Campus News:
So what does the University plan to do with the land around the new Edison Road south of campus? It's certainly not reserved for tailgating. The southeast plot (just east of some of the remaining woods) is being eyed as the possible location for a research park. Administrators met recently with representatives of Project Future to continue discussions. Earlier this year, the economic development agency and city leaders suggested that the park be built on about 13 acres of Notre Dame land at the southeast corner of Edison Road and Eddy street. That location was not deemed feasible because it would compromise the University's plan for mixed-use commercial-residential development along Eddy Street. So the University suggested shifting the proposed park east and reducing the proposed size of the initial development.
The University owns all the land but plans to sell the property to whoever accepts the role of developing the research park. The city has been in discussions with Notre Dame and Indiana University South Bend to build a park that would have a combination of research facilities and space for businesses. The development would be called the Research Park at Notre Dame.
The University is negotiating with private developers to develop the Eddy Street corridor just south of campus into a mixed-use pedestrian-oriented district. There are plans for street-level retail shops, with room for offices and apartments on the second and third floors. Attached row houses might be built nearby. The Eddy corridor is to serve Notre Dame and the residents of the city's northeast side. The list of potential developers for Eddy Street si down to three.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our next story is part of a wave of Fish-y goings-on in a dorm which is known at times to be a real Zoo. Aha, oh yes, delicious. After a long night of studying...the bottom of a Solo cup, our man for all seasons stumbles back home, intent on donning his PJs and hitting the extra-long twin. Unfortunately, as well as entertainingly, this underclassman stumbled not into his own room, but into that of his rector, wherein he flung off his trousers and started searching the priest's closet for some jammies. Now, Gipp has to question at this point: Did he not notice the clothes through which he was pawing tended toward the, well, monochromatic? (Black shirt, black shirt, black shirt, black short-sleeved shirt, black shirt...) Alternately, depending when in the liturgical calendar this event took place, he'd end up striding down the hallway clad in rich purple or verdant green, robes swinging, fashionable rope belt and giant bejeweled cross perfectly matched to some smoking bronze censers. Not exactly the most inconspicuous of wardrobe choices. Actually, forget it, nobody would have noticed. Rising horrified but probably used to it by now, Father insisted that the student remove his meathooks from the merchandise and skedaddle, to which the student insisted that the room was, in fact, his. Which I'm sure the rector was almost convinced by, right before he slammed the pantsless wonder into ResLife so fast his collar spun.
Hall Notes:
Todd Kuczaj '98 is now a proud papa. Samantha is closing in on 15 months. She was born on September 27, 2004. Sam was 8 lbs, 7 oz and 20.5 inches. Todd said of his daughter: "[She] started walking at about a year, and is learning new words every day. And I've taught her the touchdown signal, so she walks around the house with her hands above her head every time the Irish score." (Thanks to Charlie her arms must be very sore.) As for Mr. Kuczaj, he's a technology consultant for Accenture. Todd has been there since April 2004. Currently he's a project manager at American Express, an Accenture client. A photo of the newest Irish fan is below.
NDSportscenter:
More football notes: Brady Quinn was 4th in the Heisman balloting and received 7 first-place votes. That's the highest finish since the Rocket was 2nd in 1990....Rashon Powers-Neal is done playing for the Irish. His suspension is actually until the beginning of the second semester. Rashon's belief in possible reinstatement after December 7 was a miscommunication....Brady won the Sammy Baugh Award which is presented by The Touchdown Club of Columbus (Ohio)... linebacker Brandon Hoyte was 1 of 7 semi-finalists for the 2nd annual Lott Trophy. The trophy goes to student-athletes who perform well on and off the field....Quinn is 1 of 5 up for the Manning Award, which goes to the top quarterback....Charlie is 1 of 6 up for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year....Jeff Samardzija was named 1st team All-American by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and the Football Writers Association of America. He's 2nd team All American for the Associated Press and the Walter Camp Foundation.... Brady and safety Tom Zbikowski were 3rd team Associated Press All Americans....The voting of the coaches at the end of the season was revealed. Charlie voted us 4th and Ohio State 5th. Jim Tressel of Ohio State had it just the opposite. We had ten 4th place votes and twenty-three (the most) 5th place votes. Texas A&M's coach has us highest at #3. Steve Spurrier has us at #14. (What a dumbass. Just because we took his offensive line coach.) And Tyrone gave us no love at 9th....the Fiesta Bowl is on January 2 at 5pm EST on ABC. We have lost seven straight bowls. The stadium in Tempe seats 73,750. Yet we are only being given 15,000 tickets. (Huh? 30,000 for two teams? Who gets the other 43,000 tickets?) Of our tickets, 2,500 are going to students. Over 45,000 alums put in requests for about 12,000 tickets.
After knocking off defending champ Indiana in the NCAA 2nd round, the Irish went to Clemson for the Sweet 16. Clemson won, 1-0. Junior midfielder/defender Greg Dalby was named a 1st team All American. He is also a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy, the third Domer to be a semifinalist.
Campus News:
The University has sold WNDU-TV for $85 million. The deal was struck with Gray Television Inc. on November 23. The Atlanta-based company acquired all the capital stock of the corporation. Gray is a publicly traded company. They own 35 television stations and 5 newspapers. Gray is pleased to acquire the South Bend station that is "ranked No. 1 in overall audience share and news viewing." The University feels it turned the station over to the correct company that would be "committed to the local community and to quality news and entertainment programming."
The actual sale will take six to twelve months. The deal is expected to be complete by June 30. The University believes that part of the deal is the continuation of student internships at the station. The NBC affiliate, which is ranked 87th largest in the nation, is not expected to make any major on-air changes. In fact, they have a history of rarely fixing what ain't broke.
Executive Vice President John Affleck-Graves declared that the $85 million acquired in the transaction will be used for "student and academic initiatives." The bulk of the money will be invested in the endowment. The endowment is the 19th largest amongst colleges and first within Catholic universities. The endowment began in 1969 and is now over $3 billion.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
In this tale, which is quite literally from the crypt, our main character, pseudonym Ursula Undergrad, finds herself in the midst of tailgating with a bladder full of festive good-cheer. And beer. Also full of beer. In a decision that was both bloodcurdling and highly questionable, Ursula decided to skip the lines at the portable toilets (too predictable) as well as the Bookstore (not humiliating enough), venturing further afield to seek out relief. Oh, what a mischievous autumnal spirits (around 80-proof) must have been whispering in her ear to guide her farther and farther away from rational thought and right into, you guessed it, the cemetary.
Here's where Gipp's spooooooky tale gets really hair-raising (and pants-lowering). Staggering zombie-like among the rows of tombstones, the sound of 800 billion alumni floating in the air, our undergrad found herself crouched behind the mausoleum, about to send Jack Daniels and The Captain to their watery graves. But lo! Will the wonders never cease? The goblins of hilarity had much more in store that fateful day. Gipp will leave to your imagination what Ursula did next (and it shouldn't take much of an imagination). Suffice it to say that the flowers in front of the tomb were well-fertilized, and the ghosts are still tittering about it today.
