The Observer

Four Years in Review

The Class of 2013 first arrived on campus Aug. 21, 2009. The world was still in shock nearly two months after the unexpected death of Michael Jackson. Twilight was still popular and Miley Cyrus looked nothing like Draco Malfoy. No one had heard of Tinder, Lulu, Snapchat, Instagram or Pinterest, and Twitter was used solely to stalk celebrities. Since then, “tweet” has been added to the dictionary, taking pictures of yourself in public has become perfectly acceptable, you can get an iPhone for a penny and Snooki is a mom. Clearly a lot can change in four years and the world today is a very different place than it was in 2009. Oh, and we survived the Mayan Apocalypse

Photo of the Day

Movies

Watch Ginger & Rosa

4 out of 5 shamrocks

This past week, with the weather changing drastically on a daily basis, I was in the mood to do nothing but lie in bed and watch dramatic movies, and that’s exactly what I did. I randomly stumbled upon the 2012 British film “Ginger and Rosa” and decided to give it a try. Set in 1962 in London amid the Cuban Missile Crisis, the film focuses on two young girls and the impact world politics had on them. The main character Ginger is played by Dakota Fanning’s little sister Elle, who nails her role as conflicted and borderline-depressed teen.
Silence = Death

Documentary takes on AIDS epidemic

The Center for Social Concerns teamed up with the Browning Cinema Friday to present “How To Survive A Plague,” an Academy Award-nominated documentary about the AIDS activist group ACT UP. ACT UP, or the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, formed in the mid-1980s as an advocacy group for people suffering from HIV and AIDS as the disease reached epidemic levels in New York City.
"Crossing Borders"

4 Shamrocks of 5

For my French class “Formes d’inclusion et d’exclusion,” forms of inclusion and exclusion, we were invited to attend a screening of the 2009 documentary “Crossing Borders.” Although the film was in English, it addressed exactly the issues we have been discussing in class all semester: What defines identity and how do people with different identities relate to each other?
"Amour" review

4.5 Shamrocks of 5

From prescription drugs to cultural fascination with sex, death tends to be something we avoid – you will pardon the phrase – like the plague. Tragedies or the demise of a loved one shock and unsettle routine self-assurance, but we quickly objectify such incidents as unpleasant abstractions. Death is always something that happens to other people, something that occurs in foreign deserts or newspaper headlines, something to be kept out of sight where the kids won’t find it. Like the process of cleaning campground toilets or the popularity of Kardashian mammals on national television, death is uncomfortable to think about. And yet, as mausoleums from vases to the pyramids remind us, death remains a distinctly human fixation.
'Food, Inc.': Do you really know what you are eating?

4 out of 5 shamrocks

For my Literature and Ecology class, we watched a movie about the problem with mass food production that made me thankful for the fact that I am a vegetarian. “Food, Inc.” was one of those films that causes people to stop eating meat because of the graphic images of animals being led to the slaughterhouse.
You Haven't Lived Until You Watch 'The Walking Dead'

For the record, I have never been into TV series. As cliché as it sounds, I am always more into watching SportsCenter than a weekly drama or reality show. Obviously, I watched “24” (Who didn’t? It was only the single greatest television series of all time, besides, perhaps, “Friends”), but since that went off the air in 2010, I’ve resorted to ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” (PTI) and reruns of “Two and a Half Men.”

Music

The Kickback: Chance The Rapper

4.5 out of 5 shamrocks

Now that school is ending, it makes sense to have our final kickback be about an artist who started his career because of school.
The Kickback: Phoenix

After waiting four years, it’s here. That alone made me nervous. After all, how could you possibly follow up “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” and do so not knowing if lead singer Thomas Mars says “fallen” or “folded” in the hit single “1901?”
Avril Lavigne Makes a Comeback

Yesterday as I listened to Avril Lavigne’s new single “Here’s to Never Growing Up,” I was automatically transported back to 2002 when I was in fourth grade sporting Limited Too, dancing around the house singing “Sk8r Boi.” With her punk-rock style and catchy pop songs, Avril Lavigne topped the request list at all my middle-school dances, so when I heard she came out with a new song more than 10 years later I immediately added it to my favorite playlist. The great thing about this song is it sounds exactly like all our favorite throw-back jams. You would never know a 28-year-old was singing it an entire decade after her peak.
The Kickback: The Postal Service

Boy this week looked so promising with new release after new release. I was so stoked, especially after throwing myself a solo-dolo Coachella YouTube party in my dorm room this weekend.
Yeah, Yeah, Maybe

