Campus News:
The campus is relatively quiet. Summer school began this past Tuesday. Big news stories are largely absent. For the next two months the stories will cover some lesser known elements of campus life.
The following information appeared in an April 2008 issue of Scholastic.
Over the past few years, relatively well-known musical acts have been hitting campus. How are they being lured here? One fact is Legends Nightclub. The Pollstar Concert Industry Music Awards named it one of the top 12 nightclub concert venues in the country. In addition to Legends, the Student Union Board (SUB), and WVFI, the on-campus radio station, work to bring impressive acts to campus.
The SUB committee, led by two programmers, guages the music scene and monitors band and campus availability throughout the year. The committee makes a proposal which must be approved by the Financial Management Board. Ultimately, a band is paid by a check from the University at SUB's request.
The Show is an annual concert that opens the school year and features multiple acts. The Show committee is comprised of eight to ten students, two advisors, and a chairman. They meet in early April to select a hip-hop artist and a rock band. The budget is paid for primarily through fundraising, the Office of Student Affairs, Student Activities Office, and ticket sales.
WVFI brings in talent for three to four concerts per year. They learn of artist availability by looking at agencies' websites or newsletters. The shoot for soon-to-be-big bands. WVFI's funding is controlled through Legends. The WVFI chairman chooses the bands and a university advisor determines whether or not to extend an offer.
Legends attempts to fill every weekend with 1 or 2 shows. Talent is found through radio, television, magazines and music festivals.
Surreptitiously, we have become American Bandstand Redux.
Campus Watch by Me:
And now for the follow-up to the Obama protestors that were arrested.
In early June a nationally prominent conservative advocacy group was preparing a legal battle to defend about 70 of the anti-abortion activists arrested on campus on misdemeanor trespass charges. Nearly all of those arrested planned to plead not guilty in court and say they want to take their case to trial. After entering their pleas, trial dates were set for August and September. Those charged ranged from 18-year-old college students to an elderly nun dressed in full habit to national activist Alan Keyes. Nearly all of them are from out of state and all are represented by one local attorney. He is being paid by the Washington-based American Center for Law & Justice, not the protestors.
The legal arguments for the defendants may make are interesting. Their attorney is seeking dismissal of the charges based on the law, rather than the facts of the case. The defendants won't deny they were on campus, but might argue that police violated their constitutional rights by ejecting them and having them arrested. They may argue the University does not enjoy all of the private property rights that an individual does. It could be argued that campus is a "quasi-municipality" because it invites the public to enter it at any time, and it contains public amenities such as restaurants, a post office and police department whose officers have arrest powers. They may argue that the University does not truly own the property, but its board holds it in trust for "the body of Christ" and all who believe in him. They could also argue "selective enforcement." The attorney stated: "They arrested Father Norman Weslin for praying the rosary. They'll say they arrested him because he wouldn't leave, but there were people selling Obama buttons right next to him. Why weren't they asked to leave?"
More next week.
Hall Notes:
So who all played Vermin football? Do you still have your jersey? I do. It's in pretty good shape. The colors have held up. The material is retro '80s old school gut-check mesh. There are two photos. The front states our mascot with pride. And the back keeps it real like our varsity squad: no last names, no individualism, all team. Scroll down and reminisce...
NDSportscenter:
A former Irish hockey player just won the Stanley Cup. Defenseman Mark Eaton played one season with the Irish in '97-'98. Eaton, 32, signed with the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent after leaving school. This past season was his third with Pittsburgh. Mark was a major contributor for the Peguins. He played in 68 regular season games. He also played in all 24 post-season games. In the playoffs he scored 4 goals, assisted on 3 others, and blocked 46 shots. Eaton is the 4th Irish hockey player to win the Stanley Cup.
This year Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) started. Ten Domers are scattered throughout the league. That is second only to North Carolina's twelve players. Olympic gold medalist and National Team veteran Kate (Sobrero) Markgraf '98 is not one of the ten. She is taking one year off from the Chicago Red Stars to have a baby. After her maternity leave and a successful Irish fall soccer campaign, we'll see if we can't challenge UNC's 12 next year.
The Irish softball team played well again, as always. They were not the highest ranked team in the Big East and were not seeded first, but they still won the tournament. The ladies defeated #19 DePaul 1-0 to win their first Big East Championship since 2006. The team advanced to the NCAA Regional with a 41-15 record. It was our 11th straight NCAA tournament. We beat Cleveland State, but then lost to Michigan. The regional was double elimination and won again to become one of the final two. But we fell to the Wolverines again. The ladies finished the year 43-17.
Campus News:
Ryan Hall, the newest women's dorm, will open this fall. It will be ready for 246 students in mid-August. The upper-classmen filling the dorm did room picks last February. The 74,600 square-foot residence hall is between Welsh Family Hall and the Bookstore. It is in the traditional gothic style and was underwritten by the Ryan family. The dorm will feature 81 traditional double and six quads. There will also be eight super doubles and four super quads. The super doubles have bay windows. Super quads have bedrooms on each side of a common room and a private bathroom. There is also one triple and 17 singles. Six resident assistants will live in Ryan.
Each dorm section will contain two lounges. One of the lounges will have a sink and microwave. The basement will contain a small vending area, a workout room, and a laundry area. The first floor will have a main lounge and a kitchen and food-serving area. There will also be sets of a stove, oven and dishwasher located on the second and third floors. This year the residents will choose the dorm's colors, mascot, and signature event.
In other news...
Last April the Princeton Review released a poll of "dream schools." The University was voted as the fourth-most desirable school for parents to send their children. The poll was based on approximately 3,000 parents of college applicants. We were behind only Harvard, Stanford and Princeton. The Princeton Review ranked us in other ways as well. We were first for "everyone plays intramural sports" and "alternative lifestyles not an alternative." We were second for "most religious students." The U.S. News and World Report ranking has us at the 18th best university.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Nick Montana will not be playing for the Irish. Joe's son is a four-star prospect and he recently committed to play at Washington. No doubt many are shocked by the announcement. But there are two kinds of shock. One is that he did not choose the Irish and the other is that he chose Washington. Those who followed Nick's recruitment were not surprised he passed on the Irish. Word on the street is Nick is the black sheep of the family and is a USC fan. However, they never offered him. A USC coordinator is now the new coach at Washington. Obviously Nick prefers the west coast and PAC-10. He most likely sees a better chance at playing early with the Huskies. But most importantly he won't have to live in the direct Irish shadow of his father. No doubt there is pressure as Joe's son wherever he goes. It seems the pressure could be just ridiculous here, though. So good for Nick. I would no one would begrudge Nick's selection or beat Charlie up over this. I hope Nick does well, helps rebuild the program, and knocks off USC. Congratulations to the Montana family.
Hall Notes:
Last week I referred to a Carroll non-perk. Now such a non-perk is a thing of the past. Current Vermin have no clue about the hardship we had to endure. They have cable. We did not. Do you realize how upsetting it was to be right next door to WNDU only to have the television signal come in distorted? Try, try, try to adjust the rabbit ears. Yet no love was returned from NBC. If only the station did not have all those giant dishes pointing AWAY from Carroll. Double vision. Distorted picture. Irregular colors. It was an absolute nightmare. It almost seemed intentional, a subliminal effect meant to turn us to the Dark Side (i.e. studying). Horrific. It was only through the glory of syndication that I was finally able to see Seinfeld as it was meant to be seen. I only regret not seeing it as originally aired, as originally intended, and in its natural habitat.
NDSportscenter:
Luke Harangody took his name out of the NBA Draft and will return to school for his senior season. It is very possible he will set the school record for career points and rebounds.