Hall Notes:
The giant Christmas tree is again on the front lawn of Carroll. "A Carroll Christmas" was held on the front lawn on December 2. Curious how they put up the towering evergreen? "The Observer" photographed the culprits in the act. Check it out below.
NDSportscenter:
So we are Fiesta Bowl bound to play the Ohio State Suckeyes. We get a $15 million payday all to ourselves. Couple that with the sale of WNDU and the University just pulled in a cool $100 million. And I bet they STILL jack up ticket prices.
More football news: Lou Holtz was the guest speaker at the 85th Football Banquet. At the banquet Brady Quinn and Jeff Samardzija were named team co-MVPs....Brady Quinn is one of four up for the Cingular/ABC Sports Player of the Year. He is also one of five up for the Walter Camp Player of the Year. Quinn led the nation in touchdown passes with 32.... Samardzija led the nation in receiving touchdowns with 15. His receiving total this year broke the single-season record that had stood for 35 years....Jeff and Maurice Stovall were the only receiver duo to have at least 10 touchdowns each....We had a 3,000 yard passer, a 1,000 yard rusher, and two 1,000 yard receivers. Thank you, Charlie....Our season rating on NBC was 3.6, a 44% increase. It's our highest rating since 1995.....Because of this year's success, the University sports website (www.und.com) received its most hits ever. October alone had 7.2 million hits. That was up 31% from October '04. We are the #1 web-trafficked University....six of our recruits are playing in the January 7 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio. Recruit James Aldridge is 1 of 16 up for the Parade Player of the Year. According to the South Bend Tribune, seven of our recruits are Gatorade Players of the Year in their respective states: linebacker Morrice Richardson (Georgia), quarterback Demetrius Jones (Illinois), fullback Luke Schmidt (Indiana), receiver Barry Gallup (Massachusetts), running back Munir Prince (Missouri), safety Jashaad Gaines (Nevada), and offensive lineman Eric Olsen (New York).... finally, we have an ESPN.com article posted on the "Articles of Interest" page about Charlie being named the Sportsman of the Year.
Campus News:
A former art history professor won in a lawsuit against the University. The federal lawsuit was filed in July 2004. The suit was over a denied promotion. The professor received more than $67,000 in damages and attorney fees in the resolution. Robert Haywood, a former assistant professor sued for Family Medical Leave of Absence (FMLA) discrimination and retaliation, age discrimination and retaliation, and for violation of contract. Haywood said the University "misused" the FMLA law, which mandates employers to grant an eligible employee up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period if a family member is in need of medical attention. The case was settled under Rule 68 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which is a "cost-shifting provision." Rule 68 procedures allow an offer of judgment to be taken against the defending party in lieu of a trial and require the defendant to pay minimal damages plus the plaintiff's attorney cost and fees. The plaintiff had 10 days to accept this offer. He did.
The issue began in 2001 when Haywood requested FMLA because of his month in South Carolina suffering from acute leukemia. During his review and hearing, though, he claims the FMLA was used against him. Haywood alleged his promotion from assistant to associate professor with tenure was rejected. A University spokesman declared, "In essence Notre Dame offered to allow judgment to be entered against for the amount specified as a means of settling the case. Mr. Haywood accepted this offer, but Notre Dame denies any wrongdoing and is pleased with the settlement." The University claims there was not court decision in the sense of a judgment by a judge and/or jury. Haywood maintained a court made the final decision.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
This news comes from the South Bend Tribune...
It has finally been revealed why running back Rashon Powers-Neal was suspended. Talk radio was the first to comment on the severity of what occurred without actually saying what occurred. Sports radio said on a scale of 1 to 10, the infraction was a 7. To put any and all rumors to rest, Powers-Neal came forward and set the record straight.
On October 8, while home in St. Paul, Minnesota during a break from school, Powers-Neal was busted driving under the influence of alcohol. He went to court on November 23 and plead guilty. Powers-Neal was hit with a 4th degree DUI which is a misdemeanor and carries with it a 30-day license suspension. His University suspension is until December 7. After the suspension is lifted it will be determined if he will play in the bowl game.
Hall Notes:
It's time for the yearly Marshmallow Update. Student marshmallow throwing at halftime of football games is a tradition thanks to some '97 Vermin. So since that '96 football season, news is periodically given on the tradition. The University cracks down hard on throwers with every passing year. Throwing did not take place this year until the final home game. I personally saw many a senior engaged in marshmallow hurling. Forty-three students were ejected and sent to ResLife. Fifteen to twenty of those 43 were caught at the gate with the sugary contraband. Interesting. They never busted me when I brought in SIX bags for my senior year finale. Ahhhh, those were the days.
NDSportscenter:
The women's soccer team entered the NCAA tournament with a 19-2-0 record. The Irish were to host the first two rounds. The ladies were the #2 seed in their quadrant. They won both games at home with shutouts and then beat Yale in the 3rd round. The women then went out to Portland for the NCAA quarterfinals. Portland was 20-0-2 and the #1 overall team. ND fell 3-1. The women wore the greens and had 14 shots to Portland's 13. Katie Thorlakson had an assist and ended the season with 35 and 73 for her career. Both are good for 2nd in the NCAA record books (behind Domer Holly Manthei). And Thorlakson combined with freshman Kerri Hanks for the 2nd highest scoring duo ever. Finally, goalkeeper Erika Bohn (3.67 GPA in art studio) and midfielder Annie Schefter (3.76 double major in psychology and pre-professional studies) were named 1st team Academic All Americans.
The men's soccer team advanced to the Round of 16 after probably the biggest win in program history. The men defeated Indiana 2-0 in the NCAA 2nd round. IU was the 2-time defending champion. The game was played in Bloomington where IU was 45-3 in the NCAAs. They had won 19 straight NCAA games. It was our 4th win in 26 chances versus the Hoosiers. We had lost to them 3-0 earlier in the year. Next up: Clemson.
There is plenty of football news to share. Prior to the Stanford game, members of this year's Irish team had set 31 individual offensive records. Brady Quinn set 23 records alone....Jeff Samardzija, who set the 32nd record with receiving yards in a season after 216 yards against Stanford, is one of three up for the Biletnikoff Award which goes to the nation's best receiver....safety Tom Zbikowski has 5 touchdowns in his career, none of them offensive. I believe the record is 9 TDs and is held by Domer Allen Rossum....Tight end Ahthony Fasano is one of three up for the Mackey Award for the best tight end in the country.... Brady Quinn is up for the Davey O'Brien Award. He is one of three quarterbacks vying for the top honor.
There is plenty of football news to come.
Campus News:
Earlier this month the University started following through on its pledge to put cable in the dorm rooms. Comcast began in Sorin. All 27 dorms will be upgraded by the fall of 2006. Every room will have expanded basic cable. The cable installation will occur simultaneously with upgrades to ResNet, the campus-wide wired internet system. Six dorms will be upgraded over Christmas and the rest will be done throughout the spring. The cable, though, will not be activated until next fall. The cable will supposedly eliminate the need for satellites. Beginning in the fall, satellites will be prohibited.
