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For the free market system in the NBA

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011

On Wednesday, Rick Reilly wrote an article for ESPN about the recent trade of Carmelo Anthony from Denver to New York, criticizing Melo essentially for leaving Denver for New York to play with his buddies — the same criticism that Lebron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh received last summer. Reilly whined that superstar players shouldn't be allowed to leave cities like Denver for cities like New York, calling it unfair. The assessment of "unfair" relies on the underlying assumption that there should be parity among the teams because franchises like Denver will fold if there's not.

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Ode to Kirby

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011

Those who are familiar with the popular Nintendo video game "Super Smash Bros" know the character Kirby. For those who are not, Kirby is a pink, round creature from Dream Land who battles the corrupt King DeDeDe and his henchmen.

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What do we owe Indiana?

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011

In college and at Notre Dame especially, students focus on promoting themselves. Pick me for that leadership role, pick up my résumé, see how well rounded and accomplished I am. But in what context?

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Condemnation is baseless

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011

I would like to say a few things "inspired" by Allison Kincaid's letter ("The whole story behind condemnation," Feb. 23) on the roots of Catholic condemnation of homosexuality. First, citing Genesis 1 as the root of any Christian moral imperative is questionable in and of itself. Credit where credit is due, you do point out that no one in their right mind would take the first chapter of the Bible literally. But still, even to infer the immorality of homosexuality from a benign clause in such a wholly fictional fable — that is, Genesis 1 — is a distant leap in logic. Listen, I get it. I'm Catholic too, and I have been flooded with Catholic social teachings my entire life just like most people at this school. Gays are evil because when they do the dirty, nature doesn't let them pop out kids nine months later. You can buy that logic if you want to, but in reality it was scraped together by Christians in an effort to justify their preexisting contempt for homosexuality.

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Closer reading is necessary

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011

I don't usually react to Viewpoint articles in The Observer, but on Feb. 23 I read something so offensive I decided to write a response. In her letter "The whole story behind condemnation," Ms. Kincaid claimed a union between two homosexuals was against God's plan simply because they can't procreate, and something about homosexuality somehow being a pagan tradition. I wonder if she realizes Christmas is rooted from a pagan tradition called Saturnalia. Anyways, suggesting that somehow being a homosexual is wrong and saying it's not in "God's plan" in a religious university with homosexuals is simply offensive and downright degrading.

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T-shirt passivity

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011

Recently, T-shirts with the slogan, "Gay? Fine by me," have been circulating around campus as a way of showing faith and support for the gay community of Notre Dame. While I believe the sentiments which prompt the stand to be good, I see the movement as passive and possibly counter-productive to the cause.

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Arab world uprisings

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011

The massive revolutionary protests that have swept across the Middle East in recent weeks have spread like a wildfire from country to country, inspiring the hopes of repressed and downtrodden nations and inciting fear in the hearts of autocratic dictators throughout the Arab world. The popular uprisings have already seen the overthrow of tyrants in Tunisia and Egypt and have critically endangered the oppressive regimes of several others in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen. In addition, the extraordinary courage and organizational capacity of the protestors has spurred demonstrators in such distant places as Zimbabwe and China to stand up and demand democratic reforms in their own countries. Many observers have highlighted the almost entirely unforeseen nature of the protests, which have left many governments, including the United States, fumbling for a response to the rapidly changing situation on the ground. As they work to formulate new policies and strategies to address the reawakened Middle East, there are several lessons that American policy makers should draw from this historic upheaval.

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Remembering Gail

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011

It's not uncommon for students and alumni of Notre Dame to express the sentiment that Our Lady's University is like a home away from home. It's a place where lifelong friendships are forged and memories that last a lifetime are experienced. For members of the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir, this feeling of home was enhanced all the more by the Choir's late, great director and our "surrogate mother," Dr. Gail Walton.

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Mendoza majors

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011

Some of us thought the day would never come. But, as sophomores, the fateful moment of choosing a major within Mendoza finally sprang upon us last week.

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The whole story behind condemnatation

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011

The letter "Story behind condemnation" (Feb. 21) did well to inform us about the origins of why homosexual activity is condemned. However, even though it gives a side that I had yet to fully consider, pagan rituals, it still fails to give the entire story.

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The Observer endorses Palmer-Parsons ticket

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011

Taking into account past experience, preparation and overall feasibility of their platform, The Observer Editorial Board endorses Saint Mary's juniors Cassandra Palmer and Maureen Parsons for the 2011-12 student body president and vice president respectively. Palmer, Student Government Association (SGA) missions commissioner, and Parsons, SGA campus clubs commissioner, have the most relevant experience to address the needs and wants of the student body. The ticket wants to address the "little things" around campus, which they believe will make the most difference for students.

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Fun with eye contact

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011

Many people mistakenly think you need a board game, an Internet connection or a 40 to have some fun. Wrong, wrong and accurate but not the answer I have in mind. All you need is a sidewalk full of strangers to amuse yourself endlessly. That, and the ability to see. If you are blind you will find the activities I am going to describe difficult, or even impossible, to carry out properly. The game is called "Eye Contact." A fundamental feature of human nature: Making eye contact with a stranger on the sidewalk (or anyone in the range of stranger to distant acquaintance) is off-putting, unnerving, for the other participant. It knocks them off balance for just a moment. You will exploit this temporary vulnerability for your own amusement.

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Ending the R-word

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 21, 2011

"Spread the Word to End the Word." At Notre Dame and across the world people are uniting to end the hurtful use of the word "retard." Here is why I am joining them: In middle school it felt like I was given the keys to the word. "Swear words" were off limits at school or in front of my parents, but somehow retard toed the line as appropriate. Some pushed back, including my mom emphatically, but once the word became the cool way of calling someone or something stupid there was no stopping it. I never used the word hatefully at people with disabilities, so I cleared myself of responsibility that I could be hurting someone's feelings.

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Everything I need to know in life

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 21, 2011

My long-awaited JPW has come and passed. The weekend was a blur of events and reflections on the impact my parents have had on my life. But in the wake of all this, I thought it would be rude to ignore another important (though not more important — don't worry Mom and Dad!) influence in my life: James Franco. Everything I need to know in life I learned as a James Franco fan.

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A Tale of Two Illinois Democrats

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 21, 2011

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." The opening line of Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" accurately describes the situation that two Democrats from Illinois, Sen. Richard Durbin and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, experienced as they participated in President Obama's debt commission in 2010.

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