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The Observer

Welcome home

By The Observer · Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012

Dear Class of 2016, Welcome home! We are so excited for you to join us as the newest members of the Notre Dame family. As you embark on this new journey in your life, we would like to share a few words based on our experiences these past few years. The next four years will be unforgettable. Be open to all of the opportunities Notre Dame will offer you. Whether you are volunteering at the Robinson Community Learning Center down the street, or spending a semester in Uganda, Notre Dame will open your eyes to parts of the world you never knew existed. Find your passions and pursue them. Meet people who have similar interests and ask them for advice. Your RAs, Hall Presidents, club leaders and upperclassmen down the hall will be more than happy to help you with whatever you need. Embrace every moment of your four years as a Notre Dame student. Introduce yourself to the people sitting around you on the first day of class. Pull an all-nighter in the Hesburgh Library. Do pushups at a home football game and run through Stonehenge after a big win. Light a candle at the Grotto. Sink your boat at the Fisher Regatta. Participate in the midnight snowball fight after the first snowfall. Do every cliché Notre Dame thing you can, because your time here at Notre Dame will be over before you know it. In the coming year, if you find something that you aren't happy with on campus, come visit us in 203 Lafortune. We'll do our best to help you fix it. Notre Dame has a unique ability to adapt and progress while staying true to its fundamental traditions - don't be afraid to lead this change. Like the coming Notre Dame winter, four years may seem like they will last forever, but you'll soon realize how quickly they pass. Begin your tenure at Notre Dame right now, by fearlessly entering Frosh-O with an open mind and heart. Welcome to the family. In Notre Dame,

The Observer

The next chapter

By The Observer · Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012

For 170 consecutive years, the University of Notre Dame has opened its doors to new students. Like generations who came before, you are embarking on a journey where you will have an opportunity to advance your knowledge, develop your leadership skills, deepen your faith, learn from others and form lifelong friendships. Whether you are a first-year undergraduate, transfer, professional or graduate student, we are delighted that you have chosen to join our community, and I extend a warm welcome to you as you begin this formative time in your life. I hope that Notre Dame challenges you in many ways. Your professors, your rectors and your classmates will encourage you to stretch yourself intellectually and develop on a spiritual and personal level. Take these opportunities to find a passion that matches your talents and allows you to lead a purposeful life. Dare to be different, yet be respectful and welcoming to all. Have a wonderful time, without engaging in behavior that would place you or others at risk. Hold yourself to high ideals. Explore new things, while cherishing the people and traditions that matter. Embrace Notre Dame's distinctive mission and enrich your understanding of it through study and reflection. Contribute your own talents to improve the lives of those around you. Much of your development at the University can and should occur on your own. At the same time, know that the Division of Student Affairs is available to support you through our residential communities and a variety of student service departments. Rectors and members of our hall staffs across 29 undergraduate halls and two graduate and family residences are dedicated to building communities of faith that are rooted in the Holy Cross tradition. The professionals who serve in Campus Ministry, the Career Center, the Gender Relations Center, Multicultural Student Programs and Services, the Student Activities Office, the Office of Housing, the Office of Residence Life, the Office of Alcohol and Drug Education, the University Counseling Center and University Health Services are trained to provide specialized services and programming that will complement your development. All of us are eager to smooth and enhance the road that you will travel during your time at Notre Dame, and I encourage you to seek our help along the way. I look forward to watching how your presence, energy and ideas renew and enhance our University. You will lead Notre Dame in new directions based on the paths that you pursue. May we all form a strong community and write the next chapter of this beloved institution together. With best wishes and prayers for a successful year,

The Observer

The Saint Mary's way

By The Observer · Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012

On behalf of the faculty and staff at Saint Mary's College, I extend a warm welcome to the Class of 2016 and our transfer students. As the 11th president of Saint Mary's, and a proud alumna, I know how powerful this experience will be for you. You will spend the next four years in a rigorous academic environment supported by an excellent faculty, close friends and a deeply caring staff. As a Holy Cross institution, we place a special emphasis on the education of the whole person. Your education does not end when you leave the classroom. Every activity in which you participate will enhance your collegiate experience. I encourage you to participate in as many co-curricular activities as time and your academic schedule will permit. More than 80 percent of our students participate in community service. This number demonstrates the importance we place on giving back and on experiential learning. One of my aspirations for you is that you will explore your place in the universe and your obligation to contribute to the common good. If this happens for you, then you, too, will have experienced the real Saint Mary's. The world needs women educated in the Saint Mary's way. Our proud 167-year tradition of educating women to make a difference in the world now includes you. It is your turn to make history at Saint Mary's College. I look forward to accompanying you on this exciting journey. Sincerely,

