Yellow, Coldplay
Monday, February 25, 2013
Sledding benefits fund
By Meg Handelman
Students found a way to put South Bend snow to good use Saturday, racing down South Quad on improvised “dog sleds” for the third annual I-Domer-Rod to benefit the Declan Drumm Sullivan Memorial Fund.
Fisher, Lyons and Pangborn Halls co-sponsored the event, but competition was open to participants from all across campus.
Sophomore Maggie Rohlk, an organizer of the I-Domer-Rod, said the event was an opportunity to benefit a good cause while having fun.
“What better way to support charity than dogsled racing?” Rohlk said.
Senior Allie Rauh, a resident assistant in Walsh Hall, used the event as a bonding activity for her section.
“I-Domer-Rod was a really fun thing to do with the girls in my section and my sister,” Rauh said.
Sophomore Emma Terhaar said Lyons made the event into a competition between sections by giving the girls the opportunity to earn points for their section by participating in the event.
While that incentive was valid regardless of the race’s outcome, Terhaar said her team came to win.
“The concept of pulling people on sleds like dogs was very attractive for me,” Terhaar said. “I’m planning to use precision and power to achieve maximum aerodynamics and win the race.”
Pangborn freshman Gracie Gallagher said she participated because the event offered a fun way to exercise.
“It’s a good way to get some exercise and some laughter,” Gallagher said.
While students came for a number of reasons, Rohlk said it’s fundamentally about benefitting the Fund, which was the impetus for its establishment three years ago.
“Fisher is one of the founding sponsors, and the first year [of I-Domer-Rod] took place as soon as the creation of the Declan Sullivan Memorial Fund,” Rohlk said.
Contact Meg Handelman at mhandelm@nd.edu
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Should we care what is real?
David Carr's recent New York Times article addressed his journey tracing back to the source of a famous photograph posted anonymously online. The photograph, which went viral on websites like Reddit and Gawker, depicted exploding manhole covers in Omaha, Nebraska. Carr's article draws attention to the amazing things that are going on all around the world that are being captured by regular people. These regular people, however, become citizen journalists just by snapping photographs with their cell phones and posting them to sites like Twitter or Instagram. The great irony left from Carr's story is that he was forced to log off the web and enter into the real world in order to track down the photographer who captured the image that shocked the public online.
It was especially interesting to hear David Carr, who has become somewhat of an embodiment of mobile media through his constantly-updated Twitter feed and success in embracing the future of news, discuss the importance of breaking away from the Internet in life. As Carr writes, "Shoe leather never looked or smelled so good." Carr appreciates the importance of returning to "real" reporting that used to make up the industry of journalism.
Through his description of the trail he followed to track down the famous photograph, Carr establishes the point that much of the journalism and photography online today is unattributed or unclaimed by an author. The danger in this seems very apparent: people can post just about anything, real or fake, and pass it off to be believed by the masses. It is almost impossible to establish the legitimacy of something when we have no idea where it comes from. Carr seems to agree. He wrote, "But at a time when almost everyone is beyond caring what is real or fake onscreen, knowing that, in this case, someone who is paid to get to the bottom of things did just that is somewhat comforting."
While our class has spent a lot of time reading about and discussing the benefits of citizen journalism, we have spent much less time focusing on the dangers of individuals participating in creating news when they have absolutely no credibility, background, authority, or reason to tell the truth. Here I am again reverting back to the idea of earning your voice a la Kathleen Parker, but I believe that this is one of the cornerstones that must be defined in the changing industry of journalism. The fact that everybody has the accessibility to create news does not mean that everybody has the license to do so. I understand the effectiveness of citizen journalism in that it allows reporters to have eyes and ears in places where they are unable to personally report on a scene or event. However, in the end I agree with Carr that there is an irreplaceable importance that "real"reporting brings to America. Being able to trust the people who provide our news is a key factor in maintaining effective journalism in America. We must call for journalists to be held accountable for their words, and we can do so through establishing a criteria to define journalists as a specific group, not the entire public.
 |
| The photograph that David Carr tracked down, taken from an Omaha apartment building. |
It was especially interesting to hear David Carr, who has become somewhat of an embodiment of mobile media through his constantly-updated Twitter feed and success in embracing the future of news, discuss the importance of breaking away from the Internet in life. As Carr writes, "Shoe leather never looked or smelled so good." Carr appreciates the importance of returning to "real" reporting that used to make up the industry of journalism.
