Campus News:
Early action applications rose 11.5 percent this year. The total number came in at 4,247. The pool has a 45 percent increase in minorities seeking early admittance. International students applying early climbed 106 percent. Visitations to the admissions office is up 16 percent this year. Why all the big increases?
The international student application increases are due to outreach efforts. There has been increased travel to other countries to market the University. Alumni abroad mobilized to contact high school students. Also, the University has financial aid options for international students. The admissions office is focusing on Asian countries. South Korea has the highest number of international students in the current freshman class.
Our early applicant percentage is also likely up because of what has happened at other schools. Harvard, Princeton, and the University of Virginia have eliminated their early admissions programs.
This year the University also teamed with companies that help the admissions committee identify talented students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. QuestBridge is an online site that helps match these students with suitable financial aid packages the University can offer. Outside vendor Royall & Company target high achieving minority students and includes them in a database of potential applicants. Applicants are being identified earlier than ever before. Admissions is now an 18-month cycle instead of a 12-month cycle.
Early applications need to be in by November 1. Admissions make their decisions by December 15. Students have until May 1 to accept of decline the offer should they be accepted.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our next tale details the gypsification of one Domer who was forced, against his will, to embark upon a desperate quest in search of the nearest hospital.
While congregatin with a disreputable band of associates to watch that horrific massacre which future generations will remember as "ND-Michigan 2007," our wayfarer drank copious amounts of liquid giggles and resolved to raucously celebrate the first offensive play from scrimmage that went for positive yardage (something that would turn out to be a rare occasion this year).
Well, thanks to a defensive penalty, the next play resulted in a first down, and this was enough to send our protagonist hurtling into the outstretched arms of one of his equally inebriated companions. Trouble was, there was a doorframe in between them. Quite soon after our hero's feet left the earth, and the top of his head became intimately acquainted with the unforgiving doorframe. Everyone thought this was hilarious until it became apparent that the wounded cheerleader was not rising from the ground and that a pool of crimson liquid was forming around where he lay.
The companion whose sobriety was most intact was charged with getting the wounded individual to the E.R. During the caravan to the hospital, our now Gipp-sified ne'er-do-well became highly upset at himself for what he thought was his own excessive effeminacy - mistaking the blood trickling into his eyes for tears.
To be continued....
Hall Notes:
Our undergradate home received a shoutout in the Editor's Note of a fall issue of Scholastic...
"I have only been at Notre Dame for four hectic years and the campus has already witnessed more construction and renovations than I can count. A state-of-the-art science facility and built where previously only trees stood; roads have been shut down, rearranged and reopened; and DeBartolo quad has been transformed from a grassy expanse to a large vacant pit in anticipation of the new law school and engineering building. Althought these projects will change the face of Notre Dame for the better, I have to wonder why the university hasn't seen fit to build a light-rail system to make the commute from Carroll Hall a little less arduous."
NDSportscenter:
Despite being 3-9 this year, the 18th version of "The Shirt" sold over 120,000 units. The sales goal was met and the next version will be released this spring.
Old school Irish football star and Pittsburgh Steeler great Rocky Bleier was recently given the Distinguished American Award by the National Football Foundation.
The #22 men's cross country team received an at-large bid to the NCAAs. This is the fourth straight NCAA trip for the men's team. Two individuals - Patrick Smyth and Jake Watson - also had a shot at the crown. Junior Patrick Smyth finished 15th with a time of 30:05.4. The finish earned Smyth his second cross country All American honor. (He also has an All American award from track and field.) The team finished 21st out of 30.
The Irish hockey team recently competed in the Rensselaer Holiday Tournament. The squad fell behind 0-3 in the opening game. But they came back to win 4-3 over the host team. Frequently we have fallen behind and come back for victories this year. The team is currently #6 in the country with a record of 16-4-0 and a conference record of 10-2-0. We are tied for second in the CCHA.
In other hockey news, freshman defenseman Ian Cole was selected to the 22-man U.S. Junior National Team. The team will compete at the World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.
Campus News:
The campus is going green in a big way. After Juniper Road was closed, the majority of that area became grass and trees. Those who attended football games likely witnessed the transformation. The sports fields north of Stepan Center that used to be on both sides of Juniper have now been connected. The new grass was heavily used this fall.
During the summer, more than 600 trees were planted on campus. Many went in on South Quad. That quad had lost a lot of trees. Dutch elm disease thinned the canopy of elm trees that lined the quad's perimeter. The new trees were various types of elm that are resistant to Dutch elm disease. The elms helped to dense up the trees around the quad by half. An anonymous donor provided the funding for the trees.
The Office of the University Architect is participating in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system. The voluntary system works through the United States Green Building Council. Buildings are accredited based on points on a scorecard. LEED was adopted as a planning tool for new design and construction. A LEED certification is being sought for the new engineering building. The University architectural staff members are actually studying for the LEED accreditation exam. Only 19 buildings in Indiana were LEED certified as of July 2006.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Continued from last week....
As the minutes passed and the situation became desperate, the townie remained dedicated to continuing the discomfort of our friend Decent. Self-restraint and the fear of upsetting Esmerelda prevented poor Decent from sending a heel flying into the nether regions of the town nomad.
Needless to say, at the end of the night Esmerelda was not impressed by the man-molestation she witnessed and refused to give Decent her number. In her mind, a man should assertively protect his own. Would a man who won't defend his own honor be able to defend her?
Hall Notes:
The Carroll Class of 2002 received a recent shoutout in a Fall University publication. The Spirit of Notre Dame newsletter arrived this Fall and the most recent edition had a piece on the reunion class dorm challenge. The challenge is for 5- and 10-year reunion classes. It charts alumni support donations for 12 months leading up to the June Reunion Weekend. The winning dorm is that which has the highest percentage of donors. It's not based on dollar amounts. The Vermin of 2002 won that challenge with 71.9 percent giving. For winning the challenge, the Vermin enjoyed an Annual Fund-sponsored tailgate party before sitting together as the boston college game. The '97 Vermin?....Well, we didn't make the top five. Let's just leave it at that.
