Campus News:
In an email to the Notre Dame Family, Father Jenkins appears to be countering the criticism he took for inviting President Obama to campus. Jenkins announced that he plans to participate in the March for Life on January 22 in Washington D.C. Jenkins wrote, "I plan to participate in that march. I invite other members of the Notre Dame family to join me and I hope we can gather for a Mass for Life at that event."
Jenkins also formed a campus Task Force on Supporting the Choice for Life. The task force is to consider and recommend ways that the University can support the sanctity of life as informed by Catholic teaching. The task force has begun to discuss the followingpossibilities: "fostering serious and specific discussion about a reasonable conscience clause; the most effective ways to support pregnant women, especially the most vulnerable; and the best policies for encouraging adoptions."
In other news...
Some students and faculty have created petitions to improve the library. The point was made that we are trying to sell ourselves as a top research university. To do so we need a top research library. The petitions are mainly asking that the University dedicate itself to acquiring more books and increasing its collection size. In the number of volumns added each year, we fell from 27th to 49th between 2001 and 2008, according to the Association of Research Libraries. We trail seven of the eight Ivy League schools and ten of the eleven in the Big Ten.
Of the more than 1,100 student signatures on one petition, nearly 80 percent are undergraduates. And this is on the petition developed by graduate students. Nearly 200 faculty members signed their own petition.
More next week.
Campus Watch by The Gipper from Scholastic:
We begin the fall festivities with a tale featuring three equally exciting elements: the police, stolen goods, and $20 worth of Martin's Supermarket gift cards. One senior Domer, for the first time residing off-campus, made the alcohol-induced decision to pay a visit to Dillon, his alma mater residence hall. We shall call him the Peach Pirate, for upon entering the home of the Big Red, our hungry hijacker had to think only briefly of his empty pantry before plundering a large box of peaches and a moving dolly. Not bothering to contemplate the peaches' perplexing placement, the fruity fiend took off with his pillage on a solo voyage down Notre Dame Avenue. The Pirate, feeling fortuitous to have avoided walking the plank of a ravenous enemy lurking on the open seas of South Bend, was happy to appease the police officer that anchored a squad ship in his path. The Peach Pirate boarded the ship and was accosted with his captain's obligatory lecture on stealing before being curiously awarded $20 in Martin's gift cards. Feeling like a first-rate first mate, our starved senior can now treat his crew to a few quality six-packs or himself to approximately 17 iced chocolate-chocolate-chip muffins from Martin's bakery. The only things missing from this bizarre anecdote are nudity and a middle-aged townie (although hopefully not at the same time).
Hall Notes:
So who won? Carroll or St. Ed's? Last year St. Ed's had an undefeated regular season. They continued their solid play by scoring first in this game. St. Ed's scored on a pass play early in the second quarter. But Vermin junior defensive end Kris Kast blocked the extra point. Then it was Carroll's turn. A clutch 15-yard catch by freshman Bo Brinkman put the Vermin at the 1-yard line. Junior quarterback Brian Vaio snuck it in from there. The Vermin converted the point after attempt. The game score remained that way into the 4th. With 7:20 left, St. Ed's took possession. They advanced the ball and earned a new set of downs after a big 3rd down play. Four consecutive incomplete passes turned the ball over to the Vermin who ran out the clock. 1-0 to start the year. Next up: Fisher.
NDSportscenter:
Mike Brey's other recent recruit it a 6'4" guard. Jerian Grant of Hyattsville, Maryland is our 3rd basketball commitment. Rivals rates him as the 92nd best player in the country. He attends DeMatha Catholic High School, which is Brey's old high school. Grant is friends with Eric Atkins, one of our other verbals. Both he and Atkins received three stars. Jerian's father is former NBA pro Harvey Grant. Harvey is the twin brother of Horace Grant of Chicago Bulls fame. Jerian's stats are a bit misleading. As a junior he averaged 7 ppg, 5 rpg, and 5 apg. But the kid is still a player despite not putting up big numbers. Prior to committing to us, Grant looked at DePaul and Providence.
The volleyball team had a huge victory early in its season. The ladies beat #5 Stanford in straight sets. This was only the second time since 1993 that we have beaten a top 5 team.
So Evan Sharpley is back on the football team after a brief stint playing pro baseball. How did Evan do in the minors? At one point he had an 11-game hit streak. During the streak he hit .500 with two homers and 10 RBIs. In his 11-team league he was third in home runs (7), walks (19), slugging (.648), and on-base percentage (.438). Evan was fourth in doubles (12) and runs scored (30), fifth in RBIs (29) and seventh in batting average (.344). Sharpley also stole four bases in six attempts. In four years of college he only stole one base.
Campus News:
The University recently received a gift to establish a new undergraduate scholarship fund. The gift was $35 million. The gift came from Mark W. and Stacey Miller Yusko of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Both are Domers. Mark is founder, president and chief investment officer of Morgan Creek Capital Management, a registered investment advising firm. Stacey is the director of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Meals on Wheels program and a member of the University's advisory council for the College of Arts and Letters. Mark earned a double degree in biology and chemistry in '85 and then an MBA from the University of Chicago. Stacey earned her degree in English in '86 and then a master's in library science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The donation will create the Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Program, "merit scholarship and enrichment initiative that will seek to attract talented undergraduate students to Notre Dame." A total of 20 scholars will be selected annually. Recipients will be selected based on "academic accomplishments, exemplary integrity and moral character, demonstrated leadership abilities, and a commitment to a life of service embracing the values of Catholic social tradition." Each scholar will receive four years of scholarship awards of $25,000 per year. The program will also include summer enrichment experiences, seminars and service-learning projects during the academic year, career advising, and alumni mentoring and networking.
The dollar amount of the gift ties the previous third-largest gift in the University's history.
Campus Watch by Me:
Yes, we lost to Michigan. It's difficult to complain about outside forces when your defense gives up 31 points. And if your special teams give up 7 points, they better score 7 of their own. That being said, the refs were terrible. It was perhaps THE top discussion item during the post-game press conference. Charlie did submit a tape to the Big 10 officials. I don't know exactly what he submitted but some items were posted on the net by game viewers. The biggest posting was at NDNation.com. A ground view photo was obtained of Armando Allen's called-back touchdown. The photo shows his foot NOT out of bounds. Another photo shows 01 seconds on the play clock with the ball halfway between the center and Jimmy in the shotgun. "Delay of game" had been called. Another photo shows a blatant arm grab on Golden Tate that was not called pass interference. The South Bend Tribune website had a posting on an apparent punch during the game. A Michigan defender was shown apparently uppercutting center Eric Olsen in the throat/chin area. Likely nothing will come of it, but the facts were presented and the points made.
Hall Notes:
The Vermin football season started this weekend. First up, St. Ed's. Carroll returns nearly its entire roster. The Vermin were 1-2-1 last year. Some consider that a "fluke." They feel they were better than their record reflected. St. Ed's is looking to contain Carroll's junior quarterback, Brian Vaio. Apparently our QB is very athletic and probably a playmaker with his arm and feet. Side note: the teams are competing for the heart of Lyons Hall. Both are the brother dorm of Lyons. Whatever. Lyons is ours.