Junior outfielder A.J. Pollock was selected in the 1st round of the MLB Draft at #17 overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks. That equals the highest ever selection by a Domer. He plans to finish school in the fall. The Hebron, Connecticut product may be back to South Bend very soon. The local minor league team, the Silver Hawks, are affiliated with the Diamondbacks. A.J. batted .365 this past season and had no errors at centerfield. He was the back-to-back Big East MVP and became the first Domer to record 10 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same season.
Three other Domers were selected in the draft. In the 8th round the New York Yankees took senior left-handed pitcher Sam Elam. He throws a 96 mph fastball and the opponent batting average is only .219. Senior shortstop Jeremy Barnes was snagged by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 11th round. This past year he hit .353 with 15 home runs and 70 RBIs. Finally, former quarterback Evan Sharpley was taken in the 50th round by the Seattle Mariners. Did I say "former" quarterback? Scratch that. The Mariners have agreed to let Sharpley cut his first pro season short by 3 weeks so that he can return to Irish football in August. Apparently he had applied for a 5th year all along. And it was at Charlie's request. Evan wants to be a teacher and coach. He plans to finish his student-teaching requirement this fall.
Our golf teams held their own this year. The men's team finished 4th in the Big East. The women's team was 2nd but senior Lisa Maunu was the individual champion at one under par. The women were 1 of 21 teams invited to the NCAA Central Regional. They finished 16th which ties their best finish ever.
June 14, 2009
Campus News:
Near the end of the school year there was an explosion on campus. An explosion in Fitzpatrick Hall of Engineering left a student injured in late April. A female graduate student suffered "moderately serious burns" after an experiment she was conducting in the basement of the building resulted in a small explosion. The injuries were serious, but not life threatening. She was taken to a local hospital in an ambulance after the ND Fire Department responded. The student had been mixing a non-toxic chemical combination before the explosion occurred. The explosion caused a small fire but the hall did not sustain any damage. Everyone was evacuated from the building which returned to normal operations shortly after.
In mid-April the University released information on the accepted freshman class. The Admissions Office received the second-highest number of applications in history. There were 14,352 applicants. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1434. That's seven points higher than last year's class. The average ACT score is 32.6. The number of applications increased three percent from last year. The admitted students were in the top four percent of their high school class. The University also saw the largest minority applicant pool. All of this information came out in mid-April. These are the numbers for the ACCEPTED students, not the official IN-COMING students. The deadline for students to accept their offer of admission was May 1. The University anticipated that the recession would affect the decision process for admitted students. The University admitted more students in Early Action than they have in the past because of the recession. Final numbers of the in-coming class will be released in the fall.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Continued from last week...
Sacagawea recovered, however, when she saw the small tribal dance area in the corner of the bar. Reserved for only the most intoxicated participants, it is awkwardly elevated so that it becomes something of a stage for everyone else who is still aware that dancing is rare and a cultural taboo in this particular oasis. But Sacagawea seemed completely comfortable in this setting, performing surprisingly practiced and perfected ceremonial gyrations for both one lucky ND fellow and the surrounding audience. It was as if she did this often - a fact confirmed by some of the watching crowd, who identified her as belonging to the exclusive, south-side tribe of the Torch Lounge. It turns out that Sacagawea regularly shakes her tail feather. For dollar-dollar bills, ya'll.
Hall Notes:
Another great benefit for Carroll is the close proximity to parking. We may have a long walk to class but Sorin has a long walk to their cars. And we had all kinds of space. Every spot was basically the same give or take a stall or two. We didn't have to roam up and down the aisles for five minutes praying for an open spot. Yeah, Knott and P.E. were close, but they had to fight with half the dorms for parking spots.
I believe the parking lot actually expanded back toward Carroll during my days. I swear the lot was smaller during my freshman and, maybe, sophomore years. Some believe the parking was expanded for the four new dorms south of SDH. Whatever. We had been petitioning for closer parking for what seemed like for-never. Close parking was a quality perk.
Next week: the rare non-perk.
NDSportscenter:
The Notre Dame Japan Bowl will be played on July 25. Lou Holtz will be the coach and he will take 60 Irish alumni football players with him to Tokyo. They will take on the Japanese Senior National Team. More than 80 players attended a testing session conducted by Holtz and his staff. The tryouts were the weekend of the Blue-Gold Game. Fifty players were identified right away. Ten roster spots were initially left open to accommodate prospective players who are currently NFL free agents and those unable to attend the tryouts. The game will be played in the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome. Among the players making the cut were quarterback Tony Rice, running backs Autry Denson and Lee Becton, receivers Bobby Brown and Rhema McKnight, and offensive linemen Bob Morton and Tim Ruddy. The defense will feature safety Jeff Burris, lineman Melvin Dansby, linebackers Mike Goolsby, Bobbie Howard and Brandon Hoyte, and cornerbacks Shane Walton and Ambrose Wooden. The coaching staff includes Reggie Brooks, Chris Zorich, and Tim Brown.
The women's tennis team opened the year with a 13-1 record. At various times they were #2, #3, and #4 in the rankings. Entering the Big East tournament the ladies were the #1 seed and #4 in the nation. They beat DePaul 4-2 to win their second straight Big East title. It's the team's ninth Big East title. They made the NCAAs for the 14th straight year. For the national tournament they received the #5 seed. The team was 24-4 and would host the first and second rounds. The Irish swept Illinois-Chicago 4-0. Then they walked over Michigan 4-1 on the way to the Sweet 16. #12 Clemson went down 4-0. The team then got revenge on Baylor from an earlier loss with a 4-3 victory. The semi-finals is the farthest they have ever been. Sadly they lost 4-2 to #9 California. They finished their best season ever at 28-5.
Campus News:
This past year another undergrad passed away. Sophomore Kevin Healey died after a two and a half year battle with cancer. Kevin lived in Sorin and he suffered from malignant bone cancer.
In other news, Father Hesburgh just turned 92. He celebrated by fishing in Land O'Lakes, Wisconsin. There the University owns an environmental research center.
In other news, for the first time in eight years, students did not perform "The Vagina Monologues" at an on- or off-campus location. The group of students in charge of organizing the production this year decided not to continue the show. They stated they believed the controversy on campus that follows the show is ultimately counterproductive to the show's purpose and that it becomes "more of a scandal than an action piece." The monologues were first performed on campus in February 2002 as part of a campaign to raise awareness about violence against women. On-campus sponsorship became an issue in 2007 when it was eventually performed off-campus at South Bend's First Unitarian Church. It returned to campus last year and sparked intense debate. Father Jenkins allowed it and was criticized by Bishop D'Arcy and several other Catholic leaders and organizations. The show was allowed but had to be accompanied by an academic panel discussion following each performance. The play is not forbidden on campus and the students behind it hope to perform it next year.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our next tale also involves soon-to-be graduating travelers, this time in search of territory familiar to most ND students on Thursday nights. Declining to forge or caulk and float, the group opted to hire a guide to ferry them across the river and to the bar. It seems that it was two-for-the-price-of-one in the middle-aged guide's wagon that night, as he shared the front seat with a much younger and bustier acquaintance. "Are you 21?" she asked two of the male riders, and when they answered in the affirmative, she proceeded to pass the peace pipe - in this case, two aluminum canteens - to the back seat.
Travel-weary and thirsty, the boys quickly consumed the contents and began scheming as to how they could charm their new friend, a pale-faced, blond-haired and tribal-pierced Sacagawea, into giving them another roadie before they reached their destination. Sure that Sacagawea would not abandon her wagon driver, the boys' flirting led to an invitation for her to accompany them into the oasis. To their surprise, she agreed. Although Sacagawea was a native of those parts, she insisted that it was new territory for her, filled with an unfamiliar tribe, and they must become her guides and not ditch her once inside. But since she no longer had her supply of free, frenzy-inducing elixir, the boys decided to strike out on their own path as quickly as possible, leaving no trail. "Why do they always scramble away?" Sacagawea lamented.