NDSportscenter:
The women's soccer team hosted Duke last weekend for the NCAA Elite Eight. Flurries were in the air and the temps dipped down into the 20s. We beat the Blue Devils 3-2 and advanced to the Final Four. The final rounds will be played at College Station, home of Texas A&M. In the semi-finals we drew Florida State, the team we beat in the semi-finals last year. But this year Florida State was out for revenge. They scored 15 seconds into the game. You read that correctly. Fifteen seconds. The lady Irish fought back to tie it at 1. FSU went up 2-1. The Irish again tied it up. The Seminoles scored again late in the game. We could not answer. We had 16 shots to their 7. We had 7 corner kicks to their 1. The Irish finished with a record of 19-5-2. The men's soccer team faced #7 Santa Clara in the NCAA Sweet 16. The game was played at Santa Clara. The Irish owned them. We won 2-0 and advanced to the Elite Eight. In the quarterfinals we were matched up with Wake Forest. The game was played there. Wake Forest basically controlled the whole game. They were finally about to score late in the first overtime period. We fell 1-0. They outshot us 15-6. We finished with a record of 14-5-5.
We have four players that will be featured in the Senior Bowl. The game will be played in Mobile, Alabama on January 26. Suiting up will be safety Tom Zbikowski, defensive end Trevor Laws, center John Sullivan, and tight end John Carlson.
Charlie has been out recruiting since the Stanford game ended. He was hitting various locations on the west coast and in the southwest. Several juniors have been extended offers. Weis said he has visited all of our current recruits and continues to solidify their commitments. Over a dozen recruits (some commited, some not) will be coming for the football banquet this weekend. Because of coaching changes at UCLA and Texas A&M, their defensive end recruits are now re-considering. We were heavily into those recruits earlier in the year. The roster of the U.S. Army All American game was recently released. We have 12 recruits in the game (way more than any other school) and are actively recruiting at least four others in the game that are uncommitted.
Campus News:
University architect Doug Marsh recently spoke on campus construction projects and overall campus planning. Everything built today and in the future will come from a campus plan published in the fall of 2002. That plan adopted what is called the "blue line." The blue line establishes the ultimate limit of the walkable campus. "Walkable" is defined as a 10-minute walk. The hypothetical walk is centered from campus. Marsh said the desire is for "LaFortune to be both the geographical and social center of campus."
The Law School expansion will take an estimated 13 months. The 85,000-square-foot addition will contain a grand arch over the existing walk just south of the current Law School. The addition will contain classrooms and offices. The existing building will be renovated to contain a law library.
The University Club is about to be razed. The fenced off area stretches all across DeBartolo Quad. The new engineering building will take two years to construct. It will house a First Year of Studies learning center and a research center.
Geddes Hall will be the name of the new Center for Social Concerns (CSC) and Institute for Church Life (ICL) Building. It will be located at the site of the current CSC building. Construction will begin in January. The CSC will temporarily relocate to the old ROTC building. The hall will be four stories and will include "flex space," which is room for the CSC and ICL to expand or house journals interested in working with the organizations.
More on campus construction next week.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our first adventure takes place in the hinterland of downtown South Bend. Our male Gipp-sie, smitten by one "Esmerelda," sought out pertinent information from Ezzy's wench-friends to enhance his chances of wooing the exotic siren. The scouting report indicated that Esmerelda desired a "nice guy," because she is a "nice girl." Of course, to find favor with that type of fem, one must practice propriety in heated conditions. Our man, let's call him Decent, took Ezzy out on the dance floor, hoping to further his ambitions. Because moral proscriptions and upright values ruled these two hearts, they took to dancing alongside one another in a chaste 50s doo-wop fashion.
No line on Decent's palm could have foretold of the disaster that would follow. The dance got dirty as the most foreign of local subjects placed himself directly behind, not Esmerelda, but Decent and began a disgusting combination of pelvic gyrations and booty rub on our hero. Remembering his commitment to chivalry and pacifism, our "nice guy" decided to ignore the townie in the hopes that he would go away. But, this predator was in it for the long haul.
To be continued next week.
Hall Notes:
Part 3 of the Rick Cornett article...
"I enjoyed the experience of being in a new culture and learning new things," Cornett said. "My teammates spoke English, so they helped me with my French.
"I definitely can swear in French. That was the first they taught me."
Cornett returned home in early spring and recently participated in a Summer Pro League in the Phoenix area. His team won the league championship over the likes of NBA players Ike Diogu and Amare Stoudemire. As August neared, the 6-foot-9, 244-pound Cornett weighed three offers to return to France. Pro players there can make a high-five to low-six figure salary, and all the money is guaranteed. If teams cannot pay their players, the government steps in.
"I still love basketball," Cornett said. "You have to because if you don't, being in Europe would killl you.
"I enjoy getting paid doing something I'm bless to have the ability to do."
NDSportscenter:
Football notes: Trevor Laws finished the year with 112 tackles. That's one shy of the school record for tackles by a defensive lineman in a single season....Tom Zbikowski finished with 299 tackles for his career. That puts him first all-time amongst defensive backs and 8th overall....You will see a new turf on the field next year. Even though the footing was adequate, the field this year was blotchy. The day after Thanksgiving new sod arrived from a Colorado turf farm.
The women's soccer team upset #1 seed North Carolina 3-2. The game was played at Carolina. We opened the game 2-0. Our goals were scored 14 seconds apart. We are 3-9-2 versus the Tar Heels all time. The win gives us a record of 18-4-2. It's our 11th trip in 14 years to the Elite Eight. Next up: Duke. We will host because we are the #4 seed. The upset-minded Blue Devils are unseeded.
