Campus News:
So exactly how much does Father Jenkins make as president of the University? A recent Observer article spoke of the University salary. The "total compensation for Notre Dame's president was last registered at just $476,325." His religious order, though, receives the benefits. The sum goes to the Indiana Province of the Priests of the Holy Cross. How does this compare to the rest of the universities across the country? Well, first comparable years must be examined. Public school salary information is available almost immediately but private school information only become available when their tax forms are released nearly two years later. The dollar figure above was for Monk's final year in 2004-05.
For the national survey, 853 universities were examined. The highest presidential salary was $2,745,241 (Wilmington College in Delaware). The highest for a public university was just under $1 million (University of Delaward). (What's up with Delaware?) There are 33 schools classified as research universities with "very high research activity." Monk's salary was the second lowest. A staff reporter at The Chronicle of Higher Education stated, "I would say that the $400,000 level for an elite private institution is in the domain of normal, but maybe slightly low." Monk's salary did rise substantially over the years. In 1996-97 he earned $260,264. Both Malloy and Jenkins took vows of poverty that require them to donate any money earned from employment to their order. Father Anthony Szakaly summed it up, "We don't own anything ourselves - everything we have belongs to the province, to the Holy Cross... We give everything we have, and we take what we need from the common purse."
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The next story has been shared by several students already, but the Gipp - like the Christmas fairy that he is - would like to put this golden nugget in your stocking. Our tipster was watching the notorious call-in show, "Talk Sex With Sue Johannsen" one evening (obviously a gender studies project made possible by dorm cable). Seeking enlightenment from the oldest pervert in cable television, this friend suddenly heard an on-air caller identify himself as someone from Notre Dame, Ind. But caller, pray tell, wouldn't duLac prevent anything relevant to Sue? The question was one for the records: Is it normal that his girlfriend would like him to drain his lizard on her person? Um...yeah. The Gipp doesn't know what to say either. On the plus side, after scouring duLac, the Gipp can find no reference to this particular act. But Sue responded with composure and compassion, stating that this action was perfectly fine, as long as the girlfriend would be willing to return the favor. The Gipp stands assured that Sue, the psychological hero that she is, might've saved an ND relationship that night.
Hall Notes:
So what's up with Rangers? Mike "Rangers" Rieder '97 is best known for his Bookstore legacy. He was "The Lone Ranger" (see "Classic Moments" for the story) and went against the #1 seed. His love of hockey did not quite correspond to excellence on the basketball court. Rangers left with a degree in Accounting. His first gig was with LaSalle Bank and its parent company, ABN AMRO. After a couple of years there he left to become the Head of Finance for iVantage Bancorp., a startup internet bank. It failed around '00 due to a lack of funding. (Never good for a bank.) He went back to ABN to work on mergers and acquisitions and be the right hand man to the president. Rangers is currently...um...retired. It went a little something like this: "Helped sell the Equities business to Merrill Lynch. Helped buy and sell (to UBS) the Prime Brokerage (2001). Finally sold the Futures business to UBS in 2005. Currently getting ready to jump back on the horse and join another organization just so we can sell it to some other bidder." Got that? Selling equals brief retirment. Buying equals work. I'm in favor of selling.
NDSportscenter:
The hockey team is now ranked #4 in both polls. This past weekend we beat perennial powerhouse Michigan twice (7-3 and 4-3). At the midpoint of the season we are 14-3-1 and 9-2-1 in conference play. Fourteen wins is our program high at this point in the season. We've already surpassed our win total for all of last year. The skaters are 6-1 versus top 15 opponents this year. We have the #1 defense in the country. Our penalty killing is 91.6%. Our save percentage is around .95. And our goals against average is a mere 1.56. Meanwhile we score 3.89 goals a game, best for 7th in the country. Keep an eye out for our games on CSTV.
Our 12th verbal commitment was Hialeah, Florida running back Armando Allen. According to Rivals.com he is the #2 all-purpose back and a four-star recruit. The 5'9", 180 lb. back runs a 4.31 - 40. Besides his speed, he has great quickness, power, elusiveness, and balance. Tom Lemming rated him the 40th best overall player. That's quite a high ranking considering Allen missed his senior season with a broken leg. Instead of Florida, Miami, Georgia, Tennessee or Georgia Tech, Armando will be enrolling early with us. With this 12th recruit, our class is in the top 10 at both Scout and Rivals.
Brady Quinn was third in the Heisman balloting. But he won the Maxwell Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Brady, who owns 35 school records, was also named the team MVP at our Football Banquet. Five recruits and 1500 people attended the Banquet.
The volleyball team struggled this year. They made the Big East finals but did not win. The again made the NCAAs, but lost to Wisconsin in the first round.
Campus News:
Provost Thomas Burish recently spoke to the faculty on the direction of the University. He spoke of making ND the "pre-eminent Catholic research university." Burish's speech mentioned aspirations to join the American Association of Universities, a group of 62 schools from the U.S. and Canada. To get into the association, a university must be invited. It must show strength in its PhD programs. (Our current level of research is hurting us in that area.) A school must also be strong in undergraduate and post-graduate work. (Certainly we are adequate there.) The research drive has led the University to creat a new position.
The University has launched a nationwide search for a vice president for research. The new vice president will work with various offices, deans, and department chairs to strengthen the support of research programs. The call for a vice president for research came from an ad hoc committee created by Burish in November 2005. The committee was to recommend the best way to organize the offices that oversee graduate studies and research. A five-person search committee has been formed. Burnish expects the position to be filled by the beginning of the next school year. The provost will create a steering committee to advance the research mission while a new vice president is being chosen. The steering committee will make recommendations on research areas that have the potential to become nationally ranked programs.
Campus Watch by Me:
So what's the latest word on the recruiting grapevine? Well, let's start with the one that got away. Five-star receiver Arrelious Benn verbally committed to Illinois. He acknowledged that at one time he was a silent commitment to us. Why the switch? Word on the street is it had to do with academics. Benn wanted to start college this coming spring semester. Rumor has it he was denied early entry by the Admissions department.