Wireless Internet is going in each dorm and will be available immediately upon completion in each hall. The upgrades will require old ResNet and telephone cables to be taken out. All wired Internet and telephone connections will be out for up to three weeks. And the ID card swiping system will also be deactivated. Temporary wireless will be installed during that down time.
There is yet another technology project. OIT is working with cell phone providers to improve reception on campus. The work will begin in the spring when the roofs are clear of snow. The University will be using a hidden antenna system where there will be smaller, stealthier cameras hidden around campus to improve the coverage. This will allow for the discontinuation of dorm room telephones. Beginning next fall, telephone services will be an option, but no longer provided for everyone. I wonder if one of the options will be to receive a rotary phone. We can only hope.
Another article has been added but this one is not about sports. It's about a new student on campus. Check it out on the "Articles of Interest" page.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
For the next story, Gipp wasn't sure which offensive offering to go with. Should he stick with the theme before, or switch it up to a little something different, like perhaps a good vomit story? Knowing his audience, Gipp decided to delve further into the mysterious and exotic world of premarital sex, given that is DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE, NO, NOT EVER, PRAISE JESUS. In this next yarn, after enjoying a few too many body shots, our main character awakes with a searing pain in his abdomen, which - nine times out of ten - is not a good sign. After asking HIS MOTHER what to do about it and fearing he might have a hernia, our boy visits the ER, accompanied by a friend. While examining him, the doctor asks about any recent traumatic activities. Our friend reveals that he and a sweet lil lady had quite a time the previous night, but he couldn't come up with any event that would explain the damage done. Good thing that he brought his buddy along; while our protagonist was being examined, his pal pulled from the depths of his rum-soaked memory the recollection that our boy had, in fact, squired the young lady to his room. As it turns out, during the pair's romantic coupling, our protagonist's bladder was so full from a long night of responsible drinking that the exertion was enough to CAUSE INTERNAL BRUISING TO HIS BLADDER, all the while leaving him ignorant of how any of it had occurred. Dear Lord, how incredibly unsettling! Gipp is sure this story doesn't hint at some sort of drinking problem whatsoever.
Hall Notes:
Vermin Bert Berry's season ended early for the Arizona Cardinals. The Pro Bowl defensive end blew out a pectoral muscle and was placed on Injured Reserve for the rest of the year. He was lost in the 8th game of the year versus Seattle. Bert was having another great season prior to the injury with six sacks and was making a strong case for another trip to Honolulu. Maybe next year.
NDSportscenter:
We landed three more recruits.
Verbal #20 is linebacker Morrice Richardson. The 6'3", 235 lb backer is out of Westlake High School in Atlanta, Georgia. We beat out Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. Morrice is the first linebacker of this class and the 8th defensive player. He loves to hit and punish people. I guess you could say he's..."nasty." Rivals.com and Tom Lemming rate him a four-star player. He runs a 4.58 - 40, benches 315 lbs, and is on the track team. Last season Richardson had 90 tackles, 12 sacks, forced 6 fumbles and returned one fumble for a touchdown.
Chris Stewart, a 6'5", 360 lb offensive guard, also said he would play for the Irish. LSU, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss wanted Chris. Stewart is a four-star prospect from Klein, Texas. He benches 390 lbs and squats small homes. Stewart plans to major in history and Spanish with the hope of becoming a foreign ambassador. Here's the kicker... Stewart will enroll for this coming spring semester. He will be joined by running back recruit James Aldridge. They can count toward last year's class, which only had 15 recruits. A class can have a maximum of 25 players. So now Charlie can bring in 27 new players this year. These are our first early enrollees. One player tried last year but was denied. It's not a guarantee. Each is case-by-case. Administrators and faculty decide. We are now on equal footing with other schools that have been doing this since the '90s.
The 22nd player is wide receiver Richard Jackson. He is the fourth wideout of this class. At 6'2", 195 lbs, he is considered a larger version of Rhema McKnight. Jackson runs a 4.4 - 40 and is another four-star recruit. The Clermont, Florida product chose us over Miami and Georgia Tech. Senior-year double teams resulted in only 46 catches, 536 yards and 5 touchdowns. As a junior he had 72 catches, 1272 yards and 11 touchdowns. Richard has been called "Samardzija-like" because he's a good athlete with great hands and deceptive speed.
More football notes next week.
We have two basketball games on television coming up. The men take on Michigan at the JACC on Saturday, December 3 on ESPN2 at 2pm EST. Then the men travel to Alabama on Wednesday, December 7. That game is on ESPN at 7pm EST.
Campus News:
Last week the news touched on how the University was responding to Hurricane Katrina. There's more news to share.
Alum Paul Christman '89 was a resident of New Orleans and experienced the devastation firsthand. One of his concerns was the inability to contact fellow New Orleans friends that were separated hastily. Christman is a software developer and president of the Notre Dame Club of New Orleans. He united his work and passion to develop an online alumni bulletin board at www.ndkatrina.com. The site has succeeded in helping people locate one another, giving a place of offer and request help and supplying a way to find alumni in any city. Christman said, "Alumni around the country asked me where they could start helping - they were willing to drop whatever they had to show up in our city and start the rebuilding process." Christman also started a bulletin board for Hurricane Rita victims.
The Alumni Association raised $46,000 for Katrina relief efforts as of November 1. Many alumni around the country made separate donations through their workplace or other charities. The Notre Dame Club of Chicago chose to hold a collection during their Michigan State football game watch. The Notre Dame Club of Orange County raised $10,000 among its membership and prompted two local high schools to raise an additional $12,000. Of this total, $10,000 was donated directly to the Notre Dame Club of New Orleans. Catherine Kane '92 proposed to the Alumni Association that they could organize school break opportunities for students to work on Gulf Coast relief efforts and damage prevention efforts for future storms. Rob Mastro '71 organized an expedition involving 78 volunteers from 11 states. Members of the group stayed in New Orleans for two to three weeks, serving in a variety of volunteer capacities. Do you know of any other school that fosters as much service work and has such a strong social consciousness?
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
This is actually the second part of last week's edition. To recap the first part: a couple was hooking up and felt the urge to go all the way. But they didn't have protection. The saga continues... Did you just get an icy chill down your spine, reader? Just wait, it gets better. Here, Gipp will switch perspectives to that of the female in this situation, making sure to fully capture the nightmarish humiliation about to occur. Now, while our female protagonist declares herself "conservative" on her Facebook profile, apparently this is just in reference to her views on U.S. foreign policy, not the standards by which she allows other Domers access to her "body politic." The Gipp makes this observation with the assumption that most girls, upon hearing said words whispered under their partner's breath, would have already shimmied down the drainpipe and been halfway across South Quad by the time Hefty reascended the ladder to their loft.
But reascend Hefty did, after much rustling around, and - please excuse him if the Gipper begins to weep at this point - he returned with a garbage bag hastily affixed to his person in such a way as to enable the night's activities to continue on as previously scheduled. There is no amount of Keystone in the world that could have dulled such a moment of incredible awkwardness, with the poor coed's pupils contracting in dawning horror as she realized the implications of Hefty's new accoutrement. Fortunately for everyone involved, including now you, dear reader, Hefty's bag turned out to be a very effective method of birth control, as his lady quickly (and wisely) excused herself and sprinted home.
