Editor-in-Chief Lucy Spence greets the incoming class of 2029
Dear readers—and especially the class of 2029,
Welcome to Our Lady’s university!
Perhaps a bit of congratulations are in order: you have survived Welcome Weekend, you’ve successfully completed one week of classes, and, more importantly, you’ve managed to feed yourselves in dining halls that defy all bounds of reason. If you’re confused about the dining situation, don’t worry. No one else understands the new maze that is South, either.
So you’re at college—now what?
I arrived on campus my freshman year with many questions, as I’m sure you all have. How many clubs can I cram into my schedule? Will I find my best friends in my dorm? Where can I summon the nerve to speak in class? And when do we stop giving the “Notre Dame intro”?
The good news is that college is the perfect time for real formation. Notre Dame is positioned to give you the best chances to ask the big questions in an environment that fosters a genuine search for the truth, a deep love for the Faith, and a vibrant intellectual curiosity. All while offering you a storied football program, of course.
Does Notre Dame just have it all, then? The blunt answer is no.
Notre Dame walks a tightrope between two identities: an institution that prioritizes inclusion, academic freedom, and its prestige relative to peer institutions; and her identity as a Catholic university. It’s a precarious position that often leads to compromise in areas of the faith: drag shows in the name of “education,” institutional support for LGBTQ programming, and much more. Our mission at the Irish Rover is to hold the university accountable by reminding her of her Catholic mission in times when she goes astray, and by providing a vision, rooted in the Faith, for the future of Notre Dame.
Founded in 2003, our biweekly, student-run paper has brought a valuable voice to campus conversations, raising important questions, defending the good at Notre Dame, and keeping the institution “true to her name.” We seek to contribute to collegiate debate through the articulation of conservative principles, guided by our Catholic faith. As a paper independent from the university, we can afford to be candid about Notre Dame’s state and the experience of life here as a student.
Notre Dame’s founding was deeply rooted in the Catholic faith and in the cultivation of the entire person—heart, mind, and soul. The inspiration for the university’s mission is embedded in Blessed Basil Moreau’s words: “We shall always place education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart. While we prepare useful citizens for society, we shall likewise do our utmost to prepare citizens for heaven.”
Notre Dame has forgotten some of her mission in the pursuit of secularized “values” that are, in truth, washed-out renditions of the Christian virtues. Christian fraternity has become “belonging;” Christian charity, “acceptance;” and Christian honesty, “vulnerability.” What is needed most now at Notre Dame is the individual who stands with courage in defense of the truth—who seeks a Truth he can serve, rather than a truth that will serve him, as Jacques Maritain would say.
The education you will receive at Notre Dame is one that should fine-tune your soul, deepening your faith and your understanding of who you are as a beloved child of God. Friendships at college can teach you your worth in ways nothing else can. My own experience at the Rover has been nothing but a blessing (so if you’re still wondering what to do with those extra hours outside of class, send me an email at lspence@nd.edu!). Campus has a wealth of goods to offer you, countless opportunities for the sacraments, and a flourishing network of students and professors united in faith and truth.
This particular “Freshman Edition” is a collection of articles from past issues to give you a taste of what we cover and how we cover it—whether it’s the arts, campus news, faith formation, or a showcase of our humor section. We’ve also compiled a list of other clubs that are well worth your time, so be sure to read through it. Look out for future issues of the Rover, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with thoughts, concerns, or questions!
As you begin your education here, have the vision to see Notre Dame for more than an academic institution. Look to the dome, not as a symbol of institutional identity and pride, but as the golden center of the university, on which stands the Mother who will watch and protect you with love these four years.
May your time here be marked by spiritual growth, deep friendships, much laughter, enlightening conversations, warm weather, and many victorious football games!
In Notre Dame,
Lucy Spence
Editor-in-Chief
Photo Credit: Matthew Rice, the Irish Rover
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