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Thoughts on the student election

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013

Coverage of the student body presidential race intensified over the past week, with the election being held Wednesday. Even with the delayed results, I thought I'd offer my thoughts on the election and voting as a whole.   In most elections, it is often tough to discern the best way to cast your vote. This election is no different.  Essential questions need to be asked, such as, "What does a vote for a candidate actually mean?" Is a vote an endorsement for the whole person? If I vote for the pair of students running from Zahm, am I endorsing Zahm House as a whole? As a Stedsman, I surely hope this isn't the case. Or is a vote an endorsement of strictly someone's platform, judging them solely on what they could feasibly accomplish in office, regardless of their stances on broader moral issues? For example, a candidate might be a morally challenged person but successful at fostering pragmatic solutions to take place between two schools of thought. Does a vote for this person implicitly tell society that it is okay to live an immoral life as long as you are good at your job? Admittedly, I have no real answers to any of these tough questions. Even so, I believe just trying to answer these questions can lead you in the right direction when choosing a candidate. Additionally, every election reminds me how skeptical I am of most politicians, no matter if it involves electing a student body president or electing a United States senator. Is there any way to know for certain the person I am voting for really is the person they say he is? It is entirely possible that my vote for the earnest Ben Stiller in "Night at the Museum" is actually a vote for the obnoxious and knifing, albeit hilarious White Goodman from "Dodgeball." In the end, it's always tough for me to realize that there is no way to know exactly what I have voted for. Getting past the general uncertainty of elections as a whole, a review of the candidates in this election shows a particularly ambitious group. We have heard about printers in each academic building and a restaurant in DeBartolo, as well as a social justice forum and even renovations to the stadium. At the end of the day, however, I'm not sure realistically what impact the election of any of the pairings will bring about.  As far as probability of occurrence, the promise of Domer Dollars on Eddy Street might as well be a monorail running from Zahm to St. Mary's. The sad fact is many of the election promises and goals are bound to be broken and unfulfilled. For me, it is always tough to get past inevitable letdowns which accompany elections. Maybe it's because I'm cynical. Maybe it's because the last election I ran in resulted in a loss to a close friend. Regardless, one thing which continued to bother me in this election cycle was the lack of a Catholic identity on any single ticket's platform. I may be wrong, but I did not see any platform which included something close to building Notre Dame as a Catholic campus. Sure, candidates cited being more inclusive and broadening the Notre Dame family, but not a single ticket highlighted or looked to improve upon the foundation of this University. I feel, if a ticket really wanted to break out from the pack, they would assert and embrace our Catholic tradition. If the student body fully embraced these ideals, inclusion and a sense of family would surely follow. Instead, I was left to choose between five similar tickets and one ticket which at best brought about some needed comic relief.   My challenge for everyone, including myself, is to look past all the shortcomings of the election. We all need to realize most of the action items in the platforms will go unfulfilled. But in the end, it is really okay. These candidates will all surely put their best effort forth, but it is our job to realize they are students, like us, who need to balance work, play and potentially running the student government on top of that. If nothing else, it makes more sense to vote for those who I feel best represent the University and its ideals rather than who will get a Redbox on campus the fastest. If there is a runoff, I implore everyone to ask themselves the aforementioned questions before casting their ballot.  Exercising the right to vote is important to be an active member of any society  and I hope that my reflections shed light onto what your vote really means. Joel Kolb lives in St. Edward's Hall and is a sophomore studying mechanical engineering. He can be reached at jkolb1@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The Observer

Day of Man

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 4, 2013

This Wednesday, February 6, is Siegfried Hall's annual fundraiser Day of Man.

The Observer

Brotherly contest

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 4, 2013

All in all, there wasn't too much about the Super Bowl to cause complaint. The game itself ended up being a great contest. Ad lovers delighted in humorous and heart-wrenching commercials. Beyoncé proved during her halftime show she is still the reigning queen of show business. Yet, there will always be critics.

The Observer

An argument against amnesty

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 4, 2013

Last week a bipartisan group of United States senators unveiled an outline suggesting ways to fix our countries illegal immigration problem. Sen. Chuck Schumer, who leads this crusade, said: "This plan introduces a tough but fair path to citizenship for illegal immigrants currently living in the United States that is contingent upon securing our borders, reforms our current immigration system that will better recognize the importance of characteristics that will help build the American economy and strengthen American families, establishes an effective employment verification system that will prevent identity theft and end the hiring of future unauthorized workers and lastly establishes an approved process of admitting future worker to serve of nations workforce needs while simultaneously  protecting all workers."

