Voicing support for female on Irish Guard
Breaking
traditions is progress
Out of the sense of spirit that so characterizes everything we do at Notre Dame and a desire to watch history being made, I attended Molly Kinder's tryout for the Irish Guard. I saw her nail each and every complicated maneuver, easily out-classing most of her male competitors. Not only did she possess the necessary height and skill requirements, she had more grace and presence than almost all of the men out there. If the other nine men on the Irish Guard have any insight at all, they will take advantage of what Molly has to offer instead of feeling sorry for themselves or excluding her as Farina suggests.
Furthermore, I had the luck to live only a hall away from Molly last year in McGlinn and I was constantly amazed by how warm, friendly and inviting her personality was. Never did I feel inferior to her as a freshman and I was always greeted with a broad smile whenever I saw her. She truly does exemplify the best of what it means to be a Notre Dame student and could only improve, not taint, the hallowed image of the Irish Guard.
I realize that every person is entitled to an opinion, but it baffles me that anyone could possibly suggest we should deny an outstanding, skilled and qualified person the opportunity to showcase her talents simply because it would break tradition. Was it as equally "angering" and "nauseating" to see women admitted to the University of Notre Dame in 1972, breaking a 130 year tradition? What kind of a school would Notre Dame be if we weren't constantly re-evaluating our rules, regulations and traditions? Yes, tradition is often a vital and necessary component of life at Notre Dame. However, Farina makes it appear as if breaking tradition were a cardinal sin, as if the entire infrastructure of Notre Dame would crumble if one of its "prized traditions" was changed. Guess what? Traditions are broken everyday: it's called progress.
Meg Fitzpatrick
Sophomore
McGlinn Hall
August 31, 2000
All Viewpoint Stories for Friday, September 1, 2000