You know how sometimes, when you eat a piece of cake, the frosting is really, really delicious, but the cake itself is kind of average or dry? That’s how I felt about the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s newest album, “Mosquito.” After waiting over a month and four years, playing their three previous studio albums and numerous EPs over and over again, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some new YYY songs. They released their first single off the album, “Sacrilege,” about a month and a half ago, a fantastic song true to their rebel-rock sound that showed promise of a great new album. I couldn’t stop playing that song — or rather, blasting it in my room — and I’m sure the girls who live in my hallway can attest to that.
"Indicud:" mixed product and mixed reviews

3 out of 5 shamrocks

As I sat listening to Kid Cudi’s newest release to write this review, my friend David asked me what I was listening to.

“Kid Cudi’s newest album. Just came out.”

“Oh, no way. What’s it called?”

“‘Indicud.’”

“Oh, God, no.”
The (truly enJoyable) Joy Formidable

Welsh alternative rock band The Joy Formidable graced the stage of Legends’ this past Thursday night. After a sloppy-yet-energizing start by Team Spirit, the opening band, The Joy Formidable took the stage and rocked. Unfortunately, the show was cut short due to leader singer Ritzy Bryan’s health issues. Despite this early end to the show, The Joy Formidable and Team Spirit together produced a noise and night, which was, in fact, formidable.
I Dream of Dream Pop

Never heard of dream pop? Well, it’s about time you did! Dream pop is about the experience—the aura created by the range of sounds and textures. Be prepared for prominent synths, ethereal effects, looping beats and echoes. Lots of echoes.
The Kickback: Overgrown

I like weird music. Weird keeps things interesting. So if you aren’t prepared for some weird, don’t listen to James Blake.
Tristan Prettyman comes to Legends

Let’s be honest, the free “Single of the Week” downloads on iTunes are not always good tracks. Every once in a while, though, iTunes posts a good song that I deem worthy of my iPod. One such time was back in 2007, when I downloaded the song “Madly” by Tristan Prettyman.
fun.ny how things change: a Shakespearean plot twist

Here ye, here ye. I come to proclaim the gospel according to fun.
Imagine Dragons 'Night Visions'

Imagine you’re looking for the right band to commit to, no band in the past feeling quite right. Then, imagine stumbling upon a band that encompasses the alternative, slightly indie rock feel you’ve been looking for after years of searching. Imagine Dragons.
Silent Disco: Dancing Queen

Whether I’m at a planned, themed SYR I have been looking forward to all week or a spontaneous study break dance party, I am always willing to bust a move. While my moves are not graceful, smooth or cool , the one redeeming quality of my dancing is copious enthusiasm. Whether or not the world wants to see it, I love to move my body.
Silent Disco: Not My Scene

I’m convinced it’s in my blood. My parents are some of the worst dancers I’ve ever met (sorry, mom and dad). Wedding receptions aren’t fun for me, they’re just painful reminders of my genetically inherited inability to move my body to music. Similarly, I rarely attend SYRs or formals and when I do you can generally find me chatting in the corner rather than “breaking it down” with my date. Though I appreciate the art of dance and enjoy dance music, simply put, I cannot dance.

Food

Keeping it simple: quick and easy recipes with flavor

Cereal. Fried eggs. Food from a box, with directions. Until I interned in Washington, D.C. last summer, my cooking repertoire consisted entirely of dishes I did not need to actually cook. My family always ate fabulously cooked meals created by my mom, which made learning to cook for myself seem quite daunting. So, I didn’t.

Events

'Wicked' to play in South Bend

Long before Dorothy, two young girls meet in the land of Oz. One — born with emerald green skin — is intelligent, fiery, and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious, and very popular. Wicked tells the story of how these two unlikely friends journey together to become the Wicked Witch of the West and her counterpart, Glinda the Good.
South by South Bend: Rockin' Downtown South Bend

Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Sasquatch!, South by South West. Any of these names ring a bell? These multiday music festivals span across the United States from the farms of Manchester, Tennessee to the valley of Indio, California, boasting huge crowds and rocking music. But this year, you won’t have to travel farther than downtown South Bend to enjoy a multi-artist music extravaganza.
"Dialogues des Carmelites": An Opera

Although B.o.B always gets me bopping when he rolls around on my iPod, I don’t quite love him enough to shell out the dough for his concert this weekend. For those of you crazy kids, who, like me, don’t quite got the magic for B.o.B, you can mosey on over to DPAC to see an opera.
B.o.B Performs at Notre Dame