Hall Notes:
Vermin football: the final four. Carroll, the second best team in the Blue Division, came into the game with a record of 4-1. Keenan had the same record but was the top team in the Gold Division. It was #3 seed versus #2 seed. This game was the last of the day. And because of the rainy, wet conditions, the field was torn up and muddy. That made for plenty of penalties and turnovers. Each team threw interceptions and Carroll fumbled twice. Keenan scored in the second quarter to lead 7-0. The Vermin could not mount a scoring drive. Keenan's running game was too much. They amassed 258 yards to Carroll's 98. Despite the loss, the Vermin seniors were pleased with their progress over the years. As freshmen they were winless. Every year the team seems to go farther. They should be Stadium bound next year.
NDSportscenter:
The men's soccer team started the year with a pre-season ranking of #16. The season was a bit up and down. They finished 6-4-1 in the Big East and 10-6-2 overall. They hosted and defeated Syracuse in the first round of the Big East tournament. But the Irish lost 1-0 to St. John's in the quarterfinals. With a 10-7-3 record and a decent showing in the second best soccer conference, the team earned an at-large berth in the 48-team NCAA field. In the first round they were scheduled to play Western Illinois.
Basketball news: junior forward Omari Israel has decided to transfer. He played 10 minutes in the first exhibition game. Omari did not play as a freshman because of a surgically-repaired knee. Last year he saw his first action. He has yet to determine a destination....freshman point guard Kyle McAlarney already has an injury. Back spasms kept him sidelines for the second exhibition game....Chris Thomas is playing pro ball in Italy with Carifac Basket Fabriano. He is 90 miles northeast of Rome and scored 18 points in his debut....Jacqueline Batteast is spending the WNBA off-season in Greece. She is playing for Esperides Club in Athens....the men were only expected to be the 8th best team in the expanded Big East. And the only pre-season mentioning of Irish players was Chris Quinn who was only a pre-season honorable mention.
Another article has come our way. It's a tad old but not by much. It's actually from a Tennessee newspaper and was written after the contest with the Volunteers. Check out the compliments ND gets from a southern sports writer on the "Articles of Interest" page.
Campus News:
In mid-October, President Father Jenkins led a delegation of University leaders to New Orleans to view the hurricane destruction firsthand. They met with Archbishop Alfred Hughes and other community leaders. Meeting with these people was the main focus of the day-long expedition. The University was seaching for ways to use its resources to assist New Orleans. Jenkins was accompanied by six other representatives. They visited churches in three areas of The Big Easy. They toured the campus of the Holy Cross School, the second school founded by the Congregation of the Holy Cross in the U.S. These areas were chosen by the archdiocese to give the delegates an exposure to the city across varying socioeconomic classes. The delegates also met with representatives of Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The University has partnered with Xavier University of New Orleans, a Catholic and historically black institution. With the approval of Xavier, ND will serve as the planning and host site for the Summer 2006 Xavier University Institute for Black Catholic Studies. The Institute for Black Catholic Studies (IBCS) began in 1980. If offers programs in pastoral ministries, religious education and pastoral theology. The programs are taught from the perspective of the Christian faith expressed in the Black religion community. The IBCS offers a Master's of Theology Program, the only such program in Black Catholic theology in the United States. Father Jenkins is pleased to welcome the faculty, staff and students of Xavier IBCS to the University while other members of the Xavier leadership work to re-open the school's doors.
ND collected $240,171 for Katrina aid. Of that $197,871 was collected at the Michigan State home game.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Beginning with a story that made the Gipper's soul die a little inside of him, we follow the exploits of a freshman, who we will hereby refer to as Hefty. After what was no doubt a romantic night of sober, meaningful interaction (haha, just kidding!) with another eager first-year student, Hefty somehow found himself in a position to express physically the loving emotions (haha, oh, Gipp slays himself, really) that his night of romance had stirred in his heart. Unfortunately, in the midst of the pair's mutual giving of themselves, Hefty and his lady love realized, as staunch believers in the policy of "wrap it up before you slap it up," that they were missing an essential part of the dress code needed to perform the mattress mambo. While his partner lamented this oversight, Hefty wasn't about to give up the ghost so easily. Slowly, the lessons from his high school abstinence- only sex ed classes started to churn in his barely-active brain stem, and he was heard to mumble, "Well, I think I have plastic wrap or something." Or. Something.
Hall Notes:
Vermin football: Round 1 of the Playoffs. Carroll entered as the #3 seed of the 8-team field. The Vermin are out of the Blue Division that encompasses the smaller dorms. The #6 seed was Dillon (2-2) of the larger-dorm Gold Division. Carroll was down 6-0 at the half. In the second stanza, Vermin QB Kory Wilmot connected with Mark Bennett on a 63-yard touchdown pass between two defenders. This came after a disputed ball spot. The Dillon fans were irate over the spot and drew a five-year penalty. The Vermin missed the PAT and the score was knotted at 6. Dillon scored again and led 12-6. Wilmot then hit Paul Tassanari on a big 25 yard pass. Wilmot took it to the House from 5 yards out. Carroll converted the PAT. The one point lead would last. Carroll defeated Dillon 13-12 and advanced to the Final Four. Vermin Mark Bennett declared: "This was a real emotional win for our players, coaches and fan community as we are the smallest dorm...We are the team of destiny."
NDSportscenter:
In mid-October the Board of Trustees approved a restoration project to Notre Dame Stadium to begin this spring. It will be a four-phase, four-year project to repair parts of the original bowl of the stadium. The original seating is 75 years old. Freeze/thaw damage over the years has led to deterioration. The waterproof membrane will be replaced and the concrete below it will be patched where necessary. Work will begin on the north and northeast parts of the stadium. The repairs will continue in a counterclockwise pattern during off seasons until 2009. The repairs are not major structural ones. The stadium is quite safe. Cost projections for the project are still being developed. An athletic facilities renewal fund will pay for a portion of the project. And after Charlie takes us to a BCS game, more funding will be available after that $15 million payday.
Tickets are now required for pep rallies. They are free and are given out the afternoon before the rally. For the Tennesse game the line literally encircled the entire outside of the JACC. Yet there were gaping vacant sections in the arena. Six thousand seats were set aside for students. But less than 6,000 showed. Look for the number of reserved student seats to shrink.
The #5 women's soccer team won the Big East Tournament for the 8th time. UConn was abused 5-0. And the ladies avenged a previous loss. They defeated Marquette 3-0 in the semi-finals. We lead the nation with 4.52 goals per game. We have scored more goals than opponents have shots. And less than half of those shots have been on goal. Freshman Kerri Hanks entered this weekend with 24 goals on the season. That's a freshmen record and the 3rd best season total in program history. Hanks and senior Katie Thorlakson both have 60+ points on the season. They are only the fourth duo to do so. They are the second Domer duo to do it and are the first since '96.
