Phil Culcasi's twin daughters, Abby and Elizabeth, were born on January 29.
Campus News:
This past spring the University fired Chuck Hurley, the Assistant Director of Notre Dame Security/ Police. The firing was supposedly because of allegations that Hurley was untruthful during NDSP's investigation into the circumstances of a February 3 incident involving former trustee and football captain Dave Duerson. That's what Hurley claims led to his dismissal. The former employee disputes the allegations. He says the University incorrectly evaluated his actions "because there was [a different] officer [involved with the Duerson incident] who was untruthful." Duerson allegedly struck his wife and pushed her out of their hotel room during the early morning of February 3. Associate Vice President for Residence Life and Student Affairs Bill Kirk terminated Hurley. No one for the University would comment on the firing.
Hurley said he has been involved in an appeals process and has obtained a lawyer and has met with University attorneys. He stated, "I want a thorough and competent investigation." His ultimate goal is to re-obtain his position. He is frustrated with the situation but has no hard feelings toward the University. Hurley is upset with certain individuals but not the school. Three of his five children are Domers and at one time he was Fisher's interhall football coach. Hurley was sought by Notre Dame in 1988 and served as assistant director for almost 17 years. Before working at the University, he served in every rank of the South Bend Police Department for 20 years. the last four as chief of police.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Unfortunately, it has come to the Gipp's attention that a few visitors to NDToday.com aren't too pleased with the Gipp's recent work. In fact, they even started a thread to voice their complaints. One takes a cheap shot at this fine publication, calling it "pathetic" (the Gipp has an inkling as to who this malcontent might be), and another concludes that "clearly the Gipp is a women this year" because the column has been lacking the drunken debauchery and sexual mishaps that made this column so popular. The Gipp isn't sure what it means to be a "women," but he has to admit that it sounds totally hot. Seriously, though, who is this guy with, "The Irish Rover"? The Gipp doesn't appreciate your stereotypes.
Hall Notes:
Last week's notes featured Don "Fuzzy" Modica '93. It was mentioned that Don is a steward for history. Not only is he working on a history book but he's also got some tidbits on our beloved Dujarie-Carroll Institute-Hall. Behold...
"Fr. Dujarie was one of the founders of the Holy Cross order back in France. The CSC at the end of the priests' names is the initials for some Latin thingie like 'Congregatio Sancta Cruce' or some such, meaning Congregation of the Holy Cross. Meaningless trivia. Carroll was the first Catholic bishop in the US (Maryland I think--the family is the same Carrolls as John Carroll University here in Cleveland--Carroll Hall Carroll I think was Charles Carroll). The site of the dorm sits on the brickyard of the early college. All those yellow ND bricks that the older dorms are made of were dug out of the mud of St. Mary's Lake and fired on what's now Carroll's lawn. Plus, Jack Zeto and John Fieno are real people, not just vague legends like Paul Bunyon and Billy Carter."
NDSportscenter:
Coach Weis has landed recruit #8. St. Ignatius in Cleveland is the current school of John Ryan. We were selected over boston college. Ryan is a 6'5", 240 lb. defensive lineman. Last year he had 11 sacks and 60 tackles. He needs to add weight and will most likely be a defensive end. Tom Lemming rates him a high three star/ low four star player. John is highly aggressive. That's what Charlie is looking for. When all is said and done, look for "aggressive" to sum up Weis' recruiting class. "Smart," too. Ryan supposedly has a 3.5 GPA and scored 1570 on the SAT.
Julie Pierson Doyle '85 has become the first female president of the Monogram Club. Doyle is a former volleyball player. She has served on the Monogram Board for 12 years.
This year's men's golf team featured a new coach. John Jasinski resigned and a Duke assistant, Jim Kubinski, was hired in his place. He coached a new school record out of junior Mark Baldwin. A 64 was shot in 1963. That was bested by Baldwin's 93 (7 under par) on the Warren Golf Course north of campus. The men's team repeated as Big East Champions. Winning the conference meant an automatic spot in the NCAAs. Not only that but Notre Dame hosted the NCAA Central Regional. We were the 20th seed of 27 teams. The men did not advance.
The women's golf team came in third in the Big East. But the ladies were fortunate enough to earn an at-large bid in the NCAAs. The women made the NCAAs for two years in a row. They were the 20th seed of 21 teams at the Central Regional. The ladies did not advance.
Campus News:
The University is once again talking about renovating the JACC. According to the school, the entire building is in need of $20 million worth of upgrades. The JACC has hardly been touched since it was built. This winter the JACC turns 37 years old in December. After the Guglielmino Athletics Complex is complete this summer, the focus will turn to the JACC. Both projects are part of the University's $100 million commitment to upgrade athletics facilities over the next decade. Attention on the JACC has been stalled for four years, since the summer of 2001. It has not gotten beyond the discussion stages. In the wake of September 11 and the slip in the economy, a moratorium was placed on all campus building projects. No start date has been officially declared for the JACC. The plans will not move beyond the drawing board until the entire project cost has been accumulated. The majority of the funds are expected in the form of private gifts. Kevin White has said the University is "aggressively looking for benefaction."
So what will be happening to the JACC? All seats will have chairbacks of one color which will drop the current seating capacity of 11,918 by 600 to 800 seats. Above center court will be a state-of-the-art four-sided scoreboard with high-speed video. The firm HNTB Architecture has come up with a re-design of the south end of the upper arena to include a two-tiered structure that looks out onto the floor and extends into the front section of the south parking lot. The first level would house the ticket offices. The second level would be a private seating arena that also opens into a banquet/reception area similar to the upper floors of the Notre Dame Stadium press box. The initial hope of the re-design was to pull the student body closer to the floor to ring the court in the first few rows of seats. But digging deeper into the floor to allow students to stand for games while not obstructing the view of those seated behind them is not an option. So don't look for the undergrads to get primo seats. Raising the roof to better configure the bowl also is not possible. The JACC will have to be renovated. A new building is not an option.
Whenever the construction takes place, it will not obstruct the basketball teams. White believes work can be started in early March and finished by mid-October of the construction year. An exhibition game or two may be relocated. Coach Brey provided his two cents: "We're not getting a new building. The University doesn't want that and I don't want that. There's some history here, some tradition that we have to maintain when we do this thing."
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The Gipp was wondering what the deal was with that impromptu gathering of more than 200 students in the JACC to meet with Coach Weis (during his first full officialy day as head coach on campus)? Seems it all started when Athletic Director Kevin White came across a half-dozen students in front of the JACC on the morning of the BC basketball game waiting for court-side seats. The keen White discovered that these ND students were actually football fans as well. He then invited them to meet with Weis the next week. By the day the students were scheduled to meet the new coach, word had gotten around St. Ed's and other dorms (as well as the Internet message boards), and what was supposed to be a private meeting for a few students turned into an early-morning rally. Truth is, when it comes to football and your drunken hook-up last night, word travels fast at ND...