Then there's receiver Golden Tate from Tennessee. He hasn't committed to any school but how can someone named "Golden" not become a Domer? He has been interested in us for months but we never offered a scholarship until just recently. The big question was.."Why the delay?" He didn't have his test scores in to Charlie. He's a bright kid and the grades are good, but he still needed to have his ACT/SAT score. He sent in the numbers and the scholarship offer went out not too long after.
Third is recent verbal commitment Armando Allen. He will be an early enrollee for us. He agreed to come our way when it was confirmed he could come in December. Supposedly he had one math class in question with the University. Apparently things were clarified favorably.
The grapevine is always informative.
Hall Notes:
The "GO IRISH!" Carroll banner was again hung on the facade of the dorm this fall during football season. Apparently the 70+ bed sheets are still clinging together and the weathering damage has been minimal. It seems this banner has gained enough campus notoriety that it is recognized and expected to be displayed. The sign can clearly be seen from the Grotto. Many an Irish fan in town for a game has either taken a photograph or been in a snapshot with their friends while the banner occupies the background. The "GO IRISH!" sign has even earned a spot in the newly renovated LaFortune. The TV lounge room at the west end of the building has framed pictures on the walls. One of the framed photographs has Carroll front and center. If you happen through LaFortune, be sure to give it a look.
NDSportscenter:
The women's soccer team defeated Florida State 2-1 in the NCAA semi-finals. We advanced to take on North Carolina. This was our sixth trip to the finals. We had lost to the Tar Heels three times previously in the finals (5-0 in '94, 1-0 OT in '96, 2-0 in '99). Well, we lost again 2-1. At least we weren't shut out again. We were definitely outplayed. UNC outshot us 20-9. Our top player, Kerri Hanks only got off one shot. She did assist on our goal, however.
The weekend soccer news wasn't all bad. Hanks became the first sophomore to win the Hermann Trophy. She is the third Domer woman to win the award (Cindy Daws '96, Anne Makinen '00). Not only that but junior Joseph Lapira won the men's Hermann Trophy. It's the first time both winners were from the same school.
We are headed to the Sugar Bowl for the fourth time. It's our first trip to the Superdome since we spanked Florida following the '91 season. We finished #11 in the BCS and take on #4 LSU. This will be our tenth game against the Tigers. We lead the series 5-4.
Tight end John Carlson is on pace to be ready for the bowl game. Safety Chinedum Ndukwe is also recovering from a knee injury. He was banged up in the USC game. He had minor surgery and should be ready for the bowl.
Did you know AD Kevin White is a member of the BCS' board of managers? He's the only representative for an individual school. The others are 11 conference commissioners and representatives for the four BCS bowls.
Recruiting news will be shared next week.
Campus News:
In November The Observer celebrated 40 years as the independent student newspaper serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's. The Observer was founded on November 3, 1966. Here are some facts about The Observer: appromixately 200 staff members work for the paper.... The normal daily circulation is 9,600....On home football Fridays, the paper number increased to 13,500....19 computers are used in the basement of SDH for the paper....office manager Shirley Grauel has worked for The Observer for 26 years, longer than any other employee....There are 19,172 average daily page views on the paper's website....After the nightly layout is finalized, the paper is electronically sent to a printing press in Milford, Ind. An Observer employee travels 45 minutes to Milford every weekday morning to load up a van....The Observer has covered four National Championships in football and three University presidents.
The location of the first new planned dorm (of four) has been set. The dorm will be located between McGlinn Hall and Holy Cross Drive in an area presently occupied by volleyball courts and field space. The basketball courts will remain and the volleyball courts will be replaced elsewhere. Construction will begin in March 2007 and will be ready for students in the Fall of 2008. This will be a men's dorm. The new hall will house about 235 students. Enrollment will not increase. The new dorm is expected to alleviate crowding in existing residence halls. The dorm will be more like the older halls with rooms of varying size. There will be singles, doubles, triples, and quads. All the new dorms will be in the "throwback" Gothic style.
Campus Watch from Me:
A small blurb appeared in ESPN The Magazine concerning our starting quarterback. The bit read: "Famed schlockmeister/director Roger Corman has contacted Brady Quinn about playing famed Notre Dame star George 'The Gipper' Gipp in a new film. No really."
Yeah, forget about that #1 NFL draft pick status and a $20 million signing bonus. Go work for scale on a crappy film with zero acting credentials. Hey, P. Diddy did it. Why can't Brady?
Hall Notes:
Once again Vermin NFL-er Bert Berry has had a season cut short by injury. Last year Bert missed the last eight games of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. During this season's game against the Detroit Lions, Berry torn his tricep muscles. The injury required surgery and he is done for the year. Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green called it "a big loss." He went on to declare: "I've always said Bertrand is the No. 1 leader on our team." Hopefully Bert can get back to full strength and return to the Pro Bowl. He was leading the Cardinals in sacks with six.
NDSportscenter:
The men's soccer team lost to #4 Virginia 3-2 in the Elite Eight. We were down 2-0 at the half. We actually outshot the Cavaliers 13-11. The team finished it's best year ever with a record of 15-6-2. And junior Joseph Lapira is one of three finalists for the Hermann Trophy.
The women's soccer team made the Elite Eight with a 3-0 victory over #16 Colorado. The team was led by Big East Offensive Player of the Year Kerri Hanks and Big East Rookie of the Year Michele Weissenhofer. Hanks, a sophomore forward, leads the nation in scoring (61 points) and goals (22). She's also tied for the lead in assists with 17. Hanks and senior midfielder Jen Buczkowski were named semifinalists for the women's Hermann Trophy. Hanks was then named one of three finalists. Her first two years of soccer have been nothing short of historic. She has scored 135 points on 50 goals and 35 assists. That is the third best start to a collegiate soccer career ever.
The women took on #8 Penn State in the Elite Eight. We trounced the Nittany Lions 4-0 at Alumni Field to take the our record to 24-0-1. Weissenhofer became our third freshman ever to record a hat trick. It was the ladies 19th shutout of the year. This senior class has a record of 91-7-3. Next up is Florida State in the Final Four. Just prior to the Final Four, ESPN The Magazine recognized yet another Irish player. Junior defender Ashley Jones was named 1st Team Academic All American. She carries a 3.96 GPA in Accounting.
