Chapter Thirteen
LIFE ON CAMPUS

In 1986 when the US Catholic Bishops issued their statement, "Economic Justice for All," they wrote that "it is a social and moral scandal that 1 of every 7 Americans is poor." They argued that every social policy today should be measured by how it touches the poor among us; that "the market is limited by fundamental human rights," and that there is a "prophetic mandate to speak for those who have no one to speak for them, to be a defender of the defenseless." Such statements draw on a long Catholic tradition exemplified by papal encyclicals such as Rerum Novarum (1891), Quadragesimo Anno (1931), Mater et Magistra (1961), and Populorum Progressio (1967), which argue for Christians to become active in supporting social justice, labor unions, family farms, relief and development for poor nations, eradication of poverty, and resistance to concentrations of material resources.

To say that Notre Dame has a Catholic character is to say that it is part of a particular Christian history and way of life, like that promoted in the documents just mentioned. This way of life centers on belief in Jesus Christ. Like other Christian denominations, Catholicism teaches that the world of God is revealed through the Bible. At the most basic level, as the Bible teaches, God is love, and love is the hallmark of all Christian behavior. Christians believe that they should be recognizable because of the love they show to others.

Catholics have a special commitment to at least five core values: social justice, community, tradition, reason, and universality. Catholic commitment to social justice arises from the Catholic belief that all creation, and especially humans, are good because they all come from God. Humans are made in the image of God, according to Catholic doctrine, and all humans have dignity and equal rights. Thus, as the Catholic Church proclaimed in its Second Vatican Council, in The Church in the Modern World, the struggle for social justice is part of the human movement toward God. Loving and serving others is a way of loving and serving God. As Pope John Paul II put it, our human work of struggling for peace and for social justice is collaboration with God's work.

Commitment to social justice also is essential to a Catholic way of life because, as St. Ignatius Loyola put it, the Catholic sees God in all things. Catholics believe they encounter the invisible God only through visible reality, like the natural world and the loving behavior of other people. Committed to the beliefs that humans are naturally good and naturally oriented to God, in spite of their tendency to sin and selfishness, Catholics believe that the kingdom of God is both here and now as well as forever. They do not share the Lutheran belief in the two kingdoms, one on earth and one in heaven, one here and one forever, one natural and one supernatural. Instead Catholics believe there is one eternal kingdom and that everything that exists is good. They believe that there is not a realm of nature and a separate realm of grace, as some other Christians believe. For Catholics, all nature, all creation, is graced and is a way of knowing, loving, and serving God. Committed to the God-given goodness of all nature and to universal human rights, Notre Dame expresses its social-justice commitments through the Center for Social Concern, its Hesburgh Center for International and Peace Studies, and its university-wide service-learning courses.

Approximately 10 percent of each Notre Dame graduating class spends at least a year in unpaid/nonprofit social-justice work, prior to obtaining a standard job.

The Catholic way of life, emphasizing that we encounter God through people, events, and objects - all of which are good - is thus committed to community. Catholics believe that we encounter God not just through individual conscience, as many other Christians believe, but also through the people of God, the Church. The Notre Dame commitment to community is one of its greatest strengths, and among all US colleges and universities, national surveys indicate that Notre Dame arguably has the most cohesive sense of community. Outsiders might conjecture that football is responsible. Perhaps another factor is that every Notre Dame residence hall has daily Mass, an optional community-based worship service - typically late at night - in which many students voluntarily participate. Holy Cross priests, living in the dorms, and excellent residence-hall assistants (Ras) also help to create community at Notre Dame.

The Catholic emphasis on community, however, does not jeopardize the primacy of individual conscience. As the Second Vatican Council of the Catholic Church (The Church in the Modern World) affirmed 40 years ago, we are always bound to follow our consciences, and no one should be forced to act contrary to conscience. Nevertheless Catholics believe that we ought to try to form our consciences in the light of church teachings (Vatican II, Declaration on Religious Freedom).

Just as Catholics emphasize both community and individual conscience, so also they emphasize both tradition and scripture. For many Christian denominations, God speaks only through the Bible. Consistent with the fact that they believe nature, people, and events teach us about God, Catholics believe that history and tradition also teach us about God. As Pope John Paul XXIII proclaimed, history itself teaches us about God. Moreover, according to Catholic doctrine, the Bible itself is a product of tradition and culture. As a consequence, Catholics do not accept a fundamentalist or literal interpretation of the Bible. Instead they believe that correct understanding of the Bible requires understanding the culture and history that produced it and gave it a context. As a result, some portions of the Bible are literally true, according to Catholic doctrine, while other portions are purely metaphorical, poetical, or figurative.

With its focus on scholarly, rather than literal, understanding of the Bible, the Catholic tradition also emphasizes reason and not just faith, as a way of approaching God. Throughout the Dark Ages and Middle Ages, the Catholic Church, in worldwide monasteries and convents, kept education and learning alive. It also has emphasized, at least after Copernicus, that there is no conflict between authentic science and authentic religion. Unlike a number of other Christian denominations, Catholics have long accepted evolution and have long rejected Fideism, the doctrine that faith alone, independent of reason, is sufficient to grasp the Revelation of God, including the Bible. The First Vatican Council condemned both Fideism as well as rationalism, the belief that reason alone can grasp the mysteries of religious belief. Instead Catholics maintain that both faith and reason are essential to theism. This is one reason that Notre Dame emphasizes both theology (knowledge of God and the world through faith and Revelation) and philosophy (knowledge of God and the world through reason alone). The Philosophy Department has the highest-ranked doctoral program at Notre Dame.