Hall Notes:
Donald "Fuzzy" Modica '93 is currently in Cleveland. How did he get there? After over- achieving and graduating with two degrees - English and History (shoulda done the trifecta with "English History") - Don went on to further schooling. He attended Columbia University School of the Arts in New York and came away with an MFA in creative writing (fiction concentration) in 2001. To quote Fuzzy on his MFA... "that and $4 will get you a latte at the Caribou Coffee in Cleveland Heights." Mr. Modica is currently writing a large history book. Finally, Don sums up his recent occupational history: "Since ND I've been a reporter, a teacher, did PR in Chicago; also been a waiter and pumped gas (I was best at pumping gas). Right now I'm at the Cleveland Museum of Art (an institution, I must say, just rife with frank depictions of the human unit)."
NDSportscenter:
Did you know George Mikan actually wanted to attend Notre Dame? The basketball legend, who recently passed away at the age of 80, had hoped as a high schooler to catch the eye of ND's coach. Unfortunately we did not bring Mikan in and he went to DePaul.
This past spring there was an amazing soccer doubleheader in the Bend. Our women's team took on the Mexican women's National Team. And our men's team faced off against the Mexican men's National Under-17 team. The Mexican women's team featured Domer alum Monica Gonzalez and incoming freshman Becca Mendoza. It was the 5th meeting for the women which started in 2001. Our women won the first three games. Last year Mexico won 3-2. This year, before a crowd of 3,000 in horrible weather, theytied 2-2 after the Irish tied it up in the final seconds of stoppage time. Our men were victorious, 1-0.
Current men's soccer player Greg Dalby is a major contributor for the U.S. Under-20 National Team. In a 2-1 victory over Argentina in the spring in South Korea, the sophomore defensive midfielder played all 91 minutes. Greg is currently touring the world with the team. They recently played Argentina again but this time in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Tournament. The game was played in Holland and the U.S. won 1-0.
The women's soccer team signed four recruits for this year. The defending National Champions have lost only 2 starters. This year's team will add 3 national-team players. Midfielder Brittany Brock is considered the top player in the world for her age group. We will also get two freshmen that did not player last season. One girl was injured and the other was competing at the Under-19 World Championships.
Freshman sabre specialst Mariel Zagunis, who won fencing gold in the Olympics, again won gold at the 2005 Junior and Cadet World Championships in Austria. It was her 6th career world championship. Three Domers were at the championships, the most of any school.
Campus News:
Rev. John I. Jenkins takes over as president on July 1. But administrative changes were happening as far back as January. Rev. James E. McDonald has been appointed executive assistant to the president in the Jenkins administration. McDonald had been the rector of Saint George's College in Santiago, Chile. He helped assist in the transition in the president's office. McDonald is a '79 Domer. He has a bachelor's degree in the Program of Liberal Studies and in Spanish. He began his preparation for the priesthood in the same year he graduated. James was ordained at the University in May 1984 and then completed his master of divinity degree. He then spent a year on campus teaching and engaging in residence hall ministry. Then it was on to Cambridge University in Great Britain where he completed a master's degree in Spanish and French literature in 1987. He then went to Saint George College and then Columbus School of Law where he earned his degree in 1994. McDonald returned to Saint George's College where he took over as headmaster. The College educates 2,600 children in kindergarten through high school. James was also an associate dean for the administration of the Notre Dame Law School. He supervised its admissions office and the administrative personnel. He also helped develop ND's presence in Latin America and the Caribbean through University Relations and the Provost.
While one person ented the University, another exited. In January Roberto Gutierrez departed as vice president for public affairs and communication. He was not given a reason by Jenkins for not being retained. University spokesman Matt Storin is serving as interim vice president until a successor is named. The division includes news and information, marketing, Notre Dame Magazine, electronic communication, and community and government relations. Gutierrez was a television executive in San Antonio before coming to campus. He co-founded the Hispanic Telecommunications Network in 1982. Roberto received an honorary degree from the University in 1999.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
A long, long time ago, when the original Gipper was just recently deceased, our vibrant Fightin' Irish defended their hallowed territory against the infamous Ku Klux Klan. It was May 17, 1924, and thousands of Klan members came to South Bend to terrorize the young male Catholics. Three days of vicious race riots ensued, during which the Irish lived up to their name, defended duLac, and sent their hooded adversaries packing. Todd Tucker (ND '90) wrote a book on the clash titled, "Notre Dame Vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan." Gipp recommends it as a good beside read.
Hall Notes:
Not only do we have the story on Phil Culcasi '95, we also have photos. Phil was kind enough to pass two snapshots our way. They obviously show his new baby girls and himself hard at work being a father.
Phil Culcasi's twin daughters, Abby and Elizabeth, were born on January
29.
The hard working father in action.
NDSportscenter:
It was over before it began. Assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach David Cutcliffe has resigned. He had just been brought in this spring by Coach Weis. Cutcliffe cited health concerns in the wake of heart bypass surgery. He officially stepped down on June 1. However, Cutcliffe had not been with the team since spring break when he had the surgery.
And we already have a new quarterbacks coach. Peter Vaas is back at ND. He was an assistant under Holtz in '90 and '91. For the past eight years he has been a part of NFL Europe. He has been a head coach for the past six years with two teams. Peter won the World Bowl in 2001 and 2002 with the Berlin Thunder. Vaas' name is unknown by fans but quite well regarded by those in the coaches circle.
Before the coaching change, we snagged verbal commitment #7. Jasper, Indiana native Luke Schmidt wants to play for the Irish. Tom Lemming rates the fullback as a five-star player. The 6'3", 230 lb. back turned down Purdue, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Louisville. Last year as a junior Luke scored 41 TDs and rushed for 2500 yards. He's been compared to a bulldozer. Lemming said Schmidt "might be the best fullback prospect in the country."
The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame have bestowed Domer Alan Page with the 2005 Distinguished American Award. He is the 34th recipient. The award goes to one who exhibits exemplary character building and leadership.
John Huarte is finally going into the College Football Hall of Fame. The '64 Heisman winner will be enshrined on August 6. John is the 41st Domer to be inducted (along with 5 coaches). Huarte is our 9th quarterback to go into the Hall.
Campus News:
Monk headed his final commencement last month. So now what? He officially passes the torch to the next president in July. But what else? Well, in June he will move into a new office suite in DeBartolo. Monk will also be taking a year-long sabbatical. Travel is certainly in the plans. Malloy will vacation in Italy with his two sisters and a brother-in-law. He will also journey to Australia. Monk will also be working on a book. It will consist of essays and stories about Notre Dame, of course. Our former president will continue on not-for-profit boards. One is the Boys and Girls Club of America. Another is the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Malloy is also on four university boards. He will keep up his reading. Monk reads between 220 and 250 books a year. He also absorbs academic journals and devours 4 to 5 newspapers a day. Malloy will continue to live in 141 Sorin. It's been his home since 1979. After his sabbatical he also plans to teach again. He has been teaching a freshman seminar class since the second year of his presidency. Even through his final year he kept up his instructing.
Next week's new will touch on the new administration of incoming president Rev. John I. Jenkins. Jenkins takes the helm on July 1.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
It's no secret that football lineman rarely get any respect. With that in mind, an offensive tackle offered to accompany a non-player friend to a volunteer gig at a local school to give the kids a thrill, only to be asked by his friend if he could bring along some "name" players. Swallowing his pride, he rounded up three better-known others, including a cornerback, a safety and a certain starting quarterback, who signed numerous autographs and may or may not have helped some kids with their homework.