The Observer

Picture this . . .

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 4, 2013

It's 1:43 . . . about six minutes and 42 seconds are all that stand between you and an angry physics professor . . . and you haven't eaten. Your only options seem to be to starve or fail the physics lab. Luckily, you remember Grab 'n Go and you go on to enjoy a PB&J while excelling in advanced astrophysics.

The Observer

Enjoy the snow

By The Observer · Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013

Last Monday, our humble campus was finally blessed with one of Mother Nature's most truly magnificent gifts: snow. To some of us on campus, this powdery white precipitation might be viewed as a nuisance, to others, a novelty. All of us, however, have made the transition from sneakers and Sperrys to Uggs (and less feminine winter footwear) and from t-shirts and hoodies to bulky yet remarkably cozy coats. Why? Because this is the Midwest, and no matter where we hail from, we have to play by the rules - the cold, windy, sometimes soul-crushing rules of winter. Some of us, like myself, have grown up with snow. We have participated in countless snowball fights, made a myriad of snow angels and, of course, we are all seasoned sledders. We embrace the winter and everything that comes with it, and I for one enjoy it. I love experiencing all four seasons because I always have something to look forward to and eagerly await. As The Temptations said (or, to be more precise, sang), "When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May." But for now, the month of May can wait, because I'm going to take my time enjoying the snow. I am perfectly content to wait for spring because in a way, I think winter, and especially the snow, brings out the best in us. Sure, at times the serene beauty of winter brings with it bone-chilling winds and dangerously icy sidewalks, but it's all well worth it. While walking to class early in the morning last week through the wind tunnel that is South Quad, I heard someone yell, in a voice much too loud for any time before 9 a.m., "Weather builds character!" Though this merry winter warrior was certainly aiming for humor, I found profound truth in his exclamation as well. As a matter of fact, I think it is remarkably true in a number of ways. Of course, the cold, wind and snow build our physical durability, but weather builds character in a much deeper way than simply thickening our skin. I have found snow makes us more willing and happy to help one another. Whenever it snows at home, one of my neighbors almost always clears a path in the sidewalk the entire length of the block with a snow blower before anyone else is even awake. When Chicago was inundated with roughly 23 inches of snow nearly two years ago, my entire neighborhood took on the waist-high snowdrifts together. Never before, or since, have I seen such impromptu teamwork and genuine care for the community. Perhaps more than bringing people together though, I love the snow because it is so simply and uniquely fun. Nothing quite lets out our inner child than the prospect of playing in the snow until we can't feel our fingers anymore. The simple fact is winter allows us to revert to our five-year-old selves for a while and make snow angels, go ice skating and build snowmen. This observation was perfectly portrayed last Wednesday night, when at the stroke of midnight, hundreds of my fellow students and I, all legal adults mind you, took to South Quad and engaged in the largest snowball fight I have ever had the pleasure of partaking in. For the record, I am proud to claim, though un-authoritatively so, a victory for South Quad. Winter affects our lives in many more ways, too, many of them we don't necessarily realize. In many areas, including Chicago, the "politics of snow" is a well-documented political phenomenon. With elections often occurring in the middle of winter, the timely and effective management of snowstorms can make or break a campaign. As a matter of fact, Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic lost a reelection campaign in 1979, partly due to his mismanagement of a blizzard in January of that year that dumped just shy of 19 inches of snow on the city. In the same vein, many Midwestern governments regularly spend tens of millions of dollars on snow removal each winter. As a self-professed literary nerd, though, perhaps my favorite impact snow has on our lives comes in the symbolic nature of snow. In literature, snow can be used as a symbol of purity and rebirth. Snow, particularly an excess of snow, is traditionally used to represent death. Or, as James Joyce most beautifully depicted the snow in his short story "The Dead," snow can be the universe's great equalizer. Joyce stunningly and elegantly depicts the snow "falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead." Beyond all of the politics, symbolism and cultural significance though, it all comes back to the simplicity and beauty of nature. Indeed, there are few moments in one's life more breathtakingly beautiful and romantic than watching fragile flakes of snow descend gently to the ground on a quiet winter's night. So take some time to sit back, relax and enjoy the snow. Jack Rooney is a freshman studying political science.  He can be contacted at jrooney1@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The Observer

