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Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Observer

Character counts

I was a guest on your campus for an extended weekend and attended the Michigan game. At age 57, it was my first opportunity to experience the Notre Dame campus and interact with the students. At first, I was impressed at how warmly I was greeted by the students walking on campus. Everyone I passed greeted me with a 'Hi' or 'Glad you're here.' I stopped at Sorin to get an idea of what your dorms looked like, and not only was invited in to take a look, but was also invited to view other rooms with all kinds of unique configurations to enhance the small amount of space available. I was amazed to see all the families that roamed campus, with small children, dressed in their Notre Dame blue and gold, soaking it all up. Nothing prepared me for what I saw at the game. No, not the disappointing loss, but rather the fact that the student body stood throughout the game and was still there, at the end of the game, to support the team. I've never seen anything like it. I've never seen a more impressive sight at a football game, and I've been to a lot of football games. Never have I seen more character displayed by a group of students. I know that I wasn't the only fan to notice this as I understand that there was a recruit that committed to the University for that very same reason. I read, with disappointment, that a number of seniors decided to skip out before the game's end and are now trying to justify their actions. Sorry, seniors, there is no justification for your decision to leave. Surprising to me is how you made it through all that time at ND and and don't understand the concepts of loyalty, character, and tradition. I was on the campus for four days and figured it out immediately. I was standing there at the end. Where were you?

Mark Schwartz

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Sept. 23