Board of Directors and Committee Positions Open

Vol. 16 No. 1
UND Celebration
Habitat for Humanity
Holiday Luncheon
Big 10 Hockey
Charity Golf Tournament
Brady Quinn
Golden Grads Recognition
Hesburgh Lecture
Men’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball
Tuition Increase
Football Recruiting
Items of Interest
Don’t miss club activities.
Check the Events Calendar at
www.NDOrlando.com.
For a free email subscription to
the campus newspaper, go to:
(do not enter “www”)
ndsmcobserver.com/emailedition.
April:
ND Mass for Mothers-24th
UND Celebration-29th
May:
Charity Golf Tournament-2nd
Postal Service Food Drive-14th
Deadline to Order Football
Tickets-16th
Board of Directors and Committee
Positions Open
You can share your talent and
your Notre Dame spirit by
becoming a member of the
club’s Board of Directors. We
have a great time and love
the camaraderie which is why
most of us choose to “re-up”
but there are always a few
positions open every July 1.
Another way to participate in
club activities is to sign up for
a committee for one of our
club events: UND Night,
charity golf tournament,
holiday luncheon, summer
picnic, Hesburgh lecture,
golden grads recognition, or
football game watches.
Service opportunities abound.
Our club arranges 4-6
annually but there are three
that we always participate in:
Second Harvest Food Bank,
Habitat for Humanity, and
Hope Community Center’s
Santa Shop.
Contact a committee or
board member to get
involved. The roster is at
www.NDOrlando.com. Board
elections will be held June 29.
Our by-laws only require that
two-thirds of board members
be alumni, so up to five can
be parents of students,
former coaches or professors,
or “subway alumni.”
By the way, do you know how
the term subway alumni
originated?
Here is an
excerpt from Scott Eden’s
Touchdown Jesus (Simon &
Shuster, 2005):
“The origin of the term dates to a series of games played
against Army in New York City between 1923 and 1946.
According to popular history, so many working-class,
immigrant Catholics emerged from their tenements and
spilled into the subway tunnels for transport to these games
that a clever reporter coined the term. . . . They felt a deep
affinity for this team made up of Catholic schlumps just like
them—Irish and Polish and Italian, mostly—for whom they
could root against the West Point Black Knights, a team and
an institution that defined Establishment.”
UND Celebration—Don’t Miss It
Our club is excited that our speaker for the Universal Notre Dame Celebration on Friday
April 29 is Marc Burdell ND’87. Many in our club know Marc from his recent position as
Director of Alumni Programs. He was instrumental in coordinating with our club for Notre
Dame’s last visit to Orlando for the Champs Sports Bowl against Florida State in 2011.
He is now the inaugural program director of LSES (Low Socioeconomic Status)
Support, a new program within the Division of Student Affairs. He will introduce us to this
new program and update us on the goings on around campus, including the $400 million
Campus Crossroads Project currently under construction around the stadium.
RSVP to Tim Kiley at tkiley@whww.com.
ND Club Construction Battalion
By Joe Gavigan
Seven Notre Dame faithful spent the morning of March 19 helping to build another home for
Habitat for Humanity in Winter Park. The workers chipped in wherever they were needed
including finishing windows, hanging siding and painting the interior. Despite some minor cuts
and bruises, they reported that they had a great time making a difference for others.
Left to right: Maggie Gavigan, Joe Gavigan, Chris Jasinski, Mary Heaton, Dan
Finnane, Patrick Fravel
Chris Jasinski is new to the club. He’s a 2015 grad from Notre Dame’s Master of Science in
Accountancy program and a fellow Disney cast member with Joe Gavigan.
Students Enjoy Holiday Luncheon
Caleb and Tonya Keenan arranged our club’s annual holiday luncheon to send the
student back to campus for the spring semester. Dubsdread Country Club hosted
the event January 6 and you can tell by their smiles that they had a good time.
Notre Dame Hockey to Join
Big 10 Conference
Notre Dame was a member of the Central
Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) for 16 years
before it was disbanded after the 2012-2013
campaign. The last CCHA game was the final
contest of the 2013 Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament
at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit where the Fighting
Irish defeated the Michigan Wolverines to win the
Mason Cup championship.
Another save for Cal Peterson who was
named MVP with a .927 save percentage,
third best in Notre Dame hockey history.
Notre Dame then accepted an invitation to join the Hockey East Association (HEA) where the
Irish will play their fourth and final season this coming winter. The decision to transfer from the
HEA to the Big 10 Conference commencing with the 2017-2018 season was explained by
Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick:
“The move will significantly reduce the time our team spends travelling, increase the
broadcast exposure for our program and allow us to take advantage of the natural rivalries
that exist with the Big 10 schools that participate in hockey.”
