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U Miami's football scandal

By The Observer · Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011

Corruption has been a fact of life for major collegiate athletics for most of the past 30 years. Nothing has illustrated this problem more than this past offseason. There have been players receiving illegal benefits and boosters overstepping boundaries all over the country. Even everyone's Cinderella, Boise State, had rule violations.

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Our Lady of Sorrows

By The Observer · Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011

"Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." (John 19: 25-27)

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We are still ND

By The Observer · Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011

As a Notre Dame student, I cannot help but respond to the letter from Mr. Lushis printed in the Viewpoint on Wednesday. In "Where's the Spirit?", the Notre Dame student body was deemed insulting, disrespectful and sad for not returning to the USF game after the rain delays.

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Orange pants

By The Observer · Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011

As I sat waiting for my theology class to begin Monday I heard whispers coming from behind me. I got nervous. Suddenly I felt like my sixth grade self. I was again 11 years old with sweaty palms and chills running down my arm.

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Cheering the 'stache

By The Observer · Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011

Five weeks ago I started growing a mustache with the expectation that I would be instructed to shave it for the start of the football season. Traditionally, Notre Dame cheerleaders have been required to be clean shaven for all athletic events. However, the cheerleading coach permitted me to keep the ‘stache for the throwback Michigan game. I would like to express my gratitude for all of the mustache support that came my way during gameday this past weekend. I hope to see as many students as possible in Ann Arbor this weekend in what will likely be the ‘stache's final appearance.

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Why we need a fair tax

By The Observer · Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011

In order to premise this article, it is first necessary to explain what a flat tax is. A flat tax is one in which the tax rate is constant regardless of the circumstances. This could apply to the gasoline tax, the income tax or various other forms of taxation. Under such an idea, the rich would not pay more, nor would the poor pay less. There would be no loopholes or deductions. Everybody would pay the same.

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Examining Kelly's behavior

By The Observer · Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011

Notre Dame's frustrating loss to South Florida was further degraded by the undignified sideline behavior of head coach Brian Kelly. His red-faced screaming and cursing at players has been justified by some as tough-minded coaching necessary to properly communicate in order to improve player performance.

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Where's the spirit?

By The Observer · Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011

Saturday's loss against USF, of course, was disappointing. Even more disappointing and, actually insulting, though, was the lack of support demonstrated by some of the students. For many years, the Notre Dame student body has been proclaimed as the greatest student body in the world because of its spirit. Not any more. After the first delay, a very substantial number of students did not return. After the second delay, even fewer returned. In 1988 after Notre Dame beat Miami, Brent Musberger said there is no greater love affair than that between Notre Dame's student body and its football team. Somewhere a divorce appears to have occurred.

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Manifesto

By The Observer · Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011

I spent last spring as a teaching assistant in Morality and Modernity. I was responsible for leading two discussion sections every Friday. My students taught me a great deal — though not what I expected.

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It's Tommy Time

By The Observer · Monday, Sept. 5, 2011

This Saturday was our first game of the 2011 football season, and the end result was pretty frustrating to say the least. A 23-20 loss to the Bulls of USF, and maybe even worse, of the Big East. Why did we lose to a team that Brian Kelly has beaten before? Are we cursed? This is crap! Off with his head!

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Before BCS

By The Observer · Monday, Sept. 5, 2011

Before the BCS sits an opponent. To this opponent comes Notre Dame, who asks to gain entry into the BCS. But the opponent says that he cannot grant him entry at the moment. Notre Dame thinks about it and then asks if they will be allowed to come in next year. "It is possible," says the opponent, "but you must win." The gate to the title stands open, as always, and the networks always air Notre Dame games, so they have the voters' attention. When the opponent notices that, he laughs and says, "If it tempts you so much, try going inside in spite of my prohibition. But take note. I am the underdog that upsets often. But from week to week stand opponents each more powerful than the other. You also still play Navy."

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Republican primary

By The Observer · Monday, Sept. 5, 2011

Tomorrow night, eight of the candidates vying for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination will take the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. in a debate that will seek to determine who among them is best-suited to take on President Barack Obama in next year's election. The event is noteworthy because it is the first debate that will include Texas governor Rick Perry, who recently announced his candidacy for president and has since risen to the top of several national polls.

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The social media cupcake

By The Observer · Monday, Sept. 5, 2011

There is a spectre haunting Our Lady's University — the spectre of social media. As The Observer proudly informed us last Friday, this past June the USA Today ranked the University of Notre Dame No. 1 on its list of 20 American colleges that have promoted the use of social media. The enthusiasm with which a famously conservative university has embraced Generation Y's hipster toys is indeed very touching, but as much as I hate to rain on our only parade that's still dry, I can't help but ask that thorny question: Is this really what we want?

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Debt ceiling blues

By The Observer · Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011

This past summer offered no shortage of entertainment — the NBA Championship, the Casey Anthony Trial, a new season of "The Jersey Shore" and the final Harry Potter movie.

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