opinion

ND emphasizes smoking policy

By The Observer · Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

I would like express my disgust at this University's brutal and on-going war against smokers. Not only is smoking prohibited in dormotories and lecture halls, cigarettes are not even sold on campus! But now, in compliance with a diktat issued by the useless jobsworth who incompetently run St. Joseph County, students and staff must maintain a minimum distance of 25 feet from the perimeter of every building if they wish to smoke. It is already an outrage that people have to suffer the indignity of being forced to go outside to smoke, but this new policy is an even worse humiliation and so draconian and fascistic it would make Hitler blush. If non-smokers are too precious and delicate to endure a small whiff of second-hand smoke then they should wear surgical masks. I will comply with Notre Dame's anti-smoking policy, but only under protest. And if anyone looks at me askance while I'm smoking 25 feet away from the perimeter of a building I will blow a big cloud of smoke in his or her face and laugh.

New policy avoids questions

By The Observer · Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Tim Dougherty's guest column, ("A Foreign New Policy," Jan.25) eloquently expounds on one of the fundamental aspects of Notre Dame's football tradition: our national scheduling philosophy. I agree with Tim, and want to focus on debunking one popular counterargument that consistently arises from the Notre Dame Athletic Department and others as an excuse for the current scheduling model.

Barack's choice

By The Observer · Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

A year ago, our newly-inaugurated President gave his address to a nation eager for change. Then just a week ago, the people of Massachusetts voted for change, albeit one the Democrats did not anticipate. The seat held by Sen. Ted Kennedy for nearly half a century in a state that has not elected a Republican senator since 1972 will now be filled by a Republican by the name of Scott Brown.

Job well done

By The Observer · Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

I have delivered The Observer for more than a decade. The Observer is going on 50 years old. Students have worked hard to put out one of the finest daily newspapers. Many people, not all in the Notre Dame community, have told me this. I am an independent contractor, I don't work for Notre Dame or The Observer, but have worked with the students long enough to know the cartoon is not what The Observer is about.

Still overpriced

By The Observer · Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

As occasionally happens, I wondered into the Huddle Mart due to a hunger that convinced me that Huddle Mart's relatively close location made it the ideal candidate for me to purchase some munchies. I headed directly to the Clif bars, a source of quick sustenance I use to rely on to get me through time crunches. To my angst, Clif bars are priced at $2.09 rather than $0.99 as I was used to. This made an article that was published in The Observer sometime within the last year ("Huddle Mart unable to compete with retailers," Oct. 13) pop into my mind.

Substantial aid

By The Observer · Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

It was completely unnecessary for Fr. DelFra to open his Thursday column ("What we can do together," Jan. 21) with his explanation of the quote, "There are no atheists in foxholes." The quote and even his explanation express a pervasive mindset that people cannot face great challenges without asking for help from above. I should not need to clarify why this is absurd. He proceeds to explain that an ecumenical spirit between people of all religions right now is what is needed to face the crisis in Haiti. Should that spirit be what convinces you to offer help to those in Haiti, so be it. However, for those who think prayer will fix Haiti's problems, I urge you to consider this anonymous quote: "Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer." I have been told many times that God listens to every prayer, but he doesn't answer them all. Rather than taking our chances, I suggest we all do something a bit more concrete. Imagine the thousands of hands at this University giving monetary aid to relief organizations. That would most certainly have a tangible effect for the suffering people of Haiti.

Barack's choice

By The Observer · Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

A year ago, our newly-inaugurated President gave his address to a nation eager for change. Then just a week ago, the people of Massachusetts voted for change, albeit one the Democrats did not anticipate. The seat held by Sen. Ted Kennedy for nearly half a century in a state that has not elected a Republican senator since 1972 will now be filled by a Republican by the name of Scott Brown.

Wearin' o' the green

By The Observer · Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

In response to the letter "Keep ‘The Shirt' kelly-green" by Jim Blase (Jan. 25), I agree that Notre Dame Stadium would be much more intimidating for our opponents and awe-inspiring for our football team if we had one single color to rally behind rather than the current mixture that fills the stands. The use of a single color has a unifying effect that definitely makes a difference on the field. Home games at places like Michigan (boo) or Penn State look different, sound different, and feel different partially because of the solid waves of Maize or White that dominate their stadiums. While neither venue can compare to the tradition, the purity, and the echoes of Notre Dame Stadium, the intimidation factor can not be ignored at either place. What better way to add that extra factor which has been lacking from Notre Dame Stadium than by rallying around the color green? With the introduction of our new Irish coach (who ironically happens to share his name with a shade of green) this is clearly the perfect opportunity for all Notre Dame fans to (in the words of the 1928 edition of the Scholastic Football Review) come together as "a band of native and adopted Irish in their native color."

Job well done

By The Observer · Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

I have delivered The Observer for more than a decade. The Observer is going on 50 years old. Students have worked hard to put out one of the finest daily newspapers. Many people, not all in the Notre Dame community, have told me this. I am an independent contractor, I don't work for Notre Dame or The Observer, but have worked with the students long enough to know the cartoon is not what The Observer is about.

Dems in Mass.

By The Observer · Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

We lost in Massachusetts because President Obama and Democrats in Congress have not been tough enough in pursuing their goals. Yes, Martha Coakley was a terrible candidate and deserved to lose (just about anywhere but Mass.), but the lesson must be learned that this is not a call for all Democrats to move to the center. It is a repudiation of politics without integrity. It is a statement against politicians who govern to get re-elected. The Democrats have been so paranoid of losing their majorities that they have forgotten what got them there. I am not advocating for Democrats to be extremely ideologically rigid. I am pleading that they do not back down in debates of what is morally just. When we are confronted with "death panels," and the "government takeover of medicine," we need to treat the American people like responsible adults and tell them the truth, rather than caving from fear over being socialists, tree-huggers or anti-war hippies. We need to pick our battles, not over catch phrases like public option, but on what the best results will be for our country. 2010 needs to be the year when Democrats be honest with the American people and put what is best for them in the long term, ahead of what cable news and lobbyists are shouting about in the short term.