The men's soccer team defeated St. John's and DePaul to advance to the Big East Championship. The #11 Irish then fell to #2 UConn 2-0 in the title game. We did not receive the automatic bid, but our 12-4-5 record still earned us a spot in the NCAAs. The team made the tournament for the 7th straight time. We earned the #10 seed and got first round bye. We hosted the second round and faced Oakland. We knocked off the Golden Grizzlies 2-1 and advanced to the Sweet 16. Next the team travels to California to take on UC-Santa Clara.
Campus News:
The band has wrapped up another football season. For some members, summer will also be a busy band time. This summer a group of band members will take a two week trip to China and Japan. Every other year, band members travel internationally to represent the University and play concerts in nationally acclaimed venues. Previous trips have been to Scandinavia, Australia, Austria, and the Czech Republic. The students will perform at several universities and interact with local students. Approximately 60 to 70 band members will go. The trip begins in Beijing and will feature shows at the Beijing Concert Hall and the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts. Then the group will visit Xi'an, Shanghai, and Tokyo. While traveling, the students will be able to tour historical sites and experience cultural activities. Band fundraising will pay for a portion of the trip but students will be asked to help pay. Hopefuls had to go through an application process. They find out this month if they have been selected.
On Oct. 19 U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia made an unpublicized appearance at the Notre Dame Law School. He spoke at a conference for law students on the separation of powers in federal government. Scalia requested the event not be widely publicized. It was not a public lecture and the focus was on law not politics. Scalia delivered the opening lecture on the importance of structure in constitutional interpretation. He spoke about the function of the judiciary in our government and analyzed several cases. Scalia answered questions after the talk and also met informally with students.
Campus Watch by Me:
Are the current Domers too pampered? Are they snotty, "The Hills"-watching, spoiled, what-have-you-done-for- me-lately students? In a show of solidarity, hundreds of students didn't even bother to show up for the final three home football games. There weren't just empty seats. There were empty rows upon rows. It was just plain ridiculous. Huge vacant areas could be seen by anyone in the stadium. So much for support. So much for unity. And this doesn't even mention all of the Letters to the Editor that filled The Observer this fall. It's interesting to read the insipid comments from 18, 19, 20 and 21-year-olds. I never realized that non-scholarship, non-varsity 20-year-old finance majors know how to run a football program. They are phenomenal at pointing out the faults of a coach with multiple Super Bowl rings. Were we this pathetic when we were students?
Hall Notes:
Part 2 of the Rick Cornett article....
While aerial acrobatics are celebrated here, Europeans concentrate on the basics of shooting, passing and dribbling. Overseas, winning basketball means team basketball.
"There are some very smart basketball players over there," Cornett said. "They may not be as athletic as guys in the NBA, but as far as the brains part of the game, they have it down."
In four years with the Irish, Cornett averaged 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 10.5 minutes a game. As a rookie in France, he averaged 11 points and six rebounds. He often played 30 minutes a night. Other than a broken finger, which he just taped up and kept playing, Cornett remained injury-free.
Being far from home initially came with a steep price. Cornett racked up a cell phone bill of $850 the first month. He then had a land line installed in his apartment. It cost $80 Euros (about $109 U.S.) a month with unlimited calls to the United States. Cornett still spent 135 hours calling back home the first two months.
Part 3 next week.
NDSportscenter:
Relatives of George Gipp are suing another family member, ESPN, and a sports writer over the exhumation of the Gipp's body a few weeks ago. The body was exhumed to determine whether Gipp fathered a child out of wedlock. The test results showed he was NOT the father. The medical examiner that authorized the body removal was named in the suit as well. The cemetary and funeral home that transported the body were also part of the lawsuit. The woman that was believed to be Gipp's child did NOT pursue this issue. She was unaware of it until four days after the body was exhumed and it made national news.
#9 Women's tennis doubles team Brook Buck and Kelcy Tefft won the ITA Indoor National Championship. They are the second Domer duo to ever do so. For the year the ladies are 14-2. For their career they are 73-16. The senior and junior team won the ITA National Summer title in 2006. They also won five junior titles together prior to ND.
The women's soccer team received a #4 see in the NCAA tournament. In the first round they defeated Loyola (Chicago) 3-0. Then the lady Irish knocked off Illinois 2-0. We entered the Sweet 16 with a record of 17-4-2. Up next.... #1 seed North Carolina. The game will be a re-match of last year's National Championship.
There are four freshmen on the men's basketball team. Coach Brey has announced that 6'7", 200 lb forward Carleton Scott will be redshirted this year.
Campus News:
The newest dorm under construction, Duncan Hall, will not open until Fall 2008 but its residents are already being determined. The new dorm - which currently lacks a mascot - will have a mixture of singles, doubles, triples and quads. It will also feature bay windows and personal bathrooms. The floor plan is on the ResLife website. Color-coded rooms indicate "super-quads" and "super-doubles" which will have personal bathrooms. The dorm was designed in the model of the older dorms, using the "ladder system" concept. The ladder system is where your rooms gets bigger and better from freshman year to senior year. The newer dorms do not have such a model.
Duncan Hall is being built to accommdate 234 male residents. It will be air-conditioned and contain study rooms on each wing. The hall will have an exercise room, kitchen, elevator, and laundry facilities. There will be large social common areas on each floor and the dorm chapel will be located on the second floor.