B.o.B, or “Bobby Ray,” is coming to South Bend. Tonight. As this year’s Student Union Board (SUB) concert, hip-hop star B.o.B’s performance promises to be an energetic and absolutely vibrant atmosphere in Compton Family Ice Arena, with a no-holds-barred type of attitude towards his passion.
M.F.A. students in Creative Writing read their work

The Creative Writing Program is one of Notre Dame's best-kept secrets. People toss the phrase “best kept secret” around a lot, but I'm not being casual here. It's almost as well kept a secret as our screenwriting, dance, education and culinary programs, our medical and nursing schools and our open-mindedness towards alternative lifestyles. The only difference being that our Creative Writing Program really does exist!
#thirdworldsolutions to #firstworldproblems

After studying in Ifrane, Morocco, for a semester, I am now able to offer solutions to some of my friends’ greatest #firstworldproblems. Some real, some edited and some fictional, these are common tweets I now have sufficient experience to respond to.

Here are a few solutions:
Poetry Grand Slam

When someone says “poetry slam,” I imagine what everyone from our generation imagines ¾ that episode of “The Proud Family” when the young female protagonist recites some sassy poem against an exposed brick backdrop to a smoky, darkly-lit room while the crowd emphatically snaps along.
The Shirt Show

In the tradition of Catholic caritas, any Notre Dame student you meet might well give you the shirt off his or her back. But please, don’t hold your breath waiting for any ND student to part with… The Shirt.
FTT presents 'Intimate Apparel' at DPAC

The Film, Television and Theater Department’s spring production, “Intimate Apparel,” opened yesterday at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. The play features Esther Mills, an African-American seamstress in Lower Manhattan in 1905.
Dance Company showcases talent

Members of the Dance Company of Notre Dame, a student-run dance group, will showcase their work at their annual showcase in Washington Hall this week. This entirely student-run show includes many different styles of dance, such as ballet, lyrical, contemporary, modern, tap and hip-hop.
Brian Regan back to South Bend

Stand-up comedian Brian Regan will make another stop in South Bend on Sunday, April 28, at the Morris Performing Arts Center. Regan has been on tour in 2013, performing one-night shows in theaters across the United States. He said he is excited to come back to South Bend after he performed here in September 2011.
Check Out Marvel Tattoo

I stepped into Marvel Tattoo on Indiana 933 on a Friday afternoon not knowing what to expect. I had never been to a tattoo parlor before besides just stepping in to browse. There was one day last year when I had dropped into a small shop in downtown Denver. There I had looked only at the tattoo books and imagined how funny I would look with inked-on image of a mermaid or an anchor on my arm. I never thought I would find myself in a tattoo shop for any serious transaction.
Adapting to Climate Change

For my French culture class, we have been reading the book “Globalia,” a futuristic novel exaggerating the possibility of a complete change in our society resulting from the complete destruction of nature as we know it. To supplement this reading, our class attended one of the Climate Change talks in McKenna Hall last Wednesday, presented by Jennie Hoffman.
How to Spend 150 Flex Points in 26 Days

When I confessed on Facebook last week that I have 162 flex points left, the reaction was priceless. “Whoa dere,” commented my friend Laurie Breed, one of several innocent Facebook users who stumbled upon my confession. Many people commented with varying degrees of the same sentiment, a vague mixture of incredulousness and jealousy.
In Perfect HArmony

Saturday night, Washington Hall, 8:00p.m. “Pitch Perfect” meets “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”. Last year, over 250 people attended the part improv, part a cappella collaboration show between Notre Dame’s Humor Artists and a cappella group Halftime. This year, twice as long has been spent planning the performance. More time was spent writing the script, which includes twice as many songs, twice as many crossovers of actors taking on singing roles, singers performing improvisational scenes and everyone dancing. There has been over a week of rehearsals putting the two hour show together.
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Show Some Skin

The ever-increasing submissions to ND Confessions prove Notre Dame students are on the search for authenticity. ND Confessions, a Facebook page that allows people to anonymously submit their secrets, has posted over 500 confessions in the past two weeks and claims to have received over 20,000 confessions. Domers have secrets, and we want to share them. The catch: We just don’t want anyone to know they are our secrets.
All's Fair in Love and Tag

The fifth consecutive semester of WVFI’s Notre Dame’s Humans versus Zombies games begins next Tuesday, April 9. Humans versus Zombies is an epic, five-day game of tag. “Zombies” attempt to tag all “humans” and turn them into zombies; humans avoid getting tagged and defend themselves using Nerf guns and socks, which can stun zombies.
The Lion in WInter