The GOP's electoral groundhog game

By The Observer · Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013

Tomorrow is another Groundhog Day when Punxsutawney Phil pops his head above ground for the annual spring weather prognostication that hinges upon whether or not he casts a shadow. Spotting his shadow brings six more weeks of winter since it frightens him back into his hole. Ironically, a few miles away, Pennsylvania Democrats continue their Whac-A-Mole fight against a long, diabolical shadow cast by state Republican legislators across the commonwealth's presidential electoral process. The GOP has proposed a redistribution of the electoral wealth by drastically changing the state's Electoral College distribution to favor their highly partisan and currently Republican-tilted redrawn congressional district maps. Democrats hope exposing their blatant shadowy electoral rigging will force the GOP to back down like frightened groundhogs. Historically, Pennsylvania is a presidential swing state with a reliably Democratic blue tint. The GOP - unable to win statewide during the last several cycles and last year actually falling short by a million votes in the overall tally across all of their gerrymandered districts - simply wants to dismantle the winner-takes-all electoral rules. Their fabrication would dilute votes from Democratic strongholds in several key swing states currently under GOP control that, enacted across the board, collectively would have changed last year's election to favor Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney. Republican National Committee Chairman ReincePriebus endorsed the scheme saying "states that have been consistently blue that are fully controlled red ought to" consider the change. The GOP-hatched ploy seeks to also change Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Virginia - all currently controlled by Republicans but won by President Obama twice. The rules-changing ploy purposefully dilutes the one-person, one-vote principle, especially in urban areas where African-Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, the college-educated, gays and non-religious voters - mostly Democrats who twice overwhelming supported Obama - live in heavy concentrations. Republicans reason they must either suppress their opponents' electoral power at the ballot box or divide Democratic strength. Priebus encourages this systematic rigging to help elect a Republican without actually winning a majority of the vote. Bowing to fringe ideas that did not earn majority support last year, the GOP, absently changing its policies, needs to rig a handful of states now to compete in the 2016 election. Priebus calculates an Electoral College redistribution based on currently gerrymandered congressional districts that will keep the GOP competitive regardless of policy flaws.  His plot is simple. The state winner would not earn all of the state's electoral votes. Votes would be awarded one electoral vote at a time to the winner of each congressional district. The two electoral votes of each U.S. senator would be piled onto the already skewed congressional districts' winner regardless of the total statewide vote. Using just Pennsylvania and Virginia as examples, President Obama won all 33 electoral votes while Romney won none. The GOP scheme would award Romney a 24-9 advantage despite losing by 300,000 and 150,000 votes respectively. Democrats need to be loud and clear - the loser always loses in a fair election. Republicans currently control various reliably Democratic states merely by happenstance, having won control during the decennial year. That alone is not license to decimate precedence or ethical governing for a decade. Should Democrats lessen Romney's electoral totals in reliably fire-engine red Texas, Georgia and Arizona as their consolation? If so, the national popular vote might as well determine elections, which currently also favors Democrats.  Democrats need to counter these rules changes through legislation or ballot initiatives by creating unbiased, nonpartisan commissions to redraw the congressional districts before any electoral vote redistribution. Assuredly that would reduce the atypical number of Republicans presently in congress. It will also forever kill the amoeba-shaped districts and preserve community borders.  Interestingly, Pennsylvania traditionally exercised parity regardless of governmental party control. The longstanding precedence - prior to the 2000 and 2010 Republican-drawn "amoeba" congressional maps - maintained the principal of "wholeness," that is, of maintaining as many complete and natural municipal divisional lines. Most of the 67 counties were not divided. The few divided counties preserved the integrity of townships and municipalities. Districts remained quite stable without looking like amoeba with spider-legs, salamander fins and trapezoid edges. Parity existed for three decades from Watergate and the Reagan landslide through the Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich elections. Democrats peaked with a 13-10 edge while Republicans held an 11-10 edge after the state lost seats. Since then, however, the Pennsylvania GOP has shamelessly created disfigured districts, even splitting my small hometown, Canonsburg, along certain streets to dilute the impact of traditionally reliant Democratic votes. Republicans gained a 12-7 edge that was washed out by anti-Bush sentiment to favor Democrats 11-8. But in 2012, Pennsylvania Republicans recreated a 13-5 delegation advantage through grotesque tentacle-looking districts that split a majority of counties and major cities to dilute their natural community vote.  As national voter demographics evolve, the 2016 presidential contest just may hinge on newly trending blue states like Texas, Georgia and Arizona. That looming shadow portends a Republican winter longer than six years. In any case, be thankful the GOP does not forecast the weather. Gary J. Caruso, Notre Dame '73, serves in the Department of Homeland Security and was a legislative and public affairs director at the U.S. House of Representatives and in President Clinton's administration. His column appears every other Friday. Contact him at: GaryJCaruso@alumni.nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The Observer