Check out the picture below. A local restaurant put up a sign that I think we can all agree with wholeheartedly.
Campus News:
Hit the road, Jack. Six Domers have been evicted from Turtle Creek Apartments. The notices were waiting for them when they returned from fall break. It's the result of last summer's disorderly house ordinance amendment. The six residents are fighting the eviction in court. All stem from parties the weekend of Sept. 9-10 where the Indiana State Excise Police issued about 100 underage drinking citations. The city sent the students notices to abate about a week after the citation. The eviction notices were filed on Oct. 21 by Turtle Creek Management. Neither side would comment because of the pending legal action.
The new city amendment was passed by the South Bend Common Council on July 25. Alcohol- related violations were added to the list of activities prohibited by the city's disorderly house ordinance. The new amendment allows the city to send a notice to abate after just one noise violation, while the previous ordinance required three. Should prohibited activities reoccur after the first notice, the amendment gives the city the right to file a civil suit against the tenants and landlord. Fines could range from $250 to $2,500. Landlords can avoid fines if they evict the tenants within 30 days of receiving the notice to abate. But in this instance, only one offensive took place.
The student body president has stepped in to aid the students. He claims the city actively encouraged eviction even though there was no second offense that could produce a fine. Student government is continuing discussion with the city and Common Council, attempting to coordinate legal defense for the students and seeking help from the administration. But Associate VP for Res Life Bill Kirk said the University keeps its distance from civil action lawsuits. He claims no knowledge of the case and only learned of it from the news.
The student body president claims the law specifically targets students. He claims the bust was "the activity of a proactive task force that went into a known area of student partying." He claims the bust was not due to complaints.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
An unfortunate fate befell the Domers in our next story, though their experience ranges further afield from the humdrum misplaced house. After losing her ID at Turtle Creek, our main character managed to stagger back to campus and convince two sleeping Ducks to let her stay in their room, where she promptly passed out. Sometime in the wee hours before dawn she awoke, blurry-eyed and disoriented, and stumbled from the futon in search of the ladies' room. What she found instead was her friend's desk chair, whereupon she dropped trou and went Code Brown all over said friend's pristine, white button-down, which had been placed on the chair in preparation for work the next morning. On a side note, one can only imagine the terror experienced by a shirt in that situation, and we here at Scholastic send condolences to its family. The question that Gipp poses to you, lovelies, is what you, as the owner of the defiled shirt, would do upon waking to this situation? Here, Gippsketeers, is where our story take an intriguing twist. What our poor, unfortunate co-ed did is not what most people would do, which is awaken her friend with a torrent of horrified obscenities. Rather, she chose to tend to the situation herself - words cannot express the horror - and leave the culprit blissfully snoozing away. As a result of her friend's kindness, and without thinking too hard about the details, the Destroyer of Shirts apparently remained ignorant of her later-night wardrobe malfunction until almost two weeks later, when one of the dozens of acquaintances who had been giggling behind her back let her in on the joke.
Hall Notes:
We'll take a break from Vermin football. The basketball season started this past week with an exhibition game on Thursday. Vermin Rick Cornett is entering his senior year. I believe Rick is now off-campus. But Carroll can still claim him. Over the summer, Rick was one of around seventy college and pro players that attended the 28th Pete Newell Big Man Camp. The camp was held in Las Vegas. Cornett enters the year with new found confidence to just relax and play. Hopefully Brey will put our Vermin in. Over his first three years Rick has only averaged 9.2 minutes per game. He also has only started one game. Come on, Brey, where's the love?
NDSportscenter:
How do you dispel rumors about Charlie Weis jumping to the NFL? Give him a contract extension through 2015. Last week an ESPN.com writer reported that Weis had a mere $1.5 million buyout clause in his contract. Supposedly NFL people were commenting: "That's it?" Too bad the writer never bothered to talk to Weis or his agent. Anyway, we signed Charlie through 2015. The original deal was for six years until 2010. The new ten year deal starts with the '06 season. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Five of our six fall sports are in the top 10. Prior to the Tennessee game, the football team was #8 and #9 in the two polls. Women's soccer climbed back to #5. Katie Thorlakson has become a member of the 50 goal-50 assist club. She's the fifth Domer to do so and the 17th soccer player overall. Women's cross country is #4. They just won the Big East, our third championship in four years. We had four in the top 10 finishers. Senior Molly Huddle was second overall and became the first Domer to be named all-conference four times. Men's cross country is #5. They also won the Big East for our first ever sweep. It was the second consecutive championship for the men. Five of the top ten runners were Domers. Kurt Benninger was second. The volleyball team has achieved its highest ever ranking. The #7 Irish defeated previously unbeaten and #6 Louisville at the JACC in front of a crowd of 2,600. The ladies are 4-0 versus top 15 teams this year. Only men's soccer is unranked.
Campus News:
The University sent an eviction notice to the owner of The Copy Shop in the basement of LaFortune. But the owner maintains he has a lease until June 2006. The shop has been operated for 16 years. In August the University filed a lawsuit in St. Joseph Circuit Court against Copy Services Inc. in hopes of ousting the business from campus. The owner countersued, claiming the University is violating terms of his lease. The owner maintains the lease is perpetual and allows him the right to renew for additional one-year terms. In early October Magistrate David T. Ready denied Notre Dame's request for immediate ejection of the shop from campus. The University plans to go back before the magistrate to ask him to rule on when the lease expires. Even more interesting is that the copy shop owner is a Domer! If he is evicted he will be forced out of business and his five employees will be out of work. The owner, an attorney who earned a bachelor's degree in 1963, said, "I see this as the university losing sight of its core values in how people are dealt with."
The owner signed an agreement in 2001 to purchase the business from another Domer who started the shop in 1989. The owner sent a letter to campus administrators in January informing them of his decision to renew the lease through June 2006. In March the University wrote the owner denying the renewal and stating the lease would expire on June 30, 2005. Shortly, thereafter, the University put out a request for proposals to businesses interested in providing copying services. The University signed a service contract with FedEx Kinko's, which operates out of Grace Hall. The Copy Shop owner said his business is down $40,000 to $50,000 because of the competition. The owner claims the University has attempted to destroy his small business by threatening to exclude him from the campus system that allows departments to charge copy orders to a university account.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
While in attendance at some rather "disorienting" festivities, one tipster received the word from her roommate that they had an unexpected visitor - or, more accurately, a drunken stranger. This fellow wandered in through their unlocked door, and, after losing his lunch - as well as most of his breakfast and dinner - in the middle of their living room, lost consciousness in a corner. After returning home and informing the police, Tipsy and her friends proceeded to cruelly torment their new houseguest, peppering him with shoe pokes, posed photos and a barrage of questions that no one in his condition could be expected to answer, such as "What's your major?" In response to the latter, the guest pumped his fist triumphantly in the air and declared, "FINANCE... WOOO WOOOO!" though his joy most likely was tempered by the sober realization that - if the Facebook is accurate - he actually is studying mechanical engineering. Forty-five minutes later, South Bend's finest (if not most expeditious) rolled in, and, after flipping his host the bird, the girls' new friend was made to apologize before being carted off to his own off-campus abode.
