Campus News:
The Mendoza College of Business has climbed in the BusinessWeek rankings of undergraduate business programs. We are now second in the nation, behind only the University of Virginia. Last year we were third. In 2007 the program was seventh. We were also third in 2006.
A major component of the rankings were job placement. BusinessWeek stated that 54 percent of seniors surveyed nationwide did not have a job offer as of January. The University, though, excelled in that area.
We also scored better on the student survey, which counts for 30 percent of the final ranking. The College received an "A+" in Teaching Quality, Facilities and Service, and Job Placement. Our business education is unique because we have "a focus on ethics."
BusinessWeek uses nine measures to determine the rankings, including surveys, senior business majors and recruiters, median starting salaries for graduates, SAT scores, student-faculty ratios, class size, the percentage of students with internships, and the number of hours students devote to class work.
In other news...
More gun news. In early March two students were held at gunpoint during an attempted robbery. They were south of campus on Twyckenham Drive, a residential road away from the bar scene. In addition to the gun, the thief was holding a bottle of liquor. The man approached them from the front. He pointed the gun at one student who ran for campus. The gun was pointed at the other student who produced $11. That was deemed insufficient and the gun was pointed at the head. The student attempted to give his jacket and cell phone. Then the man's attitude changed. He said he was only upset that the students were loud. He put his gun away and shook hands with the student. The man then gave the student his cell phone number. The student stated the man was "definitely on something." The students eventually went to the South Bend Police station and filed a report. Gippwatch by Me: There's a reason the University usually schedules spring break over St. Patrick's Day. Back in my day I recall the police coming out in full force - dogs and all - and staging a big time raid that made the front page of the paper. Well, this year St. Patrick's Day was not over spring break. A couple of events happened.
The Indiana State Excise Police raided the Lafayette Apartments. (That's the exact same student housing area that was busted back in the '90s. It's reputation preceded it.) There was not an in-depth report on arrests, confiscated kegs, or incidents of public urination.
The other event was... a parade. Notre Dame Security Police broke up a parade through campus around 9:30am. The police reported to the scene after being called over an "alcohol-related disturbance." The parade had over 100 students. It began at the intersection of South Bend Avenue and Notre Dame Avenue south of campus. As it was progressing through campus, NDSP received calls that a parade was being disruptive to students and faculty studying in DeBartolo. The merriment was halted.
Hall Notes:
One Vermin is coming back home. Bert Berry '97 has been a professional football player since graduation. His first stint was with the Indianapolis Colts. Then he was in the Canadian league and even out of pro football for a time. Bert was re-charged with the Denver Broncos at defensive end. Stellar play there allowed him to sign a lucrative free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals. VerminNet regularly sings Bert's praises. Now the current Irish coaching staff will recognize him by bringing him back as an honorary defensive coach for the upcoming Blue-Gold Game. Bert will be joined on the defensive side by New York Giant defensive end, Justin Tuck. The honorary offensive coaches will be Tampa Bay center Jeff Faine and retired running back Reggie Brooks.
NDSportscenter:
Charlie has decided he will coach from the sidelines this year. He consulted many and made the announcement with the opening of spring practice. But Charlie will have assistance coming from upstairs. Wide receivers coach Rob Ianello and tight ends coach Bernie Parmalee will help in formulating the play calls.
Our hockey team is on fire. Fire on ice. First, they won the CCHA regular season title. The they entered the CCHA playoffs. They swept Nebraska-Omaha in the first round. The Irish advanced to Detroit to face Northern Michigan. We beat them 2-1. Then we got Michigan. Recently we have OWNED the Wolverines. We fell behind by two goals. Then we blew up and destroyed them 5-2. Another title. Bring on the NCAAs. We were given the #2 seed overall. The squad is the #1 seed in its region and traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan to face Bemidji (Minnesota) State in the first round. Our record entering the national tournament was 31-5-3.
Our third recruit for the class of 2010 is Chris Martin, a 6'4", 225 lb defensive end/linebacker from Bishop O'Dowd High in Oakland, California. As a junior he had 110 tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, and four sacks. He also had 10 receptions for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns as a tight end. Chris was recruited by USC, UCLA, and Georgia, amongst others. Scout rates Chris at five stars. We have two of Scouts ten five-star players. Martin is supposedly a beast and he is a hardcore Irish commit. He is all ND and will go out of his way to recruit others. He announced his commitment within a day of the signing of Manti Te'o. Lemming said Te'o was our best defensive signing in 30 years. Well, now Lemming is saying Martin is the best overall player in California. Maybe our second best defensive signing in 30 years?
Campus News:
The University has released information concerning tuition for the 2009-2010 academic school year. Next year tuition will increase by 4.4 percent. That is the lowest percent increase since 1960. Tuition will be set at $38,477 and room and board will be $10,368. The grand total is $48,845. The University attempted to be as conservative as possible. The difficulty came in the balancing of costs. The University experienced many increases in many areas, like food. But they did not want to decrease the opportunities to provide for students in such areas as study abroad and research.
A big priority in the budget is financial aid for undergrads. The money allotted for 2009-2010 for financial aid increased by slightly less then ten percent.
A letter was sent to parents and students in February telling of the increase. The University continues to state they attempt to be conservative with their increases. Through solid management this seems to be the case. While other schools are experiencing large percentage increases, we seem to be going along at a steady pace; never too high, never too low.
In other news...
In late February a student was shot in the area walking home from a bar. The student was shot after mistakenly attempting to enter a neighbor's house. The 23-year-old woman was on the front porch of the house next to her own. The woman was intoxicated. She and a friend attempted to walk home from Club 23. According to the police, the student said she knocked on the door and attempted to enter the home, when she realized she was shot. Apparently the woman did not hear the sound of the gunshot before being wounded. The woman then went to the hospital.
The 28-year-old neighbor had been up playing video games with a friend. They heard knocking at around 3:30 am. He said he yelled fro them to leave. The knocking persisted. Then he fired a single shot through the front door. He then heard a woman scream. Those inside the house thought the person was attempting to forcibly enter the residence. No one was arrested.
Campus Watch by Me:
Man, oh man do people not like men's basketball coach Mike Brey. Yes, he was the Big East Coach of the Year the previous two seasons. But that got him no love this year. For the team that was considered our best in decades, the season was a disaster. The internet is rampant with anti-Brey-isms. Even the South Bend Tribune was commenting that our younger players may transfer if they don't get minutes in the NIT. Brey's inability and/or unwillingness to play his bench may have finally caught up with him. And the new athletic director certainly does not come with the loyalty that Kevin White had. the first-round home NIT game may have indicated the fans have had it with Brey. The attendance was reported as 2,039. Ouch. There may be more people in the arena when the place is renovated during the off-season. Will an NIT championship allow Brey to be retained?
Hall Notes:
This was announced previously but I will reiterate...
