Campus News:
Earlier this month Monk signed the University on to the Workers Rights Consortium. We've joined over 70 other schools in the sweatshop monitoring organization. This is our second anti-sweatshop group, the other being the Fair Labor Association. The FLA is a White House- sponsored coalition that has been criticized by anti-sweatshop activists as being too pro-business. The WRC is primarily a student-driven coalition designed to enforce codes of labor conduct. This is a tremendous victory for the WRC as we are most likely the most popular brand of collegiate apparel. ND will continue to focus on the University's own initiatives, which are beyond both of those groups. We are one of the first major licensing schools to adopt a code of conduct for manufacturers in 1997, which has since been implemented in every one of our labor contracts. The code bans any licensee from producing in a country that does not allow their workers to freely organize and form unions. So no products will be made in China or 9 other countries. ND has also established the Collegiate Living Wage Association and is doing its own monitoring of factories in Mexico and Central America.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
After all, why would the Gipp talk about his trip to Arizona when he can talk about Assistant Vice President of Residence Life Bill Kirk's trip to Tallahassee, Fla., instead? One alert tipster overheard Mr. Kirk talking about his visit to Doak Campbell Stadium this fall to watch the Florida-Florida State match-up. The reason Kirk went to the game? He wanted to study how Florida State administrators handle large crowds. (Quick fact: Doak Campbell Stadium's capacity is 80,932; Notre Dame Stadium hold 80,232.) The Gipp would be hard-pressed to think of another school that could possibly out-perform Notre Dame's crowd-control program, which includes surveillance cameras that pan the student section looking for troublemakers. Now, the Gipp's not sure, but this sounds suspiciously like a university-funded vacation. Either that, or everyone's favorite administrator takes his job VERY seriously. At least Gipp knows where his tuition money is going: to research better methods of battling fun wherever it rears its ugly head.
Hall Notes:
You may recognize the name of this old school Vermin alum. Marc "Seegs" Seguin '85 was the author of a previous Classic Moment in Vermin History. While an undergrad, Marc studied mechanical engineering. After graduation it was on to Chrysler. Into the lions' den he then went to receive an MBA from Michigan. Then it was back to DaimerChrylser in the Dodge Marketing Division. Marc is an Advertising Manager in that Division. "Seegs" is also the proud papa of 4-year-old Gabrielle. The story of his that was contributed to VerminNet was "Zeto & Hall Storage."
NDSportscenter:
The baseball team is en fuego. We are up to #8 in the country with a 16-2-1 record. The team is off to the best start in school history since the '58 squad began 14-2. Along the way All-American pitcher Aaron Heilman has become the all-time strikeout leader.
On St. Patrick's day the baseball, softball, and women's basketball teams all won. Surprise, surprise. The baseball and women's b-ball teams wore green. Apparently someone didn't tell the men's b-ball team what it means to wear the greens. Only Ingelsby showed up against Mississippi. Murphy's pro stock has plummeted and that was punctuated with his missed dunk late in the second half. If he goes pro that will be his last attempted field goal for the Irish. Along the way, though, he did become the 5th player in school history to score 2,000 points. He should come back. It's no surprise that last game was their worst of the season. They don't know how to play a big time post-season game. That's what 11 years away does to ya.
Football notes: Julius Jones is out for spring ball. He violated University rules and won't practice....18 NFL scouts and 1 XFL scout came to campus to checkout some Domers in a workout at Loftus. Jabari and Gandy received high marks....Turns out Tony Driver was UNinvited to the NFL Combine. Apparently being the leading tackler in the Senior Bowl, running a 4.5 - 40, and bench pressing 225 lbs. 12 times combined with a 6'1", 217 lb. frame isn't solid enough to play safety in the pros. Whatever.....Brock had a GREAT time at the NFL Combine. The 5'9", 183 lb. defensive back ran a 4.36 - 40 and recorded a 42.5 inch vertical. Word on the street is that he is up to a 1st or 2nd round pick.
The softball team has beaten its previous best ranking of 17th. They have started the season 14-1 and have knocked off 5 ranked teams to climb to #12.
Campus News:
About a month ago Brooke Norton became the first female student body president. She was the vice president last year. This year she captured 56% of the run-off vote. Brian Mocona is the new vice president. Little more than 40% of the students (3,249) voted in the run-off election. This is the first vice president to be elevated to president since 1973.
Regis was mentioned in a recent Rolling Stone. The magazine was interviewing celebrities about their college days. Regis (1949-53) had this to say....
"There's a spirit at Notre Dame that's unequal to anywhere else I've been. My sophomore year, I saw the football team lose its first game in five years. And people were stunned. All the students gathered around the football door that led to the dressing room, and finally the famous coach Frank Leahy came out. He told us what it meant to lose and how you could strengthen yourself from it. I never forgot that.
"Twenty years later, I was up for a job at AM Chicago. I was devastated when I didn't get it. I drove ninety minutes to Notre Dame. When I saw the same tree near the door where we all stood that day when Leahy talked about overcoming defeat, it just empowered me. I went into the coach's locker room and changed into some football gear, went out onto the field with the team and I started running up and down, like I was renewed. The next day I went back to Chicago, got on a plane home and stuck it out."
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The Gipp's been dealing with some angry people lately. Well, one angry person to be exact. Seems the irate e-mailer took exception to the Gipper's crack on the "Common Sense" editors, and wants "something other than oral sex." So, the Gipp dedicates this next tip to the irate e-mailer.
One partygoer at Turtle Creek steeped into the alley to relieve himself and was surprised to find two people engaged in some outdoor fun. A crowd soon gathered and cheered the couple, who continued their activities unabated. In fact, an alert tipster grabbed his camera and snapped photos of the couple in action. (Unfortunately, the Gipp's editors wouldn't let him print these pics, citing obscenity laws.) Well, at least they weren't in a bathroom stall.
Hall Notes:
This is a Classic Moment in Vermin History from back in the day. It was passed our way by old school alum Abiud Amaro. It occurred way back in the early '80s, the grandest of all decades. The title is simply "John Carrone"....
Given the recent going ons (or other typs of ons) in Notre Dame recently (can you say Catholic Girls in Trouble) perhaps this tale has ceased to be of interest. I mean with all the insinuations of guys and gals playing Bill and Monica games around campus maybe this tale will not suffice. But maybe it will because as we all know every guy can get lucky, even the quiet ones.
Not so long ago in a tattered little hall called Carroll a man name John Carrone used to live, study and play. I was his roomate for two years. Now John is a quiet fellow. A guy that is Domer to the core. An accounting major for Pete's sake. He was a manager in the football team. His job included painting all the helmets of the football players before the game. Working hard to make those shiny helmets pure gold (Did you know that the helmets are painted with paint that has Gold in it? John told me that. And I believe him. That is your tuition money at work.)
