Opinion

Amazon will seize 3-D printing

Amazon will seize 3D printing

3D printing is going to revolutionize online shopping. Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos realizes that and probably envisions Amazon orchestrating the revolution. As a testament to how seriously Bezos takes 3D printing, Bezos, along with two other venture capital groups, helped MakerBot, a seller of consumer 3D printers and the accompanying necessary materials, raise $10 million. 3D printing operates like a 2D printer but adds another dimension out of the plane of the paper. It does so through repeated deposition of layers of a liquid plastic or melted metal ink. The technology has followed Moore's Law, rapidly decreasing in cost. Major companies, including General Electric, have proposed using 3D printing in manufacturing processes. Additionally, smaller companies use 3D printing to produce niche products. Bespoke Innovations 3D prints artistic, custom prosthetics. It is even possible to print cell phone circuitry. 3D printing will link the virtual and physical world seamlessly. Users will be able to download a Computer Animated Drawing (CAD) file and print the desired product in their home, or maybe print the product at a regional center kitted with more heavy duty printers capable of printing more complicated objects. 3D printing will also diversify suppliers, as it will require less infrastructure and investment to begin a company if product design is entirely virtual. Therefore, it will be possible for many niche companies to compete with Amazon. Amazon is well positioned to take advantage of 3D printing, but it also stands to lose out if it does not stay ahead of the curve. But there are several ways Bezos and his company can anticipate and lead the change in 3D printing. The first step would probably be to buy up companies such as Shapeways which are already allowing users to upload designs and customers to then print these designs. Amazon can also create in-house 3D printing and tools on its site to embellish conventional products using its in-house 3D printing. It is unlikely that most adults will have the necessary skills, the time, and interest to design complex products. Amazon can offer the easy alternative: offer customizable products. By acquiring companies and hiring in-house designers, Amazon can head off the inevitable diversity of suppliers and instead establish itself as a marketplace for different users to upload their designs, as Shapeways already does. So my advice: buy stock in Amazon. Not only did its CEO redefine the book industry; he is also heavily involved in the privatized space industry. When it comes to 3D printing, which has been hailed the next trillion dollar industry, I would not be surprised if Bezos has already pounced.

Reverse culture shock

When I was getting ready to go to Nepal, I tried to prepare myself for living in a culture very different from my own. I read about the culture and talked to anyone and everyone I could who had been to Nepal before. I was ready to deal with culture shock. What I wasn't prepared for was the culture shock I would experience when I got home. I got off the plane at O'Hare and made it through customs smoothly. Everything was going fine. And then I had to talk to someone. Hearing English being spoken freaked me out. My first language is English, and it's not like I never heard it in Nepal, but I was so used to the sound of Nepali that hearing English was weird. Then, I noticed just how many white people there were. No joke, when I saw all the blondes with blue eyes, I got nervous. I didn't know how to act. I didn't understand why everyone around me looked like I did. The worst though was going through security. On a normal day, security at O'Hare can make even the most hardened traveler nervous. Well, I was not at my best when I walked into that security line. I was tired from traveling for two days. I was jetlagged out of my mind. I still had a tika (a red mark, made from powder that is a blessing) on my forehead. And I was dressed like a total bohemian hippie, complete with purple MC Hammer parachute pants, looking the part of the traveler returning from South Asia. Just being in line for security was so overwhelming, I started to cry. I already looked like a crazy person from what I was wearing, and the tears did not make it any better. The TSA agents probably thought I was some sort of criminal. Once I made it through security, I barely caught my connecting plane. I didn't leave my culture shock in Chicago; it has followed me to Indianapolis and South Bend. Hot water still freaks me out. Air conditioning makes me so cold, that my lips actually turned blue in class. I think chicken tastes bad, and cheese is a super-weird food. Now, there are definite perks for being back in the U.S. I can get Diet Coke whenever I want. The power doesn't just go off for any reason. I can do laundry in a washing machine and not by hand in my shower. I was ready to come home at the end of the summer. But I had no idea how weird the U.S. would seem. 

Choice of two futures

During the summer, I wrote a profile about Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, before he was picked to be Mitt Romney's running mate. Below is the profile. My next article will explain why Paul Ryan is not a good choice to be Mitt Romney's running mate.

Early onset of junioritis

Okay, so this column is a year early. I'm not supposed to feel nostalgic as a junior. I'm not supposed to be looking back on my two years as a junior. Juniors are not supposed to reminisce.