NDSportscenter:
Well, Michael Floyd is obviously done for awhile. He had been leading the nation in receiving yards per game and yards per catch. He should be ready for the bowl game, but we sure could use him for Stanford. Also, Jimmy's foot injury was severe enough that he had to have X-rays taken. By the way, Jimmy's passing efficiency is 2nd in the nation. His lack of interceptions is keeping him near the top.
Mike Brey has landed a couple more commitments for next year. We'll touch on one this week and the other next week. Alex Dragicevich is a 6'6" shooting guard. He plays for Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois. Scout only gives him two stars. That seems like an underrating. As a junior he averaged 21 ppg and 6 rpg. His play and style has been compared to Colin Falls. Alex had interest from Colorado, Miami (Ohio), Rhode Island, and Utah. He seriously considered Oklahoma State and Xavier.
The #10 men's soccer team opened the new Alumni Stadium with a 5-0 win over #21 Michigan. And soon the team will be without two top players. Sophomore central defender Aaron Maund and freshman midfielder Dillon Powers will join the Under 20 World Cup team. They are two of twenty-one on the U.S. team. The team. The team will travel to Egypt for the Sept. 24- Oct. 16 tournament.
Another former Irish baseball player has taken to the mound in the Majors. Jeff Manship recently made his first career start for the Minnesota Twins. He pitched five innnings and only allowed one run by the Chicago White Sox. The Twins won.
Campus News:
Because the JACC is undergoing a renovation, the pep rallies will have to find a new home. In the past, some of the early rallies were in the stadium. The powers that be are not going that route to begin the year. Some of this year's pep rallies will be held at Irish Green, the large mostly grass area south of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. It is visible from the new Edison/Angela Road south of campus. Irish Green will host for the Michigan State, Washington, boston college, and Navy games. Irish Green will accommodate more members of the community and alumni. The students were concerned it would take away from the undergrads. The rallies are now starting at 6:30pm and apparently only a few players will be present at each instead of the whole team.
The Nevada pep rally took place on South Quad as part of the annual Dillon Hall rally. This past Thursday before the away game at Michigan, there was a student-only pep rally in Stepan Center. The stadium is tentatively scheduled to host the USC pep fest. And supposedly the JACC will be ready in November. The new arena should be able to host the UConn rally.
The JACC construction also affected The Show, the annual student-only concert. The lack of arena availability meant The Show would not go on. For this year, anyway. Instead there was the Block Party. The event was held in the B1 parking lot near Legends (formerly Senior Bar). The featured artists were Matisyahu and Eric Hutchinson. Food vendors were available, as was a beer garden for students over 21. Tickets were $10. A crowd of roughly 6,000 was expected.
Campus Watch by Me:
So who heard about the billboard? It was big news before the Nevada game. The local story went national. Here's the story...
A billboard was put up southeast of campus at the beginning of September. It was on the very prominent corner of S.R. 23 and Edison Road, where The Linebacker is located. The billboard read: "Best wishes to Charlie Weis in the 5th year of his college coaching internship. - Linebacker Alumni." The billboard was rented by Tom Reynolds, a '67 football player. He is a retired college marketing professor who claims to represent roughly 50 former Irish football players. He takes issue with Weis' 29-21 record after four seasons. Reynolds said his supporters planned to wear green T-shirts emblazoned with the message at the first game. He plans to sell the shirts to help pay for the billboard. However, he never set a cost or a way to purchase them. Reynolds supposedly paid for 12 weeks for the billboard.
Three days later the billboard was gone. The owner, Burkhart Advertising, took it down. Reynolds met with Burkhart officials and they encouraged him to volunteer to take the billboard down. He said he would think about it. But before he could decide, Burkhart called an audible. They did not comment on putting it up or taking it down. Reynolds believes the University was behind its removal. The University denied putting any pressure on Burkhart. Reynolds said his "freedom of speech" was taken away. Despite turning down 11 shows wishing to discuss the issue, Reynolds has said he is not going away, claiming, "this isn't the end of this." Going legal? We'll see.
Hall Notes:
The current Vermin have again hoisted the "GO IRISH!" banner on the front of the dorm. It seems the majority of the original is still intact. The upper left corner may have a few new bedsheets, though. The sign is made up of 72 bed sheets, over 3,100 square feet of cloth, over 70,000 staples, 5 gallons of leprechaun green paint, 90 feet of PVC pipe, and 1000 feet of rope. The sign was made in 2000. Nine years later it stands as a marvel of Vermin ingenuity.
NDSportscenter:
Michael Floyd did not seriously injure his knee. It was cut and needed stitches. And Armando Allen injured his thigh and not his ankle. As of now, neither is expected to miss the next game.
Cameron Roberson is our 15th recruit. He came on board right after the Nevada game. Cameron is a 6'1", 215 lb. running back out of Newbury Park, California. We recruited him as a fullback. Last year he ran for 1,452 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also caught 29 balls for 279 yards and 3 touchdowns. Roberson has a 3.4 GPA and looked at Northwestern and Arizona. Rivals and Tom Lemming give him four stars. Lemming says he has great size, speed, and "enormous" strength. He also praised his body control and change of direction.
The women's soccer team has had an interesting beginning to the season. They beat the 27th world ranked Ireland National Team 1-0 in an exhibition match. Then they tied #9 Virginia 3-3. But that was only after they were up 3-0 and put in the reserves to finish the exhibition. The women opened the season with a win and their last game at the old Alumni Field. Since it opened in 1990, the women were 222-16-4 at home. Then it was into the new Alumni Stadium. #1 North Carolina vs. #2 Notre Dame. We got blitzed. They scored 23 seconds into the game. We were blown out 6-0. Ouch.
More news on a former Irish hoops star. Last season Troy Murphy became the first NBA player to ever finish in the top five in rebounding (11.8, 2nd) and 3-point field goal percentage (45%, 3rd). Troy led the league in defensive rebounding. He is signed through 2010-11 and next year will make $11 million. Last year for the Pacers he set team records for rebounds and double-doubles for a season.
Campus News:
Once again the incoming freshman class is our strongest applicant pool ever. They boast an average SAT score of 1410 and an average ACT score of 32. In addition to the record-breaking test scores, they took more Advanced Placement courses in high school and had the strongest high school transcripts. But also the financial aid is at its highest point ever. Over 50 percent of the Class of 2013 will receive aid. That is up from about 44 percent last year.
The Admissions department says our biggest benefit is most likely our financial aid options. The University is committed to meeting the demonstrated need of every student. Our Admissions is one of the few that is still need-blind. The class profiles would not be stronger if aid was not available.
The administration asked Admissions to admit about 50 more students than usual because of the recession, yielding more revenue from tuition and a larger-than-average class size of about 2,060.
So here's the breakdown of the Class of 2013: 12 percent were valedictorians or salutatorians....18 had perfect ACT or SAT scores....24 percent are children of alumni....23 percent are minority....3 percent are international (from 23 different countries)....11 percent were class or student body president....14 percent were an editor of a student publication....51 percent participated in music, art, drama, or dance....85 percent were involved in community service....78 percent lettered in at least one varsity sport....35 percent captained an athletic team....6 percent were Eagle Scouts or achieved a Girls Scouts Gold Award.
