Opinion

Missed opportunities

I saw and heard President Jenkins' prayer for Declan Sullivan at the start of the Tulsa game on TV from my home in northwest Michigan. However presumptuous of me to improve on his prayer, I nonetheless wish I had heard Father Jenkins speak a final paragraph something like this:

Where is the accountability?

Dear Editors:

Tis the season

The other day, when my roommate and I were shopping for Halloween costume accessories, we stumbled across Christmas decorations in the third aisle of Michael's. While most would argue that late October is too early to begin celebrating the Christmas season, we were both elated and immediately decided to purchase a "Happy Holidays" scented candle and gold colored plastic reindeer for our common room.

Record doesn't lie

Joe Donnelly the legislator is a lot different than Joe Donnelly the campaigner. His record contradicts what he is campaigning on. He wants you to think he has supported policies that have created jobs, is fiscally prudent, and is independent, but his record points starkly in the other direction.

Spirit alive despite finger pointing

In the midst of investigations and allegations and finger-pointing and blame, the Notre Dame family gathered at Sacred Heart Church in a very real demonstration of what Notre Dame is all about.

Why you should vote for Donnelly

Joe Donnelly is the Democratic congressman of the 2nd district of Indiana that includes Notre Dame, South Bend, Elkhart and surrounding rural areas. He is a proud Catholic and a "double domer," with an undergraduate and law degree from Notre Dame.

Pigeons

Over Fall Break I was lucky enough to participate in one the Center for Social Concerns Appalachia Seminar's in New River Gorge National River, West Virginia. After the daily work my Appalachia family and I would tuck in to a homemade dinner, a crackling fire and maybe some s'mores. One night we decided to have a sleepover in the dining hall of the folk center we were staying at, laying our mattresses out side by side. Before we went to bed we decided to go around the room, telling everyone our greatest fears. For the most part, none were out of the ordinary — one girl was afraid of snakes, a boy was afraid of spiders, and another terrified of enclosed spaces. My fear, however, is a little more out of the ordinary — I am terrified of birds, specifically seagulls and pigeons.

ND community unites for Declan

I did not know Declan Sullivan.

Workplace accountability

As the mother of a son who works in videography, I'm personally saddened by the recent death of videographer Declan Sullivan at Notre Dame. This hits close to home because our own son also has videotaped from a scissor lift in windy conditions.

Thank you, Declan

Thank you Declan Sullivan

I have, from time to time, lost faith in my Notre Dame community. I have loved this school for my entire life, so take the former statement as all the more profound. I have felt that our campus is divided against itself in eighty different ways. I have felt that our campus is at war with itself. I have felt that the people on this campus care more about the lack of success that plagues our football team than they do about issues of humanity that affect the world every day. I feel that we are slowly slipping away from the ideals that Notre Dame was built upon, survived on, and currently promotes as the true spirit of our student body.

Lay off

In response to the recent opinions in the viewpoint section, articles such as "Celebrate Seniors" (Oct. 26) and "Absence of toughness"(Oct. 26) are unfair to both our football program and the athletic department. I believe that it is obnoxious that one fan can possibly have a letter published about how he should "storm the field," after a loss. As an athlete here at Notre Dame and on a competitive team (fencing) that realistically can win a national title every year, the last thing I would want to see in my campus newspaper is an article by a fellow student which would celebrate our loss for a national title. Letters like this are not motivational, but rather insulting to the program and won't change anything.

Let's hear it for the underdogs

I couldn't help but overhear two of my colleagues commiserating the other day about the miserable state of this year's World Series. Perhaps they miss the presence of their own beloved Phillies and Red Sox, or possibly they feel genuine concern for the financial straits they have predicted for FOX, stuck with two such underwhelming potential champions. And maybe their forecast of doom will prove correct – unless you're from San Francisco, or you're one of the few people in Texas who has realized they have a baseball team, weren't you hoping for a series played by big-name players from big-name teams?

A new era of slavery

The other day, a friend of mine brought up the fact he wouldn't mind paying 50 percent of what he made in taxes. Take a minute to think about that. That would mean that half of your working life would be as a virtual slave to the government. For the average person that would be 15-20 years of bondage where you worked long hours at your job without receiving your rightful pay. Sure, you get to choose where you work, but that is like trying to differentiate the slave that works in the house and the one that works in the field. Even a third of your income today going to the government makes you a part time slave. When you think about it in those terms, the fact that you will have to work twice as hard to get where you want to be by the time you retire is unbelievable. Well surely we are getting something for that money, and yes, we are — the greatest military in the world, a well established highway network and a mostly fair system of law to name a few — but we are increasingly getting stuff that a lot of us don't need from the government.

Looking for good role models

The other day I was reading in the bathroom, as I normally do when nature calls. The book I had (hastily) selected for my time of need was an English translation of "Cyrano de Bergerac." For those not in the know: Cyrano is an unusually eloquent man who also bears the unfortunate cross of a longer-than-average nose, rendering him unattractive to women. He is in love with his cousin Roxanne, but she prefers the handsome Christian, but Christian is really dumb, so Cyrano nobly decides to help Christian seduce Roxanne by putting words in his mouth. Christian dies in battle before he and Roxanne can consummate their marriage, and Cyrano nobly hides his role in the seduction from Roxanne until he is on his deathbed.

Not how I roll

When Dayne Crist failed to run the ball into the end zone on Notre Dame's first drive Saturday against Navy, the die-hard Irish faithful sitting around me nearly coughed up their gourmet California Rolls in disgust.

Of the people, by the people and for the people

Dear Ryan Williams,

Studying abroad in Washington

Like many sophomores at Notre Dame, I always believed that when I "studied abroad" my junior year, I would actually be in a different country.

Oh 'Glee'

When "Glee" premiered on Fox in May of 2009, it was the talk of the town. The show, about a high school glee club in Ohio, was clever, witty, featured great musical numbers by talented young performers and really captured the highs and lows of growing up in high school. However, now in its second season, "Glee" has gone stale, relying on popular music and tribute episodes to draw in audiences. Though still successful, I think "Glee" has lost everything that once made it great. But all hope is not lost. Though I am increasingly disappointed with where the show is going, I have hope that "Glee" can regain its status as one of the smartest shows on television.

Celebrate seniors

The senior class is on the brink of an achievement that has never been accomplished. Assuming (and this is a big assumption) that the football team beats Tulsa this weekend, the game against Utah will be our chance to break the record of most losses in a four-year period, previously owned by the Class of 1964. When we get steamrolled by Utah on Nov. 13, we will officially be the losingest class in Notre Dame History. That day will also be Senior Day, a day that the senior class is allowed on the field at the end of the game. The senior class should not walk onto the field, but storm the field in celebration of its four seasons as spectators in the student section. The senior class should show its thanks and appreciation for a record-breaking four seasons by storming the field at the closing of the loss to Utah on Nov. 13.