(continued next week)
Hall Notes:
Summertime. Not much going on at Carroll this time of year. But this is the weather for outdoor activities. Carroll is unique with its volleyball court being front and center. I believe it is the only male dorm that has its own exclusive sand pit. Speakers were frequently put on window sills and tunes were blared. All Vermin were welcome, even the uncoordinated (Fumai) and unathletic (Fumai). But we all remember the best part of Vermin volleyball: jungle rules. Hit the net all you want. Go for broke and crash under it to the other side. Body slam the opposing frontline. It's all good. For the Vermin it's a contact sport. If we wanted to play in skirts, we'd live in zahm.
NDSportscenter:
Luke Harangody has about a week to decide if he will come back for his senior season. Luke was scheduled for workouts for Miami, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Golden State, New Jersey, and Chicago.
Our top recruiting commitment, Chris Martin, is moving. The Scout #6 overall prospect has left Oakland, California for Princeton, New Jersey. For his senior season he will attend The Hun School. That's the college prep school freshman Tyler Stockton attended. Martin will be there for a full year and will not enroll early with the Irish.
Running back Darius Walker was back this spring to finish earning his degree. He also recently signed with the Denver Broncos. In 2008 he spent time with Houston and St. Louis but did not see action. In 2007 he played in four games for Houston.
We are 17th in the Directors' Cup after the first set of spring sports.
The women's lacrosse team had an excellent 2009 season. At the end of the regular season the ladies were #6 in the country. The team was 14-4 and 5-2 in the Big East. The Irish won the Big East title with a 12-10 victory over Georgetown. It's our first ever Big East Championship in women's lacrosse. The Big East title earned the squad an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. It was our 2nd consecutive NCAA and our fifth in eight years. First up was Vanderbilt. We were the #6 seed. We knocked them off 19-13. We took on North Carolina in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately our season ended at the hands of the Tar Heels with a 16-10 loss. We finished the year 16-5.
May 31, 2009
Campus News:
In late April, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed that Indiana's first reported case of swine flu was a Domer. The student's name, gender, and home state were not revealed. The student fell ill but recovered and is in good health. The University sent an email to faculty, staff, and students alerting them of the presence of swine flu on campus. Anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms was to visit University Health Services. Neither the CDC nor the state recommended closing down the University. The affected student, whose dorm was not named, had not recently traveled to Mexico. This was the only case reported on campus. It did not hinder finals or graduation.
And now for an update on the Eddy Street Commons project south of campus. The first set of stores and restaurants will be open in time for the upcoming football season. The anchor of the Commons project will be a "satellite" store of the Hammes Notre Dame Booktstore. The store will be set in the southeast corner of the development and take up approximately 20,000 square feet. The development will feature two sit-down restaurants. One is a seafood restaurant located east of the bookstore. The other is an Irish-themed restaurant and pub named Kildares. It will be situated on the first floor of the office building. A take-out pizzeria, Hot Box Pizza, will be a quick food option along with Chipotle, the Mexican fast food chain.
Also going in will be a bank, and a series of small specialty stores like jewelry stores, flower stores, and a day spa.
The first available housing is currently in escrow. The housing units are called City Homes and will feature three levels of living. There are conventional condos called Legends Row currently for sale. And the Foundry Apartments will be located above three retail buildings in the development.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
With warmer weather comes a renewed sense of passion and adventure for many students, and our first two explorers - we'll call her Lewis, him Clark - were certainly no exception. Perhaps afraid that at three months, their blossoming relationship was losing that experimental fire, they embarked in search of a new frontier. As the sun sank in the sky, Lewis and Clark sunk more and more of that friend of all explorers, the natural aphrodisiac now known as beer. Upon leaving the watering hole, our adventurers traversed a pavement jungle until they stumbled upon a plot containing rolling dirt hills and three floors of uncharted territory, destined to become the habitat of future off-campus Domers who are too good for the apartment complex formerly known as TC, also formerly home to the biggest rager of opening weekend before the university decided to systematically kill all fun. But I digress.
Our adventurers climbed to the top of this metaphorical peak where Clark flung aside his hard hat and showed Lewis his purple mountain's majesty. Awestruck by the view, she quickly removed her travelling attire as well. The two proceeded to explore each other in addition to the rest of the semi-finished building, navigating around nuts and bolts, rusty nails, and two-by- fours. Although the sun no longer lit their way (thankfully for any passerby) the electrical wiring had been completed, and artificial lighting likely made Lewis and Clark's journey visible from the street. When they completed their explorations and discovered what they came for, the two found themselves uncharacteristically disoriented. Although Clark's compass always pointed north, it was not enough to help the explorers find their way back to the room in which they left their clothes (at least not for the half hour or so spent frantically searching).
Hall Notes:
Speaking of swine flu....
New Chicago resident Tom "Tim" Mullarkey '97 was recently asked about the swine flu by a Chicago Tribune reporter. The May 1, 2009 piece was covering Vice President Joe Biden's suggestion that Americans worried about swine flu should avoid commuter trains. "I think he's causing just a little too much of a scare," said Tom Mullarkey, who was running errands without an ounce of hand sanitizer. "Outside of complaining that swine flu takes up the first 10 minutes of the newscast, I'm not concerned."
NDSportscenter:
The men's lacrosse team had a stellar season. The lads started strong and beat #3 North Carolina. They rose to #3 themselves. Soon enough the team was 6-0 and still #3. When the team got to 8-0 they had tied their best ever start to a season. Eventually they got up to #2 and were the only undefeated team remaining. The Irish even beat Ohio State in their football stadium. Over 30,000 left "The Shoe" after a 14-8 victory over the Suckeyes. The team finished the regular season 13-0 and 5-0 in the Great Western Lacrosse League. We won the league tournament 16-7 over the still-hapless Suckeyes. Despite being 15-0 we were given the #7 seed in the NCAAs. In the first round we were to face Maryland and Will Yeatman, our mid-year transfer. Sadly we lost 7-3 and finished the year 15-1.
Football news: cornerback Gary Gray is back after being out of school for a semester...Football tickets are now $68 for general admission. That's up $3 from last year....The Shirt 2009 was revealed this spring. This is the 20th shirt. Last year 135,000 units were sold. The sales earned over $600,000....We have a fourth recruit. Tight end Alex Welch of Cincinnati committed to us over Ohio State. The 6'5", 230 lb Welch attends Elder High, the same school that produced rising-sophomore tight end Kyle Rudolph. As a junior Alex averaged 15 yards per catch on 32 receptions. He had four touchdowns. Welch is the nephew of former Irish linebacker Steve Heimkreiter. Rivals rated him the 10th best tight end and gave him four stars. Scout has him as the 7th best tight end but only three stars (for now). Other schools offering Alex were Florida State, Michigan, Oklahoma, and boston college.
In late April fifteen students representing over 20 student groups met with Jenkins and presented a petition and letter in support of President Obama speaking at Commencement. Father Hesburgh is on record saying Jenkins did not err in inviting Obama and that his speaking is a good thing.
The student group ND Response, who was against the Obama invitation, initially was to meet with Jenkins at his request. However, that meeting was cancelled. Jenkins declined to meet with the group after they made several specific requests in a reply to his invitation. ND Response asked Jenkins to affirm the University's commitment to pro-life causes before they met, including requests to make a public "promise" not to allow practices offensive to the pro-life cause and appoint a pro-life ombudsperson. Jenkins withdrew the invitation because (as a University spokesperson stated) "they issued a set of demands as a precondition to the meeting." The group also requested the meeting be open to all coalition members (instead of limited to 25 students) and that a transcript and video of the meeting be made available after its conclusion. ND Response said they only made requests and never used the words "demand" or "precondition." They said the requests were items to discuss at the meeting and were meant to be "constructive and positive."
