Campus News:
The head of Admissions is retiring. Dan Saracino, the assistant provost for enrollment, is stepping down after being at his post for 13 years. Saracino is a '69 Domer. His bachelor's degree is in government and international relations. He received his master's in education administration in 1975. Under Saracino, the average SAT score climbed from 1325 to 1410. And undergrad minorities went from 14% to 23%.
In other news.....
Ever wonder about Old College? Just a bit. "Scholastic" ran a cover story about it called "The Real O.C." I snatched some tidbits to share.
First of all, they do not HAVE to become priests. The men of Old College are encouraged to participate in campus life and are allowed to pursue whatever major they choose. They are, however, required to receive 18 philosophy and 12 theology credits in addition to their other courses. Old College is for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Moreau Seminary is for their senior and candidate year where they pursue the Master of Divinity program.
So how does one get into Old College? There is a separate application process. The application consists of 22 pages of general data, six or seven essay questions, and a series of psychological tests. Then they come for an interview, afterwhich they write a report. The report goes to an admissions committee that makes a recommendation. Finally, the Holy Cross Provincial makes the ultimate decision.
How about the day-to-day existence in Old College? While the men are contemplating the priesthood, the have a college course load like everyone else. They also attend Mass in the log chapel every day. They gather in the chapel around 7:30 each weekday morning for prayer and adoration. They also attend special Formation classes and participate in various other community meals and activities throughout the week.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our next rom-com takes place in a dorm room, where a fresh new Notre couple met up before planning to take in one of South Bend's finest shows downtown. Before either of them could say "duLac," however, the evening took a swift and steamy turn down Romance Lane. In the privacy and classy comfort of the gentleman's cinder-block citadel, the two longbirds fell to the futon in a fit of passion. But apparently the young lad had more passion in mind than his damsel, for she insisted that he cool his ardor at once.
Prince Charming, as we might call him, quickly saw the error of his hormonal ways and swept his lady off the futon at once to embark on a noble quest across campus...to the Grotto, no less. Upon reaching this unlikely date-night destination, Prince Charming directed his damsel to kneel with him in prayer, as they both sought forgiveness and guidance from the gods of ResLife. The little lady was touched by his thoughtfulness, but a little disappointed....she really just wanted to see the show. Then again, wasn't that entertainment enough for one evening?
Hall Notes:
A week ago a wickedly intense storm hit the Bend. Whole trees were uprooted thanks to winds in excess of 80 mph. The monsoon-like conditions knocked powerlines down all over the area. The campus was hit hard in some areas. One area that did NOT suffer greatly?....Carroll. I saw one large branch down, but no entire trees. Apparently we don't have any deadwood. Strong roots. Just like the Vermin Nation. We cannot be rocked. Except by Elsie's Promise or The Florida Evans Show Band and Revue.
The 9-hold golf course had trees down everywhere. I also saw a tremendous number of trees littering the cemetary. Trees falling in a cemetary....gee, I hope no one died.
NDSportscenter:
Coach Brian Kelly recently made a $250,000 gift to the University. The donation is in support of "endeavors in research academics and community engagement." The money will directly support three initiatives: cancer research, the Hesburgh Library, and the Robinson Community Learning Center. Brian is also launching the "Coach Kelly Challenge" which will encourage all members of the Notre Dame Family to offer financial support to the school. Coach set a goal of 2,500 new or re-newed donors as part of the challenge. Those participating will receive a signature Kelly green ND monogram label pin.
Dave Schrage has been let go as our baseball coach. He had been here four years and had one year remaining on his contract. He leaves with a record of 119-104-1 (.533). This past year we were 22-32 and did not even qualify for the Big East tournament.
Women's basketball recruit Kayla McBride recently competed at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. She was 1 of 12 to make the Under-18 National Team. Kayla is a guard and will join Skylar Diggins in the backcourt next year. This is the 5th time in 7 years we have a player competing for the U.S. on an international stage.
Old school hoops star Monty Williams has been named the new head coach of the NBA's New Orleans Hornets. Williams, 38, played ten seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2003. For the past five seasons Monty was an assistant wih the Portland Trailblazers.
Mike Ragone seems to be sticking around despite being arrested for marijuana possession. He is enrolled in summer school and is expected to be here in the fall. But ResLife has yet to make its ruling.
The softball team had another strong year. They lost to Louisville in the Big East semi-finals. The team received an at-large big to the NCAAs as they were 1 of 64 to get in. The ladies went to the Ann Arbor Regional (as usual). Sadly we fell to Michigan (as usual). The Irish finished with a record of 47-12.
Campus News:
A recent Observer article title stated: "Future of Library in Limbo." The latest issue is that of the director stepping down. An assistant provost was named the interim director of the library. A major goal is formulating a strategic plan for the future direction of the library. However, the University is only in the planning stages and nothing has yet been written. The hope is for the strategic plan to be finished next spring. The plan will not be finished until a new director has been chosen. The new director will bring new ideas and experiences. The previous director had been at the helm for 13 years. A national search is now being done to replace her. A major question the director will have to answer is whether the Library should be focused on acquiring books or utilizing electronic resources. The director will be expected to integrate the library with the Office of Information Technologies so that there is a closer working relationship. The new director interview process will not begin until the next academic year. An offer may be extended in the fall, but often new directors wait until the following year to begin.
Renovation plans are in place, but the University is still awaiting funding. The renovations are expensive with the most focus being on revamping the first and second floors. There will be reading rooms (isn't that what a whole library is?), a seminar room, and more spaces for collaborative work. Prior to renovating the building, the library needs to acquire a depository where books can be stored.
The University is encouraging input from students. Some came in the form of a petition during the last school year. The interim director released her email and is seeking input from students on how they normally use the library during the school year.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
As the temperature steadily rises, the most daring Domers take their parties outside for a raucous day of debauchery and backyard booty dancing. After one such charming little garden gathering of the host's closest colleagues, our newest leading lady set her sights on a tasty little treat - and we're not talking about the dessert table. But alas, I digress...