Hall Notes:
Last week the notes touched on the status of '95 Vermin Phil Culcasi. Phil was kind enough to share some details on a few others from the Class of '95. Tom "Mutha" Fraire is an assistant high school principal in El Paso, Texas. He has two children, Thomas and Mary Faith. Pete Buonacorsi was married last summer and is now in medical school. Bill Hughes is a private patent attorney. Bill has three boys: Billy, Jack and Alec. Kevin "Panther" Hoffmann and his wife recently adopted a baby girl named Kate. Michael "Q" Bergan tied the knot in April to a fellow General Electric worker. Hopefully more complete stories on these alums will be told in the future.
NDSportscenter:
Dave Poulin has resigned as our head hockey coach. Poulin led our ice squad for 10 years. He has moved from behind the bench into athletic development. Dave will assist a senior associate athletics director and mainly focus on getting doners to renovate the JACC, where the hockey team plays its games. The north dome of the JACC is supposedly in need of $12-$14 million worth of renovations.
And we also have a new hockey coach. Jeff Jackson is the new guy. He coached Lake Superior State to national championships in 1992 and 1994. The '78 Michigan State grad has over 20 years of coaching experience. He was 182-52-25 with Lake Superior. His .751 winning percentage is best among Division-I coaches with at least 200 games coached.
After coaching Lake Superior Jeff spent '95-'96 with the U.S. National Team Development program. In 1997 he was the head coach of the U.S. Junior National Team. Jackson was an assistant coach in the Olympics for '98 Team USA. In 2000 he coached the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League. Jeff became a New York Islanders assistant coach in 2003. Seeing as how the NHL season was canceled, we had the perfect opportunity to steal Jackson away from the Islanders. In May of 2003, Inside College Hockey ranked Jackson 12th on a list of the 16 greatest college coaches of all time. Only 5 of the 16 are still active in coaching.
One last hockey note. Remember the movie "Slap Shot"? Remember the Hanson brothers? Of course you do. Well, a son of one of the Hanson brothers will be a Domer next year. Christian Hanson is one of our incoming recruits. Christian recently won the U.S. Hockey League's prestigious Curt Hammer Award. He's the fourth winner to become a Domer since 1997. Get this... the award is for the most gentlemanly player. A gentlemanly Hanson? Guess we can't look forward to any pre-National Anthem fisticuffs.
Campus News:
Commencement went off without a hitch two weeks ago. And the students were able to get photos of a scaffolding-free Golden Dome. For the last few weeks of the school year, NDSP had to actually patrol the scaffolding 24 hours a day. There were reports of student climbers and an anonymous student told his/her tale to The Observer.
There were two recognizable people that received honorary degrees at graduation. Home run king Hank Aaron received a doctorate of laws honorary degree. And recent papal candidate Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria also was bestowed with an honorary degree.
Ever wonder how the valedictorian is selected? I was nowhere near close enough to be in consideration so I was clueless on the process. Here's how it shakes down....
First, the registrar identifies candidates based on their GPAs. The applicant pool represents all colleges. Seventeen were identified this year. Candidates are invited to submit a speech and their resume for consideration. Fourteen elected to make a submittal. Candidates are then recorded delivering the speech. The recording and a hardcopy of the speech are circulated to the selection committee, which is organized by the Provost office. The selection committee includes faculty representatives from all the colleges, at various levels (assistant professor to full professor). It also now includes an undergraduate representative, usually a former class officer. The committee members individually review and critique the speeches. They are then asked to rank the speeches and submit them to the provost representative. The process is completely anonymous. The reviewers do not know the name or college of the candidate unless it is indicated in their speech. The rankings are compiled and reviewed by the committee. The committee then debates on each candidate. At the end of the first meeting, the committee generally has identified the top 2-3 candidates. These top candidates are brought in for interviews with the committee. They will deliver the speech and answer questions. At the end of this second meeting, the committee will make a recommendation who the valedictorian will be. The runner-up will deliver the invocation. The valedictorian is notified and any changes the committee feels would improve the speech are provided to a designated speech writing assistant who works with the valedictorian to strengthen the speech. Finally, the valedictorian then delivers the speech a few times to the committee during practice sessions during senior week. I thought you might find the process interesting.
Speaking of valedictorians, we have posted an article (Articles of Interest page) on our 1998 valedictorian. It covers his days from graduation. It's an amazing story and will make you proud to be a member of the Notre Dame Family.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
A tipster with real-estate connections has informed us that Mr. Willingham's house in Granger, Ind., has been sold (but not to Weis). The asking price for the five-bedroom, five-bath house with in-ground pool was a steep $749,000. It took two moving vans to load up the furniture when the former head coach packed up and shipped out.
Hall Notes:
Phil Culcasi '95 is a proud daddy of baby twin girls. His petite wife, Tracy, gave birth to two very petite girls on January 29. Abby weighed in at 3 lbs. 10 oz. and Elizabeth first tipped the scales at 3 lbs. 12 oz. And after three months they ballooned to a burly 8.5 lbs and 10 lbs, respectively. Phil teaches chemistry at Wheaton Warrenville South High School in Chi-town. Culcasi is still coaching girls basketball at the school and has been the varsity assistant for the last three years.
NDSportscenter:
The women's soccer team recently visited the White House and met President Bush. They were one of four national champions to be received (men's soccer, baseball and volleyball). President Bush had done his homework on the team. He stated that "it helps a lot you've got great coaches from Texas."
Basketball news: Jacqueline Batteast was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA with the 4th pick of the 2nd round....Batteast finished her ND career with 1,882 points, good for 4th in school history (Beth Morgan - 2,322; Katryna Gaither - 2,126; Ruth Riley - 2,072). She was voted the team MVP for the 4th time. Jacqueline was 1 of 10 on the Kodak All American Team. She was AP 3rd Team All American. Batteast was one of four finalists for the Honda Sports Award. Finally, she was named the Big East Player of the Year....Coach Muffet McGraw is one win away from 500 for her career....A WNBA exhibition game was held at the JACC at the beginning of May. The Indiana Fever played a Domer-laden Detroit Shock. Bill Laimbeer is the coach. Ruth Riley is the center. And point guard Niele Ivey (formerly of the Fever) signed as a free agent with the Shock in the off-season....Junior Megan Duffy was 1 of 57 invited to attend the USA Basketball National Team Trials (May 19-22) in Colorado Springs. Only 12 were selected. Duffy was 1st Team All Big East and Honorable Mention All American....Charel Allen was on the Big East All Freshmen Team....Chris Thomas was named the team MVP for the second straight year.... Incoming freshman recruit Luke Zeller was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball....Did you know our men's basketball team is 10th in wins all-time? It's astoundingly true. And we are only five wins behind Indiana. Bet we pass them within a year or two.
