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Monday, April 13, 2026
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Muffet McGraw: Scoring Fashion Points

By The Observer · Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Fashion is never fluff. It's a weapon of communication. An accessory or a complete ensemble can project strength to your opponent, encouragement to your team and unstoppable confidence to all those TV cameras. If you have any doubt, just tune into a Notre Dame women's basketball game, and take a look at Muffet McGraw on the sidelines for proof. Like the armor of an Amazonian woman prepared to do battle, Muffet's outfits fly in the face of expectation and disarm you with their fierceness.

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Styx: a concise history

By The Observer · Monday, April 4, 2011

The Chicago band Styx grew to fame in the late 1970s, melding progressive rock with hard rock guitar and strong ballads. Originally, twin brothers Chuck and John Panozzo joined up with neighbor Dennis DeYoung in 1961 to form "The Tradewinds."  Chuck left the band briefly to attend seminary school, but returned to the band on the bass guitar in 1964.  During his absence, Tom Nardin stepped in to fill Chuck's void on guitar, but left in 1969 and was replaced by John Curulewski. James "J.Y." Young joined in 1970.

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Ever heard of a band called Styx?

By The Observer · Monday, April 4, 2011

When you think of Styx, you are most likely going to imagine one of those classic bands that you know you like, even if you can't remember what exactly you like them for. With songs like "Come Sail Away," "Mr. Roboto," "Renegade" and "Lady," all of which are perennial radio standards, Styx is a band that has been burned into your psyche since birth — or at least since you began listening to the radio. They're a staple of the large and encompassing beast that makes up the ocean of Rock Before Our Time, landing on lists where even the least pedantic of rock enthusiasts can find something to hold on to. If you're a classic rock guru, you know them well. If you've ever forayed into progressive rock, they're essential. If you couldn't be bothered, you'll probably like them anyway. Consider yourself dared.

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Fashion by Felicia

By The Observer · Sunday, April 3, 2011

There are some things in life I consider inalienable rights. While the Declaration of Independence of our dear, beloved country may consider these to be among the greater themes — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — I consider smaller issues to be just as, if not more, inalienable. These include but are not limited to: shopping, traveling around the globe, visiting museums, attending good entertainment, lounging in bookstores for hours on end and my own "Italian moments."

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The Two Gentlemen of Verona

By The Observer · Sunday, April 3, 2011

This year the Film, Television and Theatre Department's spring production combines all the enthusiasm of student-run shows with the precision and training of professional theatre. The Department will join for the first time with the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival to present "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" this week.

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Latin Expressions "Origenes: Regresando a Nuestras Raices"

By The Observer · Thursday, March 31, 2011

Ready to sing, dance and enjoy one of the largest cultural events on campus? The university's Latino student organization, La Alianza, will host their annual showcase Latin Expressions today. It will be an exciting night full of Latino history, culture and art.

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Arabic Culture Night: More than just dancing

By The Observer · Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Arabic Culture Night returns to Notre Dame for its fourth year tonight, and it promises to be bigger and better than ever. More than 40 students from the department have worked tirelessly to prepare this very special event and are ready to share their hard work.

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Social Media Mash-Up

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 29, 2011

When comedian Daniel Tosh introduced the world to singing "sensation" Rebecca Black, there were a few immediate, inevitable consequences. First, thanks to Tosh's reputation and the sheer atrocity of the song, Black became instantly infamous. Second, many people were forced to eat their words concerning Justin Bieber. He may be annoying, but Rebecca Black makes many people long for the days when "Baby" was the worst thing they'd ever heard.

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Pandora: Music Your Way

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Pandora: no longer known in popular culture as that impulsive Greek chick. No, Pandora has commanded the Internet signals of laptops and smart phones across campus, save for that weird dead zone between the library and Starbucks.  As an Internet radio app and website, Pandora enables listeners to create a station based on an artist, then streams music from similar artists through that station. And although Pandora may not have encountered exactly what she wanted in her box, your Pandora Radio will be fine-tuned to your tastes. No random Pitchfork-endorsed artist will pop up on your beloved Britney station. But you will get a heavy dose of the Princess of Pop as well as some quality Christina and Rihanna. So the next time Steve Jobs and iTunes lets you down, or you're on the verge of tears because using Limewire can now land you a lawsuit, check out Pandora.