Campus Watch by Me:
There is still MORE about the Obama commencement controversy.
Local Bishop John D'Arcy is again speaking out about the issue. He did so in an article appearing in the Aug. 31 edition of America Magazine, a Jesuit publication. The piece was published at americamagazine.org. It questions the future of Catholic universities and notes "the seriousness of the present moment." D'Arcy addresses the role of Catholic universities within the church and the responsibilities of such institutions. He noted his role as a "teacher" for universities in his diocese. He said he was not consulted before the decision to award Obama an honorary degree was made. D'Arcy said he also was not consulted in 2006 concerning "The Vagina Monologues" being performed on campus.
D'Arcy's main point in the piece was about his concerns over the future of Catholic universities: "Where will the great Catholic universities search for a guiding light in the years ahead? Will it be the Land O'Lakes Statement or Ex Corde Ecclesiae?" The Land O'Lakes Statement, whose authors were led by then-University President Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, addressed issues of academic freedom and asserted that institutions "must have a true autonomy and academic freedom" from lay or clerical authority. Ex Corde Ecclesiae, written by Pope John Paul in 1990, is seen by some as a repudiation of the Land O'Lakes Statement. Some view the document as decreasing institutional autonomy for the sake of increased church authority.
D'Arcy also took issue with the Board of Trustees over Obama. They had met one month prior to Commencement and, according to the bishop, "they said nothing." He continued: "I believe that the board must take up its responsibility afresh, with appropriate study and prayer. They must also understand the seriousness of the present moment."
Hall Notes:
The first home game brought out some Vermin. Once again the maroon flag and golden "V" were flying high. Holding down the fort were John "Cutler" Butler '96, Mike "Rangers" Reider '97, and Dave Ratliff '97. Cris "Pimpi" Diaz '96 was working at the Bookstore until about half an hour before kickoff. Pimpi works for the Bookstore's management company. He'll be on the clock before every home game. And as luck would have it, once again I simply came across a Vermin amongst 81,000 game attendees. Phil Culcasi '95 was in my section. Small world.
NDSportscenter:
Game notes: We had 510 yards of total offense....That was our first shutout since a Rutgers game back in Willingham's first season....Somehow Michael Floyd was not on the pre-season top receivers list. Just give him the All American honor now.
Our 14th verbal commitment came from Prince Shembo of Charlotte, North Carolina. Shembo is a 6'2", 232 lb defensive end. The Rivals four-star prospect was courted by North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Prince praised our academics (he carries a 3.7 GPA) and said our facilities were the best he had seen. He attends Ardrey Kell High School, where as a junior he recorded 90 tackles, 10 sacks, had 2 interceptions, forced 2 fumbles, and recovered 1 fumble. Prince benches 335 lbs and squats 545 lbs. Shembo may play linebacker due to his active, aggressive, and fast playing style. Last but not least, he is friends with sophomore cornerback Robert Blanton.
Women's soccer alums were in action all summer. Some made it to the championship of the WPS (Women's Professional Soccer). The New Jersey Sky Blue FC were triumphant. They scored a 1-0 victory over the regular season champ Los Angeles Sol. Kerri Hanks '08 and Jen Buczkowski '07 play for the Sky Blue. The Sol feature Shannon Boxx '99 and Brittany Bock '09.
Jeff Samardzija earned his first MLB start a few weeks back against Philadelphia. At AAA Iowa he was 5-3 with a 3.43 ERA in 12 starts. Last year he came out of the bullpen. Jeff got shelled, though, in his first start.
Campus News:
We have some new photos for you to check out. The first pictures are of Ryan Hall, the new women's dorm. It is immediately north of the Bookstore. It has been stuffed in just south of Welsh Family.
The second batch of snapshots is of Geddes Hall, the new Center for Social Concerns. It is northwest of the Library (same spot as old), across the street from BP.
More buildings will be completed this Fall and more photos will follow.
In other news...
U.S. News and World Report just released its rankings of the country's best colleges. We came in at 20th. Last year we were 18th. We fell because we received lower peer assessment ratings from other universities, which account for 25 percent of the overall rankings.
In still other news...
So what do you know about our underground tunnel network? The underground system spans an impressive 6.8 miles. A Scholastic writer was given a tour for an article. The trek began at the power plant. Throughout the tunnels are pipes, thick cable, and power cords. The floor can be covered with puddles in addition to dried pools of tar. Yellow caution tape warns of protruding pipes. Some of the network has dirt floors. Graffiti is plentiful: "Dillon sucks and Denny does too"... a hand-drawn picture of a naked woman....picture of a pig (tunnel below BP). The network is in severe heat, excruciating hundred-degree heat. It's so hot the grass above it has a difficult time growing. (Dead grass in the quad means tunnel below.) Back in the day there were tunnel parties. Couches and tables were dragged down from the dorms. Lamps and radios were plugged into decaying outlets. Students would drink and dance past parietals in the sweltering heat. Tunnel workers found the empty beer cans. Eventually the fear of liability led the University to secure the network and prevent students from entering.
Campus Watch from Scholastic:
The following is a story concerning the underground tunnel network. It appeared in the same Scholastic article that provided the previous information...
Late one evening in 1962, a band of Farley residents snuck down to the dorm's basement with the plan to invade Cavanaugh Hall. Realizing it was too risky to enter through one of Cavanaugh's main doors, they decided to infiltrate their enemy's territory via the tunnel system. After picking the lock to an unmarked door, the attackers entered a nearly pitch-black hallway, trekking through the darkness until they had crossed North Quad under ground and reached another metal door. The Farley men burst out of the tunnel and ran up the stairs in order to catch the Cavanaugh Crusaders off guard. Much to their dismay, the Crusaders repelled the Farley invaders by spraying them with fire hoses until they retreated back underground.
Hall Notes:
So the students moved in last weekend. I happened to be on campus. I saw various makeshift signs pointing freshmen to their new, unknown homes. I don't recall there being makeshift Vermin signs back in the day. I remember the old school blue sign with yellow text. I believe it was homemade. It was a bit off the campus road and slightly behind some bushes. The sign wasn't University issued and that's probably why I liked it. I think that was the only identification. Yet we all found The Hotel.
Well, I didn't see a Carroll sign this year. I saw a couple other ones though. The women's dorms never seem to go for laughs. Their signs are usually pretty. But the fellas...well, everybody thinks they're funny. Duncan Hall had a decent sign: "Duncan Hall... Protecting your daughters since '08." But for every comical sign, there seems to be a donkey posting. A sign read the following: "Maverick met Goose in Morrissey Manor." Son of a.... First of all, the manor sucks. Second of all, how dare they sully "Top Gun." The sign should have read: "Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed in our lobby." VERMIN FOR LIFE!
NDSportscenter:
Kickoff for the Nevada game is 3:30pm EST on NBC. At least one freshman is definitely starting. Nick Tausch will kickoff and handle place kicking. It was announced almost two weeks before the first game. He won the job early and decisively. No freshman has been able to unseat Armando Allen and Golden Tate from punt return duties. Sophomore Darius Fleming will build on a successful frosh campaign by starting at strongside linebacker. Freshman Jordan Cowart will snap on punts while sophomore Braxton Cave will snap on field goals and extra points.