Risky Business

Some of you tried out for the marching band and got rejected before your first class. Your natural reaction would be to become wary of being slapped down again and cruise through Activities Night focusing solely upon clubs and organizations that don't hold tryouts and avoiding club sports where you might lose. The irony is only people who are bold enough to risk losing don't become losers.

I'm no sidewalk stalker

"I do mind, the Dude minds. This will not stand, you know, this aggression will not stand, man." Say what you want about the tenets of The Dude's philosophy in "The Big Lebowski," but at least it's an ethos. I, myself, am the victim of regular, unchecked aggression, and I've just about had enough of it. A good part of my days each weekday on campus is spent walking to and from class. As I'm walking from almost as far north as possible to DeBartolo and Mendoza, I cover a lot of turf on my daily treks. As I make my daily journeys, with higher education or a nap on my mind, depending on which way I'm going, I often walk alone. My clothes are often wrinkled and out of fashion (I've already used this forum to discuss my distaste with the University's laundry policy.) I'm often deep in thought, being the spectacular intellectual and misunderstood genius that I am. And to top it all off, though my wonderful parents graced me with many tools, apparently one of them was not a facial structure that doesn't say "I might attack you." On an almost daily basis, as I walk to class, or the dining hall, or wherever I'm headed, I find myself often behind a male or female student with whom I am not friends. And as I walk, keeping to myself, I see him or her turn around to see me following them, and see a look of terror flash across their face. My instinct in these cases, when I see someone give me a look like I might be the Son of Sam, which again happens at least 11 times a week, is to flash a warm, friendly, non-threatening smile. But you know what, in case any of you are in this situation in the future, a forced smile is apparently about the worst thing you can do. Where I see it as a sign of my peaceful intentions, apparently it acts more as a confirmation of the other person's suspicions, and their pace inevitably quickens to a blazing speed. I get that there are real dangers in the world, and we should be aware of threats around us so as not to be taken advantage of; I'm just not one of them. And frankly, I'm a little hurt. So in the future, if you see me walking behind you on the quad, I promise, I'm not about to attack you. 

No, Rick Reilly, you should be demoted

I fondly remember reading Rick Reilly's columns when I was in grade school. Reilly's columns were a breath of fresh air in a stifling sporting culture that I felt placed too much emphasis on winning and profit. No one captured the innocent side of sports better than he did. NFL previews and baseball commentary were and still are a dime a dozen. But Reilly's pieces on deaf basketball players and high school teams that hadn't won in years seemed to contain more truth, more joy, more value than anything else Sports Illustrated had to offer. And America knew it. Sure, each year, Reilly would add new awards to his trophy case. But more importantly, he taught more and more readers each year to listen to the little guy, appreciate moral victories and respect other peoples' challenging journeys. The role he played transcended sports. In his own way, he was the sports world's Ira Glass or Lewis Lapham, a tastemaker who used his hard-earned resources and reputation to keep our culture honest. His columns reminded us that athletes and fans are human beings, first and foremost. So much for that. For those of you who hadn't heard, Rick Reilly dedicated his column last week to arguing that Notre Dame's football program should be "demoted" for its failure to win championships and bully opponents the way it did until the early 1990's. He claims our football team's performance on the field does not merit its cut in BCS earnings, its influence on the BCS decision-making committee or its preseason rankings. "If I told you about a team that had lost 10 of its last 12 bowl games, had dropped nine of its last 10 to USC, had led the nation only in disappointment, you'd figure that team would be halfway down the Mountain West standings. But Notre Dame still gets perks and love from the NCAA and BCS as though the year is 1946," he wrote in his column for ESPN.com. His contention is that Notre Dame was once special enough to deserve these "perks," but that the present arrangement is no longer fair. "Notre Dame is not a national brand any more than USC, Alabama or Stanford. A national brand? What would its slogan be, 'Dominating Navy just about every year'? What kind of national brand loses to freaking Tulsa (2010)?" Well, what can I say? You got us, Rick Shame on us for asking our athletes to have integrity and academic ability. Shame on us for tightening our standards when we eclipsed USC, Alabama and Stanford in national relevance. Though, on second thought, shame on you for not asking, "Would those teams be nationally relevant if they lost four games a year? Would their fans pack the Sun Bowl? Would their opponents' fans travel hundreds of miles to watch them play their team? Are you telling me enough people care about Stanford football to watch them on NBC?" Actually, Rick's article showed a shocking disregard for fans and their feelings (whether they love or hate Notre Dame). It measures the success of a program in wins and losses alone. It rolls its eyes at our academic standards for student athletes, somewhat unscientifically accuses our athletes' desire to win and implicitly likening our program to Penn State's football program (because apparently neither program plays by the same rules as everyone else). Classy. I guess that answers the question, "What have you done lately, Rick?" Maybe you should turn in your tiara. If ESPN offers you a contract extension, maybe you should consider taking some time off. Contact ArnavDutt at adutt1@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. 