Through his description of the trail he followed to track down the famous photograph, Carr establishes the point that much of the journalism and photography online today is unattributed or unclaimed by an author. The danger in this seems very apparent: people can post just about anything, real or fake, and pass it off to be believed by the masses. It is almost impossible to establish the legitimacy of something when we have no idea where it comes from. Carr seems to agree. He wrote, "But at a time when almost everyone is beyond caring what is real or fake onscreen, knowing that, in this case, someone who is paid to get to the bottom of things did just that is somewhat comforting."
 |
| -David Carr |
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Facebook < Twitter
Although both part of the same realm of social media, Facebook
and Twitter accomplish very different jobs. While both can be used to develop
an online persona to connect with an audience and broadcast your thoughts or
feelings, I feel that Facebook accomplishes this in a more personal and
connected way, while Twitter offers the platform to connect with an audience
beyond people you know.
Facebook provides
a way to get in contact and stay in touch with people. However, it is uncommon
to use Facebook to connect with people you don’t personally know or share some
connection with. On Twitter, however, in addition to following friends or
acquaintances it is common to follow news organizations, celebrities, popular
“meme” accounts, journalists, politicians, etc. Doing so allows you to expand
the information you receive from Twitter. The problem with Facebook is that it
is too connected, too personal. Facebook was designed to
cater to mutual relationships between people, while Twitter was designed to
foster a relationship between one person and a wide audience. On Facebook, you
expect responses from the people you communicate with. On Twitter, you
broadcast yourself but don’t necessarily expect a response from your followers.
You aren’t going to send a friend request to Barack Obama and expect to connect
with him via Facebook, but on Twitter he has 27.2 million people following his
account. Facebook was developed with the purpose of social use, i.e. keeping in
touch with friends, keeping track of the people in your social circle, posting
pictures of what you did last weekend and sharing your likes/dislikes/inner thoughts/status.
It was not developed as a news outlet.
Facebook
does have many benefits. The implementation of a “network” such as the University
of Notre Dame network allows users to easily make connections. Facebook’s
algorithm does a great job connecting me with other users who I know or share
things in common with. Additionally, it allows me to easily stay connected with
friends and family who span the country. Facebook also provides the forum for
keeping in touch with people because messages can be exchanged that are longer
than 140 characters. Also, Facebook is much more useful for posting photographs
because entire albums can be uploaded to the site. Bottom line: Facebook allows
users to share more information than
Twitter, which limits the size of posts.
As a news
website, however, I don’t think Facebook can be as beneficial as Twitter. America
is a nation that wants their news efficiently and easily. Twitter provides the
forum for sharing quick tidbits of information that tell people what they need
to know and why it’s important. As David Carr pointed out in the New York Times
“Page One” documentary, Twitter offers people the opportunity to get caught up
on their news in the time it takes to wait in line for a cup of coffee. The
value comes in its ease and accessibility. Facebook’s newsfeed simply doesn’t
operate with the same concise style. Facebook is a very successful and useful
medium for social media, but I feel
Twitter is more useful for news media.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Lecture Honors Lincoln's Legacy
By Meg Handelman
Originally published in The Observer
“There is virtual consensus that Abraham Lincoln was an exemplary leader, but there are lessons to be drawn on his style of leadership,” Smith said.
Smith, who published an anthology of Lincoln’s writings in 2012, said the self-constraint Lincoln exercised specifically with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the outlawing of secession exemplify his constitutional leadership.
“Lincoln’s distinctive style of leadership can be usefully contrasted with three others,” Smith said.
These three models, he said, are Machiavellian leadership, charismatic leadership and progressive leadership.
Smith said Machiavellian leaders are realistic, pragmatic and willing to do what it takes to get a job done and earn praise from the people.
“A Machiavellian leader must value glory, fame and honor above all else,” he said.
Smith said the progressive model of leadership requires a leader to go beyond the law and above politics to lead a people.