Our 13th recruit is Spencer Boyd of Cape Coral, Florida. Boyd is a 5'10", 178 lb. cornerback. Rivals and Scout both give Spencer three stars. Before selecting the Irish he showed interest in Georgia and Michigan. Boyd plans to enroll early with fellow recruit Lo Wood.
There will be additional parking on campus on game days. It will be on the 9-hold golf course. It can accommodate approximately 2,000 cars (no RVs). It's $40 a pop. No passes. First come, first served. The course opens at 8 am and tickets must be shown to get in. Tailgating is permitted. All cars must be gone by 3 hours after the game. The course will be closed if there is inclement weather. Golf will be played on Sunday.
Here's another update on a professional Irish basketball player. Chris Quinn played for the Miami Heat again last year. He averaged 5.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, and 2 apg in 14 minutes per game. Chris' best game was against Detroit when he scored 26 points and grabbed 4 rebounds while assisting on 4 baskets. Quinn has a player option for next year for $1 million. The upcoming season will be his fourth with the Heat.
Campus News:
The University recently received funding from the federal government. Our school was awarded $18.5 million in economic recovery funds to research and develop new energy technologies. We will be researching advanced nuclear energy systems. We will also be home to one of 46 new Energy Frontier Research Centers that were announced last spring. It is a five-year program through the U.S. Department of Energy.
We were recently ranked No. 8 on PayScale.com's new "College Salary Report," a list of salaries of graduates from hundreds of colleges and universities. The rankings are by median mi-career salary with a minimum 10 years out of school. Over 1.2 million people reported their salaries and educational credentials in a survey over the last year. Our mid-career salary is listed as $121,000 and the starting median salary is $55,300. The top schools are Dartmouth College, MIT, and Harvard. The data include only survey respondents whose highest academic degree is a bachelor's degree. PayScale also ranks the "Top 10 College Majors that Lead to High Salaries." The highest paying majors are aerospace, chemical, computer and electrical engineering. The entire report can be found at http://www.payscale.com.
The students are moving back in this weekend. The temperature is mild and the humidity lower than average. That is very much unlike back in the day. I swear it was 103 degrees with 115% humidity every time I moved in.
Campus Watch by Me:
The school year is about to start so hopefully Scholastic will put out its first issue relatively soon. Until then I'm scraping the bottom of the barrell.
I saw recently at Rivals.com that they were rating the best position duos in the nation. Best linebacker duo. Best running back duo. Best safety duo. Well, the article opened with the best receive duo. Guess who was tops? Golden Tate and Michael Floyd. There is a Kansas duo that puts up big numbers, but the writer went with Tate and Floyd.
Some freshmen are making noise on the field. They are getting solid looks at punt returner and kick returner. Manti Te'o will be hard to keep off the field when the Irish are on defense. Receiver Shaquelle Evans is excelling, both in speed and route running. Kicker Nick Tausch was perfect in an early practice that was open to the public. And his kickoffs were deep.
Hall Notes:
I'm low on news so I'll dig something out of the vault...
Fieno's Drill (as told by Chris Fillio '90)
There must be a wealth of Carroll Haunted House stories out there in Vermin Land.
I remember Sean-Dog describing the Touchy-Feely tunnel to the freshman explaining "What you touch and feel...who knows."
I'll start off with an ever popular Fieno story.
During my tenure at ND 89-93 we acquired at a yearly basis a new toy for the haunted house, like the brilliant chainsaw with the display cardboard instead of a blade to scare the crap out of the girls from Lyons and get us all goofy on carbon monoxide.
Anyway, senior year we had the kitchen set up as a sort of ghoulish kitchen of horrors thing and I was suffocating under a sheet while Matty Jachim pulled gummy worms from my abdomen and accidentally (so he claims) touched my nads.
Fieno had a cordless drill with no bit in it that he would stick into people's heads like he was going to drill a hole in ya'. He had brought it special back from October break from his Bernie's construction company (Bernie Fieno pissing on the truck tire out in the little lot between Carroll and D6 is another good story for another day.)
It was pretty effective, particularly on the freshman girls who squealed either with mirthful terror or the touch of John Xavier Fieno's knowing hands. Unfortunately about 3/4 of the way through the night Fien-Dog did his trick on a girl with some beautiful long brown hair that unfortunately became part of Bernie Fieno's drill when John tried the trick again.
Everything kid of came to a screeching halt and we had to redirect the haunted housers around the kitchen and the scour the dorm for an electrical engineer (it was Lexa, we couldn't find Vern) to disassemble the drill so the young lady could be freed. It took about half an hour and she wasn't going anywhere and her three friends stuck around so it was a good chance to meet and hit on some young, impressionable and (and this is the important part) helpless young woman.
There is an interesting epilogue here.
Fieno got this girl's phone number (Go Fien-Dog) on the pretense of calling her to make sure she was okay or something (it was bullsh!t but beautiful). He disappeared before the haunted house was over and no one could find him all week. Rumor had it that he was getting some hoochie from this girl and spending his evenings over in her room. We did see her in Carroll a couple of times after that but I don't think it lasted into the spring.
That poor freshman. Just a notch in Fieno's bedstand.
All because she became entangled in Fieno's DRILL.
NDSportscenter:
Outside linebacker Kendall Moore was our 12th verbal commitment. Yet again we have pulled a player out of a Carolina. Moore attends Southeast Raleigh High in North Carolina. Kendall considered Florida State, Duke, North Carolina State, Maryland, and South Carolina. Moore is 6'3" and 232 lbs. He is a four star recruit and analyst Tom Lemming puts him close to five stars. Our own five star recruit, Chris Martin, even helped recruit him. As a junior Kendall had 120 tackles and six sacks.
Speaking of Chris Martin, he will NOT be attending The Hun School in New Jersey after leaving his hometown of Oakland. Now he is at Grandview High in Aurora, CO.
The captains for the football team have been named. Jimmy Clausen and center Eric Olsen were voted as team leaders. For the defense it will be safety Kyle McCarthy. And fifth year senior and backup linebacker Scott Smith will captain the special teams.
Former basketball player Harold Swanagan ('98-'02) has been named the Coordinator of Men's Basketball Operations. The position was previously held by Martin Ingelsby, our newest assistant coach. Harold had been the Coordinator of Student Welfare and Development.
Here's news on another former basketball player. Guard Matt Carroll was traded from the Charlotte Bobcats to the Dallas Mavericks during the last NBA season. He is signed through the 2011-12 season with an option for the 2012-13 season. Carroll will make $4.7 million for the upcoming season.
Campus News:
The final notes on the on-going construction at and around campus....
The Purcell Pavilion/JACC renovation will open in mid-October. The Pavilion is a three-story addition to the Joyce. The third level is a club space that will overlook the arena. The game can be watched on monitors or from the back row of the seating bowl. It will be a hospitality space with food and beverage for members of the basketball club who will be able to access their seat from the club space. The club area will open up in mid-January. The first and second levels will involve the renovation of the arena itself. All the seating will be replaced with chair-back seating. The entries to the arena and the concourse will be remodeled. The bathrooms will be completely reconstructed. The new scoreboard will be added later once fund-raising has been completed. The total cost is $34.6 million.