Where the geeks at?

The athlete is easy to spot. She moves with terrifying precision to translate an object from point A to point B with her hands, feet, head or some other tool attached to her body. She does this with unseemly cool, not acknowledging the pressure of those who watch, nor crushed by the expectations of her teammates. Her talent is on display because her talent of grandeur is indivisible from her person. Wherever she goes, even the misinformed can gather - she is an athlete. Geeks, nerds, dorks and dweebs seldom wear their identities so proudly. But I have it on good authority - you are likely a geek and it's entirely the Internet's fault. Fret not. Don't be so offended; sit back down and kindly stop threatening to choke me. It's quite all right to be a nerd. This isn't grammar school. I promise no one will throw a ball at your head for reading a book on "American Stamps Throughout the Ages" during recess. It's quite vogue to be a nerd these days, so keep your chin up. Geek Chic is a thing these days, making nerds, dare I say it, sexy. You're a hot commodity for at least another 18 months. The highest-grossing blockbusting films are based on comic-born heroes. Horn rimmed glasses are fashionable, and pale dudes with massive egos can create a social network to spite girls who didn't like them and make billions of dollars in the process. Nerd language is vague and hard to wade through. It's hard to say what a geek is, but common knowledge would point to it being anything but good. While vaguely attributed to a line in Dr. Suess's "If I Ran The Zoo," "nerd" gained popularity in the early 1950s as an alteration of the slang "nert," meaning a crazy or stupid person. Preceding that term by a couple decades, "geek" came into use around 1916 to refer to a sideshow character at the circus who would perform strange and spectacular feats, like biting the heads off animals. These words have evolved over time - I don't accuse you of being dull or having carnivorous desires for snake heads. The essential point is that geeks and nerds circa 1950 were people on the fringe of society. Today we still hold that location on the fringe, but rather than be the rejected flock from society, it is us who do the rejecting to create our own normative standards of living, being and interacting. Geeks don't exist on the fringe for the sake of it alone, but rather are pushed there by two important qualities - obsession and intelligence. It is the combined product of the two, which creates the geek you likely are. Geekdom comes in many flavors and varieties depending on where the obsession lies. There are computer geeks, book geeks, fishing geeks, sport geeks, electronic geeks, indie-rock geeks, gadget geeks, hiking geeks, thespian geeks, fitness geeks, binge-drinking geek, photo geeks, Harry Potter geeks, language geeks and so many, many more. Until the year 2000 and access to the Internet became widespread, the title of geek was reserved for the arduously initiated. Without the mass proliferation of data, it was a terribly abstruse process to become saturated in your hobbies to the point of obsession. If you wanted to be a rock geek, you had to wait until Nirvana's newest album came out, then you'd have to walk to a record store and purchase, then you'd have to take it home and listen to it, then you'd have to go find your rock geek friends to talk on it and compare notes. Now, you Google "Neutral Milk Hotel," click a link and shrug while texting your friends, "I liked their earlier work better." The obsession tied to the psyche of a nerd previously forced people outside of normative society. Folks who wanted to immerse themselves in Star Wars culture had to forego ridged structures of society that would admonish their attachment. The outcasts only had each other, and these were relationships often difficult to find. If you want to be a master sports statistician, you simply have to type to find the wildest, most precise and comprehensive data imaginable. Then you can craft an educated sentence about your findings and tweet it. Your self-selected fans who love you for you (data-centric sports comments included) will appreciate what you have to share. Want to boast about your Harry Potter fan fiction where Professor Flitwick and Trelawney elope and go fight dragons? Just log into MuggleNet and type until your fingers hurt. The community will eat it up, because they feel as you do, and you've found each other online. The fringe component and general social ineptitude previously requisite for geek status is gone, so I welcome you to turn to one another and smile in your collective geekiness. Accept and own it because it's something you can wear proudly. You're not on the fringe, you're society's heart. Blake J. Graham is a sophomore. He can be reached on Twitter @BlakeGraham or at bgraham2@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. 

