Campus News:
ND professor Dennis Jacobs has received the 2002 U.S. Professor of the Year Award. Jacobs is one of four to win the 2002 award among doctoral-research universities. The chemistry and biochemistry prof is the first ND teacher to receive this honor. He was chosen based on his dedication, innovations, and scholarship in teaching. The award is directed by the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education which formed the program in 1981. Jacobs was one of four hundred nominations.
Dennis came to ND from Stanford University's graduate school in 1988. In 1999 he was named a Carnegie Scholar for his work on peer-led curricula. In that same year he won ND's Presidential Award for dedicated service to the University.
Senior Andrew Serazin became the 14th Domer in history to receive the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Serazin was one of 32 chosen out of almost 1,000 applicants. Scholars go to Oxford University in England for two to three years. The last two Domer Scholars received their awards in 1997. Serazin is a biology major and plans to use the scholarship to research malaria mosquito genomics and get a doctorate in molecular biology.
Hall Notes:
Part 2 of "Happy Hour" by Vermin Earl Baker '86...
I remember vividly one scene from my first Happy Hour. I was standing in the party room on the first floor, just down the hall from my room, talking to one of the RA's. He was drunk off his ass, leaning against the wall to hold himself up. He was looking a little ragged, and was quite a bit overweight. And he was passing on a little bit of wisdom. "I used to be like you. In shape, great high school athlete. But before long, you'll look like this too." He was commenting on the crop of young, naive, fresh-faced, super-fit freshman that had just joined the Hall. We thought the guy was pathetic and crazy and bitter. Little did we know.
The Happy Hour was the focus of social life in Carroll Hall, and it gave us our identity. It wasn't always pretty. Lots of guys (specially the freshman) got way too drunk and out of control or sick. Hijinks were common (water drops? Pizza heists? Often post-Happy Hour entertainment). Nicknames were earned. The best example of this from my group of friends was Steve (Last name withheld to protect the sloppy drunk), who was from Texas. One Friday afternoon, during a particularly good Happy Hour, a group of us decided that we wanted to go to the pep rally, and Father Steve was going to take us over to Stepan Center in his van. At any rate, sometime between leaving the dorm for the rally, and returning afterwards, Steve got very sick and blew chunks everywhere. Chunks. And the name absolutely stuck. While people later meeting him might assume that "Chunks" got his name from being kind of chunky (he was a big guy), we all knew how he really got the name. Do you remember the show Cheers? When Norm walks in? "NORM" everyone shouts. Everywhere Steve went for four years, his fellow Vermin would greet him with a chorus of "CHUNKS!"
NDSportscenter:
Offensive tackle Brennan Curtin will be out for the Gator Bowl. His role was diminished in the USC game in favor of Vermin Jim Molinaro. Look for Jim to start at right tackle versus NC State. Curtin, who could come back for a 5th year, is not injured. Instead he is dealing with the Office of Student Affairs for an undisclosed matter. And it also looks like left tackle Jordan Black will be out as well. He to is away from the team dealing with a University matter. Our starting tackles are out. Molinaro will be joined by either sophomore Dan Stevenson or sophomore Mark LeVoir. Neither has any real game experience. Looks like we will be running between the tackles and keeping the quarterback drops to 3 and 5 steps.
After beating 3 ranked teams in one week, the men's basketball team leapt from unranked to #10 in the AP poll and #15 in the Coaches Poll. It was the third highest move in AP history. The last time we knocked off so many ranked opponents was 1979-80 when we got up to #4. This last week we climbed to #9 in the AP poll, our first time in single digit rankings since 1980-81.
We have made strides in the Sears' Directors Cup for athletic achievement. We are currently 4th after the release of the Fall standings. This is our highest position since we were 3rd after the Fall standing in 1996-97. We were the only school to advance to post-season play in men's soccer, women's soccer, football, volleyball, men's cross country, and women's cross country. Pretty damn good considering those were all 6 of our Fall sports. In addition, as of right now we have placed six teams in various top ten rankings. We are the only school to have men's hoops, women's hoops, and football in the top 10.
The post-season football awards have been rolling in. Shane Walton received the team MVP at the 82nd Football Banquet. Mike Golic was the guest speaker to 1,300 in attendance. The Captains' Awards went to Gerome Sapp, Shane, Sean Mahan, and Arnaz. The American Football Coaches Association named Shane a 2nd Team All-American. Shane was 6th in the nation in picks with 7. That's the most for a Domer since 1989. He was 4th on the team in tackles. The Football Writers Association of America made Walton a 1st Team All-American. Jeff Faine was one of five up for the Rimington Award which goes to the nation's best center. Then the Associated Press released its list of All Americans. Shane made the 1st Team and became the first Domer to do so since Aaron Taylor in 1993. Jeff Faine made AP's second team while Courtney Watson and Vontez Duff were on the 3rd team.
Campus News:
A current federal lawsuit charges that government funding for ND's Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program is unconstitutional. (That whole "separation of church and state" thing.) The federal suit was filed Oct. 3 on behalf of the American Jewish Congress (AJC) in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., against the Corporation for National and Community Service, which directs the AmeriCorps program that finances ACE. ACE is being targeted because it is a religiously affiliated program that receives federal money. The problem, according to the AJC, is that ACE volunteers teach religion. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against further use of federal funds to finance such religiouis instruction in sectarian schools. ACE participants commit to a two-year program teaching in underprivileged Catholic schools across the southern U.S. ACE volunteers teach secular subjects and religion, but the program maintains that teachers are not paid by AmeriCorps for time spent teaching theological subjects. The University stated that since the beginning, "ACE religious activities have been specifically, systematically and scrupulously separated from the AmeriCorps Education Award program." The AJC says that is not the case. AmeriCorps had 60 days to respond to the suit. The ACE program feels it has a very strong case based on its significance and measurable impact in disadvantaged schools throughout the nation and because it is providing the nation with a stream of highly educated and committed young teachers at a time of great demand for them. Recent legislation supports this confidence. Several cases barring federal funding for education in nonpublic schools were overturned within the past few years.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The Gipp heard something about a guy whose section-mates refer to him as "Bob Vila" because of his purported handiness with his "monkey wrench," but the Gipp can't quite understand why this campus would want to know. What might interest us is to know why his section-mates are so well attuned to his personal habits or to his ability to please himself.
Hall Notes:
We have one WHALE of an email to share with y'all. Because of its great length (that's what she said) the email will be broken up into multiple parts. There is a bit of an introduction so just go with it. "Happy Hour" is told by Vermin Earl Baker '86...
I arrived at Notre Dame and Carroll Hall in August of 1982, having come all the way from California, alone. The bus from O'Hare dropped me and my trunk at the main circle, and I needed some help to find out where Carroll Hall was. I had seen it on the campus map the University sent me, and it seemed like it was sort of far from the rest of the buildings on campus. I didn't know the half of it. I was literally living a dream being able to attend Notre Dame, but I was a little bummed with the dorm I got. No worries. I carried/dragged my trunk from the main circle all the way to Carroll, and the RA's greeted me and showed me to my room. It was a big cube of a room on the first floor, right across from the rector's office. My roommates were three New Yorkers (geeeeeez). John "Basil" Hayes and Jock Brody Mutschler were both from the Rochester area, and Scott Kiley was from Long Island. Basil, Jock, and myself were Navy, Army, and Air Force ROTC respectively. Scott was not the military type. Neither was Jock for that matter, but that's another story.