Just as the Catholic way of life emphasizes both nature and grace, individual conscience and community, tradition and scripture, reason and faith, so also it emphasizes a universal, rather than a sectarian, version of Christianity. By virtue of its universality, the Catholic tradition emphasizes openness and its being bound to no particular culture. Catholicism is open to all truth and value, wherever and whenever it may appear. Because of this universality, there are strong Catholic traditions that are more liberal or left, as manifested in The National Catholic Reporter, a well-known newspaper. Similarly there is a strong Catholic tradition that is more conservative or right, as illustrated in The Wanderer, another well-known Catholic newspaper. The Catholic tradition attempts to make room for a diversity of points of view in all things that are not obviously sinful. As Langdon Gilkey, himself a Protestant, wrote in Catholicism Confronts Modernity (pp. 17-18): "the love of life, the appreciation of the body in the senses, of joy and celebration, the tolerance of the sinner, these natural, worldly, and human virtues are far more clearly and universally embodied in Catholics and Catholic life than in Protestants and Protestantism."

With its emphasis on openness, scholarship, social justice, and community, the Catholic character of Notre Dame enriches both learning and believing. If there is a problem at Notre Dame, it is that we humans do a poor job of living up to the wise and demanding traditions, like that of Catholicism, that we espouse. Catholic traditions are rich, idealistic, and uplifting, and Notre Dame is a better place because of them.

For further information on what it means for Notre Dame to have a Catholic character, see Father Richard McBrien's volume, Catholicism. It is available in paperback in the bookstore. Father McBrien is former Chair of the Notre Dame Theology Department.

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Notre Dame is completely uninterested in African Americans or women either. Nor are they interested in our intellectual issues. We are just below their radar screen. We don't match their funding base. It took an endowed chair in our department three solid years to realize that I was also a member of the department. Thus, African Americans are invisible.

Notre Dame can get whatever it has a real interest in, and they can get it fast. As long as the absence of one or the other doesn't cause them bad publicity, they aren't concerned. So basically, an article on what it's like to be African-American at Notre Dame doesn't seem like an article for Best Practices. There are no best practices involved in the issue. I think you would do well to omit such an article. Any change in that area has to come from Notre Dame and that will only happen if they develop a desire to address the situation and why would they? They could care less. I am not Irish, white, or male. Thus for Notre Dame, I do not matter.

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There are very few Asian-American faculty at Notre Dame, but there are a handful of Asians (mostly concentrated in the Dept. of East Asian Languages and Literatures and the College of Sciences). It is thus more accurate, perhaps, to speak of our experience as "foreign faculty from Asia". Race and religion did not seem to have been difficult issues for the Asians with whom I spoke. Food was a larger concern. So, here is advice for new Asian hires.

For fresh Asian groceries, go to Saigon Market (downtown, at the corner of La Salle and Main or Michigan, whichever of those one-way streets that runs south) on Friday afternoons. A truck comes down from Chicago around 2:30 or 3:00 pm. The selection is skimpy by Saturday afternoon or Sunday so be sure to get there early! Saigon has a decent selection of Chinese and Vietnamese goods. Japanese and Korean goods are more difficult to come by. Oriental Market on Grape Road, south of Edison, has fair kim chee and Korean produce. Japanese goods are stale.

For the best Asian dry goods, go to Chicago. Mitsuwa and Koyama Shoten, both on Algonquin Road in Arlington Heights, have Japanese goods. (Mitsuwa has pretty decent ramen and soba in its food court). There are two Korean markets and quite a few Korean restaurants in Koreatown on Lawrence and Lincoln Avenues. Chinatown's markets are not particularly impressive, but Three Happiness is an excellent Dim Sum place. There's a stretch of Indian restaurants on Devon Avenue between California and Western.

For dining out in South Bend, try Toyo Grill (on Edison) for Korean food and Great Wall (on Rt. 31/33/933) for Chinese. (King's Buffet, on Cleveland, is all-you-can-eat Chinese, Japanese, and American; it has decent potstickers and the chefs go surprisingly easy on the oil in their stir-fries). There is no decent Japanese restaurant. However, Martin's supermarket at the corner of Ironwood and Rt. 23, astonishingly enough, has a sushi guy who makes acceptable makizushi. Siam Thai Cuisine has ok Thai food - not very nuanced but at least the ingredients are fresh and flavorful. Two new Indian restaurants opened in 2001: Star of India (on Edison, in the same mall as Toyo Grill) and Taste of India (on McKinley east of the Town and Country mall). They are both good, though Taste makes better naan. A Vietnamese restaurant also opened in 2001. It is on Christyann (heading east on McKinley, it's a couple of streets after Grape and Main) and makes good potstickers and noodle soup.

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A statue of Dr. Tom Dooley stands near the grotto on campus. Its inscription reads: "Thomas A. Dooley, M.D. '48: who as a pre-medical student cherished Our Lady's Grotto and who as a physician served the afflicted people of Southeast Asia with uncommon devotion and dedication." That statue captures, for me, what is the best and worst of being a Catholic at Notre Dame.

