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Feeding 7 billion: trick or treat?

By The Observer · Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011

Oct. 31, 2011, was a scary day, and not just because Frankenstein and Big Foot were running around on campus. This Halloween, the world population hit 7 billion people, a milestone that has generated increasing concern about how our world can provide the basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter and energy for more and more people. So just how fast is the world population growing? In 1900, the world had 1.6 billion people, and 99 years later, that number had grown to 6.1 billion. It is projected that by 2025, when current Notre Dame students are 32-36 years old, the world population will hit 8 billion, and that is a lot of mouths to feed.

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Honoring my dad, an American vet

By The Observer · Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011

Gaze into the eyes of any 22-year-old senior on a college campus today, and you see my father's eyes 68 years ago just before his combat deployment overseas in World War II. Those eyes betrayed a fun-loving soul, later scorched by the war demons for more than 500 consecutive days at such crucial battles as the Anzio Beachhead and Monte Cassino in Italy. Luckily for history's sake, my dad's fellow infantrymen, James B. Moss, chronicled their Fifth Army experiences in a diary currently Internet accessible through the Virginia Military Institute Archives.

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Satisfying the masses

By The Observer · Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011

Joe Paterno's firing is a move meant to satisfy the supposed masses of outraged citizens instead of actually curing the problems causing the outrage. In this case, he's a figurehead, a scapegoat meant to take the fall so the institution of college sports can move on without actually doing anything about its many problems.

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Ryanair

By The Observer · Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011

For those of you who have studied abroad in Europe, or those headed there in the future, the following is a plug for Ryanair, the Ireland-based airline that is famous for it's low fares (15 Euro flights from Dublin to London?) that are perfect for the college student studying abroad. As a seasoned customer, with eight Ryanair flights taken during my junior semester studying in Rome, I have compiled a list of the best attributes of the airline:

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HDDeficit

By The Observer · Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011

Floodwaters occupy Thailand. Beyond the evident and tragic cost of human life, the effects of the flooding are far-reaching for tech companies.

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A grip that was never tight

By The Observer · Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011

I feel, as a woman on campus, that the "Bro Code" does in fact linger through the musky halls of our brother dorms. While the boy you "talk" to may have a girlfriend, it is the responsibility of his "bros" to not say a word. And while most girls see this as a problem, I honestly don't see it as anything serious ... any more.

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Stay alert: for the Kingdom of God is at hand

By The Observer · Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011

As the Liturgical year comes to a close, the Gospels are becoming increasingly apocalyptic in tone: questions to Jesus about the end of the world; parables from Jesus about the last days. One of the first came this past Sunday: the Parable of the Ten Virgins — five of whom are prepared with lamps full of oil to greet the Bridegroom, and five of whom are not. While the five unprepared virgins are away buying oil, the bridegroom arrives, enters the wedding feast with the five prepared virgins, and the door is locked. "So stay awake," concludes Jesus, "for you know neither the day nor the hour." End of parable. The door is locked. The end of the world. It is not in our hands, so be prepared.

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Practice equality

By The Observer · Monday, Nov. 7, 2011

For those of you who have grown tired of the cookie-cutter criticisms leveled at on-campus living, fear not. I do have a bone to pick with dorm life, but I will abstain from attacking parietals, single-sex dorms or any number of easier targets. Instead, my complaint centers on musical practice spaces in dorms. Or rather, lack thereof.

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A remedy for rallies

By The Observer · Monday, Nov. 7, 2011

I read Andrew Romano's letter, "Bring back the rallies" (Nov. 8), and I have to agree with him that the pep rallies are not that fun to go to, and I personally don't try very hard to go to them. However I disagree with his belief that the location of the pep rally is a major factor.

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Some traditions aren't worth keeping

By The Observer · Monday, Nov. 7, 2011

The Notre Dame student body is composed of essentially good, intelligent, compassionate and generous people who want to make a positive difference in the world. Unfortunately, we don't always act in appropriate ways. One particular decision that has caused a lot of hurt is the "Zahm's gay" chant. It goes, "Ole, ole, ole, ole, Zahm's gay, Zahm's gay!" This chant is hateful and intolerant toward the gay students at Notre Dame, and toward gay people everywhere.

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Brotherly love

By The Observer · Monday, Nov. 7, 2011

I am writing in response to the Nov. 8 article entitled "The Bro Code" by Dr. G. David Moss. I believe Dr. Moss has used his opinion to shape the facts, rather than the other way around. He has assumed that the code of the younger generation is immoral simply because it is not his own. With all due respect, Dr. Moss condemns that which he clearly does not understand.

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From scavengers to sovereigns

By The Observer · Monday, Nov. 7, 2011

Roughly 300 years before the birth of Christ, in a Corinthian alley, two very different interpretations of the legacy of Socrates came face to face.

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Bring back the rallies

By The Observer · Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011

Please, please, please bring back pep rallies to Notre Dame. Yes, there is still an event on Friday nights that goes by this name, but pep rallies have been gone from Notre Dame for years.

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Dancing in the moonlight

By The Observer · Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011

Has the redundancy of the weekend dorm party mode finally got to you? Do you want to be able to have an actual conversation with that interesting girl or guy without shouting? Want to make 11/11/11 special? Then gentlemen, the time has finally come to impress the ladies with your dancing prowess (and we're not talking about swaying back and forth monotonously.)

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The Bro Code

By The Observer · Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011

One of the goals of this column is to help create an environment where authentic, healthy relationships can flourish. As we continue on this journey, it is necessary for us to examine the unique forces that influence, prescribe and direct our thoughts and actions, both overtly and covertly.

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30's lessons

By The Observer · Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011

Every time Thursday night rolls around I can't help but wonder: When will "30 Rock" finally return to NBC?

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