“The idea that politics should be removed from the messy process of democracy and become a science has been embraced by progressives,” he said.
Although Lincoln embodied some qualities of each of the three models, Smith said his constitutional leadership style differs from other leadership models.
Lincoln wrestled with the problems posed by the limitation of powers constitutional leadership inevitably brought, Smith said, which he summarized by quoting a July 4, 1861, speech by the President.
“‘Must a government, of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its own people, or too weak to maintain its own existence?’” Smith said.
This quote represents Lincoln as a constitutional leader who valued the letter of the law above his own beliefs and believed government must fulfill the function of protecting each person’s right to use or misuse their freedom as they see fit, Smith said.
Though Lincoln is known for extraordinary use of his powers during wartime, including the suspension of habeas corpus, censorship of the press and delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation, Smith said the president was merely doing what was necessary to help the nation during an extremely trying period.
“Constitutional government is bound government,” Smith said. “Lincoln rejected the idea that politics is the domain of following one’s own private, moral commitments. He always submitted his commitments to the priority of law.”
Above all, Smith said constitutional governance necessitates devotion to the law, a commitment Lincoln realized fully as president.
“It is important that leaders understand the importance of invoking the Constitution and showing the constitutional authority for what they are doing in even the most radical moments,” Smith said. “We often forget that we have to have the Constitution behind us.”
Contact Meg Handelman at mhandelm@nd.edu
Originally published in The Observer
In honor of President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Yale professor Steven Smith defended the legendary president’s “constitutional” leadership style at the “Lincoln’s Constitution” lecture Tuesday.
“There is virtual consensus that Abraham Lincoln was an exemplary leader, but there are lessons to be drawn on his style of leadership,” Smith said.
Smith, who published an anthology of Lincoln’s writings in 2012, said the self-constraint Lincoln exercised specifically with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the outlawing of secession exemplify his constitutional leadership.
“Lincoln’s distinctive style of leadership can be usefully contrasted with three others,” Smith said.
These three models, he said, are Machiavellian leadership, charismatic leadership and progressive leadership.
Smith said Machiavellian leaders are realistic, pragmatic and willing to do what it takes to get a job done and earn praise from the people.
“A Machiavellian leader must value glory, fame and honor above all else,” he said.
 |
| Professor Smith speaking at Notre Dame on February 12, President Lincoln's birthday. |
The second model, charismatic leadership, is associated with German leader Knox Vaber, Smith said. This faith-based model prizes passionate leaders who maintain a sense of responsibility.
Smith said the progressive model of leadership requires a leader to go beyond the law and above politics to lead a people.
“The idea that politics should be removed from the messy process of democracy and become a science has been embraced by progressives,” he said.
Although Lincoln embodied some qualities of each of the three models, Smith said his constitutional leadership style differs from other leadership models.
Lincoln wrestled with the problems posed by the limitation of powers constitutional leadership inevitably brought, Smith said, which he summarized by quoting a July 4, 1861, speech by the President.
“‘Must a government, of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its own people, or too weak to maintain its own existence?’” Smith said.
This quote represents Lincoln as a constitutional leader who valued the letter of the law above his own beliefs and believed government must fulfill the function of protecting each person’s right to use or misuse their freedom as they see fit, Smith said.
Though Lincoln is known for extraordinary use of his powers during wartime, including the suspension of habeas corpus, censorship of the press and delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation, Smith said the president was merely doing what was necessary to help the nation during an extremely trying period.
“Constitutional government is bound government,” Smith said. “Lincoln rejected the idea that politics is the domain of following one’s own private, moral commitments. He always submitted his commitments to the priority of law.”
Above all, Smith said constitutional governance necessitates devotion to the law, a commitment Lincoln realized fully as president.
“It is important that leaders understand the importance of invoking the Constitution and showing the constitutional authority for what they are doing in even the most radical moments,” Smith said. “We often forget that we have to have the Constitution behind us.”
