Campus News:
Sad news from the weekend of the Michgan game. Ryan O'Connor '02, age 24, died as a result of head trauma sustained when he was struck by an automobile. O'Connor, who had recently returned from military service in Iraq, had left a bar with a group of friends and was walking to a local restaurant. Most of the group had already crossed South Bend Avenue. O'Connor and another person stopped on the side of the street. A witness told police that O'Connor then ran across the street for an unknown reason. He crossed paths with a car driven by a 19-year-old South Bend resident who is also a sophomore at St. Mary's. The 19-year-old was given a blood alcohol content test at the scene. The 19-year-old did test positive for alcohol. The exact blood-alcohol level was not divulged but it was less than the legal benchmark of 0.08. She was ticketed for a misdemeanor count of consuming alcohol as a minor and for the violation of being under 21 with a blood-alcohol level of 0.02 percent or higher.
The speed limit was 35 mph but the driver's speed was not known. The street is lit fairly well except for the intersection where the accident took place. The street lamp was out at the time of the accident.
There was a bomb scare at LaFortune! A few weeks ago LaFortune was ordered to be evacuated after the discovery of two suspicious packages. The packages were found outside the building's east entrance. Initially they were believed to be potential explosives. The South Bend Police bomb squad were called in and 200 people were evacuated. The first object was described as a standard size black leather briefcase, which was eventually identified as a mechanic's tool kit. A second object was then sought. Apparently it is standard police procedure to begin searching for additional suspicious objects after a potential explosive is discovered. K-9 dogs were brought in to sniff packages. X-rays were also taken. The second package contained a note and a small air horn and appeared to be part of a scavenger hunt. False alarm. ND's Security Director said the University has experienced similar threats in the past, but nothing serious.
Campus Watch from Scholastic:
More on the College Town piece from Scholastic:
Lyphout says the city also stands to benefit from the additional businesses, jobs, and attractions that the proposed multi-use development will provide. As a result, the city has cooperated closely with the university in the development. The city created a mixed-use, residential and commercial zone for the Eddy St. corridor. Such zones previously did not exist in South Bend. In December 2003, the city officially declared the neighborhood south of campus a redevelopment area, which allows it to be declared a tax incremental financing (TIF) district. When a TIF district is developed and improved, any resulting increase in property taxes in the district can be recycled back into the district to be used for further improvements.
Once
the property is developed, both community leaders and the university envision
shops and
services that will cater to both South Bend residents and people affiliated
with the university. "We'd like to see shops that will bring character
and help complement the neighborhood," Eagan says. Lyphout says, "[South
Bend residents'] participation, their support of thte businesses there, will
be critical to the project."
Hall Notes:
Navy blue? What happened to maroon and gold? The most recent Carroll t-shirts seem to have experienced a change in color. I believe last year's shirt (and maybe this year's shirt) were navy blue with white lettering. I mean I can understand navy blue for a shirt saying "Notre Dame" but these shirts seemed to be exclusively dedicated to Carroll. Have our dorm colors been abandoned?
NDSportscenter:
Members of the men's golf team were in an accident on the Indiana Toll Road. Six members were driving to a course in a university-owned van. A freshman golfer was at the wheel. They missed their exit and attempted to turn around in the median under an overpass. The vehicle slowed significantly in the westbound left lane to prepare for the turn and was side-swiped by a semi-truck that veered onto the shoulder to avoid striking the van in the rear. The student driver was ticketed for an unlawful U-turn. One team member riding in the van suffered minor injuries. The driver of the semi-truck was not injured.
The women's soccer team is now #1. The ladies undefeated record, coupled with a North Carolina tie, has positioned the women in first place in the polls. Junior forward Katie Thorlakson is leading the charge. In the first four games Katie gathered 16 points on 5 goals and 6 assists. Against #4 Santa Clara she tallied 3 goals and 2 assists. She became the first Domer to ever repeat as Big East Offensive Player of the Week.
Football
notes: after astounding play in the Michigan State game (interception, fumble
recovery, touchdown, team's leading tackler), sophomore Tom Zbikowski was named
the national Defensive Player of the Week....Darius Walker is not only a phenomenal
athlete, but also a fantastic student. He was a straight-A student in high school....
red-shirt freshman cornerback Isaiah Gardner has left the team and school. He
apparently has transferred to Maryland....Coach Willingham has been sued. Tyrone's
living community has filed a suit against him and his wife contending that the
fence under construction in their backyard is in violation of the association's
covenants. They've taken the offensive against de fence....An article has been
posted on the "Articles of Interest" page telling about the Gipper
and the Michigan game.
Campus News:
Tariq Ramadan, an internationally recognized Islamic scholar, was to teach at the University this semester. He and his family have been denied admittance to the country. Ramadan is at his home in Switzerland trying to regain a work visa. The visa had been revoked at the request of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. A State Department spokesperson cited the Immigration and Nationality Act, part of which deals with aliens who have used a "position of prominence within any country to endorse or espouse terrorist activity." Another section bars aliens whose entry may have "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States." However the spokesperson did not say whether either applied to Ramadan's case. Ramadan is considered a moderate Islamic voice by some and an Islamic extremist by others. The University only learned of the problem two weeks prior to the start of classes. Homeland Security did not provide a reason for the visa denial.
Ramadan was to teach at the university's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. He was to teach about religion, conflict and peacebuilding. It is an endowed, full-time, tenured faculty position. Father Malloy has taken it upon himself to get Ramadan admitted. Supposedly Monk has met with Washington political leaders about Ramadan. Ramadan was quoted as saying: "I don't understand why this decision was taken. I have been trying to promote freedom and more democracy... All of my work has involved writing and speaking out against all kinds of violence, extremism and literalism." Ramadan sometimes is critical of U.S. policies and Israel, but he also has criticized actions of Islamic countries, such as Saudi Arabia. His class was to be titled "Introduction to Islamic Ethics" and have seventeen students. Yehudit Barsky, a terrorism expert of the American Jewish Committee, described Ramadan as a Muslim proselytizer who tries to bring legitimacy to Islamic militants. His grandfather allegedly had terrorist ties. He came under harsh criticism from the Jewish community for a posting on a Muslim website where he suggested certain French intellectuals' views on Israel and the war in Iraq were swayed by the concerns of Jews. Last April Time Magazine named Ramadan one of the world's 100 most influential people. He has been teaching at the College of Seneva and the University of Fribourg, both in Switzerland.
Campus Watch from Scholastic:
More on the College Town piece:
Economic leaders in the community approve of the university's plan and think it will be successful in revitalizing the neighborhood. "I think all the concepts are sound," says Mark Eagan, President and CEO of the St. Joseph's County Chamber of Commerce. "Some of the neighborhoods around the university....have been on the decline," he says. "My hope is that [this new investment] will be a catalyst for other development."
Donald Inks, director of the City of South Bend's Division of Economics, shares this positive outlook. He says the university approached his office approximately one year ago with their plans for developing the area south of campus. "We thought they had done some good work," he says. "I think it will have a positive effect for both the university and the neighborhood."
Rucker says that the development will address basic needs of the neighborhood. "You can't buy a loaf of bread in that neighborhood," she says. "That's a problem." Rucker also says development will make the neighborhood a more appealing place for university faculty and staff to live. If more university employees move into the neighborhood rather than to newer communities like Granger, it will create a greater tax base for South Bend.
