Opinion

Good teaching, research coincide

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

I'm writing to respectfully disagree with Justin DeRosa's letter ("An argument against research," Feb. 24) in which he criticized the University's endeavors to improve research because he thinks this comes at the expense of quality undergraduate education. DeRosa assumes that research and teaching are mutually exclusive spheres and that gains in one area necessarily lead to a decline in the other. I would argue instead that quality teaching and research go hand-in-hand in at least two ways. First, research enables the faculty to stay current with developments in their field; I shudder to think what my lectures will be like in 20 years if I conduct no research beyond my dissertation! Moreover, I think if you were to survey many of the faculty who are considered excellent teachers, you will probably find that they are excellent researchers as well. The second benefit of research at Notre Dame is that it enables undergraduates to gain hands-on experience that will be beneficial to them after graduation in their careers or future graduate studies. DeRosa overlooks the fact that the University's drive to increase its research profile includes devoting substantial resources to undergraduate research. For science and engineering students in particular, this will be vital to their success. So, I encourage DeRosa to rethink his position and consider these benefits of research that he has overlooked.

The Observer endorses Griffin - Skirtich ticket

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010

After reviewing the two tickets running for Saint Mary's student body president and vice president, The Observer Editorial Board endorses junior Meg Griffin and sophomore Emily Skirtich. Although juniors Rachael Chesley and Laura Smith have strong ideas, Griffin and Skirtich's experience cannot be ignored and it's this qualification that makes them the best candidates. Griffin, as the current student body vice president, and Skirtich, as the Student Government Association (SGA) executive secretary, will make the transition in April much smoother since they already have an extensive knowledge of SGA. Their major platforms — creating more all-campus events and incorporating campus clubs with a new handbook and officer meetings — are initiatives that are plausible and will help to bridge the gap between student government and the students it represents. While Chesley and Smith also had innovative ideas to incorporate clubs on campus, these were much less concrete. Griffin and Skirtich also have the advantage of being able to continue with initiatives begun by Jenny Hoffman, current student body president, and Griffin, including adding a Saint Mary's heritage class to the curriculum. This would further their push for familiarizing students with the history of the College, something Hoffman and Griffin concentrated on this year. That being said, there are some ideas Chesley and Smith offer that Griffin and Skirtich can learn from. Their ideas about alumnae networking on campus and having SGA members actually attend club meetings would help connect students not only to each other, but the outside community. Griffin and Skirtich don't focus on alumnae relations or helping to bring donors to campus, and these are important issues that former administrations have neglected to address. If implemented, these ideas would be valued additions to student life. In the end, the largest separation between the tickets is experience, which gives Griffin and Skirtich the advantage. Since time in office is short-lived for student officials, making the most of that time is crucial. Griffin and Skirtich will be able to get to work quickly and start on their initiatives with very little training — a valuable commodity in student government. There are two strong tickets in this election, however, experience is too valuable to ignore and will allow the Griffin and Skirtich to pass their well-thought out initiatives with greater ease. Griffin and Skirtich show all signs of being competent and efficient if they are voted into office, are and valued leaders of the Saint Mary's community.

It's bobsled time

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010

The Vancouver Olympics have sparked a deserved fascination with icy athleticism. When watching competitive curling, speed skating, ice skating and luge-ing, it's impossible to avoid one question.