The dorm will be filled by a lottery system. Approximately 80 freshman will be assigned to Duncan Hall. Current students can bid for the remaining openings in a lottery that will run early next summer. If fewer students apply than are needed to fill the dorm, the remaining beds will be filled by freshmen and transfers. The University is gauging student interest by tracking the hits on the hall website. The site is continually being updated. The newest addition is a webcam that refreshes every 10 seconds. It covers all the construction developments. Students can fill out applications from January 7 to Februar 7. They must indicate the room type and the names of all potential roommates. On February 8, ResLife will draw 150 to 160 winning lottery tickets. This initial lottery is non-binding. If students decide to decline the room for whatever reason, they will be permitted to do so. The second phase of the lottery begins February 25 with those who decide to remain. The bidders will basically draw random numbers. From there it's just like room picks from back in the day. There will be separate room picks for each style of room, not just one big mass grouping.
Campus Watch by Me:
So all of the geniuses are coming out with guns a-blazing. No doubt Kevin White and Charlie's offices have been bombarded with letters calling for firings and resignations, respectively. All this small-minded bitching by armchair quarterbacks is more embarrassing than any win-loss record. Domers are turning on a Domer when they themselves don't have a clue on how to run a football team. This week I received an email of a letter that was sent to Charlie and White. How did I receive the email? Through the Domer email pipeline. The only way that letter gets around is if the writer passes it out. The author has an ego beyond what others accuse Charlie of having. My favorite, though, is the genius going around telling anyone who will listen about how to get rid of Charlie. His well thought out plan is to hire a new coach, demote Charlie to an assistant, and wait for him to get fed up and walk out on his contract so we don't have to pay him. Let's get a grip, people. Charlie's players are freshmen and sophomores. Let him get a chance to get in two more classes. Then we can pass judgment. So far none of the recruits have jumped ship even though everyone is predicting they will. They believe in Charlie. Why don't we?
Hall Notes:
This past falll the South Bend Tribune did a piece on Vermin and former Irish hoopster, Rick Cornett. Over the course of the next few weeks, the article will be shared in its entirety. The piece is titled "Cornett Works Overtime in European Basketball."
Former Notre Dame power forward Rick Cornett never dreamed that his first post-graduate job would be so much work.
Following four years of Big East basketball, Cornett knew what his first year out of school would hold. Though he graduated on time in 2006 with a degree in design and computer applications, Cornett wanted to keep playing hoops. He figured to head for Europe, make a little money, play a little ball and see a big chunk of the world.
Everything worked out well as Cornett's professional career commenced in France last fall, except for one aspect. His team lived, breathed and slept basketball. His Boulazac squad practiced twice a day for five days every week. One day was reserved for rest, the other for games.
"It was a great experience," Cornett said during a break from working coach Mike Brey's summer camp. "The game of basketball is so different over there. I can see why the United States always struggles when they play against European teams."
More next week.
NDSportscenter:
Irish gridiron great offensive tackle Aaron Taylor will be the guest speaker at the Dec. 7 87th Football Banquet. Taylor, an All-American and '93 Lombardi Trophy winner, is a philanthropist and runs the website http://www.legendsofsouthbend.com. The site features writings and videos of interviews Taylor has conducted with many Irish greats.
The women's soccer team had its run of Big East wins stopped by West Virginia in the Big East Championship. The game ended in a 1-1 tie and had to go to penalty kicks. The Mountaineers converted 5 kicks to our 3. The Irish, though, received an at-large berth in the NCAAs. We were granted a #4 seed and the right to host rounds 1 and 2. Up first is Loyola (Chicago).
More soccer news. Junior Kerri Hanks recorded her 50th assist this season. She is only the third junior in women's soccer history to reach 50 goals and 50 assists. At the time of her 50th assist, she also had 61 goals. She has led the team to a 15-4-1 record.
Junior tennis player Brett Helgeson recently competed in the ITA Midwest Regional Championship. He beat the #2 ranked player and defending champion in 3 sets. After the win, Helgeson was 12-0 for the year and was riding a 19 match win streak dating back to last year. Unfortunately he fell in the next match but will be back to compete during the spring session.
Campus News:
Stinson-Remick Hall, the new engineering building scheduled to open in early 2010, has received a donation. General Electric will be giving $500,000 toward solar panels. GE is hoping to stimulate research on harnessing solar energy. The director of budget and operations for the College of Engineering said the gift was "certainly the most significant" environmental contribution the hall has received so far. The director of the Notre Dame Energy Center said the panels would provide "an excellent research opportunity for students to determine what factors - cloudiness, dusk-to-dawn time, snow coverage, etc. - most affect energy output." The panels will cover almost every available space on the roof. But they will only supply a very small fraction of the power for the building. (Huh? $500,000 = "very small fraction"? We better do A LOT of research.) The panels could save as much as $5,500 a year in energy costs. Current panels only convert about 15 percent of the incident light to electricity.
In addition to solar panels, the building will include other "green" measures. Nisource Energy Technologies will donate a microtube that will use natural gas to generate electricity. The system will be "fully outfitted with instrumentation so that it will be appropriate for a wealth of student research projects." The $69.4 million hall will also be outfitted with motion sensors. The sensors will turn off lights in unoccupied rooms.
Campus Watch by Me from the South Bend Tribune:
Charlie isn't just a coach or the media's favorite whipping boy. Most Domers are aware of his main charitable cause, Hannah and Friends. The foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and adults with special needs. Ground recently broke on a 30-acre residental community called Hannah and Friends Farm. The farm is being built north of campus, near the Michigan border. It's construction is eight years ahead of schedule. A caretaker's house will be built first. The farm will also have a rec center. It will be named Eck Rec. (Familiar Domer doner Frank Eck cut the farm a check.) Sixteen residential units will eventually be built. The first two units are soon to be constructed and will house eight residents.