Campus News:
On November 10, Caitlin Brann, a 22-year-old senior was killed in a car crash. The accident took place on Interstate 80-90 at 2:13 am when her rear passenger-side tire blew out, causing her to lose control of her 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier convertible. The vehicle entered the median sideways, rolled several times, became airborn, and sideswipped the trailer of a semi-truck headed in the opposite direction. The vehicle came to rest upside down. Brann, a marketing major from Orland Park, Ill., was declared dead on the scene. The soft-top convertible offered little protection during the rollovers. Alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. Her blood alcohol level was twice tested and measured .249, more than three times the legal limit. The driver of the semi-truck was not injured.
Saturday night after the accident more than 200 students gathered at the Grotto for a memorial prayer service. Brann's parents attended the candlelit service. Pasquerilla East, her dorm of three years, was out in large number. Caitlin was active in the Center for Social Concerns and participated in a Summer Service Learning Program in New York. During the summer of 2005 she worked with severel disabled students. She was described as a "spark of fire" with a "beautiful spirit." Plans for a campus memorial service are pending.
Campus Watch from the Bend:
You know who thought to go with the green jerseys last week? Charlie Jr. The boy brought it up to dad a few days before the game. The elder Weis tried to explain to his son that the greens are usually only brought out for big games against top opponents. Not to be deterred, the youngster commented how pa was always saying this senior class was a special one. Charlie felt he made an excellent point. So the head coach took the issue to his quarterback to ask for his thoughts. Brady was noncommittal at first. Charlie told him to stop being a wuss and make a call. Quinn said he wanted to wear the green jerseys. And so it was.
Hall Notes:
"Notre Dame Now," a newsletter from the University, recently trumpeted Carroll. The headline read: "Carroll Hall tops the Second Annual Reunion Dorm Challenge." The piece stated: "The Carrolll Hall 'Vermin' beat out 26 other dorms to become the Reunion 2006 Dorm Challenge champions. Just over 78 percent of Carroll's young alums made a gift to Notre Dame in the 12 months leading up to their June 5-year reunion. To honor their win, Vermin were given the opportunity to sit together at the ND v. Stanford game on October 7. Winning dorms also receive a tailgate party."
NDSportscenter:
The men's soccer team limped into the NCAA tournament. The Irish were in the top 15 but fell to Rutgers 2-1 in double overtime in the Big East tournament quarterfinals. The #12 Irish were given the #12 seed. They were 1 of 48 teams and had a first round bye. The team was 13-5-2. Prior to the NCAAs, Big East honors were handed out. Senior Greg Dalby was named Midfielder of the Year. Junior Joseph Lapira was the Offensive Player of the Year. He led the nation with 20 goals and 45 points. Dalby and Lapira were also named Hermann Trophy finalists. The men took on Illinois-Chicago in round 1. Lapira scored goal number 21 and we won 1-0. The team was in the Sweet Sixteen and met defending champion #5 Maryland. Lapira scored goal number 22 in the second overtime to lead us to a 1-0 victory. It's our first ever Elite Eight appearance. The 15-5-2 Irish next have to face #4 Virginia.
Brady Quinn is 1 of 10 players up for the Walter Camp Award, which goes to the best player in college football. Brady is 1 of just 10 college quarterbacks to throw at least 90 touchdowns. He's the only Domer to have back-to-back 3,000+ yard and 30+ touchdown seasons.
The 86th Football Banquet will be held on December 2nd and the featured speaker will be Jerry Faust.
It turns out Chris Quinn made the Miami Heat roster after alll. He actually got in during the first quarter of the very first game. He had 2 points and 3 assists in 14 minutes. Quinn's salary isn't guaranteed yet. If he stays on the roster until early January, he will earn the guaranteed league minimum salary of $412,748.
Campus News:
Many Domers faired well on election night. Notre Dame's district, Indiana's 2nd District, was claimed by Joe Donnellly, who defeated the incumbent for a seat in the House of Representatives. Incumbents Democrat Peter Visclosky of Indiana's 1st District and Republican Mark Souder of Indiana's 3rd District both won their re-election bids. Domers Michael Ferguson of New Jersey's 7th District, Peter King of New York's 3rd District, and Michael Lungren of California's 3rd District were also re-elected.
The University was recently mentioned on "The Early Show" on CBS as part of a segment on sexual assualts on college campuses. The woman who accused four former football players of raping her in 2002 said the University discouraged her from pressing charges. She claimed the University said, "Don't go to the police and report this crime." A Notre Dame statement read: "It is the University's policy and practice to advise victims of sexual assault of all their options. The University encourages all victims of rape or any other sex offense to report such incidents to the appropriate police agency." All four men were investigated by the University and found to have violated the University's sexual misconduct policy. All four were dismissed. Only one of the four former players was convicted in the criminal justice system. The convicted man was placed on probation for two years. "Because I went forward and decided to press charges, they [the University] couldn't sweep this one under the run," the woman said. "They [the University] had to do the right thing."
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our next tale comes from last Friday night at Finnegan's, where a tipster claims his friend "laid down on the dance floor, went over to some chairs, passed out," then awoke to a pair of wet slacks. Surprisingly, they were his. Taking his anger out on his bladder, the subject determined it best to let fly on a sidewalk in front of the bar, in plain view of everyone entering and exiting.
When his friends looked for him, he was nowhere to be found. He disappeared faster than a townie's panties in a Club Fever bathroom. The friends were so concerned they even called the police to search for him. (Don't these guy realize the police have other problems, like Notre Dame girls hooking up?) According to our tipster, the subject found himself in the driver's seat of a parked car at 6:30 the next morning. He didn't recognize the car, didn't know where he was, couldn't find the keys, and decided to walk home. What was he doing in a stranger's car all night? Making a crystal meth lab? Praying the rosary? Crying in the fetal position about the emptiness of his life? Gippies, we may never know.
Hall Notes:
Remember games to 100? If you played hoops and lived in Carroll during the mid '90s you know what I'm talking about. On random nights the Vermin would grab a court at Stepan or the JACC and test their stamina. The best games were held in The Pit. Those were the softest rims on campus. We'd run to 100. Amazingly we kept a pretty accurate count despite not having a math major amongst us. Some token engineers kept score. We'd normally have more than 10 ballers so we could substitute. But an iron five could suck it up if they needed to. I don't recall the games even being ridiculously lop-sided. The top-notch competition helped keep everything in check. Those games to 100 were a helluva good time. A guy couldn't really ask for a better set of teammates.
