Campus News:
So what is up with Innovation Park, the new research development south of campus? Companies are coming it to negotiate on rental space. Many of the companies are looking to engage with the University. They want to develop practical uses for research performed by professors and students. University-owned patents and research could be used. And the University's faculty and staff could be hired. Currently many of our innovative ideas go elsewhere to develop. Innovation should allow those ideas to stay in South Bend. The park hopes to take companies to "a stage where they're ready to grow." It will help them build a support system and encourage them to stay in the area when they are ready to grow.
More than 20 years ago, a similar development park was established by Purdue. Between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs have been added in West Lafayette.
Apparently many companies are asking if the students will play a role. They are seeking them as interns and/or part time employees. At the very least, students will be hired to help run the building. Supposedly occupancy in the building is steadily increasing. Not only office space is available. Classroom space can also be rented. There is also rental access to an area called the "Greenhouse." It is a big common area on the first floor. It is a place for tenants and their ideas to interact. In theory, people would come together and collaborate on similar problems. The park staff is there for guidance and assistance in making connections. I guess you could say it aims to be one big, happy family.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
It begins on a quiet Wednesday when three lively lasses decided on a girls' night out. They dolled up and rolled out to Cheers, one of their favorite bars if only for the fact that their flimsy "IDs" were happily accepted as authentic. But the scene inside wasn't quite bumpin' and the available specimens were uninteresting at best. So they downed enough cocktails to take the edge off of the cold and set out for the alluring beacon in the not-so-far distance: Taco Bell.
It wasn't until they reached the glowing faux-Mexican Mecca that they realized their impending predicament: it was drive-thru ony hours, and they were on foot. They attempted the walk-up method to no avail. They tapped on the window glass only to be ignored. And it was at this exact moment that a South Bend police car pulled into the Taco Bell driveway.
The ominous officer approached the lassies and demanded to know their intentions - "Getting fourth-meal, of course, sir."
"Well then why are you standing in the parking lot empty-handed?"
"Because they won't serve us if we aren't in a car."
And that was all it took. Maybe it was the desperation in their voices, or their feminine wiles, but good old Officer Tony's composure broke. Three minutes later the girls were standing in inebriated amazement as Tony returned with three Crunch Wrap Supremes.
"Do you girls have a ride home?"
"Well, we called a cab, but it hasn't showed up."
"It's cold out here, I'll give you a lift."
Living life one hot sauce packet at a time, the ladies climbed into the back of the cop car with gooey (yet still crunchy) delicacies in hand. The altruistic officer drove diligently to Main Circle where he deposited the lassies and bade them farewell and happy eating. Seriously, you couldn't make this stuff up if you tried.
Hall Notes:
The Bend finally got some lasting snow on Dec. 19. Finals are over. The students have skipped town. I went by the dorm in hopes of capturing a snapshot of Carroll's Christmas tree. And the lights just happened to be on. Check it out. (Sorry my camera is weak.)...
NDSportscenter:
Brian Kelly is our 29th head coach. He left a Cincinnati Bearcat team that had been 34-6 (.850) the last three years. Cincinnati won two conference titles and went to two BCS games. Kelly, a native of Chelsea, Mass., is the 9th winningest active coach. Brian, 48, started his college football career as a linebacker at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass. His first head coaching stint was at Grand Valley State University. He spent 13 seasons there from '91 to '03 and compiled a 118-35-2 (.767) record. Kelly led Grand Valley to Division II National Championships in '02 and '03. Then it was on to Central Michigan and Cincinnati. He comes to us with 19 seasons as a head coach under his belt and a record of 171-57-2 (.747). The word on the street is Kelly signed a contract for 5 years at roughly $2.5 million per year, which is double what he earned at Cincinnati.
This was Jack Swarbrick's second hire (women's swimming). The coaching search took 12 days, the same number of days it took to hire Weis. Jack didn't reveal many specifics about the search. He did say he sought input from nine players: Armando Allen, Dayne Crist, Michael Floyd, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Zach Martin, Kyle Rudolph, Brian Smith, Chris Stewart, and Manti Te'o. After receiving feedback from players and still others, our initial list of coaches to talk to was at 18. Then the eliminations began. We started with 18, but did not talk to 18.
What about Charlie's remaining coaches? Kelly said he would interview them all. He said he has a plan. Well, it does not include Rob Ianello. He is the new coach at Akron. Corwin Brown will not be retained as a defensive coach. However, running backs coach Tony Alford will join the new staff. Kelly will not speak with this Cincinnati staff until after they have played their bowl game. Next update: Jan. 10.
Campus News:
So what will become of Hannah and Friends now that Weis has been let go? The organization will remain in South Bend despite the firing. It will continue to be headquartered and operate primarily in the South Bend area. There will be no change in the program's schedule moving forward. The organization will also continue to operate the recently-opened 30 acre "farm." Many students continue to show up and volunteer for Hannah and Friends. The program has a permanent home in the community.
In other news...
The Mayor of South Bend will apparently not get his wish. He had hoped to close the College Football Hall of Fame this year. The Hall is moving to Atlanta. The South Bend contract, though, was through 2010. The community strongly wants to keep the hall as long as possible. The biggest reason being that Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown is slated to be enshrined in the hall next summer. The community wants to see one last Domer go in before the moving trucks skip town.
In still other news...
The Obama Commencement protestors are still not headed to court. A defense attorney's motion that a higher court decide if the judge should recuse herself, has been granted. The attorney believes there is a conflict of interest because the judge's husband was formerly employed at the University. The Court of Appeals will offer a final opinion on the bias claims. There was also a motion to dismiss all charges. It is being taken under advisement until the higher court rules on the bias appeal.
Campus Watch by Me:
There are a bunch of items to report on this week. We'll start with the best and end with the worst.
Michael Jordan was on campus last weekend. His son is a freshman guard on Central Florida's basketball team. We played them last Sunday. MJ was in attendance at the top of section 110. he was in an isolated area, but he could still be photographed. Pictures were being taken throughout the game.
Singer Taylor Swift was also recently on campus. She was traveling with her family. They came to campus because her brother was checking it out as a possible college destination. Students who happened upon Miss Swift said she was very nice and approachable.
Former Arkansas governor (1996-2006) and former presidential candidate (2008) Mike Huckabee recently had a book signing at the Hammes Bookstore. Ours was the only college on his book tour. His book, "A Simple Christmas," is a collection of holiday stories. Huckabee is believed to be the first politician to have a book signing on campus.
Finally, the Stanford band still sucks. Apparently at the game they put themselves in the shape of a four-leaf clover while a script was read saying how unlucky we were, how we made a 10-year, $40 million mistake, and how we haven't done anything in 20 years. Classy, as always.
Hall Notes:
A Carroll Christmas story from awhile back as told by Vermin John Zeto....