The Observer

YONDO

By The Observer · Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012

So Class of 2016, you've arrived to the tropical resort paradise known as South Bend, Indiana. You've moved into your dorm, met your roommates and are about to embark on the greatest four-year journey of your life. Undoubtedly, friends, family and chance acquaintances have thrown you way too much advice on how to approach your college experience - ask questions, don't be shy, talk to your professors, be outgoing - and yes, most of this is true. But there is no uniform recipe for a triumphant freshman year. Every one of you is different (despite it seeming like the admissions office recruited an army of North Face models) and it would be remiss to think there is some formula to "winning" freshman year. I tried to do all the things I was told to do - yet still, there were periods during my first year at Notre Dame that were the most emotionally draining times of my life. While there might not be a universal game plan that will indisputably yield straight A's, a gaggle of friends and the avoidance of the Freshman 15, approaching college with a certain mentality is key. That's where YOLO comes in. Much has been made of this ubiquitous phrase. While many toss it around with such regularity you would think their life depended on it (myself included) others scorn its usage (like my friends, who have placed me on a strict cap of five YOLO's for every time we hang out.) For the uninitiated, YOLO stands for "You Only Live Once" and it perfectly epitomizes what freshman year is all about. YOLO's immediate meaning urges one to live life to the fullest, otherwise one might suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out.) For instance, go ahead and go out on a weeknight. Hang out with your friends instead of studying for that test you know you'll do fine on anyways. Don't hold back, eat that cupcake in the dining hall (actually, hold off - the Freshman 15 is a real thing.) You do only live once, so do all those crazy things you want to do! But lost in the kitsch and obnoxiousness of YOLO's primary meaning is its true value to all of you members of the Class of 2016. Sure, you can say "YOLO" before you have that non-alcoholic drink you know is going to put you over the edge, or before you engage in a DFMO at your first dorm dance (I'll let you figure that last acronym out for yourself.) But Notre Dame offers some of the most incredible opportunities to undergraduates of any university in the world. The thing is, you do only live once. On that note, You Only Notre Dame Once - YONDO, if you will - and it would be a terrible waste to cruise through four years of college without taking the University up on some of its offers. So in this Fighting Irish version of YOLO - YONDO - go out there, and do everything knowing you've only got one shot at college. Go on the Appalachia Seminar. Go to the Career Fair. Play a club sport. Write for the student newspaper (If you can string a couple of nouns and verbs together cohesively, we'd love to have you.) Take interesting classes - I bet you didn't know we have probably the best Medieval Studies program in the United States. Be passionate about something, anything. Basically, get off your bum and be active in the Notre Dame community. YOLO, YONDO - it doesn't matter how you say it. You've only got one shot at college. Class of 2016, treat it as such. Contact Sam Stryker at sstryke1@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. 

The Observer

It's about the people

By The Observer · Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012

Welcome home, Class of 2016. Enjoy every minute of Frosh-O, because the three days will be over before you know it. Heck, your first three years will be over before you know it. You're going to hear the words, "Enjoy every moment," quite a bit, but it's truly better advice than any dean can give you. Academics and football may have attracted you to Notre Dame, but it's the people that will make you want to stay forever. You could have gone to other top-notch schools, but this University offers so much more than its academics and a football program that hasn't been anything to write home about since before many of you were born. It's about the people. Take every opportunity to embrace the new relationships. There's a good chance you'll encounter people this weekend who will one day be in your wedding. Your time on this campus only lasts four years, but it's the friendships that last a lifetime. One of the best aspects of Notre Dame is its national reach. Your freshman roommates probably hail from other regions of the country than you. During the past three years, I've roomed with six different people from four different states, all different than my own. It's a great way to learn about parts of the country of which you may be otherwise unfamiliar. Those who have visited campus even 100 times before stepping on campus as a Domer can't fully grasp the experience, until now. Your college career will provide opportunities you never could have imagined. My Notre Dame experience is different from my brother's, whose is different than my sister's, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Like Lou Holtz once remarked about Notre Dame: "If you've been there, no explanation is necessary. If you haven't, none is adequate." Toss aside your preconceived perceptions of the dorm you now call home that wasn't necessarily your top choice. Carroll Hall was at the bottom of my list a little over three years ago, but being placed there was the best thing that's happened to me at Notre Dame. As I've learned, it's not about the distance or the 106-year-old building that lacks air conditioning. It's about the people. My last piece of advice is to remember your entire class begins on equal footing. Your high school accomplishments are irrelevant now, though don't forget about those who helped you get to this point. With a blank slate, now is the time to pursue the opportunities you've always dreamt of and to become the person you want to be the rest of your life. Before you know it, you'll be reading about the class of 2019 and how it managed to average a 37 on the ACT, even though it only goes up to 36. And you'll be wondering where the time went while you were enjoying every moment and cultivating lifelong friendships. Contact Andrew Owens at aowens2@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. 

The Observer

Get ready to fail

By The Observer · Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012

To the Class of 2016, welcome. Get ready for failure. (No offense. Seriously, keep reading.) You are all high school valedictorians and veterans of the honor roll. You blew your SATs and ACTs out of the water. You won awards. Four years ago, I drove up to Notre Dame just like you did this weekend. I looked around at the glittering golden dome and the neatly trimmed South Quad lawn, and all I saw was perfection. I looked around, and I thought I would need to be perfect to make a life for myself here. Then I bombed my first Calculus test. And I mean, really bombed. Then I slept through my alarm clock and missed class. Then my first journalism professor told my entire class that one particular sentence in my article was the worst he'd ever read. Then I fell for someone who was wrong for me. Then I used all my Flex Points with way too many weeks left in the semester. Then I wiped out on an icy sidewalk. Then I thought short hair would work for me. (Maybe the worst mistake yet.) Then I walked into the wrong classroom. As a junior. It's been three years since I felt overwhelmed by the perfection surrounding me on this campus. In those three years, I realized my first impression was not correct. Notre Dame is not perfect, and neither am I. And that's okay. I discovered more about academics from bombing exams than from studying for them. That journalism professor is the reason I will pursue a career in newspaper reporting after graduation. I learned how to ask for help and to be brave enough to acknowledge my shortcomings. My best friends catch me when I wipe out, both literally and figuratively. I'm not saying you shouldn't study, or you should chop off your hair with reckless abandon. I'm saying that you should get ready for failure, learn from it and excel in spite of it. Get ready to walk into the wrong classroom repeatedly. It's always embarrassing - trust me. Get ready to seriously tank your first organic chemistry exam. You will do better on the next one. Or you can become a business major, your choice. Get ready to drink too much at your first college party. When the hangover goes away, laughing at yourself won't physically hurt your brain. Get ready to lose your ID. Replace it at Card Services for a whopping $30. Get ready to experience your first dining hall date and your first college breakup. Life goes on. Sometimes you have to screw up to succeed. So here's to four years of failures. To the Class of 2016, welcome. Contact Megan Doyle at mdoyle11@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. 