The most striking feature of our room was the plush wall-to-wall whorehouse-red carpet that we had inherited from the previous occupants. Those previous residents had dubbed the room "The Love Palace" and the name stuck, although I'm not sure we really deserved the tag. With four of us living there, and the rest of the Vermin wandering through because of our central location, it wasn't really a quiet place for getting to know that special someone. It might have been called the Insomnia Palace. I swear we never got a wink of sleep before 3:00 a.m. that whole year.
At any rate, I settled in with my new roomies. Before long, a couple of big bruisers came through the door and started demanding money from each of us. Turns out these were some seniors in the dorm, and they were collecting cash for the Happy Hour set for that Friday. I don't recall exactly, but they wanted $5 or $10 from each of us. At the time, that was a lot of money for me. My parents had me on a $50 per month allowance, and I hadn't been picked up on my ROTC scholarship yet. Plus, I wasn't much of a drinker, and I wasn't sure I wanted to go to some party. How naive I was. But these guys weren't taking "no" for an answer. After the shake down was over, some other dorm vets clued us in on what the Happy Hour was all about.
Here's the premise: On weeks of home football games, all during the week in classes, etc... you invited every desirable (or near-desirable, or at least breathing) girl you met to come on out to Carroll on Friday afternoon for our Happy Hour. Good music, free booze (and lots of it). A good time to be had by all. Chicks come, chicks drink, chicks get happy, maybe guys get lucky. The Carroll Happy Hour had a good reputation in some of the girls' dorms, and amazingly enough come Friday afternoon, the dorm was rocking! When you walked back up the drive to Carroll after Friday classes, the music was blasting across the lake. Inside (and often out on the front lawn as well) the kegs had been tapped and the beer was flowing. Inside, there were at least two bars set up. One was usually serving blender drinks (Sea Breezes made with ice, vodka, 7-up, and some sort of juice concentrate), the other was something else (I can't remember because I was usually working the Sea Breeze bar, and performed quality control as well.). These parties started at maybe 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon. They would die down a bit as dinner hour came, and then as people left for the pep rally. But they usually went on at least at a low level until about 2:00 a.m. on Saturday morning (I think Parietals kicked in at 2:00 a.m. on the weekends, so the ladies had to leave at that time). Although the first floor was the epicenter of the action, the Happy Hour really encompassed the entire dorm. Some partied in big groups downstairs, other partied in more intimate groups on floors two through four.
More of "Happy Hour" will be told in the near future.
NDSportscenter:
Coach Willingham was named the Home Depot National "Coach of the Year." He was selected by ESPN and ABC college football analysts. The Sporting News named Tyrone its "Sportsman of the Year." He is the first college football coach to ever receive the honor. We have posted an article telling of this accomplishment. Read the piece on the "Articles of Interest" page. It's quite lengthy but worth the time.
So we are off to the Gator Bowl to play North Carolina State (10-3). The #17 Wolfpack are the third ACC team we will play this year (Maryland, Florida State). The January 1 game is on NBC at 12:30 EST. Jacksonville, Florida is the site of the $1.6 million bowl game. This is our first ever game versus NC State. We are #9 in the BCS and desperately in need of our first bowl victory since 1993. The Gator Bowl is mroe than happy to have us. Obviously we sell tickets and produce TV ratings, but there is an even more interesting note to our popularity. The last time we played in the Gator Bowl tickets were sold in 48 states. Impressive.
The volleyball team lost its final two regular season games on the road. However they were able to bounce back and win their 7th Big East title in 8 years. Being the Big East champ earned us the right to host the 1st and 2nd rounds of the NCAA tournament. It was our first time hosting since 1996. We beat the College of Charleston in the first round but lost to Michigan State in the round of 32. It was their 5th straight win over us and it snapped out 36-match home winning streak. The team finished the year with a record of 24-8.
The Irish baseball team has been picked to repeat as Big East Champions. Junior secondbaseman Steve Sollman was named the pre-season Big East Player of the Year. He was also selected to the pre-season All American 2nd Team. Sophomore righthanded-pitcher Grant Johnson made the pre-season All Big East Team and was a 3rd Team All American selection. There's a very good chance the Irish will be back in the College World Series based on the strength of the entire pitching staff. The hitters will come around after the best were lost to the pros.
Campus News:
The Sbarro pizza restaurant finally opened in LaFortune in the middle of November. Construction and logistics issues caused numerous delays. Construction began in July. The restaurant is in the basement and is expected to do solid business like the Subway upstairs. (The LaFortune Subway is netting one of the highest revenues among franchises in the country.) Each Sbarro pizza oven will make 14 pizzas every four minutes. The menu also boasts breadsticks, pasta, and hero sandwiches. Sbarro is open until 2AM during the week and 4AM on the weekends. These hours will offer students a nearby late night dining option for those customers who may be located far away on campus from the 24-hour Recker's restaurant. On-campus delivery is expected to begin in January.
This Fall Father Malloy received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Gannon University in Erie, Pa. It is his 14th honorary degree. Monk's work with the University has been written about numerous times. But he is also a driving force behind efforts to promote community service and combat substance abuse in higher education. A member of the advisory board of AmeriCorps and the National Civilian Community Corps, he also is a founding director of the Points of Light Foundation, a member of the board of governors of the Boys and Girls Club of America, and a member of the Indiana Community Service and Volunteer Committee and the Indiana Commission on Community Service. In combating substance abuse, Malloy has served as a member of numerous organizations, including the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the President's Advisory Council on Drugs, the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, the Governor's Commission for a Drug-Free Indiana, and the National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. He also currently serves as co-chair of the subcommittee on college drinking of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a component of the National Institutes of Health, and chairs the National Commission on Substance Abuse and Sport for the National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Fraternization is frowned upon in our armed forces, is it not? Not too long ago, at around 1600 hours, a group of ND's finest officers-in- training were engaging in a bit of imbibery and merriment when, as is so often the case when that magic number 40 is involved, things got a little crazy. Somewhere during the course of the night a top-brass young cadet disappeared with a froshette, and they proceeded to a clandestine location for a lesson on buffing boots.
Not too long after, it became apparent where they had gone: Strange noises were emanating from the shower, and a crowd was gathering. From the sound of it, "Sarge" was drilling the young private, first-class. A cohort of RAs and ARs was quickly on the scene - you think the MPs are bad? These guys work for ResLife - and they apprehended the young man without delay. His companion got away, for the time being.
This chap decided that it was in the best interest to tell the AR that he was a visitor rather than a student, but the police were called and his charade was foiled. While he was being grilled, his satisfied young partner decided to step back out into the hall, wet hair and all. Within a matter of minutes, the ever-sharp NDSP deduced her identity and took her aside as well.
At first, the two denied involvement, but their claims were soon undermined: one enterprising RA took on the noble task of sniffing out a crucial item - brimming with DNA "evidence" - lying atop the shower drain, and brought it to the police's attention.
You can rest easy tonight, Notre Dame: Your safety is being preserved by the very best. They might not be able to recover stolen bikes, but not a sexual stirring will go unpunished by the ubiquitous Notre Dame security network.
Hall Notes:
The '85 Dome had quite a few notes concerning Carroll. The opening line was classic '80s...
"If you're looking for a 'boss' dorm on campus, you'll be 'cheesin' if you don't 'bootleg' out to Carroll Hall."
The Dome went on to tell of a concert on front lawn that opened the school year. The Haunted House was mentioned as was a statement that a bonfire accompanied it. "Rector of the Year" Father Steve Gibson lived amongst the Vermin. The coolest note concerned that front lawn. During the winter the yard was converted into a large ice rink that was used for hockey and skating parties.