Dean Busack '97 is a father for the second time. His wife, Jessica, gave birth to a baby boy on Friday, March 13, 2009. Andrew Busack was born at 6:46 pm. He tipped the scales at 8 lbs 11 oz. Andrew has also inherited the height of Ma and Pa Busack. He measured 22 inches long. Andrew, his older sister, and his parents live in Newark, Ohio outside of Columbus.
NDSportscenter:
Our second recruit for 2010 is wide receiver Daniel Smith. We didn't have to go too far to observe Daniel's talents. He attends Clay High School in South Bend. As a junior, the 6'4", 205 lb Smith caught 51 balls for 1,061 yards and 9 touchdowns. He had offers from Purdue and Indiana. This verbal commitment seemed like a no-brainer. Daniel has two sisters that are Domers and his brother-in-law is former Irish safety Gerome Sapp. Smith is no dummy, either, with a 3.58 GPA. Scout rates him at four stars.
Basketball news: women's recruit Skylar Diggins has been named the Naismith National High School Player of the Year. She has also been named a McDonald's All American....Luke Harangody was the only men's player in the nation in the top ten in scoring (23.2 ppg) and rebounding (12.0 rpg)....Harangody has become the first Big East player to ever lead the league in scoring and rebounding in consecutive seasons....Harangody has been named to all kinds of All American teams. All have been either second or third team....Kyle McAlarney has set the school record for three-pointers in a season. He broke the previous mark of 109. Kyle has around 115 as of this writing.
The Notre Dame Pro Day was March 19 in Loftus. Many players were hoping to catch the eyes of NFL scouts. Only safety David Bruton had been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in February in Indianapolis. Amongst those at the Pro Day were LB Maurice Crum, DE Justin Brown, DT Pat Kuntz, CB Terrial Lambert, OT Michael Turkovich, and FB Asaph Schwapp. Schwapp could have come back next year but decided against applying for a medical redshirt year. WR David Grimes did not participate do to recent back surgery. Twenty-one NFL teams had representatives there. The biggest noise was made by Lambert who clocked two 4.3 times in the 40. Bruton continues to be the top prospect with some liking him to go as high as the second round.
Campus News:
More on the Eddy Street Commons project south of campus...
Stores and eateries will be within walking distance of campus. There will be two upscale restaurants, an Irish pub, and an oyster house. There will also be several fast, casual eateries. The casual cafes are a step above fast food restaurants. Shopper will be able to visit several retail stores, an electronics store, and an extension of the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore. The names of the specific stores and eateries will be released when the contracts are finalized. The Commons project will create "more of an urban living environment."
The surrounding community is very concerned with the projects. A residential committee has a main objective of protecting the neighborhood from gentrification, or the displacement of low-income residence as a consequence of development. The Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization (NNRO) helped establish some ground rules and monitors the project closely. While the University is developing houses to sell to faculty, the city is pushing subsidized houses to make them affordable for community members. The mayor wants 30 percent of the new homes to be available to lower income families.
The NNRO also has a say in the design of the project. For example, initially the project was being called the "University Village" but the NNRO vetoed in favor of a name that did not imply a connection to Notre Dame.
The city is contributing to the project by paying for a parking garage and other infrastructural needs such as drainage and streetlights. The money for construction is from a Tax Increment Financing plan that will come from increased property taxes from the commercial entities in Eddy Street Commons. The private developer pays for all other construction and the University owns the land.
The construction is short-term development, but Innovation Park is for the long term. The city is also funding the construction of Ignition Park, which spans about 85 acres and would complement the work of Innovation Park by taking the research when it grows too large for the original park.
Everybody is a player in this development and none of the projects can be completed without the whole team.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholatic:
Continuation of the story from last week...
Gentle Blond Giant, always excited to flaunt his accomplishments, proceeded to change out of his diaper and proudly present its absorbent glory to all the party-goers. Buffy the Vampire, for his part, continued to challenge his pant-suit. As if embracing a half-naked man in a diaper wasn't already exciting enough, Buffy added to the experience by secretly continuing to test the absorbent capabilities of his costume as he hugged guests. Seems no one could read his poker face. So, yes, children, often when you go to parties, that warm feeling form your fingers to your dues is due to friendship, fleeting romance or excess of beverage. But other times, it may simply be an effect of the adult diaper you are wearing.
Hall Notes:
Is any other dorm so in touch with nature? What other dorm draws in geese by the flock? No doubt other dorms deserved to be visited by geese. (zahm ought to be sh!t on daily.) But the geese always call Carroll home. Most times the geese back in the day were hardly noticed. They mostly stuck to the front lawn. Every once in awhile they would saunter up to the front of The Hotel. The front walk would be a goose convention. And that's when the honking would start. It would be about midnight or maybe the early a.m. hours. The honking would be the only sound in the night. It was loud as hell. If you were Dome-side, it could potentially push you over the edge. One night, one Vermin had had enough. Dean Busack '97 opened the window, leaned out into the cool night air, and delicately whispered "SHUT UP!!!" Only he would say what the other Vermin were thinking. And you know what? The geese went quiet. For five whole seconds. Then they went right back to honking. It was a moral victory. What were the birds doing for those five seconds? Most likely extending a webbed middle toe at Mr. Busack. That's another reason I love Carroll...... the irreverent geese.
NDSportscenter:
We have already started building our recruiting class for next year. Over the next few weeks the verbal commitments will be detailed. The first to commit was offensive tackle Christian Lombard. He is a 6'6", 285 lb. beast from Fremd High School in Palatine, Illinois. We continue to pull players from the Chicago area. Christian has already been selected for next year's U.S. Army All American game. He plays right tackle but can easily switch to left tackle at the collegiate level. Lombard is on the right side now because his quarterback is left handed. Christian had offers from Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan. He is one of only ten five-star prospects currently rated by Scout.
Old school basketball legend Adrian Dantley was honored at halftime of the Villanova game. It was Dantley's first time back to campus in 28 years. Adrian was a two-time All American for the Irish and is still second in scoring with 2,223 points. Dantley was selected in the 1976 NBA Draft by the Buffalo Braves. He spent 15 seasons playing in the NBA. Currently he is a Denver Nuggets assistant coach.
We will be adding one more player to the incoming football class. But it will not cost us a scholarship. Tom Freeman, a 6'4", 280 lb. center, will be a "preferred walk-on." Tom attends Rockhurst High in Kansas City, Missouri. He turned down a scholarship from Northwestern to walk-on for the Irish.
The Irish men's swimming and diving team claimed its second straight Big East Championship. It came down to the final race of the championships. Our #3 seeded relay won in the final and that lifted us over Louisville by 9.5 points.
The men's basketball team is NIT bound. At one point this year we were #7. Then we experienced a 7-game losing streak for the first time since '92-'93. At the beginning of the year we were expected to be the fourth best team in the Big East. We finished tenth.
Campus News:
More news on the "college town" going up south of campus...