Campus News:
A new pope has been named. Much has been said about Pope John Paul II. The University had a number of indirect ties to the late pontiff. In April 1989 the pope had an address entitled "On the Catholic Universities." He stressed the necessity of Catholic institutions in a world filled with challenges. During this time, Monk joined two other U.S. educators on a 15-member commission to help revise the pope's Apostolic Constitution, a draft document released by the World Congress on Catholic higher education in November 1989. Malloy said the draft "recognized the significant role played by lay people [and] is strong in... affirmation of academic freedom." Monk also stated the document "promoted a positive and friendly relationship between local bishops and Catholic institutions."
Malloy had been in the pope's chapel in the Vatican a couple of times. Monk worked with the pope on issues related to higher education and toured locations in Poland frequented by the late pontiff in his childhood. Father Hesburgh first met John Paul after he had just become pope. In a statement Hesburgh referred to John Paul II as a "Pope for the World," explaining that he "traveled millions of miles, to every corner of the earth, to bring his personal message of faith, hope and love to all of the world, not merely to Catholics."
The pope has appointed at least two priests with Notre Dame connections to higher positions in the chuch. In 1997 Father Daniel Jenky was named an auxiliary bishop for the diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Jenky had been serving as the rector of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. He was later appointed the bishop of Peoria, Illinois. In 1995 Rev. Charles Schleck was appointed Archbishop of Africa. Schleck is a 1948 Domer with a degree in philosophy and served on the University's faculty for a short period. John Paul II made the Sacred Heart Church a minor basilica in 1992. In the Basilica is a large painting of John Paul II surrounded by flowers. To the left sits a small crucifix that was a gift presented by the pope to Hesburgh.
Pope John Paul II was born in Czestochowa, Poland. In 1992 Domer and South Bend mayor Joe Kernan formed a sister city agreement with the Bend and John Paul's birthplace. The agreement continues to this day and is working well according to the current mayor who sites South Bend's large Polish community, similar sizes of the cities, and similar religious communities.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Since Gipp considers himself an active and contributing member of the student media behemoth here at Notre Dame (though some will surely disagree), I would like to welcome back to campus a student media alumnus by the name of Charlie Weis. Yes, it seems our head coach spent his senior year (1977-1978) as a sportscaster for WSND-AM (now WVFI). If any tapes exist, you can bet they will be on eBay before you can say "....and now a message from our sponsor."
Check out the yearbook photo below.
Hall Notes:
Well, the Vermin did not claim the title in the Fisher Regatta. Last year Carroll did not win either, but prior to that the Vermin had won the race three years in a row. In this most recent regatta, the favorites were Carroll, Seigfried, and O'Neill. Seigfried and O'Neill made the final. The current dorm president believes Carroll's boat, "Wood 'n Caulk," has made its last run. Look like she'll have to be retired and go into the history books alongside such vessels as "Sinking Seven Inches Into St. Mary's" from the mid '90s. Kinda brings a tear to my eye.
NDSportscenter:
Back to the recruiting front. Charlie Weis is ferocious. He may be our most committed coach since Frank Leahy. By the end of April we already had verbal commitments from six current high school juniors. The #3 verbal is Zach Frazer, a quarterback from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Zach is 6'4" and 222 lbs. Last year he was 285 of 440 for 3,700 yards, 27 TDs, and 9 INTs. He also ran for 12 TDs. Penn State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Purdue and Syracuse were in the running. Zach is a five-star player and analyst Tom Lemming said it was a "great catch" for our program.
Patrick "Paddy" Mullen is the fourth verbal. Paddy is at DeSmet Jesuit High in St. Louis, the same school as RB Munir Prince, our first verbal. Mullen played defensive end last year but he's listed as a 6'5", 265 lb. tight end. Last year he had a broken hand. He runs a 4.7 - 40 and is praised for his stellar mitts. The four-star recruit was really sold on Weis so he turned down Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio State, and Miami.
Bringing in former Cincinnati coach Rick Minter to head our defense is already paying off. His recruiting links to Ohio no doubt helped us nab defensive end Kallen Wade of Withrow High School in Cincinnati. Verbal #5 is a bit undersized right now at 6'5" and only 220 lbs. He is similar to Justin Tuck with his speed and athleticism. Last year the four-star recruit had 13 sacks.
Our most recent commitment is James Aldridge of Merrillville (Indiana) High School. He is a 6'1", 215 lb. five-star running back. Aldridge has power to run between the tackles and speed to get to the outside. Tom Lemming believes he is one of our two biggest running back catches (along with Julius Jones) in the last 15 years. James runs a 4.6 - 40 but suffered a partially torn ACL last year. He still ended up with 2,100 yards and 20 TDs. Aldridge used to live in St. Louis and played junior high ball with recruit #1 Munir Prince.
More football notes: six undrafted seniors signed as free agents with NFL teams. Mike Goolsby is off to Dallas. Greg Pauly is at Bears rookie camp. The Giants grabbed Ryan Grant. New Orleans signed Dwight Ellick for its secondary. Derek Curry is with the Dolphins. Finally, Tampa Bay reached out to Carlos Campbell to play safety... the BCS has new revenue sharing rules starting in 2006. At that point we will no longer be able to collect all the money if we make a BCS game. We will get money as if we were in a conference. We'll receive a share equivalent to a conference's second qualifying team when we earn a bid (about $4.5 million right now). And every year we don't make the BCS we will collect $1 million. Maybe that's good in Davie & Willingham eras but this is viewed as a worse deal for us than what we currently have. Because we have stunk for a decade we had very little leverage in the negotiations....Our first game is at Heinz Field against Pitt on September 3. Originally we were to play them on October 8. Now we have a game to play before meeting Michigan. After this game against Pitt, we take a 2-year break before picking them up for 8 straight years (2008-2015).
Concerning September 3, see the photo below.
There is also a new article to read about our on-going recruiting. It was written by someone who runs an ND football website and has followed the program for years. Read it on the Articles of Interest page. It was written after we had landed the first four recruits and didn't even take into account us landing a five-star running back!
Campus News:
In early April the University began testing the market for WNDU, the television station it owns. Executive Vice President John Affleck-Graves released a statement confirming that the University has retained a brokerage firm to explore the possible sale of Michiana Telecasting Corp., which operates the NBC affiliate. Affleck-Graves said, "In recent months we have received a number of inquiries from parties interested in acquiring Michiana Telecasting Corporation. The University feels it has a responsibility to evaluate such inquiries in a fiscally prudent manner." The statement goes on to say that the University has "retained a brokerage firm, Kalil and Co. of Tucson (Ariz.), to assist us in the evaluation and advise us accordingly. The University has not made any decision at this time." The subject of a sale has come up before but never examined to this degree. A University spokesman would not speculate on why Notre Dame would seek to sell the station. Apparently the University routinely examines markets to weigh the use of its assets. The University has been the sole owner of the station since first signing on the air July 15, 1955, as Channel 46. In September 1957, the University changed its designation to Channel 16.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The new Notre Dame Domeland Security Building has more than a few spacious, inconveniently located classrooms and a post office; we now have our very own drunk tank. For the record, Gipp - by no means - feels this is necessary. Our tipster shares that the "waiting room," as it is more commonly called, will house those arrested while they await a trip to the county jail. In case one of the occupants feels "ill" at the prospect of incarceration, the tank is equipped with a floor drain and hose for easy cleanup.