NDSportscenter:
The men's basketball team beat two top ten opponents this past week. We knocked off #10 Marquette by 21. It was our largest victory over a ranked opponent since beating #3 Missouri by 31 in 1990. On Saturday we defeated defending National Champion Maryland. We waxed the Terps by 12 behind 20 points on 8 for 8 shooting from freshman center Torin Francis.
Despite USC racking up some serious yardage, our football team finished 13th in total defense. We were 7th in passing efficiency and 11th in rush defense. The defense gave up 15.75 points per game, 6th best in the nation.
The men's soccer team finished the regular season ranked #16. We won seven of our last eight games and had a record of 11-4-3. The squad received the #4 seed in the Big East Tournament and hosted #5 seed Georgetown at Alumni Field. We lost 2-1 in overtime, our seventh overtime of the year (2-2-3). It was only our second home loss of the year. We still received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Not only were we one of forty-eight teams, but we were also able to host the first round. Akron came to the Bend and was sent home after a 3-1 loss to the Irish. Our second round opponent was Indiana. We entered at teh #20 team to their #5 ranking. The Irish lost 1-0 after a valiant effort. One of our players received a red card and we played the last 27 minutes down a man.
Senior Erich Braun became the first Domer to be a 2-time All Big East 1st Team member.
Campus News:
Our students may not tear down goal posts or overturn and start cars on fire, but they are still a rowdy bunch. A lawsuit between the City of South Bend and Taripp Development Corporation may prove costly for students living in Lafayette Square Apartments. The City filed a lawsuit against the landlord for Lafayette following repeated complaints of intoxication, consumption of alcohol by minors, loud noise, indecent exposure, and trash and debris on the property. The lawsuit stated Lafayette posed a risk to the health and safety of the community. Letters to the student renters informed them they could be evicted or forced to pay a share of the attorney fees if they could not control their gatherings. This all came about because of a 100 keg party the weekend of September 6th. The party violated the residents lease because students attending the party broke the City's noise, trash, and public indecency laws. The party exposed residents to potential eviction and fines from the City ranging from $50 to $2500. It's interesting to note that two days before the party, representatives for the South Bend Police Department advised the students of the policies. Supposedly the police said the parking lot and the front yards were off limits. The students partied in the backyards. They were then told all outdoor areas were to be party-free. And gatherings can not be greater than 15 people per apartment. Students were basically given the ol' "shape up or ship out" ultimatum.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
A pair of young tipsters were stumbling back from a long night of intelligent conversation at that palace of style and sophistication, Turtle Creek Apartments, when they passed a pack of South Bend cop cars apprehending other home-going intellectuals. Playing it cool, the pair sidled by one of the cars when the one behind felt a sharp pain in his gut and let out an expletive. It wasn't until a few paces later that they were able to glance furtively back and see an SBPD side-mirror lying on the ground, freshly detached from its automobile.
Hall Notes:
When exactly was Carroll Hall resurrected after being shut down during World War II? The former Dujarie Hall was sold by the Brothers of the Holy Cross to the University in 1965. Possession of the building came to the University on September 1, 1966. Starting in that year it was a residence hall. It did not appear on the lists of undergraduate dorms. Instead it housed graduate students. It continued to do so until 1977 when the kids took over.
NDSportscenter:
Oy vey. That game last night wasn't much of a game. We can still go to the Orange Bowl but we need some help. Hope that UCLA beats Washington State next week. Then Iowa and USC can go to the Rose Bowl. We'd be almost certainly a lock for the Orange Bowl. Maybe. But if Washington State wins, and USC is in the top 4 in the BCS (automatic BCS bowl), we will be shutout.
The men's basketball team plays Marquette on Monday night. The game is at 7pm EST and is on ESPN2. We also play Maryland next Saturday at 3:30pm EST. That may be on TV. Check your local listings. If we beat the Terps, we'll play again on Sunday in the mini-tournament.
Shane Walton is one of five players up for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. The award goes to the overall best defensive player in college football. Shane is the first Domer to be a finalist for this honor. So Shane is considered one of the top five overall defenders. Yet he was NOT even named as a finalist for the Thorpe Award, which goes to the top defensive back.
The women's cross country team claimed their first ever Big East title. The #5 team earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Championships with the conference championship. The top five finishers for the Domers came in 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 25th, and 27th. Of those five runners, only one is a senior. The rest consists of one sophomore and three freshmen. The ladies went to the NCAA Championships and came in third, our highest ever finish. Two women claimed All-American honors. Freshman Molly Huddle placed 6th while sophomore Lauren King nabbed the 19th spot. This is King's second straight cross country All- American honor.
The men's cross country did not fare as well. They finished 22nd out of 31 teams. This was our worst finish at the NCAA Championships in quite some time. But look on the bright side...there was only one senior on the team.
The women's soccer team season ended at the hands of #1 Stanford. The #19 Irish (13-8-0) lost 1-0 to the Cardinal (21-1-0) after giving up the lone goal with nine minutes to go in the game. Sadly, possibly our best player went down with an injury mid-game. Defender Candace Chapman was knocked out of the game and the Irish were not able to recover.
Campus News:
The Shirt campaign has been a ridiculous (in a good way) sensation. For the first time, shirts of various sizes were made along with sweatshirts and long sleeve shirts. The "Return to Glory" slogan is also raking in the green. The initial run of 44,000 has ballooned to a production of 104,000 with 90,000 being sold as of early November. Thanks to print and television media's coverage of The Shirt, the demand has been nationwide as people have taken to the internet to purchase the garb.
Here's the REALLY interesting part. Two deals were struck for production of The Shirt. The first involved the initial run of 44,000. The Bookstore guaranteed a sell out of The Shirt. The assistance gave Student Activities a financial guarantee on its investment whether or not The Shirt actually sells out. Because this agreement applied only to the first run, Student Activities was financially liable for any losses they incurred during future orders. Members on the financial management board did not want to assume this risk so Student Activities was unable to invest further funds in the project. So to make more shirts, a second deal had to be struck. The Athletic Department and Bookstore both authorized funds to continue the project because they were willing to assum the risk if the shirts do not sell out. The percentage for the students this time around, though, is very small than compared to before. A student representative stated, "It's very little, compared to what we were getting." Ahhhh, yes. The good ol' Bookstore. Never missing an opportunity to take advantage of the students.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The Gipp would like to thank one loyal tipster updating him on a particular problem in the student section of the stadium. It appears, to the Gipper's overwhelming shock, that Notre Dame women do not go to the games to look at the male cheerleaders. You're probably asking, "They aren't willing to act like groupies for the MCs, who else will they possibly do it for?" The answer is Joey Hildbold. A gang of girls has taken to waving their arms, calling his name, and generally losing all bodily control trying to get old Joey's attention while he's on the field and, according to the tipster, sometimes even when he isn't. What about key plays, scoring runs and other exciting moments? They sit with their arms crossed, says our reporter. Scandalous. Joey, if you know these girls, set them straight. Or, at least, give them a little satisfaction so that they can focus on other things.
Hall Notes:
Anybody let Notre Dame Magazine sit for a few months before paging through it? Oh, right..like I'm the only one. Well, dig through the Autumn 2002 issue if you haven't already. Carroll is featured on page 10. Each ND Magazine showcases one dorm. Carroll is the fifth hall highlighted in the series. Great read. Most of the material is already on the website. The new items will be added in time. Too bad they only had one page to dedicate to the Vermin. And where the hell was over cover photo? Just another case of The Man keepin' us down.