Dippers
One minor X'mas story I can remember from December '81. At this time there were a number of tobacco snuff users in Carroll, myself included. Mike McAullife (aka "Gunner") and I were roommates on the 2nd floor and had turned one of those 8 ft wooden clothes cabinets on its side to make a bar for our room. Being the holidays we decided a little Christmas decorations were in order. We had acquired (can't remember where) the very top from an artificial Christmas tree and implanted the thing into the top of the bar. We were stymied however for decorations. Being poor college students we wanted to do this as cheaply as possible. We decided to decorate this thing with empty Skoal cans (being green) that we hung on the tree using red thread (thereby achieving holiday colors in the cheapest way possible). So we got all the empty Skoal cans from our fellow "dippers" in Carroll. Then at the very top, in place of an angel or other such item, we stuck one Copenhagen can at the top of the tree. All in all the tree probably had about 50+ empty tobacco tins.
Just for the heck of it, we decided to take a photo of the bar with the decorated tree and send it to the US tobacco company. This we did and about two weeks later we received an unexpected package from them in the mail. It turned out to be two rolls of snuff: one Skoal and one Copenhagen and a request to use the picture we had sent in their advertising.
I never saw the advertisement, but to the best of my knowledge, US tobacco DID in fact come up with some sort of ad using the photo.
NDSportscenter:
We have a new coach. Specifics next week.
Jimmy and Golden are leaving. Yeah, we all knew that was coming. At the 89th Football Banquet Jimmy and Golden were co-MVPs. Charlie was at the banquet and spoke to the team. It was a closed banquet. Only players, coaches, staff and family attended. This was everyone's final official time together since Swarbrick decided we would not go to a bowl game. Wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Rob Ianello has been running the show. He was also the assistant head coach for the offense. He has held the staff together and kept them out recruiting.
Clausen is one of ten up for the Manning Award. Jimmy finished the season 2nd in passing efficiency. He is 3rd in touchdown-to-interception ratio. Clausen is also 3rd in passing yards per game and 3rd in total passing yards. He also has the 3rd fewest interceptions (and three of his picks were off of deflections), is 6th in completion percentage, and 6th in touchdown passes. Of course he is all over the ND record book. Jimmy is 2nd in passing yards in a season with 3,722 and third in TDs at 28. Enough. Let's get on to Golden.
Tate was named to the American Football Coaches Association All American Team. He is the 49th Domer and our 56th selection to the team. That is second only to Oklahoma (52 and 60). He's our first since Shane Walton in 2002 and our first offensive player since Aaron Taylor in 1993. Golden has tied or broken six school records. He is first in career yards and receptions in a season. His 15 receiving TDs in a season is tied for first. Golden's 26 career TDs is 1 short of Samardzija's record. And his 1,915 all-purpose yards this season are second only to Tim Brown. If you're going to be second to a couple of players, I'd be hard pressed to name two better.
Campus News:
Father Mark Poorman will resign from his post at the end of the school year. Poorman is the vice president for Student Affairs. He has held the position for 11 years. He will be succeeded by Fr. Thomas Doyle on June 30. Doyle is currently the executive vice president at the University of Portland, a Catholic university in Oregon.
Poorman said in a press release that he will be on sabbatical leave next year. He then plans to return to the theology department faculty. Poorman is an associate professor of theology.
The Office of Student Affairs oversees residence life and is involved in Campus Ministry, the Gender Relations Center, health and counseling services, and Notre Dame Security Police.
Father Doyle is an '89 Domer. He was ordained in the Basilica in '98. He was a rector in Keough Hall and an adjunct professor of business ethics in the Mendoza College of Business.
In other news...
Did you get the official email? About not retaining Charlie Weis? The whole Notre Dame Family got the news before the media did. The email I received came from Chuck Lennon '61, the head of the Alumni Association. I find it interesting how we handled the firing of our football coach. It seems quite unlike any other school. For one, our athletic director said he made a "recommendation" to the University president. Father Jenkins is his boss and he deferred to him for the call. Jack Swarbrick certainly knows all eyes were on him. He had his press conference on Monday at 6 pm, right in time to be carried live on ESPN's Sportscenter. We may be a 0.500 team, but we are still tops in lead stories.
Campus Watch by Me:
So what was the real story behind Jimmy's black eye? Jimmy had been out with family and teammates. They were at CJs after the UConn game. The group was leaving the pub when Clausen's date forget her purse inside. Jimmy went back in to retrieve it. As he was coming out, he saw a man push his date outside the bar. Jimmy came up on him and words were exchanged. Then the man hauled off and popped Jimmy in the face. They got into it and ended up wrestling on the ground before it was broken up. No arrests were made.
Charlie immediately made Jimmy off limits to the media. During the week, Clausen had a shield inside his face mask. It was a dark shield meant to conceal the bruised eye. This was done for practice because the media is allowed in for about 30 minutes at each practice. The dark shield went against Weis protocol, by the way. At the beginning of fall camp he stated that only clear shields would be allowed. Apparently the dark ones were too "Hollywood." Well, the California kid needed it for a week.
Hall Notes:
Carroll Hall is once again front and center on campus. The annual Carroll Christmas was on tap this weekend. There was an article in Friday's Observer. The piece can be checked out on the "Articles of Interest" page.
NDSportscenter:
The women's soccer team advanced to the Sweet 16 where they faced Oregon State at Alumni Stadium. The ladies beat the Beavers 1-0. So we advanced to the Elite 8. There we took on Florida State in Seminole country. The Irish were victorious 2-0. We made the Final 4, better known as the College Cup. It's our 4th consecutive College Cup and our 5th in 6 years. We took our 21-3-1 record to College Station, Texas. In the national semi-final we were to confront old foe North Carolina. They destroyed us at Alumni Stadium at the beginning of the season, 6-0. Would this time be different? Sorta. We only lost 1-0 this time. And it wasn't even that close. The Tar Heels outshot us 26-8 and beat us in corner kicks 10-2. However, we did keep it scoreless until just 8 minutes remained in the game.
The women's basketball team visited the Virgin Islands over the Thanksgiving holiday. We played #21 Michigan State, #23 San Diego State, and #20 Oklahoma. We solidified our #5 ranking by defeating all three teams. And how did freshman Skylar Diggins do? She won the tournament MPV honor. That's all.
Our women's cross country team made the NCAA meet. Our seven runners brought home a 23rd place finish. That is 6 places higher than last year's finish. Senior Lindsey Ferguson finished 35th and was named an All-American.
The men's team did not qualify for the NCAA meet. But junior Jake Walker made the meet as an individual with a qualifying time. He came in 129th place.
Lots o football news next week. Break time this week to let the air clear.
Campus News:
Game-day arrests dropped substantially this year. Last year 129 were busted on home football Saturdays. After six home games this year, the tally was 30. Our Director of Game Day Operations said two factors helped lower the number of arrests. One factor is improving coordination among various groups working game day. Amongst police officers, ushers, parking attendants, and hospitality ambassadors, there has been "a more unified front that allows us to be more strategic." There has been "fan furor over alleged abuses by police officers." Apparently this supposedly led to changes in the University's approach to game days. Has NDSP changed its policy? The director said, "same number of police, same structure." (How's that for a non-answer?) The director did say complaints of unruly fan conduct on campus has decreased.