Stinson-Remick Hall, the multi-disciplinary teaching and engineering building, will be completed by December 15. It sits on the site of the former University Club. The building will host the teaching of undergrads as well as being a center for research. The building's centerpiece is a state-of-the-art learning center. There will also be a 10,000-square-foot "clean room" that will house nanotechnology research. The price? $69.3 million.
The new Eck Hall of Law opened in January. It is temporarily housing virtually the whole Law School staff and faculty while the former Law School building is being renovated. The renovated building will be known as Biolchini Hall and it will mainly serve as the library. The project cost is $57.7 million. It will be completed by June 2010.
More construction is potentially planned for 2010. Two potential projects are a new hockey arena and the Stayer Center for Executive Education. Both depend on funding.
Campus Watch by Me:
There hasn't been a lot of juicy news to come out of the first week of practice. There was the issue of helmet visors. These are the plastic shields just inside the face mask that mainly protects the eyes from finger pokes. Many of the players wanted them. Charlie had a couple rules about getting them. First, they had to be clear and not tinted dark. Weis said the dark ones were Darth Vader-like and were not allowed because they were "too Hollywood." (I think he just wants the coaches to be able to look them in the eye when they are yelling at them.) If the players wanted visors, they had to become clean shaven and cut their hair. Apparently there was a line of players with freshly shorn locks seeking Charlie's approval. Supposedly everyone had fun with it. One player without a visor is safety Harrison Smith. I swear, his long, straight hair makes him look like a girl. He can look like a girl only as long as he makes opposing receivers his beotch.
Hall Notes:
I snapped a photo of Carroll this past weekend. It's of the volleyball court. It appears the Vermin put up a new net. Makes sense. Weather and jungle-rules games took their toll. This net looks pretty sweet.
NDSportscenter:
We are up to recruit #11. He's our second quarterback in this class. Tommy Rees is out of Lake Forest, Illinois. He is a three-star player and chose us over Stanford and Tennessee. Tommy is 6'3" and 192 lbs. As a junior he threw for 2,170 yards and 21 touchdowns. Rees is a coach's kid. His father spent the last 15 years in the NFL as a college scout and director of player personnel. Prior to that he was a recruiting coordinator and assistant coach at UCLA. Coach's kids are usually quality additions to a program.
Some legitimate news has come out of football practice. The much-maligned offensive line has had some changes. Sam Young is still the right tackle. Paul Duncan is at left tackle. Chris Stewart has moved to left guard. Sophomore Trevor Robinson is the new right guard. And the center is Eric Olsen, formerly the left guard. Last year's starting center, Dan Wenger, is now fighting to get back in the rotation. Junior receiver Duval Kamara tweaked the cartilege in his knee. He had surgery and is out for two weeks. Aside from Kamara and one other player, 103 of the 105 players on the roster are healthy. Defensive line sophomore Ethan Johnson has beefed up. As a freshman he was 260 lbs. Now he tips the scales at 285 lbs. I expect a big year from Ethan.
Some news on a former basketball player. Rob Kurz played 40 games for the Golden State Warriors last year. He made $442,114 while averaging 3.9 ppg, 2 rgp, and 0.5 apg in 11 minutes per game. He shot 39% from the field, 40% from 3, and 80% from the line. He started 5 games and against the Nuggets he played 33 minutes while scoring 20, grabbing 7 rebounds, blocking 2 shots, stealing 2 balls and assisting on a basket. Against Utah he went for 21 and 5 with 3 assists in 38 minutes. He became a free agent on July 1.
Campus News:
More on the area construction...
Following the projects mentioned last week, the next to be completed is Geddes Hall. The new home for the Center for Social Concerns and the Institute for Church Life will be completed on August 15. The hall will have a chapel, coffee shop and plenty of community space. The center will offer assistance in after-school programming, help with tax preparation, adult education prep, multilingual teaching, and student mentoring amongst other things. Geddes Hall cost $15.1 million.
The soccer, lacrosse, and track venues will be ready for use on October 1. Collectively they cost $21.5 million. The new track facility is along Edison Road, just west of the softball stadium. It will have interim aluminum bleachers until permanent stands are constructed. Lacrosse and soccer have stadiums. They seat about 2,000 (in permanent stands), have offices, lockerrooms, and lounges. They are east of the JACC.
Across from the new track, on the other side of Edison Road, Innovation Park will have its first phase completed on October 1. The one structure is being called a "speculative office building where you build the shell and the core and market space to tenants." The $12.9 million building will have "custom design tenant space for companies looking to incubate quite a bit of lab space in addition to open collaborative offices where small businesses can collaborate and network."
The final projects will be detailed next week.
Campus Watch by Me:
The following isn't really a grapevine story. It made national news and because it involves us, everyone picked up on it. It has to do with the Hawaii Bowl. Apparently prior to the game, the two teams were at a banquet. Supposedly the Irish did a team dance. Well, Hawaii's coach was unimpressed. He decided to make light of it by calling it a "faggot dance." WHOOPS! And he said it around a bunch of reporters. The coach immediately tried to take it back and asked the reporters to strike that comment. Fat chance on that one. He was totally busted. One punishment has already been levied: 30 day suspension without pay. Methinks there may be more punishment after the month is up. Hawaii is a very blue state and he's not a very good coach. I'm thinking he might get lei'd off.
Hall Notes:
Last week "Tim" Mullarkey's nickname was explained. But that ain't the cream of the crop. Without further ado let's get inot one of the top Vermin nicknames of all time: Sweet Baby James Zawada.
Again, I was not present for the christening of the name. As I recall, it took place at soccer practice for intramurals. I believe there was a kicking drill and one James Zawada was front and center. He was getting his kick on and the other Vermin were offering words of encouragement. Mr. Kris Beezley became the official moniker-bestower when he said something to the effect of "There you go Sweet Baby James!"
The nickname is legendary. It was adopted immediately, unanimously, and eternally. I was his roommate and can recall multiple times when a caller had asked for "Jim" and I had to pause for multiple seconds because the name did not register. To this day, Sweet Baby still goes by either the original or "Sweet B." Hell, he even signs off his emails as "SB." He's like a superhero only more heroic and super.
The nickname is very much a benevolent parasite. It glommed on to the whole Zawada clan. Sweet Ma. Sweet Pa. Sweet Dave. Sweet Bob. Sweet Aunt Gertie. Sweet cousins. The Sweet Family. Quite the legacy. If there is any justice in this world, one day a monument will be erected commemmorating this blessed nickname.
NDSportscenter:
Our 10th verbal commitment came from Justin Utupo of Lakewood High School. Justin is a 6'2", 240 lb defensive end from Lakewood, California. Both Rivals and Scout give Utupo three stars. He had offers from Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahome State, and UCLA. Justin committed to us without ever visiting campus. He sheds blocks well, can move laterally, and is relentless. Justin could even bulk up and play defensive tackle.
Skylar Diggins is a gold medalist. The United States won the Under-19 World Championships with an 87-71 victory over Spain. The U.S. did not go undefeated in tournament play. They lost to Spain early but paid them back in spades. Diggins was again instrumental in the win. She scored 10 points and snagged 7 rebounds. The U.S. was coached by Carol Owens, the head coach at the University of Northern Illinois. Previously Owens was an assistant for the Irish under Muffet.