First the best. At Notre Dame, you will meet and become lifelong friends with people like Dr. Tom Dooley, people who live their lives with the conviction that there is something bigger than they are, people of "uncommon devotion and dedication." For many of them, as for Dooley, this conviction takes the form of service to the poor and oppressed. There are people like that at any university, of course, but Notre Dame does seem to attract enough, Catholics and non-Catholics, to form a critical mass, enough to make the place just feel different. Although statistics show that a large percentage of us have some sort of faith-or are at least interested in discussions of the meaning of faith, at many universities, the one thing that people, faculty and students, are reluctant to talk openly about is their faith. At Notre Dame, such discussion is both welcome and encouraged, in the classroom and elsewhere. And because Notre Dame is Catholic, there are spaces and rituals in which people can pray, mourn and celebrate togther. For example, after the September 11, 2001 acts of terrorism, 6000 people gathered in the south quad for a mass and every candle at the grotto was lighted for days afterwards.

Now the worst. If Dr. Tom Dooley were a student or faculty member at Notre Dame today, he might not feel welcome. You see, Tom Dooley was gay - not just by orientation but actively so. And Notre Dame refuses to join the vast majority of universities that have included sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policies, because, university officials claim, it would violate the "Catholic character" of the university. As a Catholic, I am embarrassed and feel unwillingly complicitous in causing pain to my gay friends. Also, I don't believe that the university has to take that position. When the official Notre Dame refuses to take a stand for women's ordination, because the Pope has uttered the "final word" against it, I am personally pained that my church continues to discriminate against women. I am a Catholic, yet at times what is held out to be "Catholic" violates principles I hold dear - and, yes, it embarrasses me.

Catholicism is a multi-party system, and you will find Catholics of every persuasion at Notre Dame. You will find Catholics who use Catholicism to discriminate and to be intolerant and judgmental. I often think that at times like these, it must be easier not to be Catholic so that I could completely disassociate myself from their positions. You will also find Catholics like Tom Dooley, who, in his last letter to Father Hesburgh (also at the statue and definitely worth reading), writes of his deep love for Notre Dame and how it inspired him and informed his life. Whatever your own convictions, you will find groups of like-minded Catholics you can join (for example, there's an unofficial committee for the ordination of women; Ken Milani in the Business School is the person to contact). You may find, as I have, that Notre Dame will challenge your faith everyday. Whether that's good or bad is finally up to you.

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(This was written by someone who is Jewish but who neither practices Judaism on a regular basis nor conforms to any orthodoxies of the Jewish faith. She is what is sometimes called a "cultural Jew".)

Being Jewish at Notre Dame seems to produce very little of interest. In fact I don't think "being Jewish" here constitutes a category or class of individuals at all, though there are more than a few of us here. Just to dispel any paranoia, I should say that in my nine years here there's been no discrimination against me, or against any Jewish person, that I'm aware of. I have been advanced in rank, salary, etc. as well as any woman here. Neither has anyone tried to hide me: I've been featured in stories in Notre Dame Magazine, asked to speak to alumni groups, and even popped up once or twice on the ND home page - of course, not as Jewish person, but as a professor of filmmaking, or as a filmmaker, or as a woman. And, no one has tried to turn me into a Catholic.

What is surprising for a Jewish person who comes to teach at Notre Dame - as I imagine it would be for Protestants, Hindus, Buddhists or anyone not raised in a Catholic tradition - is how demonstrative Notre Dame is about being Catholic. The vitality of Notre Dame's Catholicism — crucifixes in every classroom, masses in every dorm — is impressive, and it can be a little difficult to get used to such public displays and constant announcements of "what that place where you work believes in, stands for and takes its legitimacy from." Every now and then the tone of Notre Dame's pumped up Catholicism can get to you, or even offend, when it seems to be suggesting that Catholics have a privileged hold on all moral behavior, all social justice, all mindfulness, all compassion, etc. From my observation, Catholics at Notre Dame, or Catholics anywhere, behave no better or worse than other people They are compassionate toward others no more and no less than other people. They are no more or less active caretakers of the poor than other peoples. And they are no better or worse at being professors than anyone else. (I have noticed only one general difference - that our predominantly Catholic students seem to work more comfortably in groups than students do in other schools. The amateur sociologist in me speculates that this is because they come from larger families, for what it's worth).

What this Catholic university lacks — and I think it is a serious lack — is the wisdom and generosity to make everyone who comes here feel valued - for who they are. For instance, there is no interfaith center on this campus, where faculty, students and pastoral leaders from Jewish, Buddhist, and other Christian traditions, etc. could worship, and engage regularly in interfaith dialogue. Such an interfaith space would mark a mature and confident Catholicism and make many non-Catholic persons who come here feel welcomed.

A speculation: Notre Dame is the flagship American Catholic university. This means that Notre Dame represents, in capital letters, for all the world, "American Catholic Higher Education". Being this highly visible icon for Catholic higher education produces a great deal of pride for the university, but it also produces some tensions. Two opposed forces come into play. The managers of this institution behave as if all Notre Dame alumni and all parents of future ND Catholic students are watching every move it makes in order to assess whether ND is Catholic enough, at least in appearance but also in practice, for their continuing support: no co-ed dorms, no safe-sex or birth control counseling, no reproductive services for woman faculty or staff, no independent gay student groups on campus — and an anti-discrimination clause that does not include gays.