Now we had a dance, a fall dance, which we called Screw Your Roomate. The objective of this dance was to call a Notre Dame woman to a party on behalf of your roomate. Sometimes the roomate would get a really beautiful woman. At other times... Well... Let's just say that some some pictures do lie. Now trust me on this. The University has gone a LONG, LONG WAY in the recruitment of women on campus. When I came in (1980) I could have swore that the University went out of his way to recruit less than appealing women. I would not have put it pass them. Better to prevent copulation.
At any rate we were planning the party, making the party tapes and all. I was making the tapes with a great guy named Joe, who I heard went on to Med School. Now I remember that I wanted some slamming music and we got all kinds of music from Reggae to ballads to Rock to Soul.
I took the prettiest girl I have ever taken to these dances. So I was pumped. I was very happy to see that John had a date too. So I go dancing and dance a nice slow dance with this girl. John and his date finally get the nerve to dance. I might have instigated them a bit. (poetic license) Now the ballad is done and I want to talk to my girl, get some drinks and mingle. John and his date will have NONE of that nonsense. They continue to dance slowly to EVERYTHING THAT WE PUT ON. Reggae, Rock, Soul. It don't matter. John and his date are quite happy where they are at. Thank you very much. I swear thet were dancing on the same spot for the three hours that the dance lasted. No drinks. No chatting. No walking out of the dance room. NONE OF THAT. Just hold together tight. Very tight. I know this to be true. I checked. I could not believe it.
Now I won't tell what happened after the dance. Frankly I don't remember when or if John slept in our room that night. But Joe Morris and I on the next Hall Meeting decided that what John did was worthy of recognition. I mean, first date and all you do is dance slowly with your partner. The man makes all of us look like chumps. He went from "Hi, my name is John" to "You are mine now and I don't care who is looking" in less than half an hour. Who can top that? Who?
So I ask, I plead that we do not forget the less carnal encounters in Carroll Hall, for what John Carrone did that night has been unmatched. He has never told us what the secret words were. But hopefully he will pass his wisdom on.
NDSportscenter:
We have a new cornerbacks coach. And how ironic he is. In the '89 Fiesta Bowl, Tony Rice and company marched up and down the field on West Virginia cornerback David Lockwood and his chums. He was a WV grad assistant the following year after his football playing days. Lockwood coached Delaware TEs and WRs from '90 to '93. The Memphis secondary was his home from '94 to '99. Finally he was back at WV in '00. He has vowed that we will play mostly man-to-man coverage. Clifford Jefferson still has hamstring problems, right? He can't play, right?
Murphy was not surprisingly named first team All Big East. Ryan Humphrey made the 3rd team. Murphy was also named co-Player of the Year in the Big East with boston college's Troy Bell. Murphy is one of only four multiple P.O.Y. winners. He joins the exclusive group of Chris Mullin, Patrick Ewing, and Richard Hamilton. Alum note: Jimmy Dillon was present at the final home game. Last year he play professionally in Finland, and was re-united with Domer Phil Hickey. Dillon will either go back for more or stay in the States and possibly become an assistant coach somewhere.
Check this out....Bobby Knight will be speaking at Stepan Center on March 27th. Oh, I gotta see this.
Campus News:
The Observer received its first ever Newspaper of the Year Award from the Associated Collegiate Press. The Press is the oldest and largest organization for college student median in the U.S. It consists of over 600 student newspapers.
The $35 million gift given by the Mendozas to the College of Business Administration was ranked the 24th largest donation in the country for the year 2000. It was juuuuust shy of the #1 donation of $5 BILLION given by Bill Gates to someone other than me.
Forbes has given props to our steadily climbing MBA program. It has been ranked in the top 20 in giving the best return on the investment. The MBA program also has the best ethics curriculum in the U.S.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
A couple of weeks ago, two vicious ROTC Air Force cadets were keeping vigil at Stonehedge in honor of Veterans' Day. As a drunk boy stumbled home, he couldn't resist the temptation to mess around with the two girls, who were supposed to maintain straight faces for their entire watch. Coming within inches of one girl's face, he did his best imitation of a three-year-old and said, "You look so lonely and cold. Here you go" and proceeded to plant a "big sloppy wet one on her cheek" as she began giggling. He went to kiss the other girl, who somehow managed to keep a straight face throughout. After delivering the two kisses, the boy stumbled off into the night. While getting slobbered on by a drunk probably wasn't high on the girls' wish lists, at least they didn't run into any angry Pax Christi members.
Hall Notes:
Vermin Matthew "Slim" Miller '94 was very close to getting in the hot seat. He was on the Sunday March 4th showing of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Unfortunately he was not able to advance past the group of ten vying for the chance to win some bucks.
A recent piece in The Observer addressed the never ending drama over parietals. The article gave the story of one girl who was busted for being in a male dorm. Last semester a fire alarm went off in Carroll at 7:30 am. Out she came and straight to Residence Life she and he went. (The article did not name the Vermin.) They were both booted out of the dorm for the rest of the semester. No word on where he went or if he planned to re-apply to get back on campus.
NDSportscenter:
The women's basketball team has been making news all over the place...
Last Monday they were again named #1. And on Tuesday they lost to UConn in the Big East Final. No matter. We are a #1 seed and should be the favorite to win it all.
Ruth Riley has been named the Big East Player of the Year, Big East Defensive Player of the Year (for the 3rd year in a row), and Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. She's the first player to ever will all three. Coach Muffet McGraw was named Coach of the Year. Kelly Siemon was named Most Improved Player.
Riley is closing in on 2000 points and is the school's third all-time leading scorer. In ND history she is....#1 in free throws, #1 in blocks, #3 in rebounds, and #1 in field goal percentage. Nationally for this year Riley is....38th in scoring (18.5 ppg), 2nd in blocks (3.6 bpg), and 4th in field goal percentage (64%).
Point guard Niele Ivey also set some marks. She was named All Big East First Team with Riley. Ivey is the school's 9th leading scorer (over 1300), hold the steals record, is 2nd in assists, 3rd in 3-point %, 3rd in 3-pointers made, and is the only player to record over 1300 points, 600 assists, 300 steals, and 400 rebounds. She's also currently 12th in the nation in assists at 7 per game.
The team as a whole has dominated everyone this season. The scoring defense is the 4th best while they have the best defensive field goal percentage, allowing teams to only shoot 34%. The team also has the highest 3-point percentage in the nation at 48%, with the highest individual percentage (54%) courtesy of sophomore Alicia Ratay.
Well the men's team isn't limping into the tourney, they are crawling. Lost the last 3 games with defense that has gotten lazier and lifeless with each game. We are 2-8 on TV. We only have 9 losses. Yeah, that'll help recruiting. Murphy should come back. He has been MUCH worse than last year. His numbers and awards are a mirage.