The other factor is that the University has attempted to make fans more aware of game-day expectations. Apparently fan behavior has improved. Fans have also been pleased by the new campus initiatives. One is the public parking option on the nine-hole golf course. A second is opening the Stadium tunnel to the public on Friday afternoons. A third is pep rally festivities at the hospitality village Irish Green. There was also the inclusion of texting. Throughout the game, the scoreboards at both ends of the stadium would carry a message about how to text stadium personnel over safety concerns. Apparently other school took note of this and have inquired about it.
So we've cleaned up some of our problems. Now if we can just secure a coach.
Campus Watch from the South Bend Tribune:
Last weekend a 15-year-old suited up for the Irish. Jacob Krauss was in uniform and on the field last Saturday. He played with the band of the Fighting Irish. Jacob came in from his Denver suburban home with his mother and grandmother. His desire to play with the band was part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Jacob suffers from cystic fibrosis, a chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. Prior to this gig, Jacob had two whole weeks of marching experience from a band camp. He played the clarinet and participated in all but two of the musical pieces. Jacob also played the pre-game concert on the steps of Bond Hall. The musician passed on a trip to a Walt Disney park and a NASCAR race in favor of the Irish band, saying, "You can always go to NASCAR. Why bother? You should wish for something you can't do." Jacob has been playing the clarinet since 6th grade. He also plays the saxophone, guitar and percussion. He is in jazz band and percussion band. But then he learned that the marching band at his small high school would be canceled this year for lack of participation. Then a Domer in Colorado helped to arrange for his Notre Dame wish.
At least one positive thing came out of Saturday.
Hall Notes:
Another football season has passed. Normally I attempt to discover the players living in Carroll so we can root them on even more throughout the season. Well, I failed to find any Vermin players this year. I had gone by the dorm early in the fall, but the new directory\ had not been posted. So I have to think back. I believe backup guard Dan Wenger started out in Carroll. I believe he bailed at some point. You see what happens when you leave the dorm?....You lose your starting job and sit the bench. Here endith the lesson.
NDSportscenter:
Golden Tate is one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award that goes to the nation's top receiver. Tate is 4th in receiving yards per game at 117.8. He is 9th in receptions per game at 7.6. The winner of the award will be announced on Dec. 10.
Jimmy did not make the final three for the Davey O'Brien Award. Through the UConn game he was 7th in passing efficiency and 5th in passing yards per game.
Armando Allen was out for the Stanford game after having surgery to repair a fracture in his right hand. The injury was suffered in the second half of the UConn game.
Special teams star Mike Anello was named 2nd Team Academic All American. He is our 53rd football Academic All American. He is also our 213th overall Academic All American. We are second all time in such honors. Anello carried a 3.93 GPA in Finance.
The men's soccer team won its opening round NCAA tournament game against Green Bay 2-1. Then it was on to Northwestern. We fell 3-1 despite outshooting the Wildcats 21-8 and holding a 10-2 corner kick advantage. We finished the year 11-8-4.
Freshman women's basketball player Skylar Diggins is definitely making noise. She is scoring in bunches. Skylar, somewhat surprisingly, has been named a pre-season Naismith Trophy Player of the Year candidate. She is one of three freshmen named. Diggins is 1 of 2 Domers named. Senior guard Ashley Barlow is also a candidate.
Volleyball coach Debbie Brown was named the Big East Coach of the Year. It is her 10th such honor and her first since 2005.
Campus News:
A few weeks back there was an election for governor of Virginia. The winner was Republican Bob McDonnell. He's a Domer. He became the 71st governor of Virginia after receiving 60% of the vote. Bob is the 4th Domer to become a governor. The Philadelphia-native graduated in 1976. He was here on a ROTC scholarship and received a B.A. in Management. McDonnell earned an M.B.A. from Boston University in 1980 and a J.D. from Regent University in 1989. Bob also spent 20 years in the military. He had been the Attorney General of Virginia since 2005.
So who has been back and seen the newly opened Eddy Street Commons? Eddy Street was open to traffic this fall after being closed for 14 months. Retail businesses are at ground level and one apartment complex is on the upper floors on one side of the street. Another complex is slated to open in 2010. In late August the open complex was 70 to 75 percent of its capacity. Apparently only a "handful" of undergraduates were renting for the first semester. Graduate students make up the other renters. The amenities are rather incredible. There is a gym and a private theater. The theater is a common area for residents. It has two 50-inch televisions, a Blu-ray player, and an Xbox 360. There is also a very large screen that can descend from the ceiling. It can be brought down to watch DVDs or television.
The rest of Eddy Commons is filling in. As of late August about two-thirds of the venues were committed. The open restaurants are Five Guys Burgers, Chipotle, and Hot Box Pizza. The Follett Notre Dame Bookstore and Outpost Sports are taking customers. Soon to open are a 24-hour fitness center, a salon, a bank, a breakfast restaurant, Doc Magrogan's Oyster House, and Kildare's Irish Pub.
Campus Watch by Me:
So what rumor HASN'T been said about the football program? The names are flying fast and furious. One name that now seems to be out is that of Jon Gruden. He has re-signed with ESPN to call pro games. Clearly he has taken himself off the market.
The hot name has been Jim Harbaugh of Stanford. That will become incredibly intriguing as that game approaches. No doubt it will be mentioned during next week's broadcast. Apparently Stanford's A.D. is hard at work on a contract extension.
Add Bob Stoops to the mix. The media is all over him because he has yet to empathetically say "No, not interest." Because he hasn't, they all think a part of him is interested. (It is.)
The biggest on-line posting, though, has been coming out about the state of Florida. A recent post went into great detail about a trip that has supposedly already been made to the Sunshine State. The posting basically said its already a done deal and listed all the specifics. It's either the worst leak or the biggest fabrication in college football history. One week to go until we know.
Hall Notes:
Thanksgiving is coming up. That reminds me of a Carroll Thanksgiving from back in the day.
A great many students used to go home for the holiday. But if you did not have a ride, could not afford the trip, or home was just too far away, you stayed on campus. Your dorm became even more your family. This was 1994.
The weather was decent. Nobody that stuck around wanted to do work. It was football season and the Vermin sure love the pigskin. A pickup game took place on the back field between the highway, the dorm, WNDU, and the woods. I was a sophomore. I believe there were Vermin from freshman through senior classes. We played for 2 to 3 hours. Good time. Great competition. Even better comraderie. So then what?
Well, there was still time in the day. How 'bout some basketball? You got it. The same crew headed over to the JACC. The north dome was set up for b-ball. That was a blast too. I believe we played hoops even longer. Maybe 3 to 4 hours. Ahhh, youth. That was a great time as well. The Vermin were definitely united. Incredible solidarity and friendships. Best dorm and home a college guy could ever have.
Then came the next morning. Oh. My. Goodness. I cannot recall such soreness. We were young and fit, but in no way could we simply bounce back after 6+ hours of intense activity. Thank goodness we had 3 days to recover. I was moving slower than an arthritic octogenarian with a walker. Leaving my second floor room was torment. To quote Homer Simpson, "So many stairs." But it was the best agony I ever felt.
