Opinion

American Muslims this 9/11

Three events are coming together in relation to Islam on the upcoming anniversary of 9/11: The Koran burning organized by a small Christian congregation in Florida, the ongoing controversy over the Ground Zero mosque and the annual Islamic festival of Eid to mark the culmination of the holy month of Ramadan. Each of these issues warrants a different response from Muslims. With respect to Eid, we should be flexible. Regarding the mosque (which is not really a "mosque"), we should stand firm. As for the Koran burning, we should extend forgiveness.

An intoxicating Christian 9/11 remembrance

Our nation was founded one outpost at a time with each settlement promoting a variety of community ideals and freedoms as divergent as each resident's background or heritage. One need only recall the American Civil War's strife, review mid-20th Century civil rights movements or merely assess our current national political divide for proof that community standards differ drastically between neighborhoods and regions of the United States. Fortunately for Americans, our Constitution equalizes our societal rule of law by excluding extreme interpretations that may limit freedoms based upon bigotry.

Building positive momentum at the Michigan game

It's safe to say that Notre Dame fans and students have entered each of the past three seasons with at least moderately high hopes for the Irish football team. Eternal optimism, even in the face of mediocre seasons, has become one of the hallmarks of Notre Dame fandom.

Co-ex's more than just food

The Saint Mary's community received an extremely unpleasant shock at the beginning of this semester when they learned that co-ex meal exchange tickets are no longer available to the entire student body. We are all aware that this change must be due to the financial troubles that the College is experiencing, and that is understandable.

Game weekend support

Let me begin by commending you on your enthusiasm and rowdiness this last weekend against Purdue. You set the tempo right away with a huge turnout to the first pep rally and carried it over to the game on Saturday. In the past, however, we've seen a drop off in attendance and support at the pep rallies and games as the season went on. I'm urging you today not to comply with those negative traditions. This weekend marks one of the biggest rivalries in college sports as two of the winningest college football programs in the nation square off in what is sure to be an electrifying game. It is time for us to take ownership in our football team and show them that we will be there rain or shine, yelling till we're hoarse, and never doubting for a second that they're going to beat up on Michigan all day Saturday.

beND'

Last weekend NDSP notified the student body that they are investigating three reports of sexual assault on Notre Dame's campus. These reports brought to light an issue that occurs more often than one might assume, and that yields tragic results. At Notre Dame, we talk about "the Notre Dame family" and we all enjoy the feeling of home that this campus offers each of us. As members of this community, it lies with us to take care of each other and to foster a responsible community in every way we can so that everyone can have the best experience possible. You, as a part of the Notre Dame community, can be vital in preventing sexual assault.

Stanford and Keenan

In Tuesday's Observer, there was a photo of Stanford Hall after having been decked out in new windows along with its twin, Keenan. In the caption, it read that these two dorms received the window makeover as a part of a renovation that included some rearrangement of rooms and painting. In considering future renovations to dorms, and in particular Stanford and Keenan, I would hope that the University looks to the Vitruvian ideals that are at the heart of our Architecture School: strength, utility and beauty. What we have are a couple of dorms which I believe were meant to be temporary dorms and thus not designed and built to last. They are not sustainable. They are not attractive, do not fit in with the surrounding campus (St. Liams, Zahm, Cavanaugh etc.) and yet they are need of renovation. Let me propose that before the University spends any more money on renovations to campus buildings, it first look to design principles that include both exterior and interior renovation and unity. A dorm should be easily navigable, sturdy and pleasing on the eyes. I take new windows to be a sign that perhaps we are going in the right direction, but what good is putting "new wine" in "old wineskins"? As a sophomore architecture student, I am learning all about composition of a building and design principles (Thanks, Profs. Hoyt, Salden and Buccelato). The composition of a building is the synthesis and ordering of parts to form a unified whole. I hope that we can continue in our path towards this in our campus buildings, even in renovations. I am not advocating that we tear down the dorms (not yet, anyway, knowing how much waste comes out of demolitions), but rather I wish that we solve the problem of making them better dorms since we're spending money on renovating them anyway. I understand that many students have attachments to these dorms, and so I would hope that using the architectural resources that the University has, we could come up with a solution.

Mindless affirmation in pop music

[Author's Note: Due to declining interest in the column, I have added trivia tidbits and "Mad Libs" to entertain our easily distracted readership, who we know are really dying to finish with the Viewpoint so that they can get to the sports section and the comics at the end of The Observer.]

A shining Golden Dome

For the first time in a few years, more than just the Golden Dome was shining on a football Saturday at Notre Dame.

That's so college

A common goal

Notre Dame has tried to improve relations between the University and the South Bend community for quite some time now. As crazy as it may sound, the recent problems with the South Bend police may be an opportunity to do just that. As much as we complain amongst ourselves and in The Observer, Notre Dame can't really do anything to change the way that South Bend police have been targeting Notre Dame students. The South Bend community can. If they knew that their tax dollars were being used to break up college parties instead of protecting them from armed robbery, they would probably have some choice words to say about it. If they knew that their law enforcers were patrolling student apartment complexes to bust 20 year olds instead of their neighborhoods to prevent burglaries, there would likely be an uproar.

Thanks Career Center

Hope everyone has a great time at the Career Fair! Unfortunately FTT and fine arts majors like myself will be on our own in trying to find jobs. Thanks Career Center!

Life lessons

This past summer, I interned at the South Bend Tribune. I did all kinds of fun things for work, including reviewing an REO Speedwagon concert (ticket list price: $70, my "press pass" price: nada) and spending several evenings interviewing women in the South Bend Roller Derby league and desperately wishing I was awesome enough to join.

Dearest SBPD...

Dearest SBPD,

Kirk's firing

Lou Holtz once said, "You don't go to Notre Dame to learn how to do something, you go to learn how to be someone." Over my three years at Notre Dame this sentiment has proved true. For the first 18 years of my life my parents served as the most prominent influence, but as I embarked on my journey to college, I left my parents convinced that at Our Lady's University I would be in good hands. I was right. Here, I have had the pleasure of not only learning from the most brilliant minds in America, but also getting to know these men and women on a more personal level. My involvement in ND Response and Right to Life has given me the opportunity to meet and become friends with the Kirk family.

Dreaming of Dumbledore

For the first time ever in my life, I am reading the Harry Potter series. As a child, my parents were against the books, so I never had the opportunity to read them. Now that I'm back at school, a good friend has loaned me all seven books, and I am working through them one by one.

Planters of Peace

"The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now."

The party patrol

No hypocrisy in expecting safety

"If there was no underage drinking, there would be no underage drinking busts, and the cops would have that much more time to serve and protect against more serious crimes" ... Why in the world should the police prioritize this way? Allow me to rephrase with a little hyperbole (since I have already participated in "hypocrisy of the highest order." "If there were no jaywalking, there would be no jaywalking busts, and the cops would have that much more time to serve and protect against murderers" ... Shouldn't our police protect us against major crimes before protecting against minor crimes? Is it unreasonable to expect to be protected from others before being protected from ourselves? Breaking into a vehicle is a perfect example of a crime that is harmful to the rest of society. Unless drunks are spilling out of a house or there is an unacceptable amount of noise coming from a party, there is no real harm that is being brought to society by throwing a party. Once the police force decides to protect us from external harm, I will stop complying about them misappropriating their resources.

What has changed?

One topic has dominated campus conversation for the past week, and it has nothing to do with the start of fall classes, the Dillon Hall pep rally or Brian Kelly's new spread offense.