Contact Meg Handelman at mhandelm@nd.edu
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Following the SOTU via live-tweets
Following
@AlecHosterman live-tweets of the State of the Union address made for an
interesting experience. Usually when watching an event of this kind such as a
presidential debate or presidential speech, I watch my entire Twitter feed,
receiving updates from different news networks, reporters, friends, and others,
which can be highly distracting and often overwhelming. By focusing on only one
Twitter feed, I was able to pay much better attention to the President’s
speech.
 |
| Hosterman's Twitter feed on Tuesday night during the SOTU address |
Unfortunately, I felt that
Hosterman acted more as a commentator than a reporter in his live-tweeting.
Instead of providing updates on the President’s address that were constructive
and relevant, he stuck with adding his two-cents on the President’s remarks.
Although his commentary was funny, witty, and kept me entertained, he failed to
educate me on the significance of the President’s remarks. I feel that I would
be unable to write an article describing the President’s State of the Union
speech and it’s significance using Hosterman’s tweets. When I think of
live-tweeting as a helpful way to aid in reporting, I think of it as a process
of note-taking to keep track of what is happening live. However, instead of reporting through his tweets, Hosterman
offered commentary.
Hosterman
did a good job with the timeliness of his tweets- he did not send them too
often or too little. Hosterman sent a tweet every couple of minutes during the
address. He stayed consistent throughout the speech and also did a good job
utilizing hashtags (such as #SOTU) to ensure that he was contributing to the
nationwide conversation regarding the State of the Union on Twitter. He also
did a good job at the end tweeting about the atmosphere in the room.
 |
Overall, it
was entertaining and fun to watch the State of the Union, and Hosterman’s
tweets helped add to the dialogue surrounding the address. However, if it were
me in his position, I would have tried tweeting more quotes. In addition, I would
have treated the assignment as a way to prepare me to write an article about
the address, taking note of topics addressed by Obama and remarkable things he
said.
Students reflect during Lenten Season
By Meg Handelman
Originally published in The Observer
Originally published in The Observer
Whether giving up their favorite food, kicking a bad habit, or working to incorporate something positive into their daily routine, Notre Dame students are coming up with new and unique ways to recognize Lent.
Sophomore Pat Haggerty said that for Lent, he intends to quit using Tinder, the newly popular iPhone dating application.
“It’s a total time killer and distraction,” Haggerty said. “Plus, it makes for awkward sightings on campus. Also, I don’t want to get ‘Lennay Kekua’ed.’”
Sophomore Jack Souter, a resident of Fisher Hall, said he plans to give up going into other male dorms for the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
“I feel that this will help strengthen my Fisher identity,” Souter said. “The community in Fisher is the only place I can truly be myself.”
Sophomore Thomas Kleiber is prepared to refuse discussion over the controversial change in dining hall menus on Fridays during Lent.
“I’m giving up arguing with people over whether the dining hall should serve meat or not,” Kleiber said. “It’s pointless and annoying.”
Some of the most popular ways to observe Lent this year are plans to give up drinking soda, cutting swear words out, working out daily and making a point to attend church more often.
“This isn’t very original but I’m giving up sweets and soda,” sophomore Claire Cosgrove said, echoing many of her classmates. “I have a sweet tooth and like to drink soda, so it’s always really hard and challenges me through all ofLent.”
Junior Susan Nichols said she was planning to quit swearing for 40 days for the second year in a row. Nichols said cutting curse words out of her vocabulary is a good thing to remember in daily life and Lent provides a perfect opportunity to motivate her to stick to her goal.
Sophomore Allie Gerspach decided to use Lent as motivation to be more practical in daily life.
“I’m going to give up up buying coffee,” Gerspach said. “My flex points will benefit, [and] it’s a luxury that I don’t need when I can just make coffee in my room.”
During Lent, many activities will take place to help students observe the period of reflection, including meat-free dining halls on Fridays, daily rosary prayers at the Grotto and a weekly “Stations of the Cross” event. Notre Dame Campus Ministry encourages students to use Lent as a time for self-reflection and improvement.
“Whenever we talk about Lenten sacrifices, then, or even about the environmental and liturgical changes that mark the season, we can put all of those in the context of preparing ourselves — as individuals and as a Church — for the new life we all put on at Easter,” Campus Ministry’s website stated.
Sophomore Susanna Floyd, who is involved with Campus Ministry, said Lent is a good time for students to think about the meaning of Easter in the days leading up to the holiday.