On the other hand, ND is very ambitious and aspires to become something like a Catholic Harvard, Princeton or Yale. This produces great anxiety for the managers, who behave as if the whole academic world were scrutinizing every move they make to see if ND really is a class-A university... intellectually vigorous and open to all ideas. It's hard to build a class-A university out of Catholic (or Protestant, Jewish or Muslim) faculty, exclusively. Notre Dame knows this well. Jews and Moslems and Hindus and Buddhists and Mennonites and Quakers and Jains (who have I left out?) have been hired to come and teach at Notre Dame. This in turn creates concerns about whether — if so many non-Catholics are teaching here — Notre Dame students will get a "Catholic-enough" education, whatever that is. It goes round and round, and keeps the managers devoting much of their time and resources to representation instead of improving the institution.

I was fearful about moving my life from New York City to South Bend, Indiana, but I got some good advice from a friend as I set out here for my first semester's teaching. She said, "Don't worry, it's not you and you won't become it and it can't hurt you. Go there as an anthropologist goes, as if you're going to a foreign culture. Observe everything. Notice patterns, differences, styles. It'll be interesting." And it truly has been.

Everyone here handles their "difference" differently. I'm more comfortable walking into the classroom, on the first day of the semester, and, after greetings, announcing that I am a feminist, a socialist, a vegetarian, born Jewish, but now a poorly practicing Buddhist. I think our students need to learn from someone of my various persuasions - and persuade them I will try to do. I think they can make up their own minds as to whether I have offered them something valid or not. I think, deep down - deeper than the public relations anxiety - this is what Notre Dame wants me to do.

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The following are a few comments on being a Protestant at Notre Dame. How you perceive your situation and behave will probably be related to your perspective on the Catholic religious denomination. This, in turn, will have something to do with what Pope was active when you were reading about Catholicism and its activities. When I came to Notre Dame, no one made a big thing about being my being Protestant, nor did I. I'm in a department where religious affiliation is rarely alluded to. Also, the liberating influence of Pope John XXIII was still affecting Catholic dogma. At the present time, my Department is about 1/3 Catholic, 1/3 Jewish, and 1/3 Protestant, etc.

Everyone seems to handle certain "Catholic" issues differently in the classroom. I bend over backwards to talk about and respect all religious traditions if the subject comes up. In my Gender Roles class, I invite a Catholic professor to lecture when the topic is religion and gender. This way I can feel sure that my own beliefs concerning such hot-button issues as abortion, homosexuality and freedom of speech do not alienate my students.

I have little difficulty avoiding situations where Catholic doctrine structures the event and what is being said. I respect my Catholic colleagues and students' beliefs, even when they are contrary to mine, but I will gently, where necessary, explain when my beliefs differ, in faculty meetings or outside the classroom. I expect others to acknowledge my right to hold these beliefs and for the most part I think they do.

I feel strongly that the institution benefits from having other voices, since universities, according to the dictionary, are places where there is the free interchange of ideas. Based on my observations and experiences, therefore, I would urge any Protestant, when asked for one's opinion, not to hesitate to say that one is a Protestant, and that therefore one feels a certain way about a particular issue. One does not need to be argumentative, but as a "protest-ant", one has the privilege of stating one's beliefs and affiliations. It is, after all, the mix of ideas that leads to intellectual breakthroughs.

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(by an aging, tenured bi-sexual)

This is very hard chapter to write because there are so few out gay persons at Notre Dame — and there are good reasons for it. In academic 1996-97, after more than a year of meetings, protests, polite requests, recommendations, and fierce resolutions by every faculty and student governing group (including the Academic Council) on the Notre Dame campus, the plea to the administration to rewrite the University's official anti-discrimination clause to include "sexual preference" went unheeded. The university instead disseminated a non-legal document called "The Spirit of Inclusion", which begins:

"The University of Notre Dame strives for a spirit of inclusion among the members of this community for distinct reasons articulated in our Christian tradition. We prize the uniqueness of all persons as God's creatures. We welcome all people, regardless of color, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class, and nationality, for example, precisely because of Christ's calling to treat others as we desire to be treated. We value gay and lesbian members of this community as we value all members of this community. We condemn harassment of any kind, and University policies proscribe it. We consciously create an environment of mutual respect, hospitality and warmth in which none are strangers and all may flourish."

In an "An Open Letter to the Notre Dame Community", Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C., President of the University, explained: "After considerable reflection, we have decided not to add sexual orientation to our legal non-discrimination clause. To make the change requested would mean that our decisions in this area would be measured by civil courts that may interpret this change through the lens of the broader societal milieu in which we live. This, in turn, might jeopardize our ability to make decisions that we believe necessary to support Church teaching. We wish to continue to speak to this issue in the Catholic context that is normative for this community...We choose not to change our legal non-discrimination clause, but we call ourselves to act in accordance with what we regard as a higher standard - Christ's call to inclusiveness, coupled with the gospels' call to live chaste lives. In some senses both of these messages are counter-cultural. It is this dual call that is so deeply rooted in our religious tradition to which we commit ourselves." (See the complete text of the University's Non-discrimination statement, the Spirit of Inclusion and Malloy's "An Open Letter to the Notre Dame Community" in the appendix, "University Non-discrimination statement."