Bittersweet advice

For the last few weeks, I've been doing everything in my power to avoid writing this column. Packing, eating, sleeping, writing, cleaning (okay, not cleaning), anything to avoid this moment. Why? Well, it means I have to officially accept my status as a senior. It means I have to face the fact I only have one year left here.It means I have to tell you the truth: I wish, more than anything, I could be a freshman and experience four years of Notre Dame all over again. I can't do that, obviously. But I can give you a little advice that I hope will make your time here just as great - or even better - than mine has been. First of all, have fun. Really, I mean it. Have a blast. These are a totally unique four years in your life. You have more freedom and fewer responsibilities in your first two years of college than you'll ever have again. Take advantage of that. Go to parties. Soak in every last moment of a home football weekend, or maybe take an impromptu trip to an away game. Seize the precious weeks of nice weather and throw a Frisbee around on the quad. You'll make the best friends in the world, and you won't regret it. Second, take risks. Change your major - once, twice or five times. Find something you really enjoy, and spend four years studying that. Join a club you never would have expected to join, or maybe one that has nothing to do with your career goals. That's how I got involved with The Observer, and I don't think I ever made a better decision. (Note to staff: please remind me of this in three months.) Third, take advantage of all the opportunities Notre Dame has to offer you. From Center for Social Concerns seminars to unique social events like PigTostal, from the Career Center to interhall sports, this community has a vast array of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Whether you study abroad in Australia or simply get to know your rector really well, you'll have too many unforgettable experiences to count by the time you graduate. Fourth, eat at J.W. Chen's. Other unforgettable South Bend culinary experiences include Rocco's, Bruno's, Barnaby's, Elia's, El Pareiso, Uptown Kitchen and the ever-stalwart Fiddler's Hearth. Your stomachs will thank me, I promise. Fifth and most importantly, never forget how blessed you are to be a part of the Notre Dame family. Soak up every moment. Thank your parents profusely. Recognize just how true - and timeless - the words of the Alma Mater are. If you do, my experience writing this column will make sense. In just a few all-too-short years, you'll be the ones giving bittersweet advice to incoming freshmen. But I can promise you, without a doubt, that you too will tell them just how much your heart will forever love thee, Notre Dame.  

Explore, nurture, grow

Dear students, It is with warm enthusiasm that I welcome all new and returning students of the University of Notre Dame. In particular, I wish to congratulate and welcome our first year and transfer students. We are thankful that you are here and that you have chosen to share and develop your intellectual and spiritual gifts with our community. We will strive to nurture your growth during your time as a student. Make the most of your time here. Be open to engaging new friends, those who may have very similar or very different personal stories and perspectives. Embrace each classroom experience as an opportunity to learn, hone your talents and share your ideas. If you live in a residence hall, explore the multiple ways that you can contribute as a leader. When you face challenge, know that you are not alone and do not hesitate to seek support from those around you. Finally, in all that you do, take a few moments each day for personal reflection to refresh your spirit. As a Catholic university, we are dedicated to developing people who will be prepared to make positive contributions to the Church and the world. We are confident that you possess the talent and desire to make meaningful and lasting contributions. Once again, welcome to Notre Dame. May you soon come to feel at home on this campus, and to love it, as do so many graduates before you. I hope to meet you in person over the course of your time, and throughout that time, I will keep you in my prayers. In Notre Dame,

Welcome home

Dear Class of 2016, Welcome home! We are so excited for you to join us as the newest members of the Notre Dame family. As you embark on this new journey in your life, we would like to share a few words based on our experiences these past few years. The next four years will be unforgettable. Be open to all of the opportunities Notre Dame will offer you. Whether you are volunteering at the Robinson Community Learning Center down the street, or spending a semester in Uganda, Notre Dame will open your eyes to parts of the world you never knew existed. Find your passions and pursue them. Meet people who have similar interests and ask them for advice. Your RAs, Hall Presidents, club leaders and upperclassmen down the hall will be more than happy to help you with whatever you need. Embrace every moment of your four years as a Notre Dame student. Introduce yourself to the people sitting around you on the first day of class. Pull an all-nighter in the Hesburgh Library. Do pushups at a home football game and run through Stonehenge after a big win. Light a candle at the Grotto. Sink your boat at the Fisher Regatta. Participate in the midnight snowball fight after the first snowfall. Do every cliché Notre Dame thing you can, because your time here at Notre Dame will be over before you know it. In the coming year, if you find something that you aren't happy with on campus, come visit us in 203 Lafortune. We'll do our best to help you fix it. Notre Dame has a unique ability to adapt and progress while staying true to its fundamental traditions - don't be afraid to lead this change. Like the coming Notre Dame winter, four years may seem like they will last forever, but you'll soon realize how quickly they pass. Begin your tenure at Notre Dame right now, by fearlessly entering Frosh-O with an open mind and heart. Welcome to the family. In Notre Dame,

