opinion

Welcome to 'real life'

By The Observer · Monday, Jan. 31, 2011

Friday's article, ("#isthisreallife", Jan. 28), was an incredible embarrassment to me as a Notre Dame student. I am amazed that such a simple thing as shoveling the tiny amount of sidewalk associated with one's house could be such a big deal. Furthermore, the self-centeredness shown in the article is astounding.

It's the climb

By The Observer · Monday, Jan. 31, 2011

It's scary to think that this is my last ever first column of the semester. We seniors have had a number of these realizations within the past few weeks, and only then has it really started to hit home that, in a few short months, our experience here on campus will be over. Last home football game. Last time returning from break. And, worst of all, last first week of class (it's all downhill after syllabus week.)

Parental advice

By The Observer · Monday, Jan. 31, 2011

There's only so much you can learn from a textbook — of which you'll probably remember nothing — so why waste your time? The most useful lessons I've learned in life have been from my parents. In lieu of the upcoming Junior Parents Weekend, I figured I would pay them homage and relay some of their best advice.

Put the politics aside

By The Observer · Monday, Jan. 31, 2011

You've heard it all before. The usual Commencement speaker viewpoint hoopla. The Commencement speaker is too boring or too controversial. This person shouldn't be awarded an honorary degree. Why can't we ever get someone cool? Yada, yada, yada. But when I heard that our Commencement speaker was Defense Secretary Gates, the only cabinet member to serve under both President Bush and Obama, I thought we would avoid this hullabaloo. I was mistaken. Mr. Linskey ("Gates the wrong choice for Commencement speaker," Jan. 31) has made things political, once again. No matter who the commencement speaker is, there will always be someone who has a gripe with it.

Pet controversy

By The Observer · Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011

Reading the recent article "Rectors' pets call residence halls home" (Jan. 26) I was struck by the certain unfair quality inherent in the story. As a resident of Walsh, with a new rector this year, we did not have the good fortune of having a dog grandfathered in. By the new rule, we are now prohibited from owning one, much to the dismay of our rector and all of the girls in our dorm. It seems highly unfair that we should be excluded from this privilege and opportunity solely on the basis of circumstance. There are numerous benefits that result from owning an animal, many of which are especially relevant to college living. Having a dog in the dorm would encourage responsibility, healthy living and overall wellness while offering a relaxing outlet to students. From issues of depression to grief counseling, dogs have proved effective in reducing stress, homesickness and promoting well-being. In regards to allergies, being one of the oldest dorms on campus without much ventilation and totally lacking air conditioning, the addition of a dog would hardly have a significant effect on the air quality. With all of the positive effects, such a minor hypothetical difficulty seems trivial. Notre Dame has always striven to provide a multitude of resources to promote the health of its students, and it seems ridiculous that they should deny our dorms one of the possibly most beneficial.

Sticks and stones (and violent words and images) hurt

By The Observer · Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011

In the defense of her violent language that has been blamed for inciting the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Gifford, Sarah Palin said, "Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own. They begin and end with the criminals who commit them, not collectively with all the citizens of a state, not with those who listen to talk radio, not with maps of swing districts used by both sides of the aisle, not with law-abiding citizens who respectfully exercise their First Amendment rights at campaign rallies, not with those who proudly voted in the last election."

Improv standout

By The Observer · Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011

Dear Alvin,

Gates the wrong choice for Commencement speaker

By The Observer · Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011

Last week's editorial endorsing the selection of Robert Gates as this year's Commencement speaker failed to take into account the gravity of the United States' current military engagements overseas and Secretary Gates' role in those operations. As a senior graduating in May, I am troubled by Secretary Gates' selection. Although he has had an impressive career marked by a number of praiseworthy accomplishments, Secretary Gates' role in recent U.S. foreign policy decisions makes him an inappropriate choice for Commencement speaker.

Tradition

By The Observer · Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011

Tradition. A word so synonymous with Notre Dame it applies to discussions of football and graces numerous articles of memorabilia in the Hammes Bookstore.