Our heroine (or villain, as the case may be), filled with the confidence that only a Solo cup and a day of intense sun exposure can provide, approached a luscious lad to engage him in some captivating conversation. She quickly discovered that he was the blessed benefactor of this backyard bash - what luck! The sneaky pair slipped off into the darkest depths of his man cave to explore their newfound love. After several meaningful minutes of intimacy, there came what seemed to be a rather aggressive knock on the door. Knocking quickly turned to pounding, and was complemented by some choice obscenities. It immediately became apparent to our new friend that while she may be the leading lady in ol' Gipp's column, she was NOT the only woman in this gentleman's life!
That was, however, the only clear conclusion that the little lass made, for in the throes of indiscretion and confusion, her next decision was to give the angry girlfriend the slip by shimmying down the drainpipe. In the chaos of her accidental threesome, our foolish friend forgot her clothes at the scene of the crime!
As soon as her statled, shoeless feet hit the ground, our bare beauty locked her eyes on the glistening Golden Dome and ran as quickly as she could toward campus, stopping for nothing in her path. Later that evening, her startled suitemates returned to find her passed out on the common room floor...stark naked. Poor little lady must have been totally tuckered out from that unintentional bun run. At least the weather was warm!
Hall Notes:
On June 12 Bob Fincutter '97 tied the knot in Vail, Colorado. That's right, Vail. The ceremony was at the stunning Vail Interfaith Chapel. The reception was at Ludwig's Terrace of the Sonnenalp Resort. It was incredibly posh and unlike any wedding I had ever attended. Absolutely spectacular. Just getting there was exhilirating. For a flatlander, the location was exotic. In addition to crossing the Continental Divide and driving through a cloud, the journey involved a 1.7-mile long tunnel through a mountain.
Bob's wife, Kate, is Polish. Her parents came from Poland for the wedding. The second reading during the Mass was in Polish. The reception features as many Polish speeches as English. It was a small wedding. There were only three bridesmaids and groomsmen each. The Vermin in attendance were Tom "Tim" Mullarkey '97, Jim "Sweet Baby" Zawada '97, and Dan Delgado '97.
NDSportscenter:
The men's lacrosse team had an unlikely finish to the year. They received an at-large bid to the NCAAs despite their 7-6 record and losing streak to end the season. In the first round the Irish defeated Princeton 8-5. (Suck it, Ivy League.) Not a big upset. Then our unseeded squad took on #3 Maryland who knocked us out last year. We cut them down 7-5. The team made their second final four ever and faced No. 7 seed Cornell. Once again our defense was stellar and we were triumphant 12-7. We made our first ever final and were to compete against Duke. We beat them 11-7 earlier this year. The championship was the lowest scoring final in history. At the end of regulation it was tied at 5. There had been 5 ties and no one led by more than 1. Sadly, just 5 seconds into overtime, the Blue Devils scored. We finished with a 10-7 record.
We have the first transfer of the Brian Kelly era. Surprisingly, it is an early enrollee. Receiver Spencer Boyd of Cape Coral, FL is leaving for "family reasons" and will likely go back to Florida. But he must attend summer school here first. He had fallen behind in school and cannot transfer until he has a good academic standing. Apparently there are many personal issues including a 2-year-old son back in Florida. Boyd was third on the depth chart during spring ball.
Quarterback Dayne Crist is a leader off the field as well. This spring he convinced 20 to 30 players to participate in The Bald and Beautiful, an event where students shave their heads to raise money for pediatric cancer research. Crist, junior center Mike Golic, and special teams stud Mike Anello served on a 30-member planning committee for the event. The event was over 4 days and Blue-Gold weekend. Fans in town for the game were able to shave their heads, buy a hair extension (proceeds going to local hospitals), or donate to the cause.
Campus News:
We have set a new record in received external research awards and grants. For the first time in school history, in one year we have exceeded $100 million. That was for the fiscal year from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. Jenkins had set the $100 million amount as a goal in his 2005 commencement address. The milestone was passed in April with the receipt of $93,158 from the National Science Foundation to a mathematics professor.
The total above includes only external public and private grants for research and scholarship activities. The total does not include the University's own financial support of its research. The University itself has provided $80 million in grants for faculty research, including $40 million earlier this year.
Since 2007-08, the number of research grant proposals written and submitted has increased by 34 percent. The size of proposal requests has doubled.
Nearly $30 million of this year's grants came from stimulus money. Those funds included $18.5 million to establish an Energy Frontier Research Center, which aims to help develop advanced nuclear energy systems that create less nuclear waste.
In other news....
There will be a change to pep rallies next year. Student government hopes to make pep rallies "shorter but more exciting." Coach Kelly wants students more involved in creating successful pep rallies. Guest speakers are actively being sought. The venues will change as well. The first rally will be at Dillon on South Quad. The second rally will be at Irish Green by D-PAC and include a new tradition of a student body entrance. The next rally will be in Purcell Pavilion at the JACC. The away game versus b.c. will feature a students-only rally at Stepan Center. Only the first four rallies have been planned to allow for adjustments.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Our next narrative is one of travel as well, although much more local and involving far fewer articles of clothing. It was a dark and chilly pre-spring evening on South Quad. After engaging in an evening of very shrewd consumption, our newest friend set down his empty bottle of Colt 45 with a mission in mind. As it was far past four at this point, he headed to duLac's most esteemed eatery to consume a quarter dog or two in the company of equally levelheaded companions. With a belly full of nutrition and a brain swimming in college juice, our prudent pal boldly embarked on a journey to the highest floors of Hesburgh to engage in the noble quest of knowledge. The next thing our boozing buddy recalls, however, is a rather rude ejection from the building by those lovelies we like to call NDSP. When the wicked South Bend wind hit him at the doors, he felt an unusual chill in his nether regions, and looked down to find his own boxer shorts not on his hips, but almost unbelievably in his hands. Gipp can't say for sure, but he bets the bookworms on the 13th floor were unable to focus for the remainder of THAT night.
Hall Notes:
The following was in the final Scholastic of the school year. It is a portion of a piece on a April 1929 issue of Scholastic....
"Football was not the only sport that was different during the '20s. The spring interhall athletics schedule featured swimming and baseball, with major and minor league teams for each dorm. As published in the April 19, 1929 issue of Scholastic, 'The Howard Hall natators decisively defeated the Walsh Hall aquators, 31 to 18, in a dual swimming meet in the university natatorium, last Tuesday evening.' Later that week, the Carroll Hall swimmers defeated the men of 'Sophomore Hall.' Events included the 40-yard freestyle, 40-yard breaststroke, 100-yard freestyle relay and others that are unheard of today, such as the underwater swim and the plunge."