Hall Notes:
Last week details were given on the transition from lofts to modular units. This move mainly had to do with the sprinkler system. If a loft covered the sprinkler, parts of the loft had to be removed to expose the sprinkler head. Manish Patel '95 had some input:
"Now when they inspected all the lofts for violations, they made some people completely take them down and left others alone. I don't know how these guys did not have to take this loft down, but my junior year [Tom] Fraire, [Phil] Culcasi, [Pete] Buonaccorsi, and [Kevin] Hoffman [all '95 Domers] had a loft on the second floor that covered the entire room! Basically a two story room. Beds on top, and desks below. Across the hall was the common room. Entertainment center, couches, chairs, pretty much wall to wall carpeting, and a direct view of the Golden Dome out the window. It served as a party room, hook up room, sleeping room, and anything else your imagination can think of. It's the best common room I can think of."
NDSportscenter:
Who is Darius Walker? If you didn't know the freshman before the Michigan game then you had better faith in our upperclassmen running backs than I did. Walker should have been a top contender to start the day he set foot on campus. Darius is not related to Herschel Walker but he broke all his Georgia high school records. Darius scored 46 touchdown in his senior year ALONE. He did not play the first quarter in the Michigan game but still had 31 carries. His 115 yards versus the Wolverines were the most for a freshman since Julius Jones broke 100 against Navy in 1999.
So ESPN's Gameday television program was planning on coming to campus for the Michigan game. After we got abused by BYU, ESPN changed their mind and went to the South Carolina-Georgia game. And now they are back on our bandwagon. They headed to Michigan State to cover our game.
Remember Gary Godsey? He's our former tight end who did not receive a 6th year of eligibility because of two ACL injuries. Now he's an actor. For a little while anyway. A producer from Paramount Pictures had seen articles about the NCAA's decision to deny a 6th year. He contacted Godsey about being in a movie, "The Longest Yard." It's a re-make of a '74 film and stars Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds, and rapper Nelly. Gary has a limited role as a defensive end, no lines, and does some stunt-doubling. It's slated for a spring '05 release. After filming wraps, Gary will be back on campus to take four classes to complete his master's degree in applied psychology.
Campus News:
Once again the University offered a $10 a ticket concert at the JACC for students the first weekend of the school year. The concert, known as "The Show," is basically meant to counter The Rally in the Alley and other drinking escapades the first weekend of school. The Show 3.0 featured rapper Talib Kweli and coffee-house-performer-turned-national- pop-star Jason Mraz. Last year The Show attracted 4,000 students.
And now for the Rally in the Alley. The annual party at Turtle Creek again turned a little ugly. Two students were tasered during arrests at the Rally. One was a Domer and one was a Holy Cross student. The two separate incidents involved disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement.
Finally, the opening weekend had one last news item. After a Friday night of partying, a female Domer awoke naked near an abandoned home off campus. She awoke to discover bruises on her body. Medical tests revealed no evidence of sexual assault. There was no evidence of attack. The student's last memory of the night was dancing at the Linebacker Lounge. She awoke in a yard adjacent to the athletic fields east of campus.
Campus Watch from Scholastic:
More from the College Town piece:
Constructing the proposed multi-use development will be a collaborative effort, and financing the development will be no different. The university, the city of South Bend and developers will all contribute capital to the development, which they feel will serve the interests of all involved.
The university currently owns the property upon which the proposed multi-use development will be built, including the land where the Logan Center is located and two large lots near the five-points intersection. The university will not, however, raise money to construct the new buildings, as it does for on-campus buildings. Rather, the university will sell the land to developers or establish long-term leases with them. The developers will then build on the property and charge tenants for space in their buildings.
Lyphout says that the university will not gain financially from the development. "I don't think the university wants to own and operate businesses," he says. "We just want to facilitate a process that will result in desireable business development in that district." The university hopes that such development will improve the somewhat impoverished neighborhood south of campus.
Hall Notes:
For the older Vermin from before the '90s, dorm life today is obviously very different. Certainly the electronics have changed but so has the University-provided furniture. Old school Vermin were given a desk, a bed, and a wardrobe. Loft construction was up to the Vermin and they were up to the task. Most of the Vermin back in the day built lofts to put beds up and out of the way. But the freshmen in the fall of 1993 received what is now standard furniture. Now all the rooms in Carroll have a modular furniture system. A bed is on top of a wardrobe and a desk. The furniture can still be separated but most Vermin just keep it all as one unit. By 1994 all the residents of Carroll had the modular units. Lofts, as old school Vermin knew them, had become a thing of the past.
NDSportscenter:
The women's soccer team is ranked as high as #2 in the polls and is in the top 3 in all four polls. Two of the players are pre-season All Americans. Fifth year central defender Melissa Tancredi and senior right back Candace Chapman are amongst the best in the nation. They are off to a solid start knocking off #13 Stanford and #4 Santa Clara.
Safety Tom Zbikowski actually left campus for a day during fall practice. He said he just left school for a day, but not the team. Some speculated he was considering transferring. Tom stopped those rumors immediately. The sophomore started in the BYU game.
Football tickets for students are up to $159 for the booklet. Again the tickets were acquired via a lottery. No more campouts. In fact there is now discussion about the students getting their tickets on-line. What fun! Cyber-camping out! The social scene on campus just seems to get better every year.
Electronic Arts Sports, better known as EA Sports, came to campus on August 31 for the 2004 EA Sports NCAA Football Challenge. Domers signed up to play each other in head-to-head action on PlayStation2. ND was the first stop on the 16-school tour. It's the first year for the contest. The sixteen winners meet and compete in Las Vegas on December 10 and 11. The winner earns a $10,000 prize.
Campus News:
1991. That's the number of new freshmen. The SAT stats and so forth won't be mentioned. Every year has better numbers than the year before. Ethnic minorities are 22% and children of alumni are 22%. Once again more students accepted the University's offer than the University was prepared for. Seventy freshmen had to be crammed into dorms. Women's dorms were most affected. Every available study lounge was converted into inhabitable space. Some doubles were bumped up to triples. The problem still persists for some men's dorms also. Walsh and BP were left out of the crunch because the size and configurations of the rooms made the changes nearly impossible. The study lounges lack a sink and are smaller than regular rooms. Many were set aside for upperclassmen floating for a single. Freshman were most likely to end up in a cramped triples.
Some transfers to Notre Dame are now at St. Mary's. Because of overcrowding, seventeen women transfer students are living across the street. Regina North Hall is the new home for some new Domers. All are on the fifth floor together and only Domers are on that floor. The situation is temporary. As space on campus opens up, the transfer students will move to ND. This is expected to be a one-time thing, not a trend.
Once again freshmen were assigned reading over the summer. This year it was "The Vanishing Voter," a book about the role of citizenship in democracy and voter participation in the U.S. Over the summer an online discussion board was even available. About 400 students wrote postings in preparation for the freshmen campus discussion.
Campus Watch from Scholastic:
More from the College Town piece from Scholastic:
In addition to new buildings, the plans for the proposed development call for improvements to surrounding streets. The university want to create a "pedestrian friendly environment" between the development's park and its commercial and residential space. Edison Rd./Angela Blvd. will separate the park from the new buildings, but according to Rucker, the road's current configuration is too "foreboding."
"People just don't think of walking across [Edison/ Angela] to hang out on the campus," Rucker says. "We want to make that more pedestrian- friendly so that people feel invited to come and hang out on the campus, to spend time, to use it like a park."
The Campus Master Plan calls for the straightening of Edison/Angela between Notre Dame Avenue and Eddy St. The straightening will move the intersection of Edison/Angela and Eddy to the south. It will create more space for the park south of the Performing Arts Center and, after the closing of Juniper St., it will create a less intimidating, three-way intersection with Eddy St.