The University already owned much of the land to the south, including Notre Dame Woods. The University bought quite a few lots on Eddy Street to turn into a new commercial district. The administration, however, did not want to be the developer of the project. The venture was sold to Kite Realty, a private real estate firm from Indianapolis. The University invested an undisclosed amount into the project. Kite Realty will pay the money back as the project turns a profit.
The University also has a stake in Innovation Park. The research park will focus on transforming basic academic research into a viable marketplace venture. The University is the primary sponsor of the project, but the independent facility is a collaborative effort between the University, the city of South Bend, the state of Indiana, and several private donors. The University is donating the land and covering construction costs. The end figures will not be released, but it will total in the millions.
The park will also offer companies the opportunity to use the park's resources. The University is in discussions with 20 or more companies who want students and faculty to help them research and solve a problem or figure out how to do something. The park is a result of Father Jenkins vision to expand research at the University.
The Observer also focused on how the projects would affect the community. The Eddy Street Commons project will have commercial businesses for students but the residential portion will be geared toward families and professionals. There will be apartments, condos, and houses.
More next week on these projects and the types of businesses coming into the area.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
It only seemed fitting to end with a story starring some of Gipp's favorite characters: Gentle Blond Giant, Captain Chug, and a new guest star, Buffy the Vampire. As always, this crew is up to no good, and in this latest story, no clothes. Our three lads, fed up with the overused Saran wrap and Twister board fads of alphabet parties, decided they would take the ABC costume directions to a more premature level. Desiring outfits that would not only show off their admirable physiques but also provide long-lasting protection, our boys invested in some Depends. Depends: because you deserve the best in absorbent products. Depends: you're probably seen their commercials while watching "The Price is Right." Depends: the best way to make an entrance to an ABC party. So, following an hour of power that turned into two and certainly filled their bladders to near capacity, the diaper-bound triplets bounded over to the party. There, guests couldn't help but be impressed by the utility, style and confidence exuded by the Pee-Free Three - if you thought only Hulk Hogan could pull off the look, think again! As consumption continued, Gentle Blond Giant, Captain Chug and Buffy the Vampire found themselves faced with a gametime decision: to break or not to break the seal. The bathroom line stretched on for miles and miles, and America's most trusted adult diaper clung around their waists. Did they dare challenge Depends' claim of complete protection? Would they risk the feelings of inadequacy, shame and embarrassment that accompany leaky adult diapers? Were they ready to relive incidents they had not experienced in 15 years (or in the case of Gentle Blond Giant, probably a week or two)? Yes. Yes, they were ready. And only moments later, ecstatic praises rang from their lips! "I didn't even feel it!" the triplets cried. "Not even a drop befell my leg!"
Hall Notes:
If ever there was a dorm that should have been provided bicycles, it was Carroll. Attending a soccer game involved packing a small suitcase and being equipped with water bottles and granola. Ah, but the distance did have its advantages. One was the natural burning of calories. "The Freshman 15" was a weight gain many of us never experienced because we were always walking off the meals. That's not to say the Vermin didn't gain weight. Alcohol can be a weighty issue. Never fear. Some were lucky enough to acquire mononucleosis from some young lady over a break. Cut weight like a champion. Thanks to the daily Carroll hike, not only was a weight gain kept at bay, but upper body strength was developed by carrying laundry to the Rock. And toughness was ensured through increased exposure to harsh winter conditions. Plus there was the urban legend that the Keenan Revue would not touch us since we have it bad enough already. On that I'll end with this: we were neither the butt of jokes nor the keepers of asses that were fat.
NDSportscenter:
Spring practice will officially begin on March 20. The Blue-Gold Game is slated for April 18. Corwin Brown will enter the spring with new titles. He will be the associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. If Charlie is in the booth, Corwin will be the top dog on the sidelines. Jon Tenuta has been promoted to co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for defense and the linebackers coach. Tenuta is expected to be the defensive playcaller.
Other football news: fullback/tight end Luke Schmidt is done with football. He will receive a medical hardship due to chronic problems with concussions. Luke will remain on scholarship but it will not count against our 85 scholarship limit....Junior Jashaad Gaines left school before the 2008 season. He is not enrolled this semester either....Charlie has not had surgery on his left knee yet. He will wait until it is absolutely necessary. Originally he was scheduled to go under the knife on Feb. 24.
The women's swimming and diving team captured its 13th straight Big East title. Apparently the new coach was a good hire. At the Big East Championships we set 11 school records. The team scored 828 points. Louisville was second with 581.
Incoming women's basketball recruit Skylar Diggins recently attended President Obama's first governmental address before Congress. She was a guest of 2nd District Representative Joe Donnelly. Diggins team is undefeated. She is averaging nearly 30 ppg and her Washington High School team is ranked in the top ten in the nation.
Campus News:
Nine high school seniors across the country won scholarships through the QuestBridge National College Match program. Each scholarship was worth $200,000. The program is an organization that focuses on providing for "low income, high achieving high school kids." The students come from California, Michigan, Texas, Washington, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Ohio.
The application process was like any other college application, seeking basic information and essays. Applicants listed their preferred schools and would be matched should they be selected. Some of the students listed only Notre Dame. Without the scholarship these "low income" students would not be able to afford college at all.
In other news....
The Observer recently ran a three-piece story on the projects south of campus and the University's roles in those projects. The three projects are The Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Project, the Eddy Street Commons, and Innovation Park. The Revitalization Project has been guided by the city and a neighborhood group. The University buys lots on Notre Dame Avenue, builds homes with a pre-approved aesthetic, and sells them to faculty members. The homes have a traditional look with a porch in front and garage behind. The University has been acquiring properties for about 18 years and building homes for about 10 years. About 15 faculty members currently live in the area and many more are on a waiting list.
In addition to improved housing, the University is also seeking a "college town" community south of campus. They want varied housing and to encourage a growth of business in the area. This project, Eddy Street Commons, will be discussed more next week.
Campus Watch by the South Bend Tribune:
The South Bend Tribune recently ran an article about head coaching from the booth. As we all know, Charlie called the plays from the press box. His knees were too deteriorated to be on the sidelines. And our offense flourished. Well, now Weis' wife is calling for him to stay upstairs. She had no problem saying this to the media. She didn't call for the eye in the sky for health reasons, though. We won impressively in Hawaii and Mrs. Weis doesn't want to rock the boat. Charlie acknowledged her thoughts and has not officially ruled them out. The shape of the coaching staff may allow Weis to stay in the booth. Corwin Brown seems to be given more authority with each passing week.
We have a new defensive line coach. That will be discussed in more detail in the sports section. But the thing about this coach is that he is not a spring chicken. He is an older fellow and that seems to add creedence to the rumored thought that Bryant Young will be groomed to be our future defensive line coach. Hopefully we can build our defense as USC has. The Trojans pulled in NFL linebacker Ken Norton Jr. after he was done professionally. He came in as a defensive graduate assistant just like B.Y. Norton worked his way up to the USC linebackers coach and is turning out NFL talent every year. B.Y. knows Norton and is gaining his counsel on the process. Hopefully the success can be duplicated and we can churn out top defensive linemen.