NDSportscenter:
Our 10th verbal commitment is offensive lineman Emeka Nwankwo. Emeka is 6'3", 285 lbs and is out of Hollywood, Florida. Scout.com rates him as a four-star guard prospect. He's the 23rd best lineman overall. The U.S.-born Nigerian attends Chaminade-Madonna Prep and chose us over Florida, Florida State, Virginia, Georgia, and Miami. Emeka needs to gain weight and strength but his potential is huge. He currently runs a 5.2 - 40 and has great footwork and quick feet.
Greg Little is a 6'2", 214 lb "athlete" according to one recruiting site and a weakside linebacker on another. He plays running back or could be a big safety. But he wants to be a receiver and apparently he'll get a shot at offense. Little benches 325 lbs and runs a 4.5 - 40. He has excellent athleticism, speed and lateral movement. Little's final decision came down to us or North Carolina. Prior to that he had eliminated Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State.
The Air Force game was our first game not televised on an established network since the 1992 game versus Navy in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Brady Quinn is a semi-finalist for the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award. Tom Zbikowski is a semi-finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award which goes to the best defensive back. Geoff Price is a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award for the best punter in the nation.
The women's soccer team won the Big East Championship again. They earned one of the four #1 seeds and could potentially host four playoff games before reaching the final four. The ladies beat Oakland (Mich.) 7-1 in round 1 and then knocked off Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1-0 in round 2. The women are 22-0-1 and the home matches continue.
Campus News:
The legendary band Chicago played at halftime of the North Carolina game. The band played two songs with the entire band of the Fighting Irish. Chicago was in town on Saturday to play a concert downtown at the Morris Performing Arts Center. This was the first time a professional band had played alongside our band in its 160-year history. This came about due to a unique relationship between ND and Chicago. Father George Wiskirchen was our assistant band director from 1971-2001. He also taught founding Chicago member James Pankow at Notre Dame High School in Niles, Ill. prior to coming to the University. Chicago and ND have been in touch for 40 years and last summer discussed a joint halftime show. Another connection is Peter Schiverelli, the manager of Chicago. He is a Domer, started for Ara Parseghian back in the day, and is the godfather of Tom Zbikowski. Our band practiced continuously for two weeks in preparation for the halftime show. They rehearsed with Chicago the Thursday before the game. Head band director Ken Dye took two Chicago recordings and transcribed the notes for the marching band. Chicago was very excited to play before 81,000 on the football field. One member wore a Zbikowski jersey while the trombone player had an ND cloth on his slide like members of the marching band. All in all it was a rousing success.
Another musical act came to campus. Indie/pop star Ben Folds played Stepan Center on Friday, November 10. The act was well received by the students. The Student Union Board sold all 1,800 available tickets on the first day of sale.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
The Gipp knows that good jobs on campus - you know, the ones that pay you to do your homework - are hard to come by. But not even the Gipp would stoop as low as our next subject just to make a couple of bucks. Our tipster tells us that his friend had been driving down a nearby campus street to pick up his car from Finnegan's the night before. As they were cruising down the street toward the bar, undoubtedly chatting about rousing, intelligent college-worthy subjects such as "kinds of juice" and "what color things are," they spotted an attractive female friend making the joyous Walk of Shame back home. They stopped to pick her up, noticing that this babe was wearing the same clothes she donned the eve before. Surely she just happened to have an extra copy of the same outfit. We can't imagine that a respectable Notre Dame girl would engage in any sort of shady behavior. Gipp hopes she changed her underwear though; we all know that could lead to an... infection. But Ol' Gipper disgresses.
The Good Samaritans picked up their repetitively clad acquaintance and were met with the wail of a police siren. A lovable representative of the SBPD sauntered up to their vehicle, asking how the men knew their young lady friend. The police just wanted to make sure that the Notre Dame student wasn't making her living as a professional lady of the night. In a related story, the same officer arrested over 500 girls at Corby's on Halloween.
Hall Notes:
The Vermin entered the intramural playoffs on a one-game losing streak. They needed to turn things around against O'Neill. The bad guys started out hot and had us down 8-0 after their first drive. The Vermin responded with a 15-play 65-yard drive and capped it with a 3-yard touchdown run by Mike Johnson. A two-point conversion made it 8-8. The good times ended there for Carroll. O'Neill kept Carroll on its heels by constantly using players in motion, irregular snap counts, and audibles. They had a 43-yard touchdown pass on an audible that involved a pump fake and a gullible corner. The Vermin fell 21-8 and ended the year in disappointment.
NDSportscenter:
Tight end John Carlson is our newest possible All American. He is on pace to break our single-season tight end records. After the North Carolina game, John had 45 catches for 620 yards. Anthony Fasano had 576 yards for all of last year. Thirty-one of Carlson's 45 catches have gone for first downs. Does Weis call anyone's number more when passing on 4th down? Carlson leads all tight ends in yards per game with 69 and is second in catches per game. Unfortunately he was injured in the Air Force game. His knee will keep him out of the next two games.
Certainly you've all heard Jeff Samrdzija has set the school record for touchdown receptions for a career with 23. Derrick Mayes had the previous record with 22. Jeff did it in only 21 games. Oh, and he has a rushing touchdown on a fake field goal as well.
Defensive end Victor Abiamiri continues to improve his play. After the North Carolina game he had 10 sacks, good for 4th in the nation. He also had 14.5 tackles for loss.
The North Carolina game was a good game for recruiting. Juniors. Yep, juniors. Charlie hosted 40 to 50 top juniors. All had to pay their own way. Weis is laying the groundwork. Amongst the seniors, we have only eleven commitments. But our average player rating is currently near the top.
The women's soccer team won their 9th Big East Championship with a 4-2 win over Rutgers. However, the ladies did so without defender Carrie Dew. She tore her ACL in the last regular season game. Dew was voted the Big East Defensive Player of the Year. With Dew, the opposition averaged only five shots per game. But the team did play without her at the beginning of the year when she was on the Under-20 National Team. And that's when we beat #19 Virginia, #3 Santa Clara, #22 USC, and #24 SMU.