The Observer

What have I learned?

By The Observer · Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Unless something rather miraculous happens between now and Sunday morning when I walk across the portable stage in Notre Dame Stadium, chances are I will not have a full-time job waiting for me after I graduate. If someone had told me that would be the case when I applied to schools as a high school senior, my seventeen-year-old self would have taken that as an indictment of Notre Dame. But now, on the eve of graduation from this University, I am keenly aware of how much Notre Dame has given me during my four years here. No matter what happens next in my life, I am confident that I will succeed because of what I have learned at this place. What have I learned? Always big cup it. Lose sleep. Agreement isn't always a good thing. Quarter dogs are always worth it. Hesburgh Library becomes a Ultimate Fighting Championship octagon during finals week. Lunch is optional. Sports beside football are cool, too. The Digital Visualization Theater is the coolest thing ever. If you take a foreign language, constantly study vocabulary. Your job will never be as cool as Matt Cashore's. The Observer exists solely to publish Question of the Day. Study abroad, but don't dwell on it when you come back. 3 a.m. is an acceptable time to start a paper. Marshmallows are impossible to get out of clothes. Work and play should mix - often. I may not have full-time employment, but I do have some of the greatest people I've ever met by my side. I've graduated from the University of Notre Dame and getting to this point has been the best journey of my life. Wherever I go next, I will always be a man of Notre Dame and I will never forget the alma mater - I couldn't wish for anything more than that.

The Observer

The 'break-the-ice' college experience

By The Observer · Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Writing the final words of my career as a student writer should probably be a bit harder than this. Reflecting on four years of friendships, accomplishments, failures and laughs should take at least a full day of sitting in my room, before composing an eloquent farewell worthy of the independent newspaper serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's. Thankfully, the good people at Hallmark do a better job than I ever could putting together cliché goodbyes. So instead of a farewell column to The Observer, I'm opting for a farewell to columns. The first column I ever wrote appeared in the Sept. 16, 2009 issue of The Observer. For 474 words, I ripped the Career Fair as a four-hour track race dressed up as a networking event to give employers and students a sense of entitlement. After attending the Career Fair four consecutive years, I can say that's largely untrue. But in my first foray in column writing, I wanted to get my name out there for something edgy. Like much of my first two years at The Observer, I figured sacrificing integrity for a sensational topic would pay dividends. Needless to say it didn't work, and I remained a low-level sports writer with a peeve against people finding jobs. The turning point came exactly one year later when I reached rock bottom after writing a piece titled "Section 32." What started as an attempt to call out the student section during football games turned into a perceived endorsement of violence in the stands and a personal PR disaster. After more than a few calls for my resignation and some serious damage control from my editors, I finally put my head down and prioritized The Observer in my life. During those first two-and-a-half years, I most certainly set the record for the "Can you please stop by the office to talk?" unofficial disciplinary meetings. I pushed my editors to the brink with my writing, downright disrespected them in conversation and really showed no desire to improve. As a business major without an inkling for a career in journalism, I mistook The Observer as a pastime instead of the opportunity to take on a unique responsibility unlike any other offered at Notre Dame. But I wouldn't have changed the trajectory of my career path from layout artist to assistant managing editor in the slightest. My public humbling and private disciplining were essential to my development at The Observer and Notre Dame. Taking the raw person who thought he was more talented than he really was and turning him into a writer, student and leader who actually turned out better than he thought possible has been The Observer's greatest contribution on my life. For that, I thank all the editor-in-chiefs, managing editors, assistant managing editors and sports editors who suffered through my growing pains so that I might at least see the potential I could reach. That brings me to perhaps my favorite column, the championship column following the 2010 women's soccer team victory over Stanford in the NCAA College Cup. In addition to providing my profile picture for the next 17 months, the experience was everything I now miss in my post-Observer life - sharing moments with people who endured the same journey as you did. Sure, I had to let this particular moment soak in longer than the others, but writing in a McDonald's tollway oasis before uploading pictures on a smart phone tethering the Internet while driving at 2 a.m. is something my colleagues and I won't forget anytime soon. That, and proofreading a 24-page paper at 3 a.m. in the basement of a cafeteria. And although I'm relegated to reliving memories through a farewell to columns, which has inevitably turned into a farewell column, The Observer will be for me what it has been to privileged editors before and will be to naïve ones in the future - the break-the-ice college experience you never run out of words to describe.