Hall Notes:
Carroll's last football game was against the Sorin Otters. We saved our worst for last. The Vermin got whipped 24-0. That's a lot of freakin' points for a 60 minute running-clock game. Sorin had no turnovers or penalties. They hit a field goal and had three passing touchdowns. The Otter power running game positioned them for the scores. They even scored on the very last play of the game. (Passing for a TD on the last play when they were already up 17-0? Is that the definition of "running up the score"?) So Carroll finished the year 0-4. Our futility is trumped only be our varsity squad.
NDSportscenter:
Ryan Shay '02 passed away last weekend during the U.S. men's marathon Olympic trials. Ryan was 5.5 miles into the race and collapsed. He was 28 years old. Shay was diagnosed with an enlarged heart at age 14. Last spring he had medical testing in Flagstaff, Arizona. He had been cleared by doctors. An initial autopsy was inconclusive, but all signs point to the heart. Ryan was our first national individual track champion. He won the 10,000 meters. Shay was a 9-time All American.
Fifth-year senior tight end John Carlson was named a 2007 National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation. This year 15 recipients were highlighted for their accomplishments in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. Carlson shall receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and is a finalist for the Draddy Trophy, the award for the top scholar-athlete ("The Academic Heisman"). The winner of the Draddy Trophy has their scholarship grow to $25,000. Carlson is our 15th player to receive the scholarship but the first since Tim Ruddy in 1993. Carlson is currently taking graduate school classes. He graduated in four years with a degree in history and had a GPA of 3.633. He was a member of the Dean's List three times.
Carlson has been involved with the Tackle the Arts program for four years. The program is designed to educate and motivate children from low socioeconomic areas. John also speaks at Ryan's Place for families who have lost loved ones. He's also a four-year participant in the Hematology and Oncology Christmas Party for children with cancer.
Campus News:
Father Hesburgh receive some national recognition last month. A portrait of Hesburgh was accepted into the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke at the presentation. She told of the profound impact Hesburgh had on her life. He influenced her decision to pursue graduate studies and continues to provide spiritual guidance.
The portrait selected shows Hesburgh in one of his most influential roles - as a leader in the civil rights movement. Hesburgh was a charter member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. He wa a member from 1957 to 1972. The portrait shows Hesburgh linking hands with Martin Luther King Jr. at a rally at Soldier Field in Chicago. The original image was from a photograph taken on June 21, 1964. At the time the people at the rally were singing the Civil Rights anthem "We Shall Overcome."
The event was moderated by Anne Thompson, chief environmental affairs correspondent for NBC News and a '79 Domer. Father Jenkins spoke, as did Richard Notebaert, the chairman of the Board of Trustees. Taped remarks came from Senator Ted Kennedy, former President Jimmy Carter, and former President George H.W. Bush.
Hesburgh is now 90 years old. He is a '39 Domer and was ordained in 1943. In 1952, at age 35, he became our 15th president. He is now one of the few living subjects in the gallery, which changed its portrait policy in 2001 to accept the undead. (Post-Halloween joke intended.)
Campus Watch from The Observer:
This is the opening line from an Observer article that came out in September: "A man posing as a priest fooled football fans and security personnel Sept. 1 when he and his two-man camera crew marched into Notre Dame Stadium - and onto the field - without credentials as an unauthorized prank during the Georgia Tech season opener." Apparently the man joined the band during the pre-game concert at Bond Hall and led stepoff to the Stadium's entrance. They continued down the tunnel and onto the field. Whlie on the field the man conducted interviews on the sidelines and greeted the players when they came out. The crew was mistaken for NBC personnel because NBC logos were on the camera. A third man held a boom microphone.
Three days later a University official received an email from the pranksters. In the email, the impersonator explained the prank and asked for the University's permission to submit the video to "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." The University denied the request. The video was on YouTube but was then pulled. The University was not responsible for it being pulled. The imposter gave the University his name but officials would not release it.
A "Tonight Show" spokesperon said the man was not working on NBC's behalf and that the show does not accept unsolicited material. The Observer found out about the prank because the jokers sent the school paper a fax explaining the prank and announcing its possible transmission during "The Tonight Show."
Hall Notes:
So the Vermin football team was 0-2. Next up: Fisher. The teams were batttling for the Crooked Stick. Our inexperience at quarterback killed us. Our sophomore QB had to be replaced by our freshman QB. Ouch. We threw three interceptions. We also had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown. Son of a....The Green Wave (lame mascot....we excel at putdowns...Carroll 1, Fisher 0) came out victorious, 15-0. That loss took us out of the playoff hunt. But the Vermin still had one game to go. Game 4 next week versus Sorin.
NDSportscenter:
We now have a 21st verbal commitment. (Not 23rd. If you read The Observer online don't believe everything you read. Fact-checking is a phobia there.) Running back Jonas Gray attends Detroit Country Day School. Gray is 5'11", 212 lbs and runs a 4.4 - 40. As a junior he had 1252 yards and 19 touchdowns. Rivals and Scout both rate him at four stars and Tom Lemming has him at #62 overall. Scout has him as the 13th best running back prospect with excellent power, size, and tackle-breaking ability. Jonas had received offers from Florida, Michigan, and Nebraska. He committed to Nebraska in August. Then the Nebraksa athletic director was fired and Coach Callahan is apparently on the hot seat. Jonas de-committed. We extended him an offer. He made a visit for the USC game and committed to us the following Tuesday.
With Gray we continue to have the Rivals and Scout #1 rankings. Our Scout average is 4.0 and the Rivals average is a shade under 4.0. Only two teams (USC and Ohio State) have higher averages.
Senior Brook Buck and junior Kelcy Tuft are the #9 ranked women's doubles tennis team. They recently won their second consecutive ITA Midwest Regional Championship, the first collegiate grand slam. In the Championship the ladies are 16-1 and have won 12 straight matches. That win gives the duo an automatic berth into the second grand slam. On the year the ladies are 7-1. For their career they are 66-15.
Campus News:
The history of our endowment...