Without a non-discrimination clause, the University cannot be held to any legal standard concerning hiring and firing practices of gay and lesbian faculty. To date, there has been no reason to fear that the University will act to dismiss any faculty member for reasons relating to sexual orientation. There are respected lesbian faculty members who are relatively comfortable in the Notre Dame community. But in the past few years, as the University has begun to intensify its rhetoric about the Catholic character of Notre Dame, a paranoia is developing about what aspect of Catholic doctrine will prevail concerning homosexuality.

Those are the facts — fair warning.

Outright displays of homophobia hardly ever occur and yet, most gay persons here deem it wise to stay in the closet. The general reason for this is to avoid potential discrimination. Most gay persons at this university — both students and faculty - are not "out". Many are "selectively out" — out only to friends and maybe a few colleagues. One colleague wrote, "While those few of us here do not hide our lives with our partners and generally are accepted as couples by colleagues, we do not announce or reveal our orientation to the community at large, nor do we always take our partners with us to social events sponsored by the University." It is impossible to know how many gay students or gay faculty there are on this campus.

Suffice it to say, we have no gay or lesbian community at ND. Therefore there are no "best practices" around the issue at Notre Dame to speak of. For the most part, those few who are out have been well treated and well-supported by their departments but there are so many who can't trust that they would we treated the same.

In the last few years there have been several cases of good T & R jobs being rejected by queer scholars, who don't want to risk moving their lives into a hostile environment... or bringing their scholarship to a university that has little interest in or respect for queer studies. (See Appendix 15n)

In 1995, the administration threw the ad-hoc student organization, GLNDSMC (Gay and Lesbians at Notre Dame and St.Marys) off campus They had been caught "illegally" advertising their meetings in the official campus newspaper. A year of student and faculty protests followed, and then another year went by while the university "studied the matter". Then it created it own, official, gay student group, the Standing Committee on Gay and Lesbian Student Needs, which it supervises closely. In 2001, the application by a student gay and lesbian group to be officially recognized by the university was once again denied by Student Affairs. The reason given was that the Standing Committee on Gay and Lesbian Student Needs sufficiently meets the needs of the gay and lesbian students. The gay and lesbian students continue to assert, year after year, that it does not.

Notre Dame is not the most feminist-friendly or gay-friendly place. Often speakers are brought to campus who lecture about gay students who have been "saved". When Su Freidrich and her film, "Hide and Seek" came to campus (with a poster that announced her as a "lesbian filmmaker"), a right-wing student newspaper parodied the poster with a full page ad for a "neo-Nazi" filmmaker. The student-run Womens Rights Center was all but closed down two years ago for having a Planned Parenthood brochure in their library, which suggested to women with unwanted pregnancies that they consider an abortion, among six other options. In 1994 the university announced to the press that there were no instances of AIDS on campus. They were quite wrong. With support from Romance Languages and Gender Studies, Carlos Jerez-Ferran offered a course on gay and lesbian literature, called "Out-Spoken Readings in Literature." Carlos says, "I chose that title because I thought some students would be afraid of taking the course if the word "homosexuality" appeared on their transcript. Later I designed evaluations of my own and asked how many would have taken the course if its content had been explicitly figured in the title. 60% said they wouldn't have taken it."

On the good side, many fabulous queer scholars have been welcomed here: Eve Sedgwick, Lilian Faderman, Yvonne Rainer, Judith Butler, George Chauncy, David Halperin, Katie King, Joan Scott, Andrew Sullivan, Judith Bennett, Wendy Brown, Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano, Michael Camille, among them. The mother of Matthew Shepherd was on campus last semester talking about gay rights.

There is also an active gay alumni association, GALA, that is very supportive of gay students. Nobody bothers us (at least I've never heard of it) about what books we teach or what films we show in our courses, though there could easily be some self-censoring going on. The Gender Studies Program has always been a haven for GLBT students and faculty, and is eager to crosslist and support courses that deal with queer issues

One of these days, things are going to change on this campus. WATCH should be part of it but hasn't yet figured out how. If you've got any ideas, please get in touch.

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Image is important... cultivating an image as a competent and even-tempered team player, confident and optimistic. Avoid sharing self-doubts with colleagues, especially older males. This discourse is a common feature of women's conversations and serves to create intimacy and generate humor, thus relieving tension among women. But men do not understand. If you tell them, "I'm such a mess — I have no idea how I'll get my act together [for class, for a conference, etc.]", they are quite likely to believe you.

Do not be afraid to question service assignments, and to explain to your chair how much service you have taken on. It is unreasonable and against university policy for junior faculty to serve in onerous positions, such as DUS, DGS for large departments.

When you are on a committee, arrive for meetings prepared and with an upbeat attitude about the task at hand. Serving on committees can be a great way to meet colleagues and have some say on the intellectual life of your department and the college. You do not need to volunteer, or allow your name to be out on the ballot, for university committees before tenure. Chances are, if you put your name in, you'll get elected.

However, please consider serving in ways that foster the intellectual community, through interdisciplinary programs and institutes, etc. But when you take on service, jot a note to your chair informing him/her of the level of service you're contributing.