NDSportscenter:
The women's soccer team has improved upon its early season woes. The #4 Irish went undefeated in the Big East with a 10-0-1 record. They made the final of the Big East tournament and defeated Marquette 2-1. It was our 11th Big East Championship. The ladies advanced to the NCAA tournament. The first two rounds were played at Alumni Stadium. We dropped IUPUI 5-0 in the first game. Central Michigan went down 6-1 in the next game. The women are 19-3-1 and on a hot streak.
Golden Tate has been named 1 of 15 semifinalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
Kyle Rudolph, although out for the season, is 1 of 8 semifinalists for the John Mackey Award. Rudolph is the only sophomore up for the top tight end honor.
The men's soccer team has also made the NCAA tournament. But they enter with a 10-7-4 record. The men needed to make a run in the Big East tournament to secure a berth. The Irish played very well and made the championship game. They lost the title to St. John's in a shootout. The team is 1 of 48 in the NCAA field. Our first round opponent is Green Bay.
The volleyball team has climbed to #24. The women won every single Big East contest this year. They went 14-0 in conference play. Overall the ladies are 20-4 and are ready for NCAA tournament play.
Campus News:
A University professor recently made some national news. Dr. Subhash Basu believes he may have found a treatment to kill breast, prostate, and colon cancer cells. He was invited to speak at an international symposium in China about his findings. Basu, a professor since 1970, says he has found a few chemical agents - also called apoptotic agents - which "initiate programmed cell death of the highly metastatic breast cancer and colon cancer cells. The chemicals, at low doses, could kill the cancer cells if applied to patients under the proper drug delivery system.
The Oct. 22 Shanghai speech involved discussing how apoptotic agents are used as models for new breast cancer therapeutic drugs. The speech was part of the Life Sciences' International Drug Discovery Science and Technology Symposium.
More testing and lab research is needed before anything comes of the discoveries. It could take years. There have been successful tests on human cells provided by the Cleveland Clinic. These are stored in liquid nitrogen in his lab. The 71-year-old Basu has been working on this for the past 10 years and has been assisted by 20 people, including his wife who is also a doctor. He believes he is about five years away. He is seeking funding, publicity, and interest from pharmaceutical companies.
Basu says five anti-cancer agents have been tested for their apoptotic effect and been found to have positive results. An artificial cell membrane called a liposome can be used to deliver drugs for the cancer. Basu and his wife have published a book on liposomes. This has to go through the National Cancer Institute. The next stage will be human testing.
Campus Watch by Me:
This next bit of news actually appeared in The Observer. I didn't see it anywhere else. It involves Charlie.
Well, the heat is on. "Journalists" were racing to be the first to say Charlie would be fired. "Articles" have already been written saying the job is now between John Gruden and Cincinnati's Brian Kelly. But instead of getting in on that frenzy, let's go back to the boston college game. The following was not widely publicized.
Prior to the b.c. game, Charlie and Boston-native receiver Barry Gallup Jr. presented an honorary Notre Dame jersey to b.c. linebacker Mark Herzlich. He had been diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Mark hopes to play again, but the illness has taken a large toll on his body and likely ended his career. Charlie and his wife, Maura, also donated $15,000 to Uplifting Athletes, a non-profit organization that benefits athletes with rare diseases.
Charlie may ultimately be let go, but let's see if we can keep from completely trashing a decent human being.
Hall Notes:
Carroll vs. Knott. Playoffs. Round 1. The Vermin ran into a buzzsaw. Knott continued its offensive tear and trounced us 21-0. All three touchdowns were through the air. The second score was remarkable. There were at the 30 yard line and facing a 4th-and-15. A highlight reel snag in the back of the end zone effectively broke Carroll. The Vermin could not sustain any long drives and turned the ball over. Freshman Keith Marrero had a first-quarter interception, but that was the extent of our bright spots. Carroll did win more games than in previous years and young leadership and talent points to a possible title run next year.
NDSportscenter:
Football notes: Jimmy is 1 of 15 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award....Golden Tate is 1 of 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award....Golden and Jimmy are 2 of 16 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award, a Player of the Year honor....Tight end Kyle Rudolph is out for another two weeks and may be back for the Stanford game. He sustained a shoulder muscle injury....Our 18th verbal commitment is Toney Hurd. He is a cornerback out of Missouri City, Texas. Toney is 5'9", 185 lbs and attends Marshall High School. Both Rivals and Scout give him 3 stars. Hurd runs a 4.5 - 40 and carries a 3.5 GPA. He had offers from California, Florida State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, and Texas A&M.
Basketball news: The women are ranked #4 in the nation....Luke Harangody was the leading vote getter on the pre-season All American 1st Team. He was also voted the pre-season Big East Player of the Year. Only Patrick Ewing has also received that honor. Luke was, of course, voted to the pre-season Big East 1st Team....The men's team was predicted to finish 8th in the Big East....Tory Jackson has switched from #2 to #3 for his senior year....The NBA Development League recently had its draft. The Fort Wayne Mad Ants (awesomest mascot ever) took a couple of Domers. Ryan Ayers and Kyle McAlarney had both flirted with international ball. McAlarney went to Israel but only lasted about a month. The Erie (Pa.) Bayhawks picked Rob Kurz. Last year Kurz was on Golden State's roster. Finally, Russell Carter was chosen by the Austin (Tx.) Toros.
Campus News:
Geddes Hall, the new home for the Center for Social Concerns, should be the first building on campus to attain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. To achieve the certification, a building must meet high benchmarks for energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor air quality, protection of natural resources, and waste reduction.
In other news...
A few years back a story came out of campus about how high the enrollment had become in the College of Business. The University felt the number was too high and was creating an imbalance. Over the last six years the University has tried to steer prospective students into other fields. The College of Engineering and the College of Science have expanded over the past six years. Engineering has grown by about 15 percent. It experienced an 18 percent increase this year alone. The enrollment has increased by about 130 students over the past two years. Science is up as well with a sharp increase in the first year class this year.
However, the number of students enrolling in the College of Business has continued to expand. Therefore, Arts & Letters is down. Business continues to be strong because of possibly factors such as its #2 ranking in the country, satisfaction with the courses, and an increased interest in business. It is our second most popular college behind Arts & Letters. Enrollment needs to stabilize or it would become a problem in two or three years. The University would have to have more faculty, more sections, and more classrooms.
The University continues to strive for better balance. The 2003 strategic plan has worked for Engineering and Science. A specific course of action has yet to be determined for Business.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
At the end of September a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to officially dedicate a 30-acre farm in South Bend. It is the Hannah and Friends organization's first residential home. Maura and Charlie Weis have been working on establishing the farm for years. The Weis' started Hannah and Friends in 2003.