The substantial growth of our endowment began when Father Hesburgh took office in 1952. Hesburgh was called "the godfather of the endowment." In the early '50s, there were five colleges in Indiana with larger endowments than Notre Dame. Hesburgh aimed to change that. He realized that the top 20 endowmentss equaled the 20 top schools. Highly endowed schools were able to hire top faculty, sponsor leading research and build quality libraries. When Hesburgh took over, our annual operating budget was $6 million and our endowment was $7 million. Enter Father Ned Joyce, a certified public accountant. He helped Hesburgh make financial decisions. Ned counciled Ted on all the big decisions. Hesburgh later served on the board of Chase Manhattan Bank, the third largest bank in the U.S. While advising the board on any moral issues involved with potential investments, Hesburgh gained valuable banking experience.
Today our endowment is a valuable commodity used by the entire Notre Dame Family. About 30 percent of the endowment pool goes to scholarship funds. Around 25 percent goes to endowed faculty chairs. Because of the endowment, the University is able to meet all student financial needs. Said Hesburgh: "We're at a point today, which very few schools are, where we can pick the very best class of 1,800 people out of over 14,000 applicants without even looking at their financial needs."
Hesburgh also created the first endowed professorship. We now have more than 200 endowed faculty members.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Part 2 of the vixen at Corby's...
Still on the lam, the Bear's eye caught her self-proclaimed arch-nemesis (do bears have arch-nemeses? Cobras? Maybe gorillas?). Anyway, his enemy status stretches three years back to early freshman year when he forgot her name while they were chillaxing in a dark sweaty corner of Alumni Hall. Without a second thought, she strolled up to her arch-nemesis and dumped a beer over the chump's head, soiling his precious Lacoste polo and further lowering his credibility among his sweet Ultimate Frisbee friends. Yet the bouncer was back and he was not about to be outsmarted twice. This time he caught the Bear and demanded to know if she was guilty of the draught downpour on her nemesis' noggin. Casually, the Bear replied, "Yeah I did, and it was worth it." (At least, that's all of what she said that we can print.) Though the Bear soon met the same forceful removal as her Florida friend, she still managed to find a piece of meat to drag back to her cave for the night.
Hall Notes:
Carroll was 0-1 entering it's second game versus St. Ed's. For the first time in forever, St. Ed's was sporting an actually competitive team. On our first drive St. Ed's picked off one of our passes and returned it for a touchdown. St. Ed's lead 7-0. Vermin receiver Paul Tassinari made a diving endzone grab and put Carroll on the board. We missed the PAT and trailed 7-6. For the game Paul caught five balls for 98 yards. The Vermin picked off two passes but threw threee interceptions. We couldn't get back on the board and the game ended at 7-6. The Vermin were 0-2.
Game 3 next week.
NDSportscenter:
So we were destroyed by USC. But the weekend was not a complete loss. We landed our 20th verbal commitment. Wide receiver Michael Floyd wants to play for the Irish. Floyd attends Cretin Derham Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. It's the same school that brought us Marcus Freeman and Rashon Powers-Neal. Scout rates Floyd a five-star prospect and the 6th best receiver overall. Tom Lemming has the 6'3", 210 lb wideout as the 12th best player overall. As a junior he caught 65 balls for 1,245 yards and 16 touchdowns. So far this year he has 35 catches for 717 yards and 11 touchdowns. Michael runs a 4.55 - 40 but is deceptively fast. He is a legitimate downfield threat with good size, great hands and excellent concentration. Floyd turned down Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio State.
Prior to snagging Floyd, Georgia had passed us for the #1 recruiting class. With Michael we rose back to the top.
The womens' soccer team has bounced back from their early season losses. The ladies took on #13 UConn and defeated the Huskies 2-1 in overtime. We got our record up to 11-4-1. That earned us the #15 ranking.
The future football schedules are coming together. In 2012 and 2013 we will play Michigan, USC, and Oklahoma. Ouch. We will take breaks from Michigan State and Purdue. Because of TV contracts we will have to play non-ACC teams in the Citrus Bowl during the regular season. We will play there in 2011. We are working on scheduling Baylor to play in Dallas in 2012. These off-site games will be televised by NBC and further cement our contract with the network.
Campus News:
News is out on our endowment. During the last fiscal year the endowment grew by $1.4 billion. The growth rate for the 2007 fiscal year was 25.9 percent. That likely puts the University in the top two or three American universities in investment performance. Last year the endowment stood at $5.08 billion. We are now at $6.54 billion.
Our investment strategies differ from those at some peer institutions. Our investments must follow the guidelines of Catholic social teaching. A formal policy requires we follow the Catholic bishops' guidelines. We are forbidden from investing in 350 companies whose practices are considered in violation of Catholic social teaching.
Our investments are extremely diversified. About 40 percent of assest are in non-United States currencies. We have a large commitment to private investments, including private equity, real estate, and private energy funds.
While our investment performance is in the top 3, our overall endowment is the 14th or 15th largest among American colleges. Harvard is first at $34.9 billion. With our $6.54 billion endowment we are now funding 20 percent of the University operating budget from the endowment. In 1988, only 3 to 4 percent of the operating budget came from the endowment. The University hopes to increase the percentage beyond 20. The income from the fund allows the University to slow down the growth of tuition and other student charges. Within the next ten years we are hoping to make the top 10 endowments in the nation.
More on the endowment next week.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
While many of the accounts here detail the daring exploits of Notre Dame guys, this next story shows that Notre Dame ladies know how to get what they want, too. Here is evidence that they can go head-to-head with our men, fighting for respect, glory and just for the hell of it.
