Send the Volley Cheer on High

The mystique of the University of Notre Dame is something that has always captured my imagination. I have never been a student there, or even seen the school in person until Saturday. Somehow though, through a combination of the almost mythical football program and my Catholic disposition, I have always felt a fondness for the Golden Dome.

Back to Saturday. Thanks to the generosity of my good friend Caroline Cole, I was able to purchase two tickets for the Notre Dame vs Air Force game at Southbend this weekend. Needless to say, I was extremely excited. The anticipation of the event had been building now for several months, as I had never been to a college football game of any kind, nor been to the campus of Notre Dame. The day came, and it did not disappoint...

I worked until Friday afternoon and then spent the night in Chicago at my buddy Jim's house. Jim, an Irish Catholic, had at least a passing interest in the game, but perhaps a greater interest in seeing the school itself. We drove to South Bend on Saturday morning and ventured into the campus, where we met Caroline. She proved to be a mediocre at best tour guide... However, we were shown around part of the campus as well as inside the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The Basilica was a busy place, no doubt due to the well documented struggles of the Fighting Irish...

Despite a miserable season, Notre Dame Stadium was packed full for the game. Most fans in attendance left disappointed... The team, as has become habit this year, played poorly and lost by a rather large margin. The experience, however, was incredible. Our seats were right behind the student section, and watching nearly the entire student population act as one cheering on their Irish was reason enough to be entertained.

After the game, Caroline escorted us to the dining hall where a "candlelit" dinner was served to all students and anyone else willing to pay for the meal. The dining hall and the food were imaculate, making the food I ate in college look as though it came from a dumpster...

Well there is a rather straightforward description of my one and only Notre Dame experience. I still haven't figured out a good way to put into words my emotions and feelings during the visit. The Basilica, the Grotto, the stadium... Perhaps I was on sensory overload. There, in a place where some of the finest thought from some of the finest Catholic minds is produced, I simply could not take it all in.

Many thanx to Jim for his hospitality, generosity, and willingness to drive.

Many thanx to Caroline, who made this small dream possible.

Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame!
Wake up the echoes cheering her name!
Send the volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky!

What though the odds be, great or small,
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons are marching onward to victory!