Campus News:
Domer Regis Philbin has made a $2.75 million gift to the University for the creation of a studio theater in the Marie P. DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts. "Regis Philbin is not only one of Notre Dame's most recognized graduates, he also is among our most generous," said Monk. "With his time, talent, and resources, Regis has made numerous contributions to the University and our surrounding community. We are most appreciative of this latest gift, which will do much to enhance our growing commitment to and reputation in the dramatic arts." The 100-seat Regis Philbin Studio Theater will be the home for lab and performance-art productions in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre. It will feature sophisticated lighting and sound systems.
A little background on Regis....he graduated in '53 and has been in the entertainment industry for 35 years, garnering 10 Emmy Award nominations. In '99 he received an honorary doctor of law degree in recognition of his previous University gifts in support of scholarships and his service as host of an annual fund-raising broadcast on behalf of the Center for the Homeless here in the Bend. Regis has two daughter, Jennifer, a '96 Domer, and Joanna, a 2nd year student in our law school. Oh, and in case you didn't know, he's on two television shows that are on ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME!
An article has been posted about the first black students that went to ND. The Observer ran an excellent piece that coincided with Black History Month. Check it out.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
This is a continuation of last week's edition....
Although Lattner Hall was the creation of some guys who were bored at 3 a.m., its existence has raised the ire of Keough Hall's rector. According to the tipster, Keough's rector expressed concerns that Lattner Hall was destroying the sense of community in the rest of Keough. Says our tipster, "I think it's hilarious that a simple joke could get turned into something that a bunch of guys believe in and support...and that the Keough Hall administration is seriously bothered by it." The Gipp wishes the residents of Lattner Hall good luck. Any organization that has booze as one of its pillars has the Gipp's support.
Hall Notes:
Here's a double dose of the Gipper. I don't know the Vermin involved, unfortunately, so I can't give him a shoutout...
What's better than riding around campus on a stolen golf cart? Riding around on one at Lafayette. A Carroll Hall resident discovered a cart in front of Badin that still had the keys in the ignition. Taking advantage of this divine providence, the guy hopped in the cart and tooled around campus for a while. Then he got a much better idea and took his show on the road. When he got to Lafayette, the cart was such a hit that someone offered to buy it from him for $50. The new owner had fun playing with his recent purchase until he realized that a golf cart is sort of tough to hide. Faced with this reality, the guy - now $50 poorer - decided to ditch the cart on the outskirts of campus.
NDSportscenter:
Football news: word on the street is our new wide receivers coach is Joker "Please No Steve Miller Band or Batman References" Phillips, formerly of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Phillips was a receiver at Kentucky before playing for the Washington Redskins and spending time in the CFL. He was a grad assistant at Kentucky from '89 to '90, the recruiting coordinator in '90, and the receiver's coach from '91 to '96. Then it was on to Cincy to coach receivers in '97 and d-backs in '98. Minnesota was most recent from '99 to '00.....Our new safeties coach is Bill Sheridan. He had been the Michigan State linebackers coach since '98.....6 Domers have been invited to the NFL Combine: Brock Williams, Jabari Holloway, Dan O'Leary, Anthony Denman, Tony Driver, and Mike Gandy.
The women's tennis team has matched its highest ranking ever. After knocking off #7 Pepperdine we have climbed to #6 in the nation. Michelle Dasso, with her 123rd singles victory, has established the school's all-time victory record. Dasso is currently ranked #2 in the nation.
For the first time since joining the Big East, the men's basketball team has been crowned a champion. They will be receiving a first round bye in the Big East Championships after being named the Champions of the Big East West North South Division. (Actually "North and South" could be left out. But I believe in harmony.) And in doing so they won 5 consecutive road games, a feat that hadn't been done since '53-'54.
Campus News:
Miscellaneous bits and pieces...
The cost of the on-going Stadium repairs will top out at $4 million.
Eighteen months prior to the end of the Generations campaign, the University had raked in $1 billion 53 million. Kinda makes the original goal of $767 million look puny.
The head drum major for 2001 will be Tambre Paster. She is the first woman in sixteen years to head that position. She is also the first African-American drum major in school history. Tambre was one of sixteen competing for the spot.
The Kournikova virus hit the University pretty hard. It slowed the networks, but they did not crash. There wasn't any damage, just the generation of any enormous amount of email.
Condoleeza Rice has stepped down from the Board of Trustees as all her efforts will be focused on international duties for the Bush administration. In fact she has already had an impact overseas. One foreign leader has already expressed that he's a tad infatuated with the attractive Rice.
Cosmopolitan recently ran a story on a rape that occurred on St. Mary's campus by a Notre Dame student. The University reaction is documented in an Observer article that ran this week. That article has been posted.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Never mind the recount, the Gipp's sick of this election mess. Let's go straight to the coup d'etat, like some guys in Keough Hall did. Actually it was more of a secession than a coup. Apparently some guys from section 3A of Keough were sitting in the section lounge when they hit on the idea of independence. They decided section 3A could thrive without the rest of Keough Hall. So they formed "The Founding Fathers Society," drew up a declaration of independence, and a new hall was born. Lattner Hall - named after Heisman-Trophy winner John Lattner whose picture hangs in the section lounge - is guided by its Four Pillars: "Trust, Strength, Integrity....and Booze." The new rector proudly declares, "I plan on taking it seriously...like stopping in all of my freshmen rooms to sit down and talk with them about their lives and to let them know that if they ever need me, I'll be in my room playing video games or something."
Hall Notes:
This is probably the most publicized Vermin prank of all time. Yet it's basically a "sneak." Everyone thought it was somebody ELSE who did it. Fingers were pointed at fans of the opposing team. Not so.
Now some of you older Vermin may not like this tale. I, for one, didn't like the target. Actually I DID like him and that's why I wasn't too fond of the trick. However, a prank is a prank. I shall edit the story to protect the guilty. This Classic Moment is called "WALSH"...
Fall 1994: The Irish gridsters return to the field in the fall after a 11-1 1993 campaign and one Pete Bercich catch away from a National Championship. Lou Holtz had begun to grate on some Vermin as a coach starting when it was thought we had the talent to win it all in '92, and then to blow the Natty Champ against a clearly inferior BC team the next year was unacceptable to some. But, then to let it happen again by playing a soft zone against Michigan in 1994 and blow the lead gained by a great Ron Powlus drive against Michigan was just too much to apparently let slide. Some said Lou had to go. Several Vermin hated Lou. He needed to be replaced and as soon as possible. (Just remember this isn't my story, folks. I'm just editting.)
They wanted to bring their appeal to a national level, though, to start the ball rolling. Thoughts centered on the time that MIT created a self-inflating balloon with "MIT" scrawled on its sides that exploded during the start of the annual Harvard-Yale game in the early 1980s. The Vermin had to be on a similar level. Well, they thought about that for a while and thought a display like that would just take too long and keep them away from late night antics at the Linebacker.