The University agreed to pay for the extra security required for the President's visit. Last time a president stayed overnight, the South Bend Police Department incurred overtime costs of $20,000. The SBPD worked with the Secret Service, St. Joseph County Police, Indiana State Police, and Notre Dame to coordinate security, including a motorcade. A fenced perimeter was created around the JACC. there appeared to be about a 100 to 200-yard perimeter with security and ushers at openings where only those with graduation tickets were allowed to pass.
The senior class voted Jenkins the Senior Class Fellow. The award is an "accolade traditionally given to a member of the Notre Dame community who has had a significant impact on the graduating class. The award was presented to Jenkins the Thursday before Commencement during the seniors' traditional last visit as students to the Basilica and Grotto. Jenkins said this of the award: "I can think of few honors that would mean more to me, and I am deeply moved by this award.... I feel especially close to these seniors since they enrolled at Notre Dame at the same time I began my presidency."
Prior to receiving the award Jenkins wrote a letter to the "Dear Members of the Notre Dame Graduating Class of 2009." But apparently the letter went out to the entire Notre Dame community because I received it via email from the University.
The arresting of protestors began the first full week of May. The first was that of Randall Terry, the leader of the largest protest. He and another entered campus with strollers and toy babies covered in artificial blood. Security said the protestors could accept a citation and be removed from campus. They peacefully refused and sought to be arrested. Media coverage was present. They immediately posted bond. The following week national figure Alan Keyes led a protest on campus. He too was arrested. The Friday before graduation six people were arrested. Nineteen were arrested on Saturday. Finally, 39 were taken into custody on graduation day. Alan Keyes was actually arrested twice. News reports said that a recently passed ordinance stated a second arrest would lead to jail time over the weekend without bond. Regardless, Keyes was able to post bond and was released on Saturday.
Another arrested was Norma McCorvey. She was the "Roe" in Roe v. Wade. She became an anti-abortionist in the mid-1990s. Her movement to the pro-life side took place after she converted to Christianity and then Catholicism. Interestingly she did not have an abortion after the Roe v. Wade decision. She gave birth to a girl and gave her up for adoption.
Three people were ejected from Commencement after shouting anti-abortion slogans during Obama's speech. One yelled "You owe an apology to the Mother of God!" After another yelled "Abortion is murder!" the crowd began to boo the heckler and chanted "We are ND!" Some students attending the ceremony had yellow crosses with baby feet drawn atop their mortarboards. They remained seated when Obama received his honorary degree and during the standing ovations he received.
About two dozen graduates accepted their degrees in an alternate commencement ceremony at the Grotto. A few hundred were in attendance. The ceremony was beamed via live feed on a large screen to the site of a pro-life rally just minutes earlier on the South Quad. Rally organizers asked the audience to watch on the screen instead of walking over to the Grotto because of the crowd's size. Hundreds attended the rally which also had an outdoor Mass. Bishop D'Arcy joined the rally and called students "heroes" for expressing their anger over the invitation to Obama. Some students who attended the rally carried signs declaring "Shame on Notre Dame" and "Stop Abortion Now." Many wore anti-abortion t-shirts, one of which depicted a leprechaun throwing a baby into a trash can and the words "May 17, 2009, The day the dome was forever tarnished."
NDSportscenter:
This a tad late. Bookstore Basketball came to a close in late April. Again the schedule was modified. In the past the Final Four was played on Saturday after the Blue-Gold Game. The Final was then played on Sunday. This time the tournament took the weekend off. The Final Four took place on Monday.
In one semi-final Hallelujah Holla Back knocked off Kramer Properties 21-17. At one point Kramer led 9-8. Then freshman tight end Joseph Fauria dunked on an opponent to tie the game and ignite his team. Two other football players - quarterback Dayne Crist and running back Jonas Gray - joined Fauria on Holla Back. After the game Fauria said they were "bringin' gangsta back to Catholicism."
The other semi-final pitted Main Street Pub, the #1 seed, against The Delivery Boys. Pub was on fire early. They had two steals, two breakaway layups, and went 2 for 2 from the line to open the game 10-0. The on-and-off drizzle did not aid in an epic comeback. The Delivery Boys kept pace in the second half but that was hardly good enough. The final score was 21-11.
The final of Main Street Pub versus Hallelujah Holla Back was played on Tuesday. Pub was not only the #1 seed but also the defending champion. Holla Back, meanwhile, was comprised entirely of freshmen. Pub led 11-9 at the break and opened it up to 17-12 at one point. Holla Back creeped back into it with a 5-0 run. The 6'7" Fauria was scoring despite being double and triple teamed most times he touched the ball. The combination of a tightly packed zone and cold shooting hurt the normally accurate Pub. The reigning Mr. Bookstore Carl Andersen, who finished with a game-high seven points, scored two buckets and put Pub up 19-17. They would not score again. Gray and Crist chipped in a couple points and Bookstore MVP Joseph Fauria put in a layup for the 21-19 victory.
Activist Randall Terry has committed himself full to the protest of the president. He has called this the "golden opportunity" for the pro-life movement. As of late April he had six full time staffers in the area. He stated many local alumni "are bending over backward to help us because of their outrage at this." He has held a press conference a the University's gates. Terry and about 20 volunteers also protested at the Chicago offices of two Board of Trustees members. One was the Chair, Richard Notebaert. The other was Arthur Velasquez. Terry said he had a personal meeting with Velasquez and said he asked him "to use whatever influence he could to cancel Obama's invitation and to have Rev. Jenkins dismissed as the president."
Terry stated there will be "two great benefits" from the protest. "Number one is there will be very few if any Catholic universities that commit this type of treachery in the near future. Number two is that we will so politically tar President Obama with the blood of the babies that he has condemned to die, that in 2012 he will not be able to seduce the Catholic and the evangelical vote like he was able to in 2008." He also chided the student response saying Notre Dame Response has "proven that they are not equal to the task, and unfortunately, they are deluded and diluted in their response." He continued: "The timidity of the response does not reflect the gravity of the crisis. When someone is in the open defiance of the laws of God, you openly reprove them."
Next item: In mid-April a group of alumni launched a website to attempt to quantify the amount of money the University will lose in donations as a result of the Obama invitation. The site - www.replacejenkins.com - asks alumni and donors to sign a petition with contact information and the total dollar amount they plan to withhold. They follow up with petition signers to ensure there are no "bogus amounts." The site states it supports academic freedom, but believes Obama delivering the Commencement address does not fall under that category. They consider the speech a "monologue" and not a dialogue as claimed by Jenkins. The petition signers are agreeing to withhold donations until Jenkins is replaced.
At the end of April the website claimed $8.2 million in withheld donations. The figure represents just under 800 donors, all of whom have been confirmed through phone or email exchanges. The site said there are numerous other donations totaling multi-millions of dollars that haven't been confirmed yet.
Next item: Mary Ann Glendon declined acceptance of the University's Laetare Medal at this year's Commencement because an honorary degree was being given to Obama. This is the first time the award has been accepted and then declined. The medal is the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics. Glendon, a former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, is currently the Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Jenkins said Glendon is "probably the most powerful spokesperson for the Catholic viewpoint in our world today." Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop John D'Arcy encouraged her to accept the award.
Glendon's letter to Jenkins was released to the public to make her statement clear.
"I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree," Glendon wrote, adding this disregarded the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 2004 document titled "Catholics in Political Life," which states Catholic institutions "should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles" and "should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."
"That request," Glendon wrote, "which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution's freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it."
Glendon wrote that she learned the University had issued "talking points" implying that her acceptance speech would somehow balance the event.
"A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame's decision - in disregard of the settle position of the U.S. bishops - to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church's position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice," she wrote.
Glendon wrote that she's also concerned Notre Dame's example could have a ripple effect.