The next chapter

For 170 consecutive years, the University of Notre Dame has opened its doors to new students. Like generations who came before, you are embarking on a journey where you will have an opportunity to advance your knowledge, develop your leadership skills, deepen your faith, learn from others and form lifelong friendships. Whether you are a first-year undergraduate, transfer, professional or graduate student, we are delighted that you have chosen to join our community, and I extend a warm welcome to you as you begin this formative time in your life. I hope that Notre Dame challenges you in many ways. Your professors, your rectors and your classmates will encourage you to stretch yourself intellectually and develop on a spiritual and personal level. Take these opportunities to find a passion that matches your talents and allows you to lead a purposeful life. Dare to be different, yet be respectful and welcoming to all. Have a wonderful time, without engaging in behavior that would place you or others at risk. Hold yourself to high ideals. Explore new things, while cherishing the people and traditions that matter. Embrace Notre Dame's distinctive mission and enrich your understanding of it through study and reflection. Contribute your own talents to improve the lives of those around you. Much of your development at the University can and should occur on your own. At the same time, know that the Division of Student Affairs is available to support you through our residential communities and a variety of student service departments. Rectors and members of our hall staffs across 29 undergraduate halls and two graduate and family residences are dedicated to building communities of faith that are rooted in the Holy Cross tradition. The professionals who serve in Campus Ministry, the Career Center, the Gender Relations Center, Multicultural Student Programs and Services, the Student Activities Office, the Office of Housing, the Office of Residence Life, the Office of Alcohol and Drug Education, the University Counseling Center and University Health Services are trained to provide specialized services and programming that will complement your development. All of us are eager to smooth and enhance the road that you will travel during your time at Notre Dame, and I encourage you to seek our help along the way. I look forward to watching how your presence, energy and ideas renew and enhance our University. You will lead Notre Dame in new directions based on the paths that you pursue. May we all form a strong community and write the next chapter of this beloved institution together. With best wishes and prayers for a successful year,

The Saint Mary's way

On behalf of the faculty and staff at Saint Mary's College, I extend a warm welcome to the Class of 2016 and our transfer students. As the 11th president of Saint Mary's, and a proud alumna, I know how powerful this experience will be for you. You will spend the next four years in a rigorous academic environment supported by an excellent faculty, close friends and a deeply caring staff. As a Holy Cross institution, we place a special emphasis on the education of the whole person. Your education does not end when you leave the classroom. Every activity in which you participate will enhance your collegiate experience. I encourage you to participate in as many co-curricular activities as time and your academic schedule will permit. More than 80 percent of our students participate in community service. This number demonstrates the importance we place on giving back and on experiential learning. One of my aspirations for you is that you will explore your place in the universe and your obligation to contribute to the common good. If this happens for you, then you, too, will have experienced the real Saint Mary's. The world needs women educated in the Saint Mary's way. Our proud 167-year tradition of educating women to make a difference in the world now includes you. It is your turn to make history at Saint Mary's College. I look forward to accompanying you on this exciting journey. Sincerely,

