Ms. Wargel and Mr. Gaffney,
On Sept. 19 ("Rally all of Notre Dame,") you proposed changing the words of the fight song to make it more "gender-inclusive." Upon reading it, my moral compass began to shift. Not because I support you in this endeavor, but rather because I swore to myself around this time last year that I would never write a Viewpoint article during my time at Notre Dame. While the occasional Viewpoint provides insightful commentary, the majority are merely a forum for the passive aggressiveness and senseless whining that are all too prevalent on this campus. Your article has proven to be the rule, rather than the exception.
Having grown up with three sisters and no brothers (even my Beagle is a girl), I feel that I am more in tune with the complexity of feminine emotions than many of my male counterparts. Having said this, however, I see absolutely no need to alter any portion of the song. If we make the changes that you proposed, we must ask ourselves this: Where does it end?
Should we burn every history textbook that has ever been written and change the word "human" to "humyn" as some feminists have proposed? The fiscal costs associated with such an endeavor would be astronomical, and in these trying economic times, such an effort could send the United States back to the Stone Age. This argument really comes down to opportunity cost. Is it really worth it to you to expend the time and energy associated with making these switches? As you stand together as "one" with the entire student body on football Saturdays, are you really so offended that you refuse to sing along? If so, I pity you. Life is too short for this nonsense.
Chris Grant
sophomore
Zahm Hall
Sept. 19
