Students host annual ‘Rudy’ showing in Notre Dame Stadium

Notre Dame student government hosted its annual Flick on the Field, which became a tradition in 2016, this year on Friday Aug. 25.

Student government collaborated with the Student Union Board (SUB) and the Student Activities Office (SAO) for the event. 

“[Student Government] has been really fortunate to be able to work with SUB in the past, and it was definitely something we wanted to continue since they’re so wonderful at executing different programming events,” said Sarah Mahoney, co-director of student life in the executive cabinet of student government.

SUB planned the Acousticafe portion of the event. Lily Condodina, SUB executive director, said they decided to an Acousticafe as part of Flick on the Field after Mahoney approached her about collaborating.

“We kind of came with the idea together to do an Acousticafe on Library Lawn … and it’s a good addition to all the events that [student government] already have going on,” Condodina said.  

Condodina explained that Flick on the Field is an important tradition.

“It’s a huge event and it's a really important tradition,” she said. “So we’re just happy that they wanted us to kind of enhance the program a little bit with Acousticafe.”

Condodina said the film “Rudy” is iconic, and that being able to sit in Notre Dame Stadium is a special experience.

“It’s very iconic and to be able to sit in the actual Notre Dame Stadium to watch that, it's a super special experience,” she said. “I think also, you feel more part of the Notre Dame community when you leave Flick on the Field after watching this film that you can all relate to with your peers.”

Juliana Ramirez, SUB programming director, said SUB wants to organize events that are accessible to students.

“We just want to organize events that’s accessible to them [so that they] don’t have a lot of financial strain, which is exactly what we do and just like a way for people to meet others and have a stress reliever,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez said SUB wants to remind students college isn’t just academics through their programming. 

“We want to remind them that college is not just academics,” Ramirez said. “There are so many other factors and aspects of a life.”

Mahoney said student government’s ultimate mission is to create the best possible experience they possibly can for all the students.

Flick on the Field welcomes students, but it is open to the public as well. Nadim Khouzam, co-director in the student government executive cabinet, said the event is a great way to involve the community outside of Notre Dame.

“It’s great way to involve outside of Notre Dame like the community within South Bend,” Khouzam said. “I feel like it makes a pretty big impact when people are able to come on campus and actually be in the stadium on the turf itself, to enjoy this time with their family and watch this special film.”

Mahoney said the event is a great way for student government to engage with the local community as well.

“So it’s a great way for not only for student government to engage with the local community, but also for our student body as a whole,” Mahoney said. “And also it kind of brings the local community into the wonderful Notre Dame family with the story of Rudy being particularly special for everyone.”

Khouzam said “Rudy” is a staple of Notre Dame and that Rudy is a figure of perseverance.

“He kind of is a staple of Notre Dame, and he’s someone that people kind of look up to as a figure of perseverance,” Khouzam said. “I think when it comes to being a student at Notre Dame, that’s a characteristic that a lot of us have and that builds on this long standing tradition and history that we have as a school of success. And giving back to the community.”

Nayla Hernandez, Acousticafe chair, said the event brings an energy of school pride. She said the student performers for the Acousticafe embody what the Notre Dame experience is like.  

“I think it brings together an energy of school pride in a way because ‘Rudy’ is a very big feel good movie … then you see student performers and people who actually embody what the Notre Dame experience is like currently,” she said. 

Hernandez said the community coming together in a common mission is really admirable. 

“We’re such a geographically diverse school and to all be coming together in this place in a way that unites us all in a common mission is really admirable, but it takes a lot of perseverance, and I think ‘Rudy’ embodies that in an athletic sense,” she said.

Mahoney said “Rudy” tells a story of coming to Notre Dame. 

“‘Rudy’ is probably just the perfect film for Notre Dame,” she said. “It tells a story of like coming to Notre Dame, and Flick on the Field is a great event where we welcome a lot of the first-years in the community for the first time with a big event on the first Friday of the school year.”