NDSportscenter:
The women's tennis team had a phenomenal year. The #6 Irish won their third straight Big East title and 10th overall. They entered the post-season with a 22-3 record. The ladies were given the #5 seed in the NCAAs. They dismissed IPFW 4-0 in the 1st round. The same shoutout befell Boise State in round #2. Cal then put up a fight but lost 4-2 to the Irish. Tennessee also was knocked off 4-2. The women advanced to the Final Four where they faced Stanford. The season ended there with a 4-1 defeat. The team finished the year 26-4.
Our 6th verbal commitment came on Blue-Gold weekend. Scout gives outside linebacker Jarrett Grace four stars. Brian Kelly has known about him for awhile. He attends Colerain High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Scout lists him as the 10th best OLB in the nation. Grace is 6'4" and 230 lbs. As a junior he had 95 tackles (17 for a loss), 5 forced fumbles, 4 sacks, and 2 interceptions. Jarrett benches 300 lbs, squats 550 lbs, and has a 30 inch vertical. He also has a 4.0 GPA. Grace had offers from Cincinnati, Colorado, Michigan State, Stanford, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
It was mentioned earlier that kicker Kyle Brindza may bypass his senior year of high school and come this fall. No dice. He will not be on the team in 2010.
Some basketball news on a couple ND pros: Chris Quinn was traded from the Miami Heat to the New Jersey Nets during the past season. He made $1.05 million. Quinn is now an unrestricted free agent....This past year Troy Murphy made $11 million with the Indiana Pacers. Next year - the last of his contract - will bring a salary of $11.9 million.
Campus News:
Graduation was last weekend. As reported early, this year's Commencement was to be in the stadium. It was the first graduation on the field since 1959. The ceremony was held at 9 am on Sunday. It was sunny and in the low 60s. This was the 10th Commencement in the stadium. There were 22,000 ticketed guests. The event was not open to the general public. The audience was seated in the west stands. There were large video screens on each side of the stage. The graduates were not actually on the grass. The turf was protected by a white hard plastic field cover. We got it on loan from the Chicago Bears. Had it rained, the Commencement would have been held in the JACC. NBC Nightly News anchorman Brian Williams was this year's keynote speaker. After the graduation, 18 diploma ceremonies - separated by department - were conducted across campus so that all graduates could be individually recognized.
In other news..... On May 11, the Notre Dame Band performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. It's the first time our band has performed at the famous concert hall. Others were on stage with the band, including: Phil Smith of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Stephen Lancaster of the Notre Dame Department of Music, and Domer Regis Philbin. Proceeds benefited the BandLink program in South Bend and Salvation Army music programs in the New York area. BandLink is a collaboration between our band and the Salvation Army through which ND students and staff provide instruction on brass and percussion instruments to local students through the Salvation Army's facilities in South Bend. The Carnegie Hall performance is the final stop on the band's spring concert tour.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
This first tale comes from European shores, where a troubled member of our duLac flock found himself rather inebriated on his final night - and morning - of travel. Following an evening of, shall we say, CRAWLING through the city center, our slightly soused comrade found himself most rudely ejected from a local McDonald's after unloading the contents of his stomach onto the floor. Indeed, our friend, who henceforth shall be known as Trip, spent much of his early morning transit to the international airport imbibing with a lovely lass who was so kind as to offer up her two-liter full of local libations. While Gipp loves to see his little giplings engaging in that age-old art of sharing, perhaps the two would have been wiser to stick to plain ol' OJ. For as the voyagers began their fateful journey up the airport escalators, Trip lost all sense of gravity and consciousness and found himself face-to-metal with those magical moving stairs! For several scary seconds our traveler, unnoticed by his sleepy sidekicks, drifted up the stairs in a horizontal manner. Of course, the stalwart stewards of security personnel did not take kindly to the situation at hand, and Trip was required to pound back several cups of joe before being accepted, bloodied and bruised, onto the flight.
Hall Notes:
On June 12, Mr. Robert Fincutter will be getting hitched. He is marrying Kate in Vail, Colorado. Bob and Kate currently live in a stellar neighborhood in Westminster, Colorado. I will be fortunate to attend the ceremony. The wedding will be small. The bride and groom will each be joined by three others. Guests are traveling from around the world for the event. Kate is originally from Poland and family will be coming from overseas. A brief synapsis will be given following the event. Including myself and Bob, I believe five Vermin will be attending.
NDSportscenter:
Once again we have a tight end in trouble. Just after school was out. Mike Ragone was busted on the Toll Road. He was going 83 mph and was pulled over. The officer smelled marijuana and conducted a search. Two small bags of pot were found in the purse of the 21-year-old female passenger in the car. Ragone, 22, was arrested on marijuana charges. The marijuana was put in the purse to hide it from police. It was reported that Ragone waived his Miranda rights and stated the drugs belonged to him. He was charged with a Class A misdemeanor. At his first court date, Ragone pleaded "not guilty."
Blue-Gold weekend yielded three verbal commitments. #5 was Tony Springmann. He is a 6'6", 257 lb defensive end or tackle. He attends Bishop Dwenger High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. That's the same school that produced current players WR John Goodman and TE Tyler Eifert. Scout gives Tony 4 stars. He runs a 4.88 - 40 and last year had 73 tackles and 10 sacks. Springmann's speed lured offers from Stanford, Purdue, Michigan State and boston college.
Bookstore Basketball: As was reported earlier, Coach Kelly kept the football players out this year. So that leaves basketball seniors. Jonathon Peoples played for the Steel City Ballers. But they lost in the Elite Eight. Old school baller and current assistant coach Martin Ingelsby played for Hannah's Storm. They didn't make the finals either. It was senior walk-on Tim Andree leading Alexander's Grill to the title. The championship was played in the rain. Andree's squad defeated He Went to Jared 21-15. (New rule: to make the finals you are not allowed to have a lame team name.) Jared featured three law students. (It's all good when lawyers get beat.)