The Observer

Now it's time to turn

By The Observer · Tuesday, May 15, 2012

"To everything, turn, turn, turn, There is a season, turn, turn, turn, And a time for every purpose, under Heaven." The Byrds' song, inspired by Ecclesiastes, captures the many dimensions and emotions of our ever-changing lives. The moment that giant, regal envelope came in the mail with our names stenciled in gold - or a phone call from the admissions office said we got off the waitlist, as in my case - our lives set on a new course. From spring to summer, summer to fall, our realities shifted in 2008. We fell from the top of the high school food chain to the bottom of the Domer pecking order. Our egos, surrounded by the best of the best, got a much-needed reality-check. Four years later, we emerge more confident in our abilities, wiser than we thought we would be and still wildly inexperienced in the realities of the world. A mix of excitement and anxiety flutter in our stomachs as graduation edges ever closer. Our season as Notre Dame students is coming to a close, and of course it's sad. Of course we're going to miss the people we lived with, studied with, partied with and crushed on from afar. Those moments we embarrassed ourselves and the ones in which we exceeded our own expectations have equally shaped our character and ambitions. We couldn't see it while we were in it, but looking back it's obvious there was a plan all along. The "Turn! Turn! Turn!" lyrics provide a perfect frame to recount those moments that brought us to these final days as Domerundergrads. A time to laugh: If Facebook serves one purpose, it's to ensure we ruin our chances of employment by providing an Internet record of our hilarious undergraduate moments. Themed parties, spring breaks, dorm dances and numerous nights on the town set the stage for some of the most random entertainment we've provided and witnessed. A time to weep: Notre Dame football. But next year will definitely be better! A time to build up: I've never met a more service-oriented group of individuals than those at Notre Dame. From tutoring to building homes to shaving our heads in solidarity with cancer victims, our class went above and beyond in the realm of helping others. By building up other communities, we strengthened the bonds of our own. A time to break down: Too. Much. Work. We all had those moments when a precarious dash up Main Building's steps no longer scared us, as we became more and more certain we couldn't conquer not only Hesburgh's, but Notre Dame's challenges. Despite our doubts, we did. And here we are. Don't forget just how successful you can be. A time to dance: From Frosh-O to dirty dorm rooms to the Finny's stage, if one thread pirouettes through our four years at Notre Dame, it's dancing. Sweet to sassy to sloppy, we've tested our moves and certainly left indelible impressions on our peers. Whether or not that's a good thing, it was undeniably fun. A time to mourn: Over the past few years, we tragically and unexpectedly lost irreplaceable members of our community. Declan Sullivan, Xavier Murphy and others prematurely passed and left holes we're still not sure how to fill. We learned lessons about life and death before we wanted to, but now understand the preciousness and fragility of the days we've been blessed with. A time to gain: Memories. As a quote inked on former Editor-in-Chief Douglas Farmer's desk says, "We just don't recognize the greatest moments of our lives as they are happening." We know the thrills of anticipation and the longing of looking back, but while we're gaining the moments we'll fondly recall, we lose ourselves in them. And that's the beauty of living and the beauty of college. A time to lose: The Freshmen 15. Or the Senior 16. We can no longer blame "college" for the sometimes less-than-stellar health choices we make, but we can certainly blame our future careers. Cheers to the working world! Life is a question mark right now, a path we can't see two steps beyond where we stand. It's half the appeal, half the battle. We know, though, that the fullness of the experiences we claim our own has prepared us to test those uncertain waters. We'll definitely mess up, that's for sure. But there will also be success and (hopefully) lots of it. May the next season of our lives be as diverse and wonderful as the one that's ending. This was our season. Now it's time to turn, turn, turn. And find our purpose under Heaven.

The Observer

Moments of Notre Dame

By The Observer · Tuesday, May 15, 2012

My Notre Dame experience, not unlike life itself, can be summed up by a series of individual moments. The first moment comes on a Saturday afternoon in December. Around noon. I know the time because I had already been waiting for hours. When the mail clanked through the slot, I bolted to the door, grabbed the pile and clambered up the stairs. In utter disbelief, I read my Notre Dame acceptance packet: "Welcome home." It was the first and only time in my life that I have cried of happiness. I can still remember this moment perfectly. The moment my childhood obsession became a reality, the moment I started to fall in love with Notre Dame. Eight months later, I arrived on campus wearing the rose-colored glasses that characterize the honeymoon phase of any new relationship. I pinched myself when walking past the Dome on the way to class. The Notre Dame monogrammed waffles in the dining hall were the best thing I'd ever tasted and certainly were not going to make me gain the Freshman 15. And by my first football game in the student section ... forget about it, I was officially in love. I coasted through the rest of freshman year and made it through my first "long-distance" summer. But I soon found the honeymoon phase fading until there were moments I felt disillusioned with my beloved Notre Dame. I discovered a Notre Dame that maintained appearances to the outside world while ignoring the needs of its family. I discovered a Notre Dame that was a slave to Catholic doctrine instead of thinking for itself and leading by example. I discovered a Notre Dame that had inconsistent policies with inconsistent consequences. Did these bureaucratic failings define the university I had fallen in love with? Ultimately, I only needed one moment to answer that question. I found it when I was covering the memorial Mass for our classmate, Declan Sullivan, for The Observer. Shortly after Communion, I slipped out the side door to find at least a thousand students - most of whom had never met Declan - huddled together on that chilly, autumn night. In that moment, the sea of flickering candles seemed to go on forever. In that moment, strangers became family. In that moment, I swear I could feel Declan smiling. Words fail to do it justice. It was the single most moving moment of my life. And it was also the moment I realized that it is the people - not the Catholic Church, the administration or even the University president - that truly define Notre Dame. Since then, there have been many smaller moments that have allowed me to fall deeper in love with Notre Dame, flaws and all. The nights when the Grotto absorbed my anxiety and grief, and gave me its serenity in exchange. When I was in a bad mood and someone held the door open for me going into LaFun. Late nights in The Observer office when we were all delirious, but Deb's candy made it okay. The support of my rector when I lost faith in the administration. The magic of singing the alma mater. Most of all, I have loved the countless moments I've spent with my friends here. Those moments spent laughing, dancing, "hoping," making up nicknames for people we don't know, seeing how loudly we can talk before Christina hears, eating, eating and more eating. The precious moments that helped a motley crew come together to make the perfect family. Come Sunday, I'll add one last moment to the list - the moment I receive my Notre Dame diploma. And in that moment, I expect I'll have only one thought: Faithfully and unequivocally, love thee Notre Dame.