The farm has multiple buildings. The Eck Rec Room, named after Domer Frank Eck, was the first building opened on the farm. There is also a fully functioning barn with five horses. The Peter Schivarelli and Chicago Home and the Jon Bon Jovi Home (which is expected to open at Christmas) will also house residents. Schivarelli is the manager of the band Chicago. The band donates 50 cents from every ticket sold to Hannah and Friends. Each home can house four individuals with special needs. Women are in the Schivarelli Home. Men will be in the Jon Bon Jovi Home. The homes are run by Mosaic, a non-profit group with homes around the country.
Individuals must apply to Hannah and Friends for housing and the Board of Directors review applications and select residents. Two are already slated for the Bon Jovi Home. Residents will not only live on the farm but also become engaged in the work environment. For example, residents who are interested in horses are encouraged to work and spend time in the barn brushing and feeding the animals.
The farm is far ahead of the original schedule. The first plan had it opening in 2015. The foundation bought the property in 2006 and broke ground in 2007. It came along quickly thanks to the generosity of groups, individuals, Notre Dame and the community. Local businesses donated couches and appliances. Alumni Hall donated the playground.
The next buildings planned are a respite home for parents of children with different abilities, as well as an indoor community swimming pool.
Hall Notes:
When last we left the Vermin football team, the lads were awaiting their playoff fate. Well, Carroll made it in. The Observer didn't list their exact seed, but based on some of the other seeds, it appears Carroll is #6. Their first round opponent is Knott, who I believe is the #3 seed. Carroll is 2-0-2. Knott is 3-0-1. And Knott is coming in hot. Last week they defeated Morrissey 21-0. Next week details will be given on Carroll's playoff game.
NDSportscenter:
We have a 17th commitment. And again we have pulled another player out of Florida. Running back Gio Bernard attends St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale. That's the same school that produced OT Sam Young, OG Dan Wenger, P Ben Turk, and long snapper Jordan Cowart. Bernard is a 5'9", 195 lb back that runs a 4.5 - 40. He is considered the 12th best running back and Scout and Rivals both give him four stars. Offers were extended by Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Nebraska and Tennessee. Tom Lemming has him as the 50th best player in the country. Gio has great hands, acceleration, balance, and toughness. After receiving this 17th verbal we climbed back into Rivals and Scout's top ten.
The Washington State game in San Antonio was definitely a first for the program. The attendance was 53,407 (very large for two transplanted teams). Mike Collins, our stadium voice, called the game in Texas. Sgt. Tim McCarthy was recorded and played over the sound system. The Friday pep rally included Irish great Tim Brown. And we had 20 to 30 of the best Texas juniors in attendance. We could not talk to them but we could give them tickets to attend the game. Among them was arguably the best junior running back in the country.
Some other random football notes: our television ratings are up 26 percent this year....Michael Floyd was back for the Navy game, six weeks after breaking his collarbone. Despite not being able to play, Floyd was still suiting up for game....Dayne Crist tore his ACL and is out for 4 to 6 months...We have signed a new contract with Purdue. The Irish and Boilermakers will play through 2021.
Campus News:
A recent Observer article took a look at the University's 10-year strategic plan that was issued in August 2003. Fr. Monk Malloy directed the document known as "Notre Dame 2010: Fulfilling the Promise." Because it is "an evolving, living document," changes have been made and will continue to be made along the way. All of the recent building additions have been a part of the plan. But what about future plans? Or those just on the horizon?
Part of the long-term plan calls for the University to fund the building of a Social Sciences building. There is also a plan to build a multidisciplinary research center. A new student center will also be in the works. The University has said that "relative to our own campus residency rate, LaFortune Student Center should be at least twice its current size." Plans called for the new student center to go in near Stepan Center. The construction has been delayed until money can be secured. The University is also seeking funds to possibly build two other residence halls. All are a part of the 2010 document.
Our current construction rate has been astounding. In the 18-month period that will end Dec. 31, about $275 million in construction will have been done. The economic downturn has delayed the following: the hockey arena, remodeling of the first and second floors of the library, and a new center for executive education to the south of Mendoza. Alumni Stadium for soccer and Arlotta Stadium for lacrosse opened this fall. They are gorgeous. The renovation of the old Law School will be finished on June 1, 2010. And, finally, the next building to open will be Stinson-Remick Hall, the new engineering building. It is scheduled to be completed in December and will be ready for the spring semester.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Continued from last week...
It was during this half-time break that a liquored-up Gulliver returned from another of his inebriated wanderings, curious if he could sub in for a winded warrior. Upon finding the sleeping beauties, Gully cried out defiantly, "Well, why didn't you tie THEM up?" The Owl hooted in agreement and Al couldn't help but acquiesce. Naturally, none of the competitors acknowledged the impending predicaments that might arise from a dorm room full of tied up, passed out, drunken lady Domers.
With the ease and dexterity of a running back sprinting through the Fighting Irishs secondary, the drunken trio set about orchestrating a series of loops and knots that would make any schooled sailor proud. But soon after the job was topped off, one of the ladies began to stir. She opened her eyes. She wiggled. She panicked. Perhaps she needed more Jagermeister to assuage her bonded limbs - oh, wait, no! No, she needed less, much less, and she needed to purge it now. "She's going to blow!" screamed the seaman Gulliver. The Owl's head spun circles, trying desperately to help Al find some way to free her before her distilled dinner (and lunch, and breakfast) came back to the surface.
Fortunately, she had begun her slumber in an upright, somewhat seated position. Unfortunately, she could lean only slightly forward before feeding the nonexistant nest of baby birds in her lap. Finally, scissors were retrieved, a trash can strategically employed, and the hostage situation came to a messy end. Dazed and covered in her Jager tournament testimonial, she was escorted by her teammate who had managed not to go overboard in an untimely 8pm walk of shame.
Hall Notes:
A '90s Haunted House memory...
NAKED SLIP N SLIDE
Halloween has just passed so it seems fitting we give a Haunted House story. This is less a tale of a specific skit and more a tale of Vermin post-House debauchery. It was a relatively warm and misting evening in the October of 1994. That's a strong footnote for the following Classic Moment. Ryan "O-Dogg" O'Leary '96 recounts most of this story while I chimed in on some...
As the lights come on and we begin to clean out the crackhouse (addition: "crackhouse" = the skit), Dykens strolls in and asks what the postgame plan is. Mid-sentence, he stops to note the large roll of window plastic remaining on the ground. Light bulb on, and Slip-N-Slide is born.
With several people still in the dorm, we eventually garnered a considerable audience... and everyone's having a generally clean ol' time until someone - Festa, if I'm not mistaken - decides that you'll slide faster if you don't have clothes holding you back. So his boxers disappear, and within minutes about half of the 10 or so among us were buck booty as naked. Much to Sullivan's chagrin, I was not one of them.
From that point, it's a bit cloudy. At some point, the rector makes his appearance to a few catcalls from the gallery above. Hearing, "Hey Father," Mr. Edwards replies, unit out and all, "Yeah, that's right, I'm your father." The man of the cloth approached just as Festa reaches the top of the hill, spouting something. (Addition: I believe one of the comments made by Father was something to the effect of "John, I see you. You can come out now." As I recall that was directed toward one Mr. J. Beeler '98 who was trying to hide his naked ass behind a tree. How exactly he planned to escape sans clothes is beyond me.)
