Ladies and gentlemen of the Notre Dame community, I'm writing this message with regard to the future of our community. I fear that university officials are trying to make changes to student life without fully taking student interest to heart. They seem to be more concerned with how outsiders view us rather than with how we see ourselves. I was lucky enough to join this school as a member of Zahm House, just as others were lucky to join their own unique dorms. Today, our dorm is only a shell of itself. We've all heard that the annual Dillon pep rally has mysteriously been cancelled, but this is only the latest step in a series of cancellations of Notre Dame on-campus traditions. There were several attempts to cancel the Zahm Bun Run, and for those of you who have heard the stories, AnTostal has gone from a week- long, on-campus celebration to a picnic on DeBartolo quad. I know that we have all chosen to attend a conservative school, but without the bun run, some girls on campus may never see a dude without pants. Creating a more vanilla on-campus life could weaken our renowned Alumni Network, as we end the traditions that have created such strong bonds at our University historically. For those officials who are worried about the "decency" of these traditions, their efforts to end the traditions have only made things worse. Antostal has become Pigtostal-an off-campus party that spawns many arrests and exhibits far less creativity than its predecessor. It seems that the University is trying to create a generic dorm life, even though Notre Dame has always prided itself on the dorm life that no other school offers. There has never been a need for a Greek life due to the unique environment that exists within the dorms. We've all experienced the stories at tailgates: stories about the crazy events that used to go on. Coming in freshman year, I heard about how watered down everything was becoming. Unfortunately, now I'm the one that has to say that. Living in Zahm, I knew that there was pressure by the University to stop us from doing certain things. I thought it was only directed toward us, but now it is clearly becoming an all campus plan. AnTostal and Pep Rallies have already gone out the window. Unless we acknowledge the issue here, I would watch for the Revue or Zoo to follow suit in the near future. As members of the Notre Dame Community, let us be aware of what is happening. Five years from now, don't claim ignorance that the university's traditions have faded away.
Tim Shinnick
senior
off campus
Michael Amenta
senior
off campus
Sept. 5
