A theology of hate

dear students and alumni that have signed “Losing catholic Identity on smc campus,” ourselves, along with nearly 250 students, alumni and faculty members, were very appalled with the content of your letter, as your argument is highly exclusionary and not sound regarding catholic teaching. To be pro-choice does not mean to be pro-abortion, and you fail to acknowledge this. rather, you falsely accuse us all to be “pro-abortion” and do not take our multi-faceted perspectives into account.

This is a synopsis of a letter written in response to Friday’s letter to the editor.

We, the student members of saint mary’s sexuality and Gender equity club (sAGe) and smicks for choice, felt it was important to respond to the recent letter about your concerns with saint mary’s college and its catholic identity.

This response is out of a deep concern for your misrepresentation of the college, catholic teaching, our theology classes and our faculty members’ beliefs. The exclusion your letter demands will never take place at saint mary’s college. We – the students of saint mary’s college – stand with and support the following professors, faculty and staff that you speak falsely against: Fr. dan horan, President conboy, Julianne Wallace, redgina hill, Lori Johnson, barb may and Liz baumann.

We also want to raise awareness towards students on campus that have been targeted and belittled by your letter. If readers felt this way from “Losing catholic Identity on smc campus,” please know that you are welcome here, and loved and supported by many.

Ashley Kraker, please know this letter is not an attempt to diminish your standpoint, but rather an invitation for you to consider another viewpoint on this matter. Furthermore, this letter is to raise awareness of your false accusations and your misrepresentation of catholicism. We will not allow your false accusations and your disturbing usage of our God — a God of love and inclusivity — to be used against us or to erase us.

We, along with many other saint mary’s students, strongly believe we should not abandon our catholic viewpoint. rather, we should embrace true catholic teachings and theological perspectives that uphold equality and diversity, not ones that exclude and cause pain for others. In embracing our catholic identity, we should embrace the diversity of God. We should love one another for every aspect that God placed in their innate human design, as love is at the core of our being. As the catechism of the catholic church (458) states, “the Word became flesh so that thus we might know God’s love.”

Love is what makes us, what provides community to us and what sustains us. Jesus welcomed and loved all, and so will we.

In nostra Aetate, Pope Paul v I writes: “The church, therefore, exhorts her sons, that through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and love and in witness to the christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the sociocultural values found among these men.”

The catholic church points towards the diverse beauty of all religions, respectful dialogue and collaboration with persons who are members of other religions. Focusing solely on catholic students and excluding students from other religions is directly against nostra Aetate. rather, we must have equal and non-judgemental dialogue, discovering similar religious values amongst one another and using these values to move forward.

Pro-Choice Does Not Equal Pro-Abortion

There are high risks of teaching abortion as an “evil” and this ideology is not supported by catholics.

You are not setting an example of the theology of love as christ intended, but rather a theology of hate, something that christ condemned.

The root of the issue is helping women, not forcing them to do what you believe is best. catholicism is not a religion of force, and you cannot force love.

Furthermore, your perspectives on minority communities and speaking on their behalf has caused immense pain to saint mary’s students.

“As I was reading your letter I was appalled many times. I was even more upset when you decided that it would be a good idea to add race to your conversation. As a White, straight, cisgender woman with an abundant amount of privilege, you do not get to speak for my community. You do not get to use the struggles of my community to affirm your confirmation bias and fuel your agenda. As an actual black woman, I am going to respond to you and anyone else who agreed with what you had to say by taking back the voice you thought you gave us,” voiced Jayla mongomery (‘24) in her response.

This is a much more nuanced and complex issue. It is not an all-or-nothing issue as you make it seem.

For example, about seven-in-ten catholics say abortion should be legal if the pregnant woman’s life or health is threatened (69%), and two-thirds say it should be legal if the pregnancy is the result of rape (66%). This is just a glimpse of the many diverse statistics that the Pew research center wrote on this issue, showcasing that this is not only a complex issue but also that to be prochoice does not mean to be pro-abortion. Pro-choice in the sense that people who have the ability to be pregnant are given the free will to decide what to do with their body and make the choice that is best for them. Whether that choice is abortion, adoption or anything else, it is ultimately their choice. it is not inherently a radicalized idea that abortion will always be the answer, but rather, there is a radical idea of free will and bodily autonomy.

