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The Observer

Be aware of the R-word

By The Observer · Wednesday, March 3, 2010

I agree with yesterday's column ("Spread the word to end the word," March 2) and the Letter to the Editor ("The hurtfulness of one word," March 2) on the importance of the efforts to end the careless use of the words "retard" and "retarded." On March 3, I call on all students to be aware of the use of these words and to be vocal in combating them. There are three main ways these words are used. First is when the R-word is used as a derogatory term for someone with intellectual disabilities. This is hurtful, crass and just plain low. Although it's the most obvious use of the R-word, it's not the most common use on campus. We should pay attention to the other, more insidious uses of the R-word. One is the use of the R-word for something annoying, worthless or undesirable (e.g. "Parietals are so ___!") This sends a message to society, whether you intend it or not, that people with intellectual disabilities should be associated with unwelcome or inconvenient things. That's just not true. The last use of the R-word is as a casual insult against fellow students, coworkers, or faculty. When you call your peers the R-word, you take their (and your) intellectual abilities for granted. Be grateful for the talents God gave you, the ones that got you a high school diploma and a college acceptance with relatively little difficulty; be aware at the same time that some people face challenges to fit in every day. People with intellectual disabilities display amazing strength and bravery. On March 3, share in that courage. Pledge to end the R-word.

The Observer

Undergraduate research integral to Notre Dame

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 2, 2010

In response to Justin DeRosa's letter in Viewpoint ("An argument against research," Feb. 24), Mr. DeRosa is mistaken in saying that Fr. Jenkins "in his inaugural address, asserted that he is simply committed to ‘maintaining' [Notre Dame's] traditional excellence in undergraduate teaching." This statement is nowhere in Fr. Jenkins' address (see http://inauguration.nd.edu/ceremonies/inaugural_address.shtml), and the suggestion that Fr. Jenkins and the University are merely settling for a status quo in teaching is also unfounded. Instead, Fr. Jenkins was visionary in tying undergraduate research to his goal of constantly improving undergraduate education across the board. Undergraduate research is education, and research is service. As such, undergraduate research embodies the best of what Notre Dame has to offer. DeRosa's letter shows that there are misunderstandings about research and the University's promotion of it among undergraduates. At our new Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) — which is one symbol of the University's commitment to academic excellence — we try to dispel myths about research and intellectual pursuits overall. First, research is not diametrically opposed to teaching and learning, as some may think. In fact, research is the cutting edge of undergraduate education. Top universities around the nation and the world recognize this, and Notre Dame strives to be a leader in undergraduate research. Students flourish when they challenge themselves and venture into the unknown, investigating ideas and beliefs about themselves and others, cultures, the world ... whether through science, engineering, the humanities and arts, architecture or the social sciences and business. Second, research is a far broader enterprise than many believe. Undergraduate research involves not just laboratory experiments, but also critical analysis of texts and artifacts, ethnographies, oral histories, creative endeavors, studies of the theory and form that underlie creative works and so on. For many students across the University, research is an integral part of learning, one that takes students beyond the classroom. Through the research experience, students take full ownership of their education — pursuing their own questions, working independently many times, collaborating one-on-one with faculty members and becoming creators of knowledge. Why do research? A few practical reasons include discernment about majors and post-graduate opportunities and the honing of technical and communication skills. The real reasons, though, have to do with authentic learning and discovery. Through research, undergraduates not only discover knowledge and truths about the world, but also discover something about themselves — who they are, what they believe, what they might be capable of. Research requires a bit of risk-taking, venturing into unfamiliar physical spaces and intellectual territories. It can be a personal as well as an academic challenge, and we invite students to embark on that venture. Another reason to participate in research is that Notre Dame is a research institution, with a treasure trove of faculty, graduate students, laboratories, libraries, archives and access to additional resources all over the world. Notre Dame is a relatively small institution compared to many research universities, but that means there are even more opportunities for undergraduate research. Students here can more easily get to know faculty and graduate students well, especially when collaborating on research projects. At CUSE, we are here to help undergraduates take full advantage of what Notre Dame has to offer. Perhaps the best reason to conduct research is that it is a form of service. In his inaugural address, Fr. Jenkins quoted Pope John Paul II, who stated that our proper activity as members of a Catholic university is "Learning to think rigorously, so as to act rightly and to serve humanity better." Notre Dame students are talented intellectually; to not use the gift of one's mind would be to waste that gift. Put another way, participating in research, scholarship and creative endeavors serves the greater good. It is no accident that our new center is located in Geddes Hall, home to the Center for Social Concerns and the Institute for Church Life. At CUSE, we promote intellectual pursuits enthusiastically because we know that undergraduates have much to contribute to our understanding of the world, to improving the quality of life and to addressing some of the important, exigent challenges that we face today.