Lyphout adds that improvements to the "five-points" intersection of South Bend Ave., Corby Blvd. and Eddy St. will also be necessary, as that intersection will mark the south end of the commercial and residential development. Smaller improvements like tree-lined sidewalks, on-street parking and landscaped medians will also serve to make the proposed development more appealing to pedestrians.
Hall Notes:
Normally at this point you are informed of Vermin to look out for on the field during Irish games. Unfortunately it doesn't look like any of the men living in Carroll will be major players in this football season. The only Vermin link is receiver and fifth year senior Carlyle Holiday. Since he is a fifth year senior he's no longer living in Carroll. But he's all we've got this year.
NDSportscenter:
The home game versus Michigan is on NBC and kickoff is set for 2:30pm central time. The Wolverines may have a new quarterback and running back and word is their secondary might be their best ever. Ryan Grant entered the BYU game in questionable condition. He has missed over three weeks of practice while nursing that tweaked hamstring. Two of our defensive lineman also saw limited action prior to the BYU game. End Justin Tuck and tackle Kyle Budinscak are both coming off ACL surgeries. The BYU game was the actual first real test of those knees. They played well. Sadly we only mustered 11 yards rushing on 21 carries.
Domers came away from Athens with four gold medals. The first was the fencer told of last week. Then it was our two representatives on the women's soccer team. Kate Sobrero Markgraf and Shannon Boxx were key defenders on the National Team and helped defeat Brazil 2-1 in the gold medal game. And on her 25th birthday Ruth Riley won gold after Team USA downed Australia. Prior to this Olympics only two Domers had won gold. Adrian Dantley won gold in basketball in 1976 and Vince Boryla also won gold in hoops in 1948.
Two other Domers got Olympic experience. Freshman Andrew MacKay swam for the Cayman Islands. He set the country's record in the 400 meter Individual Medley. Andrew is the Islands first ever Olympic qualifier. He finished 33rd in the 400 I.M. Former Irish fencer Jan Viviani went only as an epee alternate. But he saw action versus Ukraine. He got in three bouts and won one.
Joe
Montana was on campus to watch practice a couple of weeks ago. He was in town
to move in his daughter who is a freshman this year.
Campus News:
Some NCAA news to report. Monk will be chairing an NCAA task force that will analyze a study on sports wagering. The task force will recommend strategies to counteract gambling amongst student-athletes.
The University has been unconditionally recertified by the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification. We were last certified in 1997 with the purpose of insuring integrity in collegiate athletics programs and assisting department in improving their operations. The certification process includes a review of six components: governance and commitment to rules compliance, academic integrity, fical integrity, equity, welfare, and sportsmanship. Nine other schools were similarly certified. It means a school operates its athletics program in "substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Division I membership."
Praise was given to all components of the athletic department. In the area of academic integrity and support, the report noted that ND is "committed to the academic success of its student-athletes and demonstrates this by requiring three more core courses than what is required by the NCAA."
In the areas of gender and minority equity, the committee reported that ND has "affirmed and demonstrated its commitment to fair and equitable treatment" of male, female, and minority student-athletes.
Since the last certification the University has improved its athletics program in numerous ways. The Morse Center for Academic Services for Student-Athletes was built a few years ago. Rowing and lacrosse were added for women. As of this fall all of our sports will be fully funded for the maximum amount of financial aid allowed by the NCAA. The athletic department created 86 new grants-in-aid to do so. Finally, the University enhanced its Student Development Program to help student-athletes reach their full potential in all areas of their lives. In 2000 this program received a Program of Excellence Award from the NCAA.
Campus Watch from Scholastic:
More from the College Town piece:
Despite the university's emphasis on adhering to its traditional architectural styles for new buildings on campus, the university will not attempt to impose this look on the proposed multi-use development. "We don't want people to think Notre Dame is sprawling into the surrounding community, " Marsh says. Therefore, the appearance of the proposed development will reflect the scale and the materials of the existing buildings in the neighborhood south of campus and will be the result of collaboration between the university, the city, the developers, and the residents of the surrounding community.
When these groups might see some actual buildings is still up in the air. "It's a moving target right now," Lyphout says. "It might be as little as 18 months; it might be as long as three or four years, depending on what kinds of developers we can interest in the project, and how quickly they can direct their resources to the project." He adds, "All I can say is that we're working on it very diligently, and we want to bring it to fruition as soon as possible."
Hall Notes:
Last week various Vermin in the NFL were highlighted. One of the noted Vermin was receiver Arnaz Battle who is with the San Francisco 49ers. Well the South Bend Tribune just ran an AP article on Arnaz. Nice coincidence. The piece has been posted on the "Articles of Interest" page.
NDSportscenter:
The NCAA is supposedly clamping down on recruiting tactics. We will no longer be able to pick up and transport recruits in H1 or H2 Hummers. It's a shame. The ND Hummer is tight.
Speaking of recruits, Tyrone has three more verbals to add. Verbal #6 is wide receiver David Nelson of Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Texas. Nelson is a big target at 6'6" and 195 lb. Last year he snagged 56 catches for 1,056 yards and 14 touchdowns. David received 19 scholarship offers. We were favored over Nebraska, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State. Tom Lemming has Nelson as a 5-star player. He has the skills to really help spread a defense.
The 7th recruit is a quarterback from Marshall, Michigan. Evan Sharpley is a top 20 quarterback and Lemming has him as the 3rd best in the midwest. It came down to Purdue and us. Other interested schools were Iowa, LSU, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana. Last year the 6'2", 200 lb. Sharpley completed 145 of 285 passes for 1,942 yards and 19 touchdowns. Evan also has a keen interest in our baseball team. He's intrigued by receiver Jeff Samardzija who was also a pitcher. Sharpley would also like to give baseball a shot. Last year he hit .510 with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs.
David Grimes was the next high schooler to verbally commit. Grimes is a Detroit guy from St. Martin de Porres High. His size is a question mark. David is only 5'10" and 167 lb. (But Joey Getherall was smaller and he tore it up for us.) Grimes chose us over Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana. His "no fear" attitude will bring toughness. Lemming gave him props for running solid routes, having good hands, and stellar concentration. Overall Lemming says we have a good class so far, but not a great class.
Domer
Olympic wrap-up next week.
Campus News:
The following article is actually a couple years old, I believe. I found it buried in a stash of ND news items. It is an Associated Press piece:
ND APOLOGIZES TO STUDENT FOR SEXUAL CONTACT
ALBANY, N.Y. - The University of Notre Dame has apologized to a former student who says a priest had sexual contact with him in the 1970s.
Mark Fuller, 47, of Little Falls, N.Y., said a priest who was his counselor made sexual contact with him when he was a 19-year-old at the university. The priest, from the Erie County, Pa., Roman Catholic Diocese, temporarily worked at Notre Dame, a university official said.
Fuller would not identify the priest, but said he no longer is in active ministry.
"We feel very bad about this," said the Rev. Richard Warner, counselor to the president and director of campus ministry at Notre Dame. "We feel even worse because... he's lived with it quietly for all those years and has had to seek out counseling. It wasn't brought to our attention until almost a year ago."
No complaints against the priest were found during his time at the university, he said. Warner said two other sexual incidents involving priests were reported at the university since the early 1970s. Fuller's was the first report since 1991, Warner said.
"Those are the three incidents that we have been dealing with," Warner said, who confirmed the apology to Fuller.
Fuller said Notre Dame officials told him the priest was defrocked, although the university never proved the charge.
"We certainly are always willing to look into a situation as soon as we know about it, " Warner said.