Groundhog day

By The Observer · Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013

Before I begin, I'd like to respond to all my fans who claim I always choose an Inside Column that coincides with a holiday so I can say something silly or sarcastic, and thus avoid writing anything real. To them I say: Yes ... and there is nothing you can do about it. Chances are you don't believe me. Chances are you've bought into the propaganda, but the fact is Groundhog Day is the greatest holiday ever. Unlike other holidays, Groundhog Day offers suspense. I mean sure, the first time around it was a miracle the oil lasted for eight days, but after a few thousand years it gets a bit predictable; same goes for the rest. The great thing is we don't know what is going to happen Feb. 2; Phil may see his shadow, he may not. This uncertainty, coupled with the importance of knowing the amount of winter weather remaining, means Groundhog Day builds up a level of suspense that simply cannot be replicated, no matter how much Ryan Seacrest wishes it could. Another quality that makes Groundhog Day great is that it brings people together. On Saturday, everyone will join together, fingers crossed, in willing Punxsutawney Phil to see his shadow. We all want to hold on to our glorious winter as long as possible and Groundhog Day serves to remind us of that beautiful shared desire. We must also keep in mind that Punxsutawney Phil is a man, or rather marmot, of the people. While other holiday figures break into homes in the middle of the night or leave the glad-handing to impersonators at the mall, Punxsutawney Phil gets down and dirty (literally - he lives in a hole in the ground). Phil is a marmot of simple tastes and when Punxsutawnians need him, he shows up and humbly does his thing. He may not be a mainstream holiday figure, but his loyal cult following shows his connection to the common man is still strong. In fact, the only problem with Groundhog Day is we underutilize this wonderful resource. Why do we only ask this clairvoyant rodent, this Sciuridae seer, what the weather will be like for a month and a half? Now let me be clear, I am not saying we should overwork or exploit Phil - he's a friend - I'm simply saying we should give the Punxsutawney prophet a chance to do more good with his gift. The Super Bowl is coming up; why not have Phil tell us how many touchdowns to expect from Kaepernick? Wouldn't it be great to know when the next economic crisis, technological breakthrough or celebrity break-up will come to pass? Just saying. In the end, let's all just be thankful that when February rolls around, we can rely on an oracular ground squirrel instead of that "science" stuff for accurate weather forecasting.

The Observer

Just breathe

By The Observer · Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013

The question comes with a sudden feeling of anxiety and desperation, a sense of nausea in the pits of our stomachs. But we've settled into spring semester, and we can't seem to avoid it: "Do you know what you're doing this summer yet?" Or even worse: "Do you know what you're doing after graduation?" Cringe. On Tuesday, we abandoned traditional sweats and denim for suit coats and pencil skirts, ties and button-down blouses. We dodged our friends who are happily employed come May and set out for the college student's hunting ground - the Career Fair. The student body is job-searching with near-desperation now as the year rounds into its final turn, and we try not to visibly sweat through our perfectly ironed clothes as we chat up recruiters with a hunger for something, anything. By today, most of those recruiters from Tuesday's Career Fair have headed home, briefcases heavier with the weight of stacks of résumés. But the panic remains for those who have not yet settled on their summer plans or post-grad employment. To those still in freak-out mode, we have one piece of advice: Breathe. We're all here because we eventually have to leave for somewhere else. We'll need to find those internships, service opportunities and jobs - and we need to put in hard work to find them. But we also need to stop stepping on our own toes as we search for the perfect job or the cookie-cutter internship to pad our resumés. When the semester ends, we will step off this campus in May with the advantages of our Notre Dame education, an education that prompts us to view the world holistically and with a distinct sense of self. But when we leave our classrooms and take that next step, we are not done learning. We choose a major based on what we want to study, but also what we think we want to do with our lives. But as we continue to study and work, we continue to learn about ourselves. Our internships and jobs are an education in themselves. Alumnus Thom Browne earned a degree in accountancy in 1988, and he is now a successful fashion designer, recently acclaimed as the designer of Michelle Obama's checkered coat from Inauguration Day. Irish football coach Brian Kelly majored in political science at Assumption College and worked for a Massachusetts state senator before he began to coach football. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice studied piano at the beginning of her undergraduate career, but ended up pursuing a graduate degree in government and international studies from Notre Dame. Higher education has empowered these graduates. They trusted the lessons they learned here and elsewhere to guide them as they traveled away from campus, and as they charted their own courses, they continued to learn. As we prepare to join their alumni ranks, we're looking for our first internships and our first jobs that will eventually contribute to our careers. And when we job search, we have the chance to try something new and unexpected, to take that next step and walk off the beaten path. We have the chance to move somewhere that's not Chicago. We have the chance to challenge ourselves and to change our minds. We have the chance to find our own brand of success, whether it is in medicine or business, service work or government. No matter where we go, we can and will continue to learn along the way. So we can brush up our résumés and polish our business shoes. But we can also remember, in the middle of it all, to just breathe.