Hall Notes:
Here's a blast from the past...
I loved that we used to have to cross a road to get to "campus." No other dorm had to watch for traffic. Technically Lewis and Mod Quad crossed travelways. But those are not thru streets and it was rare to have to actually wait for a car. We were the only ones that had to get in touch with our inner first-grader and look both ways. There was a definite possibility you would encounter a car almost daily. At least one Vermin actually went out of his way to encounter cars. Dan Dykens '96 would actually pick up his pace if he saw a car so he could force it to stop for him as he crossed the road. He enjoyed playing chicken with vehicles. Dan was a crossing guard's worst nightmare. I believe Dan was undefeated in his bouts with automobiles. In fact, I don't recall a single Vermin falling victim to a car. But I do recall that one Vermin was yelled at by a driver for poor road crossing etiquette. Anyone who knows Kevin Fumai '97 knows he probably deserved the wrath of the motorist.
NDSportscenter:
Our new defensive line coach is Randy Hart. Hart, 60, spent the last 21 years at Washington. The Huskies have had numerous coaches over the years. Yet every coach thought it best to retain Hart. He helped Washington win a national title in 1991. Hart is a lunch-paid kind of coach. He expects hard work, is a high-energy coach, and excels at developing talent. Randy was a 6'2", 234 lb offensive guard at Ohio State. He played for Woody Hayes and won a National Championship in 1968. Hart will be mentoring Bryant Young and instilling an old-school type of toughness. His work ethic was partially explained by a brief story. Randy sustained an injury that required surgery. He continued working, saying, "I'll take care of that later." That's my kind of coach.
Baseball news: The Baseball Opening Night Dinner recently took place. The keynote speakers were L.A. Angels manager Mike Scioscia (whose son, Matt, is a junior catcher for the Irish) and Chicago Cub Jeff Samardzija.... Jeff recently established a scholarship in honor of his mother who passed away while Jeff was in school. The Debra Samardzija Memorial Scholarship will be awarded annually to a Domer who has endured the death of a family member while continuing to strive for academic achievement....Former Irish hurler Aaron Heilman has moved from the New York Mets to the Seattle Mariners to, now, the Chicago Cubs. Last year with the Mets he was 3-8 with a 5.21 ERA. He had three saves but blew five saves.
Our #1 hockey team had its 20-game unbeaten streak snapped by #8 Michigan 2-1. It was our first loss since Oct. 25. That was a few weeks ago. We dropped to #2. Then to #3 after another loss. Now we are back at #1. The team is currently 25-5-3 (19-4-3-3 in the CCHA). The Irish won the CCHA regular season title and the conference tournament is up next.
Campus News:
Robert P. Vecchio, a management professor and former chair of the management department, died on Monday, February 9. Vecchio, 58, sustained serious injuries after falling from the rooftop of his home on February 7. Robert had been a member of the Mendoza College of Business faculty since 1976. He taught popular courses and published highly regarded articles on issues in organizational behavior and corporate management, emphasizing leadership, motivation, workplace emotion and employee envy. In the fall he taught the courses "Management Competencies" and "Leadership and Motivation." He had authored several books and was the editor of the Journal of Management from 1995 to 2000. Vecchio received a B.S. from DePaul ('72) and a Master's and Ph.D from Illinois ('72 and '76).
In other news...
It was announced in late January that the University received two honors on campus sustainability (the new catch word for "green") from Carbonrally.com and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The University won $10,000 from a competition with Syracuse in November. The Irish-Orangemen football game was "carbon neutral" and recycling was increased on game day. The two schools conducted a sustainability commitment pledge drive. The drive, sponsored by Carbonrally.com, revolved around promises to reduce carbon emissions. Our pledge count was 1,932 to Syracuse's 1,446.
The second honor was for the University becoming the first major college to be awarded a chain-of-custody certification from the MSC in order to guarantee sustainable seafood in the dining halls. MSC is a global nonprofit organization committed to promoting the best environmental choices in seafood. The University has already received 2,000 pounds of MSC-certified Alaska salmon and pollock.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
This tale finds us even further from our esteemed bubble of love, comfort and flex points - it takes us all the way to the land of pounds, hounds and the World's Naked Bike Ride: none other than Great Britain. Newly arrived on the continent, Jimmy and a group of American friends quickly lost themselves in the winding streets and overlapping neighborhoods of foggy Londontown. Losing one's way in any foreign city - ESPECIALLY one full of English speakers and English signs - is quite commonplace. but lucky for this crew, a display of interactive body language soon cleared up their whereabouts. One complete stranger helped the Americans realize that they were in London's most flamboyantly gay neighborhood. Our dear Jimmy was seduced by mobs of French girls, British men, stoic bartenders and even one neon-green wearing drag queen. Both women and men continued to be attracted by his "effervescent charm and purple plaid shirt." But ever the gentleman, Jimmy set his sights upon one lucky French lady and began his shy courtship. One friendly 40-year-old man watched the scene and heartily gave Jimmy a thumbs-up. Encouraged by the bystander's support of young love, Jimmy returned his sign. The 40-year- old man then moved in and gave Jimmy a pinch on the tush, which Jimmy took as a cross-cultural way to encourage his coupling with Frenchie. Wanting to preserve international relations, Jimmy repeated the thumbs up sign to his new friend. And before you could say, "fish and chips," the 40-year-old man had pounced on Jimmy's neck, and, in what was becoming a theme for the evening, enthusiastically gave him a big lick. All Jimmy could think to do was give his new lover a big thumbs down and hope the translation made sense. Here's to the new King of England.
Hall Notes:
Cris "Pimpi" Diaz '96 continues to circle back to the University. His employer, Follett, has officially received word from the University that their new store location at the new Eddy Street Commons project south of campus will be open by the 2009 football season. It will be different from The Hammes Bookstore. The new store will carry regular books, apparel, and gifts.
Pimpi was recently promoted! He has one of two Merchandise Planning positions for ND. He will be putting together the gift assortment for the new store. The store will also contain a cafe. Pimpi and his crew will develop a new look for the store so it is not a Hammes clone. Plenty of shovel-ready projects in the Bend!
NDSportscenter:
So the hockey team is going to get its own arena. Where'd that come from? Beats me. I had always heard the plan was to renovate the north JACC dome to be exclusively hockey's home. The scale of renovation grew from $15 million to $25-$30 million. Or so I thought. An official University release says that in just over two years the hockey team will have a new home.
Construction of "a new, freestanding, on-campus hockey facility" will begin in the spring of 2010. It will be completed for the 2011-12 hockey season. The project was approved by the Board of Trustees at its February meeting. The arena will seat approximately 5,000 spectators. It will be located south of the JACC, north of Edison Road, and west of the new track and field facility (which is west of the new softball stadium which is south of the not-so-new baseball stadium that is southeast of the JACC... whew.)