NDSportscenter:
Football notes: Linebacker Courtney Watson is one of three finalists for the Butkus Award....The USC game is at night. Tune in to ABC at 8pm EST. The game is sold out. Of the 92,000 tickets sold, 13,500 went to Domers....Our 11th verbal commitment come from John Carlson of Litchfield, Minnesota. John is a 6'6", 235 lb tight end who selected us over Stanford, Minnesota, and St. Cloud State. Carlson scored a 28 on the ACT and has a 3.98 GPA....If we finish in the top 6 of the BCS we are automatically in one of the top four bowls. Seems like every week the rumor mill changes. I believe if we win out we are Sugar Bowl bound....Jordan Black was benched for the first half of the Rutgers game by Coach Willingham. Why? For repeatedly parking his car illegally, he "violated team policy." Jordan got towed three times. Vermin Jim Molinaro started in his place.
The women's soccer team was 7-6 at one point in the season. They bounced back and won four of their final five games. And three of those four wins came against ranked teams (#9 UConn, #12 Michigan, and #24 b.c.). Unfortunately the team did not make the Big East Tournament. However, finishing 11-7 with a tough schedule and quality wins over ranked opponents earned the ladies one of 35 at-large bids. Because the team didn't have any conference tourney games, they were able to rest and heal for three weeks. The Irish were selected to host the 1st and 2nd rounds of the NCAA tournament. We beat Big Ten Chump Ohio State 3-1 in the first round thanks to two goals from junior forward amanda Guertin. She again scored two goals to lead us to a 3-1 victory over #14 Purdue. It's on to round 3 versus Stanford.
Sophomore defender Candace Chapman was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year for women's soccer. She and junior forward Amy Warner were selected to the All Big East 1st Team. Junior midfielder Randi Scheller made the 2nd Team and freshman defender Cat Sigler was on the All-Rookie Team.
A few basketball notes: We signed 2 players for next year as detailed in earlier postings. We have two scholarships left....All the student tickets (3,160) sold out in a record 36 hours....Alum David Graves is playing for the traveling Nike Select All-Star team and is working on a contract to play in Greece....Sophomore forward Jordan Cornette set a team and JACC record with 11 blocks in the first game of the season versus Belmont. The previous Irish record had been held by LaPhonso Ellis and the previous JACC record had been held by Bill Walton.
Campus News:
b.c. (barely college) weekend was very notable for reasons other than the game that was played. According to ND Security, they set a record for alcohol-linked arrests. Six people were charge before the game even began. Dozens of citations were written for similiar infractions. The arrest were made because of lying about age, false informing, and being a minor in possession of alcohol. A task force made up of South Bend police, St. Joseph County police, Indiana State Excise Police and ND Security issued more than 70 citations. Fifty were written before the game. Normally 30 citations are given per home game.
Before game time, four females and two males were taken to St. Joseph County Jail on misdemeanor alcohol charges. SBPD Capt. James Hassig said, "The only reason they went to jail is because after numerous attempts to reason with them, they were practically begging to be arrested." It should be noted that the citations and arrests went primarily to b.c. students, althought some went to Domers.
The football team b.c. students also showed a lack of class. After the game they tore up chunks of the turf for apparent trophies. One even threw turf in the face of one of our players after the game. There were also reports of damage to the visiting team lockerroom. Tyrone and Kevin White would not comment to the press on that but it was stated in the paper that we did speak to the b.c. athletic director on the issue. Maybe b.c. stands for "beyond classless" in addtion to "barely college."
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Every so often there comes a tip that makes even the Gipp cringe. But the Gipper has his duty, come hell or high water, to report what he hears. Mama Gipp, if you're reading this, you might want to skip to the next one.
The "Men of Stanford Hall, Section 2NS," as they cryptically identify themselves, have been doing a bit of research lately. It all began with a debate over the human male's ability to produce procreative sap. "How do we stack up against gorillas and the like?" they pondered. Lacking a handy primate to experiment with, though, their thoughts turned to, "Could one of us fill a shot glass?"
These musings remained blissfully theoretical, according to the tipster, "until one brave Stanford man decided it was in the best interest of science to silence the critics once and for all. To the tune of $20 and an ocean of respect upon successful completion of the task, he took to the second floor bathroom with his shot glass, a helpful magazine, and a whole lot of determination."
All was going well, and the young scientist completed his lab work. Unfortunately, by a cruel twist of nature, he knocked his glass into the toilet as he was zipping up, and the protein sample was lost forever. This is the culture that parietals create. The Gipper advises all his readers not to take shots in Stanford.
Hall Notes:
Over the summer it was stated that card readers would be placed out at Carroll. This is the case now. Carroll is locked 24 hours a day and can only be opened with a current Vermin ID card. This is not to be confused with the old Detex system. The new IDs are multi-purpose cards serving as dorm entry keys, dining hall passes, and debit cards for a student cash account redeemable at food outlets throughout campus. So if you want to check out the ol' dorm when you happen to be in the Bend, you'll have to wait until a current Vermin saunters down the stairs and exits. Carroll is more secure than a prude's underpants.
NDSportscenter:
Football Notes: Vontez Duff made history last week. He's the first Domer to return a punt, a kickoff, and an interception for touchdowns in the same season....Shane Walton is one of fourteen semifinalists for the best defensive back honor, the Jim Thorpe Award....Center Jeff Faine is one of twelve finalists for the Lombardi Award, which goes to the best interior lineman in the country....Joey Hildbold is one of ten finalists for the Ray Guy Award that is awarded to the nation's leading punter. He averages 40 yards per punt. Including the Navy game, he has put 25 kicks inside the 20 yard line and 10 inside the 10....As of right now we have the potential to go to the Rose, Orange, or Sugar Bowls. The most likely scenario is that we would be Orange Bowl bound if we win out. Representatives for all four major bowls were on hand for the b.c. game. D'OH! Son of a.... The most interesting thing is that the Rose may come a-callin' for the first time since January of 1925. If the Suckeyes go to the Fiesta Bowl, reps for the Rose have said they are "authorized to go elsewhere," meaning that since the Big Ten is in the Fiesta Bowl, they will be looking outside that conference. Iowa may be S.O.L.
The hockey team started off on the right skate. They opened on the road at Minnesota-Duluth and came away without a loss. The puckers then won two more games and had their best season start since '98-'99. The Irish ranked #15. Too bad they fell apart, losing the next two at home. They then tied #3 b.c. and split their last series. Not bad, but not good.
Women's basketball notes: Senior Alicia Ratay and sophomore Jacqueline Batteast have been selected to the pre-season All Big East First Team... the Irish tied UConn for the pre-season #1 ranking in the Big East. This is the first time UConn was not selected the sole #1 team. They have only one starter returning and we have all our top players back...We landed two top recruits for next year. Crystal Erwin hails from St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs near Los Angeles. The 6'2" power forward scored 22 a game, grabbed 15 boards per contest, and rejected 5 shots every four quarters last year. One analyst has her rated the 3rd best player in the nation. Point guard Susie Powers is from Highland Ranch in Colorado, the same high school as current Domer sophomore Katy Flecky. The 5'11" guard is rated the 15th best player in the country. Last year Susie averaged 11.5 ppg and 6.8 apg. Despite bringing in only two players, we still had a top 20 recruiting class.