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At Notre Dame there is an Office for Students with Disabilities but no parallel office or support system for faculty and staff with disabilities. In fact, I have not found the issue addressed in any official description of the university structure, organization and facilities. For example, the Academic Space Management Mission Statement omits mention of a commitment to make campus buildings accessible. Likewise there are no accommodation programs such as Assistive Listening Devices, Lab and Library Assistance, Sign Language Interpreting, that are commonly available at other universities.

As a woman faculty member with limited physical mobility I have not found major difficulties in moving around the campus. The majority of buildings are wheelchair accessible and have elevators. Some older buildings present problems. For instance, the College of Arts and Letters main building, O'Shaughnessy Hall, which houses all departmental offices for the college and many classrooms, has only one, very slow, old elevator. When it is out of service, which happens a couple of times every year, it leaves three floors inaccessible for people unable to use the stairs. I have also found obstacles at Rockne Memorial Building, which houses recreational and sports facilities as well as an indoor swimming pool. The main entrance has few big steps and there is no elevator inside to get to the swimming pool and other facilities. There is a side entrance with a ramp but the door is locked and I have to use the phone next to the door to call for somebody to open it for me. Usually people working there are efficient in attending to the side entrance, but on some occasions I’ve had to wait for a long time — one time they even forgot about me. The waiting can be very uncomfortable on a cold, winter day and I always feel angry and discriminated against. They’ve just installed an electronic device that can automatically open the door after sliding in your official University ID card. The newer sport recreation buildings are totally accessible.

The major problem I encountered at Notre Dame is related to a long snowy winter. Grounds keeping personnel are very effective removing snow and ice from streets and sidewalks. Still there are many harsh winter snow days in which walking from my car to my office and classrooms is extremely difficult and unsafe. I have tried to use the Student with Disabilities service. With a small cart they will transport you from your car to your office or classrooms buildings but you have to agree to meet them at a specific time and place which makes the whole enterprise very troublesome. Besides, I often do not feel entitled to this student oriented service.

Overall, parking on campus is much easier (and free!!) compared with many other campuses I have visited. But handicap parking is a problem. There are a few designated handicapped parking spaces near many of the buildings but the number is insufficient. They are in great demand (and often occupied by non-handicap vehicles), which means that often one cannot find a parking space near the buildings — most often on those dreary winter days. The over-demand for handicapped parking spaces proves that the population of people with disabilities is greater than the official acknowledgment of this group. Once I complained about this issue to my Department and they told me to call Security, which I did. For a while the Assistant Director of Security, was very kind and did not give me any ticket for parking between Decio and O'Shaughnessy. Later he decided that I should comply with the rules, like everybody else, and park in the appropriate spaces. The problem with all this kindness is that it always places us in the position of being dependent on others' compassion which undermines our self value. Well, that is a long story....

Every semester I request to the Coordinator of Classroom Management at the Office of the Registrar to have my assigned classrooms close to my office. As for the use of the library I rely more and more in the electronic services, which are great. The College of Arts and Letters has a book delivery service; from a library website, you can have up to two books a day delivered to your department's office. Sometimes I ask my department student aid to return books to the library for me or to do other errands.

The new Office of Institutional Equity, operational in August, 2001, has the responsibility of making sure ND is compliant with Federal and State disability laws. Clearly, if there are future problems and complaints in this area, they should be filed with this office.

(Please see Appendix 15h for information on the Americans for Disabilities Act)

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What is sexual harassment?
There are two ways that sexual harassment can occur: quid pro quo and hostile environment. Quid pro quo means that someone explicitly requests or demands sexual favors (or even dates) in return for a job or school benefit — a raise, a promotion, a grade, etc. Only one such incident constitutes impermissible (and probably illegal) sexual harassment. Hostile environment means that the job atmosphere is such that a woman or man is made uncomfortable by either sexual talk and innuendo (directed at the person or not) or remarks and actions that are insulting to one’s sex (“all women/men are stupid”). Several things are required for a job atmosphere to be considered a hostile environment: that the actions are based on sex (in either of its meanings); that the actions occur with some frequency (usually a single incident does not rise to the level of hostile environment); and that the job atmosphere interferes with a person’s ability to do his or her job well.

What to do about it
Personally, I think that the first step, except for particularly egregious quid pro quo situations, is to ask the people involved to stop, to let them know that it bothers you. If it doesn’t stop or if you can’t comfortably handle it informally, the University has adopted a new (in 2000) policy that makes reporting easier than it has been. In fact, under the policy, the University encourages people to report any incident of sexual harassment (in other words, it disagrees with my “first step” advice). You can find the full policy in the “Faculty Information” section of the Faculty Handbook (pages 98-104 in the 2000-2001 edition); you can also find it on the Notre Dame website at http://www.nd.edu/~harassmt

Here, in brief, is what the policy says:

1. You can report sexual harassment and get any questions about the policy answered by two campus-wide Sexual Harassment Ombudspersons (currently Professor Jennifer Warlick from Economics and Sue Brandt from Financial Aid) and fifteen Contact Persons from various other university offices. What you say or ask will be kept confidential until you file a formal report.

2. You can proceed on a report in two ways: by “informal resolution” (spelled out in the policy) or by a formal report. Faculty make formal reports through Carol Mooney in the Provost’s Office.

3. Importantly, the policy contains prohibitions about faculty/student consensual relationships, which are not prohibited by law but are prohibited by the University.

