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Harmless hobby or Satan praise?

By The Observer · Friday, Feb. 5, 2010

As a Catholic member of this institution, I am very surprised that The Observer prints a daily horoscope. The Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly states that all forms of divination are to be rejected: Recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to ‘unveil' the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time ... They contradict the honor, respect and loving fear that we owe to God alone? In my opinion, reading your daily horoscope can been seen as a sort of "gateway drug" into the dangerous world of fortune telling. It only takes a seemingly ‘harmless thing like this for the devil to get a toehold on you. You may think that the horoscope is just fun or amusing, but really it's a dangerous demon tool that is offensive to God. And so I beg you readers of Observer, beware! Do not tempt yourself by reading your horoscope or before long the devil will ensnare you with his demonic witchcraft!

The Observer

Son of a Pitch

By The Observer · Friday, Feb. 5, 2010

I had not realized how far we, as an American society, had fallen until I read the responses to the question of the day on Monday, Feb. 1. Reading the responses to the question of "What infomercial product would you be?" was nothing less than disheartening and quite depressing. A mop. A weight-loss program. Sham-wow. How quickly we have all forgotten the man who could actually make Americans sit there, look at the product being pitched and say, "Wow, I could use this. No, I need this!" But wait, there's more! The epitome of products that have ever been pitched wasn't even mentioned: OxiClean! I for one, whenever I hear the word oxygen, am reminded of the awesome power that this detergent harnesses in just one scoop. It makes your whites whiter, your brights brighter! Whenever I see someone wearing a blue-collared shirt, with a full black beard and a smile that would make even my roommate smile (his nickname is Eeyore,) I remember and give thanks for having had the privilege to have seen such a visage and hear such a heart-warming "Hi" while watching TV. So here's to you, Billy Mays! Not everyone has forgotten you, and if I were an infomercial product, I would be proud to be OxiClean, with a second bucket of me distributed free if people call now.

The Observer

Prepare to be amazed

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010

 During the lovely month of February in South Bend, those of us who don't have access to a condo in Florida and a way to get there can frequently find ourselves falling into a rut.  Sleep, study, eat, repeat.  Try to stay warm. Look for occasional sunlight sightings.  Those of us who live off campus would add the following to this routine: Shovel. Hack at ice. Repeat.

The Observer

A shovel-ready project

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010

 Quoting Tim Ramer's letter to Voice of the People, on Sunday, Jan. 31: "Why is it that nothing is done to South Bend residents who refuse to shovel the sidewalks in front of their homes?

The Observer

Orientation a gift

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010

 I found Mr. Damian's notes on "Orientation and Identity" (Feb. 3) logically inconsistent and dangerous. Mr. Damian's view that all humans have a "natural sexual orientation" to exist in monogamous heterosexual relationships is nothing more than his own normative prescription based on his views of the purpose of creation and, peculiarly, the hormone oxytocin. Mr. Damian proceeds to present having a homosexual orientation as an unnatural desire, and one that should be suppressed in order to lead a "natural" life.

The Observer

The walk-on tradition

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010

 As a third generation legacy child, I was a Notre Dame fan from day one. My Grandpa and his four kids, including my mom, are all proud to call themselves alumni of Notre Dame. This University is one of the most prestigious in the world: a Catholic school that excels in every area. However, these days there are a number of prestigious universities out there. But what sets this school apart can't be measured in GPAs or trophies: it's the tradition. Tradition is why alums give so much back to the school, why the football stadium is sold out every home game (no matter how bad the season), why we join arms at the end of every game and chant the Alma Mater, and why my family and I love this University so much. It is a very powerful thing that permeates almost every inch of this beautiful campus and it's why my kids and grandkids will love this school years from now. That said, a very prominent tradition is about to be cast aside: football walk-ons.

The Observer

Reorientation

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010

 In response to Christopher Damian's argument ("Orientation and identity," Feb. 3):

The Observer

Zinn's (biased) history

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010

Howard Zinn's death certainly marked the passing of a man with great intellectual talent. But at risk of being accused of speaking ill of the dead, it is critical that Zinn's so-called "legacy" be clarified. It is unfortunate that he used his respected position as an academic as a bully pulpit of sorts to extol radical, revisionist views. His widely-read, iconoclastic polemic, "A People's History of the United States" is a reductionist, quasi-Marxist depiction of American history as that of the inherently venerable masses of the poor pitted against the big, bad, perpetually evil, rich, elite villains (almost always white males). Zinn committed the cardinal sin against history-writing; that is, he put theory first and facts second. "A People's History of the United States" is rife with inaccurate facts and glaring omissions in accordance with his social and political aims (Zinn does not include even a single source citation). As historian Michael Kammen wrote, "the people are entitled to have their history whole; not just those parts that will anger or embarrass them ... If that is asking for the moon, then we will cheerfully settle for balanced history." Zinn forced historical actors to comply with his own leftist heuristics, rather than attempting to understand them in the context of their respective time periods. "Persons of conscience" to whom Ms. Trionfero referred would be much better served reading "A History of the American People" by celebrated historian and Presidential Medal of Freedom Awardee Paul Johnson, a critical yet more balanced and optimistic account. But then again, if I disagree with him, I suppose I am one of those who do not qualify as "the people" in Zinn's mind. I think I would rather not.

The Observer

What matters more

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010

To start, I'd like to say that I support the beliefs of those who took part in the silent protest in an attempt to get sexual orientation added to the non-discrimination clause. I fully believe it should be added. However, in response Will Haley's viewpoint entitled "Jenkins disappoints," (Feb. 1) I felt that there are two crucial flaws within your argument.