Big 10 Hockey was formed by Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and
Wisconsin when the CCHA disbanded. Notre Dame will be the first addition to the six charter
members.
Tee Up for Our Club’s Big Fund Raiser
The Legacy Club Course at Alaqua Lakes will host the
Notre Dame Club’s 24th Annual Scholarship and
Charity Golf Tournament on Monday, May 2. Since its
inception in 1992, the event has raised over $400,000
for scholarships and local charities. Beneficiaries of
the 2016 tournament will be the Notre Dame Club
Scholarship Fund for local students, Bishop Moore
High School, New Hope for Kids and 3rd and Goal
Foundation.
Keep your tee shot to the right side of
the 10th fairway or you could have a
difficult approach to the green.
The event will feature celebrity appearances, local
media, limited edition auction items, the Bishop
Moore High School marching band plus great golf on
one fantastic course with free lunch, drinks and
souvenirs for the golfers. The Panera Bread Team will
be defending its 2015 title which it earned with a 16
under par 56!
At the tournament we present the Good Fellow Award to a
sports figure who has been a positive influence and roll model
for others. We’re privileged and excited that former Fighting
Irish quarterback Brady Quinn will be receiving the award this
year.
By the time his final season at Notre Dame ended in 2006,
Brady had accumulated 36 school records. He was the first
Notre Dame quarterback to pass for over 3,000 yards in a
single season—and he did it twice! His senior year he threw
35 touchdown passes with only 5 interceptions and he won
the Maxwell Award, presented to the College Football Player
of the Year. He was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the
first round of the NFL draft.
3rd and Goal—Veterans Home Aid, a beneficiary of this year’s
tournament, was founded by Brady Quinn. It assists veterans
facing homelessness and makes home improvements for those
injured in the war to make their lives more comfortable.
Brady Quinn and head coach
Charlie Weis
To play in the tournament or to make a donation, contact either Rob Thomson at
rtcheese@aol.com or Paul Partyka at ppartyka@realvest.com.
Golden Grads Recognition
One of the legacies left to us by our departed friend John Sheehan is the biannual Golden Grads
Recognition, an event designed to honor and entertain those alumni who graduated more than
50 years ago. In truth though, it’s the Golden Grads themselves who do most of the
entertaining with their stories of campus life. Patrick Fravel chaired the committee that
arranged the celebration at Antonio’s La Fiamma Ristorante on February 18. Four of the new
inductees were able to attend plus many previously-recognized Golden Grads.
Carl Ludecke ND’63 asked a priest whether he should accept a place at Notre Dame or
Villanova. The priest said, “Don’t go to Villanova. They drink too much.” He joined the gym
run by Fr. Lang who gave bottles of beer as a reward. There was a priest on every floor in the
dorm. He and his friends put girls’ underwear in the priest’s laundry bag hanging on his door
for pick up.
Sal Leccese ND’64 discovered Notre Dame when he won a trip there for selling the most
magazines. He told his mother that he liked that school and she said, “Good, because that’s the
only place you’re applying.” He almost didn’t go because he didn’t read the second paragraph
of his acceptance letter where it said that he had to send in a $25 deposit. He was placed on a
wait list and lived in the infirmary for six weeks before a dorm room opened up. He was
impressed with how Fr. Hesburgh seemed to remember everyone’s name.
Anne Diebel-Lane SMC’64 is our first female Golden Grad. When she was a junior at Bishop
Moore High School, she told her father that she wanted to go to college. His response: “Why?
You’re just going to get married and have babies.” Her mother responded forcefully: “She’ll go
to college if she wants to,” but she added that it must be a Catholic school. At the first
snowfall, the girls built a snow fort along the avenue and ambushed the guys with snowballs as
they were walking over to St. Mary’s for dates.
Felix Balmaz ND’64 attended a small Catholic high school in Arkansas where one-third of his
class were relatives. The first time he saw snow was at Notre Dame and he slipped three times
in the first 100 yards. He visited his old dorm room in Sorin Hall at his 50th reunion and it had
been turned into a pool room. Felix helped the late Hugh Laughna ND’40 start our club and he
was one of the 32 inaugural members.
Professor Kim Delivers Hesburgh Lecture
Kwan S. Kim, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of
Notre Dame delivered the 2016 Hesburgh Lecture on February 22. He
spoke on The Global Poverty Gap: What Does It Take to Eradicate?
Professor Kim pointed out that, for decades, poor nations have
received foreign aid, but few have been able to climb out of poverty.
He identified domestic and global sources of vulnerability facing social
groups trapped in sustained poverty. He explained the issues of human capital, gender
inequality, and especially market failure under democratic governance. He then explored local,
national and global actions to end extreme poverty and hunger.