The Observer

Spread the word to end the word

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Tomorrow, a human rights movement will sweep our country. Thousands of college students on hundreds of campuses, joined by students of all ages, are trying to jog the consciousness of a nation. They are sensitizing Americans to a subtle but pernicious prejudice reflected in our language — in the common use of the slur "retard." Every one of us can join their effort. It's as simple as changing the way we speak. But are we fighting something that even exists? We say yes. Recently, one of the authors was shopping with his 14-year-old sister, Olivia Palumbo. With a slew of children's books under her arm, Olivia bounded down an aisle, her brother in tow. As she pointed at something that caught her interest, her laugh nearly drowned out a taunting voice from behind: "Who let the retard in? Look guys, I can run like the retard!" The boy and his posse ran by, pointing. Olivia's intellectual disability had attracted negative attention for years. She did not turn around. Nor did her brother. This prejudice exists. And it is virulent. Retard, like other slurs, does more than hurt feelings. These words crystallize discrimination and encapsulate marginalizing stereotypes. What slurs do against ethnic or other minorities, so does "retard" when used pejoratively against people with intellectual disabilities. Because of their effects, society has made these forms of hate speech reprehensible. So it should be with "retard." Olivia, her friends, her family and all those with intellectual disabilities deserve as much. But the word often appears in a subtler and, ultimately, more dangerous form. We've all heard it before: A sports fan disparages an official, "Ref, are you a retard!?" A comedian accuses a celebrity of being "retarded." A politician refers to his colleagues as "f---ing retarded." In these examples, the word "retard(ed)" seems to mean something close to "stupid," "incapable" or "undesirable." And this seems like harmless fun. After all, if no one like Olivia is being made fun of, what's the problem? The problem is this. Because of past use of "mental retardation" as a diagnostic term, "retard(ed)" became inextricably tied to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. When the R-word is used, these people are invoked by this connection. When society warps "retard(ed)" to mean something close to "worthless", or "undesirable," this bleeds into the image of those with intellectual disabilities and they are associated with this negativity. The bigotry is subtle but very real. Every pejorative use of the term "retard(ed)" reinforces this stereotype of undesirability. Olivia is neither incapable nor worthless. She is an incredible person with a wealth to contribute to the world. Unfortunately, she lives in a society that, through its language, demonstrates and perpetuates its belief to the contrary. The words we use blind us to the abilities and worth of people with intellectual disabilities, ultimately robbing us of the invaluable contribution they offer. Is this not enough for us to reconsider our language? Tomorrow, on March 3, thousands of students are rallying their peers to challenge their language and pledge to end their pejorative use of the R-word. Their intentions are not to ban a word or censor society but rather to awaken others to the harmful effects of this label. Yet we ask for more than a single day of activism and a pledge. As many critics have pointed out, language is dynamic; if "retard" fades away, new words will rise as replacements. For this reason, this movement calls for a change of not only our language but also our actions and attitudes. We must go beyond words and embrace those oft-ignored members of society whose talents and personalities go forgotten and neglected. Volunteer for Special Olympics or Best Buddies, support legislation that promotes access to healthcare and education and encourage employers to hire people with intellectual disabilities. By recognizing these people as valuable citizens, we chip away at the wall of intolerance and exclusion that has too long plagued our society. The first step is to change society's language. Today and tomorrow, we challenge you to change yours. Give two minutes tomorrow and sign your pledge on the banners in Lafortune and the dining halls. Change the conversation. Spread the word to end the R-word.