Natalie Achonwa, a 2010 Irish women's commit, played for Canada at the Under-19 World Championships. She helped Canada to a 4th place finish.
Last year we had 8 Academic All Americans. That raises our overall total to 210. We are second all time, behind only Nebraska.
Our football team is soon to play in another baseball stadium. We will play Army for the 50th time in the new Yankee Stadium. The contest will be on Nov. 20, 2010. It will be the first football game played in the stadium. It will be considered an offsite "home" game for that season's 7-4-1 schedule. NBC will televise the game. Subway alumni, get ready.
Campus News:
An article just came out in the South Bend Tribune cataloging all the on-going construction on and around campus. More than $243 million in construction projects are going on around the University. And that does not include the $200 million Eddy Street Commons "college town." On just the Notre Dame-owned projects, 500 to 700 area workers are receiving a paycheck. It is estimated there are as many as 20 different building trades working on University projects.
We are certainly at a peak as far as construction projects go. For the eighteen months between July 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009, the University will open 10 new buildings or additions to existing buildings. There have also been other renovations and major repairs such as roofing replacement on a number of buildings totaling over 618,000 square feet. And there have been several major landscape improvements involving 22 acres. The 32 landscaping and building projects have a combined total project cost of just under $290 million.
The Tribune article went into detail on the eight largest projects. These will be outlined based on their completion dates.
Ryan Hall was completed yesterday, August 1. The new women's dorm cost $18 million to construct. The residence hall will have 248 beds and is meant to alleviate the overcrowding of other dorms so that study space and lounges can be converted back for use by all residents.
Lewis, Breen-Phillips, and zahm have all received renovations. The work will be completed by August 15. The labor-intensive work includes replacing windows and plumbing and clean and tuckpoint brick. Most of the work was done on two shifts to have the halls ready by Fall.
The rest next week.
Campus Watch by Me:
The following is the continuation of the saga of the Obama commencement protestors. It recently appeared in the South Bend Tribune...
SOUTH BEND - The trespassing case of anti-abortion advocated Randall Terry has been moved to Mishawaka, along with more than 90 other accused trespassers.
Ninety-five defendants facing misdemeanor trespass charges stemming from their May arrests on the University of Notre Dame campus have requested jury trials, according to a release sent out Tuesday from the St. Joseph County prosecutor's office.
Customarily, when a jury trial is requested in a misdemeanor case, the case is transferred to the Mishawaka Division of the St. Joseph Superior Court, the release said.
Terry, who was scheduled to go on trial Tuesday, now has an undetermined trial date. After all 95 cases are transferred, each defendant will again appear before the court to set a new jury trial date.
Hall Notes:
So Tom "Tim" Mullarkey '97 is getting hitched. Of course that leads to one big question: Why is his nickname "Tim"? There's not a long story behind it. It's incredibly short, as I recall. I believe the nickname's founder was one Kevin Fumai '97. It came about rather simply. I believe Tim had gone to Fumai's room. Tim greeted Fumai and Fumai replied with a "Hey, Tim." It was as if it was the first thing that came to mind. Then the rest of us heard "Tim" being used. Apparently we liked it and it stuck. I, for one, have sort of added to the nickname's lore. Actually maybe a few of us have. We've decided "Tim" is preferred to "Tom" because it's quicker to say. We're saving time and being more efficient. It is. Say them out loud. It's true. "Tim" it is.
NDSportscenter:
The Irish kept it real over in Japan. Lou Holtz's squad took on the Japanese national football team at the Tokyo Dome in front of 21,080 spectators. Despite falling behind by 3, the Domers fought back to claim a 19-3 victory. The MVP was running back Jay Vickers, who was little used back in his Irish days. Jay ran for 139 yards and a touchdown. He had a 77-yard jaunt that took the Irish down to the 2-yard line.
The team had to be resourceful. Quarterbacks Tony Rice and Gary Godsey got dinged up. Enter cornerback Ambrose Wooden to take snaps from center. For most of the second half he was an iron man, playing both offense and defense.
The team ran for almost 300 yards. Rice was able to get in some carries. He toted the pigskin for 34 yards and a touchdown. One-time linebacker Brandon Hoyte got in on the offense-defense act. He lined up at fullback and toughed his way to 46 yards. We only attempted six passes, completing only one.
Japan actually had more first downs then we did (17-13). However, they only managed 236 total yards. They only had 179 yards in the air and threw two picks. Our defense rose up and scored our other 2 points on a sack in the end zone. Lou did it again.
Our ninth verbal commitment is Chris Badger of Provo, Utah. Badger had committed to Stanford but bailed on the Cardinal after visiting us. Chris is a 6'0", 190 lb safety. Rivals and Scout both give him three stars. The Timpview High School star had offers from California, Florida State, LSU and others. Badger is smart and tough with a strong work ethic and excellent anticipation and tackling ability. Chris is Mormon and while he he visited with fellow Mormon Manti Te'o, the freshman Hawaiian stud. They went to church together, which certainly didn't hurt in cementing the commitment.
Campus News:
More on the Scholastic piece that focused on anxiety and depression on campus.
The World Health Organization named depression the fourth most devastating illness in the world today. Clinical depression is characterized by "a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, a sudden change in weight or appetite, erratic sleep patterns, constant fatigue, difficulty concentrating, feelings of worthlessness, and frequent thoughts of death or suicide." Women are more likely to experience depression than men. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 1 out of every 4 women and 1 out of every 10 men will experience some type of depression during their lifetime. The average onset age is the mid-20s, but some research shows that this age is decreasing with each successive generation.
For those unsure whether their symptoms are a cause for alarm, the counseling center on campus has created 15-minute confidential consultations with a counselor on the second floor of LaFortune. It is a weekly event to target those leery of going to an actual counseling center.
One student experiencing depression received a mixed response from the University. She received support initially after she was hospitalized and was able to withdraw from school for a year. But the University denied her housing on campus as a fifth-year senior. The Office of Students with Disabilities was uncooperative and, according to the student, felt a student with disabilities has no need to live on campus.
There is a new chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness on campus. The club is based on the national organization. It hopes to provide support for people on all points of the mental illness continuum, as well as launch an educational campaign. The club channels its efforts into awareness and advocacy. It also has student-run, peer-to-peer support groups.
Campus Watch by Me:
There has not been a lot of football talk this summer outside of recruiting. Probably the biggest news (at least in my eyes) was the spring ball talk around 5th year senior left tackle Paul Duncan. He missed all of last year with an injury. And the year prior he had perhaps the worst year ever for an o-lineman in the history of Irish football. Well, apparently Duncan has done a complete 180 and is expected to start this fall. The new offensive line coach was praising his play. Supposedly Paul has turned it around mentally as well. He was incredibly upset to miss all of last year and really wants to make a play for the pros. Charlie has said he has improved greatly. But I have yet to hear Jimmy say anything. He's the one who paid the price two years ago. Paul was so bad two years ago that Jimmy only slept on his left side because then he knew it was covered. True. It's true.