Why not paint over Lou Holtz's labelled parking spot with the name of a more desireable coach? Barry Alvarez? Jimmy Johnson? They both sounded good. But, wait. Bill Walsh and the Stanford Cardinal were coming to South Bend in the near future and he had pined for the job as an analyst for NBC. That had to be it.
As the week of the game arrived, several late night trips were made to buy supplies at Meijer and cut out the perfect stencil from cardboard with the name "WALSH."
On the night of the stunt, two trips were made with two vehicles. An advanced scout surveyed the area for approaching cars and security near Galvin Life Sciences and a rear scout checked things from the South Dome of the JACC. Each time, the first car drove by the JACC and dropped off two Vermin and the second car would pick them up after they did their art work. On the first trip, they painted over Lou's name with the color yellow. They then took off for an hour to let the paint dry and then returned to the JACC at about 2 am. With stencil and black spray paint can in hand, they strolled by the coach's spot another time. And then nonchalantly sprayed a new name. No trouble at all.
The next day, there it was plain to see. Lou pulled into his spot to find the opposing coach's name on his spot and you know how many people are in and out of the JACC on gameday morning. The little stunt landed a paragraph in the South Bend Tribune, Chicago Tribune and The Gipper and most likely others. The only concern was that The Gipper reported it as though it was done by Stanford fans.
Oh, no...the Vermin.
NDSportscenter:
Well, the #1 women's basketball team is undefeated no more. They fell to Rutgers 54-53 as All-American center Ruth Riley was plagued with fouls. It ended our 23 game winning streak. Fortunately we only fell one spot to #2 behind Tennessee. Coach Muffet got her 400th win this past week. She is 400-157 in her coaching career. Earlier this year she got her 300th win here. She is 312-116 with the Irish.
However we do still have a #1 team. The men's fencing team is riding a 41-match winning streak. We entered a recent contest #2 and proceeded to take down #1 Stanford.
The women's swimming and diving team has won its fifth consecutive Big East championship. We are currently ranked 15th in the country. Coach Bailey Weathers was named Big East Coach of the Year. Weathers has received that honor four of his six years here. He has produced a 53-14 dual meet record and is 20-1 in dual meets over the past two seasons. The men's swimming and diving team finished fourth in the Big East.
Men's team is on the tube again. We play on Monday on ESPN at 7 pm EST at UConn.
Campus News:
John Osborn, Mike Heinz, and Brian O'Donoghue became the first students in history to attend a meeting of the Board of Trustees. They were to give a report on a topic the Board had bestowed upon them - Students' ability to understand and articulate the Catholic faith. Thirty student focus groups were formed to discuss the issue. Three recommendations were put before the Board. The first was about an alternative course to the Theology 100 course of Biblical history. Some students were dissatisfied and would like to be taught on Catholic doctrine and apologetics. Students also wished to open the door to gaining instruction on exactly what Catholicism teaches on such issues as abortion, birth control, and homosexuality. The second recommendation was for more interaction between the Center for Social Concerns and Campus Ministry. The wish was to better combine the social and spiritual aspects of faith. The final recommendation was to emphasize practical faith. The practicing of that faith would take place within the surrounding community in such places as the Center for the Homeless, Logan Center, and the Community Learning Center. Other programs within the community would allow students to use the professional skills of their majors.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
While the Gipp's on the subject of man-eaters, here's a warning for you: if you're wandering through Fisher Hall, you might want to watch out for alligators. A pair of sophomores woke up to find a baby alligator in their room. The critter - apparently someone's pet - had escaped from its rightful owner. When the sophomores woke up to this unexpected guest, they took the most logical course of action: one showered and went to class while the other wondered how to snag the 'gator and get it out of the room. With the protection of a ski glove, the reptile was apprehended and returned to its owner. A towel was stuffed into the gap under the door to prevent any more escape attempts.
Hall Notes:
A fellow classmate from '97 has some news. Jerry Maloney '97 provided a paragraph in his own words...
Hello to all of those who walked the hallowed halls of Carroll Hall. For those of you who remember me, and to those of you who don't, my name is Jerry Maloney and I am a proud member of the class of 1997. I lived in Carroll all four years of my tenure at ND and I loved every minute of it. While on campus I majored in Pre-Professional Studies through the college of science. Since graduation I have relocated back to my home state of California and I am currently in my fourth year of medical school at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA. I plan to pursue a residency, and eventually a career in Emergency Medicine (I want to be like George Clooney). I just recently got married (August 2000) to my beautiful wife Heather who I met at my medical school. She was in the P.A. (Physician Assistant) program when we met about two years ago. She has since graduated and is working in an outpatient urgent care near our home in Irvine, CA. Needless to say I am glad that at least one of us is "bringing home the bacon". Well I think that about sums up the past few years of my life, I hope all of you are doing well in your career pursuits, keep in touch, and GO IRISH!
NDSportscenter:
Davie has asked nine players to return for a fifth year. Four offensive lineman were requested....starting tackle Kurt Vollers, probably starting guard John Teasdale, Casey Robin, and J.W. Jordan. The defensive line will welcome back Grant Irons and Andy Wisne. The secondary will continue to have DB Justin Smith and safety Ron Israel. The 9th returner will be fullback Jason Murray.
Three assistant coaching positions need to be filled. Wide receivers coach Urban Meyer went to be the head coach at Bowling Green. Safeties coach Lou West is the new defensive coordinator at Toledo. Jerry Rosburg will be the special teams coach for the Cleveland Browns and will need to fill a void coaching defensive backs as well as our kicking and receiving squads.
Other football notes: one more recruit may come our way. Gino Guidugli (6'5", 210 lb.) may not become a QB at Kentucky. They fired their coach and the prospect put us at #1 after not inking on signing day with the Wildcats....Spring practice starts March 27th....The last practice, which is the annual Blue-Gold game, is scheduled for April 28th.
Troy Murphy is one of fifteen finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year. He also is 3rd in the nation in scoring. Murphy has led us to our longest winning streak in 14 years.
A article has been posted from The Observer. It is a Q&A with Chris Zorich who is currently in the Law School.
Campus News:
Very sad news for the Notre Dame Family. Zahm junior Conor Murphy passed away January 31st. He had been home with his family looking for a bone marrow donor match to treat his leukemia. However the illness proved too much.