Hall Notes:
Last week we mentioned Vermin Carlyle Holiday playing one last Bookstore game. Carlyle is in the news again. He was not drafted by an NFL team but he was signed as a free agent by one. Holiday is a 6'3", 215 lb. wide receiver with the Arizona Cardinals. He is number 9 and is not at their spring camp. His contract is not guaranteed and he will really have to work to make the team. Carlyle joins another Vermin with the Cardinals. Bert Berry '97 is coming off a Pro Bowl season at defensive end for the Cardinals. The Vermin have found a home in Arizona.
NDSportscenter:
There is more recruiting news but this week will consist of a Bookstore Basketball recap.
Over 600 teams competed in Bookstore XXXIV. The #1 team, You Got a Bad Draw, was last year's champ and featured football players Brady Quinn, Dan Stevenson, and Chinedum Ndukewe. But before getting into the top teams let's feature a classic joke team. "The Apostles" would kneel and pray during their pre-game warmup as chants and choir music played in the background. John, Peter, Thomas, Matthew and Judas were quite the show. Mid-game a crowd member ran onto the court and said, "Judas, I have your 30 silver pieces." Judas then "betrayed" his team by shooting at the wrong basket. It became 6-on-4 and the other team actually passed to Judas! No word on whether he hung himself after the other apostles were defeated.
Now to the final rounds of Bookstore. Former player and current assistant coach Martin Ingelsby lost in the Sweet 16. Former player and current athletic staff member Harold Swanigan also lost in the Sweet 16. Harold lost to former receiver/current law student Bobby Brown's team. Brown's team, Cocoa Butter, featured a Bookstore virgin. Butter's center was 6'8" Ron Dokes. Word on the street is he works for NDSP. He went to South Bend's Riley High School and was recruited to Ball State. After a coaching change he left to a junior college. Kentucky was one of many teams offering a scholarship but Ron went to Duquesne. He started for two years and averaged 10 ppg and 5 rpg. Just last season he played professionally in Turkey where he scored 18 ppg and grabbed 9 rpg. He plans to give Europe another try in France or Italy and then take a shot at the NBA. Dokes led Butter to the Final Four. He scored 9 points in his team's 21-16 loss to #2 We Get Wet. Ron was obviously selected All-Bookstore First Team. We Get Wet featured basketball senior Jordan Cornette and two senior Bookstore veterans.
The other two teams in the Final Four were You Got a Bad Draw and #5 Looking for a Sponsor. The first game of the semi-finals was between Butter and Wet and was played in a driving snowstorm. The frigid game (wind chill in the 20s) took an hour and a half. It was the first game I'd seen played in the snow. The second semi-final ended in a.... forfeit. Unbelievable. A forfeit in the Final Four. It was from miscommunication. Quinn's team didn't want to risk injury by playing in horrible weather. Supposedly they spoke with receiver Rhema McKnight on Sponsor about re-scheduling. This was never communicated to Rhema's teammates of the Bookstore commissioners. Forfeit. Sponsor went to the championship.
Sponsor, though, was without Rhema and Jerome Collins (drafted by the Rams) on championship Sunday. But they put up a good fight with two able recruits. We Get Wet won 21-17. Cornette (6'9") joined Jimmy Dillon and Jason Williams as former players that had won Bookstore. But Jordan barely scored. Wet was led by two senior Bookstore veterans in the tallest frontcourt possibly in Bookstore history. Irish guardsman Justin Funk (6'5") scored 11 points and was named MVP. Jim Kilroy (6'6") scored the game winning bucket and 6 others on his way to being named Mr. Bookstore.
Campus News:
The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Well it seems the students complained long enough and loud enough that the administration will partially remove scaffolding around the Dome for graduation. Executive Vice President John Affleck-Graves said the scaffolding will be removed down to the base of the Dome. Work will continue until May 5. It will take a week to remove the scaffolding. Then it will be rebuilt beginning on May 14. And by May 21 the re-gilding will begin again. The overall completion date will still be October 1. Therefore, to make up for the two week delay, workers will be working longer hours.
Senior class president Darrell Scott and student body president Adam Istvan helped orchestrate the scaffolding removal. At the end of March they met with Affleck-Graves and presented a "hypothetical contract" nearly identical to the one most recently approved. Originally the plan was not deemed feasible. That was only because of miscommunication. The students just wanted the Dome cleared while the administration thought they wanted the Dome and the base drum free of scaffolding. Affleck-Graves persisted with the University and finally all the parties got on the same page. Most seniors seemed pleased but at least one was still unsatisfied. One girl said, "I wish they could take [the scaffolding] all down... Our class has gone through a lot, but at least [the administration is] listening to us." The class has gone through a lot? What, like famine, genocide, or a coup? Get a grip. But Affleck-Graves gave praise saying, "I want the senior class to know that their representatives have represented them in a very, very professional way."
Campus Watch from the Fall by the Gipper from Scholastic:
And now, in the contest of Best Stat Line of the Week, we have USC QB Matt Leinart (24/34, 400 yards and 5 touchdowns) vs. LaFortune Thieves (5 bar stools, 1 couch and 2 marble-top tables).
In regards to the above, Gipp doesn't know what is stranger: the fact that two marble-top tables have been stolen so far this year, or the fact that one of the higher-ups thought to furnish Sbarro with two marble-top tables so drunk kids can enjoy greasy pizza on them.
Hall Notes:
Well, no Vermin teams were representin' in Bookstore. (The Bookstore Basketball summary will be in next week's notes.) But one former Vermin did make an appearance in the late rounds. A team of older players made the Sweet 16 and picked up off-campus fifth year senior Carlyle Holiday. Unfortunately it was one-and-done for Carlyle as the team failed to advance. At least he was part of a championship team a couple years back.
NDSportscenter:
The 76th Blue-Gold game was last weekend. Over 23,000 people attended the game despite brutal winds and 30 degree temperatures. The Blue team was stacked with starters and on easily, 28-6. For the second year in a row Brady Quinn was named the Offensive MVP. He was 8 of 12 for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. The touchdown passes were to tight end Anthony Fasano (19 yards) and receiver Rhema McKnight (12 yards). Running back Rashon Powers-Neal ran for 2 touchdowns (7 yards, 3 yards). The Defensive MVP was defensive tackle Trevor Laws. Laws had four tackles, three for a loss, and one sack. The defense had 7 sacks. The Gold team only managed 42 net yards.
Since we're talking football.... Brady Quinn has been named the offensive captain for next year. Brandon Hoyte is the defensive captain....running back Justin Hoskins has been reinstated to the team....sophomore defensive end Victor Abiamiri was out of spring ball after a severe kick to the shin....freshman cornerback Tregg Duerson (son of Dave Duerson) has left the team for unspecified reasons...defensive end Justin Tuck was drafted with the 10th pick of the 3rd round (74th overall) by the New York Giants. Tight end Jerome Collins went to the St. Louis Rams with the 8th pick of the 5th round (144th overall).
Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said we had about 70 high school recruits making unofficial visits for the Blue-Gold game. Of those 70 about 25 to 35 will probably be pre-season All Americans. Lemming said no other schools had as many blue-chippers visiting for their spring games.
Charlie Weis is setting the recruiting world on fire. We already have five verbal commitments for next year and signing day isn't until February. Munir Prince is a running back/cornerback out of DeSmet Jesuit High School in St. Louis, Missouri. Prince is a 5'10", 164 lb. and runs a 4.3-40. As a sophomore he ran for 1500 yards and 17 TDs. During an injury plagued junior season in which in only played eight games because of a sprained foot, Munir still ran for 1000 yards and 13 TDs. He plans to major in sports medicine. Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, and Michigan State were interested. Prince actually reneged on a verbal commitment to Iowa.
Barry Gallup Jr. is verbal #2. He's a 5'10, 175 lbs receiver from Belmont Hill High School in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Barry is the son of boston college's associate athletic director. We were chosen over b.c. and Wisconsin. He runs a 4.45-40 and has great football smarts. Last year he ran for 1700 yards, received for 500 yards, scored 24 TDs, and had 6 INTs. After landing these two early recruits Tom Lemming said it was a "great sign." He continued, saying "there has a been a buzz the past few months that something special is happening at Notre Dame."
More on our recruiting next week.
There is also an article to check out about the special coaches that were at the Blue-Gold game. Tim Brown, Joe Montana, Chris Zorich, and Joe Theismann were highlighted in an Observer piece. Go to the "Articles of Interest" page to check it out.
Campus News:
This week's news will contain some random items.
First up is this year's commencement speaker. The upcoming graduation ceremony will feature Vartan Gregorian. He was born in Tabriz, Iran and was raised in Lebanon. He attended Stanford University and spent over twenty years in higher education as a professor and administrator. Vartan has been the president of Brown University and the New York Public Library. He currently heads the philanthropic organization Carnegie Corporation. Gregorian was presented the National Humanities Medal by President Clinton in 1998 and the Medal of Freedom by President Bush in 2004. Gregorian may not be a marquee name, but he is certainly an exemplary figure in academia.
Notre Dame raised $173,000 for the Tsunami relief fund.
Former General Electric chairman and CEO Jack Welch spoke on campus on Wednesday, April 13. Not to be outdone, JEOPARDY! phenom Ken Jennings spoke on Monday, April 18.
This year the University received the third most applications ever. The total number of applications was 11,316. The University accepted 3,478 potential Domers. The expected enrollment will be around 1,975, which is slightly smaller than the last class. (Overcrowding has limited application acceptance.) For the 11,316 hopefuls, the average SAT was 1312 and the average ACT was 29. Admissions received 2,028 minority applications. About half of those were accepted. The University is shooting for a minority percentage of 23 for the Class of 2009.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Gipp has it on reliable information that two Keenanite roommates recently had a night to remember. What started out as a pleasant evening of having a drink or two as gentlemen, quickly devolved into a bout of rugged heterosexual wrestling. Gipp isn't sure whether the animosity escalated or dissipated from this point, though. All he can be sure of is that the next morning there was an exhausted Notre Dame man sporting two hickeys courtesy of his roommate.
Hall Notes:
Politics are alive and well in the current Carroll Hall. I've received word that the last hall election was tighter than a Jenna Jameson halter top. The new hall president is sophomore Peter Hadley. His ticket received 24 votes. As I recall, the second and third place tickets had 23 and 22 votes, respectively. Voter turnout was high. Approximately 85 to 90 ballots were cast. One of the platform items of the newly crowned administration was contact with Vermin alums. They were keen on the idea of making Vermin Wear available to alums. VerminNet will try to work with the hall leadership to alter alums to items for sale. So here's your notice. Keep your eyes open for postings in the fall. All the specifics will be provided so you can place orders as easily as possible.
NDSportscenter:
Now don't laugh when you read this because I did when I first read it. Men's basketball junior Torin Francis has made himself eligible for the NBA draft. This despite not even averaging double digits in point or rebounds this past season. He will not be signing with an agent. The draft is June 24. Francis may withdraw his name up to a week before the draft and return for his senior year. He will attend NBA pre-draft camps.
And forward Dennis Latimore will not be returning for a fifth year. Dennis will have his diploma and will be on his way. He majored in English and African-American studies.
The women's swimming and diving team won its 9th consecutive Big East Championship. The women won 11 of 20 events. They scored 804 points, 191 more than second place. Coach Bailey Weathers was the Coach of the Year, his sixth award of the last 10 years. Fifth year senior Meghan Perry-Eaton, for the thrid straight year, was the Most Outstanding Diver. Caiming Xie was named Diving Coach of the Year.
The #22 men won their first ever Big East title with a meet record 902.5 points. Pitt's eight-year run ended. Tim Welsh was the Big East Coach of the Year. The team set three school records in the meet. Freshman Jay Vanden Berg set a record in the 1650 meters. Junior Steve Shomberger tore it up in the 200 backstroke. And the 400 freestyle relay was record-breaking.
Then it was on to the NCAAs. Meghan Perry-Eaton was fifth in one-meter diving. She's an All American for the second straight year. She now holds two of our top three finishes at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Two other women made the NCAAs. Sophomore Katie Carroll competed in three events. She was 6th (All American) in the 400 IM, 14th in the 200 IM and 21st in the 200 butterfly. Junior Christel Bouvron was 22nd in the 200 butterfly and 41st in the 100 butterfly. The women's team came in 24th overall in the NCAAs. It was the third highest point total in program history and the 6th top 25 in the last 9 years.
For the first time in the 47 year history of the program, a Domer man went to the NCAAs. Sophomore Tim Kegelman qualified for the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly and 200 IM. Tim was disqualified in the 100 butterfly for an illegal turn. But he came in 37th in the 200 butterfly and 39th in the 200 IM.
Campus News & Campus Watch & NDSportscenter:
The Censored List (2005)
Disturbing pigs. Filthy swine. Censored teams. These are the banished teams, the teams considered unfit. They have been sequestered and penned. Pigs. Swine. Well, I love bacon. In praise of sows and barrows I'll open with a quote from the character of Otto from "A Fish Called Wanda" who also had an affinity for oinking. Otto actually encouraged an adversary to continue cheating with his girlfriend by bellowing: "Pork away, pal." Behold the Censored List of 2005.
Bookstore XXXIV opened with 609 teams. I counted 73 (12%) that were axed. I contacted and heard back from 54 teams. Yet there are WELL over 54 team names.
So how are there more censored team names than there were censored teams? Thanks to Student Activities, teams were requested to submit two names in case the first was deemed unacceptable. But really all that did was give many teams twice the opportunity to offend. The second team names have all been shared. Show of hands....c'mon, you doesn't love sloppy seconds?... Nobody?... That's what I thought.
Hear them ROAR. The women made MAJOR strides in being censored this year. In the past there have been hardly any. Not this year. Female-captained teams will be labeled "GRRRL Power." Finally the girls are proving they can be equally crudely creative as the boys. Props for the ladies. A censorhsip revolution. Like the '60s. I'm not saying the women should unhook their bras and set them on fire. I'm just saying I would really, really love to see that. Really. Please.