Hall Notes:
LUANNE! That was our other cleaning lady along with Phyllis. Mr. Dean Busack '97 recalled her name. Not surprising. He was a messy chap, often times even wearing a bib to class. I wonder if Luanne and Phyllis had to clean up after the Vermin when they got especially ornery.
I do recall one night coming home to a less than clean stairwell. It seemed that one fellow had become quite liquored up. He was so taken with the sauce that he saw fit to try his hand at fire extinguishing. Of course there was no fire. But there was a stairwell that needed a good dousing. There was white foam everywhere. It was very reminiscient of the scene after the Ghostbusters blew up the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Who ya gonna call?...Phyllis and Luanne.
NDSportscenter:
Our 8th recruit was believed to be coming to us as soon as he shied away from Michigan. Cornerback Lo Wood had the Wolverines as his early favorite. Then Corwin Brown and new position coach Tony Alford began recruiting Wood. Lo is a 5'10", 170 lb d-back who was also considering Georgia Tech. The four-star prospect attends Apopka High School in Florida. It's the same school that produce Warren Sapp. Lo has said he is interested in possibly enrolling early.
As of this writing we have 13 commitments and that has placed us 10th in recruiting by Scout.
The Japan Bowl was played yesterday. The game was taped and will be shown on the CBS College Sports Network on Monday, August 10 at 9pm EST. Details on the game will be provided next week.
Skylar Diggins was officially named to the Under-19 U.S. National Team. She is one of twelve on the team. Diggins was also voted a co-captain. To top it all off, Skylar was named the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year. She will be honored at this year's ESPYs.
Incoming men's soccer recruit Dillon Powers was named the Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Dillon is from Plano, Texas and he is on the Under-18 National Team. He was 1 of the 5 high school athletes up for the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year. But he did not join Skylar at the ESPYs.
The rowing team performed well again this past year. The team won its 6th straight Big East title. The ladies won four of the six gold medals. In the other two races the team placed second.
Campus News:
The following is from a Scholastic piece from the recently completed school year. It was titled "Notre Dame: an anti-depressant?"
The article focused on the mental health of students. One in 11 students went to the University Counseling Center (UCC) this past year. That equals 957 students dealing with mental health problems. Apparently students are increasingly being diagnosed with depression and/or bipolar disorder. Apparently the rate of depression among college students nationwide has doubled in the past 15 years. According to a survey by the American College Health Association, 45 percent of students said they sometimes feel too depressed to function and nine percent of college students have seriously considered suicide. Another survey indicated that more than half of students nationwide with significant symptoms of anxiety or depression do not seek help. The University's numbers are "slightly lower than the national average." Depression and anxiety are our top two. Our percentage seeking help has basically been stable for the past ten years.
The University's lower rates of depression are attributed to the Christian faith tradition, high student involvement in extracurricular activities, and the close-knit residential life. But where do the problems come from? One campus director says students "are coming in more stressed out" because they've had to work harder to get in to ND and "the bar is ever higher." Competition. Expectations. Hyperactive lifestyle. It makes Domers "perfect" targets for depression and anxiety due to stress. Surprisingly, freshmen are not the most stressed class. Of the students the UCC sees, only 17 percent are freshmen. Meanwhile 21 percent are seniors.
More next week.
Campus Watch by Me:
The construction south of campus is making steady progress. The South Bend Tribune has not run a story lately and it seems they may not be getting the scoop. Through the grapevine I have heard things are not on schedule. The biggest problem, not surprisingly, is that the condos and townhomes are not selling as expected. These units need to be sold in advance to generate the money for construction. But I've also heard the hotels are now a year behind schedule. The smaller of the two was expected to be open for this upcoming football season. It won't be ready until 2010 with the larger hotel opening in 2011. It also appears not all of the retail space will even be sold, let alone open within the next year. Of course all of this will affect what businesses do open. Customer traffice, mainly residential customer traffic, may be harder to come by for awhile.
Hall Notes:
I've got to do some research on this one. (I suppose I should have in advance, but oh well...) I'm completely blanking on our cleaning staff in the mid '90s. We had two pretty cool ladies that cleaned up after us. I believe one was Phyllis. Who was the other lady? I wasn't the messy type so I guess we weren't really on each other's radar. Didn't they used to sit in the 24-hour lounge and smoke and watch soaps while we were at class? That was AWESOME! Very Vermin-like behavior. They seemed to mesh well with Carroll Hall.
NDSportscenter:
More recruiting news. We are up to 12 total, as of this writing. This week the focus is on #7. We've added another defensive lineman. Blake Lueders is a 6'5", 250 lb defensive end. He's a Hoosier, out of Zionsville, Indiana. Blake played at linebacker as a junior. The Zionsville Community High School star has been give four stars by both Rivals and Scout. Lueders chose us over Stanford, Wake Forest, Northwestern, and boston college.
Our men's track and field team won the Big East Outdoor Track and Field Championship. They did so for the second consecutive year. It's also our fifth title in 7 years. And for the 6th time we were honored with the Coaching Staff of the Year Award. The women did not do as well. They were fourth in the championships. Joanna Schultz, though, won the 400 meters. Then it was on to the NCAA Championships for the men and women.
Senior Patrick Smyth came in fourth in the 10,000 meters with a time of 29:08.13. The high finish earned Smyth his 7th All American honor. Senior Mary Saxer tied for third in the pole vault. It was her second All American honor. She is our only All American ever in the women's pole vault. Junior Jaclyn Espinoza came in third in the discus. She is our only All American ever in the women's discus. The women's team placed 24th overalll. That ties the team's second best point total ever. The men's team was 48th overall.
We had an incoming player selected in the NHL Entry Draft. Soon-to-be freshman Kyle Palmieri was selected by the Anaheim Ducks with the 26th pick in the first round. The right wing is just the second Irish player ever selected in the first round.
Campus News:
The University is planning to give back to the local community directly. At the end of June the University announced it will make voluntary contributions totaling $5.5 million over the next decade to South Bend, Mishawaka, St. Joseph County, and the town of Roseland. In each of the first five years, increments of $500,000 will be given. For the second five years the annual amount will rise to $600,000. The first checks will be mailed within a week or so.
The idea had been under discussion for months. The harsh economic times provided much of the impetus. The University believes the economic health of the community is vital in attracting and retaining top employees and students. Father Jenkins stated, "Notre Dame can only flourish if the community flourishes."
The voluntary contributions came after conversations with more than 100 community leaders concerning the school's role in the community. The donation is expected to allow police, firefighters, and parks personnel to be retained in South Bend. The city is facing a $20 million budget shortfall. The University is giving $275,000 to South Bend this year. The county is short $6-$10 million. And Mishawaka estimates a shortfall of about $1.5 million.
Other schools across the country make voluntary payments to build relationships and to help support their communities. For example, Harvard gives to Cambridge and Boston. In 2007 Harvard paid a total of $15 million to Cambridge, including taxes, a payments-in-lieu-of-taxes program and fees.
Campus Watch by Me:
There is more in the aftermath of Obama being honored at commencement.
A Catholic higher education association is recommending the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops revisit the bishops' 2004 statement, "Catholics in Political Life." It was this document that was the heart of the protests against Obama. This discussion could lead to dialogue between bishops and university presidents to avoid another commencement controversy.