In addition to Conor, 14 year old Scott Delgadillo also succumbed to leukemia. Scott was a San Diego resident who came in contact with the University through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. His major wish was to be admitted here. He was brought to campus for the Purdue game and immediately bonded with the football team. Scott gave the key speech at that pep rally. He was also able to attend the Bowl Game. Lasting friendships had been formed with Coach Davie and many of the players, mainly Joey Getherall. Scott passed away on January 29th. He had said a few weeks ago that he would return to campus. He got his wish as a funeral was held in the Basilica this past Monday. His pallbearers were Joey Getherall, Shane Walton, Rocky Boiman, Grant Irons, Anthony Weaver, and Sean Milligan.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Dillon might not hold a monopoly on inappropriate lovin', but it's definitely in the lead this semester. On the heels of last issue's bathroom episode, the Gipp's got some more interesting news from Dillon Hall. This time, the action went down in the 24-hour lounge. After a Howard dance, a girl and her date wandered over to Dillon to relax. Although the lounge was reportedly crowded with post-dance (and somewhat inebriated) folks, the couplle got VERY comfortable and had some fun a la the bathroom stall incident (or the freshman-dorm- party incident, for that matter) previously mentioned. What's most interesting about this story? When the girl recounted her adventure to some friends, she decided to use a visual aid: a tube of lipstick. The Gipp's not sure whether to feel happy or sorry for the guy.
Hall Notes:
Word on another old school Vermin. Props to Gerry Grealish '88 for dropping a line....
Gerry majored in aerospace engineering and just missed the last National Championship as he graduated in the spring of '88. It was on to D.C. for 3 years with Andersen Consulting. That was followed by a 2 year stint at the University of Chicago to receive an MBA in Marketing and Finance. Hewlett Packard came a-knockin' and beckoned Gerry for their Boise marketing department. After 7 potato-ful years in Idaho (You da ho?...I never get sick of that joke) it was back to Congress' stomping grounds. Gerry is currently the VP of Marketing of a brand spankin' new software company called Marketswitch which is located in the heart of D.C. Marketswitch is all about Marketing Optimization and other things I don't know jack about. Get this....he married a B.C. chick named Ellen. I'm certain she's been converted. Daughter Katie is 18 months and youngster #2 is making a grand entrance in May. Gerry also had a nice quote I'll pass on: "While at ND, I tried to be living proof to the truth that the engineering boys could actually do sort of well (but not great) in school and still have a good time." Sounds like my achievements. The "not great" part, anyway.
NDSportscenter:
Men's hoops on ESPN Wednesday. We play at Rutgers at 9 pm EST.
Recruiting was average this year. According to analyst Tom Lemming we had the 13th best class. Our lowest random poll ranking was 20th. The top schools were (no surprise) FSU, LSU, and Michigan. Three articles have been posted. The first one is on the class in general. The second gives the whole list and their personal information. The third is probably the most interesting of the three. The following quote best sums up our recruiting. It comes from another analyst....
"Actually, I think Bob Davie is doing an exceptional job this recruiting season," Wallace added. "There's no other school in the United States that could be humiliated like that in a bowl game and still land top recruits."
Our baseball team has all the makings of a College World Series contender. We are in the top 14 in 3 different pre-season polls. In one of the three we reached our hightest ranking of #9. We also have two pre-season All Americans in senior pitcher Aaron Heilman and sophomore right fielder Brian Stavisky.
Basketball notes: Point guard Martin Ingelsby has a 3.82-to-1 assist-to- turnover ratio, placing him first in the Big East. He's second in the conference in assists at 7 and is 10th nationally....Freshman Chris Markwood is back on the court after knee surgery. He is practicing, but Coach Brey has decided to not play him this year so he can fully recover and save a year of eligibility....Recruit Jemere Hendrix is no longer a recruit. The 6'8", 215 lb. Covington, Georgia product was unable to make the grade. So we can sign one this spring. However all the top dogs are taken. Instead Brey will wait. We will then have 5 scholarships to go after current juniors.
Three more Domers were drafted by teams in the first-year Women's United Soccer Association. The first player selected overall in this supplemental draft was defender Kelly Lindsey by the Bay Area CyberRays. The second overall selection was defender Jen Grubb who is off to join the Washington D.C. Freedom. Forward Meotis Erikson went to the Boston Breakers with the 10th overall pick.
Campus News:
Notre Dame alumna Annette Hasbrook is one of ten new appointed flight directors in the Mission Operations Direcorate at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Hasbrook is an '85 grad with a bachelor's degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering. The Clear Lake City, Texas native has been with NASA since '87. Most recently she served as a group leader flight controller in the Space Shuttle Flight Control Room. Flight directors have the overall responsibility for the execution of space flights and are basically the top dogs. Three other Domers are memebers of NASA's astronaut corps. U.S. Navy Capt. James Wetherbee '74 has been on four shuttle missions and has logged 955 hours in space as a pilot and mission commander. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kevin Ford '82 and Air Force Major Michael Good '84, '86 were named to the corps last year.
Another bar was raided for underage patrons. Benchwarmer's Sports Lounge was lit up at 1 am on January 25th. Initial reports had 50 to 60 students being busted, but the number was later corrected to eighteen.
An interesting article about Hesburgh appeared in The Observer. Check it out on the Articles of Interest page.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
When you're partying, it's important to keep your head in the game, as one freshman from O'Neill Hall certainly found out. As the tipster explains, this young man "came to Notre Dame with 'twisted' dreams of continual drunken debauchery and wild midnight orgies that would even satisfy the insatiable hunger of Caligula." Of course, he was sorely disappointed "until he stumbled upon the mythical sexual oasis known as 'The Freshman Party.'" During the party, our dashing young freshman stole away into the corner with a girl. Perhaps the girl dropped an earring or lost a contact lens, for she was soon on her knees. While the music pulsed and the crowd swayed, our couple was bobbing to its own beat. And the Gipp thought this sort of thing only happened in Dillon Hall.
Hall Notes:
Some Carroll history for you this week. It concerns the previously existing Carroll Annex. All you need to know is stated below in a short Q&A between Slim Miller and Jack Zeto....
Slim:
Could someone please tell me what the Carroll Annex was, when it was torn down, and why it's still on the campus map if it doesn't exist?
Zeto:
The Carroll Annex was, believe it or not, an antiquated indoor basketball gym situated on what now is the outdoor basketball court. It was torn down in the summer of 1981 much to our dismay. Although delapidated, and in fact condemned, there was nothing like it for a friendly pick up, and often very heated, basketball game among the vermin. You just had to be careful retrieving the ball from the perimeter of the indoor court, especially the corners. Stray to close to the corners and you were bound to go through the floor.
As to why it's still on the map. . .who can say? Suspect that the Carroll section of the map gets about as much top-down ND attention as Carroll itself gets.
NDSportscenter:
Bob Chmiel, director of football operations for the past three years and member of the staff for the past seven years, is done with the University. His position has been eliminated. He was offered another position in the athletic department with a comparable salary and at a higher administrative level. However Chmiel chose not to accept.
