to be the featured speaker. But the university hosted a pro-abortion event the same night, and allowed a student group to pay for an event with a &#8220;sex work&#8221; advocate.
&#8220;This year, a university administrator decided that Right to Life Michiana’s invited speaker transgressed the bounds of acceptable pro-life discourse,&#8221; Irish Rover editor emerita Mary Frances Myler reported.
&#8220;Notre Dame eschewed sponsorship, and, as the fiduciary for all university-affiliated groups, forbade those groups from donating to the benefit or purchasing tickets. The stated grounds? Ben Shapiro’s presence conflicts with the Catholic mission component of the university’s charitable giving policy,&#8221; Myler added.
According to the report, on-campus pro-life group Notre Dame Right to Life had already purchased tickets to the benefit, with the approval of the University, but were abruptly halted by the Student Activities Office without reason.
Notre Dame Right to Life President Merlot Fogarty and several members met with Chuck Lamphier, executive director of Notre Dame&#8217;s Office of Mission Engagement and Church Affairs, for answers. Lamphier reportedly told them that &#8220;this speaker is problematic,&#8221; citing a tweet Shapiro wrote in 2010. He said the event itself was problematic, and that &#8220;university dollars [were] not going to go to it.&#8221; He did, however, say the university would continue to support Right to Life Michiana in other ways that did not publicly connect them to Ben Shapiro, The Irish Rover reported.
But the same night as the benefit event took place, Notre Dame&#8217;s Gender Studies Program and Institute on Race and Resilience co-sponsored an <a href="https://genderstudies.nd.edu/events-and-news/events/2022/10/27/post-roe-america-making-intersectional-feminist-sense-of-abortion-bans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event with abortion activists</a>. One of the panelists at the event, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/slaumsu89/details/experience/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sharon Lau</a>, is currently employed as regional advocacy director for South Bend-based abortion clinic Whole Women’s Health. According to her LinkedIn page, she has previously worked for Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation. Another panelist was Democratic Indiana State Rep. Maureen Bower, who called abortion a &#8220;<a href="https://indianahousedemocrats.org/news-media/bauer-remarks-on-republican-abortion-ban-final-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">basic human right</a>&#8221; during the debate over Indiana&#8217;s state abortion ban in August.
Just days before the event, another student group was allowed to use its money on a speaking fee for an event hosted by the University&#8217;s LGBT Law Forum, entitled “<a href="https://twitter.com/EudaimoniaEsq/status/1580938423732699137?s=20&amp;t=wyWp4aG_CTT6Vj42fwooKA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Decriminalizing Sex Work</a>.” The speaker at that event was <a href="https://cruelvalentine.com/#home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cruel Valentine</a>, a Chicago-based burlesque performer, porn star, and sex worker. &#8220;Valentine lectured about the &#8216;whorearchy,&#8217; protested the stigmatization of sex work, and called for the elimination of legal consequences for individuals who either solicit or provide sexual services in exchange for money,&#8221; The Irish Rover reported. Both events were protected by the University&#8217;s academic freedom policies.
&#8220;[U]niversity administrators weaponized policies to obstruct charitable giving to Right to Life Michiana because the guest speaker tweeted something unpalatable more than a dozen years ago,&#8221; Myler wrote. &#8220;And this apparently makes him worse than the women who perpetuate the lie that abortion is a right, worse than the woman who has dedicated her life to stripping away legal protections for vulnerable people coerced into an exploitative economy inseparable from sex trafficking, human trafficking, pornography, and abuse.&#8221;

Catholic Notre Dame University Pulled Money From Pro-Life Event Over Ben Shapiro Speech. Pro-Abortion, ‘Sex Work’ Events Had No Issues.

Catholic Notre Dame University Pulled Money From Pro-Life Event Over Ben Shapiro Appearance. Pro-Abortion, 'Sex Work' Events Went Off Without A Hitch.

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