Campus News:
Athletic director Kevin White has continued to reveal information about the JACC renovation. The latest announcement is of a $5 million "lead gift" from the family of Vince Naimoli, the chairman of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and a '59 Domer. The $5 million is part of the $22 million already pledged for the $24.7 million JACC project. The "lead gift" will be directed toward the 16,000 square-foot club and hospitality area. That area will be linked to 800 seats at the south end of the arena.
Other construction news has also been released. New dorms are a definite. The ground for the first will be broken this coming February. It should be ready for Fall 2008. The location was to be confirmed in October. An official release has yet to come. It will most likely by by P.E. or Knott or over by the news dorms next to McGlinn. The new dorms will be in the "throwback" Gothic-style like the new Jordan Hall of Science.
The old post office will be torn down this year. It's ground will be occupied by an expansion of the Law School. That expansion will begin next summer.
The University Club is also slated to go. In its place will be a new engineering teaching and research center. It will be in the Gothic style similar to other buildings.
And check this out... The "Coming Home" project will be done this winter. What's the "Coming Home" project? Mausoleums will be constructed in Cedar Grove, the on-campus cemetary. The mausoleum will house ashes and bodies of alums and students. That's it. Always end on a high note.
Campus Watch by Me:
Here's a little funny bit I heard about what goes on at football games. Think for a moment about when the whole stadium chants "WE....ARE....N....D!" The "WE" is yelled by the student section corner. The "ARE" part is bellowed by the corner with the band. Well, some band members have taken it upon themselves to bring a little flare to the screaming of "ARE." A handful of band members have costumes that come out during the cheer. They put on hats, unsheeth their swords and turn into pirates. WE......ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR....N....D!
Hall Notes:
I don't believe any of the current basketball players live in Carroll. The odds are against it since we just had forward Rick Cornett in our midst. And there is an update on Rick. He is playing professionally over in Europe. Cornett is suiting up for a Pro B team in Boulazac, France. Rick was averaging 7 ppg and 5.5 rpg. No doubt he is getting more minutes than he did under Brey.
NDSportscenter:
A few months back our hockey recruiting class was revealed for the 2007-08 year. Coach Jeff Jackson had secured three players from the U.S. Under-18 National Team and three players from the top junior hockey league. Jackson's backgroun and coaching skills are paying off. After all, he was a coach and senior director of the National Team Development Program. Supposedly this is "the top one or two" classes in college hockey. But there's more news. Fourteen-year-old phenom Cam Fowler has verbally committed to play for us starting Fall of 2009. The Farmington, Michigan kid is considered to be in the top ten in the world for his age group. (How can that be?! There are 14-year-old rankins!?!? Unreal.) Cam is already projected to be a top 5-10 NHL pick when he becomes eligible in 2010. Fowler, who will soon join the Under-17 National Team as a defenseman, cited our coaching staff as the reason for his commitment. We also have a commitment for Fall 2008 from a forward with the U.S. National Team Development Program. Our worst sport could soon become one of our best.
Basketball senior Colin Falls is coming back from off-season surgery on his left foot. Falls suffered from plantar fasciitis. It was corrected by shock-wave therapy.
Women's basketball Lindsay Schrader is already done for the year. The 6'0" sophomore tore her ACL in practice. Last year as a freshman she scored 10.5 ppg and snagged 5.4 rpg. She was our top returning scorer.
Old school hooper LaPhonso Ellis will be calling some Irish games on the radio this year. He will be providing color commentary for half a dozen or so games. Ellis currently lives in Minneapolis with his wife and three children.
Campus News:
Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan has again been banned from entering the U.S. Ramadan was hired by the University in 2004 but was unable to teach after his visa was revoked a few months after his hire. A spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs stated he has been "providing material support to a terrorist organization." Ramadan made a $940 donation to organizations serving Palestinians. Supposedly the organizations provided money to Hamas. Ramadan contests that the money was donated prior to 2003, before the U.S. blacklisted the particular organizations. He said the donation was made "to provide humanitarian aid to people who desperately need it." Ramadan had been offered a tenured position by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies in spring 2004 as an Islamic studies professor. His visa was revoked in the summer of 2004 and the University helped him reapply in October 2004. He received no response and applied again in September 2005. A year later he heard this latest denial.
Speaking of religion, Father Jenkins recently spoke of a University mission to increase Catholic faculty hires. The student body is approximately 85 percent Catholic. In 1985-86 the faculty was 65 percent Catholic. That number has now dropped to 54 percent. A new office has been formed to recruit Catholic scholars. The University has set a goal of 60 percent for Catholic faculty.
Campus Watch by Me:
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is Indiana's #1 tourist attraction. The second most visited place is Notre Dame. What's third? It might just be Charlie Weis' new house. Apparently the word on the street is that upwards of 50 cars a day are stopping to gawk. Surely it must be less by now. The 50 car threshold had to be when it was first revealed that it was finished and Charlie had moved in. One would expect that number to have diminished now that the house is no longer a new release. But it's certainly still a blockbuster.
Hall Notes:
Carroll was discovered being mentioned on the website CollegeHumor.com.
http://www.collegehumor.com/update:1705972
Carroll Hall was mentioned in a quiz for "Campus Police Log." It wasn't an ND quiz. In fact, ND was never even mentioned. "Carroll Hall" received the only shoutout. This hidden gem was found by '97 alum Tom Mullarkey, he of much time on his hands.
NDSportscenter:
The men's soccer team has climbed to #8 in the country. At one point in the season the men won seven straight games. Our main threat is junior Joseph Lapira. He scored two goals in five straight games. His seven game goal streak ended in a 2-1 loss to #4 West Virginia. Despite being shut out, Lapira still leads the NCAA in goals (19) and points (41). The team opened the Big East tournament with a 2-0 victory over DePaul. More next week.
The hockey team opened the season with a bang. After splitting two games versus Minnesota State, the Irish ventured to #1 boston college. We literally destroyed them 7-1. And then we trounced Providence 6-1. Just like that the team leapt in the rankings to #11/#12/#13 in the various polls.