Hall Notes:
Vermin football: Game 4. In the fourth regular season game, Carroll took on Knott. Carroll was without two starters and their coach. Paul Tassinari caught a touchdown pass and the Vermin lead 8-0 at the half. Knott eventually tied it up. Mark Bennett then returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown to put Carroll back in the lead. Knott then scored and took the lead. The Vermin re-took the lead after a touchdown by Kyle Kownack. Bennett made an interception at the end of the game to seal the 20-15 victory. Carroll has a 3-1 record and made the interhall playoffs.
NDSportscenter:
Bye week. Here's a rundown of football news:
It looks like Rhema McKnight will not return this year. The injured knee has not fully healed. He will seek a medical red-shirt. That's actually great news. Stovall and Shelton are gone after this year. Rhema and Samardzija will make a great tandem next year. Rhema will graduate in December and start work on his master's in January....defensive end Chris Frome injured his knee and is done for the year. He still has one year of eligibility. His replacement, Ronald Talley, had one sack and seven tackles against BYU. Frome only had six tackles on the season.... Rashon Powers-Neal was suspended from the southern cal game for violating team rules. He also did not play against BYU....the southern cal game was seen by 30 million people. It tied the Ohio State game in '96 for the fourth highest rated game in the 15 year history of ND on NBC. (I don't buy that. Way more people watched this game.) NBC ratings for this year are up 66% from last year....Freshman receiver D.J. Hord played in the BYU game. Now 11 of the 15 freshmen have played....Brady Quinn has made it pretty clear he will be coming back next year. The media can give it a rest....Now for all the records that took place in the BYU game: Quinn's six TD passes are a record; Stovall's 4 TD catches and 14 receptions are records; Samardzija has at least one TD catch in a record 7-straight games; Jeff has 11 TDs on the season and tied the record of Derrick Mayes ('94); Brady has a record 20 TDs in a season and a record 12 consecutive games with a TD pass; and, finally, Quinn is less than 1,000 yards away from passing Ron Powlus for the all-time yardage lead.
There is another piece posted on the "Articles of Interest" page. It's about Charlie, of course. It's a tad old (from just after the Michigan State game) but still a solid piece. Check it out.
Campus News:
University benefactor and Board of Trustees member Raymond Siegfriend II pasted away on October 6 at the age of 62 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Siegfried '65 underwrote the Siegfried Building in the Mendoza College of Business and established the Ray and Milann Siegfried Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies. The Siegfried family gave the funding for Siegfried Hall. Siegfried was chairman of the board of the NORDAM Group, an international aerospace manufacturer. He was given an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University in 1995.
Just one week after Father Jenkins Inauguration, a group of campus activists launched a campaign to improve wages for University workers. Jenkins was challenged to provide a full report of the wages and benefits for all campus jobs. The new group, which is called Campus Labor Action Project (CLAP), urged administrators to adopt a "living wage" policy. A demonstration in Main Quad draw about 100 people. The group asked that Jenkins publicly commit to the principle of a living wage, work to establish a living wage policy on campus, call a moratorium on outsourcing of campus jobs and meet personally with CLAP this semester. The organizers emphasized Catholic social teachings that preach of fair and respectful treatment of all workers. The current campus minimum wage is $6.29 per hour. The student activists had a meeting in mid-October with Executive Vice President John Affleck-Graves to discuss the wage issue.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The Gipp would like to tip his hat to one Stephen Iwanski, who apparently sent in a picture of baseball great Ted Williams for his Freshman Register photo. Ladies, while Gipp understands you may not find mid-century ballplayers attractive, he implores you to ask young Stephen to an SYR. He seems like the type of kid who, if you treat him right, will do something to merit a return to this hallowed pages by the end of the night.
Hall Notes:
Vermin football: Game 3. The winner of the Carroll-Fisher game gets "the stick," a replica of Knute Rockne's old walking stick. Carroll won it last year for the first time in almost a decade. What happened this year? Well, The Observer headline read "Carroll Rolls Fisher." Our boys demolished Fisher, 28-0. Quaterback Kory Wilmot threw four touchdown passes. He hit six different receivers in the first quarter alone. Paul Tassanari had two touchdowns. The Vermin took it away three times. Mike Johnson had a touchdown catch, kicked the PATs and had two interceptions. "The stick" stayed with the Vermin.
NDSportscenter:
Quietly the men's basketball team has begun practice. The men are unranked and completely off the radar. This year they jump right into the expanded Big East. We play only 3 teams in home-and-home series (DePaul, Marquette and Providence). Two teams - Cincinnati and St. John's - are skipped this year altogether. We are home versus South Florida and at Louisville. And our non-conference opponents include Alabama, Michigan and North Carolina State.
Coach Brey already has a recruit for next year. Buena Vista High School point guard Tory Jackson has verbally committed. Jackson, 5'10", 190 lbs, is out of Saginaw, Michigan. We were selected over Florida and southern cal. He is the 17th best point guard and #95 overall. As a junior he scored 30 ppg, grabbed 8 rpg, dished out 9 apg and recorded 4 steals per game.
Junior tennis stars, Catrina and Christian Thompson, started out as the pre-season #2 doubles team. They entered the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships and advanced to the finals. The ladies fought off two match points and beat the team from Fresno State, 9-8 (9-7). It was the first grand slam of the year and our first grand slam title ever.
Our women's soccer team has actually slipped to #8 in the rankings. They actually have a SECOND loss. The ladies lost to Marquette 4-1. We had two defensive starters out with injuries. We lost despite out-shooting Marquette 24-5. It is only our eighth Big East regular season loss in eleven years. Look for the ladies to make a strong end-of-year run. They just defeated #10 Uconn, 4-0. It's not surprising we have three players - Candace Chapman, Katie Thorlakson and Jen Buczkowski - on the Hermann Trophy watchlist.
Campus News:
Last week details were given on the new president. Now for the old prez. The Observer covered the president emeritus during the changing of the guard.
Monk is deep inot his year-long sabbatical. He goes to his new office from 9am to 4pm and then relaxes afterward. The new office is on the third floor of DeBartolo and is in an area frequented by students. So Monk is mingling in his semi-retirement. Malloy preferred this site because of the student interaction. He nixed possible locations in Hesburgh Library and Malloy Hall.
The two biggest changes to the daily schedule are very few meetings and no teaching. Monk is also not attending home football games this year. In addition to relaxation, vacationing is on the docket. Monk was in Italy for two weeks over the summer with his two sisters and brother-in-law. The trip was sponsored by the Board of Trustees and involved visits to Rome, Pompeii, Naples, Assisi, Florence, Sienna, San Gimignano, and Venice. The South Bend community also gave a vacation as a gift. In January he is going to South Africa, Madagascar, Marisos Islands, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Guam and Hawaii. In March he's off down under for Notre Dame Australia.