Saint

Mary’s

Accepts Students of All Religions

For saint mary’s, 38.8% of saint mary’s current student body identifies with a religion other than catholicism. To put this into perspective, out of the 1,381 undergraduate students enrolled in the institution, approximately 536 of our classmates, friends, neighbors, tutors, mentors and people, have been impacted by the hateful and hurtful language of this letter. There are no statistics in the saint mary’s Factbook that cover pro-choice catholics, but I would assume that this statistic would cause this number to rise.

We beg of you, as a reader, to remind yourself that regardless of what religion you are affiliated with or not affiliated with, as a person at your core, you are held to the standard of empathy and compassion. even though your ideals, morals and ethics are held so close to your heart, there are 536 more sets of beliefs that make up the sacred community that is saint mary’s college.

We encourage you all to join us in a conversation about a catholicism that is diverse, inclusionary, and loving. one that everyone will feel welcome at, one where there is no hate speech, one where we can all feel comfortable enough to be ourselves.

Francesca Giuliano

By ARI DENNING

s cene Writer

I do mean bloody. s eriously, there was a truly impressive amount of gore in this movie: A man gets his arms ripped off and those severed arms are used to kill multiple men-level of gore. There’s also disembowelment, faces ripped off, severed heads, body cavity explosions and bloodsucking(duh). however, it’s so utterly cartoonish that it works to inspire laughs and gasps in equal measure. “renfield” pulls off a twisted comedy thriller that highlights great performances by nicholas hoult and nicholas c age even when the plot admittedly stretches thin as the movie goes on.

“renfield” sheds new light on the typical d racula story that highlights the relationship between d racula and his underling renfield. however, in this retelling, the main character is the harried assistant of d racula as he labors to provide his master with fresh victims every day to bring d racula back to full power. he joins a 12-step self-help group for people in codependent relationships and starts to regain his independence. Along the way, he gets caught up in trouble with a mob family that controls the city, starts a budding romance with a no-nonsense police officer and engages in many supernaturally-powered fight scenes. nicholas hoult stars as renfield and brings this terribly charming awkward energy to the role that is juxtaposed whenever he is called to fight in a truly vicious manner against the bad guys. Awkwafina plays rebecca, a good cop in a corrupt city who’s trying to avenge her father’s death. While she’s got great chemistry with hoult, her backstory and subplot are rather thin and boring when compared to the zany gothic fun of renfield and d racula. b en s chwartz’s role as Teddy Lobo, the great and spoiled mob son of a cartel boss, is similarly underdeveloped. now, most of the reason I went to see this movie was to see nicolas c age as the Prince of darkness. suffice it to say, he did not disappoint. he brought exactly the over-the-top energy you want from nicholas c age. The whole time, he’s either in various stages of slimy decay as he’s growing his strength or a very 50s and 60s style b ela Lugosi-esque vampire complete with a high collar and slicked-back hair. I must mention the practical effects team on the very impressive transformation of d racula to full health as well as the various injuries that occur during the film. o nce he’s in true debonair style, nicholas c age really sank his teeth into this role (pun intended). switching back and forth from reveling in his bloodlust to being the charming and manipulative d racula we know and love, he is so gleefully vicious and consistently entertaining throughout the whole film. he also plays with many meta moments of poking fun at vampire lore set in a modern world. I loved moments where he appears in renfield’s apartment because of a poorly phrased welcome mat that says “c ome on in.”

The film is strongest in its humor, especially in its somewhat boring modernization of supernatural figures. The film opens up with a self-help meeting with renfield explaining that he’s trying to get away from his narcissistic boss. Later on, he uses one of his personal empowerment books titled “how to d eal with a narcissist” to try to resist d racula’s thrall. The film does create some conversation around codependency and actual self-improvement, but it’s not enough to pad out the plot line for the movie. All in all, “renfield” was a really entertaining and humorous movie. While it does suffer from a weakness in plot, nicholas c age was too fun to watch for me not to recommend a nocturnal viewing.