The arena will be named Charles W. "Lefty" Smith Jr. Rink for the program's first coach. It will contain two ice sheets - one Olympic-sized and the other a standard National Hockey League sheet. It will have mainly chair-back seating instead of bleachers. There will be community and campus use of the facility, including public lockerrooms. The building will also have the hockey team's offices, lockerrooms, and training facilities.
As of now, $26 million has been raised. But more is needed. However the total cost of the project has yet to be determined. The exact construction timeline is also up in the air. But the program and school officials are consulting with architects on the design.
Campus News:
It seems like about once a month the University announces some new "green" initiative. Did you know, on average, Notre Dame students waste 5.03 ounces of food every meal? Students have taken up the charge to implement a composting system in which food wasted in the dining halls would be converted into fertilizer.
Last year a Domer entered a competition in which students had to submit a plan to improve the environmental impact of their school. The Domer won the United Nations' "Climate Crews" competition. The proposal was composting. About half of the college and universities nationwide have a composting system. Currently, the University throws everything away.
The Domer was one of ten winners. Each winner will receive $500 to market the plan and a free trip to Washington D.C. for a workshop on implementing the program.
The University is on board and will invest in a composting system. This area of sustainability had not been touched before. The Domer thought they would have a bigger impact by addressing the food and recycling category.
The students will be critical for this to work. Student involvement on campus is supposedly very high. In order to gain their support and get action, they must first be informed of how much they waste. The $500 prize will go to a media campaign to raise awareness. Students will participate in various ways, including removing food items that can be composted before discarding their trays.
The University has come a long way in a short period of time on the subject of being "green." Two years ago we had one of the lowest scores. Since then we have had the biggest two-year improvement for any school.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our next story begins under a family-friendly guise: bowling! What could be more fun than hurtling innocent balls into heavy, destructive, damaging pieces of metal? (We'll return to that analogy later.) To announce their arrival at the alley, some of our boys first decided to leave their lasses in the backseat. Our boys Batman and Robin jumped onto the roof of the car and proceeded to pop, lock and drop it, ride dirty and make it rain. Robin, always the spunky little daredevil, made his exit by rolling down the windshield and off the hood of the car, avoiding a pancaking as only a man in tights can. Batman opted for the side escape, but as he flew away, one of his ladies was simultaneously making her exit from the car. When she opened the door, Batman opened his legs - straddling said door with a crushing blow. Luckily, liquid courage had been heartily ingested before the display, so the entire party entered the bowling hall feeling relatively fine.
To ensure that no permanent damage had befallen his jewels, Batman invited Robin into the bathroom for a second opinion. What Robin saw reminded him of the movie "Saw." To the Batmobile! To the emergency room! Escaping the bowling alley, our duo used the excuse of "appendicitis attack" to avoid any feelings of guilt on the part of the female maimer, but after arriving at the hospital, the truth could not be hidden. The female nurse could only exclaim, "Sweet Jesus!" and run away. When a doctor returned, he announced the need for five stitches (on the left, on the left) and an order to avoid climbing ladders, power walking and all strenuous activity for two weeks. Maybe a spare would have been better than a strike...
Hall Notes:
I keep digging up Carroll links on the web. It's such an arduous task. You know, typing "Carroll Hall" into an internet search engine and all. I know, I know...the research is beyond tiresome. Anyway, here's something that slipped past me a few years ago. The link below to an Observer piece from January 2004. It is a Viewpoint Letter to the Editor. The missive was written by then junior Ryan Greenberg. It was written in response to another Observer writing. Ryan's response shows the deft wit of the Vermin.
NDSportscenter:
We actually added one more body to our recruiting class. Roby Toma, a 5'10", 160 lb receiver from Honolulu, signed with us a day after National Signing Day. He is the teammate and best friend of prized recruit Manti Te'o. He had been a UCLA verbal until signing day. The three-star prospect had 82 catches for 1,380 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior. After Nyshier Oliver de-committed, a receiver spot opened up. We offered Toma a mere three weeks prior to Signing Day. He is now on board despite never having visited campus.
Charlie is back as the Offensive Coordinator. Mike Haywood had the position last year after Charlie had turned over the reigns. No more. That position has been filled. The defensive line still needs a coach. New Offensive Line Coach Verducci will coordinate our running game.
It has been rumored that old school offensive lineman Tim Grunhard would come back and join the program as Bryant Young had. The former 11-year center for the Kansas City Chiefs decided to stay put. Grunhard, 40, said his four kids did not want to relocate. Tim is currently a high school religion teacher and head football coach at Bishop Miege High School in Shawnee Mission, Kansas.
We desperately need to win football game this year. A few years ago Michigan passed us in all-time winning percentage. This past year Texas passed us on the list of all-time wins. But if we go BCS next year and Michigan struggles, we can reclaim the top percentage ranking. Then in 2010 we shoot for the title after McCoy, Bradford, and Tebow are gone.
The 2008 Federal Graduation Rate Survey was released late in the year. We had nine sports with a graduation rate of 100 percent. That was second only to Stanford's eleven. We had eleven programs that were first in graduation rate.
Campus News:
Public Accounting Report (PAR), a trade magazine, recently reviewed our accounting program. Accounting professors nationwide had our undergraduate program ranked fourth in the nation and the Master of Science in Accounting program was ranked sixth among graduate programs. The undergraduate program has been in the top five for the last several years. According to the report, "the survey asks accounting professors, department heads and department chairs to name the undergraduate and graduate programs that they feel most consistently turn out students capable of some day attaining partner status." The survey choices are based on reputation, how professors think students will perform, and perceptions of the curriculum. Our curriculum focuses on "foundational knowledge." The chair of the department says they are "trying to provide broad skills," teaching both quantitative accounting skills as well as "soft skills" like teamwork and communication. The chair also complimented our environment, faculty, and alumni. The role of alumni is critical. Alums have done well in leadership positions in firms and have come back to recruit Domers. There are currently 110 seniors in the undergraduate accounting program, and typically there are around 150 from any given class. The graduate program currently has 94 students.
The Master of Science in Accounting program was started in 1998. The University has been in the top ten since the program began.
The undergraduate program was ranked by other publications. In 2008 BusinessWeek has us third. In 2009 U.S. News and World Report slotted us seventh.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our first tale concerns a swashbuckling lad sailing on the off-campus high seas of cheap beer and malt liquor. We'll call him Captain Chug. After an evening of organized competitive drinking, our protagonist emerged victorious and, following the closing ceremonies, navigated his way to another port and took his team's trophy along for the ride. Still in full costume, Captain Chug made quite a splash at the formal dress party that was his destination. One damsel in particular - Frida Kahlo, for our purposes - was in doubt of the authenticity of his earlier victory. "Arrrgh you going to make me prove it?" the Captain asked and took his skeptical new friend to the keg. Following a few contests, Frida warmed up to Captain Chug, perhaps in admiration of his drinking prowess or his blustery attire.