Campus Watch from Scholastic:
More fromt the Scholastic piece on ND becoming a College Town:
Lyphout hopes the retailers in the development will appeal to students, though he says they will not be "big box" retailers like Target or Meijer. Instead, he envisions private businesses and moderately sized chain stores: "My concept is it's going to be things like a bicycle shop, a coffee shop, maybe a kind of Gap store, a small bookstore, a branch bank, a dentist's office, a doctor's office, an Irish pub."
No specific businesses have agreed to occupy the development yet, because it is still in the very early stages of planning, according to Lyphout. The university is currently searching for someone to fill the position of real estate professional, whose job it will be to call a developer's conference. For this conference, the university will invite several pre-qualified developers to campus to guage their interest levels in developing the university's property and to examine their concepts for development. The meeting will allow the university to create relationships with people who can bring capital to the project.
Once developers agree to build on the property, they can proceed with architectural plans for the buildings. Douglas Marsh, the university architect, says that most developers use their own designers, but his office, which was instrumental in creating the Campus Master Plan, will also have significant say in the appearance of the proposed multi-use development. For example, the university will develop design standards, guidelines for the appearance of the development, such as what streetlights must look like and what building materials may be used. The city of South Bend will adopt these design standards for the college town and make developers adhere to them while constructing the proposed multi-use development.
Hall Notes:
Keep an eye out for some noticeable Vermin on Sundays. Four one-time Vermin should see plenty of playing time in the NFL. Bert Berry will be a starting defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals. Anthony Weaver will also be a starting defensive lineman, but for the staunch defense of the Baltimore Ravens. Rookie Julius Jones will probably not be the starter for the Dallas Cowboys but he should get plenty of opportunities throughout the year. And Arnaz Battle is the #3 receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers lost their two starting receivers. Arnaz should be competing for playing time. He will also possibly be a returner. In a pre-season game versus Oakland Arnaz took it to the house on an amazing run with a handful of broken tackles. Always keep an eye open for the Vermin.
NDSportscenter:
There's gold in them there hills. Incoming freshman Mariel Zagunis of Beaverton, Oregon won the gold medal in women's sabre. The Irish fencer beat her Chinese opponent 15-9. It is the first even U.S. women's fencing medal. It is also the first U.S. fencing medal in 20 years. Finally, it's the U.S.'s first fencing gold since 1904. Mariel almost didn't make the Olympics. She only made it after another fencer declined to participate. She is ranked #4 in the world and has the Games in her bloodline. Both parents were Olympic rowers. Mariel has sprinted back to the U.S. because she's moving on to campus this weekend since classes start Tuesday. She is a year older than most frosh. She deferred a year to train for the Olympics.
Three football players are off the team and out of school. All of those not reporting for fall practice are sophomores. Fullback Ashley McConnell, defensive end Dwight Stevenson Jr., and defensive back Labrose Hedgemon are gone and there's no sign they are coming back.
Just a reminder: the first game of the season is on September 4th versus BYU. We are on the road and the game will be on ESPN at 8:15pm central time. (I think.)
Rocky VI? Sophomore defensive back Tom Zbikowski is so into boxing that he hopes to pursue it should the NFL not be in his future. Earlier this summer he applied to be a part of "The Contender," an upcoming NBC reality show. The winner gets $1 million. The university signed off on the deal but stressed that he could not accept any benefits for participating. The show is now filming with 16 contestants. Since Tom is at fall camp it's obvious he didn't make the cut. But he has a possible future in the ring. The Chicago boy has nearly 70 amateur fights to his credit over the last nine years.
Tyrone landed recruits #4 and #5 a few weeks ago. Scott Smith attends Highland (Ill.) High School. Scott is a 6'4", 230lb. linebacker. He makes plays from sideline to sideline and loves contact. Smith attended one day of an ND summer camp and was offered a scholarship on July 6th. He chose us over UCLA, Michigan State, Illinois, Arizona, Northwestern, Indiana, and Bowling Green.
Sugar Land, Texas native Kevin Washington was verbal #5. Last year he played safety and this year he'll be a quarterback. But apparently we are recruiting the 6'1", 219lb. Washington as a linebacker. Kevin passed on opportunities from Northwestern, Wisconsin, Houston, and Louisiana-Monroe. Tom Lemming said both prospects are good, solid players, but not blue-chippers or difference-makers.
Campus News:
Here's the word on two other on-going construction projects:
The $21.25 million Guglielmino Athletics Center is a facility for the football team and other varsity athletes. It is behind (to the east of) Rolfs Sports Recreation Center. It has wiped out the parking lot in front of Loftus and consumed half of the outdoor tennis courts. The construction involves the front of Loftus so entry to the facility is now mid-span on the south side. The center is expected to be finished in fall 2005.
Construction continues south of campus across Angela Boulevard on the South Bend Center for Medical Education, a local branch of Indiana University of Medicine. Notre Dame will lease half the building from IU for research laboratories. Construction on that building is expected to be complete in summer 2005. "Expected" is the key word for this building. It seems to be going up much slower than the new science hall. And this summer the workers apparently went on strike for a little while. Picketing and completion dates go together like a Florida State Seminole and a textbook.
One week left before the rugrats again invade the campus. Classes begin Tuesday, August 24. Monk kicks off his final year at the helm. Maybe Tyron can send him out on a high notes. (But don't bet on it.)
Campus Watch from Scholastic:
More on turning the Bend into a college town from a Scholastic piece:
James Lyphout is the university's vice president for Business Operations, the office overseeing the implementation of the campus plan. He says the university feels the need to redevelop the area south of campus because Notre Dame, unlike many universities, lacks a lively college town adjacent to campus. Potential university employees are quick to point out this deficiency.
"When we try to recruit faculty and other senior level people to the university," Lyphout says, "what is often mentioned is the lack of a place where the community and the students and faculty come together for coffee or at a bookstore or common points of interest."
Jackie Rucker, a lifelong resident of South Bend and the director of Notre Dame's Office of Community Relations, has several ideas as to why a college town never developed around Notre Dame. She says that since the university is so self-contained, students have never been dependent on South Bend for amenities such as housing, dining or entertainment. Conversely, South Bend was once a bustling manufacturing town thanks to companies like Bendix, AM General and Studebaker. As such, Notre Dame was not such an integral part of its identity.
Urban sprawl also contributed to the lack of a college town, Rucker says. In the past, university faculty and staff commonly lived in the neighborhood directly south of campus; in fact, Notre Dame Avenue was once referred to as "faculty row." Over the years, however, people who ordinarily would have bought in that neighborhood have moved to Granger and other, newer communities. This decline in residential development near campus has been accompanied by a decline in commercial development, as well.
Through the proposed multi-use development, the university will bring both new residential space and new commercial space near campus. Lyphout envisions a series of three-story buildings. Apartments or condominiums for students, faculty and other South Bend residents would occupy the third and second floors of these buildings. The street level and some second floor space would be for commercial use.
More next week.
Hall Notes:
When last we gave specific information on Duane "Cobain" Cobenais, he was unemployed. He's added to his work history since then. Digital River was first. Then it was on to Healthpartners. That wasn't all it was cracked up to be because another trip was made to unemployment. Two more companies jumped into the fray: U.S. Bank and United Health Group. (What's with all the "health"? I thought Cobain was a die-hard couch potato.) Duane is currently a consultant for Ambient Consulting. He's doing data warehousing in the IT industry.