The Observer

The hurtfulness of one word

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Someone once told me he loves people who have developmental disabilities because they remind him "just how neat God really is." Unfortunately, most people do not share this man's point-of-view. People with developmental disabilities are one of the most ostracized groups in America. Seventy percent of people with developmental disabilities are unemployed, 60 percent of parents do not want developmentally disabled children to attend the same school as their children and over 90 percent of babies diagnosed with Down Syndrome are aborted. There is growing awareness about the value of people with developmental disabilities, but much of our country remains oblivious to the tangible benefits people with disabilities offer. On March 3, 2010, Special Olympics will hold its second annual "Spread the Word to End the Word" day, which raises awareness about the offensive use of the word "retarded" in casual conversation. The r-word is deeply offensive and demeaning to the special needs community, yet its use continues to be prevalent. This is because many people do not realize that the way the r-word is often used can bring a person with special needs to tears. Ending the use of the r-word will not end the prejudice towards people with special needs, but it is a start. Our words are a reflection of our ideologies, and by changing our language, we can begin to influence our ideologies. The ultimate goal of "Spread the Word to End the Word" is not to stop the use of the r-word, but to make known the fact that people with developmental disabilities are truly blessed, and that they can contribute to society in a tangible way. So please, think about what you are saying next time you use the r-word, and remember who you are offending.

The Observer

In gratitude to Gail Walton

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 2, 2010

I was among those who were deeply saddened to receive word of the death of Dr. Gail Walton on Wednesday. I only know a small fraction of the students who had worked with Gail during her many years as director of music at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, but in the wake of her passing, all have expressed remarkable sentiments of gratitude. She was a trusted mentor, who helped instill lifelong passions for choral music. Some tell me they are indebted to her for their entire professional careers in Church music, and still others affirm that Gail played a key role in their decisions to enter the Catholic Church, by her example of faith and by her devotion to beauty and reverence in sacred music. For my own part, I will be eternally grateful to Gail for providing me an opportunity to appreciate the grandeur and breadth of the Church's living liturgical tradition. When I first came to Notre Dame, I had never experienced time-honored hymnody, the use of the pipe organ, choral masterpieces or Gregorian chant at Mass before. She fostered a repertoire and culture of prayer that broadened my perspective and shaped my love for the Mass. I was also blessed to get to know Gail better in recent years. On a personal level, Gail helped my wife, a Liturgical Choir alumna, and me to prepare our wedding music at the Basilica. And at a professional level, I found Gail always open to service of the Church, both within and beyond the campus of Notre Dame. The last month has seen the University of Notre Dame suffer the loss of two great figures in her Catholic heritage. First, the death of Dr. Ralph McInerny, and now the passing of Dr. Walton. The former devoted his prolific academic career to the integrity of the Catholic intellectual and literary tradition. Gail's influence came in subtle form, through her commitment to the evangelizing power of the Church's artistic treasury. In liturgical studies, we are taught that the manner in which we pray lays the foundation for what we believe. Gail Walton may not have realized during her earthly life how catechetical her work was, but I suspect it has helped many to encounter the Divine in a profound way. May her legacy live on, and may she rest in peace amidst the communion of Saints and the choirs of Angels.

The Observer

Keep on fighting

By The Observer · Tuesday, March 2, 2010

While almost every student at Notre Dame stepped onto campus as a freshman with a long list of extracurricular activities they excelled in during their high school years, not all of us had the time or the quick tongue necessary to join the Debate Club. Regardless, Notre Dame students love to debate, and this is never more evident than when one reads the Viewpoint section of this paper.