What I think (for what it’s worth)
In my experience, not much overt, explicit, obvious sexual harassment occurs at Notre Dame among the faculty (the students are another story). But, ND is a very male place and the job atmosphere can sometimes be uncomfortable for women for a variety of reasons — nuanced, subtle sexual harassment included, sometimes inadvertent, sometimes not. You should never feel uncomfortable or apologetic because you’re a woman; you should never be treated differently because you’re a woman. If you think that’s happening, don’t just live with it. At least talk to others who might be able to help you sort through what’s going on — the women of WATCH are a great resource for this. Don’t feel isolated and alone; there are many women on campus who may have dealt with similar situations and can help you decide how to handle it. If you think it’s sexual harassment and there’s no way for you to handle it informally, report it. Change will only occur if we each take responsibility for making our own piece of the turf safe and comfortable for women.

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Like an overwhelming number of Notre Dame students, I'm the product of an Notre Dame alumnus. My dad graduated in '74, two years after women were admitted to the university. He still says that Notre Dame was more fun before the girls got there, but he claims to have raised me in such a way that I am not an annoying girl, and thus, he is very proud that I chose to share his alma mater.
Growing up, I never missed an ND football game on TV. My living room is, and always has been, littered with ND paraphernalia. It's not hard to find a baby picture of me decked out in an ND sweat-suit, and I knew lines — and even entire monologue — from the movie Knute Rockne: All American at a very young age. (Everyone who works on campus should check out this movie, just to see what you're getting into. Ronald Reagan stars as George Gipp, which really shouldn't be missed.)

All this — the blue and gold baby pictures and the power of the ND legacy — is, I believe, rather typical.

But I came to Notre Dame with something most students didn't — a suitcase of second thoughts. I chose ND, much to my parents' urgings, over NYU's highly selective dramatic writing program and a scholarship to a progressive liberal arts school in Connecticut. I left behind Long Island and my public schooled friends, a fast-talking, streetwise, and very artistic clan. I left rock concerts and multi-colored hairdos and I stepped onto a campus that looked like a J. Crew catalogue come true.

In my black t-shirt, old shorts and high Doc Marten boots, I was quite horrified.

My roommate came to me straight off the varsity cheerleading squad from a Catholic school in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. I was both fascinated and appalled by her capacity to pound cheap (and often warm) cans of beer, the patience she had with her curling iron, the ribbons she wore in her hair (Were we not 18? Were we not past the schoolgirl look?), and her genuine love for the sort of music that my mom listened to. She wasn't like anyone I would have associated with in high school — but she was very sweet and always kind to me, and she ended up becoming one of my dearest friends.

But I didn't come to college looking for kindness. I wanted to learn something about the world. I wanted to talk about literature late at night, watch foreign films in the dorm lounge, swap punk rock CDs and discuss world politics. None of this was happening around me. Not at all. The dorms (all of which are single-sex) are the main place to start friendships, and the only dorm bonding available to me involved talking about boys or going to church. There is a chapel inside each dorm and just about everyone goes at 10 p.m. each week (usually in their pajamas) for an informal version of the Sunday ritual. Somebody from the dorm bakes the bread for the Eucharist and the Sign of Peace segment lasts at least 15 minutes because everybody wants to hug everybody else. It's very cozy if you're into mass, but if you're from a family that only hits the local parish on Christmas and Easter, it can seriously freak you out.

So I wasn't Catholic enough, I wore way too much black, I didn't like to drink, and I HATED Celine Dion. I never felt more alone in my life.

When I told my roommate I was going to transfer, she started to cry.

And maybe that's part of why I didn't. She was the nicest roommate anyone could hope for. I never hated the other Notre Dame kids; I just didn't feel like I had much in common with them.

I should add here that my roommate's dad went to ND, too, so she grew up with the legends just like I did, but she — like most legacy kids — fit in right away. She quickly befriended a bunch of other girls on our floor. Many of them were fresh out of all-girls Catholic high schools, and all of them were a bit boy crazy. Every weekend, after a number of frantic room-to-room phone calls, they'd slip into tank tops (no matter what the weather was like) and run to the boys' dorms without coats, clutching each other for warmth. Since girls' dorms are much more strict about parties, most social events took place in the boys' dorms and the guys never had to leave their buildings. When the girls arrived, the boys would usually be wearing sweats and flip-flops, but the girls would be heavily made up and dressed to the hilt. I thought it was the strangest thing in the world, and watched these scenes the way an anthropologist might scrutinize the remains of a failed civilization.

No matter what, at 2 a.m., the lights would go on and the girls would be ushered back to their own dorms. I am still amazed that the student body has not yet forged a revolution against parietals (the official name for these visiting hours), but apparently it doesn't bother most people that they must leave the realm of the opposite sex at midnight on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends. A lot of students broke parietals now and then, but it really wasn't a regular thing to do. And even for those who did break that rule, well, I'm not sure if it's relevant to this booklet, but there honestly isn't much sex going on at ND, as compared to what I've heard about my friends' colleges — be they state schools or ivy leagues.

Also, the dating scene is awful at Notre Dame. I could write a novel about this (and maybe I will someday), but for now, I can only say that women and men simply do not relate to one another well at ND. In general, the girls convince each other that they need boyfriends, and the boys convince each other that they need to make out with as many women as they possibly can. The gender divide is deep and wide.