YONDO

So Class of 2016, you've arrived to the tropical resort paradise known as South Bend, Indiana. You've moved into your dorm, met your roommates and are about to embark on the greatest four-year journey of your life. Undoubtedly, friends, family and chance acquaintances have thrown you way too much advice on how to approach your college experience - ask questions, don't be shy, talk to your professors, be outgoing - and yes, most of this is true. But there is no uniform recipe for a triumphant freshman year. Every one of you is different (despite it seeming like the admissions office recruited an army of North Face models) and it would be remiss to think there is some formula to "winning" freshman year. I tried to do all the things I was told to do - yet still, there were periods during my first year at Notre Dame that were the most emotionally draining times of my life. While there might not be a universal game plan that will indisputably yield straight A's, a gaggle of friends and the avoidance of the Freshman 15, approaching college with a certain mentality is key. That's where YOLO comes in. Much has been made of this ubiquitous phrase. While many toss it around with such regularity you would think their life depended on it (myself included) others scorn its usage (like my friends, who have placed me on a strict cap of five YOLO's for every time we hang out.) For the uninitiated, YOLO stands for "You Only Live Once" and it perfectly epitomizes what freshman year is all about. YOLO's immediate meaning urges one to live life to the fullest, otherwise one might suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out.) For instance, go ahead and go out on a weeknight. Hang out with your friends instead of studying for that test you know you'll do fine on anyways. Don't hold back, eat that cupcake in the dining hall (actually, hold off - the Freshman 15 is a real thing.) You do only live once, so do all those crazy things you want to do! But lost in the kitsch and obnoxiousness of YOLO's primary meaning is its true value to all of you members of the Class of 2016. Sure, you can say "YOLO" before you have that non-alcoholic drink you know is going to put you over the edge, or before you engage in a DFMO at your first dorm dance (I'll let you figure that last acronym out for yourself.) But Notre Dame offers some of the most incredible opportunities to undergraduates of any university in the world. The thing is, you do only live once. On that note, You Only Notre Dame Once - YONDO, if you will - and it would be a terrible waste to cruise through four years of college without taking the University up on some of its offers. So in this Fighting Irish version of YOLO - YONDO - go out there, and do everything knowing you've only got one shot at college. Go on the Appalachia Seminar. Go to the Career Fair. Play a club sport. Write for the student newspaper (If you can string a couple of nouns and verbs together cohesively, we'd love to have you.) Take interesting classes - I bet you didn't know we have probably the best Medieval Studies program in the United States. Be passionate about something, anything. Basically, get off your bum and be active in the Notre Dame community. YOLO, YONDO - it doesn't matter how you say it. You've only got one shot at college. Class of 2016, treat it as such. Contact Sam Stryker at sstryke1@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. 

It's about the people

Welcome home, Class of 2016. Enjoy every minute of Frosh-O, because the three days will be over before you know it. Heck, your first three years will be over before you know it. You're going to hear the words, "Enjoy every moment," quite a bit, but it's truly better advice than any dean can give you. Academics and football may have attracted you to Notre Dame, but it's the people that will make you want to stay forever. You could have gone to other top-notch schools, but this University offers so much more than its academics and a football program that hasn't been anything to write home about since before many of you were born. It's about the people. Take every opportunity to embrace the new relationships. There's a good chance you'll encounter people this weekend who will one day be in your wedding. Your time on this campus only lasts four years, but it's the friendships that last a lifetime. One of the best aspects of Notre Dame is its national reach. Your freshman roommates probably hail from other regions of the country than you. During the past three years, I've roomed with six different people from four different states, all different than my own. It's a great way to learn about parts of the country of which you may be otherwise unfamiliar. Those who have visited campus even 100 times before stepping on campus as a Domer can't fully grasp the experience, until now. Your college career will provide opportunities you never could have imagined. My Notre Dame experience is different from my brother's, whose is different than my sister's, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Like Lou Holtz once remarked about Notre Dame: "If you've been there, no explanation is necessary. If you haven't, none is adequate." Toss aside your preconceived perceptions of the dorm you now call home that wasn't necessarily your top choice. Carroll Hall was at the bottom of my list a little over three years ago, but being placed there was the best thing that's happened to me at Notre Dame. As I've learned, it's not about the distance or the 106-year-old building that lacks air conditioning. It's about the people. My last piece of advice is to remember your entire class begins on equal footing. Your high school accomplishments are irrelevant now, though don't forget about those who helped you get to this point. With a blank slate, now is the time to pursue the opportunities you've always dreamt of and to become the person you want to be the rest of your life. Before you know it, you'll be reading about the class of 2019 and how it managed to average a 37 on the ACT, even though it only goes up to 36. And you'll be wondering where the time went while you were enjoying every moment and cultivating lifelong friendships. Contact Andrew Owens at aowens2@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. 