Needless to say, we were all rustled in to Mikey's lair by week's end with the RAs in attendance, including Matt Ryan, who was ON HIS WAY OUT TO JOIN US. Those who stripped got 45 hours community service; those who didn't got five. For what, I still don't know.
NDSportscenter:
Football notes: Rivals is more than just a recruiting website. They dissect all of college football. This past week Jimmy was at the top of their quarterback rankings. And Golden Tate was the #1 ranked receiver....After the USC and boston college games, Jimmy was still the second ranked quarterback in terms of passing efficiency....The PAC-10 officiating body said the fake field goal we ran should have been a 15-yard penalty. They said we used "substitutions to deceive." Shut up, donkeys....Mel Kiper now has Jimmy as the #3 rated QB on his draft board. With every passing week and excellent performance, the chances of Jimmy going pro increase....Shaquelle Evans has not played the passed two games because he was suffering from the flu....Our 2010 schedule has been finalized. Western Michigan has been added on Oct. 16. This will be the third time we will play them and the first since 1920 when Rockne was our coach. The 2010 schedule also includes Utah and Tulsa. (I love seeing new opponents every year.)
The women's basketball team has been picked to finish second in the Big East. We return all 12 players from last year including all five starters. We were 22-9 overall and 10-6 in the Big East.
LaPhonso Ellis will join ESPN this year as a game and studio analyst.
The women's soccer team won its 12th regular-season crown in 15 seasons. The ladies are up to #6/7 in the polls. They are 13-3-1 overall and 9-0-1 in the Big East.
The Collegiate Power Rankings recently came out. It takes into account athletics and academics. We were fourth amongst Division I schools, trailing only Stanford, Princeton, and Duke.
Campus News:
The Board of Trustees met last weekend. Amongst the items on the agenda was that of Father Jenkins stewardship. He is in the final year of his initial five-year term. The Trustees re-elected Jenkins to a second five-year term.
In other news...
Earlier this month Jenkins sent an email to the student body announcing that the Commencement Ceremony would be moved from the JACC to the Stadium. This was mainly due to allow all family members to attend. Tickets had been limited in the past. Had the ceremony continued in the JACC, even less tickets would have been available. The south arena renovation has reduced the seating capacity by about 2,000 seats. Now there will be no limits on guest attendance.
This year will also be the first time there will be undergraduate "diploma ceremonies" in each college. Jenkins said this was being done "so that each graduate hears his or her name called and receive a diploma and well-deserved recognition on stage." The show will go on "rain or shine." Only severe weather would push it indoors. Commencement will be held in the morning. The diploma ceremonies will be held later "in each college and school in the afternoon."
In still other news...
The College Sustainability Report Card awarded the University a B grade earlier this month. That's up from last year's grade of B-. The University received a D- in 2007. We were given an A in Administration, Student Involvement, and Investment priorities. We received a D in Endowment transparency, mainly because we do not have a public list of holdings and the shareholder voting record is kept private. The University reduced carbon emissions by 7.5 percent this year.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
This first proverbial anecdote begins on an ordinary Wednesday night, wherein an inexplicably intoxicated individual - we shall call him "Gulliver"- stumbled clumsily into the dorm room of some friends and promptly passed out on a futon. Confused by the premature onset of behavior normally reserved for the weekend, and frankly annoyed by the immovable mass on their futon, the rambunctious roommates concurred that the clearly logical way to handle the situation was to tie young Gulliver to the futon. The goal: Teach him a lesson. What that lesson was, they weren't entirely sure, but when in a men's dorm and faced with the conundrum of an unresponsive body and rope curiously available, everyone knows that bondage is the answer.
Our good friend Gully eventually woke up, delighting his captors with a disoriented struggle with his fetters and providing the victorious pranksters with a good laugh before everyone went back to doing what most Notre Dame male students do on a Wednesday night: polishing off a season of Gilmore Girlson DVD and spooning together with a Brady Quinn blow-up doll until they fall asleep.
This Wednesday evening just so happened to precede an elaborately organized, all-day beverage event, coordinated by one of the pranksters ("Al," for short) to occur on that coming Friday. The plan was brilliantly self-destructive: first person to finish a bottle of Jagermeister wins. The prize for the winner must not have been much more compelling than a night at Legends' "Stoplight" Nightclub because only four brave soldiers volunteered for the chicanery. However, just Al and one other contestant (known only as "The Owl") were present at daybreak to begin "riding the elk" long into the night. As the sun began to set on the deuling comrades, the two other previously absent Jager-bombers, a pair of dashing damsels always ready for a self-degrading drinking binge, shuffled dejectedly into the contestants' quad and conceded that they couldn't possibly get back into the game. But, hoping for a moral victory of sorts, the girls allied and rallied in the spirit of the game, quickly laying waste to a bottle of licorice elixir. This immediately required a similarly allied nap-taking endeavor, and within minutes the ladies were snoozing peacefully on the quad futons.
To be continued next week.
Hall Notes:
Week four of the intramural football season pitted Carroll (2-0-1) versus Sorin (2-0). The game was either a defensive gem or an offensive catastrophy. There were aplethora of penalties, turnovers, and failed third-down conversions. The Vermin intercepted Sorin three times but were only able to turn those into punts. The only legitimate scoring opportunity came with less than a minute left. Carroll was in position for a game-winning field goal. However, it failed to clear the uprights and the game ended in a 0-0 tie.
The Vermin will have to wait and see if its undefeated 2-0-2 record is enough to warrant a playoff seed. They have a bye the last week of the season which will take place in a week. This past week was Fall Break.
NDSportscenter:
We did not win the USC game on the scoreboard, but our never-say-die attitude may have won over some recruits. Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming was at the game and said it may have a strong impact on blue chip defensive players who want to get on the field early. We won over at least one recruit last weekend. Receive Tai-le Jones de-committed from Stanford and picked the Irish. The 6'0", 180 lb Jones is our 16th verbal. He is the father of former Irish defensive lineman Andre Jones. Through seven games of his senior season, Tai-ler has 36 catches for 640 yards and 11 touchdowns. And that has been done in only 2 full games and 5 half games. Blowouts at halftime had the Gainesville, Georgia- native cheering on his understudies in the second halves. Both Rivals and Scout give him four stars. He runs a 4.46 - 40 and carries a 3.5 GPA. Tai-ler has great agility and ball skills but needs to work on his size and strength.
The hockey season began with the "Drop the Puck" opening dinner. The guest speaker was Garth Snow, the General Manager of the New York Islanders. Last year we were 31-6-3. This year we had a pre-season ranking of #5. But that was only best for third in our conference. Michigan and Miami (Ohio) were predicted to be bette. And then we promptly went out and lost our opener 3-2 to Alabama-Huntsville. D'OH! We beat them 3-1 the next night. Surprisingly the team only dropped to #7. The Irish then lost to Providence. But they bounced back to take the second game against the Friars. It seems as if all of our current sportsare on roller coasters.
