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Observer Editorial: Now what? Activities for post-football season

By The Observer Editorial Board · Friday, Nov. 11, 2022

Fall can be quite an overwhelming season in college. School, club activities, job applications and social events make a week fly by. Football season makes the weekend almost as tiring as the week, leaving you with even less free time to diversify your schedule. With just one home football game left, you might be wondering: What is there to do when Notre Dame’s most famous sports season is over? Well, look no further because here’s a guide to all the happenings around the tri-campus — from sports to art to music and everything in between — so you can really explore everything this community has to offer. 

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The words unspoken

By Makayla Hernandez · Friday, Nov. 11, 2022

Sometimes, I wish I could fly. Because to fly would mean to be free, and that is something my body desperately yearns for. I often dream about what freedom would taste like. Would it be a sweet nectar, smooth against my cheek? Or would it be bitter, dark and earthy — something that gets stuck in between your teeth? I want to fly. To fly away from the sorrows of today and to soar past the clouds and grasses in which I pray. I want to swoop along riverbanks and dangle my feet against the roaring currents. But I ... I cannot fly. I can barely even find it in me to pray at times. I walk along the shores of life and ponder about my purpose, and even then do I wish I could just escape. From school, from life, from family … from me. 

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Political polarization, identity politics and social media

By Grace Sullivan · Friday, Nov. 11, 2022

In modern-day politics, political parties are more polarized than ever. This division between Democrats and Republicans has prevented bipartisan legislation from being implemented to address critical issues in the United States. However, American politics were not always so divided. This begs the question, what caused political polarization in our democracy? The answer is simple: identity politics and social media. 

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Racial experiences of neurodivergence: An introduction

By Jack Griffiths · Friday, Nov. 11, 2022

Being a white man, I fit within the general population’s preconceived idea of what an autistic person looks like. When asked to picture an autistic person, many people will automatically conjure images of young white boys playing with trains. This conception overshadows the perspectives of those who do not fit this expected mold; in an earlier column, I focused on women as people who are negatively impacted by this trope-reliant view of neurodivergence. This week, I’d like to observe how neurodivergent people of color also face unique challenges, as they must overcome grisly intersections between racial stereotypes and stereotypes of the neurodivergent. 

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An appeal to reason and civil discourse in the wake of our election

By lettertotheeditor · Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022

The Washington Post famously advertises the phrase, “democracy dies in darkness.” Undoubtedly this is a commentary on our unique ability in America to say what we wish, and believe it has meaning. And so today, in the face of a changing federal landscape, I see an opportunity for all of us on this campus to come together to say what we wish, and say it civilly. 

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Antisemitism and the abortion debate

By Blake Ziegler · Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022

A common feature of the abortion debate is employing religious rhetoric to justify one’s position. This is especially true among the Religious Right, who frequently reference Christian values and religious teachings to support their position against abortion. However, the Religious Right doesn’t hold a monopoly on religious rhetoric. Although some religions hold a firm stance against abortion, there’s a wide variety of positions on the topic among different faiths. Like many issues, not every religion agrees on abortion. 

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‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’: Disney’s most underrated masterpiece

By Marcelle Couto · Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022

After acquiring a copy of Victor Hugo's “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” during fall break, I was suddenly in the mood to rewatch the Disney animated musical. Doing so made me realize, not for the first time, how criminally underrated this adaptation is. Not only was it not as successful as other Disney films, but it is also significantly inconspicuous compared to the more widely-acclaimed classics. I believe part of the reason may stem from the fact that many of us did not watch it in our childhood, and understandably so — the film's darker themes might not have been favorable to parents. However, I would argue that “Hunchback” is not so much a movie for children as it is a wonderful work of artistry, and it should be revisited and appreciated today.

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Riding the No. 2 bus

By Dane Sherman · Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022

The No. 2 Bus is the route in Seattle that slices right through the city’s heart. Flying over the high hills of Queen Anne, winding through the tight one-way streets of the city center and crawling next to the thriving bike paths.

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What's the path forward?

By Pablo Lacayo · Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022

As I write this column, I find myself in a slightly uncomfortable position. It is currently on track to be printed after the conclusion of this week’s midterm elections, but will be written before the United States goes to the polls. Since I could not find any crystal ball to accurately predict the future in Notre Dame’s bot-ridden Sales and Giveaways GroupMe, the following column has no choice but to be a mixed bag of predictions I hope will turn out to be at the very least slightly correct, and an analysis that will hopefully not fall flat once the results of the midterms are known. 

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The addictive aspects of ‘Lord of the Rings’

By Mikey Colgan · Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022

When people brought up “The Lord of the Rings” in the past, I used to laugh at the series. Why would I want to watch a bunch of tiny hobbits, dwarves and elves go on a journey over some fuss about a gold ring? It all sounded far too mythical and fantasy-like for me. In other words, I thought it was too nerdy.

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A controversial column

By Bella Laufenberg · Monday, Nov. 7, 2022

An inside column can be many things: Funny, cliche, informational, emotional, controversial or otherwise. When I realized (a bit too late) that I had an inside column due this Sunday, I had a decision to make.  

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Gun sense is common sense in this election

By lettertotheeditor · Monday, Nov. 7, 2022

After news about the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Hank Milius picked up his wife, a retired fourth-grade teacher, from the airport. He could tell that she had not yet heard the news and made sure that they did not listen to the radio or watch TV. He wanted to give her “one night of blissful ignorance” before he broke the news to her. In the morning he let her know what happened, and she burst into tears.

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We go jim

By Jonah Tran · Monday, Nov. 7, 2022

Gym bro 1: Hey, bro, you want to try my effective 2 RIR push day that I use as Push A on my current mesocycle?

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Way beyond too late

By Gracie Eppler · Friday, Nov. 4, 2022

Tita Marites’ Facebook features snippets of her colorful life: verdant green vegetables, a red rooster, the bright smiling faces of her sons. And then, last Monday, a shooter broke into her school.

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‘Let’s go Brandon!’

By Stephen Viz · Friday, Nov. 4, 2022

If you are about to email my editor demanding that I be terminated from The Observer staff because I’m a fascist bigot, just hear me out before you do so.  But I hope that your first thoughts are more so of intrigue regarding my clickbait title, and as fortune favors the bold, let me explain my position. I honestly had several thoughts on what this piece should be titled before finalizing my decision. “A Slice of South Dining Deli Ham Focused Grouped to be more Presidential than Joe Biden” and “Laura Ingraham; Says the Commentator Who Was Just Called a Piece of Domesticated Feta by The Atlantic” were examples of titles that swarmed my brain during the creative writing process. But a writing goal I have is to be more succinct, and nothing speaks more concisely to the hysteria of contemporary American politics than “Let’s Go Brandon.”

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Observer Editorial: God, Country, Class Registration

By The Observer Editorial Board · Friday, Nov. 4, 2022

With course registration looming, The Observer Editorial Board compiled a list of each member’s favorite class that will be offered next semester. This handy list is perfect for those who put off picking their classes until the last possible moment and want to pick engaging classes with as little research as possible. And for those who already know what classes you want to take, well, hopefully this will make you reconsider.

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