The Observer

Huddle prices, explained

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010

In response to Dave Schmidt's letter ("Still overpriced," Jan. 20) concerning high Huddle Mart prices, I have to step in and defend the beloved campus mart. Schmidt complains that many of the store's items are sold for more than double their comparable retail price. He accuses management of abusing their virtual monopoly over on-campus beverage and snack sales (might I suggest DormDrinks.com).

The Observer

Travesty at ND

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010

By all accounts, Notre Dame is a relatively pricey school. However, tuition at least in theory can be justified by the education that we as students are receiving and the jobs that this education should provide (again this is in theory as I am a senior Finance major and thus far unemployed). The room and board is in excess of $10,000, which is more than it costs to attend a variety of schools in total. The food at the Dining Hall is fairly good if not occasionally repetitive. However, a real problem exists at least for some of us in the fine dormitory of Dillon Hall. While it's not enough that our rooms are shoeboxes compared to some of the dorms on campus, residents of the third floor have to suffer the indignity of having only two working showers in one of the two bathrooms that service the floor. Dillon has roughly 300 men in it. If we can assume an equal division of people per floor, that means 100 guys have seven showers to choose from. As a rational person could imagine, that creates quite the logjam in the morning. This logjam, while a major inconvenience when an individually is fully able, is a nightmare when a person like say me has been on crutches until this point in the semester. Whether I choose to go to the bathroom on the other side or attempt to go down to the second floor, crutching while holding one's towel up to avoid inadvertently flashing the cleaning ladies and carrying a shower caddy is an immense juggling act that I have nearly failed at numerous times. Though I have perhaps come at this point in a fairly roundabout way, to put it simply, Notre Dame this is ridiculous. A superintendent in any apartment that costs $10,000 for nine months out of the year would be fired if he/she was unable to resolve an issue over this length of time. Notre Dame should be held to no lower standard. For my money's worth, I want to be able to shower with ease.

The Observer

Orientation and identity

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010

I am a man. Regardless of my psychological, spiritual or emotional inclinations, my physical body has a natural sexual orientation. My body is naturally created to be complemented by a woman. The man and woman's bodies fit together, almost like a puzzle. Man and woman are created for selfless, monogamous relationships, physically revealed through our body orientation and hormones, such as oxytocin.

The Observer

A reckless train of thought

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010

I was standing in the line at the Café Commons (the café in the business school) the other afternoon, jockeying for position between the checkout line, the coffee line and the sandwich line. After giving up on finding the right line, and embarrassingly bumping into a bunch of kids with my backpack, I surrendered and ran away. I could only think of one thing: how can a top business school run such a hectic, poorly designed coffee and sandwich joint? Waddick's, that bastion of liberal art impracticality, runs relatively more efficiently and still offers delicious breakfast sandwiches.

The Observer

Celebrate Tory Jackson

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010

The Notre Dame family should take a moment to recognize and celebrate the contribution of Tory Jackson. A team-first player asked to step in to a critical role as a freshman, Tory has consistently been the consummate leader and model teammate. Although he won't be considered a statistical great, the values of hard work, competitiveness and teamwork that he embodies should be celebrated by all of us.

The Observer

Passing of Zinn

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010

 Amidst the news of President Obama's State of the Union Address, Haiti relief efforts, J.D. Salinger's death and Notre Dame's "Spirit of Inclusion" debate, a noteworthy event went without its due attention: the passing of Dr. Howard Zinn. I encourage you to spend a few minutes getting to know Dr. Zinn — veteran, activist, professor, writer, historian and passionate speaker. Pick up "A People's History of the United States" or Google his name to better understand Matt Damon's praise of Zinn's work in "Good Will Hunting" over a decade ago. Writing to include the plight of overlooked groups of people and sharing the perspective of the conquered overlooked in standard history texts, "People's History" is a must read for all persons of conscience to better understand the experience of all Americans in history. Many lives have been changed and refocused after having read this book. And he lived it; growing up in the slums, picketing with the workers, traveling to Vietnam with Fr. Daniel Berrigan, challenging the "establishment" and his superiors in academia. Dr. Zinn reminded each of us that "You can't be neutral on a moving train," and I pray that his legacy of action and exposition on behalf of the poor and marginalized will be remembered by the Notre Dame community. Rest in Peace Howard Zinn; as one of your admirers I will refuse neutrality in the fight for justice.

The Observer

Thanks from ND Right to Life

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010

 On behalf of Notre Dame Right to Life and all those who took part in the 2010 March for Life, we would like to express our warm and heartfelt gratitude to those who generously assisted us in planning and making possible Notre Dame's participation in this year's March in Washington, D.C.

The Observer

Bouts for Bangladesh

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010

 The Notre Dame community responded with characteristic generosity to the earthquake disaster in Haiti. Every year at this time, however, we remind ourselves of another nation, comparable in some respects to Haiti, in which Notre Dame is involved.  That is Bangladesh, roughly the size of Wisconsin with a population about half that of the United States. In Bangladesh, 57.45 infants die out of every 1,000 live births; in Haiti, 62.33; in the United States, 6.3. The per capita income in 2008, in U.S. dollars, in Bangladesh was $1,500; in Haiti, $1,300; in the United States, $47,000. Cyclones and other natural disasters are frequent and severe in Bangladesh including, in September 1998, the most severe flooding in modern world history. It destroyed 300,000 houses, killed over 1,000 people and made 30 million homeless. Two-thirds of the country was underwater.

The Observer

Stop mud-slinging

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010

 As one of the five organizers of last Wednesday's demonstration, I would like to first thank everyone who came out and supported us, whether in person or in prayer. The turnout was beyond what we had expected and was encouraging for us who are working hard for equality.

The Observer

Time to act on GLBT issues

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010

 As a recent alumnus and member of the 2006-07 Student Senate, it is disheartening to witness the actions — or, rather, inaction on the part of this administration — taking place on Our Lady's campus.

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