Lessons from inside the ring

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010

I came to Notre Dame fully realizing that my experience here would be very different from my high school friends. Notre Dame is unique, I was told, and it is true. The proof is everywhere. At most schools, kids go out to bars or fraternity parties on Thursday nights, but you are more likely to find me in the Dillon Hall chapel at Mass then. Most schools would have given anything to have President Obama speak at their commencement; at Notre Dame it was controversial (to say the least). And most people tend to gain a little weight their freshman year, the so-called "freshman 15." I, however, experienced the much less common "freshman negative 15," thanks to another Notre Dame tradition: the Bengal Bouts. Not that I knew what being a boxer meant when I signed up. It sounds cliché, but until you experience a boxing match, you really have absolutely no idea just what goes into it. It is the epitome of the individual sport. Once that bell rings, it is just you and the other person inside that ring: no timeouts, no substitutions and no way to escape. You're trapped. The rush of adrenaline so completely takes over your body that a plane could land behind you and you wouldn't notice. That rush, combined with the nerves that everyone inevitably feels in the spotlight, makes boxing the most physically demanding sport in the world. Not once have I ever left the ring feeling as though I had anything left to give in my body. Now, as I sit here and look back at my Bengal Bouts career having just finished my third year in the program, I can honestly say it has been the single most influential experience I have had in my time at Notre Dame. Personally, I have given the boxing program a lot of myself over the past few years. I have given the Bouts money in the form of donations, an uncountable number of pushups and sit-ups and a hell of a lot of my time. I've even contributed to the blood stains that are on the canvas of the sparring ring in the boxing gym. However, everything that I have given to the Bengal Bouts has been repaid to me in some way, and then some. Boxing has given me a sense of direction and purpose and, in college, it can be very easy to not have one. How many people swear that they are going go workout every day, and then two weeks into their resolution, they stop? Particularly as a college student, when there is nobody that can force you to do anything, people get lazy. As a boxer, though, you don't have that luxury. If you miss a workout, enjoy it, but don't be surprised if you happen to get popped in the face when you come back. More than that, though, Bengal Bouts gives you a chance to be part of a team; something I thought I was saying goodbye to forever when my high school days were passed. It is certainly an interesting dichotomy. In many ways boxing is the loneliest of all sports. However, during the season you train as a team and everyone who will fight goes through the same grueling workout day after day. Regardless of who comes out on top in the end, everyone has mutual respect for every other fighter in the gym because you know just how much they had to go through to get to the tournament. It is a brotherhood, something that can't just be created and certainly not something that you ever can take away from anyone who has fought in the Bouts. The best part of the whole experience, however, is the fact that I learned more than I could imagine by putting myself through the program. I've learned that it is better to be tall than short (that one I can't do much about, unfortunately). I've learned how to handle disappointment. Believe me, there isn't a worse feeling in the world than the one you get after losing a four minute fight after spending four months of your life training for it. I've learned that persistence can be more valuable than talent. And I've learned (been reminded, actually) that I have the best friends and family in the world, people that took time out of their life to support what I was doing, even if they disapproved of me doing it in the first place or if they spent the whole time hiding behind their hands. Boxing is not for the faint of heart. But if you have a strong urge to work extremely hard, experience an adrenaline rush like nothing you've ever felt before and discover more about yourself than you ever wanted to know, then maybe I'll see you in the ring. Just don't drop your hands.

Putting people first

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010

The theme of this year's Human Development Conference at Notre Dame is "People, Power and Pragmatism: The Future of Development in Our Changing World." Just like in the title of the conference, I believe that we need to put people first in the field of human development. Seemingly, this should not be a hard task for us. In the era of globalization, we are more connected than ever to the world around us. Think of how much time we spend on our cell phones, e-mail, Twitter and Facebook (to name but a few). This technology ensures that we are always capable of being instantly connected to friends and family, whether they are a few feet from us or half a world away. In theory, we all should be masters of the art of relationships. Putting people first in relationships should be as natural as our impulse to check our e-mail inbox every time we open the laptop. Human development should also come natural to us as students at the University of Notre Dame. Father Jenkins espouses the "distinctive mission" of Notre Dame to be a shining example of Christ's love in the world through our service to humanity. Catholic Social Tradition provides us with the framework of how to live out of our faith as disciples of Jesus Christ. Principles such as the "life and dignity of the human person" and the "preferential option for the poor" are supposed to be the norm in all that we do. According to the University's Mission Statement, the ultimate product of a Notre Dame education is the cultivation of a student with "a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice." To me, it is clear that the mission of this University is inextricably linked to the field of human development. Both entities strive to place the dignity of each and every human being is at the center of all of our efforts in this world. This weekend, the Human Development Conference will feature 64 presenters who have conducted research in 14 fields of development in 43 countries. It is a tremendous opportunity to continue to develop the "disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice and oppression that burden the lives of so many" that is at the center of the University's mission. For me, this weekend is also an opportunity to examine my own development as a human being. How are my own relationships? Is upholding the dignity of every human life the foundation of all my actions? Am I becoming the student that is described in our Mission Statement? Am I truly an example of Christ's love in the world? When I am completely honest with myself, I always fall short of the answers that I would hope for. I would like to invite you to do your own examination this weekend. At the very heart of it all, the field of human development is a part of our "distinctive mission" to build the kingdom of God on earth. We must remember, however, that Jesus taught us that "the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). Ultimately, authentic human development starts with me. In striving to be all that God calls me to be, I become "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:12) that exemplifies the call to selflessly "love one another" (John 13:35) in all that I do. Human development is truly all about people. And it starts with you. Be the light of the world and start renewing the face of the earth.

Eating Disorders Awareness Week

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010

In light of this week being National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I would like to pose a challenge: start talking.