Initially the University said it would give the medal to another. Then at the end of April it was announced that a medal would not be presented. Judge John T. Noonan Jr., the 1984 recipient will deliver an address in the spirit of the award at Commencement. This is the first time since 1883 that the medal will not be presented.
Next item: Bishop D'Arcy had urged people to not demonstrate against the president at Commencement. He said it would be "unseemly and unhelpful." The bishop also released a statement April 22 critical of Jenkins' argument that the University had not violated a statement made by U.S. bishops, saying the University has committed a "terrible breach" by inviting Obama to speak at Commencement.
A line from "Catholics in Political Life," a statement released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2004, states: "Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."
But Jenkins wrote in a letter to University Trustees earlier this month that administrators have "tried to follow both the letter and the spirit" of the document's recommendations. The letter, which has been circulated on the internet, was supposedly a "private correspondence" between Jenkins and the Trustees.
The letter from Jenkins states: "Because the title of the document is 'Catholics in Political Life,' we understood this to refer to honoring Catholics whose actions are not in accord with our moral principles. This interpretation was supported by canon lawyers we consulted, who advised us that, by definition, only Catholics who implicitly recognize the authority of Church teaching can act in 'defiance' of it."
Jenkins also wrote that he consulted with other university presidents, whose bishops have come to the same interpretation.
D'Arcy said in the statement that the meaning of the sentence in the document is clear, and the University's interpretation was wrong. He also said Jenkins should have consulted with him if there were questions about the document's interpretation.
"The failure to consult the local bishop who, whatever his unworthiness, is the teacher and lawgiver in the diocese, is a serious mistake," D'Arcy wrote.
NDSportscenter:
Time to catch up on some items...
Safety David Bruton was the 114th selection in the NFL Draft. He was taken in the 4th round (14th pick) by the Denver Broncos. That was our only player taken. But quite a few were picked up as free agents. David Grimes, despite missing our Pro Day while recovering from back surgery, was picked up by Denver. Terrail Lambert ran two 40s in the 4.3s at our Pro Day. The 49ers took notice as one of 21 scouts in attendance. Pat Kuntz got a deal from the Indianapolis Colts. Finally, the Dallas Cowboys signed tackle Mike Turkovich and fullback Asaph Schwapp.
Tim Brown has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. The '87 Heisman winner is our 43rd player to go in the hall. We also have six coaches enshrined. Combined we have more than any other school. While at ND Brown set 19 school records. The two-time All American averaged 117 all purpose yards per game for his career. Brown was selected by the Raiders with the 6th overall pick in the NFL Draft. He spent 16 years in the NFL. Tim lives in DeSoto, Texas and, amongst other things, is the National Chairman of Athletes and Entertainers for Kids. Lou Holtz called Brown the most intelligent football player he had ever been around.
Time for some catch up on the Directors' Cup. After the second set of winter sports we were 21st. After the final set of winter sports we were 26th.
Incoming women's basketball recruit Skylar Diggins is expected to play for the USA Junior National Team this summer.
Guard Trevor Robinson got a haircut. The long flowing locks no longer cascade down his shoulder pads. It was cut for charity. The cut was for the St. Baldwick's Foundation, whose mission is to raise awareness and funds to cure kids' cancer.
Campus News, Campus Watch, Hall Notes & NDSportscenter
The Censored List (2009)
It's back. Last year's "Non-Offending List" was tepid. In 2008 the Goody Two Shoes (what does that even mean?) stifled The Censored List by fabricating names to replace banished ones. Therefore, no teams were technically censored and given the name "Team ###." Something similar was attempted this year. However...fool me once, shame on you. Try to fool me twice, screw you. I got the list. "How?", you may ask. One word: waterboarding. (It works, baby.)
But the number of censored teams was only about two- thirds as many as in the past. And actually only a little over 60 percent of the teams decided to get in on this. (Usually about 80 percent want to play ball.) Because the numbers are down, accepted team names will be incorporated this year. That's right, it's a hybrid. The Censored List, usually known for being blue, is also going green. You red it here. Purple.
We'll open with a list of axed teams that were victimized by UrbanDictionary.com, a tool utilized by the tools that re-tool the team list. Most of these teams claim they had no idea their name had a negative connotation. I'll say it only once: negative connotations are a positive....
Rocky Mountain HIGH
Laf 30 and a Mexican
Hung Dong Millionaires
Pablo Sanchez & the Humongous Melons
Droppin' Loads
One Eyed Willie & the Wonder Whistles
Afternoon Delight
Too Chubi
FML
The Well Mannered Pianists
Snow Bank
Hot Karl & the Steamy Stinkers
Key Lime Pie
The Pen Is Mightier
Below the Rim
Donkey Slayers
Cookies and Cream
Kids in a Sandbox
Team Thunderclap
These are a few teams that were censored and I cannot understand why. The randomly assigned names for these teams were sad. And judging by the unimaginative and monosyllabic monikers, I can only surmise the process was performed by a Michigan grad....
Team Huge
J-U-ICE
Taste It
Rice, Beans, and a Cashew
Lady Kaka's Carne Molida
One of the things I like about Bookstore names is how creative the teams get with current events. And you can tell when names were submitted based on the news event. Here are some UNCENSORED names....
Plaxico Burress' Run N' Gun Offense
Better Shoots Than Plaxico
We Shoot Like Plax
The Most Embarrassing Shooting Since Plaxico Burress
We Drive Like Barkley
Charles Barkley's School of Driving
Charles Barkley Is Our Designated Driver
We Only Juiced From 2001-2003
Roe v. Dwyane Wade
Donte' Stallworth's Killer Drives
We're More Lost Than NFL Players at Sea
And these were CENSORED....
Michael Phelps Seeded Us High
Smoke 'Em Like Michael Phelps
Sean Avery's Sloppy Seconds
How 'bout some UNCENSORED political current events....
Our Fathers Worked for Lehman
Bernie Madoff Madoff with Our Talent
Fidunkciary Duty
Barack O'Ballers
The Stimulating Package
Obama's Package Stimulators
Stop Checking Our My Stimulus Package
Since Obama's Coming Do We All Get Part of the
Championship? (that is HILARIOUS!)
This was the CENSORED political non-current event...
Slick Willy's Cigar (I said "non-current"...this is three presidents ago! Can someone please take a shot at Jimmy Carter already?!)
The following was the most popular current event. These were UNCENSORED....
Chris Brown's Greatest Hits
Chris Brown's Bite
Chris Brown Stompers
Hits Like Chris Brown
The Chris Brown Beat Down
More Physical Than Chris Brown
We Will Beat You Down Like Chris Brown
If We Don't Beat You Chris Brown Will
We Get Beat Worse Than Rihanna
Chris Brown's Anger Management Council
Unlike Rihanna, We Get Our Hands Up on Defense
All of those were fine. But this one apparently crossed the line and was CENSORED....
Rihanna Deserved It (Oh snap! No they di'n't!)
Surprisingly, there were only a few teams that tried to sneak by with the scent of alcohol. There used to be a time when college and alcohol went together, kind of like a SMC chick and the morning- after pill. (Be offended all you want. Too good to pass up. That's the joke the Keenan Revue wishes it could do.) These were alcoholic non-anonymous and were censored....
King Cobras
Revenge of the Admiral Nelsons
Next are the Notre Dame names. These are team names by Domers for Domers. This particular group of names was UNCENSORED....
Jobless Wonders
You May Be Better at Basketball But We Can Park on Campus
We Do It Better on Ice (women's hockey, methinks)
Two of Us Have Been Thrown Out of the Backer
Patrick Newcomer is Awesome (team captain:
Patrick Newcomer)
Anything Your Mother Would Deem Disrepectful
Urban Dictionary This
We Could Play in the NIT Too
Men Against Men Against Violence (in reference to
campus group "Men Against Violence")
Women Against Men Against Men Against Violence
We Stick to You Like Finnies Floor
You Can Take Away PigTostal But You Can't Take
Away Our Freedom!