And the family has expanded. St. Paul, Minnesota is home to Duane, fiancee Alicia, and six-month-old Elijah Thomas (born on February 27). Eli is a brute. He weighed in at 8lb 6oz and doubled that in four months. He's in the 90-95 percentile on the growth charts so a future as an ND lineman is not out of the question. Child #2 is also on the way. It is expected in March of 2005. The long awaited wedding has been pushed back to July of 2005. What a long, strange trip it's been.
NDSportscenter:
Nine, count 'em, nine Domers will be in the Olympics. The biggest name is probably Ruth Riley of basketball fame. Soccer star Kate Sobrero Markgraf is back in the Olympics. She is joined on the National Team by Shannon Boxx. Another women's soccer player, Monica Gonzalez, is in the Olympics on the Mexican National Team. One of our freshmen is on the U.S. fencing team. Mariel Zagunis thrusts the sabre. Four- time All American fencer Jan Viviani is a U.S. team alternate for the epee. Junior butterfly specialist Christel Bouvron is swimming the 200 meters for Singapore. Andrew MacKay will be in the 200 meter and 400 meter Individual Medleys for the Cayman Islands. Finally, volunteer track coach Peta Gaye Dowdie will be on the 4x100 meter relay for Jamaica.
Tyrone has verbal recruit #3. Asaph Schwapp is 6'0", 250lb, and alllllll fullback. This guy is an ox. He doesn't have great speed but he benches 415 and blocks like a champion. Schwapp is out of Weaver High School in Hartford, Connecticut. Asaph committed to us after de-committing from Maryland. He had interest from UConn, Indiana, Penn State, Wisconsin, and boston college. Schwapp has a 3.5 GPA and scored 1010 on the SAT. He plans to study finance.
The Athletic Department revealed a press release telling of 17 Domers that are playing professional baseball. Recent grad Matt Macri has been tearing it up in the minors already and just made the minors All-Star game. We have two in the major leagues and four playing triple A ball.
The Athletic Department also released pro football news. We have had 88 players on opening-day rosters in the NFL over the last 8 years. Of those 88, 82 had their degrees for a graduation rate of 93.2%. Our overall student-athlete graduation rate is 87%.
Campus News:
The fence surrounding the DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts has finally come down. The landscaping is the last bit of work. The drives are being shaped and the sod is being planted. Be sure to check it out if you have the opportunity to get back for a football game.
Plenty of other construction is on-going. The $11 million new post office/security building on the old Stepan courts is scheduled to be finished in December. With Juniper Road closing, the public will have to access the post office from Douglas. It's a three-story building in the style of others on campus. Those around the construction marvel at the most elaborate security building in the history of the world.
The $70 million Jordan Hall of Science is going up just north of the JACC, just east of Juniper, and just west of Rolfs Recreation Center. The building is scheduled for completion in summer 2006. It is an extremely complex structure. That is why it will take two more years despite the speedy frame construction. The skeleton of the building is large, robust, sturdy and seemingly never-ending. It has gone up quickly and looms over Juniper. The far north end of the hall is interesting. Protruding from the main body of the building is an octogon-shaped appendage. Methinks that will be the grand entrance. For those unfamiliar with construction sites, you can tell the complexity of the project by the number of trailers on the site. Well there are about a dozen trailers on the site's perimeter. There must be sub-contractors up the wazzu, all with their specialty work for the science building. This thing's going to be a monster when it's finished.
Campus Watch from Scholastic:
This past year Scholastic dished on the not-so-blatantly- public plans the University has for the south end of campus and the neighborhood there. The piece was titled "Our Town." It detailed how Notre Dame hopes to bring College Town, U.S.A. to South Bend. The entire article will be presented in segments. And so it begins...
By: Jim Ryan
Just a stone's throw away from campus, a vintage clothing store rubs elbows with a piano bar, and down the street a sandwich shop sates shoppers famished from lugging bags of roll-neck sweaters and rare vinyl records. At the burger joint on the corner, lunchtime conversations about the nominations for president and the nomenclature for carbonated beverages are interrupted only the pony-tailed kid with $5.75 in his guitar case and a sad rendition of "Mr. Bojangles" on his lips.
Such images may call to mind classic "college towns" like Austin, Boston and Ann Arbor. But South Bend, despite a smattering of off-campus hangouts like Boracho Burrito and The Salvation Army Store, does not exactly fit that bill.
The image of South Bend may be nearing change, however, as the university plans the development of a combination of commercial and residential space south of campus in an effort to create a college town. Scholastic examines the current plans for the proposed development and considers its potential significance for students, the local economy and the relationship between Notre Dame and South Bend.
Creating a College Town
The idea for the proposed multi-use development south of campus was firsts articulated in the Campus Master Plan, approved by the Board of Trustees in the fall of 2002. One of the distinguishing features of the plan is an "enhanced connection between Notre Dame and the surrounding community." To facilitate this enhancement, the university seeks to build a public park directly south of the Marie P. DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts. near the mixed-use commercial and residential space itself, which will run along Eddy St. (the north-south road at the south of the campus that turns into Juniper when it crossed Edison Road, the east-west four-land travelway immediately south of campus) on property currently owned by the university.
More next week.
Hall Notes:
We've had a lot of news about Vermin track star Selim Nurudeen. Here's one last shoutout.
Previously Selim was touted for his stellar outdoor season. He won the 110 meter hurdles at the Outdoor Big East Championships. Then he placed 10th at the NCAAs and just missed being an All American. Well earlier in the year he tore it up in Missouri. He was named the Most Outstanding Male Athlete at the Tom Botts Invitational after setting a meet record with a time of 14.20 seconds. Oh, but it doesn't end there. Selim actually went on to the Olympic trials. This Vermin made a strong showing. He made the semi-finals and deserves a hearty congratulations. Selim was 24th in the 110 meter hurdles. Only twenty-three people in the whole country were faster. Pretty damn good for a guy who still has a year left of college.
NDSportscenter:
Selim wasn't the only Domer track star to take a stab at the Olympics. Four other Domers traveled to Sacramento to compete against the best. Luke Watson '03 ran in the 5000 meters. He made the finals and finished 14th. Ryan Shay '02 was in the 10,000 meters. He also made the finals. Ryan came in 10th. The best two Domer finishes were by women. Tameisha King '03 placed 6th in the long jump. And about-to-be junior Molly Huddle was in the 5000 meters. She made the finals. Molly was 7th and was the top collegiate/non-professional runner in the field. Bright future ahead for Miss Huddle.
Five basketball alums are in the news. David Graves made a roster spot with the Washington Wizards for the NBA Pro Summer League. Tom Timmermans is spending the summer with the New Jersey Nets. Troy Murphy is recovering from ankle surgery. He still has one year left on his contract with Golden State. Matt Carroll was released by the San Antonio Spurs. Finally, Torrain Jones is trying out for the Boston Frenzy of the ABA.
The
second annual Notre Dame Fantasy Camp was held this summer. Fifty-two campers
were in attendance for the five day camp. I believe the cost was in the neighborhood
of $5,000. Plenty of former players helped with the camp. It seemed like two
dozen monogram members came back for the week. The camp consisted of drills,
video sessions, meeting, dinners and even some golf, I believe. The event culminated
in a four quarter flag football game. These campers were dedicated. Even foreigners
have the love for Notre Dame football. A father and son attended together. The
father traveled from England and the son from Australia. That's some kind of
road trip.
Campus News:
More on the DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts.
The Leighton Concert Hall is the largest venue of the Center and can seat an audience of up to 1,000. The Center's director had this to say: "Most of this room is finished in a thick plaster that's all been applied by craftsmen. When you walk into this room it will be utterly silent. This is what acousticians call an infinitely tunable room." The hall will be used mainly for musical performances, including chorale and orchestra concerts. The venue can be configured to acoustically accommodate different types of performances from solo to large scale.