Get ready to fail

To the Class of 2016, welcome. Get ready for failure. (No offense. Seriously, keep reading.) You are all high school valedictorians and veterans of the honor roll. You blew your SATs and ACTs out of the water. You won awards. Four years ago, I drove up to Notre Dame just like you did this weekend. I looked around at the glittering golden dome and the neatly trimmed South Quad lawn, and all I saw was perfection. I looked around, and I thought I would need to be perfect to make a life for myself here. Then I bombed my first Calculus test. And I mean, really bombed. Then I slept through my alarm clock and missed class. Then my first journalism professor told my entire class that one particular sentence in my article was the worst he'd ever read. Then I fell for someone who was wrong for me. Then I used all my Flex Points with way too many weeks left in the semester. Then I wiped out on an icy sidewalk. Then I thought short hair would work for me. (Maybe the worst mistake yet.) Then I walked into the wrong classroom. As a junior. It's been three years since I felt overwhelmed by the perfection surrounding me on this campus. In those three years, I realized my first impression was not correct. Notre Dame is not perfect, and neither am I. And that's okay. I discovered more about academics from bombing exams than from studying for them. That journalism professor is the reason I will pursue a career in newspaper reporting after graduation. I learned how to ask for help and to be brave enough to acknowledge my shortcomings. My best friends catch me when I wipe out, both literally and figuratively. I'm not saying you shouldn't study, or you should chop off your hair with reckless abandon. I'm saying that you should get ready for failure, learn from it and excel in spite of it. Get ready to walk into the wrong classroom repeatedly. It's always embarrassing - trust me. Get ready to seriously tank your first organic chemistry exam. You will do better on the next one. Or you can become a business major, your choice. Get ready to drink too much at your first college party. When the hangover goes away, laughing at yourself won't physically hurt your brain. Get ready to lose your ID. Replace it at Card Services for a whopping $30. Get ready to experience your first dining hall date and your first college breakup. Life goes on. Sometimes you have to screw up to succeed. So here's to four years of failures. To the Class of 2016, welcome. Contact Megan Doyle at mdoyle11@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. 

What have I learned?

Unless something rather miraculous happens between now and Sunday morning when I walk across the portable stage in Notre Dame Stadium, chances are I will not have a full-time job waiting for me after I graduate. If someone had told me that would be the case when I applied to schools as a high school senior, my seventeen-year-old self would have taken that as an indictment of Notre Dame. But now, on the eve of graduation from this University, I am keenly aware of how much Notre Dame has given me during my four years here. No matter what happens next in my life, I am confident that I will succeed because of what I have learned at this place. What have I learned? Always big cup it. Lose sleep. Agreement isn't always a good thing. Quarter dogs are always worth it. Hesburgh Library becomes a Ultimate Fighting Championship octagon during finals week. Lunch is optional. Sports beside football are cool, too. The Digital Visualization Theater is the coolest thing ever. If you take a foreign language, constantly study vocabulary. Your job will never be as cool as Matt Cashore's. The Observer exists solely to publish Question of the Day. Study abroad, but don't dwell on it when you come back. 3 a.m. is an acceptable time to start a paper. Marshmallows are impossible to get out of clothes. Work and play should mix - often. I may not have full-time employment, but I do have some of the greatest people I've ever met by my side. I've graduated from the University of Notre Dame and getting to this point has been the best journey of my life. Wherever I go next, I will always be a man of Notre Dame and I will never forget the alma mater - I couldn't wish for anything more than that.

The 'break-the-ice' college experience

Writing the final words of my career as a student writer should probably be a bit harder than this. Reflecting on four years of friendships, accomplishments, failures and laughs should take at least a full day of sitting in my room, before composing an eloquent farewell worthy of the independent newspaper serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's. Thankfully, the good people at Hallmark do a better job than I ever could putting together cliché goodbyes. So instead of a farewell column to The Observer, I'm opting for a farewell to columns. The first column I ever wrote appeared in the Sept. 16, 2009 issue of The Observer. For 474 words, I ripped the Career Fair as a four-hour track race dressed up as a networking event to give employers and students a sense of entitlement. After attending the Career Fair four consecutive years, I can say that's largely untrue. But in my first foray in column writing, I wanted to get my name out there for something edgy. Like much of my first two years at The Observer, I figured sacrificing integrity for a sensational topic would pay dividends. Needless to say it didn't work, and I remained a low-level sports writer with a peeve against people finding jobs. The turning point came exactly one year later when I reached rock bottom after writing a piece titled "Section 32." What started as an attempt to call out the student section during football games turned into a perceived endorsement of violence in the stands and a personal PR disaster. After more than a few calls for my resignation and some serious damage control from my editors, I finally put my head down and prioritized The Observer in my life. During those first two-and-a-half years, I most certainly set the record for the "Can you please stop by the office to talk?" unofficial disciplinary meetings. I pushed my editors to the brink with my writing, downright disrespected them in conversation and really showed no desire to improve. As a business major without an inkling for a career in journalism, I mistook The Observer as a pastime instead of the opportunity to take on a unique responsibility unlike any other offered at Notre Dame. But I wouldn't have changed the trajectory of my career path from layout artist to assistant managing editor in the slightest. My public humbling and private disciplining were essential to my development at The Observer and Notre Dame. Taking the raw person who thought he was more talented than he really was and turning him into a writer, student and leader who actually turned out better than he thought possible has been The Observer's greatest contribution on my life. For that, I thank all the editor-in-chiefs, managing editors, assistant managing editors and sports editors who suffered through my growing pains so that I might at least see the potential I could reach. That brings me to perhaps my favorite column, the championship column following the 2010 women's soccer team victory over Stanford in the NCAA College Cup. In addition to providing my profile picture for the next 17 months, the experience was everything I now miss in my post-Observer life - sharing moments with people who endured the same journey as you did. Sure, I had to let this particular moment soak in longer than the others, but writing in a McDonald's tollway oasis before uploading pictures on a smart phone tethering the Internet while driving at 2 a.m. is something my colleagues and I won't forget anytime soon. That, and proofreading a 24-page paper at 3 a.m. in the basement of a cafeteria. And although I'm relegated to reliving memories through a farewell to columns, which has inevitably turned into a farewell column, The Observer will be for me what it has been to privileged editors before and will be to naïve ones in the future - the break-the-ice college experience you never run out of words to describe.

