Bill Schmitt needed a rallying cry to help him fend off the slings and arrows of our post-truth age, and he found it in the still, small voice of this English professor and her heart for the well-chosen word.
Alfred Stepan’s Notre Dame homecoming earlier this month was billed as an opportunity for scholars and students of politics and global affairs to hear him present his hopes on the timely topic of democratic governance in the Muslim world.
Sorting through my home office always turns up pleasant surprises, including books I really should read now that they’ve emerged from long-ignored stacks. The timing was especially fortunate this summer because my rediscovered Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness offers an antidote to the toxins exploding all over the news.
Happiness, or at least the word, was everywhere as 2016 approached — echoing in holiday conversations and in the worldwide shouts of “Happy New Year!” late on Dec. 31. Faced with the emptiness and angst I sensed in much of that happy talk, I’ve confirmed my new year’s resolution: Either it’s time to drop all this fake, escapist merriment . . . or it’s time to get really serious about happiness.
The media continually dissect statements from Pope Francis. When he says, “Who am I to judge?” or “We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion,” they speculate: Is Francis reversing Church teaching?
Designed as a common ground for people and ideas, the new Eck Hall of Law has been literally united with the original Notre Dame Law School building.
They’re watching Fox News on LaFortune’s big-screen TVs. They’re using cell phones as umbilical cords to double-check decisions with their parents. One professor reports they’re often unnerved about seminar classes, where the goal of lively debate seems to repeal their usual model of avoiding candid disagreements that might hurt someone’s feelings. “They’re deferential, almost to a fault,” says another professor.…
I recently took my first course at Notre Dame, and it had all the thought-provoking features I would have expected.
You might say it was interdisciplinary, with elements of philosophy, sociology, psychology, physics and biology, along with practical tips for the business world. It was timely, reflecting current trends but drawing lessons from history. It was multimedia and interactive, with the basic lecture approach enhanced by two short films and workbook exercises. The instructor had intensive hands-on experience in the field, and his comments reflected a genuine desire, you might say, to point his students in the right direction.…
Upon reaching the age of 100, the task of simply waking up might pose challenges for the average person. The “Notre Dame Victory March” has no such trouble. This anthem of enthusiasm and loyalty, composed by Domers in 1908, continues to wake up the echoes on campus and off—and is getting some volley cheers of its own this year.…