The acoustics are of the finest technology. The floor beneath the audience is laced with special heating and air-conditioning ducts that allow air to be moved in absolute silence. The upper ceiling of the room is one foot thick to mask air traffic and includes a six inch concrete slab, insulation, substrate roof and slate. The massive roof is supported by trestles that weight 34,000 lbs. each. The combined weight was so great, the director said, that engineers were forced to predict the length the trestles would slide to an eighth of an inch, then bolt one side down as the other rested on Teflon. The other side was then successfully bolted down.
Adjacent to the hall is a smaller performance room that can be used for rehearsals or more intimate concerts. The room is simple in design, characterized by high windows on its west side. The small room will only seat 70.
The building is now being filled with books, files, and other materials for the department of film, television and theater. The interior walls feature 84 different paint colors. The costume shop is being stocked. The Center will open to the campus community before the August 24 start of classes. An open house for the public is scheduled for September 19. The main event for that evening will be an 8pm performance by Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
Campus Watch from The Observer:
The following ran in "The Observer." It further detials more plans for the south end of campus:
"Open spaces surrounding the Center will initially serve as parking lots but long term plans call for the construction of a new museum to replace the Snite and a new music hall - in effect creating a cultural corridor on the south side of campus... Angela Boulevard, which currently curves inward toward the Center, will be straightened, making room for a public park and setting the stage for revitalization of the surrounding neighborhoods that will include shops and housing."
Hall Notes:
Got some news on the Vermin on the basketball team. Looks like Rick Cornett is going to be laid up for awhile. A stress fracture was discovered in his left foot. Rick underwent surgery on July 23. He is expected to be back for the beginning of official practice on October 16. His smooth, shaved head will be missed during the remainder of the summer. I've seen his replacement at Martin's grocery store. Last week I was grabbing some grub and saw two ballers in the deli area. Not- quite-a-freshman Rob Kurz and sophomore Colin Falls were in attendance. Kurz is a power forward and actually looks almost like Falls only a few inches taller. Same facial expression. Same gait. Same posture. Same emotionless haircut. Rick's shaved Vermin dome had better get back soon to break up the monotony.
NDSportscenter:
Ruth Riley is going to the Olympics. Due to an injury to another player, Ruth is now one of twelve on the Women's National Team that is off to Athens. The WNBA will be on hiatus for a month during the Olympics. Riley has been enjoying her best year as a pro. She is scoring 11.3 ppg, grabbing 5.7 rpg, and blocking 1.5 shots per game. The women are favored, of course. Should they win, Riley would be one of only four to win a gold medal, a professional championship, and a collegiate national championship. Bring it home, Ruth.
Last week six Domers were highlighted for making the Outdoor NCAA Track and Field Championships. Only three of the six made waves. Junior Selim Nurudeen made the 110 meter hurdles semi-finals. He was 10th overall and missed the finals and All American honors by one spot. Junior Kerry Meagher made the 1500 meter finals. She placed ninth and was an All American. Our top finisher was sophomore Molly Huddle. Molly came in third in the 5000 meters. That placing matched the school record for the highest finish at the Outdoor NCAAs by a female Domer. Huddle also won her seventh All American honor. As a sophomore she is already our most decorated track athlete ever.
Two other track stars were honored. Senior Todd Mobley was named a 1st Team Academic All American for Track & Field/Cross Country. And junior Lauren King was on the 2nd Team Academic All American.
Three Domers were also going for the gold as they competed at the U.S. swimming Olympic trials. Sophomore-to-be Ann Barton was in the 200 meter backstroke. Sophomore-to-be Katie Carroll was in two events - the 200 meter individual medley and the 400 meter individual medley. Marie Labosky '04 also was entered in the 400 meter individual medley. Well, aside from that news I didn't hear of the results. So that leads me to believe that none made the Olympic team, unfortunately.
Campus News:
More on the DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts...
The main stage is the Patricia George Decio Theatre. It contains a state-of-the-art performance stage with an orchestra pit. The stage is equipped with large wing space, ceiling girdles that can easily be moved and hollow spaces beneath that allow scenery and props to be raised, lowered or pushed to one of the sides. The scene shop is located adjacent to the stage with a 17-foot high ceiling and a loading dock. The theatre can seat 350 patrons including 75 in the balcony.
The Organ and Chorale Hall seats an audience of 100. Upon entry in the hall, attention initially focuses on the opposite wall. The wall consists of a one-and-a- half story organ that was previously mentioned. The organ cost $1 million and was made in the same manner as organs in the 17th and 18th centuries. The room resembles the sanctuary of a grand cathedral. The side walls of the three-story hall consist of three tiers of classic-style columns that rise to the ceiling, which is braced by wooden trestles that match the organ casement.
The THX-certified cinema can accommodate 200 people and will probably be the busiest room in the building. THX certification was developed by Lucasfilm in the early 1980s and ensures top audio quality. The room will house "ND Cinema" and serve as a commercial movie theater displaying first run movies. There's even a theater style concession stand. The facility will also allow professors to show films to their classes.
The Regis Philbin Studio Theatre was detailed previously. Unmentioned were the facts that the walls are painted black and the ceiling is spanned by five rows of cat walks.
Even more on the center next week.
Campus Watch by Me:
So the University got its way. Juniper Road will be closing through campus and Edison Road will be re-routed to the south. So what else do they have in store? Some of the plans have been voiced by the University. Scholastic revealed many in a piece on the future of the school and the surrounding community. The grapevine has also been floating some stories. Over the coming weeks you'll find out about what the University has in store for the future. And here's the first morsel off the grapevine.
Word on the street is that the University is planning to build THREE new residence halls. Awhile back there was talk of building two new dorms to alleviate overcrowding in the current halls. Supposedly the current dorms were to be reduce by 10%. But a third new dorm? The assumption seemed to be that when it was two new dorms, one would be female and one male. But what of the third hall? Are Carroll's days numbered? I should hope not.
Hall Notes:
Part 2 of the Q&A with Vermin track star Selim Nurudeen...
What do you enjoy most about track and field?
Everything! I love everything about track and field. I love the competition. I love the practice. But the best thing is getting up and being mentally prepared for your race and knowing what you have to do - knowing that you are ready to compete with the best.
How do you prepare yourself for a track meet?
Besides hurdling the furniture in the hotel, the thing that really helps me is that I visualize my race. If I can't visualize it, I keep trying until I can. That's what really gets me confident.
What is your most memorable moment as a Notre Dame athlete?
It would probably be this year at the indoor Big East meet. I ran my best time, broke the meet record and that's when I realized that this might all be coming together. I think that I'm starting to make an impact.
Who is your favorite athlete?
I have two. In terms of track, it has to be Alan Johnson. He's a hurdle technician, and I got to meet him at the Mt. Sac relays last year. If you watch him, his form is so intricate, and he runs the perfect race. When meeting him, he was just a really humble person. However, Michael Jordan isn't too far off. I bought his book, and he is just a phenomenal athlete mentally. I look at his attitude and try to translate it to track.
NDSportscenter:
The NHL had its supplemental draft recently. Two sophomore-to-be were selected. Defenseman Wes O'Neill was taken in the fourth round by the New York Islanders. Goaltender David Brown was picked by the Pittsburgh Peguins in the eighth round. Both are expected to return to ND. O'Neill had a thought of turning pro. He expected to go in the late first or mid-second round. His fourth round selection probably guaranteed another year with the Irish.