As the conversation continued, however, Frida had an epiphany - she'd seen this pirate before. "Have you ever done nude modeling?" asked Frida, and when he answered, "Ay, matey," she knew: not only had she seen him before, but she had measured his plank to be sure it was in proportion to his body. Twice. Now that's one for the Captain's log.
Hall Notes:
Last week the Hall Notes provided a link to another website. Let's keep that going. Below is a link to the University page for Carroll within the Residence Life section. It provides an in-depth profile for Carroll's current rector, Rev. James Lewis. He has been the leader of the Vermin for a few years now. Clink and read on for more information...
http://osa.nd.edu/residential-life/residence-halls/carroll-hall
NDSportscenter:
Another Signing Day has come and gone. There is always the fear, especially amongst Domers, that our biggest recruits will defect. We did lose a couple of players over the past couple of weeks. But none were lost on Signing Day. In fact, we added one to get our class up to 17 total commitments.
Five-star linebacker Manti Te'o surprised everyone but me by selecting the Irish over USC. Te'o is the #1 outside linebacking prospect in the country. Rivals had him #12 overall. Scout had him #6 overall. He was USA Today's Defensive Player of the Year. He is considered a difference-maker. Te'o is 6'2", 225 lbs and runs a 4.6 - 40. Last year he had 129 tackles, 11 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions. His athleticism, hitting ability, and lateral movement are all superb. The Honolulu product attends Punahou School, the same high school that was attended by President Barack Obama. Manti is Mormon and has a desire to go on his mission. An official decision has not been made as to when but don't be surprised if he leaves for two years after his freshman campaign.
Because our class only had 17 players, with two of them being kickers and one being a long snapper, our total ranking was not too high. Scout ranked us 24th while Rivals had us at 20th. Why so few? A combination of things. A rough year on the field. Questions about the coaching staff. Holding out for top notch recruits. And a down year for Midwestern prospects. Next year should be a very different story. The Midwest will be strong. Our team will be better. And bigger names will be lured. We already have three verbal commitments for next year, a four-star prospect and two five-star studs. Details on them in the coming weeks.
Hopefully our newest coach will help bring in players. As mentioned previously, Bryant Young will join the team as a defensive graduate assistant coach. Young was a 1st Team All American in 1994. The native of Chicago Heights, Illinois will return with his Domer wife and four children. B.Y.'s position does not allow him to hit the recruiting trail. But he can impress all high school players when they come to campus.
Campus News:
"Law School addition complete." So read The Observer last week. The structure added to the Law School is open and everyone has been moved inot it. Renovations of the old building have now begun. When all the work is completed, the building will be 192,500 square feet. The gates and fence around the building have been removed from the walkways. The archway is open and students can go directly to DeBartolo. Next fall the band will be able to return to its usual path while marching to the stadium.
The Observer continued: "Once all work is complete, the classrooms will be in the new part of the building, while the library, career services and admissions will reside in the renovated part." The new building has 205 seat classrooms, 270 seat classrooms, five seminar rooms and plenty of teaching spaces. The library is being renovated to make it less "maze-like," limit its entrances, and correct many level changes.
The whole Law School project cost nearly $58 million. The funding was done solely through donations. The Observer stated that "the new building, named Biochini Hall, is expected to be finished in June of 2010."
In other news....
The MBA program climbed six spots in BusinessWeek magazine's biennial survey of MBA programs nationwide. We are up from 26th in 2006 to 20th in 2008. The rankings are determined by student surveys, corporate recruiter surveys, and an intellectual capital ratings (whatever that is). The 45-question student survey was conducted online. Students rated the teaching quality, the career services, the alumni network, and the recruiting efforts. Our program received an "A" for its career services and "A+" in the teaching category.
The University offers both a one-year and a two-year MBA program. The one-year program offers a year-round curriculum and requires undergraduate prerequisite course hours in mathematics, accounting, economics, finance, marketing, and management. The two-year program consists of four semesters of classes and a summer internship between the first and second year study. An inter-term in every semester permits students to enroll in one-week courses to broaden field expertise. During fall and spring break weeks, the program offers inter-term studies in China and Europe.
Campus Watch by Me:
It has not been officially announced, but the word on the street is that Bryant Young, the recently retired San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle, will be joining the football program. Last weekend, Charlie and company hosted high school junior football players from across the country. The recruits attended the UConn basketball game. So did I. And big ol' B.Y. was in attendance. He was dressed casually and he was big. I think the juniors were impressed. And did I mention he was big? He was dressed casually, but he was still sporting a little bling. BY's watch was very, very nice. I said to the guy next to me: "His watch probably equals my yearly salary." A year of my life and 2000 stressful hours were on his left wrist.
But he wasn't the only recognizable face. My main man Golden Tate passed in front of us. Tate's buddy was walking behind him. Well, somebody in the front row was talking to the person next to them. Apparently the person recognized Golden and asked the person seated next to him: "Is he Golden Tate?" Well, it must have been said loud enough to be overheard because Tate's buddy caught the question and bellowed: "Yes he is!" Golden chuckled.
Hall Notes:
There is more news on Bertrand Berry '97. In addition to this Carroll alum being in the Super Bowl for the Arizona Cardinals this weekend, Bert is also a philanthropist. Bert has a site for his foundation...
http://www.bertrandberryfoundation.org/
The site collects donations for cancer research, provides scholarship opportunities, and focuses on services for children. Bert even has an upcoming "Celebrity Weekend" in March of this year to raise money for those in need. Great work by a great Vermin.
NDSportscenter:
The streak is over. UConn ended our 45 game home winning streak in men's basketball. It was a big weekend for the campus. College GameDay was done live at the JACC. Over 4,500 people attended with about 3,700 of them being students. Students were allowed into the JACC at 9pm the night BEFORE to camp out for seats. Former coach Digger Phelps was instrumental in bringing GameDay to campus.
The basketball team has struggled lately. Everyone but Harangody is slumping. Earlier this year Kyle McAlarney scored 39 points and 32 points in back-to- back games. He even set a school record with 10 3-pointers in one game. The news off the court is favorable. For the fall the team had an average GPA of 3.151. That makes eight of the last ten semesters above 3.0. Senior Zach Hillesland, a marketing major, posted a 3.917.
Earlier this past week our recruiting class dropped to sixteen players. Receiver/defensive back Nyshier Oliver de-committed. Originally he had verbaled to Tennessee. He dropped them for us when the previous coaching staff was let go. But now he has bailed on us to return to the Volunteers.
We have a new running backs coach to replace Mike Haywood. Tony Alford joins our staff after spending the last two years at Louisville. Alford graduated from Colorado State in 1992 where he was a running back. He has been coaching for 14 years. Possibly his best work was done at Iowa State where he was for four years. During that time the Cyclones rose from 103rd in rushing to 17th. Alford's backs also rarely fumble. Tony is also seen as a good recruiter as well and will handle the Dallas area and part of Florida for us.
