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Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

Leprechaun, students and alumni go green versus USC

 You would have to live under a rock to not know the importance of this Saturday's football game against USC. Students can build up the excitement and energy that the football team and this campus needs.

The most important thing everyone can do is participate in the "Green Out" at Saturday's game. Students and alums are organizing efforts to inform all those attending to wear kelly green attire. They are using NDNation.com message boards and various Facebook groups, such as "Sea of Green" and "GO IRISH!  Kill Southern Cal!" At this point, there are more than 3,000 members of these groups. Notre Dame Stadium holds more than 80,000 people, so it is up to students to spread the word quickly.

It is quite obvious that a "Sea of Green" is much more impressive and representative of Notre Dame than the "Sea of Flesh" that is created by wearing The Shirt. The Shirt's bland, beige color blends into the stands. We want to look united in our support of the team, both to opponents and on television. The easiest way to do this is for everyone to wear the same color.

Green is the color of the Fighting Irish and stands out like beige never could.

The significance of this game should be acknowledged by the student body, alumni, and fans attending. Deviation from the standard beige of The Shirt will represent the recognition that we truly know this game is different from the norm. If you are one of the few opposing the "Green Out," consider this: we have lost to USC in seven straight games, so we might as well try something different.

While there is no sponsored program to give away green shirts, there are plenty of options available for finding something to wear. Like any typical day in October in South Bend, Saturday is predicted to be cold and cloudy. Fans can still wear a green shirt over their layers. If for some reason you do not own any green Notre Dame paraphernalia, there are inexpensive kelly green shirts available through Facebook, and there is always the bookstore. Any creative use of green will surely be appreciated and grab attention.

The "Green Out" is the biggest event underway, but there are many other initiatives taking place this week. Some students are using their print quotas to print posters stating "Kill Southern Cal" and "Beat SC" that they will post in their dorms and around campus. Another group of students from the Classics Department is attempting to build a Trojan horse. This was last done in the historic 1977 defeat of USC, when Notre Dame wore the famous green jerseys for the first time in 14 years.

The Facebook groups previously mentioned are encouraging students to meet the USC players when they arrive on Friday. The idea is to greet them with an intimidating silence, so they realize just how much they are not welcome here. One of the best talked-about ideas is to have the entire stadium, or at least the student body, turn their backs in silence when USC runs out of the tunnel. The silence will speak much louder than boos, which oftentimes motivate the other team.

On Friday night, there will be a special "Call to Arms" drum circle at the Main Building with guest appearances. A special pep rally is being worked on, as many students have not been satisfied with the ones on Irish Green this year and feel that this game deserves a raucous pep rally.

All of these plans are great ideas for getting the campus pumped up for Saturday's game. However, they can only be successful if everyone gets involved and is passionate about implementing them. Spread the word about the "Green Out," and give USC a Fighting Irish student body they can fear. 



Contact Brandy?Cerne at bcerne1@nd.edu

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.