The Irish track and field teams fared well in the Outdoor Big East Championships. The men won their second consecutive Big East title. The women got third. Many Domers had strong showings. Godwin Mbagwu was named the Most Outstanding Field Performer after winning the long jump and getting second in the triple jump. Selim Nurudeen won the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 13.91 seconds. It's his third straight such title. Freshman Ryan Postel captured the 400 meter crown with a time of 47.22 seconds. Ryan Johnson took home the 3000 meter steeplechase. Another note on the men's team is that Dwight Ellick, a defensive back on the football team, is also on the squad.
For the women, Laura Huarte won the pole vault. Sophomore Molly Huddle again won the 5000 meters. Huddle also led the charge to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Three men and three women went to compete. Huddle and sophomore Stephanie Madia were in the 5000 meters. Junior Kerry Meagher was in the 1500 meters. For the men, Selim Nurudeen was in the 110 meter hurdles. Senior Kevin Somok and freshman Kurt Benninger participated in the 1500 meters. The results are coming next week.
Campus News:
More on the new DeBartolo Center for Performing Arts...
The 150,000 square foot building has come in at a cost of $62.6 million. One of the theaters is the Regis Philbin Studio Theatre. It will host smaller acts and features a floor built on movable platforms that can be rearranged as needed. The organ concert hall is three stories tall and will seat 100. The hall will feature a $1 million handcrafted pipe organ built by Master Organ Builder Paul Fritts in Tacoma, Washington. The organ was shipped and reassembled in the hall. The director of the Center said that with increased support of the arts within South Bend, members of the creative class will be encouraged to move to the city and will fuel economic growth in the area. The director joins the University after serving as the chief executive of the California Center for the Arts. He has also spent twelve years as a television and production executive with CBS and Viacom.
The building is fitted with an exterior collegiate Gothic architectural style. The visible portion of the buildiing primarily houses office and classrooms and conceals two flat-roofed areas where the performing venues are located. In addition to the five performing venues the building has workshops for set production, offices and catering facilities. An expansive, two-tiered lobby that provides access to the five venues dominates the center of the building. The lobby boasts a wide view of DeBartolo Quad and a ceiling with support beams painted blue and gold. The lobby itself is designed to serve as a venue and can accommodate up to 700 guests for black tie dinners or receptions.
More next week.
Campus Watch by Me:
How's this for campus dirt? The former postmaster at the University faces a federal charge of destroying mail - a package of outgoing cognac. He filed a petition to plead guilty to the charge, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison, a year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. The man admitted that a person came into the main campus post office in December 2002 and attempted to mail a parcel containing bottles of a liquid he believed to be alcohol. The postmaster suspected alcohol and advised the customer that alcohol could not be mailed. The patron insisted that the parcel be sent. The plea petition stated: "I intercepted the package, opened it and removed bottles of liquid which I believed was Russian cognac." Two bottles were given away. Another bottle was placed in the break room of the post office. He believes all of the bottles were destroyed but admits that he did not have the authority to dispose of them.
Hall Notes:
Scholastic conducted a Q & A session with a Vermin varsity athlete this past spring semester. The March 25, 2004 issue featured a man of Carroll in the "Irish Eyes On" segment. Here is Part 1 of 2...
Junior Selim Nurudeen has hurdled his way to the Notre Dame record books, breaking the school's 60-meter hurdle record three times in this past indoor season. Nurudeen has won three Big East hurdling titles in his Notre Dame career and at one point this season rose to 6th in the nation in the 60-meter hurdles, with a time of 7.75 seconds. The track star from Friendswood, Texas, who went to nationals for the first time this year, reflects on the past indoor season and the upcoming outdoor season.
What did you enjoy most about the indoor season?
The best thing about the indoor season is that while it is cold outside, you are indoors. You don't have to worry about the elements affecting your race. During the outdoor season, you have to worry about the wind factor, whether it is working for or against you. In indoor, it's just you and your race. And, being a hurdler, my race is a little shorter, which always makes it a little easier.
What are your goals for the outdoor season?
My main goal is to go to nationals and become an All American. I would really like to do something there, because after indoor, I feel I got the exposure I needed. If I continue to improve at the rate I'm improving, I'd like to see what I could do at the world trials.
The remainder next week.
NDSportscenter:
We finished 19th in the Directors' Cup. We were 13th last year. Very surprising that we dropped so far. Hockey and men's and women's golf made the NCAAs unlike any other year. I thought for sure that would really help the cause since we didn't seem to fall off much in other sports. However, football was an about face from the year before. How sad is it that our worst sport is football?
Well we have for sure lost three of our underclassmen baseballl players that were selected in the MLB Draft. Grant Johnson, taken in the 2nd round, is definitely going to be pitching with the Cubs. 3B Matt Macri signed with Colorado. He reported to Single A Tri-City in Pasco, Washington where he was re-united with J.P. Gagne, an Irish closer picked in the 14th round in 2003. And pitcher Chris Niesel also signed with his team, the Cleveland Indians.
Some
hockey players are also pursuing professional careers. Defenseman Neil Komadoski
signed a multi-year deal with the Ottawa Senators. He was a 3rd round draft
choice in 2001. Neil will start with Binghamton in the American Hockey League
(AHL). Defenseman Brett Lebda was an undrafted free agent. He signed a multi-year
deal with Detroit and will be off to Grand Rapids in the AHL. Center Aaron Gill
inked a deal with the San Jose Sharks. And Tom Galvin will be in the East Coast
Hockey League with the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies. (Sweet team name)
Campus News:
This fall the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center will grandly open. The specifics are many. So sit back and relax as I spew information your way....
As opposed to Washington Hall, the main stage is fully trapped, has 10 times the capacity in lighting and has an enhanced sound system. The sound system includes adjustable acoustics that allow them to be altered from event to event. The Center has varying rooms including a main stage theater, a concert hall, an organ and chorale hall, a studio theater and a THX-certified cinema. The 200-seat THX cinema is only the fourth such certified cinema in Indiana. The building is constructed on seven separate foundations to keep the sound separated from one stage to another so multiple performances may take place and not be affected.
The facility will house the Film, Television and Theatre Department. The students will be able to practice and perform on fully rigged, professional stages. They will be able to use a dozen state-of-the-art film and editing bays located in the basement. The Center's equipment is so modern that student-run productions will stay in Washington Hall. Due to costs and dangers, only professionals will operate the new equipment.
The surrounding community will hopefully be drawn to the Center for shows. Already performances are booked for this school year. The list includes the Chieftans, the Emerson String Quartet, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Emanuel Ax, as well as various local and campus groups. The South Bend Symphony Orchestra is set for a chamber music series.
That's enough for this week. More on the new Performing Arts Center next week.
Campus Watch by the Gipper From Scholastic:
The Grotto: a reverant place of prayer, a mecca for Notre Dame visitors, a strip club? Apparently a young Gippling in training for his new gig as a bachelorette party dancer thought it would be a good idea to practice his act by candlelight... prayer-candle light. Well, after stripping himself down to his boxers in front of St. Bernadette and all the world, our soused stripper swooned, having to be awakened by students who had come to the Grotto to get some praying done. The nerve! After coming to, stripper boy alertly made his way to Corby Hall, only to pass out there, as well. Good idea, pal! Minutes later, a priest found our protagonist, brought him to his senses, and escorted him back to his dorm. On the way, they recovered the articles of clothing that he had left at the Virgin Mary's feet. And some say the Gipp has been irreverent at the Grotto. Just look at this guy! PS - the Gipp is unsure...isn't stripping at the Grotto one of those instant-damnation sins?
