Musical Selections:
“November Blue” – The Avett Brothers
“Salt and Pepper” – Caroline Petrik (search for it online)
“William Shakespeare’s In My Cat” – Arrogant Worms
CHEERS
Utah Game
Hooray! The Class of 2011’s final home football game as Notre Dame students is nearly upon us! I mean, we’ve already locked up the “Most Losingest Class” award, we’ve already been embarrassed by a team that hasn’t beaten a BCS opponent since 1998, and we’ve already lost to Navy more times in the past four years than in the previous 46 seasons combined, so what more could we ask for? Well, a marshmallow fight uninterrupted by overzealous ushers and the $1000 I’ve wasted on tickets would be a nice start. But if that’s too much to ask for, beating the Utes and storming the field will suffice. I guess I’ll take this opportunity to make a solemn promise: If the Irish are on top when the final clock reads 0:00, I’ll meet you at the 50.
No Daylight Savings Time
Wow, there’s really nothing better than having good ol’ Mr. Sunshine there to greet you as you roll out of bed at 8:25 am, five minutes prior to your Differential Equations class. Oh wait, there does exist a more enjoyable alternative, and it consists of dropping the engineering major and picking up something cool, like Arabic. But if you’re not willing to go that far, it’s at least good to know that the sun is there to brighten your day— that is, the five minute portion of your day before you settle in for a lecture on the existence of the human soul, God, and happiness.
Veterans
November 11 is Veterans Day, and I’d encourage everyone out there to, at the very least, take a brief moment to reflect on the sacrifices our veterans have made. If you have qualms about honoring those who fought in “wars of choice,” keep in mind that “veterans” technically refers to everyone who’s ever served in America’s armed forces, so you can be selective and choose to honor only those who fought against Nazis, British imperialists, and the sneak-attacking Japanese Oh wait, on second thought, you can move to Canada.
JEERS
Stranded Cruise Ship
If you haven’t heard, one of Carnival’s cruise ships is stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with 4,466 people on board. At first, that really doesn’t sound too bad. In fact, it sounds like these lucky folks are joining Zach and Cody on an episode of Disney’s The Suite Life on Deck (channel 50 at ND, but you already knew that…oh, and full disclaimer, not quite as entertaining as Kim Possible, but really, what is?). However, fate is not so kind. I wonder how relaxing an ocean cruise really is when you’re stuck on a boat without power, phone communication, running water, or working toilets?
No Daylight Savings Time
Wow, there’s really nothing worse than exiting the JACC at 6:15 pm after a torturous session of boxing workouts to find that the sun has abandoned you. Honestly, entering a world of pitch-black nothingness that was lit only hours before is pretty freaky. It reminds me of the time I drowsily woke up while driving through Chicago at dusk, observed the sharp silhouettes of the skyline against a foreboding, black backdrop and the swirl of red taillights around me, and somehow thought I was in hell. Which, of course, is an absurd assumption to make. After all, I do write for The Rover.
The Lack of Pumpkin Pie in the Dining Hall
Ladies and gentlemen, we have on our hands a travesty of epic proportions. Every red-blooded American knows that October through November is pumpkin pie season. Yet apparently no one decided to mention this to the dessert people at SDH. In the last two weeks, they’ve had pumpkin pie not thrice, not twice, but ONCE! AN OUTRAGE I TELL YOU! And to make it even worse, they often have pumpkin pie look-a-likes displayed, no doubt some sick joke cooked up the same people who removed Rice Crispies and Cheerios. Imagine my rage when I approach the dessert counter, only to find that what I thought was a tasty plate-full of pumpkiny goodness is really “no sugar added” sweet potato pie! And if toying with my stomach wasn’t enough, these people have the audacity to not make vanilla ice cream available on the ONE night they DO have pumpkin pie! The gall! The nerve! The ire! I tell you, SDH’s head honchos will not learn the error of their way unless we forcibly call them out. So please, join me in berating unsuspecting student-workers each November night pumpkin pie is unavailable. Together we can correct this injustice.
Jonathan Liedl is a senior in Dillon who, yes, happens to be an Arabic major. You can contact him at jliedl@nd.edu. Cats are better than dogs, and that is final.