The women's soccer team finished the regular season at #1. They only suffered a single 0-0 tie to UConn to go 16-0-1 and 9-0-1 in the Big East. The tie was an aberration. We outshot the Huskies 24-8. That was the norm for the season. Look for the ladies to charge into the Big East tournament with the #1 NCAA seed in sight.
You may have seen Aaron Heilman pitching recently. Heilman, a four-time All-American pitcher for the Irish, is a reliever for the New York Mets. He appeared in his first post-season since making the Majors.
As of early October, former basketball star Chris Quinn was still fighting to make the roster of the Miami Heat. He had recently been give a $75,000 bonus and a promise he would be one of four competing for a guard spot. The season officially begins now, basically. We'll see if he gets a jersey.
Campus News:
The Jordan Hall of Science was officially dedicated on September 14. Six photos have been placed on "The Campus" page. The 200,000 square foot building cost $70 million. The hall is specifically for undergraduates. The lab space capacity for undergrads has almost tripled. Night labs no longer need to be held. In the past, some non-major courses were unable to have labs at all. The lab space is necessary because the College of Science has grown in number by 18 percent since 2000. The hall features 40 different labs. The labs are arranged to compliment difference sciences. Biology and chemistry labs, for example, are adjacent. But it doesn't stop there.
The Jordan Hall of Science is packed with features. The fourth floor is home to a nuclear physics lab with custom equipment from Germany. One piece of equipment is the powerful Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer that allows students to examine the world on an atomic level. There are two 250-seat lecture rooms. The rooms have advanced 3-screen projection systems, video-enabled fume hoods for experiments, and network connections for each seat. The 136-seat planetarium is called the 50-foot Digital Visualization Theater. It can show the complexity of the galaxy, the intricacy of the human body, virtual tours, or presentations. The Museum of Biodiversity is a glass- enclosed area on the first floor. It holds the University's massive collection of plant and animal life samples. The herbarium alone contains over 270,000 plant specimens. There is an insect collection, a collection of animal skeletons and taxidermies, and "liquid specimens of animals preserved in jars. The museum's collection is insured for a mere $20 million. Two other rooms are the greenhouse and observatory. The greenhouse features four smaller pods with precise individual climate controls. The observatory is up on the roof and offers a direct view of the sky through new computer-enhanced telescopes. Got all that? Now you know why the building cost $70 million.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Next, the Gipp would like to regale his Gipplings with a story as you prepare to take your midterms, spending many a night secluded in Dirty Hessy Library until the wee hours of the mornings. Every Notre Dame student knows that Hessy is often the sight of unsavory behavior: sex, heroin, pagan rituals involving goat blood, etc. But this story seems to surpass even the Gipp's expectations. Our fateful protagonist - let's call him "Drunken Band Member" - was spending a weekend night hittin' the old sauce, and became very, very, VERY intoxicated. However, like a true overachiever, DBM knew his studies wouldn't wait for him to sober up. He stumbled into the library to do some research - Uncle Gipp can only imagine what that paper looked like - when things started to get a little hazy. He was awakened a couple hours later by a stern NDSP officer... and realized he was as nude as the day he was born. And probably covered in the same amount of drool. Just another reason for you to make Hesburgh Library your study destination in the coming stressful days.
Hall Notes:
The Vermin took to the field the Wednesday before Fall Break. It was 3-0 Carroll versus 3-0 Fisher. This was the final regular season game. The winner would be the Blue Division Champion and receive the #1 seed in the playoffs. The game was played in the cold and rain with the winner receiving the Crooked Stick Trophy. The Vermin were down early after Fisher took their first possession all the way for a touchdown. But Carroll came back strong and scored a touchdown on a 20-yard pass from Kory Wilmont to Paul Tassinari. It was 6-6 at halftime. Fisher then suffered a major setback. Their starting quarterback was injured and had to be taken away in an ambulance. The Green Wave backup responded by leading a six-play 49-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown. The Vermin were unable to put more points on the board. Carroll feel to 3-1 but would still make the playoffs.
NDSportscenter:
Junior defensive end Ronald Talley left the team during our bye week. He plans to finish the semester and then transfer elsewhere. Tally is the ninth member of Willingham's last class to leave the team. Only eight juniors remain.
During the bye week Charlie took stock of the first half of the season and compared it to the first six games of last year. Brady and the offense's numbers were similar. The biggest improvement (believe it or not) was in pass defense. At this point last year we were giving up 305 yards in the air per game. After six games this year the defense was allowing 213 yards passing.
In late September the University announced that beginning in 2007, 5000 season tickets would be available. It's the first such offering in three decades. In addition to face value, there would be annual ticket rights fees. For sideline seats the fee would be $2000 per seat. Corner seats go for $1500 per seat while end zone seats are $1250. The revenue generated will be used to pay for repairs and preservation of the 76-year-old Stadiums' original seating bowl. The project's cost has yet to be finalized but is expected to top $40 million. Engineering studies indicate that the concrete of the seating bowl has deteriorated due to yearly freeze/thaw damage. Once all the tickets are sold, a waiting list will be established. The University declared these tickets will NOT be drawn from the general alumni allotment. Instead the tickets will come from "season tickets that have been returned over the past several years, as well as a reduction in internal University ticket allocations."
The University continues to police the re-selling of tickets. More than 3400 tickets have been revoked or suspended over the past three years. This year alone has seen 1700 busts.
Campus News:
On October 5 the University announced that the JACC will undergo a nearly $25 million renovation. There will be new chair back seating but the major changes will be at the south end of the building. The new main entrance will be two stories tall and feature club seating, a hospitality area, all ticket offices, and a new varsity shop. The biggest portion of the $24.7 million is $12.5 million from Philip J. Purcell III, who is a Domer, a Trustee, and the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Morgan Stanley. The arena will be named Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. So far the total contributions for the project are at $22 million. In accordance with new policies, construction will not begin until it is fully funded.
All the seating will be replaced. The wooden bleachers will be removed and replaced with treads and risers and permanent arena seats. The stadium club/hospitality area will be about 16,500 square-feet and eat into the bleacher area. The new premium club seating will hold about 800 fans. Including those 800, the seating capacity will drop to 9,800. The current number of seats sits at 11,418. All of the design has been created by HNTB Architecture, Inc., of Kansas City, Mo.
