A happy return…and a smelly one.
304. The first issue of The Observer of the 1980-81 school year featured a picture of the St. Ed’s fire in June. With that dorm out of commission and the delay completing the first Pasquerilla, students were being housed in the study lounges of Flanner, Grace and Columba Halls. Notre Dame even leased living space across route 31 at St. Joseph’s High School. Also on the cover, Dan Devine announced this would be his last year coaching at ND.
305. The headline of The Observer was the closing of the popular bar Goose’s Nest — formerly The Library. News also featured articles on the upcoming national election with Carter, Reagan and Anderson.
306. The news on the cover was about the strikes in Poland – the beginning of the Solidarnosc movement lead by Lech Walesa. Many say this movement fomented the fall of the Soviet Union.
307. Inside The Observer, the Features page had a movie review written by Ryan Ver Berkmoes who now writes extensively for Lonely Planet. The review was illustrated by Pat Byrnes, now a The New Yorker cartoonist and Captain Dad author. Ryan’s reviews would feature a Byrnes theater seated cartoon figure rating the movie ranging from disinterest to applause.
308. While this cartoon featured the defunct Goose’s Net, the cover of the paper dealt with another popular bar, Corby’s, and their struggle to retain their liquor license. Underage drinking and the police raids were constant issues for local taverns. This was perhaps more of an issue since many ND students came from states where the drinking back then was only 18.
See the first five classic strips. Check back monthly for more classic Molarity strips. Molarity Redux, the updated, continuing adventures of Jim Mole and friends, also is posted monthly. For those new strips, check out the cartoon archives.