The Observer

Diploma? Don't need it

By The Observer · Tuesday, May 15, 2012

For the last 12 years, whenever I walked down the stairs at home, I passed a Notre Dame diploma. In 2003, that one increased to two, and eventually a third was added. I always had trouble believing I would complete the set of four. I'm still not entirely convinced. But even if I have failed at that task, today is here nonetheless, and as is said, how quickly does today turn into yesterday. Once today is yesterday, we will no longer be part of the elite group known as Notre Dame undergraduates. Instead, we will be part of the much larger population of Notre Dame alumni. Supposedly, Notre Dame alums are an illustrious bunch. For years, we have heard about the networking, the clubs and the Alumni Association itself. By Sunday afternoon, we will be a part of it all. In that respect, as we scatter around the country and the globe, we will still have common ties. But do we not have those anyways? To draw an extreme example, if I don't receive a diploma this weekend, would that truly separate me from my 2,000 classmates? Sure, I wouldn't be in the football ticket lottery and my class ring would be even more obnoxious than it was originally, but are these the things we came to Notre Dame for? We came for a thorough, well-rounded education. The University-required classes assured the well-rounded factor, and each of our majors was plenty thorough. We came for good times. Finny's, Kildare's and Brothers treated us well. As did the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Let's forget not about the lovely weather, the dining hall holidays and, sincerely, the marshmallow fight. We came for faith. Dorm masses have laid a foundation. Campus-wide masses have brought us together, both in celebration and in sorrow. The Grotto has welcomed us at all hours. Our faith has developed, even when we did not realize it. We came for football. Well, this is awkward. Maybe we didn't win as many games as we wanted, but we did have sprinklers and snowballs, a rain delay and a night game. We came for friends. And we leave better in that regard than we could have ever imagined. We've found best men and maids of honor. We've found roommates who may as well be brothers or sisters. We've found classmates and co-workers who hold those titles in name only - they are so much more. So, with apologies to the Alumni Association and all the good it does, joining my brothers as alums does not thrill me much. Rather, I'll remember my undergraduate days. I did not come to Notre Dame for a diploma. I came to Notre Dame for knowledge and know-how, faith and football and, most importantly, life-long friends. And I got them. Thank you to my 2,000 classmates, not to mention predecessors, professors and Observer staffers, for helping me along the way. Oh, and don't worry Mom. I am getting a diploma tomorrow, and yes, you can hang it with the others.

The Observer

Clichés we love

By The Observer · Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Going into college four years ago, people tried to prepare me with a series of clichés. "These will be the best four years of life. The people you meet will change your life. Football Saturday is like nothing you've ever seen before. You will remember that late-night walk you took with your best friend more than that test you didn't study for enough. You will grow up and find yourself. These four years will fly by." As it turns out, most of these clichés are correct. And while we never want our life to be a cliché, college might just be meant to be that way. Clichés are based on a frequency of expression, after all. Like that last one - these four years will fly by. Notre Dame has only been four out of 22 years of my life. But I feel like I've been here forever. Frosh-O seems a lifetime ago, but I still reminisce with my Dome Dance date about walking to the JACC together. And I will always remember meeting my best friends at the Keenan freshman dance. My time at Notre Dame has been a blur, but I feel like I've never known anything else. I struggled to master the words to every football cheer and now I can do them in my sleep - and have, I'm sure. These four years under the Dome will amount to only a small percentage of my life, but Notre Dame will always be my home. I will remember the challenges and the triumphs, football wins and football losses, mozzarella sticks in the dining hall and steak sandwiches at Pole 13, late nights studying in the library and late nights working away at The Observer, finding a whole new world as a freshman on campus and finding a whole new world studying abroad in London, Muddy Sunday, first Feve, never winning at trivia, Thursday Jersday and Kamen 11. And it's all been because of you, Notre Dame. Thank you to my friends who've made even a night at Sbarro fun, to my classmates and professors who have given me the best education in the world, to my Observer family and my London family, to tailgate friends, Finny's friends, football friends, Pangborn friends, Cavanaugh friends, DPAC friends, library friends and to every friend who has made these four years so great. To my family. This weekend really is that time of lasts we've been fearing, but as I look towards it, I am just as excited as I am sad. I may be blubbering like a small child come graduation Sunday, but I feel ready for the next step in life, and that is the greatest gift Notre Dame could have ever given me. Life may never feel this safe and, well, not easy, but simple and easy to navigate again. But these four years, inside and outside the classroom, have been the best preparation in the world. I graduate Sunday with my peers, who I know will change the world in profound ways, because they are a miraculous group of people. We may always wish we could relive our college years, but we are all ready for even more. To you, the class of 2012. It's been real. And hey, after graduation, why don't you call me maybe.