Both basketball programs expect the renovations to boost recruiting. The coaches have five conceptual illustrations to now show recruits. Coach McGraw said the following: "When you come in her, you feel like you're back in the '60s and there's been a time warp...It's going to look first-class, and that's what we talk about when we talk to recruits." In addition to the arena, the practice facilities are expected to be updated and improved. Philip Purcell happens to be a big hoops fan. When the Irish were in town for the Big East Tournament, they came and rang the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange.
Because 100 percent of the construction costs are not confirmed and because 75 percent of the money is not in hand, a start date has not been set. When construction begins, the project is expected to take over a year. Improvements to the north dome and the hockey facilities are a copletely separate project. That project is years away.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our first tale...well...goes to a level of "awkward" that even confuses the Gipp. It seems that during Purdue weekend, one student took "tail"-gating a little too far. Our young friend had been drinking a little heavily - as one is wont to due during a traditional football game morning of revelries - and he spotted an older, yet still attractive, woman who struck his fancy. Obviously, he felt the need to court this "Mrs. Robinson" and outwardly express his burning affections; to do so, he placed his hands on the lady's derriere. The Gipp wonders why he didn't just hurl himself crotch-first at the woman while licking his lips, but not all men have the smooth skills of the Gippster. However, our young man was shocked when he discovered that the object of his affections was, in fact, a high-ranking university administrator. Way to go, Romeo. If you'd only had the right touch, maybe she would've fixed your grades.
Hall Notes:
The Vermin are now 3-0. Knott was shutout. Carroll, meanwhile, put 9 points on the board. The opening Vermin drive went for 12 plays and 70 yards. The drive culminated in a 9 yard touchdown pass from senior Kory Wilmont to sophomore receiver Ryan Frost. The defense played solid all game and had one interception. Carroll was up 7-0 in the fourth quarter. The defense pinned Knott back and had them punting out of their own end zone. A bad snap led to a catch while on one knee. Result: safety. Next up for the Vermin, 3-0 Fisher.
NDSportscenter:
Zbikowski isn't hurt that bad. He dinged up his shoulder in the Purdue game. Charlie rested him along the LB Travis Thomas and K Bobby Renkes. But sophomore fullback Asaph Schwapp is done for the year after having surgery on the knee he injured in the Penn State game. Because he played in only two games, Schwapp can apply for a medical redshirt. Asaph will have three more years of eligibility remaining. The surgery went well. The damage was not as bad as originally thought so he should be ready for spring ball. Ashley McConnell is now the starting fullback. Freshman Luke Schmidt is the backup.
Speaking of freshmen...as of the Stanford game, 17 of the 28 freshmen had seen action. Running back James Aldridge saw time after recovering from a knee injury. He had 26 yards on just four carries. It's time for the five-star recruit to make some noise.
Charlie's book came out on October 10. He signed copies of "No Excuses" at the Bookstore for an hour on Tuesday. The book was co-written with Vic Carucci who also wrote books with Jon Gruden and Phil Simms.
ESPN's Mike and Mike radio show was at the Linebacker the Friday before the Stanford game. The show aired from 6am to 10am and the place supposedly had a line out the door. The booze and the smoke made the program one of a kind. And Mike Greenberg had to do the entire show in a leprechaun outfit after losing a wager.
The student body can play a role in recruiting. Two seniors have started a group on Facebook.com that promotes what recruits are coming to campus. The site encourages students to recognize recruits and cheer their names at pep rallies and games. The seniors are aware of NCAA regulations and will not step over the line. Prior to getting a story in "The Observer," the group numbered early 200.
Campus News:
The U.S. News and World Report college rankings recently came out. We are #20 according to whatever criteria they use. Last year we were #18. Also, Washington Monthly magazine had us #13. Again, I'm not sure of the criteria but I'm guessing it doesn't include midfield flag planting on football fields.
More rankings. DesignIntelligence ranked us 12th in the nation for undergraduate architectural programs. New Urban News put us at 2nd. We are the only undergraduate architectural program recognized in both surveys.
NDtv is now four years old. It has its own channel on campus now that every dorm has cable. Programming will now be broadcast 24 hours a day. Last year it was only 12 hours per day. NDtv began in 2002 as a bi-weekly, 30-minute variety show. Now it airs programs on news, sports, comedy and entertainment. Four shows are produced for weekly airings: NDtv News, NDtv Sports, The Mike Peterson Show (a late night comedy and interview show), and The Final Cut (an entertainment review program). Other programs from the past 3 years help fill out the day. In 2002 14 students participated in NDtv. There are now around 90 Domers in on the channel.
Just prior to the beginning of the school year, a group of activists made a plea to the University to abstain from taking federal funding known as earmarks. Americans for Prosperity Foundation held a news conference to draw attention to $26.4 million in earmarks the University has received since 2000. Research projects are funded by federal money. The projects include cancer research, orthopedic rehabilitation, a model project to prevent child abuse and neglect, nanotechnology engineering, and a teacher quality initiative. A University spokesman said, "If they [the activists] want Congress to behave differently, their argument is with Congress."
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our next story comes from the magical fantasy world known as "The Feve," a land of whirlwind romance, drink specials and poor decision making. One night, two lusty young patrons were dancing cheek-to-cheek, when our fair lady suddenly became queasy! Showing an amazing amount of foresight considering her level of intoxication, our little floozy forcefully shoved her Romeo away and proceeded to retch all over the floor between the two. Romeo, apparently not to be easily deterred, waited until she was finished and then drew her back to his gyrating hips for another round of the old twist-and-shout. The night must have ended happily for all, as the Gipp was told they were last seen enjoying a session of saliva exchange. In case you missed it, that's class right there.
Hall Notes:
The Vermin football team are 2-0 and trouncing St. Ed's. Carroll came out on top, 26-0. Backup quarterback Jon Sarna had a monster game. He was 8 of 14 for 146 yards and 3 touchdowns. Junior Paul Tassinari caught 2 touchdowns of 61 yards and 9 yards. St. Ed's had less than 50 yards of total offense. Carroll's final touchdown came on an interception return. The Vermin starting quarterback is expected back this weekend's game versus Knott.