The Observer

Just breathe

By The Observer · Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013

The question comes with a sudden feeling of anxiety and desperation, a sense of nausea in the pits of our stomachs. But we've settled into spring semester, and we can't seem to avoid it: "Do you know what you're doing this summer yet?" Or even worse: "Do you know what you're doing after graduation?" Cringe. On Tuesday, we abandoned traditional sweats and denim for suit coats and pencil skirts, ties and button-down blouses. We dodged our friends who are happily employed come May and set out for the college student's hunting ground - the Career Fair. The student body is job-searching with near-desperation now as the year rounds into its final turn, and we try not to visibly sweat through our perfectly ironed clothes as we chat up recruiters with a hunger for something, anything. By today, most of those recruiters from Tuesday's Career Fair have headed home, briefcases heavier with the weight of stacks of résumés. But the panic remains for those who have not yet settled on their summer plans or post-grad employment. To those still in freak-out mode, we have one piece of advice: Breathe. We're all here because we eventually have to leave for somewhere else. We'll need to find those internships, service opportunities and jobs - and we need to put in hard work to find them. But we also need to stop stepping on our own toes as we search for the perfect job or the cookie-cutter internship to pad our resumés. When the semester ends, we will step off this campus in May with the advantages of our Notre Dame education, an education that prompts us to view the world holistically and with a distinct sense of self. But when we leave our classrooms and take that next step, we are not done learning. We choose a major based on what we want to study, but also what we think we want to do with our lives. But as we continue to study and work, we continue to learn about ourselves. Our internships and jobs are an education in themselves. Alumnus Thom Browne earned a degree in accountancy in 1988, and he is now a successful fashion designer, recently acclaimed as the designer of Michelle Obama's checkered coat from Inauguration Day. Irish football coach Brian Kelly majored in political science at Assumption College and worked for a Massachusetts state senator before he began to coach football. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice studied piano at the beginning of her undergraduate career, but ended up pursuing a graduate degree in government and international studies from Notre Dame. Higher education has empowered these graduates. They trusted the lessons they learned here and elsewhere to guide them as they traveled away from campus, and as they charted their own courses, they continued to learn. As we prepare to join their alumni ranks, we're looking for our first internships and our first jobs that will eventually contribute to our careers. And when we job search, we have the chance to try something new and unexpected, to take that next step and walk off the beaten path. We have the chance to move somewhere that's not Chicago. We have the chance to challenge ourselves and to change our minds. We have the chance to find our own brand of success, whether it is in medicine or business, service work or government. No matter where we go, we can and will continue to learn along the way. So we can brush up our résumés and polish our business shoes. But we can also remember, in the middle of it all, to just breathe.

The Observer

The politics of dying: part one

By The Observer · Monday, Jan. 28, 2013

Two things are promised to every person: death and taxes. While most op-eds would focus on the second of these two, I am going to focus on the first: death.

The Observer

Choose love over hatred

By The Observer · Monday, Jan. 28, 2013

It is simpler to vilify those who disagree with us rather than to understand them.  Mr. Bradley, your viewpoint "Gazing into the Abyss" (Jan. 25), demonstrates a concerning lack of empathy for women who choose abortion. Jesus calls us to love one another without condition, while you gather stones to hurl at those you should regard as sisters.

