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‘It was never about a dream’: NAACP president and CEO speaks at Notre Dame Black excellence celebration dinner

Bella Laufenberg | Thursday, January 26, 2023

On Thursday evening, hundreds of Notre Dame students, staff and faculty weathered the northern Indiana winter to gather in the Morris Inn Smith Ballroom. From the other side of the nation, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Derrick Johnson and other activists traveled to join them. Together, they

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Beyond tolerance

Renee Yaseen | Thursday, March 31, 2022

My 2020 column “Food for Faith: What it’s Like Being Muslim at Notre Dame” prompted more kind emails, warm and fuzzy direct messages, conversion attempts and pranks than any other article I’ve written. I’m serious, my inbox was pinging for weeks. I’ve been thinking about why that article resonated so much with people, particularly with Catholics. In it, I

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In defense of those who disagree

Blake Ziegler | Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Health care is a contentious issue in American politics. In the Nov. 5 elections, an NBC exit poll found that 41% of Americans polled cited health care as their primary concern, topping even economic concerns. Of the voters, 70% expressed the need for “major change” in American healthcare policy. Democrats are looking to capitalize on

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College seeks to promote dialogue

Rebecca Stella | Thursday, November 7, 2019

Dialogue can be difficult to manage while still maintaining respect. However, by replicating the format of Conversation Cafes, an organization started in Seattle, Saint Mary’s has sought to find a way to engage students and promote productive dialogue. The President’s Council on Inclusivity and Multicultural Diversity along with the help of director of the Center

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When both sides balk: A conversation on abortion

BridgeND | Wednesday, February 27, 2019

The LaFun ballroom echoed with chatter, punctuated by the passionate gesticulations of people engaged in lively debate. One table, however, had a mood better echoed by the somber evening — twilight spreading in from the western windows. A pro-life senior and her pro-choice classmate were engaged in an intense quest to understand each other. Mati

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Media project aims to promote racial discourse on campus

Mary Clare Donnelly | Thursday, January 31, 2019

The Klau Center for Civil and Human Rights and the Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy are collaborating to launch a project recording members of the Notre Dame community on the topic of race called “With Voices True.” Richard Jones, director of the Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy, said the project gives

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The dangers of politics and relationships

Julianna McKenna | Wednesday, November 7, 2018

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines

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A call to refuse contempt

Eddie Damstra | Thursday, September 27, 2018

This Tuesday, I had the opportunity to hear a lecture given by Dr. Arthur Brooks. Brooks is the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, and a columnist for The New York Times. While I felt the entirety of the lecture was impressive and insightful, Brooks’ discussion of polarization and contempt particularly

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Saying ‘sorry’ is not enough

Morgan Johnson | Monday, April 9, 2018

In the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, I watched endless video clips and read numerous articles about the tragedy. Headlines and thumbnails grabbed my attention, inviting me in to receive the latest updates and to see how these students were taking action against gun violence. It was

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Class promotes civil discourse, hosts workshop

Nicole Caratas | Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Throughout the semester, a group of Saint Mary’s students participated in class on civil discourse. In order to showcase their work, the class hosted a workshop on Tuesday focused on dialogue surrounding controversial issues. This event aimed to teach those in attendance the skills that students learned throughout the semester in a civil discourse class.

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