Campus News:
The struggling economy did not seem to affect the number of high school seniors applying to the University. Admissions received the second-highest number of applications in history. The regular action deadline was about three weeks ago and about 14,000 applications were received. Regular action applications will be reviewed through March. Already Admissions has taken in 1,733 students through early action. That number is 200 more than were admitted under early action last year. The same standards for early action were used this year as last. It's just that this year there were 200 more very qualified applicants.
The early action students averaged an ACT score of 33 and an SAT score of 1451. Those are basically the same averages as the early acceptees last year. The early action students represent a wide range of ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The early acceptees have an average SAT score about 20 points higher than accepted regular action students.
Every year the student body that is accepted seems more impressive then the year before. The easy comparisons are the ACT and SAT scores. Admitted students now take an average of five AP courses in high school. Academic rigor and a demanding course load separate the accepted from the unaccepted.
The University is shooting for an incoming freshman class of 1,985 students. They will accept less this year in hopes of not going above the desired total. Despite the economy, the Office of Financial Aid still guarantees that they will meet all student needs. Apparently other colleges and universities throughout the country are accepting more students as a way to increase revenue. The University, though, has no plans to increase the student body despite the addition of new dorms.
Campus Watch by Me:
Old school Irish hoopster Pat Garrity was back on campus a couple of weeks ago. Garrity was looking very dapper in a suit. He and his wife and son were sitting in the athletic director's seats for the Seton Hall game. Garrity was honored by the University at halftime. His very young son ran out to join him while he was speaking. The little tyke was a long way down for a retired professional power forward. Anyway, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. It was Pat's first time back since graduation and he was very pleased that his son's first Notre Dame athletic event was a basketball game. And what is Pat doing now that he is retired from the NBA? Back to school, of course. He plans to attend Duke to earn a Master's degree.
Hall Notes:
Do the Vermin still eat at left-left (or right-left) at SDH? I happened to be on campus prior to the UConn basketball game. For old times sake, the dining hall was paid a visit for lunch. Just as in back in the day, the right side was only available for a weekend lunch. The cafeteria was a bit vacant. That seemed understandable since the majority of campus was at the JACC for ESPN's College GameDay. One SDH table did seem to have gents from the same dorm. Unfortunately none of the clothing showed any dorm affiliation. Nobody was representin'. Old school '97ers Bob Fincutter and Tom Mullarkey wouldn't be caught dead without a Carroll sweatshirt during the winter months. They were always up in the grills of those Morrissey chumps. So I will assume the fellas yesterday were Vermin and the seating tradition is still alive. But it will neve compare to the good ol' days when Dan Dykens '96 climbed on the table to do a jig.
NDSportscenter:
Soccer star Kerri Hanks won her second Hermann Trophy as soccer's best player. It is her second trophy in three years. She is only the fourth player to win the award twice. Hanks is also a four-time All-American with three of those being 1st Teams. Kerri is the 23rd 4-time All-American. She is the holder or co-holder ot 67 records at Notre Dame, in the Big East, or for the NCAA. Hanks finished her career with 84 goals and 73 assists.
The football coaching staff continues to change. Offensive line coach John Latina is out. The new coach is Frank Verducci. His previous gig was the o-line coach for the Cleveland Browns. Verducci has 27 years of coaching experience with 19 of those on the college level. In addition to Cleveland he also worked for Cincinnati, Dallas, and Buffalo. The 51-year-old Verducci had his longest stay at Iowa under coach Hayden Frye. Frank was there 10 years. Verducci, an New Jersey guy, is also praised for his recruiting prowess. In addition to all of that, Frank is married to a St. Mary's graduate.
Five-star recruit Manti Te'o of Hawaii was recently back on campus. The linebacker was to be in Chicago on January 13 to receive the Butkus Award for the top high school 'backer. Te'o visited campus previously for the Syracuse game. On his January 12 campus visit her brought his parents. We have a good shot at landing him. The word on the street is that it's between us, USC, and BYU.
A series of Directors' Cup standings have been released. After the second set of fall sports we were 7th. Then we dropped to 14th after the third set of fall sports. And we stayed at 14th after the final set of fall sports.
Campus News:
The South Bend Tribune recently stated the following: "Current campus construction projects will be completed: a new Notre Dame Law School building; an engineering building; an expansion and renovation of the Joyce Center's south arena; a new soccer stadium; a new lacrosse stadium; a new women's residence hall; and a new Center for Social Concerns building." Most of that was already known except for a couple of items. The new soccer stadium and new lacrosse stadium have not been mentioned before as "current" projects.
The Tribune also stated the following: "The university also has a financial commitment to the first building under construction at Innovation Park at Notre Dame, the research park on Edison Road. There are no plans to delay that project. The research park is a partnership of the university, the city, the state, and private investors."
Future University projects are on hold. Those projects include a business executive education building, a library renovation, a social sciences building, two more residence halls, and the renovation of the JACC's north dome. Fundraising is well under way for some of the projects. The executive education building and the library renovation have gathered 60 percent and 90 percent of funding already. About 50 to 60 percent has been pledged to the JACC's north dome.
The construction never seems to end. Neither do the grand openings. The law school expansion should be opening soon. The Center for Social Concerns, the women's dorm, and the engineering building should be ready in the fall.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Sometimes, such unspoken flattery does not succeed in winning over a lady. In those cases, the next best option for a true gentleman is to seduce through the art of language. Gipp's next tale finds us at a party full of exclusive hoodies, excessive flannel and conversations about the difference between "techno" and "techtonic" (Gipp argues that it's just all gravy). Here, our little hipsters found their party suddenly crashed by a Wes Anderson-blessed rock band, who pulled up alongside the house in the late hours of the night, tour bus and all. One by one the rock stars entered the party, determined to have a Domerlicious time. It didn't take long before the hip, thick-rimmed glasses-wearing men had managed to seduce all the women, conquer the DJ equipment, break house keg stand records, and moreover, break a whole bunch of hearts. One particularly suave band member - we'll call him Spongebob - became particularly engrossed with one party game called "Insert Anatomically Correct Female Reproductive Words into Movie Titles" (which, Gipp notes, can become quite disturbing with movies like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"). Spongebob, with his already eccentric artist ways complicated by intoxication, managed to corner a lovely game participant. In one beautiful moment, he turned around and announced to her, "You're pretty cute, _____(insert biology-class word for the most prominent female reproductive part)." Unfortunately for both parties, the little lady failed to see the clever ingenuity behind her rock star lover's compliment and promptly fled the scene. Which leads Gipp back to the conclusion that sometimes love spoken is love ruined. In the end, none of the rock stars left the South Bend party house that night... instead, the tour bus stayed parked in the alley next door, band members, newfound groupies, broken hearts and all.