The Observer

We are a family

By The Observer · Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Editor's Note: To view the complete list of 1,700 signatures, please visit The Observer's website at ndsmcobserver.com

The Observer

Summer is for home-town sports

By The Observer · Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Maybe we shouldn't think about it, but we have only one week and two days until freedom. Despite the chaotic nature of a closing semester and the inevitable stress of finals, I find it hard to prevent my mind from wandering towards the approaching bliss. With no class or homework in sight after next Friday, I have already begun planning how I will spend my few free weeks in May before my summer schedule starts. The more I have thought about it, the more I realized exactly what I will be doing with my time and what I missed during this busy year: watching sports. Before entering my freshman year of college, I did not fully comprehend how busy life at Notre Dame really is. Between classes, homework, activities and a social life (forget about sleep), I found little to no time to watch my hometown teams compete. Add on the fact that I originate from out-of-state - southeastern Wisconsin to be exact - and it is next to impossible to find my team on television when I do have free time. Thankfully, with the Packers' successful regular season, my team appeared on national television more frequently than most. But even though I was better off than say, Redskins or Jaguars fans, I still found it difficult to watch an entire game on the designated "homework day" of a football weekend. Compared to the Pack, even more difficulties have emerged with my Brewers.Except when they play (and beat) the Cubs, the Brew Crew is hardly on television. Thus, I must resign to checking the box score online or watching the mind-numbing MLB Gamecast online. For example, on a rare free night, I went online and discovered the Brewers were tied with the Dodgers in the eighth inning. With nothing else to do, I searched frantically for an avenue to watch the conclusion of the close game, but to no avail. South Bend lies just out of reach of the Milwaukee-based radio station, which also restricts online broadcasts for baseball games. I was also unwilling pay the steep $120 price to watch the game - as well as the entire baseball season - on MLB.tv. With the game headed to extra innings, I even stooped so low as to text a friend and ask to Skype in order to watch the game. Yet, I failed to uncover a solution and was stuck watching the MLB Gamecast as Nyjer Morgan, who just stole second and third and scored the winning run. It was a close play at the plate off a Ryan Braun sacrifice fly. Moments later, the same friend I texted hoping to Skype responded with a celebratory, "Go Brewers!" Of course, although I follow my hometown teams less closely, I have developed a greater pride in Notre Dame sports. Whether it's football, basketball or hockey, this year has provided some remarkable times to be a Notre Dame fan. This at least helps lessen the difficulties associated with living out of touch with hometown teams. In the end, I am looking forward to the rapidly approaching opportunity to kick back on the couch at home and watch the Brewers recover from their early-season struggles. When Ryan Braun hits a walk-off home run, I will finally be the one shouting "Go Brewers!"  

The Observer

We are all responsible

By The Observer · Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Dear Members of the Notre Dame Community: On Feb. 24, Father Thomas Doyle, Dr. Don Pope-Davis and Notre Dame senior Brittany Suggs wrote to inform you about two deplorable and intolerable incidents in which fried chicken parts were left in the mailboxes of the Black Students Association and the African Students Association. I am writing to update you since that letter. Since these incidents were reported and investigated, numerous activities - reflecting a collaborative interest in addressing the presence of discriminatory harassment, bigotry and cultural insensitivity - have occurred involving students, faculty and staff. Student leaders of both affected organizations, along with Student Government, hosted a Call to Action town hall meeting. In the weeks that followed, there have been classroom discussions, meetings among minority and majority student-run organizations, meetings of students with Student Affairs staff and other campus leaders, a prayer service for unity and the formation of various coalitions. These gatherings yielded open and honest discussions about experiences had by people of color in our campus community. The stories that were told were revealing and sobering - sometimes painful for the speaker to re-tell - but they were also informative. We gained important feedback that various members of the University administration and students have already used, and will continue to use in examining, informing and modifying our policies and practices. One of the coalitions formed, the Plan of Action committee - which includes student leaders as well as faculty and staff volunteers - has been actively engaged in this process. Other groups and departments have also shared interest in positively impacting our campus climate and are working toward that end. Looking to the future, we are committed to collaborating in building on these efforts to eliminate the occurrence of discriminatory harassment and prejudice and to improve the Notre Dame experience for all members of our community. In my newly created position as Chief Diversity Officer and Advisor to the President, Fr. Jenkins has asked me to help coordinate the University's work with students, faculty and staff to move Notre Dame toward a more inclusive campus climate. Together with the Office of the President, the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of the Provost and other campus units, we will work with students to develop constructive strategies that address the problems revealed by these incidents. We - as departments and individuals, in classrooms and residence halls, across the range of our racial and ethnic backgrounds - are all responsible for creating an inclusive campus. Specific initiatives have been and will continue to be considered in coming months. We will communicate them to the Notre Dame community as they are developed in detail. At Notre Dame, an issue like this is important and relevant not only to members of our Black community and to others of color. It affects us all. Indeed, we are all responsible for actively preventing future occurrences and creating a campus where diverse backgrounds and perspectives are embraced, nurtured and celebrated. These incidents provide an opportunity for each of us to reflect on how we can be more thoughtful and loving in what we say and do, contributing to the formation of a more accepting university community. In essence, this is at the heart of our Catholic Mission. In more direct terms, if you are the victim of discriminatory harassment on our campus, please report it through the appropriate channels (http://www.nd.edu/~equity/discriminatory_harassment/DiscriminatoryHarassmentProcedures.shtml) and if needed, seek support. If you are an employee of the University who receives or otherwise handles reports of harassment, you should demonstrate compassion and empathy as you work to expeditiously handle the report. If you receive or witness an intolerant remark or act, consider finding a way - as difficult and unexpected as it may be - to tell the person that the behavior is inappropriate. Do so only if you feel safe. And if you are someone who is intolerant or insensitive in your conduct, consider how hurtful you are to us all. Acts of harassment, in whatever form, are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Our faith calls us to stand together in opposition to the hatred of racism wherever it may exist, be it on our campus or in society at large. We must live lives dedicated to the celebration of our differences, teaching these qualities to others through our actions. By being both examples and ministers of love and inclusion, we can effectively combat the types of bias and insensitivity recently made apparent on our campus. Sincerely, Dr. Frances L. Shavers staff Chief Diversity Officer April 30