The Observer

Concerning just wages

By The Observer · Monday, March 1, 2010

Just a few thoughts on the discussion of just wages and the working poor taking place in The Observer right now. There are those on the one side who emphasize that the Church has no specific teaching on just what the exact figure of a just wage should be, and even that Christ himself doesn't talk about just wages — His teaching is completely otherworldly. There are those on the other side who seem to think that somehow the Church suddenly woke up in 1891 to talk of economic justice when Leo XIII wrote "Rerum Novarum," having lived in darkness and ignorance before the industrial revolution. Sometimes it seems that serendipitously that's when the Church finally started to agree with the author. But let's just consider a few All Stars of the Catholic tradition.

The Observer

Use resources

By The Observer · Monday, March 1, 2010

What saddens me about the current "conversation" in the Viewpoint section on poverty, wages and Notre Dame is not that many people don't seem to understand the experience of living in poverty, but that they don't realize that there are resources right here to help educate them on the issues.

The Observer

Is democracy liberal?

By The Observer · Monday, March 1, 2010

George W. Bush liked to talk about democracy and its many virtues. He even went so far as to make promoting democracy a central component of American foreign policy. I mention this because on March 7, Iraq will finally hold the elections that had originally been scheduled for Jan. 15.

The Observer

Black History Month: Where do we go from here?

By The Observer · Monday, March 1, 2010

This column was written and approved by the executive board of the Black Student Association. Its members include Marvin Langston, Danielle Keller, Brittany Suggs, Raymond Umipig, Cedric Joint, Courtney Haynes, Christopher Moore and Marques Camp.

The Observer

Thank You

By The Observer · Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010

I would like to begin my term as Editor-in-Chief today by thanking those who make The Observer's publication possible.

The Observer

A Heavenly note on why the Notre Dame matters

By The Observer · Friday, Feb. 26, 2010

As a Notre Dame alumnus, it doesn't take long to learn how much the Notre Dame family means. Some of us were blessed to have had friendships and mentors of faculty members who had a heavy presence in our lives for four years at the Golden Dome. One of those friends and mentors to me and many other Notre Dame students was Dr. Gail Walton, Director of Music at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. On Wednesday, Gail's battle with illness ended and she joined our Notre Dame family in heaven. I share with you Gail's impact on my life as a reminder of why the Notre Dame family matters. I came to Notre Dame raised on Christian values but as a non-Catholic. When I auditioned for choir my freshman year in 2000, I wasn't sure I would feel comfortable in a choir that sang at masses weekly. Gail Walton and Andrew McShane selected me to sing for the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir and I did so for four years. Gail had a profound influence on my life beyond music. Singing at the mass at the Basilica weekly, I was exposed to the Catholic faith. Gail provided an extraordinary example to me of what it meant to be a faithful Catholic through the respect she trained us to have for our service in the liturgy and the way she personally conducted herself with class. I was baptized after graduating from Notre Dame during my first year of law school. I was touched by a stunning bouquet of flowers sent to me by Gail Walton and Andrew McShane on that special day of my entrance into the Catholic Church. Gail Walton gave so much more to us students at Notre Dame than training and excellence in music. She brought us closer to God and made us better people. The Notre Dame family matters because of people like Dr. Gail Walton who helped us grow beyond our years at Notre Dame. Thank you Gail, we love you and will miss your presence terribly in the Notre Dame community.

The Observer

Sexual Assault Awareness Week

By The Observer · Friday, Feb. 26, 2010

We are the students, faculty and administrators who serve on the University's Committee on Sexual Assault Prevention (CSAP). Committed to eliminating sexual violence at Notre Dame, CSAP brings together men and women from across our campus to form a network of awareness, care, and support. Our purpose is two-fold: 1) to lead and coordinate campus education and prevention efforts. 2) to ensure the University has appropriate people and services in place to provide confidential, professional and compassionate assistance to those who have been victimized. For more information about CSAP, please visit csap@nd.edu. CSAP's work is guided always by the University's over-arching commitment to the "formation of an authentic human community graced by the Spirit of Christ." Clearly sexual violence has no place in such a community. As our campus marks Sexual Assault Awareness Week, we invite you to join us in our efforts to address these important issues. Whether or not we have been personally affected by sexual violence, each of us has a part to play in creating a campus climate that is safe and respectful, and that honors the human dignity of each individual.