Contact Ari Denning at adenning@nd.edu

By MAGGIE EASTLAND e ditor-in- c hief

m ichael m eyer, a professor in the m endoza c ollege of b usiness and author of “The o dyssey of Winnie: o ur Two-Year Adventure of o wning an rv,” admits that he often does things just to prove that he can. That might very well be the case for writing this book. d espite the author’s candid intentions, or perhaps because of them, readers will likely enjoy the humor and real-world knowledge this informative story provides.

The reader may at first question “Why am I reading this?” b ut the light-hearted, laughable adventures of m eyer and his family quickly win over any skeptics. The tale follows the crew and their driver ( m eyer) across the country as they learn a myriad of lessons about their rv and about life — usually the hard way and with plenty of self-deprecation and colorful language. As readers question why they are so engrossed by the story, m eyer questions why he thought buying an rv would be a good idea, creating a kind of synergistic absurdity between author and reader.

Aside from the humor — which is reminiscent of something out of the c lark Griswold family vacation universe — the book also features quite a few learning moments for reader and author alike. Tragic tales of family vacation mingle with how-torv-for-dummies-esque tips and tricks. In the end, the reader comes to understand how owning an rv is both more difficult and more expensive than one might initially speculate. s till, the book ends on a positive note. m eyer says it best: “ m oney is not everything when compared to what we got from the trip.” e ven so, ever the accounting professor at heart, he includes plenty of budgeting and financial info. Again, that knowledge may be helpful for the potential rv owner.

In terms of author style, m eyer writes with refreshing honesty and humor about his own mistakes and often perpetual shortcomings. The narrative is just detailed enough to make the reader feel like they’re on two family road trip vacations without relaying unnecessary information. The 193 pages written in a travel journal tone make the perfect read for a plane ride. The book could easily be finished in a single sitting by anyone looking to distract themselves with a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

“The o dyssey of Winnie” also stands as an egalitarian example of how the art of language and storytelling should be inclusive to all. o n the surface, m eyer fills a whole book with informal stories about an rv and his family’s adventures. b ut when digging a little deeper, the book poses a serious question: Why do people think a family vacation isn’t novel-worthy? o ur lives are full of stories, and there’s no one who can say how we’re allowed to tell them. While a humorous hodgepodge storyline about two rv trips across the U. s ., countless rv mistakes, family photos and advice for owning an rv might not be the most likely to make a bestsellers list, its lack of fame doesn’t make it any less worthwhile.

If you decide to pick up this book, you just might learn a thing or two about rvs and enjoy a good number of chuckles. Those who read somewhat carefully could even end up taking home a 54 million fish fossil.

Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu

“The Odyssey of Winnie”

Author: Michael Meyer

Publisher: Fulton Books

If you like: RVs, roadtrips

By ANNA FALK s cene e ditor

The not-so-royal shakespeare company’s production of “much Ado About nothing” begs the question: “how do you build trust in a relationship, and what happens when it is broken?” director nandini sadagopan fell in love with this play at first read, admiring the presence of strong female characters beatrice and hero that she could look up to in life and in love — a change from many of the bard’s young heroines who are in the midst of discovering what love is. In her production, sadagopan wants to emphasize the contrasting nature of beatrice and hero’s respective romances in relation to the play’s themes of love and trust.

The show, set in messina, sicily, follows the development of romantic relationships between the iron-willed and quickwitted beatrice (natalie Allton) and benedick (dominic Keene) and between the kind hero (Grace Gasper) and the passionate claudio (christina randazzo). Allton and Keene play their characters with expert talent, balancing scenes of emotional complexity and depth with those of a more lighthearted and comedic nature. The development of their romance in the show is natural and well-executed. Gasper’s portrayal of the somewhat tragic hero is gut-wrenching, and her pain is palpable in the more emotional moments of the production. randazzo’s claudio is a delight. While the audience is made to villainize her in parts due to the nature of the plot, she handles it with grace and believability.