Hall Notes:
This is the Scholastic article telling of a certain alumnus. The article is written by current Vermin Ryan Greenberg. It appeared in the April 15, 2004 issue:
Team
No. 347's Real Name
Alumnus compiles an on-line list of censored Bookstore team names
For some teams in Bookstore Basketball, a name is all they've got.
Alumnus Dan Delgado understands, and when the number of censored team names peaked at 110 last year, he decided to do something about it.
"I acquired a team list and contacted each team captain asking what their rejected name was, " Delgado says. Within a day, 85 percent of the captains responded. Delgado compiled a list of the rejected names and posted them on his website with commentary.
Delgado, who has seen more than 300 Bookstore games, was concerned by student activities' inconsistency in censoring. In 2002, the tean name "Baller, I Just Met Her" was okayed, but the same name was rejected in 2003. "When I saw the censored names last year versus some of the ones that got through, I just didn't understand their criteria," says Delgado.
This year, the Bookstore Committee's criteria is more clear, but still somewhat subjective. Names are rejected if they have offensive, ethnic, racial, heterosexist or sexually-explicit material. Using names of the university or its community without permission or "anything your mother would deem disrespectful" are also no-no's.
Delgado hopes that people will try to push the limits of the process: "I'd like to see a team name like 'Janet Jackson's Breast' get through. Would it be censored? Or would it be revealed, then condemned and later described as a 'team name malfunction?' "
When team names were rejected this year, the respective teams had the option to submit an alternative name - which was not the case last year. Some teams are making the best of the situation; one replacement name is "I Don't Know What's Worse... That Our Name Was Censored or That The Bookstore Committee Knew What We Were Talking About." Other teams failed to submit an alternate name; 20 teams - down from 110 last year - are known simply by their team number.
Delgado hopes to compile a list of rejected names again next year. He says, "I'm not a vehement proponent of free speech. I'm just doing this for laughs."
Until this year's list is posted online, we'll just have to kick back and watch the matchup between two clean-cut teams like "Fruity Booty" and "Ralph Nader and the Other 4 Guys Voting for Him."
NDSportscenter:
Tyrone now has two verbal recruits. Both are from Ohio. Brandon Harrison is from Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton. Harrison is a 5'8 1/2" 190 lb. cornerback. Speed. Pure speed. He runs a 4.25 - 40. Harrison currently carries a 3.1 GPA and he scored a 910 on the SAT.
David Burton is from Miamisburg. He is a safety with a solid frame of 6'2" and 180 lb. He had offers from Wisconsin, Miami (Ohio), Cincinnati, UConn, and Duke. Other schools that had recently shown interest were Michigan, Ohio State, and Purdue. David has a 3.345 GPA and scored a 22 on the ACT. Analyst Tom Lemming did not have them in his top 100 but he did call them "good, quality kids."
The softball team once again won the Big East regular season title. The ladies were 18-2 in the conference and 46-16 overall. That makes nine straight Big East regular season titles. The Irish were obviously the favorite in the conference tourney. Unfortunately we lost to Seton Hall in the championship. Junior Megan Ciolli - with a 0.491 batting average - won the Big East Player of the Year. Junior Steffany Stenglein was the Pitcher of the Year after posting a 0.49 ERA and a 9-1 record. The Irish coaches were the Staff of the Year and seven Domers made 1st Team All Big East.
The
softball team was given an at-large spot in the NCAAs. It was our sixth NCAA
in a row. First up was DePaul. The ladies knocked off the Blue Demons 8-6. The
team then fell to Michigan 1-0 in the double elimination regional. We ended
the season losing to Illnois-Chicago 2-1. They scored two unearned runs on three
Irish errors. The women finished with a record of 49-20. Finally, centerfielder
Megan Ciolli was named 3rd Team All American.
Campus News:
More construction news. University Health Services received a $6 million donation from alum William Warren. The donation is to go toward completely renovating the existing health care facility and to incorporate Health Services, the Counseling Center and the Office of Drug and Alcohol Education into on facility. The services hope to become an accredited health care facility. Currently the care meets the standards, but the building does not. The current building does not meet fire codes, does not have handicap accessibility and lacks central air conditioning. The water is not top notch due to pipe lining. The renovation calls for the complete restoration of the building, including new ventilation and electrical, plumbing and fire-protection systems. The total project is expected to cost around $9 million. The University hopes to raise the remaining money from building maintenance funds and students' health care services fees. The construction will be limited because the work will involve the existing building.
Even with the campus expansion, Health Services will remain centrally located. The University hopes to begin construction in May 2005. Completion is slated for August 2006. During the renovation, students will still be able to receive medical and counseling care. William Warren the donor is the president of the Warren Foundation in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees. Warren also paid for the construction of the Warren Golf Course on campus a few years ago. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, where he was recognized for his contributions in health care and in higher education through scholarship funds, endowments and other programs.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
This excerpt from Scholastic is pretty interesting, but not in a good way. It lacks dirt and seems to be nothing more than a maintenance issue prettied up to draw in fans of the '80s. But I guess I'm just a sucker for the Golden Decade....
"Apparently, Pac-Man, after escaping the Gipp's TV screen, dashed through the Coleman-Morse Center last month and mistook the main pipe that routes water to the granite ball fountain for his ghost nemesis Blinky. No news as to when the water will once again be flowing."
(Weak. I know.)
Hall Notes:
This appeared in the Spring 2004 Notre Dame Magazine...
Brother Edward Sniatecki, CSC, '25, '33 M.A., who entered Saint Joseph's Novitiate at Notre Dame a few months after Knute Rockne completed his third season as football coach, died in January at 101. He was believed to be Notre Dame's oldest living alumnus. Brother Ed appeared in the photo accompanying the "Hall Portrait" of Carroll Hall in this magazine two years ago. He lived in Carroll, then known as Dujarie Hall, from 1921-23 and went on to a long career as a teacher and administrator at Catholic schools and was the founding principal of Central Catholic High School in South Bend from 1934-41. Among those who attended his 100th birthday party at Dujarie House, the Brothers' assisted-living facility adjacent to Holy Cross College, were members of the Class of 1938, the high school's first graduating class, now in their 80s.
NDSportscenter:
The Irish baseball team had more players drafted high than any other ND squad. No previous team had produced more than two selections in the first ten rounds of the MLB Draft. Through the first fourteen rounds of the draft, only four schools had more players selected. Junior righthanded pitcher Grant Johnson went in the second round to the Cubbies. The Rockies snagged junior 3B Matt Macri in the 5th round. Another junior righthanded pitcher, Chris Niesel, was taken in the 9th round by the Cleveland Indians. Two seniors went a little later. 2B Steve Sollmann and catcher Javi Sanchez were picked in the 10th (Brewers) and 14th (Twins) rounds, respectively. Johnson and Macri were our highest drafted teammates in school history. Johnson was the fifth Domer selected in the first two rounds of an MLB Draft.
The men's tennis team entered the Big East tournament as the #2 seed and #33 in the nation. The Irish upset #1 seed Virginia Tech to take our 4th Big East title. The win meant an automatic NCAA berth. The team travelled to Harvard to take on #19 Tulane (18-4) in the first round. The Irish didn't stand a chance. We lost 4-0 and finished with a 15-9 record.
Senior tennis player Luis Haddock received an at-large invite to the NCAA singles tournament. It was a last second invite and Luis was the fifth alternate. He was 1 of 64 to compete. Haddock was 70th in the rankings and 20-12 on the year. Luis battled through shoulder and wrist problems but still fell 6-1, 6-3 to a player from Virginia Commonwealth.