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Opinion

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Gratefulness

By Isabelle Kause · Friday, Dec. 2, 2022

As I made my way back from Chicago to South Bend after a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving break with my family, I found myself reflecting on the last few days with an immense amount of gratitude.

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Will Kevin McCarthy be Speaker of the House next year?

By Blake Ziegler · Friday, Dec. 2, 2022

Despite pre-election predictions of a “red wave” that didn’t manifest at the polls, Republicans will emerge from the midterms with only a slight majority in the House of Representatives. Based on the latest reports, it appears that the GOP will only enjoy a 5-seat majority in the House. President Biden joins the list of exceptions to the historic rule that a president’s first midterm election is a disaster. With an average seat loss of 28 since World War II and 45 for the last 4 Democratic presidents, the president’s situation is much more positive than some anticipated.  

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What makes an icon

By Reyna Lim · Friday, Dec. 2, 2022

There are a few words in my lexicon that have snuck their way into my lingo much to my woeful resignation. They say the way a person speaks tells you everything you need to know about them — I like to think that I can play at some meek facade of depth and intellect when needed, with lengthy words I credit to SAT prep and the odd Latin saying that I picked up from movies. But the merciless grip of the stampede that is social media introduces at least a dozen outlandish pieces of vocabulary each month.

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‘Endlich daheim’: Finally home

By lettertotheeditor · Friday, Dec. 2, 2022

These words were tattooed on my high school math teacher’s forearm — to serve as a dual reminder of the time he spent living in Germany, but also to be thankful for his return to his personal home in the United States.

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On saying thank you

By Hannah Hebda · Friday, Dec. 2, 2022

We don’t have many formal Thanksgiving traditions in the Hebda household. The holiday is pretty standard for us. I love cooking with my mom, watching football with my brothers and my dad and simply spending time with my family. One very basic tradition we do have, however, is one where each of us says something we’re grateful for when we sit down to eat.

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An aspie's gratitude

By Jack Griffiths · Friday, Dec. 2, 2022

Head spectrum is the cognitive carnival. Your neurons have soared off the rails. So hold on to your everything, ladies and gentlemen. Behold the hidden wonder of the world and watch as thoughts bounce on all the cranium walls. 

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Farewell to Trader Joe's Takis

By Willoughby Thom · Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022

Why are Trader Joe’s Rolled Corn Torilla Chips (aka Takis) so good? This is a legitimate question. There is no other snack on the market that I get genuinely disappointed when there are not in stock. I am not a big fan of traditional Takis, but, for some reason, the Trader Joe’s chips are gold.

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The forgotten cities

By BridgeND · Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022

As Homeless encampments continue to grow, thousands of Americans are left in the dust. We need to do more. 

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I am with you always

By Andrew Sveda · Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 ESV). These last words of Jesus’ Great Commission have long been cherished by Christians. Why is this? What does this verse mean?

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A fate like the railways?

By Pablo Lacayo · Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022

I have always had a deep infatuation with Nicaragua’s history, and throughout my life I have consistently made a point of learning as much of it as is humanly possible. I have spent countless hours reading my country’s history books, clicking through Wikipedia pages and watching archive footage found in rather obscure corners of the internet. The only reason why I still make a point of checking Facebook frequently is to peruse through the many Nicaraguan history pages I follow, taking pictures I find interesting and sending them to my friends and relatives every now and then. As winter break approaches, I will have the opportunity to go home for the first time since January, and I am ecstatic to once again set foot in the lands that saw me grow up. In my mind, nothing beats learning about history in the flesh and being able to once again tour Nicaragua’s landmarks. The opportunity to explore places I have not seen in ages for the first time in a while has me giddy with excitement. 

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‘Red flag’ literature: On not judging a book by its cover

By Elizabeth Prater · Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022

“Catcher in the Rye.” “The Prince.” “Norwegian Wood.” These are all some of the books that are commonly cited as “red flags” when a person indicates them as one of their favorites. There is something unsettling about nominating these texts, amongst others, as “one of the greats.” 

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Five people are dead. The University is silent. 

By lettertotheeditor · Monday, Nov. 21, 2022

On Saturday, Club Q opened its doors to Colorado Spring’s queer community. What was supposed to be a night defined by community and fun soon turned into a night of horror. Around 11:50 p.m., Anderson Aldrich allegedly opened fire into a crowd of queer folk, injuring 25, and leaving at least five dead before two patrons repossessed the firearm to disarm the shooter. The shooter took on the role of God to execute an immense act of hate that left five families without their children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren. 

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A message of gratitude

By lettertotheeditor · Monday, Nov. 21, 2022

Our son and brother James R. (“Jake”) Blaauboer, a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame, died tragically and unexpectedly on Nov. 11. When we arrived on campus to begin making Jake’s final arrangements, we felt that we had fallen into thousands of compassionate arms. We fell and you held us. We humbly and sincerely thank the Notre Dame community for embracing our family at this difficult time. If you prayed for Jake and for us, served us, drove us, sent flowers or prayerful messages, lit a candle at the Grotto, wrote in Jake’s tribute book or simply whispered to us that “your son mattered,” we want you to know you have cast light in our darkness. We bless and thank each of you for your kindness and compassion. We will always remember you in our prayers of thanksgiving.

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What money is to happiness, affirmative action is to college diversity

By lettertotheeditor · Monday, Nov. 21, 2022

For the past week, I have been reading “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin; during this time, I have also been reflecting on the Supreme Court hearings on affirmative action that took place on Monday, Oct. 31. On Thursday, while I was reading the book’s chapter on money (Chapter 7), I followed Rubin as she reflected on the connection between money and happiness. Early on in her musings, I came across the following comment that reminded me of the discussion on affirmative action:

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Reflections on snow 

By Jonah Tran · Monday, Nov. 21, 2022

I have seen snow less than 10 times. Nine times to be exact. My first time was years ago while snowboarding at Big Bear Mountain in California. The other eight times were at Notre Dame. 

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The importance of comprehensive sex education

By Grace Sullivan · Monday, Nov. 21, 2022

The topic of sex tends to be taboo due to the deep embedment of abstinence over education in society. Although sex education classes can be awkward and uncomfortable, these tough conversations are worth having in order to begin normalizing and destigmatizing discussions about sex. Not only does comprehensive sex education reduce teen pregnancy rates, sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and assault, but it provides young adults with essential information that promotes the sexual health and well-being of themselves and others. According to KQED, “comprehensive sex education” teaches that not having sex is the best way to prevent STIs and unintended pregnancies, but also offers medically accurate information about STI prevention, reproductive health, healthy relationships, consent, gender identity, LGBTQIA+ issues and more! This method of education not only reduces STI’s and teen pregnancy rates among young adults, but it also delays when teens become sexually active. However, this form of education is not as present as it should be in school curriculums.

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The machine gun method

By Devin Humphreys · Monday, Nov. 21, 2022

When I was in Algebra II my freshman year of high school, we were taught a couple of different ways to solve a quadratic equation. A couple have fallen by the wayside (as we law students do not regularly employ math more complicated than the Hand Formula), but I remember two distinct methods that had almost opposite pros and cons: factoring, which we learned first, and using the quadratic formula, which we learned last. As my math teacher, Mr. Josh Taylor, explained and demonstrated, factoring is the easiest of the ways to solve a quadratic equation, but it doesn’t always work. In contrast, the quadratic formula always works, but it has the uncanny tendency to get unwieldy at the times when it would make the most sense to factor instead. As a result, Mr. Taylor gave the quadratic formula the nickname of “the machine gun method” — it always gets the job done, but sometimes by using more “bullets” than the job required.

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