The Observer

Health care as a human right

By The Observer · Tuesday, May 1, 2012

In a public letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, President John Jenkins wrote against a federal policy that would classify Notre Dame as an employer obligated to provide contraception to its employees. Fr. Jenkins argued that Notre Dame deserves an exemption out of respect for its religious standards, for "this [proposed federal policy] would compel Notre Dame to either pay for contraception and sterilization in violation of the Church's moral teaching, or to discontinue our employee and student health care plans in violation of the Church's social teaching. It is an impossible position." This argument claims that as a Catholic university Notre Dame has a religious obligation to provide for the health care access of its employees and students. The well-established Catholic social doctrine that health care is "an inalienable human right," as Pope Benedict XVI recently described it, is protected at Notre Dame via group health insurance and provided at reasonable cost. From Fr. Jenkins' letter, it would seem that Notre Dame provides for its community in adherence to the 'Church's social teaching.' This appearance is further promoted both by portraying the University as a "healing force" in banners around campus, and by nationally televised commercials identifying Notre Dame with the conviction that "first rate medical care is a fundamental right for every person." But this appearance is false. A group of concerned students and staff recently finished a survey at University Village, the on-campus residence for married students. We found that 28 percent of student spouses reported having no insurance at all. The survey also discovered a quarter of families described one or more of their children as uninsured. These uninsured children also belong to international students, who as non-citizens do not qualify for state-provided coverage. Also worth mention are women who become pregnant while on the state plan; their comprehensive coverage is lost and for one year they have coverage for pregnancy only, without insurance for any other medical cost. How is it possible that the University could violate the very principle it projects as distinctive to its public witness of faith? In many meetings with various members of the administration, it is often claimed that provision of affordable insurance coverage to student families would be prohibitively expensive. These budget forecasts are flawed. They assume all student spouses and all student children require subsidies. But as noted above, only a percentage are currently uninsured. The costs of providing affordable health care to those who need it on a means-tested basis would be substantially less than the administration projects. Yet, admittedly this remains an expense, one to be made from discretionary funds, because the University has not mobilized donor support for student families. Are other recent discretionary expenses made by the University as necessary as medical care for each person at Notre Dame? Reports from the Chicago Tribune, public policy sites like foundationcenter.org and various committees of the University analyzed recent discretionary dollar outlays at Notre Dame and found they cost more annually than health insurance. These expenses include doubling and tripling compensation for some Notre Dame administrators since 2003, since some now rank at the very top for their positions on a national level. Other expenses include dozens of additional scholarships for non-revenue-producing varsity sports, begun in 2001 and graduate student tuition charged to the graduate school rather than to external research grants. Even further, the University sequesters funds for ballooning athletics' coaches compensation via an separate entity that absorbs revenue from national advertisers, rather than directing these monies to the University's General Fund, while advocating via the NCAA against caps on coaches' salaries. A bit of restraint in each of these areas would yield funds sufficient for every student child and spouse to access medical insurance affordably. Fr. Jenkins is correct to connect Notre Dame's mission to the Catholic principle that access to health care is a human right. And a proposal to provide student spouses and children entry to the new campus Wellness Center would be a welcome step. Yet, this would only provide student families access to very basic forms of care. By Fr. Jenkins' standard, the human right of access to health care is supported at the University via affordable health insurance. An inferior second standard that does not insure children and spouses would continue to expose these families to large health and financial risks. The teaching of the Church on health care as a human right is clear. But thus far, the administration has been agnostic to this teaching's consistent application at Notre Dame. By refusing to accept the relevance of the Church's social teaching and its own publicly proclaimed principles and postponing less pressing expenditures before necessary ones, the Trustees and the administration have isolated many from health care. The answer to the original question of Fr. Jenkins' letter, a question many Notre Dame families now pose, is unclear: by whose standard is Notre Dame a religious institution?