The Observer

My 'pro-life' agenda

By The Observer · Monday, Jan. 28, 2013

I believe that every person is endowed by their Creator with human dignity. However, this is often violated by discrimination, violence, labor injustice, inequity of resources and the killing of innocent life. I have a responsibility to oppose actions that contradict human dignity and support those that affirm it. This absolutely means challenging abuses in the labor market, speaking out against racism, denouncing anti-immigrant attitudes and laws and rejecting homophobia. But the way I see it, this is not enough. Pope John Paul II once asked. "How is it still possible to speak of the dignity of every human person when the killing of the weakest and most innocent is permitted?"

The Observer

It's time to take a seat!

By The Observer · Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013

A couple years ago I read one of the most disturbing newspaper articles of my life. It started out innocently enough, outlining a local middle school play, highlighting notable performances. Here is the disturbing part - the article mentioned that at the end of the production the middle-school students received a standing ovation! Clearly, the state of affairs in America regarding the standing ovation is at an all-time low. Everyone and their kid brother receive a 'standing-o' nowadays. To fix this problem, we as a society need to turn to the origins of the Roman ovation. In short, a Roman ovation was a celebration for a returning warrior. The celebration fell short only of hosting an actual parade for the individual. The honor was given to those who had avoided war or won a war with minimal bloodshed. The point though is the Roman ovation was an honor to those who earned it. Contrast the Roman ovation to the laughable use of the standing ovation in today's society. In 2010, the current Mexican president spoke to the Senate and denounced legislation which burdened illegal immigrants from his home country. Those who supported him gave him a standing ovation! It seems preposterous that a dignitary would receive a 'standing-o' for merely being in concurrence with certain members of the Senate. Foreign dignitaries aren't the only ones receiving standing ovations. Watch any State of the Union address and you'll find standing ovations, which some look as if they're planned. The overuse of the standing ovation only devalues it. But fear not, our world is not completely forsaken. Every year, PBS hosts a Memorial Day service honoring our fallen veterans and their families. Often Hollywood actors read letters written by the deceased to their loved ones, capturing the emotion and tension of losing a spouse or parent. The families and the rest of the audience watch, captivated by the words the fallen soldier wrote as their final words. Upon introduction of the soldier's family, the audience almost always gives a standing ovation. In this situation, the solider greatly deserves the standing ovation. In the sports world, the great Andre Agassi, American tennis player, announced his retirement from the sport after winning a tournament. Agassi, arguably the best tennis player at the time of his retirement, received a standing ovation. Agassi and the veterans deserved the ovation, while the Mexican president did not.   Who deserves a standing ovation?  Luckily for everyone, I have a modest proposal to fix the flagrant misuse of the 'standing-o' in today's society. First, everyone should look inward and examine their values in life. From these you can recognize the people who deserve automatic standing ovations. Personally, the only 'automatics' on my list are war veterans and whoever ends up finding a cure for cancer. Your automatics can be whomever you like, but be sure to make them meaningful and rare. Of course, it is much more likely a situation arises where there are no automatic standing ovations, but you are still considering giving one. If this is the situation, you need to ask yourself these essential questions: Is this one of the best performances/sporting events/feats I have ever seen and probably ever will see? Will I remember this moment/production/viewing for the rest of my life, namely because of the epochal quality of this situation? If you answer yes to either of these questions, then feel free to bust out of your chair. A final question is, however, "have I given a standing ovation within the past two years?" If yes, then the question becomes, "is this as amazing as or better than the last time I've given one?" Finally, armed with these questions, remember the tenets of recognition, prevention and assimilation.  Recognition - if you see a couple of people starting to clap and stand, you should immediately begin asking yourself the essential questions and decide whether or not to act. Prevention - do society a favor. Do whatever it takes to prevent a bad standing ovation from occurring. Feel free to say things like, "Sit down before I make you." Assimilation - if you feel a standing ovation is worthy, then join right in. I've been a part of a couple of really good ones and let me tell you - it was phe-nom-e-nal.   I'd like to end on this note. Last semester, I listened to Father Hesburgh speak at a Veteran's Day service.  At the end of the speech, he received a standing ovation. The same standing ovation which was given to the middle school play two years before. Should we as a society be comfortable putting Father Hesburgh on the same plane as middle school kids? I know I'm not comfortable doing that and you shouldn't be either.  The next time you are confronted with a standing ovation, just recall what I said.  If you're on the fence about participating in one, just remember, "When in doubt, sit it out." Joel Kolb lives in St. Edward's Hall and is a sophomore studying mechanical engineering. He can be reached at jkolb1@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The Observer