Campus News:
Alcohol-related citations on campus are on the rise. Officers are more on the watch for suspicious activity. According to NDSP, the significant rise is alcohol citations is a result of the increased awareness of officers on football weekends and the higher levels of intoxication coming to the attention of officers. The number of incidents where students are stopped by officers coming from the parking lot carrying alcohol in their backpacks has increased noticeably. Security said parking lots are being patroled more for theft. Gee, just in time. Oh, and last I checked, thieves run or drive AWAY from campus, not walk TOWARD it after parking a car.
Officers have also increased their presence at Reckers this year in response to the behavior of disruptive students. Officers administer "alco-sensor" tests to students who appear intoxicated. When asked if it was within the rights of students to refuse the test, the NDSP assistant director said, "I suppose so. It depends on the circumstances."
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Before getting into regular tips, the Gipp has just received some breaking news from North Dining Hall: apparently a large cockroach has been spotted scuttling across the floor, causing pandemonium in the stir-fry line. Bystanders have gauged the roach's length as "huge" or "monstrous." One tipster even described it as "Five-foot-six, glasses, and a headset," although the Gipper suspects that she may have misunderstood what everyone was pointing to. Dining Hall administrators later apprehended the beast as it was trying to escape with two items, and are saving it as a prop for their next food-related thematic celebration, "National What's-in-Your-Sausage-Links? Month."
Hall Notes:
Time to fill y'all in on the whereabouts of another Vermin alum. Seumis Higgins '00 is in the city so nice they named it twice. Pretty interesting that Seumis works in New York, New York considering he's from South Carolina, as I recall. Southern comfort in the Big Apple. Here's what Mr. Higgins had to say:
"I graduated from ND with a BA in Economics in May 2000. Since then I've been working in downtown Manhattan for a small consulting firm called Jordan & Jordan that specializes in market data and securities processing. Had a plethora of jobs/duties within the firm, including a 6-month traveling/training stint across the US. No grad school yet, but would like to go back in a couple of years and work at an MBA. I'm still dating my girlfriend Marie from ND days, although she lives in Chicago, along with most of the rest of the Carroll '00 crew, so I spend a weekend or two a month flying back and forth - racking up some serious frequent flyer miles."
NDSportscenter:
Last week the green jerseys saw the light of day. But when did they first take the field on a sunny autumn afternoon? 1926. Waaaaaay back in the day. Knute Rockne was the first coach to make the call. The story goes that Penn State came to the Bend with blue jerseys. Normally Rockne's ballers would sport blue. Knute had to round up different shirts. The freshmen green practice jerseys wound up on the backs of the varsity squad. Rockne later used the greens several times in 1927 in honor of the numerous Irish lads on the team. The green jerseys became almost standard at home during the 1940s and early 1950s. They then slipped from memory until finally re-surfacing in the modern era during the 1977 USC game.
Rarely do the good deeds of athletes receive headlines. The Irish football team deserves some recognition for their efforts within the community. Players recently gave of themselves to the children of South Bend. Read the fantastic piece titled "Tackle the Arts" on the Articles of Interest page.
The Irish volleyball team had high hopes this year. Their incoming freshman class was rated as high as third best in the country. Coach Debbie Brown has her deepest team since she took over in '91. The lady Irish just completed an undefeated season at home for the second consecutive year. Their home winning streak now stands at 35 matches. The women are 20-5 overall and 10-0 in the Big East with a few remaining matches on the road. For most of the year the Irish have led the nation in team block average. They started the year ranked #25 and are still in that same ball park.
Campus News:
Student government officials sure have guts. In a recent presentation to the Board of Trustees, student representatives said the University should build new residence halls and equip current dorms with apartment-style amenities. The new dorms (and renovated halls) are to include suites, kitchens, private bathrooms and other apartment-type luxuries. The requests are being made because of campus over-capacity. On-campus housing is currently at 102 percent.
This report may be taken into consideration as the University completes a 10-year strategic plan, part of which addresses housing. Roughly 77% of undergrads live on campus. The administration supposedly WANTS to increase that percentage of 85 within 10 years. That seems to fly in the face of the rumored belief that the new alcohol policy was made to possibly influence some to move off campus to relieve dorm congestion. Or maybe the policy is a strategic step to lay down the law before upping the number of upperclassmen that stay on campus. The apartment-style living accommodations seem to be the only way to influence upperclassmen to stay on campus. 80% of students surveyed said they would not move off if that type of housing was available.
Considering all the other backed up construction projects, don't look for any new dorms to pop up this decade. Unless, of course, Tyrone takes us to the BCS bowls every year and we have tens of millions burning a hole in the University's pocket.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The Gipp never gets tired of good Boat Club adventures, so here's one that you'll all enjoy. Three roommates were in town a few days before school began with little to do, so they decided to hit the bar. It was, in the tipster's words, "one of those nights when townies outnumber students." Trouble. So these three did what people do at the Boat and later decided it was time to head home. Somehow, though, instead of doing that, two of them "slept" in the parking lot while the other went back inside for a pitcher. Eventually, he re-emerged to find his friends still out cold on the ground, and, mustering every valiant brain cell he had left, he decided to thumb down a passing car to get them home. According to our tipster, the driver "was as townie as townie can get," evidenced by a Budweiser in her left hand. The four of them enjoyed a scenic tour around downtown while the most "preoccupied" fellow in the car pulled a Technicolor Yawn out the back window. The young men, however, declined when the driver offered to take them over to her place. The three gents eventually got dropped off at Library Circle, at which point the puker decided it was time to take another nap. His roommates found great amusement in watching him lie under Touchdown Jesus' outstretched arms until an NDSP officer caught sight of them and began the pursuit. It all ended happily, though: with no time to waste, the two coherent individuals scooped up their roommate and toted him back to the safety of their dorm.
Hall Notes:
Halloween has just passed so it seems fitting we give a Haunted House story. This is less a tale of a specific skit and more a tale of Vermin post-House debauchery. It was a relatively warm and misting evening in the October of 1994. That's a strong footnote for the following Classic Moment. Ryan "O-Dogg" O'Leary '96 recounts most of "The Naked Slip n Slide" (while Dan "Del" Delgado '97 chimes in with some additions)....
As the lights come on and we begin to clean out the crackhouse (addition: "crackhouse" = the skit), Dykens strolls in and asks what the postgame plan is. Mid-sentence, he stops to note the large roll of window plastic remaining on the ground. Light bulb on, and Slip-N-Slide is born.
With several people still in the dorm, we eventually garnered a considerable audience...and everyone's having a generally clean ol' time until someone - Festa, if I'm not mistaken - decides that you'll slide faster if you don't have clothes holding you back. So his boxers disappear, and within minutes about half of the 10 or so among us were buck booty ass naked. Much to Sullivan's chagrin, I was not one of them.
From that point, it's a bit cloudy. At some point, the rector makes his appearance to a few catcalls from the gallery above. Hearing, "Hey Father," Mr. Edwards replies, unit out and all, "Yeah, that's right, I'm your father." The man of the cloth approached just as Festa reaches the top of the hill, spouting something. (Addition: I believe one of the comments made by Father was something to the effect of "John, I see you. You can come out now." As I recall that was directed toward John Beeler '98 who was trying to hide his naked ass behind a tree. How exactly he planned to escape sans clothes is beyond me.)
Needless to say, we were all rustled in to Mikey's lair by week's end with the RAs in attendance, including Matt Ryan, who was ON HIS WAY OUT TO JOIN US. Those who stripped got 45 hours community service; those who didn't got five. For what, I still don't know.
NDSportscenter:
b.c. is not, nor will they ever be, special enought to warrant the green jerseys. Big mistake. Personally, losing to them in the greens is worse than losing a shot at an undefeated season. We are 0-3 in the last three green-jersey games. The greens are getting to the point where they lack any meaning. First year coaches really shouldn't be making a call for the green jerseys.
