Dear fellow members of the Notre Dame and Saint Mary's community (especially freshmen): The road portion of this year's football schedule is over for the most part, and we've embarked on a five-game home stretch. There's nothing like a Notre Dame home game, and this community prides itself on the environment it creates on these autumn Saturdays - the environment we create.
As such, we must form a united front as a student body that is formidable to each and every opponent. This includes - as I'm sure you know - knowing and proudly singing the greatest of all university fight songs, the "Notre Dame Victory March." Sadly, we don't all know the "Victory March." Of course, we all know the part that starts "Cheer, Cheer for old Notre Dame," but there is also a first verse. Fellow freshmen, you may or may not have noticed that while our sections sing "shake down the thunder," our sophomore, junior, and senior compatriots bellow "U RAH RAH!" What's up with that? The tune to the first verse is similar to, but not the same as, the second. I strongly urge you, now, to find a recording of the fight song, and play it as you read the following lines: "Rally, Sons of Notre Dame / Sing Her glory and sound Her fame / Raise Her Gold and Blue And sing with voices true / Rah! Rah! For Notre Dame (U RAH RAH!) / We will fight in every game / Strong of heart and true to Her name / We will ne'er forget Her and / We'll cheer Her ever loyal to Notre Dame / Cheer, Cheer for old Notre Dame! / Wake up the echoes cheering Her name / Send a volley cheer on high / Shake down the thunder from the sky! / What tho' the odds be great or small / Old Notre Dame will win over all / While Her loyal Sons go marching onward to Victory!"
So on Saturday, put your game face on. Rub on those tattoos, color your hair green, or dress up like the leprechaun. But remember: above all we must come together to show our support for our team, "what tho' the odds."
Joann NorellfreshmanMcCandless HallOct. 9