Malloy still lives in Sorin and takes groups of freshmen out to dinner to get to know them. Monk Hoops still go on even though Monk is no longer playing. On September 12 Malloy's book, "Monk's Notre Dame," came out ($15). He is in the process of writing two other books. One is a memoir and the other is on high education.
Monk is also staying under the radar. He does not go to Jenkins with advice. Malloy was very pleased with the new administration Jenkins selected. When Monk took over as president, he was grateful that Hesburgh turned it over to him in good shape. He is happy he has done the same for Jenkins. Malloy has complete confidence in the new kid on the block.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Next, while Gipp hopes most readers will avert their eyes when they pass the hall bearing the name of a certain Fr. Zahm, those unfortunate enough to look upon the most dubious of dormitories may have noticed the giant glowing "Z" that adorned its eastern facade. Gipp says ADORNED because the sign illuminates North Quad no longer. To quote our tipster, whose prose is not the least bit tinged with bitterness, "Maintenance people threw it away over the summer because they thought a 20-foot "Z" wrapped in red Christmas lights in front of a dorm named Zahm was trash." But Gipp is willing to give the good mainteance folks the benefit of the doubt; when the light was just right, the sign looked an awful lot like a sideways "N."
Hall Notes:
Vermin football: Game 2. So the Vermin lost to zahm by two points in week 1. The defense did not do its job. The men of Carroll took their frustrations out on Siegfried. In rainy conditions, the Vermin emerged victorious, 6-0. The game involved seven turnovers, a blocked punt and a blocked extra point. The lone score came on an 18-yard pass by Kory Wilmot to Paul Tassinari. Running back Mark Bennett helped grind out first downs. The Vermin controlled the line of scrimmage and won it in the trenches.
NDSportscenter:
The 18th commitment was receiver/safety Sergio Brown of Proviso East High School (Maywood, IL). Brown is expected to be a safety and will make some noise at 6'2", 193 lbs. Analyst Tom Lemming declared Brown can make an "impact right away." He has great instincts, is quick to the ball, tough, and has big-time speed. Sergio runs a 4.38 - 40. As a junior he picked off six passes and returned five for touchdowns. He is the fourth safety in this class and the 83rd best player overall in the country. As of our 18th recruit, Lemming still had our class the 2nd best in the country.
Then came verbal #19. Darrin Walls was a big "get." Pitt, Michigan and Florida all wanted him. The Woodland Hills High School (Pittsburgh) product is the 32nd best player in the nation. He is our 6th top 100 player. Walls is the #1 pure cover corner and is considered our best since Bobby Taylor. Walls is 6'1", 175 lbs and the sixth defensive back of our #2-rated class. Walls runs a 4.4 - 40 and is quick minded also. He cited our 98% graduation rate as a reason for coming.
One of our recruits, receiver Robby Parris of Cleveland, had his senior season cut short due to an injury. He dislocated his right hip in a game. In the game before he had 9 catches, 4 touchdowns and 192 yards. In one game! His rehab will be interesting. It will be under Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel. Crennel is a close friend of Charlie Weis. Crennel was the defensive coordinator for the Patriots while Charlie led the offense.
A total of 948 press credentials were issued for this game. That topped 821 in 2000 for game versus #1 Nebraska and 810 for #1 Florida State in 1993.
The pep rally for the southern cal game was held in the stadium. The move was made to accommodate the public. Over 5,000 people were turned away from the JACC at the Michigan State rally. The last game to have a stadium rally was when #1 Nebraska came to town in 2000. The rally attracted approximately 50,000 people. The emcee was Dan "Rudy" Ruettinger. Notable speakers were Joe Montana, Tim Brown, and Chris Zorich. Lou Holtz was also in town earlier in the week. ESPN's "Cold Pizza" aired live from campus on Friday morning. Of couse College GameDay was done just outside the Stadium. And get this.. Jim Caviezel, the actor who played Christ in Mel Gibson's "Passion," was also on campus. During the week had led the rosary at the Grotto and spoke afterward. Several hundred (instead of the usual 25 to 30) were there for the saying of the rosary. Caviezel said he felt called to campus in the wake of Charlie calling a play for Montana Mazurkiewicz, the boy who died of a brain tumor. Caviezel revealed his son has a brain tumor. Jim is devoutly Catholic and spoke more on faith than on football. But he did stick around for the game.
Campus News:
Classes were cancelled on Thursday, September 22 and Friday, September 23. Why? Those two days were for the inauguration of Father John Jenkins as Notre Dame's 17th president. The festivities included an academic convocation, an inaugural ball, and a school-wide Mass. The dress code for the events was business-professional.
The Notre Dame Forum, an academic panel with international scholars, was held in the JACC on Thursday. The forum featured former NBC Nightly News Anchor Tom Brokaw. The forum was about the book "When Faiths Collide," by Martin E. Marty. Copies of the book were sent to dorms. Academic discussions with a faculty moderator were held to talk about the book in preparation for the forum. The forum "Why God? Understanding Religion and Enacting Faith in a Plural World" assembled panelists to discuss the task of cultivating peace in a world torn by religious conflict. The forum was organized around religious diversity, religious conflict and how religions can live together in peace for the good of humanity. Panelists included Father Oscar Cardinal Rodriguez, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder of the American Socity for Muslim Advancement, Professor Naomi Chazan, a former member of Israel's parliament; and former Missouri Senator John Danforth, who served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in 2004.
The Inauguration was on Friday and began with a procession from the Main Building to the JACC. The Academic Procession involved Board of Trustees Chairman Patrick McCartan presenting Jenkins with the Presidential medal and University Mace. Then Jenkins addressed the University in front of the Main Building with a speech illuminating the challenges and commitments of Notre Dame in the 21st century. The Inauguration catered to the University's pursuit of academic excellence, an appreciation for the arts, and a strong religious association.
Arts? The planned events comprised "the most comprehensive presentation of performance in Notre Dame's history." Performances were at six campus venues. The musical genres included classical, jazz and folk by student groups and famed artists. Concert pianist Leon Fleisher, Grammy Award-winning jazz group the Ramsey Lewis Trio and the Irish folk band Bohola performed. And the film "Babette's Feast" - a personal favorite of Jenkins - was screened in Browning Cinema. On Friday evening there was a celebratory ball on South Quad featuring live music and ice cream. Fireworks closed the evening. The Mass included more than 100 priests and visiting bishops. Tickets for the Mass at the Basilica were allocated by invite-only. Additional seating was available in Washington Hall where the service was televised live and Communion distributed.
Jenkins outlined his goals as president. One was to increase the number of undergraduates involved in research. Another goal was to enhance the intellectual campus life outside of the classroom. Also he wants to advance research and increase the number of top-ranked departments. At the Inauguration Jenkins knelt and received blessings from Father Malloy and Father Hesburgh. Even Indiana's governor, Mitch Daniels, attended. Our new provost had the honor of handing Jenkins the keys to the presidential office. It is a bit of a rite of passage. It's exactly what happened to Hesburgh in 1952.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Moving on, there's two kinds of dumb Dillonites: the ones that make Irish car bombs and the ones that make Irish car bombs in the dorm basement while the hall staff is about to convene there for a meeting. First ones don't matter, second ones you're kind of forced to send to Res Life. (And if you get the "Hoosiers" reference, you're a kindred spirit with Gipp.)