Linebacker Courtney Watson is a semifinalist for the Butkus Award. He is one of eleven in the running for the top linebacker in the country.
Basketball news: Chris Thomas was selected to the pre-season All Big East 2nd Team. Matt Carroll was disrespected and not named at all.... The team has only been deemed the 4th best in the West division of the Big East. The pre-season conference rankings have the Irish projected to finish behind Pittsburgh, Georgetown, and Syracuse. Whatever.... Alum David Graves was cut by the Chicago Bulls....A member of the student body made the team for the first time in the Brey era. Senior Dan Lustig made the squad. The 6'5" shooting guard is a Hoosier who helped his team win state his junior year of high school. Last year he played for Project Mayhem, one of the top Bookstore teams....The hope was there that we would soon be playing Purdue. Maybe not. Word on the street was that there was some sort of grudge held by either the Boilers or us. And it was that grudge that was the #1 obstacle in the way of a series. Turns out Purdue has the beef. Coach Gene Keady revealed his disgust recently. Keady turned down an offer that was on the table for a series that would start in South Bend. He said he would never agree to a deal that has the first game here. He cited an issue from the '60s. Supposedly back in the day we agreed to games. The first was played here. Then we asked to take a year off. When the next year rolled around we again wanted the game at ND. That's Keady's story anyway. So Gene said any series has to start in West Lafayette. Non-negotiable. I've seen pettiness before but this takes the cake.
Campus News:
The construction is grinding to a halt. Some of it anyway. Due to a slow economy and a declining endowment, the University is postponing all construction projects that are not directly related to academics and student life. This summer work began on the new post office/security building on the site of the old Stepan basketball courts. That work has been stopped. Therefore the Notre Dame Inn construction project is being pushed back because that is to go up on the site of the current security building. The new post office/secruity building has its foundation complete but the rest will not be done until next summer. All future projects must have full funding assured before receiving the go-ahead. Donations are down and student financial assistance need is up. Two large projects will continue. The DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts will be built and renovations will be made to the library's lower level. A $16 million expansion of the Loftus Sports Center will go on the backburner. The expansion is to include a new weightroom, new football offices, and a football team lockerroom. JACC renovations and improvements to the soccer and softball fields have been given the red light. Other delays: a proposed $70 million science building, a $56 million multidisciplinary engineering building, and a $56 million plan to double the size of the law school. The science building is supposedly the next construction priority. Plans will proceed to renovate Senior Bar because if is considered a project to enhance student life.
Overall giving to colleges and universities declined last year for the first time since 1975. Monk had this to say: "We had a balanced budget last year with significant reserves. We'll have a balanced budget this year. But preparing the 2003-2004 budget will be challenging." The Board of Trustees continues to mandate that tuition increases be limited to no more than 5% annually. The endowment sits at $3 billion.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Watch out next time you're ambling down Corby Street alone - the Gipper has received reports of a dangerous duo operating in the area. Apparently, a recent alum of this fine university was walking along unsuspectingly when he was accosted by a young woman of randy persuasion and was taken into her apartment. After an hour or two of helping her wax the coffee table, he re-emerged and went for a cigarette on a neighbor's porch. Not three minutes later, the vixen's roommate stumbled his way and snatched him back for another bout, this time in the neighbor's apartment. Of course, this all could have been contrived to feed our dear alum's post-graduation, never-got-none-at-ND fantasy, but to be on the safe side, make sure you bring a buddy whenever you're out in that direction.
Hall Notes:
Normally during the Fall the Vermin football players are mentioned. During my days on campus it seemed like every year another football player ended up out by the lake. However there seems to be a dearth of gridiron Vermin in the current freshman and sophomore classes. The top Vermin suiting up for the Irish is junior quarterback Carlyle Holiday. Backup offensive lineman Jim Molinaro is a senior in Carroll. And that's it. Receiver Arnaz Battle is Vermin for life but he's a fifth year senior and one can only live on campus for four years. However, we do have a first. For the first time in at least a dozen years, we have a varsity BASKETBALL player out in Carroll. Freshman power forward Rick Cornett lives in the farthest point from the JACC. So in addition to extra cheering for Carlyle, Arnaz, and Jim on Saturdays, y'all should pay extra special attention to Rick during our 10 nationally televised basketball games.
NDSportscenter:
Last year we recruited Lorenzo Booker, the #1 running back in the nation. One source reported he was all set to announce his decision to commit to ND. But within 30 minutes of his press conference, he changed his mind. Instead he signed with Florida State. The same former girls school that we just destroyed. Lorenzo, you chose poorly. Poorly. Poorly. Poorly.
By the way, we received one FIRST place vote in the ESPN/Coaches Poll. Could that have been Mr. Bowden? Too bad the rest of the coaches apparently didn't watch the game as we did not at leap over the Ohio State Suckeyes.
Remember Chris Zorich? Who can forget. We now have a recruit that may help us relive the glory days of #50. Our tenth verbal is Trevor Laws, the #2 rated defensive tackle in the nation. The Burnsville, Minnesota native is 6'2", 280 lbs and is compared to Zorich because of his quickness and penetration. Last year Trevor collected 85 tackles, 10 sacks, and 25 tackles for loss. The five-star recruit selected us over Iowa and Michigan. Laws is also the top heavyweight wrestler in the nation with a career record of 97-3. His 4.9 speed goes along with a 3.9 GPA. Trevor, who attends Apple Valley High School, scored a 27 on the ACT. Laws had this to say about Tyrone: "My family and I talked to Coach Willingham for about an hour and a half. Every time I talk to him, it seems like I learn some valuable life lesson. There's no man like him in this world."
When last we left you, the men's soccer team was ranked #5. Then the recession began. They slowly descended in the rankings with unfortunate losses and disappointing draws. At one point the #10 Irish lost to #2 St. John's 1-0 after giving up a goal with less than two minutes to go in the game. They later fell out of the rankings but then reappeared at #20. The lads heartily beat #5 UConn 3-1 last weekend and re-entered the race for post-season play. Quite the year for the Irish despite the roller coaster rankings. They have beaten four ranked opponents, three of which were in the top ten. First time for those feats.
The current Vermin athletes were mentioned in the "Hall Notes." Here's a little somethin'-somethin' about one of the newest Carroll alums. Anthony Weaver is enjoying a fantastic first year with the Baltimore Ravens. He is a starter in the pros now, but he has not forgotten about his starting days with the Irish defense. A recent article appeared in the South Bend Tribune about Weaver. It has been posted for your reading pleasure.