Hall Notes:
A fellow Vermin made it to an NFL championship game! Bert Berry '97 has been a key veteran on the Arizona Cardinal defense. Berry, 35, is an 11 year veteran and the Cardinals top sacker. Bert was platooning at defensive end but got the bulk of the work in the playoffs due to injuries to his teammate. During the regular season Berry recorded 22 tackles, forced two sacks, and had five sacks. Then he had a sack in each of the first two playoff games against Atlanta and Carolina. Next up: the Philadelphia Eagles. As of this writing, Arizona was up 21-6 and Bert had one tackle.
Fortunately Bert finished the year injury free unlike the past three years. Berry is also a free agent after this season. He will hopefully be signed as a situational pass rusher or even a starter.
NDSportscenter:
There has been an exodus from the football program lately. Defensive line coach Jappy Oliver resigned/was fired/did not have his contract renewed. That's two assistants gone. Sophomore defensive back Gary Gray, who did not attend the bowl game, is not enrolled in school for the spring semester. And, finally, prized recruit defensive back Marlon Pollard, considered our fourth best prospect, backed out of his verbal to us and committed to UCLA. Pollard was originally committed to UCLA before coming to us. For awhile anyway.
There is some good news. Cornerback Darrin Walls is back for the spring semester. He had been gone for a semester for "personal reasons." Walls came back to watch three games this fall. He took a couple classes in his hometown of Pittsburgh. He was also seeing a personal trainer three to four times a week.
It turns out we had six players attend the U.S. Army All American game. None of them had huge stat lines. Safety/linebacker Zeke Motta got in on some tackles. Defensive lineman Tyler Stockton held his own. And Chris Watt started at guard for his team. And there is some news about last year's team. A year ago running back Jonas Gray won the Doc Blanchard Award and quarterback Dayne Crist won the Glen Davis Award. These honors are given at the U.S. Army game to players who exhibit distinction in athletics, education, and community service.
The Hawaii Bowl had its highest ratings in the 7-year history of the bowl. Our game rated 3.03 which was double that of the bowl last year. Other records were tickets distributed (45,718) and turnstile count (43,487).
Campus News:
As a whole, how is the sagging economy affecting the University? A recent South Bend Tribune article focused on all areas. As of now, there is no wage or hiring freeze. According to the executive vice president in mid-December, if "the economy stays the way it is now, I'm pretty confident we won't have any layoffs."
The endowment has dropped, but not by as much as others. On October 31 the endowment was worth between $5.8 billion and $5.9 billion. That is down at least 15.7 percent since June 30 when the endowment was worth more than $7 billion. The next assessment of the endowment will come this month after quarterly financial statements are received.
The University will be attempting to reduce costs. Father Jenkins has asked administrators to reduce expenditures in purchasing, travel, energy costs and other expenses. Tuition income is expected to be stable. Tuition income provides 31 percent of the annual budget. We are not as tuition-dependent as other colleges because we rely on various other sources of income such as endowment interest, some government contracts, gifts and auxiliary services, including food services and the campus bookstore.
The University is currently in the middle of a major capital campaign seeking to raise $1.5 billion by 2011. So far the campaign has raised about $1.4 billion.
Campus construction continues. Next week news will be provided on current construction projects, future projects, and some fundraising efforts.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Gipp's dear friend - we'll call her Sockless Susan - has a tale sure to make your toes curl. One night, Susan, desolate and rebounding after a recent heartbreak, stumbled upon a dorm party invitation. Eager to cure herself of old memories, Susan and two of her cronies shuttled over to said fiesta and proceeded to drown their miseries in Bon Jovi, black lights and Solo cup-tinged happiness. When that cursed second hour struck, one gallant gentleman sacrificed his bed for Susan, allowing her the opportunity for peaceful, comfortable and completely solitary sleep. Susan accepted and settled into her new room, alone, and promptly passed out.
A few hours later, her slumber was suddenly interrupted by a lumbering, intoxicated beast of a man. We'll call him Paul Bunion. Bunion proceeded to climb up the bunk and immediately demanded that Susan leave what he termed "HIS BED." Confused and slightly terrified, Susan quickly relinquished the mattress and moved to another empty bed in the room. All seemed to be well - until half an hour later, when Susan awoke to a strange sensation: Paul Bunion, in a sleepwalking fit, was seducing her feet. Frightened to find her toes in another person's mouth, Susan kicked Paul Bunion in the face and pulled her legs back under the covers. But anyone who has seen "Sleepless in Seattle" knows sleepy love will not be deterred, and our Paul Bunion was no exception. Hungrily, he continued his flirtations with Susan's feet, diving into the covers and eventually submerging her heel and then her entire right foot into his mouth with passion. Some of his roommates even entered at this point - but their shock at the scene prevented any sort of intervention. Under their stunned gazes, Susan continued to combat the slobbering, fetish-focused beast, until a few kicks later, when our male friend finally retreated to "HIS BED." In the morning, Paul denied all participation in the phalangical seduction. But the other observers' memories are unanimous: Deep in the night, looking for some love, Paul Bunion loved Susan... and her beautiful soles.
Hall Notes:
Former Irish basketball player and former Carroll resident Rick Cornett was recently mentioned in the South Bend Tribune. Rick is playing professionally in France with Antibes, a Pro-B (mid-level) team. Through seven games with the club, Cornett was averaging 11.1 ppg and 7.1 rpg in just 26 minutes per game. Rick is shooting almost 55 percent from the field. And remarkably his once woeful free throw shooting is up to 72 percent. Rick seems to be a bright spot on a very poor team. They lost all seven of his games and six before it for an 0-13 start. Ouch.
NDSportscenter:
How 'bout that Hawaii bowl? Golden Tate surpassed 1000 yards receiving. That's only the sixth time in school history. Armando Allen ran back a kickoff for a touchdown. That's our first kickoff TD since Vontez Duff brought one back against Navy in 2002. Sophomore defensive back Gary Gray did not attend the bowl game. He did not go to Hawaii for "personal reasons." Jimmy Clausen's passing efficiency rating for the bowl game was 277.63. We sacked Hawaii 8 times. Apparently they gave up 59 sacks on the season. Thankfully they surpassed our NCAA record 58 that we gave up last year. But they did it in 14 games. We did it in only 12 contests. The players had their names on their jerseys for the first time since the Cotton Bowl after the 1987 season. The players were able to keep the jersey after the bowl win. The bowl game was the last for offensive coordinator Mike Haywood. Haywood, a Domer, has left to become the head coach at Miami of Ohio.
Other football news: Charlie had knee replacement surgery on Dec. 29. And that was on his right knee that wasn't shredded when he was hit on the sideline. The left knee will be worked on soon enough. Spring ball will be coached from a golf cart. Tight end Kyle Rudolph has been named 1st Team All Freshman for numerous organizations. Receiver Michael Floyd was on the All Freshman 2nd Team. Three commitments are starting school this semester: safety/linebacker Zeke Motta, defensive tackle Tyler Stockton, and defensive back E.J. Banks. Banks is likely out for spring ball because of a knee injury sustained at the end of his school season. David Bruton has been selected to the Under Armour Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on January 24.