We're Just Not That Into Parietals
We Block More Than Shots: Sorin Hall Staff
DuLak Shakur
These University-affiliated names were CENSORED....
Do It For the Peoples
Peoples = More Than One People
Will Yeatman is our DD
But these are harmless, correct? Well, there is a policy that team names mentioning a person of the University are automatically censored. (Except, of course, the previously mentioned Patrick Newcomer. Who is awesome.) So basketball player Jonathon "Peoples" was mentioned in two of these names. And Will Yeatman...but, wait...he's not a person of the University. He's in the same realm as the uncensored Charles Barkley. He chose to transfer to Maryland to be a terrapin. A turtle? Dude, seriously. I guess it's not that bad. Word on the street is that Maryland is getting a new mascot. Yeatman will soon be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Terrapin. Yeah, well take your shell and your reptilian martial arts and be gone. So saith the president of the Kyle Rudolph Fan Club.
The double-entendre. Two meanings at one time. One basketball and the other... Well, its enough to bring a tear to the eye of even the most hardcore AC/DC fan. If ever there was a band meant to name Bookstore teams, it's AC/DC. Their song titles speak for themselves..."Ballbreaker"..."Big Balls"..."She's Got Balls." (Were these gents to acquire testicular cancer, it would be the downfall of rock n roll.) These teams were UNCENSORED....
Balls N' Dolls (ladies team)
Our Smile Isn't the Only Thing That's Contagious...
Ball-er? I Don't Even Know Her!
We Charge Way More Than Five Dollars for Our Footlongs
These teams were CENSORED....
Shots R Us: We Can Dunk...on Fisher Prince Hoops (women's team!)
Victory Virgins
Farquad Free Ballers
5 Guys, 1 Ball, 1 Holes
Hit It & Quit It (women's team!!)
Six Inch Vertical
The Money Shots: We're Not 1st Round Busts (women's team!!!)
Take It to the Hole
Shoot In Your Eye
The next grouping consists of only two teams, one censored and one uncensored. The initial reading of the uncensored team only illicited a chuckle, not an alarm. It was only after reading the censored team that the Roman Catholic upbringing kicked in...
Uncensored team....
Miley Cyrus Slumber Party
Censored team....
Why Does Michael Jackson Like 28 Year Olds? Because There Are 20 of Them?
There is one final collection of team names. These were blatant. And for that they have my admiration. Unfortunately these team names were not invited to the master list. Do you know why they did not receive an invitation?...I do. It's because they aren't pro-abortion and President of the United States. I'm just sayin'....
We're Effing In, You're Effing Out Off the Team (a ladies team; they were beaten...or was it the other way around?) Male Intellectuals Looking For Sport (acronym, methinks) Pat Macock Cayman Cider
We have come to the final censored team name. It may not be the funniest, but it's certainly at the top when it comes to creativity. It works on multiple levels. It's part Urban Dictionary, party History channel, and all classic.....
Amelia Earhart and the Landing Strips
How sweet it is. They sullied the name of a significant historical figure, got in touch with their inner jackass, and made me incredibly proud all at the same time. Tip of the cap.
Another list has come to a close. If it has caused you to smile, laugh, or despise me with the passion of a thousand suns, then I will consider it a job well done. See you next year. Hopefully.
Campus News:
More reaction to the Obama invitation...
On Sunday April 5 a prayer rally was held to protest the president speaking at the Commencement ceremony. The prayer rally was attended by approximately 400 people. The rally took place in front of the Main Building. The protest was a kickoff to the student response, according to the campus Right to Life Club president. The rally consisted of several speeches and a rosary prayer. White flowers were passed out to be placed at the Grotto. The flowers were meant to represent "the innocent life of children that are aborted." The event was described as a "respectful, prayer-centered disagreement."
The rally was attended by known anti-abortion activist Randall Terry. Terry created the website stopobamanotredame.com, which not only calls for Obama to be un-invited but also for Jenkins to be dismissed. He had a large banner with pictures of Jesus on the cross, Jenkins, Obama and a fetus that said "Would you invite Pilate after he condemned Christ?" His larger goal is to create "a political slime pot" in hopes Obama will change his mind about coming instead of wading "through the political mud." Terry plans to be at Commencement to protest and "create such a crisis around this that no other Catholic university stoops to this level of atrocity in the near future." Terry has established an office in South Bend. He also moved his family here in early April.
ND Response is holding a 40-day rosary campaign which began 40 days prior to graduation day. The campaign hopes "for the conversion of President Barack Obama's heart." The aim is to have one million rosary prayers by Commencement. Each rosary prayer can be logged on the ND Response website.
Campus Watch from Scholastic by the Gipper:
Continuation from last week...
The group thought Mr. Skywalker was gone forever, but nay, nay, nay! On their walk back from the pizza joint, fate allowed yet another encounter: This time, he was passed out on a bench outside the hospital. In an attempt to reach one of Skywalker's friends, the group searched through his phone, eventually deciding that the person listed as "Trashcan" must be a trusty acquaintance, because why would you call someone "Trashcan" in your phone if you didn't have a close, loving relationship with him? Luckily, Trashcan answered the call and promised to come rescue Skywalker. Soon after, a group of people partying in a pick-up truck spotted Skywalker and enthusiastically waved him down. Hearing about the escapade via the group's translation (Skywalker couldn't talk, quite obviously), they simply laughed, claiming that ol' Skywalker stumbles away for daytime drunken naps in South Bend all the time. Finally feeling that their new friend was in good hands, our group kissed Skywalker good-bye and departed, consciences clear.
Hall Notes:
The school year is drawing to a close. I believe classes end this week. Do you remember what you did the weekend before classes ended? Hall storage. Time to load all of your big furniture into the Carroll semi. This was, of course, one of the drawbacks to being on the fourth floor. You do down all those stairs and then have to boost it up into a truck. The couch is the most brutal move. Thankfully we have large, wide stairwells. Unfortunately the floors are taller than average. The worst couch is that with a hide-a-bed or recliner seats. Bob Fincutter '97 had one. I believe he had two recliners on the ends. That was some heavy metal. As I recall, the trio carrying it was Bob (a former high school power lifter) on one end, myself underneath with it on my shoulders, and offensive lineman Tim Ridder on the other end. How tough was the move? Let's put it this way... the o-lineman was done for the day afterward.
NDSportscenter:
Last weekend the stadium was the site of the 80th Blue-Gold Game. The final spring event had a wild scoring system that resulted in an 68-33 Blue victory. Charlie wanted to establish the running game and was given a 221 yard performance. Robert Hughes ran for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jonas Gray collected 89 yards and put it in the end zone once. Armando Allen, who was named the offensive MVP, ran for 70 yards.
The defensive MVP was Robert Blanton. He picked off a Jimmy Clausen pass and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown. After the score, the defense celebrated by engaging in a brief game of "Duck-Duck-Goose." There was other stellar defensive play. The d-line recorded 3 sacks and had 5.5 of the 11 tackles for a loss. Early enrollee Tyler Stockton had four tackles. Freshman Ethan Johnson was a beast. He had 6 tackles, 2 of those for a combined loss of 13 yardss.
The crowd was the fifth largest ever at 31,104. Amongst those in attendance was Joe Montana, whose youngest son, Nick, is being recruited by the Irish. Plenty of other recruits were at the game. The Montanas were able to watch family member, Nate, the older brother of Nick. Nate was 2 of 2 for 51 yards in the game. The quarterbacks were overshadowed by the backs last Saturday. Clausen was 8 of 17 for 70 yards and one interception. Dayne Crist was 4 of 10 for 40 yards.
