Cheers

Biblical jokes. A recent Gospel at Mass was from the first chapter of Mark. More specifically, the gospel passage dealt with Jesus’ healing of Simon’s mother-in-law, who was suffering from a fever. We all had a good laugh when the celebrant began the homily by asking, “Why did Peter deny Jesus three times?” No one had an answer ready at hand, and the priest told us, “Because Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law!”

“The Revenant.” I saw this movie, featuring Leo DiCaprio, during syllabus week. Given that it was one of the bloodiest movies I have ever seen, why does it merit a cheer? (Add to that the fact that, if we are being honest, the plot is not that good, except as a tale of remarkable personal resolve and strength.) It merits a cheer because DiCaprio put one thing in perspective for me: as I endured bitterly cold temperatures and powerful winds during any trek around campus, I only had to think of the incredibly cold things that DiCaprio did in that movie and I felt better right away.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. A day to celebrate and remember the legacy of a great man and to recall what he stood for. Worthy of a cheer.

Jeers

Notre Dame’s celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. I don’t mind having classes cancelled for a couple hours of the day, but it would be nice if Notre Dame would consider cancelling classes for a couple hours during other national holidays as well, such as Veteran’s Day, when we remember all those who have served our country. Bringing the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement to campus to speak on MLK day was a slight to the man himself, given that he would vigorously disapprove of the movement.

Biblical jokes gone wrong. Sometimes a joke is just in poor taste. Consider: “Why did God create man before woman?” I don’t know, we say. “Because He didn’t want any advice on how to do it.”

Winter weather, with a vengeance. Some of the freshman (sorry, first-years) got a false impression of winter at Notre Dame due to the very mild end to the fall semester. If they became over-confident during Christmas break, they probably are not any longer, after enduring wind chills below -20 degrees these past few weeks. My pinky toe froze one night and it took 30 minutes of rubbing to bring it back to sensation.

Tim Bradley is a senior. Contact him at tbradle5@nd.edu.