Now it's time to turn

"To everything, turn, turn, turn, There is a season, turn, turn, turn, And a time for every purpose, under Heaven." The Byrds' song, inspired by Ecclesiastes, captures the many dimensions and emotions of our ever-changing lives. The moment that giant, regal envelope came in the mail with our names stenciled in gold - or a phone call from the admissions office said we got off the waitlist, as in my case - our lives set on a new course. From spring to summer, summer to fall, our realities shifted in 2008. We fell from the top of the high school food chain to the bottom of the Domer pecking order. Our egos, surrounded by the best of the best, got a much-needed reality-check. Four years later, we emerge more confident in our abilities, wiser than we thought we would be and still wildly inexperienced in the realities of the world. A mix of excitement and anxiety flutter in our stomachs as graduation edges ever closer. Our season as Notre Dame students is coming to a close, and of course it's sad. Of course we're going to miss the people we lived with, studied with, partied with and crushed on from afar. Those moments we embarrassed ourselves and the ones in which we exceeded our own expectations have equally shaped our character and ambitions. We couldn't see it while we were in it, but looking back it's obvious there was a plan all along. The "Turn! Turn! Turn!" lyrics provide a perfect frame to recount those moments that brought us to these final days as Domerundergrads. A time to laugh: If Facebook serves one purpose, it's to ensure we ruin our chances of employment by providing an Internet record of our hilarious undergraduate moments. Themed parties, spring breaks, dorm dances and numerous nights on the town set the stage for some of the most random entertainment we've provided and witnessed. A time to weep: Notre Dame football. But next year will definitely be better! A time to build up: I've never met a more service-oriented group of individuals than those at Notre Dame. From tutoring to building homes to shaving our heads in solidarity with cancer victims, our class went above and beyond in the realm of helping others. By building up other communities, we strengthened the bonds of our own. A time to break down: Too. Much. Work. We all had those moments when a precarious dash up Main Building's steps no longer scared us, as we became more and more certain we couldn't conquer not only Hesburgh's, but Notre Dame's challenges. Despite our doubts, we did. And here we are. Don't forget just how successful you can be. A time to dance: From Frosh-O to dirty dorm rooms to the Finny's stage, if one thread pirouettes through our four years at Notre Dame, it's dancing. Sweet to sassy to sloppy, we've tested our moves and certainly left indelible impressions on our peers. Whether or not that's a good thing, it was undeniably fun. A time to mourn: Over the past few years, we tragically and unexpectedly lost irreplaceable members of our community. Declan Sullivan, Xavier Murphy and others prematurely passed and left holes we're still not sure how to fill. We learned lessons about life and death before we wanted to, but now understand the preciousness and fragility of the days we've been blessed with. A time to gain: Memories. As a quote inked on former Editor-in-Chief Douglas Farmer's desk says, "We just don't recognize the greatest moments of our lives as they are happening." We know the thrills of anticipation and the longing of looking back, but while we're gaining the moments we'll fondly recall, we lose ourselves in them. And that's the beauty of living and the beauty of college. A time to lose: The Freshmen 15. Or the Senior 16. We can no longer blame "college" for the sometimes less-than-stellar health choices we make, but we can certainly blame our future careers. Cheers to the working world! Life is a question mark right now, a path we can't see two steps beyond where we stand. It's half the appeal, half the battle. We know, though, that the fullness of the experiences we claim our own has prepared us to test those uncertain waters. We'll definitely mess up, that's for sure. But there will also be success and (hopefully) lots of it. May the next season of our lives be as diverse and wonderful as the one that's ending. This was our season. Now it's time to turn, turn, turn. And find our purpose under Heaven.