As the semester nears its ugly end (so near, yet so far…), you may already be planning to stride into exams cackling at your weeklong eschewing of actual studying in favor of Internet and pop culture immersion. Why bother studying when you’re convinced you’ll make a sub-par grade anyways? Right?
Wrong. Let’s face it: ND students will joke and harangue late into the night about exam injustice just like other college students and insist that their true major is “procrastination, coffee, and Netflix.” Stressful times are opportunities for remarkable camaraderie and bonding among students, which your average ND student would be unapt to forego. But when the season of assessments arrives, they don’t mess around. In the end, we do study hard because we want to learn something, and because we want to succeed (hopefully in that same order—but that’s another story).
Yet of course study breaks are necessary, so take this one to witness some of the wonderment these three organizations are infusing into the world through their good deeds:
1. Afghan Women’s National Cycling Team
You know that feeling when you hop on a bike, start pedaling, and sense that you can do anything, go anywhere? A team of female cyclists in Afghanistan knows this sensation well and is forming a revolution out of it. With women on bicycles perceived as taboo, provocative, and inappropriate in their society, these women take to harsh terrains and confront hostile onlookers as they train for the sport they love, all while inspiring their fellow countrywomen as beacons of empowerment. In the short documentary capturing their cycling pursuits (watch the trailer here), one supporter praises the women: “Trust me that the girls will fly. I am afraid that instead of riding on the road, they may ride into the air.”
2. Rescue Ink
A coalition of big, bearded and tattooed men on motorcycles has devoted its time to fighting a niche of deep evil in the world: animal abuse. What began as like-minded roadsters volunteering at animal shelters soon turned into a group dedicated to rescuing abused animals from environments like fighting pits, underground pedigree trades, and neglected backyards. With names like “Big Ant” and “Alley Cat,” Rescue Ink members conduct rescue excursions, accept anonymous tips to suspected abuse, and have recently begun an education program in New York public schools. These guys have turned their rescue efforts into an official nonprofit and are officially the coolest pack of Hell’s Angels around.
3. Warwick Men’s Rowing Club
People have been removing their clothes to sell a product for a long time—but these young gentlemen have upped the ante. Not only are they posing in the nude—together—for a man calendar of sorts, but also the proceeds benefit the organization Sports Allies, which combats homophobia and bullying in schools. The photos are set in what appears to be the Warwick countryside near their boathouse, and the club is now in the process of making a film to capture the photo shoot experience, complete with interviews in the bushes and rowing tout nu (full disclosure: although there is no full frontal nudity thanks to the adept cameramen, they come pretty close). Whatever your opinion of male nudity, it’s enough to admit that these men are audacious—probably too much—and also supremely attractive. As a former rower myself (and having frequented many regattas swarming with these sorts), I can affirm that these men have selected an optimal means for helping out a cause in need.
Whatever your struggles are in the next several days, know that you are not alone, and that people the world over fight their own battles every day. So go to the Grotto, say a prayer, and remember that what you and many others are doing at this very moment is good.