Other notes: Kicker Brandon Walker converted on his only field goal attempt. It was from 48 yards....committed receiver Roby Toma visited campus for the first time for the game. He came from Honolulu and attends the same school as incoming linebacker Manti Te'o....sounds like Te'o will get his high school number, #5. Armando Allen will have it on offense. We already have a #9 on defense (Ethan Johnson) and offense (Kyle Rudolph).
Campus News:
Three more campus building projects have begun to be designed. A new student center, a hockey arena, and a renovation of the first floor of the library are the planned projects. Construction is slated to begin for all three in 2010.
The student center will be called the Strayer Center. It will be located east of the Stepan Center and will cost around $28 million. The building will be traditional, with a Gothic style similar to recently built structures on campus.
The University is currently in the process of finding an architecture firm to design the hockey arena. It will also have a gothic appearance and will have a fieldhouse look. The arena will be east of the stadium near the softball field. The cost is estimated to be $45 million.
The library renovation will be approximately $13 million. The re-design will bring more light to the first floor amongst other things.
The three projects have received the necessary funding which allows the design to begin. The Strayer Center and the library projects have been completely funded. The University has "some of the money in hand" for the hockey arena. Because of that they are in the preliminary process of looking for an architecture firm for the project. The construction funding policy requires 100 percent of the funds to be pledged, 75 percent of the funds to be paid, and the remaining 25 percent due within the next five years. Donations fund all building projects.
Other projects are waiting for funding. Those would include two new dorms, which will be located east of Pasquerilla East Hall and Knott Hall, a multidisciplinary science engineering building, and a new art museum. Once the funding comes for these projects it will take about 12 to 24 months to design them.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
As St. Patrick's Day continued, so did the debauchery, which leads Gipp to his next tale: The Mysterious Case of Mr. Skywalker the Ninja. One group of students, after a morning and afternoon of hearty celebration, soon found themselves indulging in pizza at a local establishment. Their holiday enthusiasm was noted - but humored - by the wait staff... until the arrival of Mr. Skywalker the Ninja. Near the end of the meal, our group's waitress announced, "Your friend is here." Confused, the group insisted its party was complete: Who could she possibly mean? Checking outside, the group found a festively-clothed man sleeping on the hood of a car in the parking lot; due to their belligerence, the waitress assumed this drunken, sleepy man must be a friend. And our Samaritans, despite not knowing him, decided they would attempt to care for this lost soul - whom Gipp will call Mr. Skywalker the Ninja. In the restaurant, Mr. Skywalker the Ninja proceeded to avoid using any words.
Instead, he nodded affirmatively to three out of seven questions, most of which did not ask for yes-or-no responses (for example: "Who are your roommates?" *vigorous nodding*). After rejecting pepperoni pizza, Mr. Skywalker nodded at the prospect of plain cheese pizza. Given plain cheese pizza, he angrily rejected it. Mr. Skywalker could not be pleased; moreover, he could not be understood. And when one member of the intervention group looked down to get something out of her purse, by the time she looked up, Mr. Skywalker had disappeared, in her words, "LIKE A NINJA."
Hall Notes:
For those of you hoping to enjoy some hilarious Bookstore Basketball team names of the censored variety, you'll have to wait a couple of weeks. I am a bit behind schedule after going on vacation for a week and a half. I hope to contact the censored team captains this week and get replies throughout the week. Unfortunately it takes a while to add commentary and shape the compiled list. The plan is to begin the writing this week. It's a fun tradition and I hope to keep it going as long as I can still come up with some decent jokes.
NDSportscenter:
The men's basketball team finished the year with a 67-59 loss to Penn State in the NIT. We've lost 8 of our last 11 at Madison Square Garden. Our final record was 21-15. It is our most losses since 1999-2000. And then on April 16 Luke Harangody had a press conference to announce his future. He stated he was going pro but would not sign with an agent. Luke can return to school for his senior year. If he chooses to do so he will need to withdraw his name from the draft by June 15.
Women's basketball recruit Skylar Diggins recently competed in the McDonald's All American game. Her team lost by one 69-68. Diggins was impressive in the loss. She scored 18 points, grabbed five rebounds, and stole the ball three times. Her play earned her co-MVP honors. Skylar was also the winner of the McDonald's 3-point shootout.
After the first set of winter sports we were 12th in the Directors' Cup for athletic excellence.
Hockey senior center Christian Hanson signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs just days after the Irish lost in the NCAA tournament. Hanson was an undrafted free agent. Other interest came from the New York Rangers, the San Jose Sharks, the Vancouver Canucks, and the New York Islanders. And just like that he was scheduled to play in the NHL on April 2. Hanson was named 2nd Team All CCHA. His pro base salary is $787,000 with a signing bonus of $87,500 for each year. He was to play in the final five games of the season and then return to school to graduate. Then on April 7 he scored his first career NHL goal. He scored in a 4-1 Toronto victory over New Jersey. Christian scored on goalie Martin Brodeur, his favorite player.
Goalie Jordan Pearce also signed a two-year entry level contract. It was with the Detroit Red Wings. This past year Pearce was 30-6-3 with 8 shutouts. He allowed 1.68 goals per game and had a save percentage of .931.
Campus News:
It seems as if there will be Obama news until Commencement. The latest is that the head of the religious orders that founded the University has asked President Obama to reconsider support of abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research before he speaks on campus. Rev. Hugh Clearly, the superior general of the Congregation of the Holy Cross in Rome, wrote a 13 page letter. In it he wrote: "Mr. President, may I be so audacious as to suggest that you have made a mistake in your position supporting abortion rights as the law of the land.... May I suggest, with all humility for I am far from perfect, that you give your conscience a fresh opportunity to be formed anew in a holy awe and reverence before human life in every form at every stage - from conception to natural death." The letter was written March 22 and made public on March 31.
In other news....
Our School of Architecture recently received a top 10 ranking in the annual America's Best Architecture Schools survey. The survey is conducted annually by the Design Futures Council. Last year we were ranked 12th. The highest rating we have ever received is ninth. The rankings are determined based on which colleges' students are preferred by top architecture firms looking to recruit employees for their company. Our program has dedicated faculty and our curriculum is unique. We have a year where students study abroad in Rome. That is a contributing factor to our high ranking. The year in Rome provides students with knowledge about the historical aspect of architecture.
Next week news will be provided on construction plans for three new buildings that have received their necessary funding.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Some of the earliest St. Patrick's Day revelers started with the sun, and perhaps even a little before. In one fateful Route 23 house, a group of Ireland's finest supporters congregated with emerald-toned beverage, singing drinking songs and kegstanding before the clock even struck 8 in the morn. On the porch and on the roof, the green-clad group raised their solo cups (the only red-hued part of their day) to the commuting workers of South Bend, earning many a fist-pump and honk in support. Raising their glasses to a passing bus of elementary students was a questionable endeavor, but even the young ones enthusiastically cheered on their drinking. While Gipp acknowledges that a St. Paddy's Day extravaganza hardly needs a reason, this party had a purpose: a PARADE! So when the clock struck 9, the revelers grabbed their instruments - bagpipes, trumpets, keyboards and all - and headed straight down Notre Dame Avenue with fireworks exploding behind them. They biked. They skipped. They sprinted. They jigged. Taking up an entire lane of traffic, the parade marked by its leading banner with the informative word PARADE - made its way toward Notre Dame's hallowed gates, passing many a professor and T.A. along the way. After an inspirational speech on the lawns of the university, the parade continued its march into the halls of DeBartolo, disrupting important research with chants of "PARADE! PARADE! PARADE!" and an attack of bouncy balls. Outside of the building, our valiant paraders took a jigging respite before continuing on to LaFortune for some LaFun. Despite the fact that an NDSP officer was now pursuing the parade at a nice 4 mph clip, the revelers did not look back. Instead, they paraded into LaFortune amid cheers from Huddle and Burger King staff. One NDSP officer, abandoning his vehicle, soon infiltrated the parade on foot. Only after the Parade had conquered the entire city of South Bend, DeBartolo and the LaFortune Student Center were the encroaching police forces able to halt this Irish merriment. They may have confiscated use of the banner, but the spirit of the Parade had already captured campus. Gipp salutes those gallant lads and lasses who led the charge that day! May the Parade forever be a testament to the Catholic character of Notre Dame!
