The Observer is a student-run, daily print & online newspaper serving Notre Dame, Saint Mary's & Holy Cross. Learn about us.
-Elizabeth Prater | Tuesday, November 29, 2022
“Catcher in the Rye.” “The Prince.” “Norwegian Wood.” These are all some of the books that are commonly cited as “red flags” when a person indicates them as one of their favorites. There is something unsettling about nominating these texts, amongst others, as “one of the greats.” A lot of these books concern controversial topics and feature
Elizabeth Prater | Tuesday, November 15, 2022
When you dedicate a whole column to writing about literature, you may find yourself responding to the ultimate question: “What is your favorite book?” While I certainly have several, I always find the need to add a qualifying statement, as if these works are not substantive on their own. “It takes a while to get into it,”
Elizabeth Prater | Tuesday, November 1, 2022
The fall of junior year brings a certain air of anxiousness to campus, particularly with students attempting to break into industry-specific work. Color-coded spreadsheets fill the screens of eager students, and computers are full of bookmarked pages of top firms and Fortune 500 lists. Handshake no longer refers to an interpersonal, physical connection, but rather,
Elizabeth Prater | Tuesday, October 11, 2022
I made a pact with myself this year to read actively and more widely about the news. This may be surprising for someone who has both written and worked for The Observer since my freshman year at Notre Dame. However, I found myself barely being able to keep up with my seminar readings, rooted in
Elizabeth Prater | Tuesday, September 27, 2022
September 12 — an annual article is published by U.S. News & World Report: “Best National University Rankings.” There’s a buzz on Notre Dame’s campus. “Can you believe it,” a student whispers to a friend, as they scroll on their phone down to the bottom of the T20. “Notre Dame is tied with Columbia.” For
Elizabeth Prater | Tuesday, September 13, 2022
This summer, I became fascinated with Free Little Libraries. For those unfamiliar, this is the official organization that encourages residential neighborhoods to create and install community libraries. They operate under the implicit regulation of taking a book and leaving one in return. This fascination started as I decided to sort through my bookshelf and purge
Elizabeth Prater | Wednesday, September 7, 2022
The year 2022 marks 50 years of undergraduate women enrollment at Notre Dame (although female students such as religious sisters have earned degrees at the university before this time). While it’s something worth commemorating, at the same time, it’s an occurrence that warrants great reflection. On one hand, the inclusion of women in the Notre
Elizabeth Prater | Tuesday, August 30, 2022
This past summer, my friends and I made a joint goal to finish reading the colossus that is “Anna Karenina.” At over 800 pages, this piece of Russian literature is one Leo Tolstoy’s most famous works, second only to “War and Peace.” My friend group and I all started this book at different points of
Elizabeth Prater | Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Growing up, I was always the shy kid in the classroom. Even if I knew the answer or wanted to contribute an idea, my lack of confidence and spiraling thoughts would prevent me from communicating what I wanted to say. I suppose that’s why I turned to writing; documenting my ideas in a way that
Elizabeth Prater | Tuesday, September 28, 2021
I am one of those crazy West Coast people that decided to drive to campus this fall. It was one of those decisions that in the moment, it sounded like it would be an adventure. My family discussed of all of the fun things that we would stop and see. There were mentions of national