After following censored names for a few yearsk, I've noticed a trend. The teams have been separated into..."The Seven Topics You Can't Talk About in Bookstore." It's an homage to legendary comedian George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television." What are those words? My Roman Catholic fingers are not even programmed to type in that order. (But my Pagan Hedonistic libido is well informed.) How bad are the words? Let's just say Lil Kim would label them as "Words to live by." But enough of Lil Kim. Let's get to the magic shtick....
Topic #1 that is banned can be summed up in one word...."hate." I prefer to use the term "joke." I don't believe there is genuine hate on campus but these names scream of blatant dislike. They are definitely hating on peeps, though. So disliking is censored. What about diversity? Are only "shiny, happy people" allowed? I hope not because R.E.M. sucks. Check out the teams...
Hibey's Old Team Hates Him
We Don't Like You, Kay-dub
Mike Tennant Is A Disgustingly Poor Human Being, and For His Sake I
Hope Our
First Name Gets Approved
"Off" is definitely out. Anytime the censors see "off" they know that teams are hoping it will be printed after the team is "beat" in the tourney. The second topic that gets busted is...."self-pleasuring."
Off in the Shower
Team Off in the Woods
Each Other Off
Right Hand Crossovers
Team Ski Poles
So teams of hate were nixed. And you just read of teams being silenced for (self) love. It's a thin line between love and hate. And that thin line is....du Lac.
The next grouping could probably be tagged "derogatory." Calling yourself "white" is disparaging? Loose women are of low opinion? Alcoholism isn't ripe for ridicule? Maybe "derogatory" is a poor choice for the topic. White guys + alcoholism + women of ill repute... maybe a more appropriate title would be "The Weekend."
Whitewash Allstars
Team Cracker
Whiggity Whiggity White Boys
4 Engineers + 1 Alcoholic = 5 Guys Not Coordinated Enough to Play
Basketball
Four Gardner and a Hoe
Strumpets with Trumpets! (GRRRL Power)
H2Hoes (GRRRL Power)
Fugly Sluts and the Fuglies (GRRRL Power)
Slutty Slutty Slutfaces (GRRRL Power, I absolutely adore this name)
Some team names are just too innocent. They can't possibly be so benign. How could these be censored? Where's our criminal justice system when we need it? INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN SMUTTY! Let's call this the "W" category because, like President George W. Bush, they are confusing and don't make a lot of sense but they are still winners.
Missouri Sliders
Thanks for the Trip to Fresno, Kevin
I Want to be 'J'
Hindi Rockers
Oops, Pow, Surprise!!!
9 Flasz All Stars
The Pederasts (consult a dictionary, or Michael Jackson)
Baby Eaters (don't ask)
Pontius Pilate and the Naildrivers
Five Ukranian Chicken Keepers (acronym)
We're Not Your Baby's Daddy
We Argh But Pirates (what kind of pirates?)
Team He Had Your Mom Over for Tea
Burns Wenighpy (sound it out)
The Punishment of the Asexual Sloth
"Body parts" for the 5th item is pretty obvious. The main culprit is the male reproductive organ. In its excited state, of course. Since "excited" has been introduced these teams can be called "The Anti-John Kerry Club" because they will not bore you to tears, they will not lose the state of Ohio, and they will not BORE YOU TO TEARS.
The Meat
Rambone
Morning Glory
Vagina Monologues (the play is allowed but not the team?)
Penis Monologues (when will that play? [insert joke here])
Pipping Hott Penes
The Sandy V's
Meat Curtains
Dixon Cider
Dixie Normus
Erections Lasting Over 4 Hours Require Medical Help
Our Assets are Bigger Than Yours (GRRRL Power)
The Cialis High-Rising All Stars
Big Sticks, Little Balls (the golf team, of course)
Boobs Akimbo (GRRRL Power)
Don't even try to use the word "shoot" in any form. It gets the automatic axe. Grouping #6 is simply "porn." How can that be censored in college? College without porn would be like our football team versus USC: Pointless.
L. Steele (adult film star)
ShotCallers
Team Money Shots
Grinnell
Team Rusty Trombones
Shooting Our Mouths Off (GRRRL Power, but it's the debate team!)
Wet Hoop Dreams
Five More for Bukkake
Yaaaay Denim! Boooo Khaki!
Dribble on Your Face
We Shoot All Up In Your Eye
Two Pump Chumps
Double Pumped, Got Excited, Shot too Early (GRRRL Power)
We Like To Hit It Hard, But Only If It Has Dimples (the golf team, of
course!)
We'll Even Shoot On Your Grandma
We Work In a Spa Because We Like to Give Facials
But my favorite team names this year make up the seventh issue that is off limits: "ND Quips." Apparently the students are not allowed to make light of things like the on-going regilding of the Dome. And the phrase of the Equestrian team was an issue. You see, the phrase is on their team shirts which were accepted and sanctioned by Student Activities. Yet come Bookstore time the same previously allowable phrase was given the hook. I'll speak for the Equestrian team when I say that's a bunch of horseshit.
Thick, Quick and Natty (pun on Charlie Weis team motto that ends in
"Nasty")
Charlie Weis' Return to F*$%ing Glory
Charlie Weis' Return to Effing Glory (that's their alternate name; they
censored themselves and STILL got yanked; that's eff-ed up)
We Can Ride Anything and Make It Look Good (the phrase mentioned above,
GRRRL Equestrian Power)
Ride That Pony (GRRRL Equestrian Power)
I Went to TC (Turtle Creek) and All I Got Was the Clap
It Would be LaFun to O'Shag Me (GRRRL Power)
And now for the final two. These were able to combine three things: current events, innuendo and hilarity. The sound you can't hear is me laughing my asset off....
5 Guys Who Want Their Domes Regilded
WeWantOurDomesShined2
There you have it. That's the list for 2005. To sum up:
OPEC's previous crude oil price range: $22-$28
The current cost of a gallon of gasoline: $2.25
Value of a barrel of crude Bookstore team names: Priceless
See ya next year.
Hall Notes:
This small news item fits perfectly with the Bookstore team names. There was a team name that was uncensored and mentioned Carroll Hall. But the team captain was FEMALE! The team name was... "Desperate Housewives of Carroll Hall." No word if Teri Hatcher has enrolled for a semester. Word on the street is that the team is made of Carroll girlfriends and/or groupies.
Campus News:
South Bend and the University hosted High School McDonald's All Americans a week and a half ago. The girls game was followed by the boys game on March 30. The games were held at the JACC. The dunk contest, 3-point contest, and other shooting events were held at Bethel College in Mishawaka on March 29. The dunk contest had seven judges. Two were Domers Chris Thomas and LaPhonso Ellis, both former McDonald's All Americans. Two other judges were Green Bay Packers running back Ahman Green and former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield. In addition to the televised games, scrimmages were also held. Between the boys scrimmage and game, the players were seen by over 100 NBA personnel. I actually had friends at the game that were seated next to Isaiah Thomas, who is currently in the front office for the New York Knicks.