Campus News:
The 21st annual Shirt was revealed just prior to the Blue-Gold Game. Coach Kelly was at the revelation which took place at the Bookstore. He gave the students one message: "We are the Fighting Irish!" That is the phrase of the 21st The Shirt. The kelly green shirt features the phrase in blue letters. The shirt contains an image of Notre Dame Stadium's student section on the back. Above the image is the classic line of "Rally sons of Notre Dame." And under the image is the final phrase of "Onward to Victory." Apparently 20,000 of the shirts were pre-sold, sight unseen. In 1990, $17,000 was raised. In its 21 years, The Shirt has raised more than $7 million. Even officer Tim McCarthy was at the event. "Today's unveiling marks a tradition to be worn with pride," he said. "So remember, the statement on The Shirt makes a point, and I think that's pretty sharp." HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!
There was a spring concert on campus this year. The Student Union Board brought The Roots, the current house band for "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." The show was April 10 at Stepan Center. The Philadelphia hip-hop group was named one of Rolling Stone Magazine's top 20 live acts in the world. They recently performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Since 1993 they have released 13 albums. The Roots have also won several Grammy Awards. The planning of the concert began a year ago. A hip-hop headliner was sought based on a student survey. The opening act was Mike Posner, a singer, songwriter and producer who will be on this summer's Warped Tour. The concert was not free, though. Students had to pony up $10 per ticket. Only 1,500 tickets were available.
ND Mythbusters:
Myth: You are not allowed to walk on the grass of God Quad
Many have gathered on the grass of God Quad, especially during home football game weekends. But is it really against duLac to walk on that lawn?
This myth is mostly false. It depends on the context of the situation.
Assistant Director of the Office of Residence Life & Housing Kathleen O'Leary says, "While there is no policy discussing such behavior, there are policies that address damage to property or behavior that causes a serious disturbance to the University community."
The Office of Residence Life and Housing makes decisions on a case-by-case basis, and sanctions issued in response to violations of these policies vary based on the nature of the incident.
We suggest you stick to the sidewalks though. After all, there is that other myth about a walk on the God-Quad grass bringing bad luck to the football season....
Hall Notes:
What time did you eat dinner yesterday? I normally dine around 7 or 8pm. I can't believe that back in the day I ate at 5:30pm. That's when SDH opened and I was one of the first Vermin to arrive. By 6pm, two tables were usually full. Do you all eat at 6pm? What were we thinking? I guess we were thinking we didn't have jobs or families. When class gets out at 3pm, you can only work out for so long before the craving for chicken strips drives you to the cafeteria. Actually, didn't the dining hall close at 7pm? I believe if you were in before 7pm you could stay until a certain time. But who was there at 7pm? By 7pm the rice krispie treats could be gone. The chicken in the pot would be merely broth. The corn would still be plentiful but the whipped potatoes would have been picked over. Eating at 5:30pm today?....Shoot, I haven't even opened my mail by then.
NDSportscenter:
The story of the NFL Draft was Jimmy. And how he fell into the 2nd round. The Carolina Panthers plucked him at the 48th overall selection. Twelve spots later the Seattle Seahawks nabbed Golden Tate. Sam Young went to the Dallas Cowboys in the 6th round (#179 overall). Four picks later Eric Olsen was selected by the Denver Broncos. Kyle McCarthy was undrafted. But Denver signed him as a free agent. They also brought in Paul Duncan. Sergio Brown agreed to a deal with the New England Patriots. James Aldridge was granted a tryout with the Miami Dolphins. The Cleveland Browns will let Robby Parris tryout. David Grimes tried out for the Kansas City Chiefs and won a free agent deal.
Our fourth verbal commitment is from Charlotte, North Carolina. Matthias Farley is considered the best safety in the Tar Heel state. He attends Charlotte Christian School. Tom Lemming gives him four stars. Not bad for a kid who played soccer for two years before being recruited to play cornerback. Matthias is 6'1", 185 lbs and is a hard hitter with good range. He is listed as an "athlete" who could play receiver. We want him in the secondary. Other offers came from Wisconsin, North Carolina, North Carolina State, UCLA, Illinois, and Duke.
The men's track and field team won the Big East Indoor title. The men had 5 individual champions. The title was the 4th in 8 years. The women came in 6th. We sent two competitors to the NCAAs. Jack Howard ran in the 800 meters and Joanna Schultz dashed in the 400 meters.
More recruiting news next week and a brief wrap-up on Bookstore Basketball.
Campus News:
One last installment on the new engineering building...
There is more on the cleanroom described last week. The room was specifically designed to be reconfigured easily for the changing needs of researchers. The infrastructure supports various ideas without redesigning the lab. Researchers can now work on making real integrated circuits because of the pristine room. The previous inability to make such circuits limited work on radar communications, signal intelligence, remote sensing, and solar cell development. Undergrads will use the room as well. Seniors can take an integrated circuits fabrication elective course. Industry researchers may use the cleanroom for a fee.
One other area of study is researching safe and effective ways to recycle nuclear fuel rods for continued use. Last year the University was awarded an $18.5 million federal grant to establish a center with a mission of researching and developing new nuclear energy technologies. The Notre Dame researchers are collaborating with scientists at four other universities and three national research laboratories. This builds on 13 years of research at the University.
The increased research will hopefully bring in investors. A major challenge for the Midwest is attracting venture capital to fund start-up companies and keep them here. Most venture capital flows to the coasts. Across the nation, universities are becoming engines of economic development. Research has moved from IBM and other companies to universities. For example. the University of Wisconsin pushed agricultural research in the 1950s. The research park now has 40 buildings housing about 110 companies. And Google has recently opened a research operation in Madison. The University and community may reap huge benefits from this new facility. It seems to be nothing but a "win" situation for everyone.
ND Mythbusters:
Myth: Carbohydrates on the vegetables at the dining hall.
This rumor has been discussed more than the football team's new coach. Ask anyone and they will tell you with conviction that the lettuce leaves and other vegetables at the dining hall salad bars are sprayed with a certain chemical that is high in calories to ensure that students who overdoes on greens are still getting the nutrition they need.