Campus News:
More on the endowment...
One reason our endowment is not in trouble is our capital construction policy. We require that all funds be obtained before construction begins. Therefore, our projects have not been halted as a result of declining funds. Our policy is "totally unheard of." Apparently other schools "way overreach there."
Also, our investment pool is "well diversified, and well balanced." We are similiar to Harvard and Yale in that respect, but we have less in real estate. Yale is around 25 percent and Harvard 20 percent. We are only about 10 percent in real estate and have not been hit as hard.
Our chief investor said our hedge fund portfolio is "the best in the country." We have an investment team at the University, but also 150 managers spread across the globe. In the last three years our team has had our endowment outperform all of the top 20 endowments.
In other news....
Previously there was a story about two Holy Cross students getting stuffed into their car trunk after being mugged. Police arrested five teenagers for the Sept. 24 carjacking. They were arrested for carjacking, criminal confinement, and robbery. Several of the teenagers have previous criminal records.
In still other news....
The newest women's dorm - Ryan Hall - has selected its colors and mascot. The ladies will be the "Wildcats" and their colors will be turquoise and white. Residents voted the mascot and colors into office. There were 44 mascots submitted and 25 color choices submitted. After fall break the dorm's executive council will begin to establish a signature event for the hall.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Next we jump to a spooky scenario: two charming young men, unimposing underclassmen at their finest, who were faced with a lazy afternoon of unbearable boredom - maybe the weather was dismal, maybe their Xbox was broken, or maybe they had simply tired of lamenting the relative unattractiveness of Notre Dame girls versus St. Mary's girls for the thirteenth time that week, but they decided to go online and explore the realm of adult chat rooms.
Giddy with mischievous curiosity, they struck up a stimulating conversation with a woman in a town not far from campus. After only a few steamy smiley-faces and saucy euphemisms, the woman cordially invited the unfledged cyber studs to pay a visit to her abode and submit to her charms. Dreaming of doubtless dorm-wide glorification (and perhaps secretly hoping to stumble across one of the well-formed townie types that might be good for more than just a few laughs back on campus), the chatters hailed a cab and set off on the rendezvous.
They arrived at a modest house in a pleasant neighborhood - the quintessential Midwest suburban stomping-ground - and, encouraged by the seeming lack of any pedestrian-tackling or gun-weilding foes, they climbed the steps to the front porch. As a nervous hand hovered over the chime, the door swung open to reveal a middle-aged woman draped dramatically across the doorframe. She was, to put it one way, a bit round - unabashedly curvy, we'll say - and taller than the average leprechaun.
But apart from her imposing stature, perhaps the first thing the boys noticed was her ensemble: head-to-toe leather, a chain in one claw and a whip in the other. They took one look at the would-be dominatrix, one look at each other, and sprinted down the street in an incredulous panic. They somehow managed to find their way back to campus with a new appreciation for their ResLife-ruled dorm, knowing that the alternative was a basement dungeon. But in the end, they got whipped anyway, as the duped dominatrix tattled their tale to the university. So, my untainted undergrads, as Halloween looms near, always remember your safe word, and don't forget to be extra wary of any party invitations that require leather attire.
Hall Notes:
On October 10, 2009, Tom "Tim" Mullarkey '97 got hitched. His new wife, Kim, is a Florida State alum. The wedding was very interesting. First, it was held in Florida. Tim and Kim live in Chicago. But she is from Florida. Near Tallahassee. Well, the wedding was in Jacksonville. Huh? Doesn't matter. Once you're traveling from the Midwest, all Florida is the same.
The Sunshine State was hotter than Jessica Biel's underwear drawer. Apparently the mid 90s is unseasonably warm. Helluva time to be outside in a tux posing for pictures. One Vermin, me (Dan Delgado '97), was a groomsman. The other '97 Vermin in attendance were Dean Busack, Bob Fincutter, and Jim "Sweet Baby" Zawada. There was a Domer table at the reception and the crew posed for a photo. Hopefully we can get that posted in the near future.
NDSportscenter:
Michael Floyd is back. Sort of. He is healing remarkably quickly after breaking his collarbone. I had been hoping he could be back by the Stanford game. Now Pittsburgh seems likely. Possibly even Navy, which would probably feature plenty of running anyway. Floyd is back in pads and is practicing, but obviously isn't taking hits.
Aside from "Junior Days" and spring recruiting weekends, this past weekend may have been the biggest recruiting day in the history of in-season college football. The sheer number of high school players that came in was staggering. Amongst those attending were 11 elite seniors. Most were uncommitted. At least three were soft verbals to other schools. Also in were 11 of our 15 committed recruits. And on top of that, 19 top juniors came in for the game. It was recruiting madness.
We have lost one of our men's basketball players for the year. Transfer Scott Martin tore his ACL during a practice session. Martin had come here from Purdue. He is a junior and he will have two years of eligibility remaining.
We have our men's soccer players back from the Under-20 National Team. Aaron Maund and Dillon Powers were on the U.S. team that went 1-2. We placed 17th of 24 teams at the U-20 World Cup. Ouch.
Campus News:
Our 2009 fiscal year results were recently reported to the Board of Trustees. Our endowment is down to a market value of $5.5 billion. That is a decline of 20.8 percent compared to 2008 results. Our 2006 level was $5.1 billion. Last year the value was at $7.1 billion. The results were not as poor as other groups. The S&P fell 26.2 percent last year. Harvard dropped 27.3 percent. Their endowment, the country's largest, is now valued at $26 billion. We still have the 13th largest endowment among all U.S. higher education institutions.
Not only have we outperformed some larger endowments, but we have also not had to decrease spending out of the endowment. Other schools have attempted to cut spending. Our financial aid spending has actually increased. Yale and Princeton, both down around 24 percent, are aiming to cut $150 million and $170 million, respectively. In contrast we are spending $215 million out of the endowment. We will increase our spending out of the endowment by 5 percent. Our annual operating budget remains just under $1 billion and hasn't been affected by the endowment's performance. Our endowment spending rate is significantly less than rates of 7 or 8 percent at peer institutions. Schools with higher spending rates tend to cut spending to maintain the endowment pool. Our spending has also been unaffected because we have a modest debt load and capital construction funding policies. We have a AAA debt rating and typically hold lower debt than our peers.
More on our endowment next week.
Campus Watch by Me:
Believe it or not, a civil engineering luncheon was recently held at Legends nightclub. True. I was there. The club, during daylight hours, is a respectable room devoid of emo youngsters and boys in girls jeans. Some Domers gave a presentation of their work for the City of South Bend over the summer. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Let's get to the club. Along the walls are photos of the acts that have played the club since its inception a few years back. It has also hosted comedians. Many of the names are recognizable. (To me anyway, I have Sirius radio. Can't get enough Alt Nation, baby.) The biggest name on the wall?.... The most famous musician to play the club has to be Scott Weiland, the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots. He did a solo gig. How does Scott Weiland find his way to the Bend? Turns out Scott is a huge, huge, HUGE Fighting Irish football fan. He's a big time subway alum going back to his childhood. But that made me think... we were good on the field in the early '90s. Why so much angst in the STP music?
