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-Blake Ziegler | Monday, May 1, 2023
“Jesus was a Jew.” That sentence convinced me not to transfer after one semester at Notre Dame. Being a Jewish student was initially a culture shock, even if I had already been in Catholic education for seven years. Our university’s Catholic identity seemed inaccessible to me, as if I was missing an essential part of
Blake Ziegler | Thursday, April 27, 2023
Religion is dying in the United States. When Gallup first began surveying religious membership in 1937, 73% of Americans identified as members of a church, synagogue or mosque. That figure remained roughly the same for the next six decades until the new century saw a steady decline. As of 2020, less than half of Americans
Blake Ziegler | Thursday, March 30, 2023
In my last column, I enlisted the help of an AI chatbot to write about burnout because I was experiencing burnout myself. Luckily, I’m more energetic now and have no need for a language program to write for me. That doesn’t mean, though, that we won’t discuss AI chatbots today. For the last several months,
Blake Ziegler | Tuesday, March 21, 2023
I’ve been experiencing burnout lately. Schoolwork, jobs, personal relationships and more have left me drained over the last few weeks. I wanted to write a column about this issue and how I’ve been dealing with it, but I don’t have the energy at the moment to do that. But to still meet my publishing deadline,
Blake Ziegler | Friday, March 3, 2023
Following Pope Urban II’s call to wage war on Muslims, members of the First Crusade took up arms and departed Europe to conquer the Holy Land. Before they arrived, though, Crusaders found themselves pillaging Jewish villages along their journey. The most notable of these incidents was the Rhineland Massacres of 1096, which is considered the
Blake Ziegler | Friday, February 17, 2023
On Tuesday, senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) announced that she would not be seeking re-election in 2024. This revelation should come as no surprise, as speculation about her departure from politics has been anticipated for some time now. Some prominent California Democrats even announced campaigns for Sen. Feinstein’s seat before the announcement, such as representatives Katie
Dane Sherman and Blake Ziegler | Monday, February 13, 2023
“The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire: he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into fire” – Jonathan Edwards, 1741,
Blake Ziegler | Friday, February 3, 2023
Last Friday marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It’s the global commemoration of the six million Jews and innumerable Roma, LGBTQ+ and disabled communities who were massacred by the Nazi regime. As part of my contribution to Holocaust remembrance, I participated in the #WeRemember campaign, a joint effort between World Jewish Congress and UNESCO. The initiative
Blake Ziegler | Friday, January 20, 2023
The 118th Congress has ushered in a divided federal government. The newly Republican-controlled House will amplify the staunch opposition displayed by the GOP since President Biden took office. Still, with Democrats in control of the Senate and the executive branch, Republicans are very much the minority party. With that in mind, let’s consider the role
Blake Ziegler | Friday, December 2, 2022
Despite pre-election predictions of a “red wave” that didn’t manifest at the polls, Republicans will emerge from the midterms with only a slight majority in the House of Representatives. Based on the latest reports, it appears that the GOP will only enjoy a 5-seat majority in the House. President Biden joins the list of exceptions