Ultimately, the cast as a whole is perfect. every person’s performance is a standout. Isabel olesinski plays Leonato with unmatched ferocity and deftness, Josh Lehman’s don Pedro is commanding and skillful and the combined forces of Andrew Arcidiacono (dogberry), noah sim (verges) and Alyssa miulli (seacoal) shine throughout their shenanigans. mariko Jurcsak’s villainous don John reeks of excellence as she delivers her lines with charm and artful malice. marven corrielus (borachio) and sammy Kacius (conrade) assist her nefarious deeds with playful humor and amusing banter. since January, the cast and crew have been working collaboratively to deliver this performance with the greatest efficiency and efficacy. They’ve fully dived into the text and prepared themselves to assume the roles they’ve been cast. Their hard work and skill are evident from the beginning, and it remains strong to the end. Their audience interaction and movement around the set draw you into the scene, keeping you invested and leaving you wanting more. sadagopan’s vision for this production was to bring the text to life in the way it was intended. People throughout the years have altered the bard’s material to fit more modern contexts or to have a “take,” but sadagopan believes the text is modern enough without adding anything extra.

The production as a whole is charming — the stage is adorned with flowering vines, candles, golden dishes and cushy furniture. An archway in the background covered in lights and vines serves many purposes as an entryway and an altar. The lighting shifts with the tone of the scenes well, highlighting moments of humor and tragedy beautifully. music and dance enhance the performance, with specially crafted classical musical compositions by Laurynas Zavistanavicius and rumba and swing pieces created by cece schwartz and megan sherry. by building the environment around the actors through these production and design elements, sadagopan believes they can focus their energy solely on developing their characters.

After the conclusion of the show, she encourages the audience to look for the epilogue, the “What next?” of the narrative. Interpersonal conflicts may seem to be resolved by the end, but where do the characters go from there? how do they carry out their lives now that they’ve found their partners, and how does their love and trust for each other change with the events that had occurred?

Ultimately, “much Ado About nothing” is a reflection of our contemporary reality. It’s real, it’s touching and it’s absolutely hilarious. You’ll find yourself “accidentally in love” with this production.

Performances of “much Ado About nothing” on April 1921 at 7:30 p.m. and on April 22 at 3:30 p.m. will be held in the Washington hall Lab Theatre. Tickets are available to purchase for $5 at the LaFortune box office or at the door for $7 while supplies last.

Contact Anna at afalk@nd.edu

“Much Ado About Nothing”

Director: Nandini Sadagopan

Produced by: Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company

Starring: Natalie Allton, Dominic Keene, Grace Gasper, Christina Randazzo

By ROSE ANDROWICH

s cene Writer

Transpose dance collective is a no-cut group on campus known for welcoming dancers of all experience levels. In the past, they have performed a variety of styles. c horeographers of the group utilize styles like lyrical, contemporary, line dancing, jazz and hip-hop. creative director Patrice serianni (class of ‘25) discusses why she believes Transpose being no-cut is important, explaining that, “It allows people who may not have had the experience or opportunity to dance in the past to be able to participate in that kind of community and club now in college, which is really exciting.” serianni continued, “We do have a lot of beginner dancers, and it really allows people to engage with an art form that they may not have been able to participate in in the past. It’s just so exciting.”

Transpose co-President Ana sofia Gonzalez (class of ‘23) also emphasized the importance of no-cuts by saying, “We just wanted to make sure that anybody that did want or had the passion to dance or an interest in dancing could go ahead and you know dance for fun. most of the club is doing dance for fun.”

Julia echemendia, a graduate student in the master of science in Accountancy program, joined Transpose while researching various dance groups at notre dame. she described the process of joining Transpose, “I joined Transpose after researching different dance groups at notre dame and learning that all experience levels were accepted since they didn’t cut people during their audition process, so I went to audition, gave my preferences for different dance styles, said I’d be interested in performing, and now I get to perform three numbers of different genres at the Transpose show this Thursday.”