Don't worry, be happy

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010

What's a six-letter word for the one thing that permeates every aspect of a college student's life, perpetually hangs over your head like the overcast weather in South Bend and refuses to disappear after the trials and tribulations of college life are a thing of the past? Stress. The word itself sends chills down my spine, and yet the concept it represents remains an inevitable, integral part of my daily life as a Notre Dame student. Planning my schedule a month in advance and attempting to write papers earlier than the night before they're due might temporarily relieve my anxieties, but generalized worry follows me around like that friend nobody likes. We all know what stress feels like, and we've exhausted a wide variety of stress relief remedies: working out, eating chocolate, venting about stress to a friend, wasting our lives on Facebook, laughing about nothing for an extended period of time and embracing the blessing that is the weekend. Unfortunately, nearly all these methods are temporary cures, lingering just long enough to catch a glimpse of what our lives would be like without stress. Despite the futile attempts I've made at simplifying my life, the unyielding stream of tests, papers, activities and events that fill my weeks is oddly comforting, a constant reminder of my (generally) good work ethic and how it got me to where I am. Throughout high school, I crammed my days with almost every imaginable extracurricular activity, from softball and show choir to band and student government. Miraculously, I managed to succeed academically even though I spent the majority of my time inside the beige brick walls of my high school. On the bright side, my daunting schedule taught me to manage my time by compartmentalizing my life into chunks of time. I've applied this method to my first semester and a half of college, achieving relative success. I have more free time now than I did in high school, but those extra hours sometimes seem to melt into nothing. Still, the overarching feeling of being overwhelmed by future events persists, leading me back to my original dilemma: how can you make stress evaporate into thin air forever? As of right now, I haven't found a way to accomplish that lofty goal. I wouldn't call myself an expert on stress relief, but I have realized a few things about stress and how to postpone its onset: Don't sweat the small stuff. It's easier said than done, but being bitter about that A-minus in psych won't help you in the long run. Make time for yourself. Watch a movie, listen to music, read a book or exercise. Just set aside some "me" time once in awhile. Talk to someone about it. Venting sessions with friends can lighten the load of stress. Have fun! Go out on weekends, spend time with friends and take advantage of all the opportunities Notre Dame has to offer. When stress gets you down, just take Gary Go's advice: "Gotta look myself in the eye, and say it's gonna be alright."

People and power at Notre Dame and beyond

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010

The University of Notre Dame strives to develop not only great students but, global citizens, who, through their education, develop an understanding and commitment to seeking justice for the world's oppressed. But it is more than just talk, the University excels at putting this mission into action through the resources and opportunities that it offers to students each year. Like many of our peers on campus, we have had the good fortune to live, study and work abroad in developing countries in a variety of capacities during our undergraduate career. These experiences have both shaped and challenged our understanding of human development, highlighting the dynamic nature of the concept and the need for critical evaluation of its practice. It was the very complexity of the idea that spurred both of us to become involved as co-chairs of this year's Human Development Conference at Notre Dame.

To the wage 'experts'

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010

In the "living wage" debate, I had decided to sit in silence and laugh at all the silly college kids thinking they knew all about the real world and a "living wage." But I can't hold it in when an alumnus with clearly insufficient experience of his own implies Mr. Easley's lacking experience is a counter-argument ("Get some real experience," Feb. 22).

Democrats wave good-Bayh

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010

Indiana Senator Evan Bayh shocked Democrats and Republicans alike last week by suddenly announcing his retirement from the U.S. Senate. The moderate Democrat has held the seat since 1999, and most analysts agree that he was not at significant risk of losing reelection.

Exhibitions

By The Observer · Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010

I write with regard to the recent article on the Eric Gill exhibition at the Hesburgh Library. I have noticed that both The Observer article and a recent piece in ND Works make no explicit mention of Eric Gill's troubling sexual behavior, in particular, the sexual abuse of his family members, that has been well-documented by his biographer, Fiona McCarthy. I have not yet had the opportunity to visit the Special Collections exhibition but the irony of The Observer's front page coverage of this display juxtaposed to the major article on Sexual Assault Awareness Week is rather bitter. Eric Gill was a fine artist and a deeply religious man but the way in which he attempted to integrate his art, political convictions, sexuality and family life does not offer a model worthy of emulation. We may admire his artistic talent and his religious and social convictions, but it is important to grapple also with the fact of his unbridled and exploitative sexual behavior. Acknowledging Gill's hypersexuality will alter our perception of much of his imagery in a profound way.