The Observer

Something Obama is not

By The Observer · Friday, Feb. 26, 2010

A year into Barack Obama's presidency, critics continually attempt to define him as a liberal out-of-control, tax-hiking, big-government, deficit-spending Socialist. Throughout the year, conservative commentator Glenn Beck called the president a racist. Last week, conservative entertainer Rush Limbaugh characterized health care initiatives as reparations, invoking coded racist language that appeals to certain haters in our American society. The Fox network cable programs are peppered with insinuations and outright charges that Obama is a socialist whose goal is to end our free market way of life as we know it. Yet, upon closer examination, the president has a more measured and reasoned style of governing than his senate voting record. While this column was written while the president hosted his six-hour transparent health care summit with congressional leaders, astute political observers could have predicted Obama's approach. The Obama style of governing is not liberal. In fact, the Liberal wing of the Democratic Party, Obama's core support against Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential primary season, remains disappointed in Obama's increase of troops in Afghanistan. They are disgruntled because the Guantanamo Bay prison facility has yet to be closed. They seethe at Obama's casualness regarding the health care public option, along with his unyielding reach for bipartisan support rather than to steamroll the legislation like George W. Bush and a Republican controlled congress did for their legislative agenda. Obama's call for deficit reduction, now hypocritically and disingenuously opposed by seven Republican champions and cosponsors in the senate who until Obama's election had made deficit reduction a Republican mantra, is not traditionally a liberal initiative. Regardless of how we define attacks on our homeland — terrorism or criminal violations — Obama's policy has resulted in capturing more high-level operatives in a more compressed timeline in Afghanistan than Bush policy. Also in one year, Obama policy matches Bush policy in arresting those bent on attacking our homeland as well as obtaining actionable intelligence from those criminals, albeit illegal enhanced interrogation techniques. War and security have never been traditionally liberal strengths either — until Obama. In 1994, the Public Broadcasting System aired an American Experience program, a five hour biographical documentary examining Franklin D. Roosevelt's life. Last week's re-airing eerily accentuated the parallels and similarities between conditions as FDR and Obama entered office, along with how similar the nation's mood stood at the end of both men's first year in office. While FDR's first hundred days were sweepingly unprecedented in dramatically addressing the Great Depression, Americans grumbled by year's end that change had not come as quickly as they expected. Unemployment was still at record levels despite millions returning to work. The documentary included a 1934 snippet of the Republican National Committee Chairman advocating "less taxes, smaller government and an end to the wasteful government deficit spending that is not creating jobs." Yet, despite an impatient American public and Republican calls for less government a quarter of the way through his first term, the next scene quoted people explaining why they overwhelmingly voted for FDR's first reelection bid. Something Obama lacks is FDR's disarmingly robust and warmly infectious laugh. Obama's calm professorial demeanor is an asset in itself, but at times can be so cool that he does not always convey the FDR grandfatherly assurance or joviality. Both men could effectively deliver these FDR lines, "It was this administration which saved the system of private profit and free enterprise after it had been dragged to the brink of ruin. The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith…the great public is interested more in government than in politics... [Party labels do not matter as long as politicians do] the big job that their times demanded to be done." But imagine Obama, a year into his presidency, saying this FDR quote on the need to sacrifice principles for higher purposes, "If I come out for the anti-lynching bill now, [the Southern Democrats] will block every bill I ask Congress to pass to keep America from collapsing." This practical approach is one of the typically hard choices all presidents must weigh. Addressing health care reform now is such a choice Obama believes outweighs marching in step with liberals in support of the health care public option, especially if costs and deficits can be reduced anyway. For as FDR further remarked, "Above all, try something…When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." History is least objective when we sit square in the middle as events unfold. With historical FDR/Obama similarities also come totally unique and unrelated circumstances. Scholars will evaluate and judge well after the fact. Few remain in Washington who can describe the Kennedy presidency's Camelot aura. Years from now, maybe Obama's first year will rival the JFK aura or FDR impact — historians have yet to comment. Regardless, FDR summed up political pitfalls best when he said, "I think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird and not enough the bad luck of the early worm."

