<p>Where is the manner.</p>
<p>I sincerely hope all this bickering isn't reflective of what happens on campus. I mean it's just ridiculous. It's OKAY for a University to have negatives..It appears there are some posters who feel offended that their University could possibly have any negative aspects. Everything has to be put in perspective I believe. I figured most students had an agree to disagree attitude when it came to different perspectives..is this true or am I mistaken in believing this? I think it's alright for a healthy debate, but attacking other people is just ridiculous. Can any students shed any light as to the arguing environment on campus..is it even an issue?</p>
<p>okay, some negatives (which some may see as positives, but these are just my opinions)
-same sex dorms.. makes it harder to make friends of the opposite sex, parietals are kinda ridiculous in my opinion, but i was aware of these things going in so i can't really complain.
-majority of people seem to be very wealthy.. this might make someone from a lower-income household feel uncomfortable
-on-campus social life.. seems like it's either a crowded dorm party or you have to go off campus, and taxis can get expensive if you go off campus every weekend
-distance, for me, is a negative, since i live about 10 hours from ND. if you're from far away, keep this in mind. i didn't really think about this before i came here, but now i really wish i had the opportunity to go home any weekend i wanted, and i didnt have to waste 2 whole days of my vacations traveling. again, travel can be very expensive if that's an issue.</p>
<p>Flyer,
I never said that I because of my experience my insights were more valuable. My intent was to rebuke the statement by bpayne that only current students' opinions mean anything on this topic by showing my dedication and longstanding service to my school. </p>
<p>Also, to the contrary, I do not believe that diversity=people who think like me. I do think, however, that if the Notre Dame student body was more diverse, I, and many other students with similar beliefs who feel the same way, wouldn't have felt so isolated. That said, no matter what your beliefs, I do find it unacceptable for anyone to justify racist, sexist, and homophobic language in any context; unfortunately, I came across such ignorance at times at Notre Dame, and I doubt that even you can say that you think these types of comments have a place at Notre Dame. It's one thing to have conservative beliefs, it's another to defend your beliefs with offensive and deragatory language. Take from that what you will. </p>
<p>Finally, when you're in the majority, it's very easy to come to the conclusion that people who "complain" about a lack of diversity are really thinking "there aren't enough people who look/think like me". Very easy to say something like that when your beliefs make you part of the crowd, and everyone does infact look and think you do.</p>
<p>Napoleon Spade,
I hope that there is still some level of debate on campus; what kind of college would you be going to without debate? In terms of arguing, I'm very passionate about my beliefs, as I would guess that many others are. For the most part, however, most Notre Dame students are pretty cordial.</p>
<p>I can't take credit for this--it was something D. thought of earlier this year. She was adjusting to college and comparing notes with some HS friends at other schools and it occurred to her that having four years of your most productive time on this earth in terms of strength, health, cognitive ability just to study and learn is virtually unheard of for all but a tiny minority of people and only due to the relative wealth created by the industrial and post-industrial age. The whole IDEA of college is very new and in her word "artificial." </p>
<p>The idea of diversity in college is a bit strange, because to be there somebody has to be able to afford it. Even if a full ride is available, the family that may rely on that student's labor has to do without it for four years. I have not seen any college campus that is very diverse really--there are some, particularly on the coasts, that may have more ethnic diversity, but college campuses are overwhelmingly middle and upper-middle class. Secular colleges tend to be secular, and religious colleges tend to have an over-representation of the religion that is sponsoring the college.</p>
<p>I would not attack ND for a lack of diversity--that is a feature, not a bug, of college life.</p>
<p>flyer: First post....bad first impression. Your face has clueless written all over it. Get a life, go fly a plane or something.</p>
<p>
[Quote]
I figured most students had an agree to disagree attitude when it came to different perspectives
[/Quote]
Look at what has erupted on this forum. Then look at debates on the Michigan, Berkeley, or Stanford forums. Pretty drastic difference in how diverse opinions are valued and interpreted. Don't base your decision on this forum, obviously, but it's worth considering. People who refuse to believe there school has any issues are "static." You can't improve as a university without owning up to your faults. Consider that, and whether you want a university that is continuously trying to improve, or one whose students refuse to admit the obvious. Good luck!</p>
<p>Catholics at Notre Dame is one thing, but stepping up to the "MOST" Catholics hold similar views assertion is not very critical thinking.</p>
<p>Yeah it is probably true that a bit more than half of all (American) Catholics believe that abortion is "wrong" but there is a smaller faction who believe all three things that you listed. (For example according the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life 49% of Catholics oppose gay marriage, which means that "MOST" Catholics can't possibly believe all three of the things you listed. Just for fun: 59% of white non-Hispanic Catholics support stem cell research; and the kicker: 51% of white Catholics support legalized abortion. By no means are white Catholics representative of all Catholics, but if Notre Dame is a predominantly white Catholic institution, then maybe those numbers mean something huh?) And I'll save anyone the time and actually put the source: <a href="http://pewforum.org/surveys/campaign08/%5B/url%5D">http://pewforum.org/surveys/campaign08/</a>
Hell look at Martin Sheen who will receive the highest honor given to American Catholics at Notre Dame. He doesn't oppose gay marriage and would never tell a woman what to do with her body. But hey, Notre Dame is so conservative it would never allow that. Right.</p>
<p>It's cool that you have been to many countries (I really meant go talk to some Catholics, any Catholics, anywhere, heck an Episcopalian might even suffice), I have to admit that no I haven't been to any other than Mexico. My parents and I spend our time working to pay tuition, but next to time you do something let me know, I'd like to visit some very, very religious countries because God knows that America no longer is.</p>
<p>And I'll be the first to admit that some, let's say 'close-minded,' Domers **** me off sometimes, but don't anyone make false claims about my Church.</p>
<p>well, for minority students, the lack of non-athlete minority students could be a bug in college life. (once you factor out athletes probably only 2% of Notre Dame are black STUDENTS)</p>
<p>Everyone is a student. Some happen to be athletes too. But don't think that athletes aren't students as well.</p>
<p>Even if you take out athletes about 3% of the student body is African-American (remember African-American only represented in football, basketball, and track, there is one African-American on the men's lacrosse team. Not that 3 is much more than 2 but you are taking about 80 people or so.</p>