Campus News:
As reported at the end of the last school year, the traditional in-hall SYR has been banned. A couple of weekends back was the first big batch of out-of-hall dances. Seventeen dorms participated in thirteen dances. Review of the festivities were mixed. Some instances were positive but overall the feeling was negative. There was a notable lack of excitement amongst freshmen. An unusually small percentage of first-year students took part in the dances. O'Neill Hall was forced to cancel its dance due to lack of participation. Knott, PE, and Sorin all reported lower attendance. Farley had just as many students as in the past but many people left early. This is most likely due to new rules. Pre-dance parties are limited to 60 minutes. Once you go to the dance, you may not leave and return. If you leave once, that's it. So the students are at the dance for hours without a break as opposed to SYRs where frequent trips were made to dorm rooms to rest and hang-out socially. Fisher had an increase in turnout because of the '70s theme and the Beacon Bowl location. Because of such off-campus sites, the new policy greatly increased the amount of work needed to arrange the dance. Most venues were too expensive for individual dorms so they had to team up with others. Several rectors noted a decrease in alcohol- related incidents this year. Many students disagreed. They cited how students hit the bottle hard during the 60 minute pre-party and that a lack of incidents was more related to luck than the new rules. Four dorms feel their signature events will become nothing more than typical out-of-hall dances. Alumni (The Wake), zahm (Decade Dance), Farley (Pop Farley), and Lewis (The Crush) believe their traditions will be lost. One student wrote a Letter to the Editor that appeared in The Observer. Read his remarks on the Articles of Interest page.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our first report brings us to the hallowed hall of Keough where a mysterious, scatalogically-obsessed individual has apparently been plying his trade. A pair of roommates, weary from a hard day's studying, returned home last week to what had become a familiar smell emanating from the corner of their room. Deciding that they had had it, the two young men set to work on a search-and-destroy mission against the offending substance. (The Gipp's first question: Why did it take them half a week to do something about it?) They inspected the sink and rinsed it out thoroughly, but the smell remained. "How about the cabinet under the sink?" one of the sleuths suggested. And like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, there it sat - a steaming, three-day old, human dump. After overcoming the initial shock, the roommates decided to inspect it. (Second question goes without saying.) They described the defecator's diet as "fibrous." They also determined that the average human behind could not have fit into their cabinet, meaning someone had scooped up the excrement and brought it down the hall into their room. Wash your spoons, Gipplings. The tipsters made no mention as to whether the feces were ever cleaned up or whether they just sat around staring at it all week.
Hall Notes:
This is not just any Hall Notes, this the THE Hall Notes....
October 13th was the eight-year anniversary of the infamous "Hall Notes" scandal. Those of you who did not live in Carroll in 1994 most likely have no idea of what I am talking about. Those of you who did live in Carroll in 1994 know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.
The October 13, 1994 issue of The Observer ran a piece titled "Forum Addresses Adversities Today's Women Face." It was the third story on the cover, about mid-page. A portion of a Carroll Hall Note had been printed. This was highly surprising to all Vermin. Hall Notes had always been posted in bathrooms for all the Vermin to read. The only time they ever left the john was to go in the trash when the new notes got posted. Except this time instead of the trash receiving the notes, the trash up and TOOK the notes. The trash was in the form of a morrissey hall donkey. The weasel, who will remain nameless in favor of more descriptive nouns, stole notes out of Carroll and scurried off to The Observer. That particular edition of the Hall Notes included a joke. The Observer printed it in its entirety: "Question: What's the definition of a woman? Answer 1: The useless piece of flesh around the vagina. Answer 2: The attachment that you screw in the bed, that does the housework. Answer 3: A sheep who cooks." The weasel went on to munch some mushrooms and hallucinate that "this is violence" that was "posted in public areas." The humorless snitch went on to daydream: "If you're not sickened by this; there's something wrong."
Carroll came under fire by all of the politically correct. Hall presidents Dave Lillis '97 and Gary Girzadas '96 publicly apologized and explained the dorm's stance toward the offensive remarks: "The parties involved were reprimanded and notified such intolerable statements could result in dismissal."
In the October 14th Observer it was written that Farley was going to "boycott" Carroll. "Several Farley women approached their resident assistant at a meeting and demanded that the formal be held with a different men's dorm." I believe it was John Bender of "The Breakfast Club" who stated: "B-O-O....H-O-O."
So Carroll had a black eye the rest of the school year. Probably the most interesting item in the Hall Notes, though, was what never made headlines. Apparently the weasel was unfamiliar. You see, the notes were not just written on a blank piece of paper. The writer/artist had sketched a drawing before scribing. It was basically a poor man's watermark, if you will. This went unnoticed and undetailed in the school paper. Let's just say the "eagle" had landed unknowingly and, therefore, avoided a newspaper "spread."
NDSportscenter:
Some stats from the Air Force game: Air Force QB gained 31 yards on 13 carries. (He usually gains 103 yards/game.) Air Force earned 104 yards on the ground. (They usually get 339.) We ran for 335 yards and had a yardage total of 447 yards. (Usually we are 113th or so in the nation in total offense.)
The Irish Guard have been reinstated. They were given "stipulations for their behavior." I believe that includes down pillows, a blankie, and teddy bears. Don't forget your night lights!
The women's soccer team is having its worst regular season in more than a decade. Injuries continue to torment the Irish. This year the team has lost to Villanova and Georgetown, two teams to have NEVER beaten the Irish since we joined the Big East. We lost consecutive games in the Big East for the first time EVER. At one point they had lost 5 of 8 Big East road games. The ladies at one point were 7-6 and eliminated from the Big East post-season tournament. The only hope was an NCAA at-large bid. Since then the women have bounced back and knocked off #8 UConn. They are keeping their slim post-season hopes alive.
Mike Golic is the scheduled guest speaker for the 82nd football banquet. Golic started at defensive end for us in 1983 and at linebacker in 1984. Mike played in the NFL for eight years with Houston, Miami, and Philadelphia. Golic is currently an ESPN football analyst and also has a popular program on ESPN Radio.
Campus News:
Anybody come across Mass in the Basilica on the tube? Since July the Hallmark cable channel has broadcast Sarced Heart's 10a.m. ceremony in conjunction with Faith & Values Media. The Basilica has been outfitted with digital clocks, strategically located cameras, and a control room in the basement of the building. The cameras are purposefully located so as to not be a distraction. No cameramen with roaming units are present. The cameras are not obvious unless a person knows where to look. All measures were taken to not compromise the quality of the celebration or the beauty of the Basilica.
The Mass is clocked at exactly 60 minutes. The key factor in maintaining the schedule is the homily. It has to be seven minutes in duration. The homily is a key issue for those against televising masses. Some feel the homily is cropped and aimed at a national audience instead of the local congregation. Another "con" is the belief that the broadcast compromises the integrity of the Mass and commercializing it cheapens the sacred event. A final concern is that special ceremonies integral to the parish community such as baptisms, weddings, and first communions could not be a part of the liturgy because of the time constraints.
The overall reaction, though, has been positive. The Mass reaches 47 million homes nationwide. The audience is not just the sick and homebound, but also those who have fallen from the Church or who are curious about Catholic worship. (I guess we don't just recruit for football.) Another "pro" is that the telecast is a good way for the University, the Liturgical Choir, and the Congregation of the Holy Cross to gain national exposure. Much like our contract with NBC, our deal with the Hallmark channel will run through June of 2005. We are slowly but surely taking over television. Then the world.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The Gipp has a bone to pick with our beloved police force. You may have noticed green flyers posted around campus for the last couple of weeks announcing that the NDSP is investigating a report of an "Indecent Exposure," purportedly committed by a 40-year-old male Caucasian. The Security Police, hoping to draw attention to its notice, had labeled it "Campus Watch." This got the Gipper thinking, "Is someone trying to outdo me at my own job?" Don't be misled, tipsters - it's the Gipp's duty to report naked middle-aged men on the varsity tennis courts. Officers, you stick to enforcing ambiguous tailgate laws, and the Gipp will stick to his job.