AD Kevin White continues to show how pathetic Wadsworth was in comparison. He pulled a major rabbit out of the hat with our new men's soccer coach. We now have Bobby Clark at the helm, formerly of Stanford. One of the bigger draws was the cost of living and how that affects the raising of a family. Clark inherited a Stanford team that was 5-12 in '96. In 1998 he took them to the championship game where they lost to Indiana. His overall record with the Cardinal was 71-21-12. Prior to that he produced a 82-42-13 record at Dartmouth. Clark should fit in nicely. He's a dedicated recruiter, has a laid-back style, and produces winners.
Here's the off-season injury report for the football team: Tony Fisher is out for spring practice due to shoulder surgery; Gerome Sapp is also out with shoulder surgery; same for guard John Teasdale, who is expected to start next year; Rocky Boiman has already had knee surgery and should be ready to go; Grant Irons will see limited action; freshman Greg Pauly, who had knee surgery before his first campaign, has been cleared for spring ball; and Gary Godsey will be recovering from a broken bone in his foot.
Signing day is the 7th. Wrap-up coming next week. Not a strong showing so far, according to Tom Lemming.
Men's basketball team will be on ESPN on Monday at 7 pm EST. We take on St. John's at home.
Campus News:
Jimmy Gurule, an ND law professor, has been appointed by President Bush to a 50-member committee that will advise the U.S. Department of Justice on the key issues it will need to address in the new administration. His advice will focus on federal criminal law, which involves such matters as drug trafficking and international money laundering. He'll write such policy papers for roughly 6 months while continuing to teach. The specific issues he wishes to address are about an international criminal court, DNA testing, and the war on drugs in Columbia. Gurule served as an assistant attorney general from '90 to '92 under Bush's father and as president of the Hispanic National Bar Association. He joined the ND faculty in 1989.
The Warren Golf Course, which was a project that began in 1995, finally opened last spring. It covers 230 acres and involved the re-location of a creek through woods to cool the water for trout. The creek also has a bed made of stones. To see pictures of the new golf course and see some of the other features - especially the green grass during this long cold winter - go to "The Campus" page and check out 12 newly posted photos.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The Gipp heard an interesting tip about "Common Sense," the monthly liberal that makes even "The Observer" look like "The Wall Street Journal." The tree-huggers were set to publish their paper and had dropped off the final materials for the publication to "The Observer" (they use the same printer). Somehow, though, the materials mysteriously disappeared. The editors of "Common Sense" were surprised when they got a call from the publisher asking when the newspaper materials would be delivered. Unfortunately for the environment, the editors managed to get the materials to the printer in time, and many trees met a horrible end by becoming pages in this month's issue.
Hall Notes:
Here's the skinny on Vermin alum Dan Fahey '90....
Dan Fahey '90
Dan graduated and entered the Navy. He learned to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles, including ones equipped with nuclear warheads, which led him to rethink his career path. He was honorably discharged as a conscientious objector after driving a cruiser from San Francisco to the Persian Gulf. Dan then grew his hair and lived in Berkeley, California and started to pay back the Navy for his ROTC scholarship. Dan worked as a delivery driver, a warehouse laborer, a homeless shelter monitor, a traveling poster salesman, an election observer in El Salvador, and finally a paralegal helping homeless and disabled veterans with VA claims. This path led him into the curious world of depleted uranium ammunition, which took him down dark paths into the Pentagon, and across the seas to the Hague and Geneva. Dan just returned from a depleted uranium conference in Spain, where he succeeded in pissing off some Iraqi government officials. Afterward he tested the local hard cider, which proved to be quite tasty. Dan has cut his hair and is now spending large amounts of money to procure a masters degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. The future is uncertain, but don't expect Dan to be working at the Pentagon or in Baghdad. He'd be happy to talk with any Vermin interested in the Fletcher School, or the field of international relations.
NDSportscenter:
Cornerback Brock Williams is going pro. He had sent a letter to the NFL asking where the league projected him to go in the upcoming April draft. The estimate was the third or fourth round. The 5'10", 190 lb. defensive back is set to graduate this spring. Therefore he is not an underclassmen and did not have to declare his eligibility for the draft by January 12th. Obviously he is passing on coming back for a 5th year. Williams had a full year left to play as he was suspended for the '99 season. One of the most talked about reasons for his departure was the pummeling that occurred in the Fiesta Bowl. Brock did not think we'd have what it takes to compete for the national championship next year. He has already been invited to an NFL combine.
The #1 is lit atop Grace for the women's basketball team. But apparently some half-wits do not actually believe we beat UConn and are undefeated. Four morons still cast first place votes for UConn.
Three more recruits....Cory Jones is the 12th verbal. The 6'2", 215 lb. Burien, Washington native chose us over Oregon State. Last year he ran for 1,600 yards and scored 32 touchdowns.....#13 is 6'5", 275 lb. offensive lineman Dan Stevenson of Barrington, IL. He had committed to Nebraska but backed out because he did not like it after visiting the campus, coaching staff, and team. Stevenson runs a 5 second 40 and benches 350 lb. His ACT score was 24 and his GPA is 3.5. Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming rates him the best o-lineman in the midwest.....Marcus Wilson turned down Penn State and Michigan State. The TB/DB from Brooklyn had 27 TDs, 1,750 yards, and averaged 12 yards per carry last year. In one game the 5'11", 185 lb. Wilson had 345 yards. He runs a 4.4 - 40.
Even though the hockey team is having a brutal year, there is one bright spot. Sophomore Connor Dunlop and freshman Rob Globke were selected to the U.S. Junior National Team. They competed in the Junior Championships which were held in Moscow from Dec. 26th through Jan. 5th.
Campus News:
School started last week. The students received four weeks off. The administration is playing its little game of extending Christmas break so St. Patrick's Day falls during spring break.
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education recently surveyed the best universities on the numbers of African-American board of trustee members. We topped the list with seven. Our board is composed of 53 members. No quotas were intentionally aimed for, assured a University representative. All trustees are extremely well-qualified. (Duh.) About 90% of the Board are alumni. Created in 1967, the Notre Dame Board of Trustees was the first bicameral board in the nation. Before 1967, the University was owned by the Congregation of Holy Cross dating back to Father Sorin. In '67, ownership was passed to the Board of Fellows, a board that is part of the Board of Trustees. Monk chairs the Board of Fellows, a board that has never made a decision that was not unanimous in 33 years. The Fellows are responsible for maintaining ND's Catholic character, the appointment of trustees, and control of statutes and by-laws that determine how the U is organized and administered. Each trustee serves a three year term and meets three times a year. The trustees form committees in Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Finance, Investment, Social Values and Responsibilities, and Nominations and Governance.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
While the couple who put on the bathroom peep show last week might not mind being watched, most of you probably assume you're safe from prying eyes. That's apparently not the case in some women's dorms. One rectress left a message warning her residents about a Peeping Tom who's been running around campus. The mystery man apparently targets basement-level dorm rooms for his viewing pleasure. The only thing worse than a Peeping Tom is a peeping rector. Tired of finding vomit in the hallways, one rector has apparently installed hidden cameras to monitor the goings-on in the corridors. Here's the catch: the tipster didn't know which dorm's rector thinks he (or she) is Mangum P.I. The Gipp suggests you watch your backs and make sure it isn't your dorm before you engage in any hallway shenanigans. The bathroom is, of course, still a safe haven for satisfying your du Lac-violating urges.