Hall Notes:
The Vermin football team is attempting a return to glory. Carroll took on zahm in the first intramural game of the season. The Vermin were leading 12-8 in the fourth quarter. Carroll had scored two touchdowns and failed on both two-point conversions. zahm then made a fourth-quarter drive. They were down by 4 points and on their own 35 yard line with 8 minutes remaining. zahm had a 3rd and 18. Pass interference was called on the Vermin giving zahm a first down. They ended up scoring and taking the lead. A little over a minute remained. Vermin quarterback Kory Wilmot led a strong drive for Carroll. He was 5 of 6 for 49 yards. The Vermin got down to zahm's 16 yard line. But a potential 33-yard game-winning field goal fell short. For the game Wilmot was 12 of 24 for 146 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Game 2 next week.
NDSportscenter:
Bye week. Here are some interesting facts on the season so far... the offensive is converting 47% of third downs....the offense has scored on 21 of 23 trips to the red zone (91%) and of those 21, 19 are touchdowns....Darious only had 80 yards rushing in the Purdue game. He had opened the season with 4-100+ yard games. Darius became the first Irish back ever to rush for more than 100 yards in each of the first four games....The following is all prior to this weekend's games: Brady Quinn is 2nd in the nation in passing yards, 4th in total offense and 15th in passing efficiency....Last week Quinn was the National Player of the Week for The Sporting News....Jeff Samardzija is 4th in the nation in receiving touchdowns (8)....Jeff is 27th in scoring....Our team total offense is 9th in the nation (81st was our best under Willingham).... Our defense has 7 red zone takeaways....We are 16th in turnover margin....Finally, our defense is only allowing 29.9% of third downs to be converted. Not bad, eh?
Eric Olsen is our 17th verbal commitment. Olsen is a 6'5", 298 lb. lineman from Poly Prep School in Brooklyn, New York. He will most likely be a guard. Other schools interested in Olsen were North Carolina, Miami, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, and boston college. Eric benches 350 lbs, squats 520 lbs and runs a 5.2 - 40. Tom Lemming rates him a four-star player. Lemming stated Olsen is "aggressive, technically sound, quick-footed, and ideal for the guard position." Eric is quite enamored with Weis. He appreciates that Charlie is a "real no-B.S. type of coach."
The volleyball team has played out of their heads. The team started the year by beating #6 Florida, #8 USC and #11 Texas. The Irish started 6-0 and won the University of Texas- San Antonio Dome Rally. The women climbed to #8 in the rankings. Unfortunately the ladies fell to LSU. But they haven't lost since and were still ranked #10 and are still knocking off Big East foes left and right.
Campus News:
At the beginning of the school year, Vice President for Student Affairs Father Mark Poorman spoke before the campus Senate. His immediate goals for the campus were getting cable television, improving cell phone reception and creating an extensive wireless network, all in the dorms. The push for cable will tentatively culminate next August. Tremendous progress has been made in this area. Cell phone reception is a growing issue. Citing recent surveys, Poorman revealed that only 20-to-25 percent of students use their room phones while 93-to-96 percent utilize cell phones. The cell phone issue should be settled in the spring. Wireless networking of the residence halls should also be completed early next year.
A long-term goal is Residential Scholars, a pilot program being tested in St. Edward's and Welsh Family Halls. The program is designed to increase faculty-student relationships outside of the classroom. Another future project concerns the Stepan Center. Poorman wants the building replaced with "a more serviceable facility." He soon expects to have a preliminary rendering of a news structure.
Additions to the campus have just been mentioned. Now for the subtractions. Alumni Hall has banned all satellite dishes following an incident that cost the University several thousand dollars. The satellite systems erected by the students significantly damaged the smoke alarm system. The control boards connecting Alumni to the Notre Dame firehouse also faced significant damage. Dishes in the other dorms thrive. As long as they do not destroy any wiring, the dishes can remain. The chicks are finally getting in on the satellites. Farley has a DirecTV connection. Perpetual party-pooper, V.P. for Res Life Bill Kirk, stated, "Personally, I believe that the dishes are unsightly and detract from the beauty of campus. I'm hopeful that eventually there will be a solution that allows for their removal." How 'bout YOUR removal, ass clown?
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The upscale living experience that is Turtle Creek has always provided its fair share of Gipper fodder, and it started this year off with a bang - and Gipp almost means that literally (read on). A few campus dwellers, having been over-served at the comely complex to our east, decided they would go for a swim, and they weren't going to let something as trivial as "private property" stand in their way. Seeing an above ground pool at a nearby house (shocking that such a beacon of classiness should exist in South Bend), our heroes decided to jump the fence and hop in. Apparently the pool was closed and no lifeguard was on duty, because the homeowner soon emerged, shotgun in hand (again, a shocking occurrence in our lovely locale). The little guppies got their dorsal fins home in a hurry.
Hall Notes:
The Observer always carries a "Question of the Day" at the top of page 2. I happened to be on campus one day and snagged an issue. On September 9 the question was..."How do you feel about single-sex dorms?" Kory Wilmot, a Carroll junior, was one of six students to be questioned. His reply?..."Since Carroll is not really on campus, I believe it should be a multi-sex dorm anyway."
And Mr. Wilmot also happens to be the quarterback and captain of the Vermin football team. Stay tuned to their game recaps over the following weeks.
NDSportscenter:
Charlie landed two more verbal commitments. The 15th to say he was in was Jashaad Gaines, a safety out of Las Vegas. Gaines is 6'0", 195 lbs and the brother of current Irish women's basketball player Tulyah Gaines. Nebraska, Stanford and Arizona State were also in the running. Tom Lemming tagged Gaines a "hitter" but only had him as a three-star player.
The 16th commitment is George West of Oklahoma City. He is one of those in-between players labeled an "athlete" for a position. George is a likely safety and would be our third defensive back verbal. As of two weeks ago, West had 10 catches for 234 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had 2 picks and 3 kickoff returns for touchdowns. Lemming rates the Oklahoma City Northeast Academy product a four-star prospect. Lemming declared his "coverage skills are second to none." He is confident, competitive with "great closing and recovery speed and terrific instincts." Plenty of schools around Oklahoma City were vying for his skills...Baylor, Colorado State, Iowa State, Kansas, Northwestern, Texas Tech.
Tony Roberts has been calling Notre Dame games on the radio for 25 years. He has received the 2005 Chris Schenkel Award for being a legendary college football announcer. The award is given by the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of FAme. The award goes to those who have excelled in their field and contributed to their community.
We have two final photos of the Gug. One is a long shot of the recruiting lounge and the other is of the exterior. The complex is quite sizeable to say the least. The facility is so large it has an indoor area to hold team buses in inclement weather. Quite lavish.
An article has been posted on the Articles of Interest page telling about the first play called for the Washington game. It was a dying boy's wish. Powerful piece in many ways.