Dear Mr. Lushis,
After reading your letter to the editor dated Sept. 5 and printed in the Sept. 7 newspaper, I felt I should reply with my opinion.
First of all, I am glad to hear that an alumnus and member of the Notre Dame family is still voicing his opinion. I hope that my passion will be as strong years after I graduate. With that being said, I completely disagree with your argument.
I'll first challenge the fact by pointing out this Saturday was the first weather delay we have ever had in Notre Dame Stadium. While you claim that your section may have been loud and passionate and all that jazz, you can't conclude that more people in your student section would have showed up after the first rain delay than ours did.
Secondly, you graduated in 1977, the year after Rudy graduated, and a few months before Dan Devine won the national championship. Everybody and their family, literally, wanted to go and see the best team in the nation play. We haven't had that kind of experience in our student section (yet!), but we still show up and cheer our hearts out for the team we love.
I should also add that after the first game delay, the student body that returned was incredibly loud and excited about the continuation of the game despite the disappointing first half. I don't know numbers, of course, but I can tell you that being in the student section for the first drive of the second half was louder and more passionate than the first half. We were rallying around Tommy boy and the well-improved defense!
Not only did we do that the first time, but the second rain delay return was just as loud, especially after Michael Floyd snagged a touchdown pass right in front of us. We may not compete with a giant, 40,000, SEC- style student section in volume, but the thousands of Notre Dame students left were cheering until the end.
And for my last point, I'd like to give a shout out to the band. First off, you guys rock! It didn't quite feel like football Saturday without a sensational halftime show. That's exactly why the entire student section started chanting "halftime show" after it was announced that there would not be one following the conclusion of the game.
Conclusively, I believe that we do have the pride and spirit you seem to think we lack. If you still doubt it, look at the volume of students going to Michigan this weekend. Awesome. If we want our stadium to be as loud as the Big House, we need everyone in the stadium, not just the student section, to stand and cheer from beginning to end. I challenge any and all willing and capable alumni to follow our lead and cheer as loud as you can for our boys in blue. And student section, let's give 'em all we've got against Michigan State!
Go Kelly. Go get it Tommy Rees! And as always, GO IRISH!!!!
Tom Spoonmore
sophomore
Carroll Hall
Sept. 7