Hall Notes:
This story goes right along with last week's as pie is the theme. Harry Pepper '89 details "The Great Domino's Pizza Raid"...
Many of us remember nights at Carroll Hall in which a call to Domino's was the best solution for late night hunger. A few of us remember a night in which some creative criminal minds were better than that phone call. My story, which most certainly has some standard writer's embellishment, will be an attempt to give you an accurate retelling of the event that has become known as the Domino's raid. Names have been intentionally left out in order to protect the guilty. My sophomore year a group of mischievous Vermin were discussing the possibility of a Domino's raid. For those who are not familiar with such a raid a little background should be provided. After watching numerous pizza deliveries to Carroll Hall, someone discovered that the delivery guy, in an attempt to save time (at that time it was 30 minutes or free), rarely locked his door while he made his timely pizza delivery. Hearing a number of stories about successful raids by upperclass Vermin, a couple of my friends and I decided to estimate the time of the next delivery. I participated in the planning and coordination of the plan but actually did not take an active role in the "lifting" of the pizzas. The execution went smoothly, as the adolescent delivery boy had no idea that a group of hungry Vermin lurked in the bushes. As hoped, the doors of the truck were unlocked and the pizza was ours.
The criminals returned to the home base of the mission (205 Carroll) where we first viewed the fruit of our labor-two large pizzas in the standard Domino's delivery sleeve. Those too moral to participate in the thievery seemed to have no problem scarfing down the stolen pizzas. As we enjoyed our forbidden feast and shared some laughs about our success, the best idea of all then occurred to us. The pizza box had the dorm and room number of the poor saps who would never get their hot pizza. We called them up and asked, "Is this room 213 Holy Cross Hall? Did you order 2 large Domino's pizzas with sausage and pepperoni?" With an affirmative answer to each of these questions, the vicious Vermin voice said, "Well we're sitting here eating it right now! We stole it so don't expect a pizza tonight. And by the way, it was great!"
At this point we were very happy with ourselves and our heartless phone call. As productive as the night seemed to be, this wasn't the end of our eventful raid. At the end of the school year, while packing our things to leave for the summer, we found the vinyl sleeve Domino's used to keep the pizzas warm. Someone noticed that the sleeve contained a standard plea from the Domino's company: "If found please return for a reward."
We called the local Domino's and explained how we had found one of the delivery sleeves in a large field near our dorm (Yeah, right). The reward for our good will? Two more large pizzas! So who says crime doesn't pay? It paid off for us. Our eventful Domino's raid led to four free pizzas, many laughs, and an oft told story which has probably never been told the same way twice.
NDSportscenter:
Our women's basketball team took down #1 UConn. They had won 30 straight games and we beat them 92-76. One hundred seventeen media credentials joined a sold out JACC to see the Irish beat the Huskies for the first time ever after 11 straight losses. It was UConn's worst loss in seven years. The lady Irish hit 57% of their shots and were led by Ruth Riley's 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks. We also are the only undefeated team thanks to Kelly Siemon who played with a broken hand and scored 15 to go with 8 boards. Only six ladies played and their effort was rewarded with supreme jubilation as the fans rushed the court.
Two more recruits were landed....Straight outta St. Paul comes Rashon Powers-Neal. The 6'2", 210 lb. Cretin-Durham Hall High School athlete will most likely be a running back or linebacker. He runs a 4.55 40 yard dash, carries a 3.8 GPA, and scored a 26 on the ACT. We were chosen over Nebraska, Minnesota, Georgia Tech, and Stanford.....Justin Tuck is a 6'5", 215 lb. LB/DE from Rockford, Alabama. Auburn, Alabama, and Georgia Tech were passed over. Tuck was actually All-State on offense at tight end. However his calling will probably be defense where he registered 163 tackles, 9 sacks, 8 fumble recoveries, and 7 caused fumbles at linebacker last year. Tuck scored a 21 on the ACT and has a 3.4 GPA. His 40 time is 4.6
After receiving all the possible points for all the possible fall sports, we are currently 8th in the Sears Directors' Cup for athletic performance. That's even after taking into account the Fiesta debacle.
Campus News:
An ND grad has been named to President Bush's cabinet. Condoleezza Rice will be the new national security adviser. She enrolled as a graduate student here at the age of 19. Rice received her B.A. at the University of Denver which she had entered at age 15. She is an expert on Russia and is the former provost of Stanford University. Rice worked for the other President Bush's administration from 1989 to 1991 as national security council director of Soviet and Eastern European affairs. As the new national security adviser, she will be the first woman and first African American to serve at that post. Rice earned her master's degree in government and international studies in 1975 and received an honorary doctor of law degree in '95 when she delivered the commencemnent address. Rice, 46, is also a member of the Board of Trustees.
Academic experience: Since 1981, Professor of political science, Stanford 1992-1999 Stanford provost
Government experience: 1986 - Advisor on the Soviet Union to President George Bush's National Security Council
Political experience: 1999-2000: National security adviser to George W. Bush's presidential campaign.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
What's better than a Lyons girl in the bathroom? How about drunk high school students in the dorm? No, the Gipp doesn't think so, either - especially when the young 'uns are trying to bum beer from you. That's apparently what happened in Keenan Hall. As the high schoolers stumbled from room to room, they were greeted with, "Get the hell out." Until they had the misfortune (or is that stupidity?) of stumbling into the RA's room. The conversation went something like this:
H.S. Students: Got any beer?
R.A.: How dumb are you?
H.S. Students: (momentary silence) Got any beer?
R.A.: I'm an R.A., you clods.
H.S. Students: R-what?
R.A.: You in high school?
H.S. Students: (confused) Uh...Got any beer?
R.A.: Hang on. (dialing phone) Hi, is this the police? Yeah, we got
a problem here.
When NDSP showed up, most of the townies took off. Unfortunatley, the sophomore ND students drinking at the end of the hallway didn't. After issuing a stern warning against serving minors, the officers left - presumably to get back to their usual responsibilities of writing parking tickets and making sure no students who actually go to Notre Dame get their cars on campus.
Hall Notes:
Another Classic Moment in Vermin History. "The Pizza Guy" is told by Jack Hay.
The fall of '93, during that dead time the week before finals where classes end on, like, a Wednesday and everyone screws around and possibly goes out during the two "study days", served as the setting for yet another instance of Vermin taking advantage of some poor slob who had to deliver pizza to Carroll Hall.