NDSportscenter:
"The Shirt" is an institution. As of August 30, nearly 80,000 had been sold. Then as of the Michigan game the sales total was 100,000. "The Shirt" began in 1990. The initial shirt was an effort to raise money for a student hit by a car. The student was in various medical facilities for a year. Thirty-two thousand shirts were sold in 1990 and $170,000 was raised. To this day, money continues to be collected and donated to charitable causes.
Including the Purdue game, punter Geoff Price is #1 in the nation in punting. And he is #5 in net punting.
Volleyball coach Debbie Brown just recorded her 500th victory.
The women's soccer team continues to roll and continues their clutch play. Last weekend the ladies took on #6 West Virginia at Alumni Field. The women fell behind 1-0, as they have in a few contests this year. Against the Mountaineers they came back and won 3-1 to remain #1 and undefeated.
For the second year in a row our graduation rates were compiled by the NCAA. The NCAA is charting athletics and 17 of our 22 sports had a graduation rate of 100%. All of our programs were above 90%. Our non-100% sports are women's soccer (94%), men's lacrosse (97%), football (95%), men's golf (92%), and men's basketball (91%).
Campus News:
More news has been released about development south and east of campus. Private developer John Roy actually interviewed for graduate school here in 2005. It was then that he discovered a vacuum around the campus. Roy said, "Notre Dame has to be the only school in the country not surrounded by retail, restaurants, bars and luxury condos." Roy saw opportunity. Alumni and fans of ND are often in search of residences near campus. Roy hopes to fill part of the void by building a new condominium complex near the school. He plans to break ground to the east of campus early next year. A sign is up marking a vacant lot where eight condominiums will be constructed in two buildings near the corner of Vaness and Willis Streets near Turtle Creek. The units will have 2,100 square feet of space (excluding the basement) and start at about $200,000. Marketing for "Stadium Village" began a few months ago. Roy, a grad student in our MBA program, has more plans and owns more property around campus. Apparently the condos are "just the beginning of much more exciting things to come." His first condos are expected to be completed for the 2007 Georgia Tech home opener. Some other residences have already been completed.
New homes line Notre Dame Avenue that were purchased by faculty and staff from the University. The University's Department of Asset Management has been purchasing off-campus property since the late 1980s. Only in the last four years have properties been sold to full-time faculty and staff. The houses were built under certain architectural guidelines to fit with the community. Seventeen properties have been sold so far. Two more are available. The Notre Dame Avenue Housing Program is part of the Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization. The Program also covers Frances Street and St. Peter Street. The program has a waiting list for properties. All buyers sign a deal saying that they will sell back to the University should they decide to move. The rest of the community is pleased with the growth. Notre Dame is slowly taking over the planet.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our first report is tied to last week's Career Fair with a character who is probably not going to add his latest adventure to his resume. A business major was hoping to score a job with a major accounting firm this summer, and he had a tight connection, as his housemate's sister was a recruiter for a Big Four firm. She was staying in their house while she was in town for the fair. No, this story is not taking the turn you might be expecting, since not every story the Gipp tells ends with sunshine, a kiss and a Rod Stewart song. The future accountant headed out to Club Fever - a bastion of communicable diseases and incest survivors - and returned home with a little more than "value add" on his mind thanks to cheap drink specials. He felt extremely ill the next morning and remembered that his mother taught him 7-Up can settle the stomach. Unfortunately, the fridge only contained blue Fanta. He must have been thinking of those Fantanas because he drank that bottle and felt as if "knives were poking out of [his] stomach" an hour later. He felt something coming up, rushed across the apartment and violently painted the bathroom walls a color they weren't meant to be painted. The recruiter, and it turns out, future interviewer, tried to sleep through the candidate's guttural symphony in the bathroom. The Gipp thinks if this character maintains eye contact and remembers to shake the hand twice, he'll be running the firm someday.
Hall Notes:
The Vermin apparently had a bye this week. They weren't listed in The Observer when a rundown was given of the weekend games.
But there is news on freshman Dan Wegner. I informed you recently that Dan is the only football player in our dorm. It was reported that in preparation for the Michigan State game, Wegner received major props for his work on the scout team. I believe his stellar play earned him a spot on the bus and a trip to Spartan Stadium. If we start blowing people out, maybe we'll get to see #51 take the field this season.
NDSportscenter:
We improved in third-down conversion rate yesterday. We were 8 of 14. For the year, however, we have only converted on 33% of third downs. Our opponents, though, have only converted on 30% of third downs. Amazingly, we are 10 of 12 (83%) on fourth down.
The 16 points overcome in the final quarter last week was our largest fourth quarter comeback since we were down 17 points to USC back in Lou's first season in '86.
So we had another historial win last week. How will it be remembered? Maybe as "Class Over the Classless." There were no flag incidents this time. But Michigan State apparently expected it. After the game, three Sparty players were positioned at mid-field to "guard" the "S" from being punctured with an ND flag. Yeah, right. Like Charlie would engage in such classless antics. Besides we couldn't plant a flag. We were too busy T.P.-ing and egging houses. What a bunch of donkeys, expecting us to plant a flag. The loss couldn't have happened to a better team.
Remember the melee on the sideline? The pushing, shoving and subsequent penalty? Word on the street is that the assistant coach who pulled the Michigan State player back was none other than old QB Ron Powlus.
During the sideline brouhaha, Charlie actually took a shot in the mouth. And he doesn't even know who did it. Weis suspects it might even have been one of his own guys. How 'bout we pop opponents in the chops from now on?
And Charlie is still undefeated in road games (excluding bowl games, of course).
Jeff Samardzija has 19 career touchdown receptions as of the Michigan State game. That tied him for second place. He's just behind Derrick Mayes, who had 22 touchdowns. Speaking of Samardzija, apparently an ABC microphone picked up a comment he made late in the game. Supposedly it was after Michigan State threw an interception. Jeff ran by their QB and said something like "Nice pass, bitch." I don't know if it's true. Whether Jeff said it, that is. We all know the comment in and of itself is true.