This rumor, however, has been busted. Manager of Nutrition and Safety Jocelyn Antonelli insists that "there is absolutely no truth to this rumor. We don't spray our vegetables with anything." The vegetables in the salad bars around campus are, she says, "no different than the ones you would get at home, a restaurant, or the grocery store." In fact, in regards to other rumors revolving around the food on campus, "our food is wholesome as if you purchased it at Martins," Antonelli says. Not only are chemicals not added to the food, but if they were, Notre Dame would be committing an illegal act. "Under the Indiana and Federal Food Codes, food establishments are not allowed to add such things to the food," she says.
Hall Notes:
Study days. The good ol' days. There was a time not too long ago that not all freshmen came armed with televisions. I believe less than half of the freshman Carroll rooms my first year had boob tubes. We certainly didn't have cable. ("We" didn't, but NARC - a.k.a. Mr. Splice - did in his quad. But I digress.) We actually had to make use of the 24-hour lounge back in the day. And it turned out to be a bonding experience during study days. Usually classic comedies were put on at around 10pm. The more classic, the greater the attendance. I specifically remember National Lampoon's "Vacation" being put in the VCR. Chevy Chase was gold in the '80s. Everyone in the room had seen the movie before, but everyone still hung on every word as if it was being heard for the first time. "Ah, ah, ah....new car"...."This is no way to run a desert"....COUSIN VICKI: "I'm going steady, and I french kiss." AUDREY: "So, everybody does that." COUSIN VICKI: "Yeah, but daddy says I'm the best at it." Come on, who doesn't wish they could travel across country in a metallic pea Wagon Queen Family Truckster and see the world's second largest ball of twine? Those were definitely the good ol' study days.
NDSportscenter:
The 81st Blue-Gold Game was played last week. Dayne Crist and his surgically repaired knee played. The teams were mixed. It was not the first team versus the second team. The defense was limited and could not hit the quarterbacks. There was regular scoring, no kickoffs, and punts were fair caught. Field goals and point-after attempts could not be blocked. Darius Fleming and Kyle Rudolph were limited as they recovered from injuries. The damp conditions drew 27,241 attendees. Coach Kelly certainly brought the offense. The teams combined for 744 total yards. Gold, led by QB Nate Montana and RB Cierre Wood, defeated Crist and Armando Allen's Blue squad 27-19. Montana was 18 of 30 for 223 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. His TDs went to TE Mike Ragone (3 yards), WR Duval Kamara (37 yards), and converted RB to WR Theo Riddick (14 yards). Crist was 20 of 31 for 172 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. He connected with early enrollee Tai-ler Jones (18 yards). Frosh RB Cierre Wood, who never saw the field last fall, gathered 110 yards on only 10 carries. He had 2 touchdowns including one for 44 yards. Jonas Gray had a 38 yard TD run. He carried 8 times for 54 yards. Ragone caught 6 balls for 75 yards and a TD. Jones showed he is readdy to play now and snagged 4 balls for 56 yards. Rudolph gained 39 yards on 4 catches. On defense LB Steve Filer had 12 tackles with 2 of them for a loss. LB Manti Te'o had 8 tackles, one pass breakup, and an interception on Crist that he returned 19 yards. The only ugly moments were missed field goals by our place kickers. The following players were singled out for having solid springs: Crist, Jones, Te'o, center Braxston Cave, and CB Jamoris Slaughter. Finally, just before the game 3 high school players committed. That and the NFL Draft will be detailed next week.
Campus News:
More on the new engineering building.
"It's so much more efficient. If you're trying to attract top researchers and faculty, impressions are an important part. There's an obvious 'wow' effect." The new building is more than just a state-of-the-art facility. Spatial organization is just as important. About 15 faculty involved in nano research previously worked in several cramped laboratories on different floors of Fitzpatrick Hall. Their labs in the new building are grouped together. One of the labs is the cleanroom.
The cleanroom has a super-filtered air flow system to screen out dust and other airborne particles. Microscopic bits are prevented from entering and disturbing delicate research work. Temperature and humidity are also controlled. The filtered air flows in from the ceiling, straight down to the floor, where it is drawn out through ventilation openings. The air then travels upward through channels in the walls to the top air chamber, where it is recycled. The room is entered through a gowning room. People don particle-free body suits, shoe and head covers, and eye goggles. Just prior to the cleanroom and just outside of the gowning room, an interim space is present. In that space a person is hit with a burst of air. The "air shower" flows over a person and carries away any remaining dust particles. The walls, floor and research stations are designed to provide no surface that might attract or accumulate stray contaminants. The metal walls are coated with enamel paint. The windows have no bottom horizontal lipped edges. The cleanroom is 50% Class 100, 40% Class 1000, and 10% Class 10,000. Class 100 (and the other classes similarly) means the ventilation system limits airborne residue to no more than 100 particles larger than 0.5 microns per cubit foot.
More next week.
ND Mythbusters:
Myth: The Leprechaun gets a full ride.
It makes sense, doesn't it? He's the mascot of the university, the face of Notre Dame, in charge of representing the sports teams and getting the crowds fired up for football and basketball games. Why shouldn't the Leprechaun get some sort of financial aid, if not a full ride? His commitment to the school is practically legendary.
And yet, the Leprechaun does not get free tuition; this rumor has "zero basis in reality," Kyle Chamberlain, 2005 Leprechaun and current third year law student, says. "In fact, the leprechaun does not receive a dollar in scholarship aid, nor does any other member of the cheerleading team. But even in retrospect I wouldn't trade the intangible rewards for a full ride."
Hall Notes:
In the spirit of Bookstore, the following tale will be re-told....
The Lone Ranger
Time: Spring of '95
Setting: A first round Bookstore game behind the old Bookstore
Vermin storyteller: Mike "Rangers" Reider '97
Being a Notre Dame student, I wanted to get involved in a few of the traditions of the University. One of these traditions was the annual Bookstore Basketball tournament. The problem was I have NO basketball skill. My basketball career has been highlighted by an annual injuring of Fumai (I rock) and the one day I owned Ben Herrig (he never received love as a child) by making 3 shots over him in one game and the non fight he wanted to start. Eye! (My previous high point total was one.) Anyways, I decided that I could best serve Bookstore Basketball as a joke team, since I could pretend that the people were laughing because I was funny, not bad. My concept was simple - replace the sport I sucked at with the one that was a part of me, hockey and injure my opponents to win by default. The Lone Ranger was born. So after signing up, fellow Vermin Pimpi, Bill Edwards, Ryan O'Leary and I headed to the JACC to pick up the brackets and team names. Edwards received his list first and started busting out laughing and saying something to the effect of buster or cizzut, or some other words used in combination that usually left me confused. The Lone Ranger was to face Nothing But Trouble II, the sequel to the previous season's Bookstore Champion NBT! Well, my odds of winning had dropped significantly, since the University would be pissed if I injured football players. I started my extensive training regiment of shooting with my stick at the Carroll court, playing video games, watching Putnins dance in bikini underwear (Argghhh!! MY EYES ARE BLEEDING!!!) and drinking alcoholic beverages.
