In response to the letters surrounding the issue of pay for workers at Notre Dame, perhaps it would be wise to also reflect on what we, as individuals, can do.
I have a part time job at Starbucks in LaFortune and I do my best to take the time to greet each customer with a friendly, "Hi, how are you today?" It is not unusual for people to ignore this greeting and bark out their order. I imagine there are similar experiences across the campus, in all the delicious eateries. Regardless if a person supports the idea of a raise, will such a raise make us feel less guilty about being, well, just plain old rude?
That being said, I would like to thank all the food service worker — from the crust tosser at Sbarros to the stir-fry chefs at SDH — the food here is delicious. I don't care what the silly complaint du jour is. I am eternally grateful for the cornucopia of cafés, my bountiful choice between two wonderful dining halls and the fact that you guys could make a flying purple people eater taste good.
But there is another group of people on campus that I would also like to thank, and that is the Notre Dame Fire Department. I recently fell severely ill and NDFD was the first on the scene. I was unresponsive, and while being wheeled away in a stretcher by Mishawaka EMTs, I was unable to thank these invaluable Notre Dame family members.
So, while it is noble to request, I also recognize it may not be practical to raise the salary of every employee of Notre Dame, who I believe do their work dutifully and perform their jobs exceedingly well, and are deserving of such a raise. However, if our Catholicism has taught us one thing, let it be that thanksgiving is not just for one day a year. It is for every day — to be expressed with grace to the person who makes your Subway sandwich to the Notre Dame fire fighter who checks your vital signs.
Melissa Jordan
freshman
Ryan Hall
Feb. 22