The board of directors of the Association of Catholic Colleges & Universities (ACCU) met in early June in San Diego and discussed the issue. The discussion came at the request of the Rev. Thomas J. Curry, who is chair of the U.S. Bishops' committee on education. There is hope a clearer document will be issued to replace the existing one. The ACCU board would like to see the U.S. bishops revisit the 2004 document, which says it's inappropriate for Catholic institutions to honor or provide a platform to someone who holds positions contrary to the teachings of the church. The ACCU board had several hours of discussion but did not take a vote.
Father Jenkins and Carol Ann Mooney, president of St. Mary's College, are members of the ACCU board. Mooney attended the meeting in person and Jenkins participated by phone. The results of the meeting will be discussed. The next meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is in November.
Hall Notes:
I forgot an edition of "Hall Notes" last week! Son of a... I was low on material and just plain forgot to go back to it. Oh well.
Another from the Vermin Class of '97 will be headed down the aisle. Tom "Tim" Mullarkey will be getting hitched in October. The natural-born cheesehead and his fiancee currently live in Chicago. They are a smart couple and, thankfully, set the wedding date based on the football schedule. Domer Fall wedding = bye week. Interesting note: bride-to-be went to Florida State. The Seminole bye week was never given a consideration. (Suck it, Bowden.)
I was one of the few selected to be a groomsman. So come October, some Vermin will be traveling to Jacksonville for the wedding. Dude, if you're going to get married in Florida, shouldn't it be in January or February considering all the northerners that will be attending?
NDSportscenter:
Last week details were given on our 6th verbal commitment. But I forgot #5!
Our fifth prospect is wide receiver Bennett Jackson. He is 6'1", 165 lbs and is similar in stature to recently graduated David Grimes. Bennett attends Hazlet Raritan in New Jersey. Rivals gives him three stars and Scout bestows four stars. The future Irish slot receiver runs a 4.5 - 40. he had offers from Michigan State, West Virginia, Pitt and boston college. Last year Jackson caught 35 balls for 509 yards and 3 touchdowns, ran it 35 times for 257 yards and 4 touchdowns, returned 2 punts for touchdowns, and ran back a kickoff for a touchdown. Dude sounds like Golden Tate! Bennett also runs track.
Basketball news: Mike Brey's top assistant has left to be a head coach. Former Irish point guard Martin Ingelsby has been promoted to assistant coach....At some point in the near future the basketball program will receive a free-standing practice facility apart from the JACC....We have our first verbal for the recruiting class of 2010. Eric Atkins attends Mount St. Joseph High School in Maryland. The Baltimore product is 6'0", 170 lbs. He is a three star point guard and is expected to start immediately after the graduation of Tory Jackson. His services were sought by UMass, Vanderbilt, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Last year he scored 23 ppg, grabbed 5 rpg, collected 5 apg, and had 2 spg.
The football stadium will receive new scoreboards. The new ones will not be flashy. They will be the same size and format. The old ones are being sold through an online auction at Steiner Sports Memorabilia. The auction runs until July 27.
Campus News:
A few weeks back it was mentioned that supposedly millions of dollars are being withheld from the University because Father Jenkins invited President Obama to speak at Commencement. Well, that hasn't really put much of a dent in the University fundraising.
Almost two weeks ago news came out on the "Spirit of Notre Dame "campaign." The University has achieved its capital fundraising goal and surpassed $1.5 billion. That is more than two years ahead of schedule. As of June 23, $1.54 billion had been raised in gifts and pledges. The campaign began on May 5, 2007 and will end on June 30, 2011. It is obviously the largest comprehensive campaign in school history and is considered the largest fundraising effort in the history of Catholic higher education.
The effort is designed to support four primary goals: the undergraduate educational experience, research and graduate studies, diversity and international studies, and Catholic intellectual life. The overall goal has been met, but several important objectives remain critical priorities. These include student financial aid, endowed faculty chairs, the libraries, undergraduate research, and essential capital projects.
More than a dozen schools are engaged in campaigns with goals of $1 billion or higher. In the past year, those campaigns fell by 32 percent. The declines have forced some colleges to postpone expansion plans, re-adjust budgets, and ask some donor to make early pledge payments. A 1.7 percent decline in college giving was predicted for 2009.
Our previous campaign ran from 1994 to 2000. It raised $1.061 billion.
Campus Watch by Me:
The continuation of the Obama protestors story...
The prosecutor's office has weighed in. The prosecutor does not believe taking the protestors to trial would waste the office's resources. Although 85 protestors have been charged, it's relatively small compared to the approximately 18,000 misdemeanor cases seen each year. Two or three deputy prosecutors will handle the cases.
Sister Lois Marie Mitoraij, a 74-year-old nun from Michigan, was prepared to go to trial. She said, "I was not expecting to get arrested. I did cross the police line in civil disobedience. I was a conscientious objector. I felt I was not wrong." Monica Migliorino Miller, a professor of sacred theology at Madonna University in Michigan, has been arrested "30 or 40" times dating back to the 1980s. Most were outside abortion clinics. In more than half of the cases, prosecutors have chosen to take the cases all the way to trial.
Only one defendant pled guilty. The 19-year-old Detroit resident was ordered to pay $166 in court costs and was sentenced to the 10 hours in jail that she served before posting a $250 bond back on May 17. If the prosecutors ultimately decide to dismiss the charges against the others, the defendants' attorney will petition the court to vacate the 19-year-old's conviction.
Alan Keyes signed autographs and posed for pictures with other defendants. He has a Sept. 23 trial date. Keyes said, "I was shocked. I think the world was shocked. It's sad to see people who were acting in obedience to the church and in defense of its most moral principles being persecuted at the request of officials at a supposedly Catholic university."
NDSportscenter:
A flurry of football commitments have been made in the past week or so. We had been stuck on 3 for months. Then a couple trickled in. Now the floodgates have opened. But only one will be revealed per week.
Our sixth verbal comes from Andrew Hendrix, a quarterback out of Cincinnati. He had offers from Miami, Illinois, Ohio State and Virginia. It came down to Ohio State and us. The Moeller High product is 6'3" and 220 lbs. Scout and Rivals give him three and four stars, respectively. Last year he was 158 of 292 for 1,731 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Tight end Joseph Fauria was in the news recently. The first release was that he was out for summer school and the fall semester. There was hope he would be back in the spring. He was gone for "personal reasons." But the word on the street said it was for a disciplinary suspension. Then it came out that Fauria asked for the release from his scholarship. Charlie signed off on the transfer. He had been suspended by ResLife and was not even allowed back on campus until after Christmas. Fauria said he was not allowed to appeal the suspension. He continued, "I feel I was mistreated by the school and that the punishment did not fit the crime."
The men's tennis team had a rough year. They were able to make it to the NCAA tournament as one of 64 teams, though. They fell to Michigan 4-1 in the first round and finished the year 13-13. Brett Helgeson made the NCAA singles bracket but lost in the 2nd round.
The baseball team also had a rough year. They were able to reach the Big East semi-finals after two come from behind wins. The team finally lost to Louisville 7-6. The Irish did not advance to the NCAAs and finished 36-23.