I decided that making a fool of myself in front of a few people wasn't enough. I needed to make a fool out of myself in front of a crowd. Vermin Chris Lee was being interviewed by famed associate sports editor Tim Seymour and I decided to steal some of the limelight. After whining like a little bitch, I was able to grab a small blurb in The Observer. It is below:
Some people remain undaunted at the prospect of playing a seed. Paramount among them is sophomore (and hot stud) Mike Rieder, who playing alone as, yes, The Lone Ranger, has no fear of NBT2, first first round opponent.
"I'm guaranteeing victory, because I won't miss a shot," stated a confident Rieder, who will enlist the aid only of an inbounder, and plans to play in full hockey gear, complete with stick. "I won't play unless all five of them show up, because I want to give them a fair chance."
While such bravado is admireable for its naivete, most teams up against seeds realize that they face a quick exit.
You can see the obvious support that The Observer has in my abilities. I was ready for victory.
I woke up that day with a slight hangover, but none the less ready for victory. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had NBT covering the spread, so the bitch made it with the wind. The wind was so strong that any shots I took from the free throw line would fly over the backboard. So I resorted to shooting from half court. I did hit one beautiful warm-up shot and the crowd erupted.
The day was not to be mine. The foul weather conditions combined with ineptly poor officiating and a complete lack of inbounding skills from Putnins led to the early demise of the Lone Ranger. NBT did bring their best and eventually pulled out a squeaker with a 21-0 victory despite my shattering the all-time blocks record. The game ended like a GLND/SMC kegger, with two sweaty men grappling and pulling each others shirts over their heads.
So the story of The Lone Ranger ends on a sad homoerotic note.
NDSportscenter:
We are officially "on" for the new hockey arena. It will open in October of 2011. The price tag: $53 million. The building will contain two sheets of ice - one conventional size and one Olympic size. There will be four lockerrooms for each rink. And that does not include the Irish hockey team's dressing area. The building will offer a main concourse and balcony seating. It will seat roughly 5,000 people. The arena will also house a weight room, a players lounge, a computer lab, an open room that will most likely have a training table, and a training room. The community will also have access to the rinks. The facility will be built on the south end of campus, south of the JACC.
We have another footballl recruit. However, I hesitate to say if he is verbal #3 or a soon-to-be incoming freshman. Kicker Kyle Brindza is from Canton, Michigan. He is 6'2" and 215 lbs. He is a junior but plans to graduate this year. He hopes to enroll this fall. If that is not an option, he will come on board in January. Last year Kyle was 7 out of 10 on field goals with a long of 49 yards. He had a 95% touchback rate. Brindza also punts. He had an average of 48.2 yards per punt.
Women's basketball senior Ashley Barlow was in a recent 3-point competition. She came in second. That's the best showing ever for a Domer woman.
The women's swimming team won its 14th straight Big East title. Coach Brian Barnes was named the Big East Coach of the Year, his second straight honor. One women's swimmer did well at the NCAAs. Junior Amywren Miller set the school record in the 50 free with a time of 22.30 seconds. She entered the NCAAs as the #20 seed and came in 8th. Doing so earned her All American status. She is the second Domer woman to be an All American in the freestyle.
Campus News:
More on the new engineering building...
So how much revenue is generated through research at top schools with excellent facilities? During fiscal year 2008, four schools reported licensing revenue of more than $100 million each. Twenty-eight others have income in excess of $10 million. And 42 institutions raked in between $1 million and $5 million. We were none of those. We earned $259,990 in licensing income. That puts us 125th. In 2008 we formed no start-up firms, executed six licenses, had 21 active licenses, applied for 39 patents and were granted four patents. We are behind because a movement began in the 1980s to build up universities as tools of economic development. Thirty years later we decided to get in on the action.
Stinson-Remick contains no traditional classrooms. More than one-fourth of the building is composed of learning laboratories for undergraduate engineers, with the rest devoted to graduate, post-graduate and faculty research space. The building has more than $10 million in newly purchased high-powered research tools. The building was designed to encourage observation, discussion, and collaboration between academics of varying disciplines: engineering, biology, physics, material sciences, and other fields. Undergraduate teaching facilities are intentionally located close to faculty research laboratories. Nearly half of the building is dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology research where the technological development is so small it involves billionths of a meter. Research tasks that used to take a week to accomplish now can be completed in one day.
More on the building's "wow" factor next week.
ND Mythbusters:
In 1920, George "The Gipper" Gipp allegedly slept on the steps of Washington Hall, caught pneumonia and died on December 14. Ever since then, the rumor that the Gipper haunts the dormitory-turned-theatre has practically become fact among the students body. But is this rumor true?
"Perhaps this is due to the fact that I don't believe in ghosts, but I have never seen any evidence of the Gipp's existence," Washington Hall Manager Ron Grisoli says. "I have never seen nor heard anything in this building that could not be rationally explained. I will say that the steam heating system (like in many other old buildings) can produce unpredictable noises. Also, the smoke hatches above the mainstage have rubber seals that create a 'creepy' noise on very windy days," Grisoli says.
"Washington Hall is a very old building, so we have lots of strange noises all the time," assistant manager of Washington Hall Kathleen Lane says. Perhaps this is why Scholastic failed to conjure the ghost of the Gipper last year during a seance at Washington Hall.
Hall Notes:
Yes, I'm a tad behind on my reading. I just completed the Winter 2009-10 Notre Dame Magazine. It contained a piece titled "This Isn't Heaven." It's about Domer undergrads who went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to assist the town as it recovered from a devastating flood. It all began in August 2008 when the director of the Folk Choir toured the damage from the June flood. He then spoke about the disaster at a campus retreat. Two dorm service commissioners ran with the idea of organizing a trip over fall break to help with the recovery. This excerpt from the piece shows its relevance here....