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Culture Tantrum

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 29, 2011

I was frustrated by a deep-seated conflict when approaching this week's Tantrum. I began the day by sending out the alert, "looking for a good tantrum, open to all suggestions." I posted this alert on Twitter, the hub of friends/Joss Whedon junkies/natural grocer advertisers who all deign to follow me on the new-media mammoth site that I have, reluctantly, hooked up to my phone.

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Britney's Back: 'Femme Fatale' appeals to the college crowd

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Since her decade-defining albums "…Baby One More Time" and "Oops!…I did it again" at the turn of the century, Britney Spears has only had an average of two to four big hits per album. "Femme Fatale," however, may bring the almost-30-year-old celebrity back into cultural relevance once again.

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Wiz slows down, lightens up on major label debut

By The Observer · Monday, March 28, 2011

At surface level, Wiz Khalifa seems to perfectly epitomize the stereotypical hedonistic rap star lifestyle, consisting of little else besides alcohol, drugs, women, cars and braggadocio about all of the above.  He sounds comfortably at ease in this atmosphere. This is intriguing given that, despite having a No. 1 single about a month ago with "Black and Yellow," he's a very new arrival in the mainstream.

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Movie rewind: 'Pulp Fiction'

By The Observer · Monday, March 28, 2011

Last week's episode of the popular NBC comedy "Community" featured an homage to Quentin Tarantino's classic psycho-crime thriller "Pulp Fiction." Released in 1994, the movie was hailed as an instant classic, and its reputation and influence has been maintained to this day. The "Community" episode is just one example of the influence the movie has upon popular culture.

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Notre Dame Chorale

By The Observer · Monday, March 28, 2011

This May Notre Dame's official concert choir, the Chorale, is making an eight-day pilgrimage to Italy in their "Heart of Italy" tour. The Chorale has also journeyed to France, Germany, Austria and New Zealand. Besides international tours, the Chorale toured through U.S. cities over Winter Break and the Midwest in January.  

The Observer

Pandora: Music your way

By The Observer · Monday, March 28, 2011

Pandora: no longer known in popular culture as that impulsive Greek chick. No, Pandora has commanded the Internet signals of laptops and smart phones across campus, save for that weird dead zone between the library and Starbucks.  As an Internet radio app and website, Pandora enables listeners to create a station based on an artist, then streams music from similar artists through that station. And although Pandora may not have encountered exactly what she wanted in her box, your Pandora Radio will be fine-tuned to your tastes. No random Pitchfork-endorsed artist will pop up on your beloved Britney station. But you will get a heavy dose of the Princess of Pop as well as some quality Christina and Rihanna. So the next time Steve Jobs and iTunes lets you down, or you're on the verge of tears because using Limewire can now land you a lawsuit, check out Pandora.

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Scene Picks - YouTube "Stars"

By The Observer · Sunday, March 27, 2011

It seems that Bieber Fever has sparked a love of pre-pubescent pop stars with floppy hair. Bieber's rise to fame using the video-sharing website YouTube has inspired many young teens to break out into the music scene in a similar fashion, putting their own videos onto the site in hopes of gaining a following. Ark Music Factory, a new production company, has capitalized on this new fad and helps aspiring young stars break out on the web. Although these preteens may not have the melodic voices of seasoned stars like Lady Gaga or Bono, they have nonetheless found fame. Check out Scene's favorite YouTube hopefuls.

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How interesting is your Notre Dame experience?

By The Observer · Thursday, March 24, 2011

As a senior economics major, I can't help but wonder if my time in college has been worth the tuition. Using the intelligence I acquired from this superior University, I came up with a highly sophisticated way to gauge the Notre Dame experience.  Let's be honest, this score is more important than any college test. So go ahead, challenge your friends, and be sure to keep this bucket list for future reference.  In the words of the great Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

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