The Observer

My senior thesis on Star Wars

By The Observer · Monday, April 30, 2012

The undergraduate thesis might just be the ultimate form of self-inflicted punishment. Whether you're in the Honors program, a PLS major or just plain ambitious, interested and a little bit crazy, the undergraduate thesis is all on you, in both times hard and good. It seems like such a good idea at the beginning - 50 pages is nothing! That's, like, five 10 page papers, which I write all the time, thank you very much. I've got a whole year to do it, and that's one less class I have to take each semester. And then your bibliography gets bigger, your research more in-depth, your nights more sleepless. You start to wonder, "Was this really all worth it?" You will face many hardships on your way to writing that senior undergraduate thesis, and you will consider just laying it all down and giving up many times, but on that day you finally turn it in - well, you might never feel better. I know this from personal experience - this past Friday, I turned in 70 pages of blood, sweat and tears. It was cathartic, it was a relief, it was celebratory - and it was all worth it. It was worth it, not because I have 70 pages of academic insight to my name, but because I wrote my thesis on just about the coolest thing I could - "Star Wars." Yeah, all that writing was hard. But even at its worst, my thesis was about "Star Wars!" I spent countless hours reading about the most prolific movies of my childhood, the stories that inspired my young imagination and propelled to be a film major today. It was the closet to reading for fun that I've ever gotten in school. Thanks to my thesis, I also received funding to visit Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, Calif., to do research and conduct interviews. It may have been a working trip, but I've never had more fun doing work in my life. Writing 70 pages about "Star Wars" (and the many complexities behind the life of that franchise), it turns out, was pretty easy. I was a fan girl writing something I would have enjoyed reading myself and, unsurprisingly, that made the whole thing an ultimately enjoyable experience. So, don't let 20 or 50 or 70 pages scare you away from taking on something really challenging but really rewarding. But when you set your mind to it, choose a topic you're interested in. You will spend an entire year on it, no matter what you might think now, so settle in for that year with something you love. Be smart, be original and, most importantly, be you. Find your personal "Star Wars" and the pain and suffering will, as it turns out, be one of the most rewarding experiences of your academic career.

The Observer

A call for vocations

By The Observer · Monday, April 30, 2012

Editor's Note: The Observer is refraining from naming the author of this letter because of a concern for his personal safety away from Notre Dame. The Observer has verified the authenticity of the letter, as well as the legitimacy of the author's concern.

The Observer

Father Jenkins, this is not about an agenda'

By The Observer · Monday, April 30, 2012

Earlier this semester, I gave an interview to The Observer in which I shared intimate details of an attempted suicide during my freshman year. Frankly, I gave the interview hoping to bring light to the gravity of a situation about which the University has acted cowardly. I'm not referring just to depression and suicide on college campuses - though these are issues about which I remain very concerned - but rather to the condition of GLBTQ students at Notre Dame. And honestly, I also gave the interview in part to make good on my past failure to speak up in your office hours last semester. I'd applied multiple times for the chance to attend your office hours (which we all know are a limited, highly-selective affair), so you can imagine my happiness this past fall when I was notified of my successful application. I had fifteen minutes to sit with you and one other student in your office, so there was clearly not much time for meaningful dialogue between us. I, a cowardly fifth-year senior, shrunk from the opportunity to speak freely, though, as we ran through the usual exchanges and you eventually asked, "How has your time at Notre Dame been?" I don't question your genuine interest in student life, but instead of saying, "Good, but ...," I simply said, "Good." We shook hands a short while later and my guilt grew as you wished me good luck on my way out. "What waste of time," I thought. In failing to be honest in describing my time here, I failed to accurately pay witness to the reality some students face. I failed to give a voice to my peers. My response was a lie. I should have looked you in the eye and said, "It has been difficult, and here is why," because Father John, you need to understand what is at stake here. You and the administration cannot afford to make vacuous public statements of support and intent that are actually of no real substance. The University cannot continue to prioritize a desired public image over the welfare of its student body. Some of my fellow students are suffering the same feelings of isolation and depression that led me to make a dangerous decision four years ago. These students can barely trust their residence hall staff, much less a clergy person or someone on one of your administrative committees. Some of these women and men remain in the closet, and we may never know their identity. But I know how they feel because I was once one of them, and out of silent desperation I eventually tried to kill myself. I failed to do the right thing when I met with you, but I am graduating soon and cannot afford to waste any more time with empty words. What I and the student body need from you is the opportunity to make a significant change in the lives of Notre Dame's students, most especially those students who feel they are losing their tether to the world. So amend the non-discrimination clause. Officially recognize the student club. You and the administration must not contribute to a situation in which a student does not make it out of here alive, and I dread the day when my University springs to action too late, and only after a student takes their own life out of despair. Father John, this is not about an agenda - it is about people. Stand up to the political and derisive opposition, and rally your fellow University leaders. We can never stop trying to make life better for those present and future Notre Dame students to whom I so powerfully relate. I hope you can find the courage to do the right thing.

The Observer

In solidarity

By The Observer · Monday, April 30, 2012

While this letter was composed by nine students who happen to be members of the Core Council for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Questioning Students, we do not speak on behalf of the council itself, the faculty and administrators involved, or the other student leaders on the council. These are our personal opinions. We, as student leaders, would like to take this opportunity to share with the campus community our opinions regarding the University's recent decision to not add sexual orientation to the official non-discrimination clause and to weigh in on the impending decision concerning the club status of AllianceND. While we remain committed to serving on the Core Council because of the opportunity it provides to engage in dialogue with the administration regarding our concerns for the GLBTQ community, we want to emphasize that the Core Council alone is not sufficient to effectively change the atmosphere on Our Lady's campus toward GBLTQ individuals, nor is it capable of adequately serving the thousands of students, faculty and staff who are concerned with GLBTQ rights and inclusion. Those of us returning for the 2012 -2013 school year will continue to use our roles on the council to improve the climate on this campus for GLBTQ students. We want, however, to express our full support of the recognition of AllianceND for the coming school year and the inclusion of sexual orientation in the University's non-discrimination clause. It needs to get better on this campus. We believe that these changes are long overdue and have the potential to improve the atmosphere on this campus drastically for both GLBTQ and Ally members of the Notre Dame community. We want every student, staff and faculty member frustrated by the current climate to know that we stand with you in this struggle, and that we, as individuals, support you. In solidarity,

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