Kathleen Sabol coordinated Prof. Kim’s visit to Orlando and Paul Vasquez reserved the venue
on the UCF campus. It was attended by both Notre Dame club members and UCF students.
Men’s Basketball: Exceeding Expectations Again
The 2014-2015 season ended with the Fighting Irish men’s basketball team ranked #5 in the
nation after being picked in the pre-season to finish 7th in the ACC conference. In the Elite 8
round of the NCAA tournament, they came within one
basket of going to the Final Four. Having lost two starters
who were good enough to be drafted by the NBA—Jerian
Grant and Pat Connaughton—expectations were lower for
the 2015-2016 campaign.
Indeed, heading into this year’s NCAA tournament as a #6
seed with a 23-11 record, there weren’t many fans who
expected the Irish to go just as far in the tournament as they
did last year. But Notre Dame defeated Michigan, Stephen
F. Austin and Wisconsin in the first three rounds to reach the
Elite 8 round once again, making them the only team to
reach the Elite 8 in both of the last two seasons.
Demetrius Jackson drives for the
basket against North Carolina’s
Isiah Hicks in ND’s Elite 8 loss.
The game against the #1 seeded North Carolina Tar Heels would be the rubber match, with
each team having defeated the other once this season. Behind by 10 points with six minutes
remaining, the Irish were unable to close the gap. When the intentional fouls began, as they so
often do in the final minutes of a college basketball game, North Carolina sank nine consecutive
free throws to seal the 88-74 victory.
Women’s Basketball: Since When is 34-2 a Disappointing Season?
The Lady Irish were gunning for their sixth
consecutive Final Four appearance in the
NCAA basketball tournament. They finished
the regular season with a 29-1 record, losing
only to their old nemesis, the UConn Huskies.
ND then swept three games against Duke,
Miami and Syracuse to win the ACC
tournament.
The Lady Irish won the ACC Tournament but
were unable to capture the national title.
Entering the NCAA tournament as the #1 seed
in the East bracket and ranked #2 in the nation, the Lady Irish easily dispatched North Carolina
A&T and Indiana in the first two rounds. But then they ran into a very hot-shooting Stanford
team in the Sweet 16 round.
The Cardinal opened up a 15-point lead early in the second half. It wasn’t until 2:05 left in the
4th quarter that the Lady Irish were able to claw their way back to within one score. With
Stanford leading by three points, it appeared that the Cardinal would turn the ball over when
Karlie Samuelson threw up a desperation shot from well beyond the 3 point arc to avoid a shot
clock violation. The ball banked off the backboard and through the hoop which gave Stanford a
6-point lead and sealed their victory.
Notre Dame’s Tuition to Increase 3.7 Percent for 2016-2017
On January 29, the Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame set an increase of 3.7% in
tuition and fees for the next academic year. This is the lowest percentage increase in more
than half a century. Tuition of $49,685 plus a room and board rate of $14,358 will bring the
total to $64,043.
In a letter to parents Notre Dame President, Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, wrote that:
“The value of a Notre Dame education is best measured, not in financial terms, but in the
way it enriches the lives of our graduates and helps them enrich the lives of others. It is
humbling and gratifying how often our graduates credit the education they received at
Notre Dame and the people they came to know here with shaping them in profound and
important ways for a lifetime.”
A Season with Notre Dame Football Helps Recruiting
Showtime’s weekly behind-the-scenes look at Notre Dame football during the 2015 season
clearly aided recruiting. Safety Devin Studstill, who chose the Irish over Miami, North Carolina,
West Virginia and Texas said, “What really turned me was the show.” Brian Kelly said that 4star cornerback Troy Pride, and more importantly his parents, were indirectly pitched by the
show’s look into everyday life as a football player in South Bend.
Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford viewed wide-receiver and California native Javon McKinley
as a long-shot. Recruiting a 4-star player out of a Pac-12 stronghold is never easy and Sanford
realized that, in this case, he would need to win over Javon’s mother. He convinced Estrilla
McKinley to watch the show and the hesitant mother gave her approval to his recruiting efforts.
Two of the 23 players who signed with Notre Dame for the 2016 class are from Orlando.
Linebacker Jonathan Jones attended Oak Ridge High School and only committed to the Irish on
National Signing Day, February 3. Offensive lineman Parker Boudreaux, who went to Bishop
Moore High School, gave his oral commitment in July, 2015 in a rather unusual way. He pulled
an 8-ton school bus, uncovering Notre Dame’s leprechaun logo and a gold helmet. He had
received over seventy offers, more than any other player in the nation.