Oh yeah...I've been there a few times...
You can have your opinion and hate all you wish, but, I'd say it was a pretty "wow" place.
But, what ever you say...you can have your impressions of places...because they are your impressions. I'll have mine.
Hell, unregistered...if you think Notre Dame's Campus sucks...well...you and I have REALLY different ideas. That's fine. You have your ideas and I'll have mine. But, I have always been impressed each and every time I have been on the Notre Dame Campus. MUCH more so than a LOT of other campus settings such as Northwestern, Michigan, THE Ohio State, iowa, wisky, MSU, Purdue, Illinois and even MINNESOTA... Vanderbilt... Tulane colleges and universities large and small are all different in person than what I have expereinced and what I have seen about Notre Dame. I don't know about Duke, because I haven't been there or at places such as Harvard, Yale or Princeton. Not UCLA or EVEN Texas Tech or Texas El Paso (WINK, WINK, WINK...joke) It is just really unique, when compared to any college or university that I have experienced visiting. There is a real presence and a LOT of tradition on that ND Campus. And I have never...not even ONCE rooted for Notre Dame in a football game. I always hope that they lose in football. In fact, they NEED lots of football fans just like me to always root against them and feel passionate about hoping the Fighting Irish always lose in football. People like me just give their passionate fans a reason to be even more passionate about the Fighting Irish and feel as though they are taking on the whole world! That's kind of how they like things. That's kind of how they unify, I think. They really do appreciate all the efforts of all of us who root passionately against them. It bands them together...puts their backs against the wall. They have been going through tough times in football. They will need to do something to have some real success again...Michigan, if they continue to struggle will be in the same boat as Notre Dame in that regard. They can NOT afford too long a down-turn. But, they both have a lot of "TRUE BELIEVER" type fans...especially Notre Dame. All across the nation. A "short walk in the wilderness..." is something both Michigan and Notre Dame could fairly easily recover from though because of their fan base and their resources when it comes to football...
But that campus...WOW! Yes, I DO like their school, their campus and their attitude. Walking through the various QUADS that make up that campus has just got a different feel to me from virtually any college or university I have ever visited. Realizing that when a student attends Notre Dame, they become a four year resident in ONE dorm...they stay there throughout their four years at ND. I've never seen a school that had quite as much tradition. Now, are they the best University in the country academically? Of course not. Rather than being a reasearch, graduate school factory, they are more all about undergraduate programs and some professional schools. They don't have a Medical School. But, they are very good at what they do. The faculty and the Administration all know WHO they are...WHAT they are...and HOW they are. They expect the students to take that into consideration when they consider being accepted at Notre Dame. They tell ALL perspective students that they should carefully consider all their options and to be certain that IF they are accepted and IF they decide to attend Notre Dame that those students understand Who Notre Dame is , What Notre Dame is and How Notre Dame is. (Not so much humility in that part of the selection process, but, I really do kind of like that about Notre Dame. I think MORE colleges and university staff and administrators should be thinking more in those kinds of terms of "endearment..." to their schools.) There are so many traditions all around that campus. That school just has a very different feel to it. I realize that wouldn't be for everyone. I kind of like that though.
You like the places you like and I'll like the places I like and we'll both do JUST fine...
But, I still say: when you put together the academics, the cost of tuition, room and board and all kinds of other things that go into putting a value on a football scholarship, a full-ride to Notre Dame just might be a fairly hard one to turn down. It's certainly one of the top ten out there. Re: their football program, they realize that a great deal of the growth and tradition and resources came to their school BECAUSE of their football program. They will always play the Armed Forces Acadamies becuase (especially Army and Navy) maintained series and games with them when they were struggling to make an identity for both their University and their football program. During the World Wars...especially the 2nd World War, they were a training campus for Military Officers...as were many university settings...with Michigan being one. The money the University got during hard economic times helped keep the doors of the University open and growing. There is a sense of history in so many things they do around that place. And, they like who they are, what they are and how they are... ; 0 ) They NEVER did abandon their football program and kick that program off campus when the going got a little tough. In fact, they realize that part of who, what and how they are has a bit of it's roots in that football program. Unlike administrators here at the University of Minnesota, the Good Fathers at the University of Notre Dame have managed to see the worth in how their football program has helped their University to grow, prosper and thrive.
And, Duke might be a pretty nice place...but...if you were serious about your football...it certainly wouldn't be a top pick. Now, if you cared more about the academics and atmosphere and put a cost value on the scholarship package, Duke might be pretty nice.
But, if you say Notre Dame sucks, you are certainly entitled to your opinion... I agree the U of M is very nice...virtually all of the Big Ten campus settings are pretty nice. I like the U of M better than a number of the Big Ten campus settings.
Sorry though unregistered dude or dudette, which ever your case may be...it is entirely possibly that you and I have entirely different tastes and that we each define tradition differently. That's a damn good thing as far as I'm concerned!!!!!!!
BUT, the thing is, unregistered dude or dudette: it's those gosh, gol-darned, hard to please hot-shot football recruits that have to be impressed with the place. Neither you or I will turn the head of too many of the football coaches from those hotsey-totsey campus settings like Notre Dame, Stanford, NU, Duke, OR Minnesota, will we? Who the heck knows what impresses a high school football star?????
As for me, I'm a University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Football Fan. But, when I see the way the administrators at the University of Notre Dame have held high the history of their school and their football program and how they also know WHO they are, How they are and WHAT they are in everything they do, I really wonder why the hell the administrators at the University of Minnesota have not managed to catch that spirit...that confidence and that ATTITUDE?????
; 0 )