Hall Notes:
It's Bookstore time again. I am unaware of any Vermin teams that are making a run at the title. Usually at this time of year I recount a Carroll Bookstore Basketball moment. More of the same this year. But this year's entry is about the Vermin that DIDN'T play. You see, I've never actually seen Kevin "Cricket" Reichart '96 engage in any sort of athletic adventure. He always signed up, though. However, come game time, he always had an excused absence. Class. A meeting. Group work. Never had I seen a Bookstore career so derailed. Kevin's team always seemed to be named "One and Out." The moniker fit. Unfortunately Kevin never came to his team's rescue. Unlike Tom Mullarkey '97, who illegally played on approximately 14 teams in four years, Mr. Reichart may be the only Bookstore "participant" to have a record of 0-0. Let it be known, the man was undefeated.
NDSportscenter:
The University has finally announced which players will be back for a fifth year. Cornerback/special teamer Mike Anello, offensive tackle Paul Duncan, safety Ray Herring, safety Kyle McCarthy, and linebacker Scott Smith have all graduated or will graduate this May. They will enroll in graduate studies this fall.
Quarterback Evan Sharpley will be dedicated full-time to baseball. He will not be back for a fifth year of football. We have only two quarterbacks - Clausen and Crist - on scholarship. Our third string is walk-on Nate Montana, Joe's son.
Former Irish running back Darius Walker is back on campus. Walker had left for the NFL after his junior year. He is back to get his degree. Darius is nine credit hours away from graduation.
Due to his baseball commitment, Golden Tate will only participate in about a third of the spring football practices. Tate excels on the diamond as well. As of this writing he is batting .336 with 7 RBIs and 21 runs scored. Golden is also six for six in stolen bases.
Spring practice has been an interesting time for the team. Senior-to-be running back James Aldridge is moving to fullback and will most likely stay there is he wants to get on the field. The defense has officially switched to a 4-3 formation even though we technically had four down linemen on almost every play last year. Injuries have limited some players. Guard Trevor Robinson, defensive end Darius Fleming, and early enrollee E.J. Banks were all sidelined from the start. Currently early enrollee Zeke Motta is penciled in as a starting linebacker.
There will be no fantasy footbal camp this year. The stadium is undergoing construction. The north end is being renovated. Work will be done to the lower bowl seats, the lockerrooms, the training room, and the equipment room. Also receiving renovations will be the tunnel and nearby storage areas.
Campus News and Campus Watch:
As most of you may have heard, President Obama has been invited to be the keynote speaker at the upcoming 164th Commencement. In addition to delivering the May 17 address, Obama will be the recipient of an honorary doctor of laws degree. He is the ninth U.S. President to be awarded an honorary degree and the sixth to speak at Commencement. President Bush was the most recent in 2001. The first was by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1960. President George H.W. Bush came in 1992 while President Jimmy Carter was here in 1977. President Ronald Reagan spoke in 1981 in what was his first public appearance after surviving the assassination attempt.
Not too long after the announcement, the University began taking heat due to Obama's stance on abortion. President Jenkins responded by making a distinction between honoring the president and supporting his political views. Jenkins said, "Presidents from both parties have come to Notre Dame for decades to speak to graduates about our nation and our world. They're given important addresses on international affairs, human rights, service, and we're delighted that President Obama is continuing that tradition." Concerning the abortion issue Jenkins declared, "We are not ignoring the critical issue of the protection of life. On the contrary, we invited him because we care so much about those issues, and we hope for this to be the basis of an engagement with him." He continued, "You cannot change the world if you shun the people you want to persuade, and if you cannot persuade them, show respect for them and listen to them.
The swiftest response came from the Cardinal Newman Society (CNS), a group that describes itself in its mission statement as "dedicated to renewing and strengthening Catholic identity at America's 224 Catholic colleges and universities." They launched a website - www.NotreDameScandal.com - with an online petition showing outrage at the Obama invitation. As of this writing, over 220,000 signatures are on the petition. In 2008 Jenkins said this of the CNS: "The Newman Society has no ecclesiastical standing and no academic standing. For me, it resembles nothing more than a political action committee."
The next response came from the Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop. Bishop John D'Arcy announced he will not attend the 2009 Commencement. D'Arcy challenged the University to question whether or not "by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth." D'Arcy wrote that Obama has "brough the American government, for the first time in history, into supporting direct destruction of innocent human life." The Bishop was referring to the executive order Obama signed permitting federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. The order reversed the ban put in place by President Bush. D'Arcy also expressed, "I wish no disrespect to our President, I pray for him and wish him well. I have always revered the Office of the Presidency. But a bishop must teach the Catholic faith 'in season and out of season,' and he teaches not only by his words - but by his actions." D'Arcy has not attended in the past as well. In 1992 the University honored Senator Daniel Patrick. Moynihan. That was over abortion.
The story went national, of course. The University had to come out and stand by its invitation. The University spokesman emailed the Associated Press: "I don't foresee a circumstance in which we would rescind the invitation." Father Jenkins has most likely been bombarded with feedback. The online petition provided readers the phone number, email and mailing address of Father Jenkins. Concerning the volume of complaints, the spokesman said it was "nothing beyond what we anticipated." Really?
Hall Notes:
Do you know what show MTV needs to do that I still wouldn't watch?...."Room Picks." It's that time of year. Ya know, students would skip classes and not blink an eye. But nobody missed room picks. The story was that if you were late you went to the end of the list. I had my future roommates freaked out back in the day. I forgot room picks because I was watching some Bookstore games. But I got back just in time. Luck of the one-eighth Irish.
Room picks was the original "Survivor." There were alliances. There was strategy. Nobody wanted to be the odd man out. And in the end there was only one top pick. It was like the NFL Draft with the only difference being everything.
NDSportscenter:
The hockey team fell in the first round of the NCAA tournament. We were stunned 5-1 by Bemidji State. They were the lowest seeded team in the 16-team tournament. Bemidji was 18-15-1. We gave up the first goal 1:42 into the game. It was all uphill from there. We had 35 shots to their 19. The Irish finished the year 31-6-3.
The women's basketball team also fell in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The ladies were hosting the first two rounds and were the #7 seed. Minnesota was the #10 seed and they dropped us 79-71. The ladies finished the year 22-9.
Yet another NCAA tournament to report on. Our men and women fencers made it to the national tournament. We qualified the maximum number of 12 fencers, six men and six women. After the first day we were in third. We climbed to second but could not overcome Penn State who won the title.
How 'bout an NCAA meet? Four Domers went to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Our highest finishers were Patrick Smyth and Joanna Schultz. Smyth earned his sixth All-American honor with an eighth place finish in the 3000 meters with a time of 8:01.56. Schultz became a first time All-American with a 54.06 time and an eighth place finish in the 400 meter dash. Junior Matt Schipper was 14th in the pole vault. Finally, Mary Saxer cleared 13-3 1/2 ft to finish ninth in the women's pole vault.
One last NCAA meet. We sent three women to swim at the national meet. Sophomore Samantha Maxwell was on fire. She set a school record in a 100 breaststroke preliminary with a first-ever sub-1:00 time of 59.73 seconds. She did even better in the final with 59.44. That was good for sixth and an All-American honor. The team finished 31st.