[Noelle] Hilmer and [Hugh] McDermott independently contacted Bill Purcell, an associate director at the Center for Social Concerns, who had them get together and start planning a service trip. The two recruited friends from their dorms, Pangborn and Carroll, and worked with the dorms, the Center for Social Concerns, Campus Ministry and University Transportation Services to get funding and settle any liability issues. They also contacted [John] Casko ['87, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City ND Club president], who emailed his club members asking for help providing lodging and meals for the students.
"They found that there was help needed here in Iowa, and they said, 'We're going to come help you.' They had to jump through all kinds of hurdles and hoops, and regulation this and signing off for that," Casko says. "And they just did it all. There was no stopping them."
NDSportscenter:
More news out of spring practice. Not surprisingly, the offensive line is in flux. First, right guard Trevor Robinson was moved to tackle. Zack Martin at 6'4", 280 lbs came in at guard. Now the line-up is even more different. Fifth-year senior Dan Wenger is on the second team. Braxton Cave is now the first team center. Chris Stewart is still at left guard. Trevor is at right tackle. Zack Martin has been moved to left tackle. The new right guard is Taylor Dever. Yikes. I'm guessing Dayne Crist will not be holding on to the ball for too long....Cornerback Gary Gray and linebacker Anthony McDonald have been impressive on defense.
Jimmy Clausen had his Pro Day on April 9. Video was taken and was available to view at und.com. Jimmy threw 59 balls and 57 were completed. His receivers were Golden Tate, Robby Parris, David Grimes, and James Aldridge. There were representatives present from 16 of the 32 teams. Clausen said his foot is at about 75 to 80%. He had surgery to repair two torn tendons in his right big toe. Jimmy has met with St. Louis, Buffalo, Washington and Cleveland.
We have a second recruit. And we could use him right now. Jordan Prestwood is a 6'6", 270 lb offensive tackle. He attends Plant City High School in Florida. Scout gives him 4 stars. He was recruited by all the top schools. Jordan had offers from USC, Florida, Alabama, Auburn and others. Scout has him as the 12th best tackle prospect in the country. He needs to add strength and power. Prestwood already possesses excellent feet, size, body control, and balance.
The Blue-Gold Game is a week away. As is the Bookstore final.
Campus News:
The new engineering building was recently covered in the South Bend Tribune. It was a four part story. Information from the article will be shared over the next few weeks.
Stinson-Remick Hall cost nearly $70 million to construct. It is the most expensive and most technologically advanced building on campus. It contains a 9,000-square-foot cleanroom for cutting-edge scientific research. The Energy Center works on such things as safer nuclear waste storage, solar and other renewable energy sources, and the development of tiny devices designed to detect whether the DNA of certain organisms is present in an ecosystem. The Learning Center has undergrads engaging in hands-on team assignments. And on the roof there is a 50,000-kilowatt solar panel system generating energy to power a portion of the building.
A main reason for the new building is to increase our level of research. We are playing catch-up in campus research. Over a recent five-year period, we have increased our spending on research by 39 percent. In 2004-05 we spent $75.5 million. By 2008-09 it was up to $104.9 million. Research seems to be what separates the good schools from the great schools. Academic inventions in medicine, genetics and alternative energy helped create 543 new spinoff companies across the country in the 2008 fiscal year. Those inventions generated more than $2.3 billion in licensing revenue for 154 institutions and their inventors. Large universities with medical schools seem to produce the most licensing income, start-up firms, and patents. Where do we stand in licensing revenue? Where do other schools stand? We were 125th. Ouch. The money breakdown will be detailed next week.
ND Mythbusters:
There will be a break from the Gipper for awhile. Scholastic ran a piece titled "Mythbusters ND." It's somewhat similar to the Gipper. Here goes....
MYTH: Worn and damaged crucifixes from ND classrooms are submerged in the campus lakes. New crucifixes can be procured via a cross hotline.
This myth is half true, half false. Worn and damaged crucifixes from ND classrooms are not being submerged in the lakes, but new crucifixes can be obtained by a call to Academic Space Management.
"There are three ways that the Catholic Church allows discarding of blessed objects...one to bury them, two to burn them and three to submerge them in deep water," Director of Academic Space Management Joe Schellinger says. "For the past 21 years that I have been with the university, we have never submerged any crucifixes into the lakes on campus."
Instead, they have donated used crucifixes to local Catholic grade schools and high schools. The broken crucifixes are buried in new building sites around campus. Academic Space Management performs a classroom inventory biannually. Crucifixes are checked and replaced as needed during this time. In some cases, students or faculty will report a broken or missing crucifix to the office.
"I order the new crucifixes and have Fr. Rocca, C.S.C. or another campus priest bless them before they are placed into a classroom," Schellinger says.
Another Mythbuster next week.
Hall Notes:
I'm a little behind in my reading of Notre Dame Magazine. I guest received the Spring 2010 issue but am still finishing the Winter 2009-2010 issue. I did notice something in the class columns. For the Class of '98 I notice the following which I thought I would share...
Kimberly and Brian Miller brought home a new addition on July 27. Bennett Phelan Miller was born happy and healthy, weighing in at 7 lbs 9 oz. Brian reports that the baby has already plumped up to over 9 lbs in three weeks and plans to anchor the O-line along with his hefty cousin, Connor Crane Miller, son of Matthew Miller '94, sometime around 2028.
Two Vermin shoutouts for the price of one. Doesn't get much better than that.
NDSportscenter:
A little over a week ago a recent football commitment died after falling from a balcony. Matt James of Cincinnati, Ohio was on spring break in Panama City, Florida. The fall was from either the third or fifth floor. (I've read both.) The fall took place at around 6:25 pm. Alcohol was involved. James was 17 years old. He was a 6'6", 290 lb offensive tackle. Tight end Kyle Rudolph was a close personal friend. Rudolph and the coaching staff attended the funeral.