The Observer

A random act of kindness

By The Observer · Friday, Feb. 26, 2010

We've all seen the quote on the wall of the upstairs of South Bend's finest eatery, Sidedoor Deli: "Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you." Princess Diana really threw out some words to live by. But last night, someone performed a random act of kindness for me and I think it deserves some credit. After a late night snack at Nick's Patio, my roommates and I were making the hop, skip and a jump back to our apartment at Clover Ridge. It was cold (it is South Bend in February) but it was manageable. Just as we were jaywalking into the Martin's parking lot, a mini van cruised up behind us with a window rolled down. It was one of Michiana's finest cab drivers, Dudley, who hollered out the window, "Girls, you look cold, how about a free ride home?" We gladly accepted the 200-yard drive back to our toasty abode and Dudley drove off into the night. I wanted to take a hot second to thank him for the ride. I hope that one day I can do what Lady Diana suggested and return the favor. I'm grateful for the selfless acts of friends and strangers; It makes me pretty confident that our world is a great place. Keep the chain going! Hold the door open for the lady behind you at Studebagels, let your professor know how much he means to you, leave a piece of chocolate by your neighbors door. Do it not for the reward, but because some day you may be freezing cold and walking home and someone might do the same for you.

The Observer

The Gospel of Prosperity vs. The Gospel of Christ

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

Just when I thought that I had heard it all, I open The Observer and read some of the Viewpoints in response to a student's concern that the hourly waged workers at Notre Dame are not making enough money off of which to live. I find it amusing when 18 and 19-year-old white students talk about "wage inflation" when people like myself and others suggest we actually pay people fairly. As someone who worked in the labor movement in Chicago for a summer and heard the stories of human beings being exploited in the name of capitalism, it reminds me that very few people actually know what Jesus said, what the Catholic Church teaches, and what reality entails. One of the most shocking things written in the Viewpoint was Mark Easley's "Word to the wise" (Feb. 18). It is a disgrace that someone attending one of the top-20 schools in the country, a Catholic one at that, knows so little about what the Catholic Church teaches on economic justice and has such a condescending attitude toward those who keep Notre Dame clean, ensure that the campus looks pristine, and feed the students. Rather than focusing on Easley's erroneous article, I would like to focus attention on what the Catholic Church teaches on the issue and what Jesus teaches, something which many Christians have disregarded in favor for a Gospel of "Prosperity." In May of 1891, Pope Leo VIII issued the first of modern Papal encyclicals entitled "Rerum Novarum." At the time of its publishing, there was a real problem of worker exploitation, especially in America. In it, Pope Leo VIII laid out that workers have certain responsibilities to their employer; to do the just work that his/her employer asks of him/her. In return, the employer "mindful of this — that to exercise pressure upon the indigent and the destitute for the sake of gain, and to gather one's profit out of the need of another, is condemned by all laws, human and divine. To defraud any one of wages that are his due is a great crime which cries to the avenging anger of Heaven." These are not the words of some "bleeding heart liberal calling for wage inflation" but rather are the words of Pope Leo VIII. Since "Rerum Novarum," every Pope has written something demanding that workers be treated with justice and that they be given a living wage. This brings up another point being discussed, often on false pretenses, in Viewpoint comments: the idea that somehow $9 an hour is sufficient. Many people have alluded to their heroic days of working hourly waged jobs where they lived off of a minimum wage. The problem is, the examples they have presented are the exception, not the rule. Making $9 an hour means that person working forty hours a week makes only $18,000 a year. The reality that people need to accept is that not every household is a two income household. Another reality — not everyone has perfect health. $18,000 won't cover rising health costs for those who have children with health problems or dependents who cannot work. And how far is it to ask people to work more than forty hours a week when that person has a family? The fact is that hourly waged workers are doing jobs that are needed in order to function. If they didn't work them, we would be in a world of hurt. No garbage collected, no one to clean our streets, no one to clean up the blood in the operating room after a surgery. The problem is that in our current economic system, these jobs are not fully valued for the good that they provide to our society. I think the thing that this whole discussion has lacked is the words of Jesus. Jesus preached that "the first shall be last and the last shall be first" and that "what so ever you do to the least of these my brothers, that you so do unto me." And yet Alex Andre in his Viewpoint article ("Welcome to capitalism," Feb. 22) said we have "no moral responsibility" to pay Notre Dame workers a just wage. What Bible are you reading? Are you even reading the Bible? It amazes me how un-Christ-like so many on the Notre Dame and Saint Mary's campuses can sound. Jesus himself was a peasant, suffered cruelty at the hands of humans, and yet, those claiming to be Christian forget that. Based on what the Bible says, on what Jesus said, I can say with 100 percent confidence that our Lord always takes the side of the oppressed, that were Jesus around now, he would demand a living wage for those working honestly, just as he demanded just treatment for those on the fringes of Palestinian society 2000 years ago.