One fine Tuesday evening, the ferocious vixen known by her closest friends as "The Bear" tore her way into Corby's searching for adventure (and possibly tasty salmon). Inside, a grizzly bouncer and an old enemy would try to interfere with her plans. Upon entering the bar, The Bear found one of her sleazier friends (who, incidentally, shares the same hometown that is known for its innocence and virginal purity) and started mean-mugging the nearby bouncer, telling her sketchy friend that the bouncer was "really creeping her out." The bouncer then sauntered over to the disreputable duo to see what the problem is. The Bear, sensing danger, immediately dodged behind her man friend, using him as a decoy to avert the bouncer. Yet the bouncer, not so easily fooled, tossed the Bear's Palm Beach Pal out of the way (and seconds later, out of the bar). While he's getting bounced, the Bear escaped downwind.
Part 2 next week.
Hall Notes:
The Carroll football team opened the year against rival zahm. The Vermin had a rough day and may be in the midst of a rebuilding year. On the second play of the game we gave up a 50-yard touchdown run. We also threw two interceptions. The Vermin were outgained 227 yards to 71 yards. Carroll did block a zahm punt, but were unable to turn it into points. Carroll lost 12-0.
Game 2 next week.
NDSportscenter:
The fourth member of the sophomore class has left. Offensive guard Matt Carufel left the team. Prior to the boston college game he was passed on the depth chart by classmate Eric Olsen. Carufel had started the three previous games. He had an excused absence from practice on Thursday and was not here for the b.c. game. He made his decision to leave last Sunday. Thankfully the sophomore class was big. We still have 24 or 25 non-quitters.
George Gipp's body was recently exhumed for DNA testing. His body is buried in his Michigan hometown in the Upper Peninsula. He was exhumed at the request of the family. They did not, though, give a reason for the act. A statement will supposedly be issued in the future. The Gipp was buried in 1920. ESPN was on hand to record the exhuming. They will be using it as part of an upcoming story on the Gipp.
The men's soccer team lost to Michigan State 1-0. The loss ended our 9-game unbeaten streak. We then had a record of 8-2-2. It was the first goal we had given up in over 320 minutes. Then the Irish took on #1 UConn. We were down 0-2 before coming back to lead 3-2. The Huskies scored again and it ended in a 3-3 tie. Earlier in the year we beat #1 UCLA. This team can contend for the national title.
Campus News:
The University Club has officially closed. The Michigan State home weekend was the last game for which the Club would be open. The Club had been in existence for 49 years. The cost of the original building was covered by former Indiana governor Robert Gore. The Club was designed by Robert Schultz, a former architect with the School of Architecture. The private, not-for-profit organization served faculty, alumni, community members and staff who paid a membership fee. Members have been trying to preserve the Club since 2004 when they found out an engineering building was to be built at its location. The Club formed a committee and gathered more than 400 signatures to petition against relocation. Father Hesburgh was one of the 400. The University was not swayed.
A few weeks ago Indiana State Excise Police arrested 57 people at an off-campus party. Fifty-three were ticketed for minor consumption of alcohol. Two were jailed. One gave false information and the other resisted arrest by fleeing. Four of the five tenants hosting the party were given arrest tickets for furnishing alcohol to minors. The police were not called to the scene. They were simply on patrol and saw people spilling out onto the lawn. The police were at the home for 3 hours. All were given Breathalyzers and all IDs were checked. The police also searched the house and blocked all exits. Three hours? I wonder if they at least let the music play so people could dance while they waited.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Continuation from last week of the lad who tried to juggle two dates at a bar....
Enter the debutantes, commence the insanity. Displaying a combination of skill and moxie not seen since the days of Fabio, M.D. pulls it off. BOTH girls somehow remain oblivious of the other as Debauch holds court at the bar with one on each side. He takes them both back to the table after some shots, using his friends as a buffer in order to better facilitate his amorous malfeasance.
The more perceptive of the two girls (Girl No. 1) finally detects some tomfoolery is afoot and, upset and tired, disappointedly decides to leave. To the Docta', this is a minor operational setback. As Girl No. 1 walks out the door, M.D. goes, "Hey, I'll call you tomorrow."
He is fine; there is one left. After last call, some parking lot P.D.A. and a hopeful ride home, M.D. finds himself in Girl No. 2's car, but he finds out they are not on their way to her place, but to one of those chastity-laced dungeons: the dorms. She obviously had no intentions aligning with his. Thinking on his feet, the Docta' makes his move: "Wait, my roommate has someone over. I...uh...can't go back and ruin my mate's mojo...wh...where should I stay?" Girl No. 2 [disappointed but resigned, still no aligned motives]: "Do you have a friend off campus you could stay with?" M.D. [glorious comprehension of what he is about to do dawning on him]: "Why...yes! Yes I do!" So where does he get her to drive him? Where do you think? The sleepy love bungalow of Girl No. 1. Girl No. 2 thinks it is a guy's house, drops him off outside, and pulls away. Game over. The Docta' wins. Hell is waiting. But so is Girl No. 1, and she is just steps away.
Hall Notes:
The roof, the roof, the roof is on higher. Carroll received new shingles this summer. And we're not talking about thin, asphalt, rubbery rectangles. Carroll has the old school thick, stone-like shingle plates. The entire roof was re-done. It took a couple of weeks to do the construction. I expect that roofing to last 15 to 20 years. I say that because the work would indicate Carroll is in no way slated for destruction. Every few years a rumor seems to circulate that Carroll will be razed. The new roofing material points to at least another decade or two for the home of the Vermin.
NDSportscenter:
The University has finalized plans for the JACC renovations. The $26.3 million project will begin September 2008. The first part of the construction will be a three-story addition to the south end. The addition will contain the ticket office, a souvenir shop, and a gateway atrium. In May 2009, immediately after commencement, the new seating in the arena will be constructed. The arena will re-open in October 2009 but construction will not be finished until January 2010. The October re-opening will allow volleyball and basketball to use the arena.