Our first commitment for next year came right after our first Junior Day. Defensive end Brad Carrico is from Dublin, Ohio. He attends Dublin Coffman High School, the same school that produced Brady Quinn and Chinedum Ndukwe. Brad is 6'6", 270 lbs and had offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Purdue and West Virginia. Scout rates him at 3 stars. He could be an offensive tackle, defensive tackle, or defensive end. As a junior he had 74 tackles, 9 sacks, and 8 tackles for a loss. Brad benches 340 lbs and plans to graduate early.
The hockey season was brutal. We finished the year by being swept out of the CCHA playoffs first round by Ohio State. Our final record was 13-17-8. It was our worst year since 2005-06, coach Jeff Jackson's first year.
We now have another "offsite" home game on a future football schedule. We will play Maryland at FedEx Field on Nov. 12, 2011. This "offsite" home game is being played in Landover, Maryland. (Home game for us?) It is the home of the Washington Redskins. The seating capacity is 91,700. This will be our third such game. The first was this past year when we faced Washington State at the AlamoDome. The second game will be Nov. 20, 2010 at Yankee Stadium against Army.
Campus News:
The Princeton Review recently ran a survey of "Dream Schools." The survey of 3,042 parents of college applicants ranked us #7 in terms of where they would want to send their child if acceptance and cost were not issues. The top six (from one to six) were Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, MIT, Yale and UCLA. We are still the only school in the top ten with a religioius affiliation.
Last year we were #4. Why the drop? Some believe it may be a result of the University's public position. One student said, "Recent events that have happened in relation to the University were handled very publicly and there were some mixed reactions.... We're in the spotlight so what we say matters."
In other news...
Study space is always valued on campus. You may notice a new one the next time you are on campus. The Bookstore has added a study space on its second floor, complete with tables, comfortable chairs, and light background music. The location also has a view of the Dome out a two-story window. The space opened just before spring break but the decision to add it was made at the end of September.
The idea for the space came from a senior class business project that conducted a focus group dealing with the integration of the cafe and the Bookstore, as well as ways to increase student traffic. The Bookstore is able to pull this off in the spring semester when football is not in season. It will be disassembled at the end of June to make way for football merchandise.
The Bookstore also hosts classes. It is almost weekly on the first floor. The upstairs is now expected to be used. It will also provide additional space for graduation projects. Cap and gown distribution, guest ticket pickup and senior surveys distribution will take place there.
Campus Watch by the Gipper from Scholastic:
Continued...
Not bothering to make sense of the situation, he began to frantically dig through the mess of toddler trinkets in search of his valuables. Just as he was reaching underneath the driver's seat, he heard an alarming sound. His eyes darted to the windshield, through which he detected a garage door. It was moving, slowly sliding upwards, and he knew he had to act quickly.
Snatching his phone and wallet from the floor, Frodo flung open the car door and jumped out onto the cold ground. Wondering how he knew it was so cold, he looked down: He wasn't wearing any shoes. But at this point, this garage door was dangerously high. Frodo's time had run out, so he took off in a spasmodic, barefooted sprint down the street, managing to stumble into the safety of his friend's house that was luckily just a few doors down. He never did figure out why he climbed into a stranger's car in a stranger's driveway and he never did find his shoes.
Well, I hope you're learned your lesson, Domers: Lock your cars, lock your bedrooms, and, while you're at it, hang onto your keys - you never know who might take off (or sneak in) when you least expect it. And stay speedy, my young seedlings! When you're messed up and you've messed up, it's survival of the quickest out there.
Hall Notes:
It is Bookstore time. Unfortunately there were no team names mentioning "Carroll Hall" or "Vermin" or "KLOSKAS." I'll keep an eye on The Observer to see if dorms are mentioned with the winning team write-ups. However, The Observer has a tendency to not only stink in their coverage of Bookstore but to also not cover Carroll glowingly in every issue. So over the next couple of weeks a few old tales will be told. Here's a brief one...
IN YOUR FACE
DOS KLOSKAS was in its infancy. The team had burst on the scene in the spring of '94. They advanced to the Elite Eight and faced Majestic Silverbacks. The game was played on one of the old courts that used to be north of the old Bookstore. The Silverbacks were favored. They featured senior basketball player Brooks Boyer. It was an intense game. The intensity was amplified by the Carroll cheering section. The Vermin were rowdy and vocal. The opposition was jeered incessantly. The Vermin cheering section was easily the best sh!t-talking crew in Bookstore history. They were positioned under the basket and were heard by everyone. One Vermin - a senior named Pat - was particularly obnoxious. Well, the game was quite physical and the ball was being pummeled. Late in the second half, a shot was rejected out of bounds. It went out of play right under the basket. It smacked Pat right in the face. He went silent for the first time all game. The non-Carroll fans (probably 90% of those watching) burst into applause. I hate to admit it, but that was pretty damn funny. It was a sign of things to come: KLOSKAS lost and Pat dropped and spilled his "drink." Simply a tragedy.
NDSportscenter:
The women's basketball team failed to advance to the Elite Eight. We fell 77-72 in overtime to #3 seed Oklahoma. We were the #2 seed. The ladies finished the year 29-6. Senior Lindsay Schrader and freshman Skylar Diggins were named Honorable Mention All Americans.
Our men and women fencers qualified the maximum number to the NCAAs. We sent 12 to the tournament but only managed to place third. We had four medalists and 11 All Americans. Sophomore Gerek Meinhardt won gold in the men's foil, our first gold in that event since 1984.
Spring football news: the defense has switched to a 3-4 front 7 formation....Harrison Smith has been moved to safety. Brian Smith will be an outside linebacker while Manti Te'o has been moved inside....Freshman Theo Riddick is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery but is participating in practice....The current first-string offensive tackles are Matt Romine and Taylor Dever....You'll see less #9s on the field next year. TE Kyle Rudolph is still #9 but defensive lineman Ethan Johnson has switched to #90....Coach Kelly has not allowed any football players to participate in Bookstore Basketball this year. He wants players completely focused on his new program. No one is playing baseball or doing track either.
Luke Harangody was named 3rd team All American by the Associated Press.
Our women's swimming team was 38th at the NCAAs. Junior Samantha Maxwell was named an All American in the 100 breaststroke. She finished 14th overall. And get this.... Stanford did NOT win the crown this year. Florida won the national title.