The Observer

Morality in economics?

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

I would like to thank Mr. Andre for his unfounded opinion that this Catholic University, based on Catholic values, has no "moral obligation to pay employees any more than a market price" or that this Catholic University is not responsible for the "welfare of the lower class." This might just be me, but I thought that Catholicism was supposed to focus on morality and preferential treatment for the poor. This University's mission statement states, "The University seeks to cultivate in its students not only an appreciation for the great achievements of human beings, but also a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice, and oppression that burden the lives of so many. The aim is to create a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice." Notre Dame is not just some university; it is a Catholic university. By paying $9 an hour to workers, we are contributing to the cycle of poverty that we should be trying to end. The University wants us to use our learning for justice; why are they not leading by example? Justice in the opinion of the Church is allowing people at least a living wage so that they can live day-to-day without having to be severely in debt or wondering how they are going to pay for their children's healthcare bills. If you don't believe that these are real problems, talk to the workers! They will tell you about the frustration that comes when you have to choose which bill not to pay each week. Many of the workers here don't make a living wage, forcing them to rely on government subsidies to survive. As a Catholic institution, we should adhere to Catholic social teaching. Pope John Paul II echoed previous popes in "Laborem Exercens," stating that "a just wage is the concrete means of verifying the justice of the whole socioeconomic system and, in any case, of checking that it is functioning justly." Since we, as a Catholic institution, are not offering a just wage (living wage), according to Pope John Paul, we are not functioning justly. So, I'm sorry if I think John Paul II may have had a better moral compass than you, Mr. Andre, but as a Catholic, going to the most well-known Catholic university in the United States, I would hope that I could rest at ease knowing that at least Norte Dame's economic values are just and would make John Paul II proud, but this is clearly not the case.