Hall Notes:
Rivalry week last week on campus. Carroll vs. zahm. The contest was a defensive struggle in the first half. It was 0-0 at the half. Early in the third quarter Vermin sophomore running back Nick Tammerine took a pitch from junior quarterback Brian Vaio and dashed 45 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. We missed the PAT and led 6-0. Then our defense locked it down. Carroll had the only big offensive play in the game. The defense was stout and recovered two fumbles. The zahmbies were not above breaking the rules. On a 3rd-and-10, as their QB was about to be sacked, zahm passed to an offensive tackle who ran for a 60-yard "score." Of course that was a penalty. Their coach and one of their players flipped out over the penalty and received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Cheaters never win. zahm sucks. The Vermin won 6-0 and are now 2-0-1. It's our best start in at least four years.
NDSportscenter:
The football team is off this weekend. But there's still news: Jimmy is the #1 rated quarterback in the nation for passing efficiency. Last week he was named the Davey O'Brien Foundation Quarterback of the Week. Three different sports groups have Clausen in the top 3 for the Heisman...Against Washington Golden Tate had 244 yards. That's the second highest receiving total in a single game in Irish history. One site's power rankings have Golden as the sixth best receiver in the country....Armando Allen's ankle and James Aldridge's shoulder will be ready for USC....freshman tight end Tyler Eifert is done for the year because of a back injury. Tyler will be eligible for a medical redshirt.
The women's soccer team has had its ups and downs this year. They got blasted by Carolina and then lost to Santa Clara and Stanford. The ladies fell to #12 and #14 in the rankings. But they are back in the top 10 and set a record in doing so. The women now have the longest conference unbeaten streak in NCAA history. We had been tied with Carolina at 55 games. Note, it's an "unbeaten" streak. Over the 55 games we were 53-0-2. We earned the record in the 56th game by downing West Virginia 3-2 in overtime.
There is a new sculpture outside the stadium. A Knute Rockne work of art was dedicated prior to the Washington game. It is on the east side of the stadium.
Campus News:
More on the library petitions...
The petitioners not only ask to increase the number of books bought per year, but also to hire additional bibliographers and professional staff. There is also a call for a renovation of the entire building "to the scale and cost of new science buildings on campus." The Jordan Hall of Science cost $70 million. Petitioners say "the library is the labe of the humanities."
The assistant provost says the University does not mean to neglect the humanities. The sciences have received recent focus because the sciences had been lagging behind. Petitioners point out we have the 13th largest educational endowment and money can be raised for the renovation. Currently there is a plan to renovate two floors of the library. The basement and first floor have recently been upgraded. Renovating the whole building is a possibility. But all the construction will be done in phases.
In other news...
Technically this is news for another campus, but it will be shared here. Two Holy Cross College students were robbed and forced to ride in the trunk of their car for at least an hour last week. The students had exited their car in a parking lot on Notre Dame Avenue at about 10:40pm. Then a man approached with a gun and demanded money. Two or three other males approached and forced the students into the back seat. The attackers hit them and forced the students to drive around to several local banks to withdraw cash. Eventually the students were shoved into the trunk.
A police officer stopped the vehicle because the driver failed to turn off the high beams. The suspects fled on foot. Noise from the trunk caught the officer's attention. As of the writign of the incident, the police had no suspects.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our next story boasts an age-old moral: don't count your chickens before they hatch - or, don't count your So-Co/lime shots before you pay for them.
Grateful for the end of a slow, student-deprived summer, many of the dashing and delicate dives known affectionately as our South Bend bars showed appreciation for their loyal patrons by offering arousing drink specials to kick off the semester. One particular over-zealous customer, under the heavy influence of several preceding refreshments, was inspired by a conspicuous advertisement for $1 So-Co and lime shots. Feeling generous (and intoxicated), he flagged down the bartender and victoriously shouted out his order: 20 shots for him and his party-ready posse.
The line-up was aesthetically impressive, 20 shot glasses brimming with the Comfort of the South and lined up enticingly like freshmen girls outside of a dorm party. But the magic dissolved like a booty call at parietals when the bartender informed his proud client that the Confederate special ended at midnight - approximately an hour and a half prior - and the shots were now $4 instead of just $1. With an emphatic "FML" he turned desperately to his troops, and faithful yet furious hands probed into pockets to pool the $80 tab.
But the Big Man was surely watching the drama escalate (not Coach Weis, the other one), for no sooner had the exasperated comrades sworn promises of sabotage under their breath than did a heavenly hand appear at the bar... with an angelic American Express in tow. A darling damsel informed the crew that an anonymous benefactor had given her the card with explicit instructions to put the drinks on his dime. Not bothering to ask questions, the shots were downed like malt liquor at a Dis-O, and the night carried on without any other major common-sense blunders. Ahh, the sweet (and limey) taste of victory!
Hall Notes:
The Vermin football team's second game was against Fisher. Basically, the game was a mess. There were half a dozen fumbled snaps, more incompletions than completions, and two huge turnovers. Fisher's first touchdown was set up by an impressive interception on the sideline in the first quarter. The bad guys missed the PAT. Carroll did not score in the first half.
In the second half Vermin sophomore linebacker Albert Toscano forced a fumble that led to a scoring drive for Carroll. The offense then completed two passes and ran the ball successfully. Finally, junior QB Brian Vaio connected with senior receiver Tommy Mumford on a 20-yard touchdown pass. A poor snap doomed the extra point attempt.
Both defenses hung tough the rest of the way and the contest ended in a 6-6 tie. Carroll stands 1-0-1.
NDSportscenter:
There is some good news about injured receiver Michael Floyd. He could actually qualify for a medical redshirt and retain an additional year of eligibility. However, it is highly unlikely he would stay in school three more years. Heck, I'll be ecstatic if he stays for two more.
Speaking of staying in school, prior to this weekend's game versus Washington, ESPN had Jimmy as the 6th best NFL quarterback prospect and the 33rd best player overall. Let's hope he is wise and returns. Even after only partially playing against Purdue, Clausen still had the 4th highest passer rating in the nation entering the weekend. After producing 1,000 yards of offense in our first two games (best start to the season since '74), Clausen has helped produced the th most productive offense in the nation. We are th in passing yards and Jimmy is th in individual yardage. All those rankings are through the Washington game.
Jeff Samardzija hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in his most recent outing. It was Jeff's second start on the mound. He drove the homer 370 feet and into the second deck. Jeff did much better this outing. In 5+ innings he allowed 3 runs on 5 hits with 2 strikeouts. His fast ball was hitting 99 mph. But the Cubs still lost 3-2.
There is word on a couple of Irish basketball players that graduated last year. Kyle McAlarney gave the NBA summer league a try and hoped to make a squad. It didn't work out and he will play in Israel this season. Luke Zeller was with the Bulls for the summer. He averaged 3 ppg and 2.3 rpg and shot 35 percent from the field. But he didn't make the official roster. Now he will play in Japan.