Opinion

In defense of ‘Cowboy Carter’ winning album of the year

“Cowboy Carter” is an emblem of America’s original sin: racism.

Response to coffee shop courtesy

“Do you care more about your boss (who is probably the one that pays you badly enough that you believe people should tip you for doing your job) than your fellow man?”

Walking alone with my wrist

“Walking with a cane is walking with your wrists, it's tiring. Walking alone is beauty, power, joy and gratitude.”

Hellos and goodbyes: feeling homesick in college

“Saying goodbye to my parents at Welcome Weekend in August was one of the most challenging and emotional things I have ever had to do.”

Observer Election Endorsement: Abstain, then abolish StuGov

At the red light

“I love to drive, but I need the windows down. Mine in the driver’s seat rolled all the way down or just a crack in the backseat. Whichever window, I need the air.”

A lens into our football season

I outline the spectacular highs and crushing lows of photographing a large portion of the 2024 Notre Dame college football season.

Normal gossip

"Your mother might’ve told you to never gossip, but let me be the one to tell you otherwise."

Car on campus: worth the drive?

"You’re going to love the freedom and occasional break from the ND bubble; as soon as my car is ready, I know I will."

My reflections as an American in Rome

After two weeks abroad in Rome, I offer my reflections on Italian life as a consummate American.

Open letter to Fr. Dowd

“For the past two weeks, I have walked the grounds from Flaherty Hall to the Grotto to Stinson Remick to Haggar Hall and have felt fear brewing inside me.”

Walking as a child of the light

“Of course faith demands solemnity, but from the inside, living the faith is also a source of delight, rest and frivolity.”

The machinery of good people

“We tend to attribute moral status based on one’s actions, but when they become obfuscated through the corporate world, the repercussions turn hazy.”

Just give up

Sometimes, it is okay to fail. I mean, I do it all the time.

COIN was a band

This final COIN album felt like the beginning of the rest of my life. It felt like courage. It felt like I wasn’t afraid of love anymore. It felt like the future didn’t totally terrify me. It felt like falling. It felt like melting. It felt like it would never end. 

Coffee shop courtesy from a barista

Being attentive seems like simple common sense because most of us behave reasonably, but consistently practicing courtesy goes a long way for baristas, restaurant staff and customer service workers alike.

How to speak billionaire

"If it’s true that the Democratic party has “abandoned working class people,” and that the Republican party is the voice of the everyday American, I’m not sure why the spokespeople for this party are billionaires like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, all of whom attended President Trump’s inauguration."

Neither wants nor needs

"In the first two weeks of the Trump presidency, we have not seen a leader of hope but instead, a man prepared to enact his vengeance on his political enemies and steer this nation down a dark road."

(Non-class related) books to get through the winter months

"I spent three hours today creating a Goodreads account. Contrarily, I spent zero hours reading. Anyway, in my thinking, I have crafted a list of books that I think fit each of the winter months in case anyone else was similarly inspired."

A letter on so-called “miracles”

"There is nothing coming. Call me a pessimist, call me a nihilist, but don’t call me wrong because you know I’m right."