Our men's and women's teams each had a recruit in the game. Lindsay Schrader is a 6'0" forward. This past season her team was 26-4. She scored 21 ppg and corraled 10 rpg. Lindsay was one of twenty-four girls.
Luke Zeller, our 6'11" center recruit, was one of twenty-four boys. Luke recently made Sportscenter prior to the McDonald's game. Luke led Washington High School to a 74-72 State Championship over Plymouth. But it's HOW he won the game. Washington was down one with just under two seconds left. Zeller hit a shot from half court to win state. It was a fairy tale ending to a storybook high school career.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
From this past fall....
Gipp hears that a couple of Wednesdays ago some LaFortune loiterers were wondering the identity of a middle-aged woman who was shepherding a certain sophomore star football player through the grease-soaked student center. As the duo left Sbarro, our unidentified babysitter blocked an attempt by a lady who wanted the signal caller's John Hancock for her young child. Our tight-lipped thrower said nothing as his chaperone shouted, "We're late for a meeting!" and hustled him away, while onlookers were left shaking their heads. Now, Gipp isn't always one for manners, but - given the wild week our football team had been through - we need all the fans we can get. Gipp thinks this gal need a crash course in the niceties of ND etiquette. (And to our player, how about an audible here - "This will only take 10 seconds off the play clock.")
Hall Notes:
The Vermin Family is expanding. On March 24, Duane "Cobain" Cobenais '97 became a proud father for the second time. First-born Elijah Thomas just turned one year old in February. The newest member of the family is Samuel William. Sam is most likely a future linebacker or fullback. He weighed 9 lb. 11 oz. and measured 22 inches. Congratulations, Duane, on the expansion of your family. The good news is especially significant in light of the fact that Duane's cousin was one of the critically wounded at the well-publicized high school shooting rampage in north central Minnesota. I believe I speak for all the Vermin when I wish your cousin as healthy and quick a recovery as possible.
NDSportscenter:
Spring football news: three players have been suspended from spring practice and it is uncertain if they will rejoin the team in the fall. Freshman running back Justin Hoskins, freshman defensive end Ronald Talley, and junior offensive lineman James Bonelli were suspended for violating team rules....Three players are injured and out of spring ball. Wide receiver Matt Shelton is coming back for a 5th year but is hurt. Linebacker Nick Borseti and defensive lineman Derek Landri are also out....RB Marcus Wilson, S Lionel Bolen, QB Pat Dillingham, OL Zach Giles, OL Darin Mitchell and FB Josh Schmidt are not coming back for 5th years....The team motto, a Charlie Weis-ism, is "Thick, Quick & Nasty"....The team is allowed 15 practices. The Blue-Gold game is on April 23....Four football alums will be back for the Blue-Gold game. Joe Montana and Chris Zorich will be honorary coaches for the Blue team. Joe Theismann and Tim Brown will be on the Gold team's sideline....Sophomore Chinedum Ndukwe has been switched to linebacker from free safety. As a frosh he was a receiver....Sophomore Dwight Stephenson Jr. has gone from linebacker to defensive end.... Last weekend Weis again hosted a great many high school juniors. Recruiting is now year round and as many prospects are coming to campus as possible....Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Coach David Cutcliffe, 50, recently had a triple bypass heart surgery. He will not return until after the school year is over. Charlie will handle the QBs in his absence. Because Cutcliffe is unavailable, Weis petitioned the NCAA to allow Ron Powlus to work the spring as an on-field assistant coach. The NCAA allowed it.
The
women's basketball team ended the year on a sour note. They lost in the 2nd
round to Arizona State 70-61. Their final record was 27-6. Even worse was when
freshman Charel Allen went down with a torn ACL in her left knee. The ladies
were denied a 3rd consecutive Sweet 16 which would have been the 7th in 9 seasons.
The high point of the year was when the women won at UConn. It snapped UConn's
112 game winning streak at home versus Big East opponents. Their last Big East
loss at home had been Feb. 27, 1993.
Campus News:
For the third straight year, the College Park apartment complex was busted for St. Patrick's Day festivities. The Indiana State Excise Police issued citations to four students. No custodial arrests were made. Three people were cited for minor in consumption. One student was cited for minor in consumption and for presenting an officer with a false identification.
The police showed up in six unmarked vehicles and crashed the complex at 6:30pm. Roughly 60 to 75 Domers were detained in one of the apartments until each student presented a legal identification with proof of age. Several breathalyzer tests were administered. This was the largest, loudest and most crowded party so this was the only unit that was entered. The St. Joseph County Police stood outside for crowd control. They did issue two citations for public indeceny, particularly public urination. They also issued tickets for cars parked illegally on the side of the road. NDSP was not on hand. They stayed on campus where only one intoxicated student was turned over to hall staff.
Last year, St. Joseph County Police arrested six students at College Park and one was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center after falling from a balcony. The previous year a student also fell from a balcony at a larger party. No arrests were made that year.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Marketing majors tell Gipp that the usually wonderful folks at the ND bookstore recently sent out a flyer announcing a staff and faculty "appreciation sale." Headlining the flyer was a quote from President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, nearly 41 years to the day from the much publicized bookstore sale. You'd think the university would have a little more class than to even appear to be celebrating the death of our only Catholic president.
Hall Notes:
Vermin track star Selim Nurudeen again performed well. He earned All-American honors at the NCAA National Indoor Track and Field Championships. Selim finished 6th in the 60 meter hurdles and set the stage for him to also be an All American during the outdoor season.
NDSportscenter:
The fencing team won its 7th National Championship. The Irish only qualified 11 of 12 possible fencers. They became the first team to win a title without the full allotment of fencers. The team came back from a 24 point deficit to edge Ohio State 173-171. The men brought 5 to the NCAAs. Four of those five earned All American honors. Michal Sobieraj won the epee title. Patrick Ghattas was the sabre runner up. Freshman foilist Jakub Jedrkowiak was 7th. Sophomore Matt Stearns was tenth in the sabre. The women entered ranked #1 and they sent 6 fencers. Senior Alicja Kryczalo was second in the foil and became a 4-time All American. Sophomore Amy Orlando was second in the epee. Freshman and Olympic gold medalist Mariel Zagunis finished second in the sabre. Sophomore Valerie Providenza competed in the sabre and came in 4th. And Andrea Ament became another 4-time All American with a 7th place finish.
There is more #1 news. Sophomore tennis sensations Christian and Catrina, the Thompson Twins, have risen to the #1 doubles team in the nation. The previous #1 Northwestern duo lost twice in February. As of the new #1 ranking, the twins were 16-2. They were 11-1 versus ranked teams with six victories over top 15 teams. Last year as freshmen they were 22-17. They opend the year ranked #7. Prior to ascending to #1, the ladies best ranking was #5. Catrina is also the #32 ranked singles player. She started the year 11-4 and is the #1 singles player for the Irish.
And
now the other end of the spectrum. Last year the hockey team made the NCAAs
for the first time in program history. This year the hockey team was our worst
ever. Their final record was 5-27-6. They finished the season with a 19-game
winless streak (0-16-2). There are 58 college hockey teams. We were the worst
scoring team in the nation with a measly 1.58 goals per game.