Carnatic music

By The Observer · Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013

The Homo sapien is a highly gregarious creature. Its constant need to express and share was the basic premise for the development of multifold languages as we know today. There are around 10,000 languages spoken globally and we have various platforms to express them. The air is rife with communication. We talk, but is anybody listening? Enter Art. Art, in my opinion, is born out of a need to share the real you. Unfiltered. Unfettered. It is a place where you do not need to don an avatar to adapt. It is a state of pure, unadulterated consciousness. From the graffiti artist to the virtuoso, they all share the same plane. My portal to that place is through Carnatic music. Carnatic music is an Indian Classical art form and has a Hindu origin.  Predominantly practiced in Southern India, I was exposed to this ancient art at the age of five. Sruthi (the musical pitch), Swara (the musical note), Raga (the mode or tune) and Tala (the rhythmic cycle) are the basic elements on which this mesmerizing musical journey is built. Carnatic music, unlike many other musical genres, is heavily dependent on the vocals and is almost a cappella in nature. I still remember my first class. I was awestruck by the timbres and tones of various human voices around me. As a child, it was an intimidating first experience, but I somehow could not resist going back to class. I began to look forward to it each day. This childhood love continued well into my teens and I practiced it even in high school. Eventually, my voice developed and I began to perform at Kacheris (concerts). ML Vasanthakumari, a diva of Carnatic music in her day, was my muse and through her compelling vocals, I understood the language of human emotion. Carnatic music has always been an enigma to me, which propels me to delve further into it. It has a calming, almost tranquil, effect on my mood. It is a time machine, where I can traverse annals of time in an instant. It fosters strong bonds between people and makes me connect with others in ways never experienced before. I have become much more confident as an individual and also enjoy the happiness my music brings to people. Music has a surreal way of explaining the most difficult things for it appeals directly to the heart and not to the intellect. It is disconcerting to see this genre of music being sidelined under the guise of being "passe." While I do enjoy more trendy and instrument-heavy genres of music that have cropped up, only Carnatic music seems to be able to offer a platform to showcase the human voice in its purest form. I am privileged to have in me a piece of tradition that I will be able to hand down to the next generation. Sometimes I wonder how things would have shaped up, had I walked away from that mildew teak door that harbored behind it, a million different voices, waiting to be heard.

The Observer

New leaders here and everywhere

By The Observer · Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013

This is an important time for our country, our own newspaper and our campus as a whole. On Monday, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden publicly swore their oaths of office to begin their second term at the country's helm. On Wednesday, The Observer announced the election of a new Editor-in-Chief for the 2013-14 publication year. And today, petitions for student government executives are due, with elections to follow shortly. The introduction of a new leader to any organization or community marks an important event. A new leader can signal a shift in policy to bring real change to the daily lives of that leader's constituents. A new leader can introduce new ideas and creative problem-solving, and a new leader can build upon the best work of his or her predecessor. Accordingly, we must choose leaders with the work ethic, determination and moral fiber essential to positive leadership. Notre Dame's campus has no shortage of individuals with the aforementioned traits and then some. Our campus is full of students who have a history of leadership - in test scores and GPAs, on the playing field and at the front of student government. As belabored by our high school counselors, prestigious universities consider demonstrations of leadership just as they do our grades, and the Admissions Office at Notre Dame continues to garner the best of the best leaders from high schools around the country and the world. We still see that tendency to lead among our students here at the University. We all know a person who forgoes sleep and a social life to save the whales, sit on three student government groups, captain an interhall team and run hall council. Plenty of students make a life out of going above and beyond - and for many of us, we have fallen into believing leaders have to be hyper-scheduled and unbelievably driven. And when we just expect a few individuals to shine above all the rest, we run the risk of becoming complacent. With every social issue in the surrounding community, there is an opportunity to take initiative. With each on-campus problem that goes unnoticed or unaddressed, there are still more ways students can put their leadership skills to use without titles or nameplates. While the majority of us feel something between love for and obsession with this University, we can hardly call it perfect. In real life, we should strive to be leaders in our clubs, activities, majors and residence halls. We excelled to get to Notre Dame - and we should still excel here. Most of us hope to one day be in leadership positions, whether it be in government, the corporate world, medicine, service or even as the heads of families. So why take a four-year sabbatical on the leadership qualities that got us to this University and that we hope to rely on down the road? We have many opportunities to lead here on campus and the upcoming election in student government is perhaps the most immediate. Student government does work on campus that is sometimes unseen and underappreciated, but its office can be a conduit for important projects by student leaders at Notre Dame. There's no question extraordinary leadership can have a huge impact at every level of society. There's no question that each Notre Dame student - from a freshman thinking about joining student government to a senior about to step into the real world - has the capacity to be an extraordinary leader. There's no question that Notre Dame offers chances to lead, whether that means reaching out to someone who is suffering or standing before the entire student body as a club leader. Let this week be a reminder that we have countless opportunities to be leaders on our campus and in our communities, right here and right now.