“The best thing about Lent is being given an opportunity not only to make daily sacrifices, but to reflect on why I’m sacrificing,” she said.
Monday, February 11, 2013
SOTD 2.11
I Will Wait by Mumford and Sons
In honor of their huge Grammy win last night, here's my favorite song by Mumford and Sons. Even though it would have been pretty cool to see The Black Keys take home the award, the Grammy for Mumford was undeniably well-deserved.
 |
| Mumford and Sons accepting their Grammy for Album of the Year- the award show's greatest honor. Photo cred: JustJared.com |
In honor of their huge Grammy win last night, here's my favorite song by Mumford and Sons. Even though it would have been pretty cool to see The Black Keys take home the award, the Grammy for Mumford was undeniably well-deserved.
Check out my latest article in The Observer: Student hits 'College Gameday' Shot
Senior Casey Murdock had the luck of the Irish on his side Saturday morning when he made a half-court shot at College GameDay to win $18,000.
“When I saw the ball bank into the hoop on the second shot, I honestly did not know how to feel,” Murdock said. “I was completely at a loss for words.”
Murdock hit the shot on his second attempt during the ESPN program’s broadcast from Purcell Pavilion.
The avid basketball fan said he plans to act responsibly with his winnings.
“I’m definitely going to save the majority of it; I’ll invest it somehow so that I can prepare for life after college,” Murdock said. “At the same time, when something like that happens, you need to celebrate somehow, so I’ll figure out a way to have fun with a little bit of it.”
Murdock’s favorite part of the experience was the crowd rushing the court to pile on him after he made the winning shot. Being surrounded by a horde of people, including the Notre Dame men’s basketball team, was completely overwhelming, he said.
“It felt like the entire Notre Dame community was celebrating this amazing moment not only for me, but with me,” he said. “It truly made me feel like part of a family, and at that point there was no more I could ask for.”
After the shot, Murdock said he found his friends and captured the moment through taking pictures and then continued celebrating at his home.
“I returned to my off-campus house, and as soon as I walked in the door all of my friend piled on me and started screaming with excitement,” he said.
Murdock said he practices shooting the ball around almost every day and has made half-court shots before, but he did not actually practice in preparation for “College GameDay.”
He has received many comments about the unorthodox form he used to get the winning shot, he said.
“I seem to have a better chance from half-court when I float the ball,” Murdock said. “In the end, though, I made it, and that’s about all that matters.”
Murdock said he continued celebrating by attending the men’s basketball game Saturday night, in which the Irish defeated Louisville 104-101 in a five-overtime game.
“It was all completely surreal, and definitely made one of the best days of my life,” Murdock said.
“When I saw the ball bank into the hoop on the second shot, I honestly did not know how to feel,” Murdock said. “I was completely at a loss for words.”
Murdock hit the shot on his second attempt during the ESPN program’s broadcast from Purcell Pavilion.
The avid basketball fan said he plans to act responsibly with his winnings.
 |
| Photo courtesy of The Observer |
Murdock’s favorite part of the experience was the crowd rushing the court to pile on him after he made the winning shot. Being surrounded by a horde of people, including the Notre Dame men’s basketball team, was completely overwhelming, he said.
“It felt like the entire Notre Dame community was celebrating this amazing moment not only for me, but with me,” he said. “It truly made me feel like part of a family, and at that point there was no more I could ask for.”
After the shot, Murdock said he found his friends and captured the moment through taking pictures and then continued celebrating at his home.
“I returned to my off-campus house, and as soon as I walked in the door all of my friend piled on me and started screaming with excitement,” he said.
Murdock said he practices shooting the ball around almost every day and has made half-court shots before, but he did not actually practice in preparation for “College GameDay.”
He has received many comments about the unorthodox form he used to get the winning shot, he said.
“I seem to have a better chance from half-court when I float the ball,” Murdock said. “In the end, though, I made it, and that’s about all that matters.”
Murdock said he continued celebrating by attending the men’s basketball game Saturday night, in which the Irish defeated Louisville 104-101 in a five-overtime game.
“It was all completely surreal, and definitely made one of the best days of my life,” Murdock said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)