After tremendous success at the Halloween Haunted House, a few of us had stashed away some of the key props as souveniers to be cherished and possibly used at a later date. For a good five weeks, Pat Coleman had hidden the inseparable "mask" and "chainsaw" first made famous in the basement of the dorm and later ripped off by cheap Hollywood producers for use in a film called "Friday the 13th". ANYWAY, we ordered some Papa John's pizza late one night and Pat, feeling saucy, pulled out his prized possessions and waited in the stairwell, just one-half level above the 3rd floor (where the pizza was being delivered to Dave Regnier). As the delivery yahoo emerged from the 3rd floor onto the stairwell, he was too busy counting his SOLID $1 tip to notice a masked and chainsaw-laden Coleman just ten yards away (nor the ten or so Vermin "casually" hanging out near/around the stairwell. RRRRRRRIIIIIPPPPP-run-nun-nun-un went the chainsaw, the pizza dude's eyes went as big as saucers and as Pat Coleman moved toward him with chainsaw roaring and mask hiding his face, the pizza guy hopped the next flight of stairs and SPRINTED out of the dorm and to his car, started it up and PEELED OUT trying to get the f*ck out of dodge before Jason cut him into little pieces.
We all laughed for a solid hour.
NDSportscenter:
Davie has repeatedly stated that next year's team will be his best ever. Well, Bob, that means a minimum of 10 wins then and a bowl victory. So Bob has basically stated we should be 11-1 at WORST. Methinks Davie may be digging his own grave.
After the recent football banquet we supposedly landed two more recruits: Guard Darrin Mitchell of Lovejoy, CA and WR Matt Shelton who runs a 4.21 40 yard dash.
Women's soccer coach Randy Waldrum will not be leaving to go coach the new pro women's team in the Bay Area. He had told AD White he was leaving. White pursued him aggressively and showed his desire to win. Waldrum was rewarded with a new 5 year contract and new soccer facilities have been mentioned. Family also played a role in the decision.
Chris Apple, this past year's 30 year old interim coach for the men's soccer team, has not been retained. He had been here 5 years and was the former assitant of Mike Berticelli who passed away. Apple had brought us up 15 spots in the overall soccer rankings. Then again 97th ain't all that great. We failed to qualify for the Big East tournament and AD White was looking for someone with more experience.
Campus News:
Over Christmas break a series or repairs began on the Stadium to correct problems from work done during the expansion of the facility. The work will include the floor of the upper concourse, repair of wall connections, and the replacement or repair of some concrete topping. Completion is scheduled for August. Additional work will be carried out over the next two years and will entail further concrete repairs and the repair or replacement or expansion joints, sealant, and railings. The repairs are connected to issues about the construction raised in litigation being pursued by the University against the stadium project's architect and engineer, Ellerbe Becket Inc., and the general contractor, Casteel Construction Corp. Two lawsuits remain pending related to the construction and $400,000 in damage incurred after water and sewage flooded the stadium and two nearby buildings. Issue related to damages from the flood have been settled, according to lawyers, but what remains in dispute is who will pay for uninsured damages. Many issues still remain unresolved. These claims revolve around design flaws, construction failings, and negligence and shoddy workmanship, which the University maintains posed no immediate safety concerns but threaten the long-term integrity of the stadium.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The Gipp's not sure what the SMC chick was doing, but he does know what one Lyons resident was doing in Dillon Hall's bathroom. In fact, there are pictures of it. Seems one of our freshman baseball stars made a real heads-up play in the stall. While the girl was doing her own version of the bob-and-weave, one of the ballplayer's friends (the MALE ballplayer, not the female one) was standing on the toilet in the next stall to capture the Kodak moment. An AR walked in and happened to notice the guy standing on the bowl. Wanting to know what was up, the AR questioned the man on the throne. Once he figured out what was going down, he could hardly spit out a sentence. He decided to break-up this moment of bathroom bliss and banged on the stall door. It wasn't that easy. Although a crowd was gathering outside the stall, the couple kept going until....well, the Gipp thinks you know the outcome. The Gipp's got to give a special thanks to the tipster who sent in a blow-by-blow account of the events as they unfolded.
Hall Notes:
Well a lot of old school Vermin have flooded the website thanks to the shout out of Chris Fillio '90. Gracias, Chris. So hopefully I can post many new biographies so we can find out how things are going with our dormmates. Kicking it off will be Cole McMahon '91.
Cole McMahon serves as the Director of Training and Technical Assistance for the Maryland Governor?s Office on Service and Volunteerism. In this role, Mr. McMahon works with organizations that utilize volunteers to achieve their missions, brokering training and consultation resources as needed. Mr. McMahon most recently served as Program Director for the HomeCorps*AmeriCorps program with Action for the Homeless (now the Center for Poverty Solutions). Mr. McMahon taught English and started a service learning program as a WorldTeach volunteer in Poland, and holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He lives in Catonsville, Maryland with his wife, Amanda Sodoma McMahon.
Version 2 (courtesy of Cole himself):
Cole McMahon is a learning, growing individual who is currently serving the State of Maryland as a broker of training resources. He especially loves the opportunity to bring out the best in others as a trainer, facilitator or coach. Mr. McMahon?s sleeves are permanently rolled.
Mr. McMahon draws his credibility as a continuous improvement guru from three sources: he has lived and taught in a completely different nation and culture from his own; he has studied nonprofit management and holds and MPA from the Maxwell school at Syracuse; and as a former AmeriCorps Program Director, he has seen (nearly) everything and has made (nearly) all the mistakes thereof.
NDSportscenter:
AD Kevin White has made a bold move with the athletic department. We will add as many as 64 new athletic scholarships a year (36 for women, 28 for men) by 2004 so that each of the 26 varsity sports will receive the full NCAA complement of grant-in-aids. That will equal an additional annual commitment of nearly $2 million. The 12 teams that were not fully funded were baseball, men's and women's fencing, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, women's rowing, men's soccer, men's swimming, and men's and women's cross-country and track. The biggest male sport to increase in aid is lacrosse which goes from 0 to 12.6. The largest female sport increase occurred in women's rowing which went from 0 to 20. When all is said and done, 42% of the athletic budget will go toward women's sports. That is comparable to the overall female enrollment of 45.4% and the female athlete percentage of 43.9%.
Our ninth verbal commitment is Corey Mays, a 6'1", 230 lb. linebacker from Chicago. We were chosen over Boston College, Michigan State, Purdue, and Georgia Tech. He was a 2nd team USA Today All-American and registered 129 tackles and 10 sacks last year. He's our first Chicago Public League player since Chris Zorich. Mays carries a 4.4 GPA with advanced classes, scored a 24 on the ACT, and plans to major in economics.
ABC has already announced that they will be televising next year's Nebraska game nationally. The September 8th game will have an 8 pm EST kickoff. That's right, baby, they turned it into a night game. Then again, the last time we played at night....