Another part of the "master plan" for improvements in athletic facilities is the football team's practice fields. The team currently uses three natural-grass practice fields. The plan is to have two Field Turf-quality artificial grass fields and one natural-grass practice facility. The indoor Loftus field is already Field Turf. But soon the team can practice on artificial turf with outdoor weather conditions. Charlie praised the turf for the team's use but also for RecSports to use which they couldn't do with grass.
As part of the $1.5 billion "Spirit of Notre Dame" capital campaign, the athletic department has raised more than $68 million for athletic facility improvements.
The hockey team has a pre-season ranking of #8. Our All-American goalie graduated last year and left only records. Three tenders are vying for the net. Our season will hinge on their performance. Look for this year's team to be even faster. Coach Jackson likes fast break hockey and his rookies can fly.
You can sign up for ND's Fantasy Football Camp right now. It's a mere $5,490.
Campus News:
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently awarded a $20 million grant to the University. It is for a five-year research initiative to combat the causes and transmission of malaria. The grant is one of the largest in school history. The research will be directed by a biological science professor and the director of Notre Dame's Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases. The professor and his team worked on their research proposal for nearly a year and a half. The Gates Foundation expressed an interest in the proposal so the group worked up a full proposal with a budget. Grants are usually given to initiatives that "work to reduce inequities in neglected areas, produce measurable results, favor preventative approaches and accelerate the work they are already supporting." The research will center on measuring the rate of malaria transmitted by mosquitos and curbing transmission in the hardest hit areas.
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering will also play a role. The department will manage the data. The project will be established on the internet so that instant communication can be made across the globe. Test areas will be in Africa and Indonesia, but the hub will be at the University. All of the research money will go directly to the University. Sub-contractors, though, will be utilized and paid.
The Gates Foundation was established in 2000. It gave over $1.5 billion in grants in 2006 within the foundation's three main realms: global development, global health, and the United States.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Now there are two types of people at our beloved university: 1) those who have a respectful approach to the opposite sex, and 2) those who fake it well. The first type will probably lead quiet lives and end up in heaven someday. The second type will, in all likelihood, end up in the seventh circle of hell writhing in eternal agony. I guess that's not funny. But how they get there sure is.
Meet our future child of the inferno: As the Gipp only associates with rock stars, it's no surprise that this week's party boy exhibits zero reticence in approaching, roping and duping members of the opposite sex.
Let's just call him "morally depraved," an M.D. without the MCAT. Freshly 21 and achin' for some South Bend bacon, Dr. Debauch decided to head to a local establishment with some mates, seeking to express himself on the dance floor and perhaps be the alpha philanderer for the evening. Always game for a challenge - motiviated by his hyperactive Y-chromosome - the Docta' decided to cook up a competition....with himself.
Initially, his intent was to coerce some vixens to this tavern to help balance out the gender pool. To accomplish this, he sent out text messages to numerous innocent lasses, expressing his undying affection for each one of them. This champ does not possess the "just friends" card, and sadly, none of the fine young ladies in his phone consider themselves that either. As he had it coming, this unlucky chap received two messages in his inbox, both containing ETAs and "I can't wait to see you"s. In a dramatic glance up at his friends, he smiles, and says, "I got this. It'll be a challenge."
Part 2 next week.
Hall Notes:
One last story on Elsie's Promise....
Where are they now?
In doing research for these Elsie's stories, the past bandmates were tracked down:
Dave Lillis (guitar) is now an Executive VP of the First National Bank of Naperville in Illnois.
Andy Snook (bass) is now a VP at Fastpath Solutions in Iowa. "Fastpath Solutions, Inc. is dedicated to developing quality products that meet the customers need and make their ERP solution easier to use."
Ryan Schwartz (guitar) is an integration architect at Vail Resorts in Colorado.
Ousted lead singer T.J. Bogdewic is a VP and Portfolio Manager at PNC Financial Service Group in Pittsburgh.
Ousted guitarist Mike Gilleece is an attorney at Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C. in New Jersey. Somehow that doesn't surprise me.
And Chris Crow is probably a father of five, living in a trailer, working a manufacturing job, playing in a band on weekends.
I also came across this Observer article from 2001 about the graffiti on the library carrels... http://www.nd.edu/~observer/02022001/Scene/0.html
Here is an excerpt: "One heart with a couple's initials etched inside is joined by an update: 'These two are married now.' And the mysterious declaration of 'Elsie's promise' leaves others wondering if the promise was ever fulfilled."
I dare say that it was.
NDSportscenter:
Jeff Samardzija had a wild first year playing professional baseball. He had a 3-8 record in Class A ball in Daytona. Despite the record, Jeff was moved up to Class AA Tennessee. He helped the Smokies make the playoffs. The Shark started out 3-0, finished 3-3, and had a 4.57 ERA.
Our latest baseball recruiting class has been rated 4th best by Collegiate Baseball. We have 13 newcomers and a transfer. Amongst the players are Ryan Sharpley of Marshall, Mich. Ryan is the younger brother of Irish quarterback Evan Sharpley. We signed catcher-firstbaseman Matt Scioscia of Westlake Village, Calif. Matt is the son of Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia. In addition to signed players, freshman wide receiver Golden Tate is expected to join the baseball team after the football season has ended.
The men's soccer team climbed to #2 in one poll and #3 in another. The men have a six game unbeaten streak and a record of 7-1-2. They opened Big East play with a 4-0-1 record, our best start since 1995.
Because of a 3-4-1 start, the women fell to #24 in the rankings. It's our worsts ranking since the early '90s. Ouch.
The band traveled to the Purdue game but the Irish Guard did not. Apparently there was a "behavior violation." Ten guardsmen dressed for the Michigan State game but only nine performed. All guardsmen are expected to be back for the next game. No details were given on the violation.