As I was waiting for “The Lion in Winter” to start, I couldn’t help but notice how welcoming the Washington Hall Lab Theatre felt. The Lab Theatre is not very big, but it offers a stage that promises to deliver a very intimate theatrical experience. The stage lights darken and leave me in complete darkness as I am suddenly transported to the King of England’s quarters where he is speaking with his beautiful mistress about the current troubles that his kingdom faces.
Timeflies comes to Saint Mary's

Last spring semester, every single Tuesday night, my friends and I would gather around someone’s 10-inch laptop and wait for the video to be uploaded. The second it was up, we would all go silent, entranced by the video before our eyes. Two guys in their early twenties take up the screen, with unbelievable freestyle coming from the mouth of the taller brunette, Cal Shapiro, while the original background music is mixed and produced by Rob “Rez” Resnick. The result: complete musical genius wrapped up in this duo otherwise known as “Timeflies.” And the best part is, we all have the chance to see them live tonight at St. Mary’s College for the annual Tostal concert, presented by the Student Activities Board (SAB).
Holy Half or Holy Hell What Was I Thinking?

The Holy Half last weekend was the first half marathon I had ever run. Actually, it was the first time I had ever run more than eight miles consecutively. I have always been a casual runner, jogging perhaps two to three miles twice a week, a little more when I’m procrastinating on work or have free time. I thought I would train for the Half and begin a regimen or schedule that gradually progressed to longer runs, but I didn’t.
Slam Poetry Workshop

This past Friday, Marty McConnell gave a group of Notre Dame students and community members a crash course in slam poetry. McConnell is both a literary and oral poet, with her book “Wine for a Shotgun” recently released and a history of touring and competing as a slam poet. In one jam-packed hour, McConnell led a poetry slam workshop that went through the rules of slam poetry and techniques that can enhance a poet’s performance. McConnell’s skill and wisdom successfully imparted knowledge upon attendees, but the value of the workshop moved past mere skill building.

Fashion

Greetings from London: What to Wear

Every day in London is like a master class for fashion. In the morning I walk across the Thames River and through Trafalgar Square, the London equivalent of Times Square. I arrived in London with a fairly-relaxed wardrobe: lots of cotton shirts in blues and blacks and a few dresses I thought were cute.
Spring Fashion: What you can finally wear again

With South Bend teasing us with the prospect of a (late) spring finally arriving, the idea of finally ditching the Uggs and sweats for something colorful is coming into everyone’s minds. Since most of us have forgotten what it’s like to NOT desperately need a huge jacket covering whatever you’re wearing, it’s time to get those spring staples back in your closet.
An Open Letter to Knee Pants

Dear Knee Pants,

I know you get annoyed when I call you capris, because you don’t quite reach my ankles. But I appreciate the fact that you are not quite shorts and not quite pants. You are somewhere in the middle, perfect for the bipolar “spring” weather of South Bend, Ind. I can wear you while working out, with a tank top and flip-flops for warmer weather or with sneakers and a sweatshirt for colder days. You have the glorious stretch of yoga pants without the annoying flare at the bottom that always drags in the puddles that line the sidewalks of South Quad.
SYR outfit crises

The majority of the SYR struggle seems to be: “Am I going or am I not going? Well who else is going? Will there be a fun group? Who should I ask that will compliment the overall group? Will they be free that night? Is their dorm’s SYR the same night? Is it weird if I text and don’t ask them in person?” And by the time you actually get a date locked down, a group of friends going together and somewhere to socialize before and after the actual dance, there are only a few days before the actual night.
Keep Calm and Style On

Too Fast and Too Fabulous

On a quiet Sunday afternoon with the muted hue of an overcast sky spilling in through my dorm room window, I sat with my roommate watching TV when I heard a knock on the door.

I opened it up to reveal an effortlessly radiant Jade Barber, who, with a subtle smile, stood patiently awaiting an invitation to come inside and a breakdown of the game plan for the day.

My plan was conceptually very simple. I wanted to channel the intensity present within the fiercest of athletes into a style concept that demonstrated that same level of elegance and power.
Style Spotter

Sentimental Accessories

Maura Jones, president of Lewis Hall, was spotted near Main Building sporting a stylish ensemble as she took a break from her executive duties to stroll down the quad with a friend. Maura showed off a sweet Cynthia Rowley double-button navy eyelet blazer with three-quarter length sleeves. She kept the blazer casual by pairing it with a simple, white lace-embellished racer-back tank, American Eagle blue jeans with simple monochrome details on the back pockets and camel-colored and leather Steve Madden ballet flats, which are a staple in her closet.