Author Archive
An open letter to Fr. Jenkins on the pro-life movement at ND
Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., University President University of Notre Dame Office of the President 400 Main Building Notre Dame, IN 46556 April 13, 2011 Dear Father Jenkins, I write my final editorial for The Irish Rover in gratitude for the support you have shown pro-life initiatives at the university. Thank you especially for your presence at the March for Life over the past two [...]
Who’s the Victim?
Politics Daily editor-in-chief and ND alum reacts to sexual assault cases Melinda Henneberger, a Notre Dame graduate, is Editor-in-Chief of PoliticsDaily.com and a columnist for the Catholic journal Commonweal. She previously served as Washington correspondent and Rome bureau chief for the New York Times. Henneberger recently criticized the university’s response to Lizzy Seeberg’s assault [...]
The Seeberg timeline day by day
This timeline was put together using timelines and articles first published by the Chicago Tribune (CT), the South Bend Tribune (SBT), Politics Daily (PD), and Weather South Bend Tribune (WSBT). Mon., Aug. 30th: Lizzy meets the football player accused of the assault (PD). Tues., Aug. 31st: Lizzy texts her mother to say she is going over to Notre Dame with a friend from SMC to visit her [...]
“We could have acted more quickly”: Lessons of the Seeberg case
Allegations of sexual assault against Notre Dame football players are not news. In 1996, a Notre Dame female student reported that two football players raped her in a dorm. The woman testified at the university’s disciplinary hearing, which found the two players innocent. In 2002, another Notre Dame female student reported that four football players raped her in an off-campus house. The four [...]
Defending the Spirit of Inclusion
With Solidarity Sunday two weeks behind us, we might ask, “As a Catholic university, how can we love the homosexual members of our community with the same love that Christ taught us? Is the Spirit of Inclusion statement enough of a response to homosexuality at Notre Dame?” The Spirit of Inclusion statement is one of welcome; it is a universal invitation to become part of the Notre Dame [...]
Great Books at Notre Dame: How Catholic is PLS?
I chose PLS for its uniquely Catholic label. Though I deeply love PLS for its close-knit community and intellectual life, I have been surprised by the number of times I’ve heard students ask, “Why do we read this Catholic text?” or “Why don’t we read some other great book instead of this Catholic one?” or “Why do we listen to so much Catholic liturgical music in our music [...]
Fired employee Bill Kirk will testify at “ND 88″ trial
In an upcoming deposition, lead defense attorney Thomas Dixon plans to ask former associate vice president for student affairs Bill Kirk why he was fired. Dixon represents the "ND 88," a group of demonstrators who were arrested for protesting President Obama’s visit to Notre Dame in May 2009. In a September 22 hearing, Judge Michael P. Scopelitis denied Notre Dame’s motion to quash the [...]
On a Road to Nowhere: Tom Friedman’s House
In light of Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman’s imminent visit to Notre Dame, we thought a comparison between Friedman’s home and the lovely Lyons Hall might be worth your while. Friedman will speak at this year's Notre Dame Forum, "The Global Marketplace and the Common Good.” Though Friedman will likely speak on economic issues rather than sustainability, he [...]
Reclaiming Conscience
A preliminary note: This editorial is intended as a reflective response to Judge Michael McConnell’s recent lecture at Notre Dame about John F. Kennedy’s 1960 “Address to the Houston Ministerial Administration.” With an eye to the upcoming midterm elections, the focus of this piece is not McConnell’s lecture, but rather the meaning of conscience for today’s Catholic politicians, an [...]
ND Administrator of 21 years fired abruptly
On Monday, June 14, 2010, just days after assuming his new role as vice president for student affairs, Father Thomas Doyle, C.S.C. fired long-standing employee, Bill Kirk, from his position as associate vice president for student affairs. University spokesman Dennis Brown explained to The Rover, “Mr. Kirk’s position was eliminated as part of Father Doyle’s organizational [...]
Independent Journalism at Notre Dame: The Telos of The Irish Rover
I am beginning the year as Editor-in-Chief of The Irish Rover with a return to first principles. As a sign of The Rover’s commitment to honest journalism, I wish to reaffirm our mission while inviting open discussion between campus publications at Notre Dame. The Irish Rover was founded with three objectives in mind: 1. Defend the Faith and honorable traditions of this great [...]
The Need for “Consistency”
Nearly a year has passed since pro-life activists protesting President Obama were arrested on Commencement Day last spring. Every member of the group, known as the ND88, currently faces prosecution from the University for trespassing. Pro-lifers outside the Notre Dame community have expressed anger toward the administration for pressing charges. Others have argued that “the principle of the [...]