Hall Notes:
The Ratpack was representin' last weekend for the Stanford game. Willie "Mad Rise" Bauer '98 and Paul Lewis '98 made the trek from Oklahoma and Texas, respectively. They crashed with John "Culter" Butler '96 who hosted a tailgater in Senior Bar parking lot. The maroon and gold "V"ermin flag was flapping in the gusty wind. Cris "Pimpi" Diaz '96 also stayed at Casa Butler. Two more in attendance were Mike "Rangers" Reider '97 and Dave Ratliff '97. Dan "Del" Delgado '97 swung by the 'gater as did a few others. Ryan "O-Dogg" O'Leary '96 stopped by as well. Three others made the morning drive. Phil Culcasi '95 (Chicago), Mike "Q" Bergan '95 (Cincy), and Kevin "Cricketman" Reichart '96 (Chicago) were trading tales. Eleven Vermin in all were loitering in the lot. Has there ever been a tighter dorm?
NDSportscenter:
The Irish Guard were not present for the Pittsburgh game. Last weekend ESPN and NBC ran footage of some of the Guardsmen sleeping on the sidelines during the Stanford game. There has been no decision regarding whether they will reappear for the final home games. Band members took over the flag toting duties and hoisted the stars and stripes. The Guard had no comment on the benching. This is not the first suspension for the Guard. In 1986 the Guard was disbanded for alcohol consumption and misconduct while in uniform. They were booted again in 1992 after reports of alcohol violations and hazing. In both cases the Irish Guard did not appear for the rest of the season but returned the following year.
Much ado about nothing. A couple of weeks ago the local sports media was stirring the pot with talk of adding a 13th game to this season. It seems the BCS was considering the Maryland game as "exempt." So since it wasn't going to count, we needed to win an additional game to gain BCS consideration. A lot of hot air was being spouted. Kevin White ended the brouhaha with one phone call. White had a conference call with the BCS commissioners to state our case. We had two main points. One, that Maryland had petitioned for the game to count and the BCS said "yes." Therefore, it obviously should count for us also. Two, the game took place after the Thursday preceding Labor Day, the official BCS cutoff date. Again it was obvious it should count. The BCS commissioners agreed. Of course ESPN analysts blared that the BCS was catering to us instead of stating they reached a fair and logical decision. Of course ESPN analysts suck.
Our ninth recruit is Isaiah Gardner, a cornerback/running back out of Virginia Beach, Virginia. The 5'11", 190 lb. Salem High Schooler had never even visited campus. Last year Isaiah ran for 1,118 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also caught 25 balls for 313 yards. Gardner runs a 4.37 - 40 and is considered a four-star recruit.
"The Shirt" is having its best year ever. The push for a "Sea of Green" has boosted sales to a ridiculous degree. The initial run of shirts numbered 44,000. That sold out quicker than expected. 20,000 more were then reported to have been made. At least 64,000 have been purchased compared to 41,000 for all of last year. Another shipment arrived just before the Pittsburgh. Prior to this most recent shipment, the assistant Student Union treasurer stated The Shirt charity fund had accumulated $442,512.68. The fund is used to assist students with their financial needs, including medical aid. 18,000 more were rushed in the Friday before the Pittsburgh game.
We play at Air Force on October 19th. It is a night game. Tune into ESPN at 9pm central time.
Campus News:
The University's honor code has had a dramatic addition. The services of an online-plagiarism detection company have been employed to crack down on internet-related cheating. Turnitin.com will allow professors to submit a student's paper and to receive a set of "Originality Reports" within 24 hours, revealing if any internet documents or resources are used in the student's work. This is the most significant change to the honor code since its inception in 1989.
North Dining Hall is getting funky. It's not just dining, it's a dining experience. During "sweeps" year the University is pulling out all the stops to best "Survivor" in the ratings. Music is piped throughout NDH. Contests have been held for prizes such as a CD player and a mountain bike. A cooking class was offered during a promotion for National Rice Month. "The dining hall is not only about eating, but also about entertaining," said John Glon, NDH manager. "We want to make this a hang-out place for students." Eighty students participated in the Rice Race with the winner receiving the previously mentioned mountain bike. Food selection and variety have also been a priority. Got soy milk? You betcha. There is at least one vegetarian and vegan alternative on the menu every day. A greater selection of fresh fruits and grilled vegetables are available. Fish and grilled or roasted meat add to the healthy variety. Future ideas include trial periods for different kinds of food, such as Mediterranean or Cuban or shrimp in the stir-fry bar. However, until they introduce juggling midgets and supermodel body shots, I'm sticking with my fond memories of SDH.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Not too long ago, the NDSP, ever-vigilantly monitoring the second-floor windows of the women's dorms, started noticing a few naked bodies in Pangborn. After using high-powered binoculars to verify that the bodies in question were, indeed, nude, and calling in an expert panel of their South Bend high-school buddies, the cops decided to alert Pangborn's rectress. Now, the Phoxy Ladies are being cautioned to keep their blinds closed after showering, or at the very least, to charge a small spectator fee.
Hall Notes:
This historical note is for the year 1911. It comes from the 1948 book titled "Notre Dame One Hundred Years"....
The history of daily communion at Notre Dame began when John O'Hara was yet a student and young instructor, about the year 1911. As he observed the preps in Carroll Hall, he was convinced that their spiritual welfare demanded some special care, the care of a priest who, while not quelling their youthful ardor, would direct them in a manly, spiritual way, particularly fostering the practice of daily communion. He went to Father Cavanaugh with his idea, and pestered him until the president appointed Father Cornelius Hagerty as religious director for Carroll Hall.
It would be a mistake to suppose that Carroll Hall became at once a model of perfection. There was the same boisterousness, the same appetite for pranks, the same youthful restlessness. But there was something new, too. The chapel on the third floor of the Administration Building was made the chapel for the Carroll Hallers. There they had their own religious devotions, their sermons, their novenas. Every night as well as in the morning during Mass, some priest was there in the confessional. There was a "calling list," signed by those who wished to be called in the morning for Mass and Communion. On Monday evenings they held meetings of the Eucharistic Society - Anarchistic Society, it was called by a neighboring professor, who had not grown quite deaf. One thing was noted principally: the boys were happy. And so was John O'Hara as he watched them.
NDSportscenter:
Tyrone got a Sea of Green yesterday, as requested. Green papers were handed out to all 80,000+ spectators. The stadium was coated in green for kickoff. Of note: Larry King was in attendance at yesterday's game. He was a special guest of Regis. "Meet the Press'" Tim Russert was also in the house. And the dual-reversing waves made it's first appearance of the season in the second half during the blowout. Yip, the dual-reversing waves....gotta love it. It's what separates us from state schools.
Fullback Ashley McConnell committed to the Irish without ever having visited the campus. The Georgia native out of Adairsville High School is a four-star recruit according to Tom Lemming. He runs a 4.6 - 40. McConnell is 6', 230lbs. and turned down offers from North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Ashley had this to say: "Recruits from around the country better get on board or they're going to be left behind.... I watched the Michigan game. How could you not want to be a part of that? Yes sir, it was an easy decision."
Once again the Irish hoops team will be amongst the leaders in televised games. The ballers will be on national television a total of ten times (CBS twice, ABC once, ESPN four times, & ESPN2 three times). In addition to our Big East foes, look for us on the tube versus Kentucky and Marquette.
"Notre Dame's Big Haul." That's what was said about Wes O'Neill, a 6'4", 195lb. 17-year-old hockey star. The Essex, Ontario teenager was accelerated in high school so he could be eligible to play college hockey in 2003. O'Neill was the #2 choice in the Ontario Hockey League Draft, one of the top Canadian feeder leagues for the NHL. However, instead of turning pro Wes chose to play college hockey. And he picked the Irish over powerhouses Wisconsin and Michigan. To prepare for the NCAA game, O'Neill will play this season for Green Bay of the United States Hockey League.