In describing her experience with Transpose and the opportunities she has been given since joining, echemendia said “The close-knit atmosphere with the girls as well as the willingness of the choreographers to teach us and give all of us the opportunity to express ourselves through dance is something that doesn’t happen all the time if you’re not trained to dance… That’s what makes Transpose stand out — anyone can dance if they want to work hard enough at it, and Transpose gives all dancers, new and experienced alike, the chance to feel talented through practice and performance.” v ice President v ictoria Lyczak (class of ‘24) is also a choreographer for the group who joined the community her first year. she believes that Transpose is a place for dancers to come together.

“I think we are able to really come together regardless of whether you were a trained dancer or just someone who’s looking to have some fun and move and groove,” she said. “I think we’re all able to come together and share that time and it is about the dance for creating together but it’s also just about the time that we spend together.”

For this year’s show, she is choreographing a jazz number, the senior piece, the officer piece duet and a solo piece. The process of choreography for v ictoria is something that comes naturally to her.

“I hear the music,” she said. “The moves are within the music and it’s my responsibility to seek and find them.” serianni choreographed a line dancing number and started the process by finding a song. “I’ll play the music several times and improv to it. Just dance around and see what moves I like.”

Transpose dance collective’s showcase “dancing Under the stars” takes place Thursday at 7 p.m in dahnke ballroom. Tickets are $5 in advance, or at the door.

Contact Rose at randrowich01@saintmarys.edu

Happy Birthday: Patience will be necessary if you want to finish things this year. There will be no shortage of good ideas, insight and creative thinking, but emotional angst will take over if you can’t settle into a routine that helps you overlook what’s happening around you and focus on your goal. Mind over matter will keep you on top of your game. your numbers are 6, 17, 20, 28, 34, 42, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Determine how to improve your living conditions or arrangements. Take time to handle the matter personally and to allocate how and where your money will have the most significant impact. reconnecting with an old friend will help you let go of the past.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): you’ll do better if you act fast. Assess, define your position and adjust your life to whatever works best for you. Change is favored if you are quick to decide and follow through. Defer to an expert regarding health and money.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Align yourself with people who understand you and offer support and solutions, not criticism. Don’t let negativity get you down or hold you back. let your actions speak for you and your kindness lead the way. Self-improvement will lead to compliments.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): If something isn’t going your way, head in a direction that makes it easier to reach your destination. keep matters simple, make your words count and stay within your budget. let experience be your guide.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): refuse to let someone take over or make alterations that don’t suit your needs. A leo’s charm, insight and hands-on help will encourage others to see things your way. An emotional issue will give you the strength and courage to make a difference.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Move forward cautiously. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way or let others put unfair demands on you. The adjustments you make will send a clear message to anyone giving you a difficult time. Don’t let work cause a problem for you at home.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): you’ll have to cover a lot of ground today. Put on your running shoes and head out. Preparation will help considerably, so don’t scrimp when it comes to detail. If you love someone, share your intentions and be prepared to make reasonable adjustments.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t share secrets or make changes for the wrong reason. Be creative, and you’ll devise a plan far exceeding your expectations. refuse to let an oversight at home end up costing you too much. Take on only what’s feasible.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): you are heading in the right direction but are not focused on the result. go back and rethink your motives, and you’ll figure out how to achieve your goal. Attending a social event or spending time with someone you love will ease stress.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Consider changes at home that will make your life easier. refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don’t want or spending more than your budget allows. keep your thoughts and plans to yourself until you have everything in place and are ready to go.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take nothing for granted, but be ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way. There are investments and positions available that can help you zigzag your way to the top. Personal growth, self-improvement and love are favored.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): keep an open mind, but don’t believe everything you hear. Wear your heart on your sleeve, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Call the shots and do what feels right to you. Avoid events that can lead to health repercussions.

Birthday Baby: you are sensitive, loving and forceful. you are helpful and possessive.