The Observer

Gazing into the abyss

By The Observer · Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013

Six million Jews were murdered by Hitler's Nazi regime during WWII. Stalin dispatched roughly 20 million persons. In only 100 days, at least 500,000 Rwandans were murdered by their own countrymen. On Sept. 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden masterminded an attack that killed nearly 3,000 Americans and shattered the lives of so many others. We rightfully cringe at these statistics. If it's difficult to really process such absurd numbers, just start by imagining that everyone you love - no, everyone you have ever met or known or even know of - being removed from your life. Half a million people will descend upon the national capital to protest a subtler genocide. Since 1973, nearly 56 million children have been slaughtered by the very same parents who gave them life. No empathetic endeavors can make that fact make sense. There is simply no justification for this, one of the most horrific genocides in history. But if I had to think of an explanation for why Americans get up in arms, devote billions of dollars, hours of service and volunteer time, and dedicate their lives to preventing such atrocious episodes as those described above from continuing or happening again, while simultaneously citing a "right" that awards legal license to murder others (or their own) children for convenience?s sake ... well, I can't finish that sentence after all. Hitler and Stalin are universally acknowledged as embodiments of evil. We all remember the degree of rejoicing with which the news of bin Laden's death was met. These men, all together, directly took less than half of the innocent lives that we ourselves have taken in the past four decades in the war against the unborn. These men had justifications for their choices, though: they weren't slaughtering the innocent so much as defending ideals, defending rights, defending themselves. Yet everyone agrees that these men and their philosophies epitomize evil. What does that say about us and ours?

The Observer

Fr. Tom Tallarida

By The Observer · Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013

"As I look to the Day of Christ, you give me cause to boast that I did not run the race in vain or work to no purpose." Phil 2:16 Fr. Tom Tallarida used this verse in his reflection on  the 60 year anniversary of his priesthood. He died Jan. 5. Words cannot express how much I loved this man. I met him when I was an undergrad at ND. My roommate and I attended daily Mass at Zahm where Tom was the rector. He was my friend in the truest sense of the word. I knew he loved me, because he made this apparent through his demonstrative nature and his willingness to be there for me at a moment's notice. He married my husband and me, baptized my children, and buried my father. His life demonstrated that love is an action verb: it is what you do more than what you think or say. He acted on his commitment to be a priest of integrity and love. He always did what he thought was right, despite possible negative consequences for himself. He considered rules and procedures secondary to ministering effectively, and always chose the person over the rule. This sometimes caused conflicts with the powers that be. Fr. Tom is the best priest I have ever known. I was nourished by his positive regard for me over my entire lifetime. ND is full of caring professors, rectors and peers. My hope for all current ND students is you will meet those who will become "your people."Fr. Tom was one of my people and his profound influence on my life is one of the best things I received from my Notre Dame education. Academic achievement is important, but showing up for one another and forging authentic relationships is equally important. I remember a few courses I took, a few great professors, and lots of the anxiety of studying and striving. What has remained with me are the friendships I forged, and those I grew to love. I love you, Fr. Tom. RIP.

The Observer

The Butler Way

By The Observer · Monday, Jan. 21, 2013

With ESPN's "College GameDay" in HinkleFieldhouse for a primetime matchup between No. 8 Gonzaga and No. 13 Butler on Saturday night, the Bulldogs (the Butler variety) didn't disappoint.

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