The Observer

The coming of spring

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

Even though there's still traces of snow here and there, Sunday was unmistakably sunny, and not in the sense of a merely clear sky. No, Sunday's sun was hot and overbearing; it bugled the inexorable coming of spring, and then summer, louder than any Punxsutawney Phil news broadcast. Needless to say, I am quite grumpy. When the sun becomes insistently bright and cheerful, I worry that the painstakingly constructed fog of cares and concerns with which I protect myself from the reality of the outside world is in danger of dissolving outright, like so much dirty slush. Any fan of the Cure or the Smiths knows instinctively that sunshine is their enemy, the great gloom-killer, the murderer of melancholy. Depression has never gone out of fashion; but the darkness and mystery in which the depressive prefers to lurk, covering up their flaws and weaknesses with shadow and murk, cannot help but be dissolved by the oppressively healthy light of sun. Indeed, no worry, no depression, no unhappiness can be sustained in the center of a green park on a warm midsummer day — the very setting is antithetical to it. Naturally, as someone with tendencies towards gloom, I have to find various methods of sustaining my unhappiness through the oppressive sunlight which floods every corner for seven months of the year, and which throws every little bit of natural beauty into such sharp relief that one's carefully tended worries and fears are in danger of being totally forgotten. Total protection from the sunlight is practically impossible during the summer, so that one is constantly in peril of catching oneself enjoying life or experiencing an unreasonable happiness (and all happiness is at bottom totally unreasonable). Therefore, for the sake of others like myself who are irritated by the sun's constant nagging reminder that life can be pleasant and enjoyable, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite strategies to preserve undisturbed the healthy and natural neuroticism at the heart of any intelligent person's worldview. First and foremost, if the weather should hover in the sweet spot between seventy and eighty degrees, the sun should shine brightly without clouds in the sky, the birds chirp sweetly and the cicadas drunkenly buzz in the trees, go inside immediately, preferably to a room without windows, and stay there until the unfavorable conditions have ceased or night has fallen, whichever comes first. Occupy yourself there with musing upon the negative aspects of your life situation. Remind yourself of insults others have given you, wittingly or unwittingly. Meditate upon all the drawbacks and rejections you have experienced, your overwhelming fear of any sort of nontrivial human interaction, the hurts which you have come to identify with. All this will very shortly restore you to true mental unbalance. If you can drink yourself into an incoherent and maudlin state, crying in the fetal position on your floor, so much the better. However, in the dog days of summer, when it becomes intolerably hot and you seriously consider cutting the sleeves off all your shirts or even ripping them off by main force, it is best to perform some negative reinforcement by spending as much time outside as you can stand, preferably in an area without trees or shade. Drink plenty of beer — this will dehydrate you and make you feel ill and unhappy, conditioning you (like Pavlov's dogs) to respond negatively to sunlight. Of course the best way to keep one's misery going is to start up a one-sided romance with someone, and make sure that the one side is yours. Unrequited love is the best sort of misery for wallowing in, hands-down. For one thing, it requires no input from the other side, allowing you to stew in your own juices for as long as you need to. For another, even long after the crush passes and the obscure object of desire has moved to another city, you can still make yourself miserable by remembering your failure to impress upon him or her the potency of your love or sexual prowess. I could go on, of course, but the birds are chirping outside and some other people in my program want to go for a walk in the park. The flowers are blooming, the puddles are melting, the sun is shining … It's going to be very hard to remain dissatisfied with my life. I shall have to work extra hard at it — perhaps get into an argument with some of the other people. Only time will tell.

The Observer

Think before writing

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

"A just wage is the legitimate fruit of work. To refuse or withhold it can be a grave injustice. In determining fair pay, both the needs and the contributions of each person must be taken into account. Remuneration for work should guarantee humans the opportunity to provide a dignified livelihood for themselves and their family on the material, social, cultural and spiritual level, taking into account the role and the productivity of each, the state of the business, and the common good (Gaudium et Spes, #67). Agreement between the parties is not sufficient to justify morally the amount to be received in wages." I'm not Catholic, but the above passage is from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2434. Plain and simple, the idea of a morally acceptable living wage being paid to all workers has been one of the cornerstones of modern Catholic Social Teaching since Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum (1891). Beyond that, I'm asking each and all members of the Notre Dame community to do some very careful introspection before we lift our fingers to write another Viewpoint. Are we seeing the world from the eyes of the people for or about whom we are speaking and writing? Or are we speaking as if we are the main characters in our own movie and everyone else just has supporting roles? Too often, we caricature one another in light of our own views and perspectives rather than giving the people we come in contact with the space and freedom to explore the fullness of their humanity with us. In doing so, we alienate and ostracize people who are different from us, leaving them on the fringes and margins of society. This is counter to the goals of integral human development as outlined by CST, and so beautifully discussed by Jeremy Tamargo in "Putting people first" (Feb 24). If we ever want to live up to our Catholic identity, we have to do better.

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