To give you a visual, boys rooms are usually covered with pictures of semi-nude women, and the girls visiting them are so excited to be seeing boys that they are somehow not offended by this. The first time I was in a boys' dorm, I shouted, "What is this, a porno den?" and the girls with me told me to shush. I cannot imagine any of the guys I grew up with hanging soft porn on their walls, but if they did, my female hometown friends never would have put up with it. I know that porn magazines and X-rated movies are also very popular in the boys' dorms. And crying over boys who don't call back when they say they will is a very popular among the girls. The single-sex environment, in my humble opinion, is very unhealthy and dangerous for all involved.

Though I was never in a seriously dangerous situation myself, I have heard from many friends and acquaintances about sexual assaults that have taken place after parietals in boys' dorms. More often than not, the woman involved is so worried about getting forced to move off-campus, as a penalty for breaking parietals, that she does not report the incident. I believe this to be a grave problem.

I do not have space to discuss the issue of gay students at Notre Dame, but this, too, is a serious and complicated issue.

The only thing I can think of that women faculty could do to help women students at Notre Dame would be to keep the lines of communication open. If you would be willing to partake in non-scholarly conversation during your office hours, make that very clear. Tell students that you're willing to make appointments to talk about anything. I was always more inclined to talk to a professor who told us where he or she came from, or who shared something about his or her life. A professor who made mention of his young children or who admitted that her parents thought that she was a big nerd-those are the teachers I felt most comfortable around. There is no need to be maternal, but I do think it's important for a professor to present herself as a whole person, and not just a brainiac at the blackboard.

I also noticed that it was difficult for professors, at times, to get students to talk as whole people themselves. I think one of the biggest challenges for a faculty member at ND, particularly in a discussion class, is to convince all members of the class to speak confidently and candidly. One of the best things a professor ever did for me was write on one of my essay tests, "You have great ideas — I would love to hear you speak more in class." Do not underestimate the importance of your role as a mediator of in-class discussion. Since deep conversations do not tend to happen au naturel in the dorms, I met all of my closest college friends in discussion classes, and I owe these friendships to professors who really knew how to work the room.

For me, salvation at Notre Dame came from getting a writing job at Scholastic magazine, and through (however humiliating at first) going to Cinema @ the Snite by myself. I believe the location of this film series is changing, but I'm sure the crowd will remain the same. I was lucky that the projectionist started to recognize me, and that he turned out to be from Long Island as well. I was lucky that he introduced me to his friends — older kids who had grown out of the freshman dorm party scene, which I never managed to grow into.

And I was very lucky that it occurred to me to start going to office hours. I went to see professors that I didn't even have class with. I usually went to women professors because they seemed less intimidating to me — and perhaps more inclined to just sit and chat, which was what I needed most. I visited published authors to ask them about writing, and filmmakers to talk about getting into production courses. Why not? I figured that if I were a published author or filmmaker, stranded in South Bend, dealing with all these sweet-yet-idiotic kids, I'd want somebody to come talk to me about art. And I was mostly right.

Certainly, though, not all the kids at Notre Dame are idiots. There are a lot of amazing brains drowned in alcohol throughout the first year, or four, but I managed to find the right people. And my college friends, though they stick out in their khakis and combed hair, have come to visit me in New York and mesh easily with my old high school buddies.

The secret I learned is this: You have to dig deep into the student body to get what you want, but once you find it, you won't even believe it. You'll never find another place where kids are so innocently brilliant, so openly optimistic. And though my search for this was very painful, I did manage to make Notre Dame my own. I wrote, I drew, I did a radio show, I edited the literary magazine, I made films. With all the jocks around, there wasn't much competition in any of these creative fields, so once I figured out what to get involved with, it was easy to get involved.

I have few regrets about my college experience, and yes, I'll be back for a football weekend this fall.

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Infantilizing. Infuriating. Isolating. Graduate school is hell. You're not a grown-up but god knows you're not a child.
ND has no idea what to do with you. ND operates under an "in loco parentis" system with regard to its students that sometimes seems Kafkaesque. And graduate students are still students to many of the Powers That Be. For example, graduate students were told a couple of years ago that they could not/should not have other jobs outside their departmental responsibilities/departmental stipends. A number of graduate students had jobs in campus computer labs and in various places around campus. We had to get special letters of permission from our graduate advisors sent to the Graduate School saying that it was ok for us to work and that our advisors did not foresee these outside responsibilities interfering with our abilities to get our school work done. If I'm making this sound like we were high school students who had to get work permits and/or permission to have extra-curricular activities, well, that's because that's what it felt like.

Apparently, we were not mature enough to manage our own time. Graduate students who are American citizens, of course, can simply get jobs off campus. Foreign students, many of whom come here with families, can not get jobs off campus. The cost of living in South Bend is very reasonable, especially compared to some places. Nonetheless, $11,000 to $14,000 (average range of stipends) is not a lot of money.

Another example concerns housing. Graduate student on-campus housing is fine for what it is but still includes built-in monitoring systems with regard to things like cleaning. In addition, the system of no overnight visitors of the opposite sex is also on the books with regard to graduate students, although not enforced as strictly as with undergraduates. And married student on-campus housing is a ghetto off to one edge of campus, horrible ticky-tacky boxes of apartments. I've never lived on-campus because I think having a separate space that isn't on campus helps keep you sane. But it's grad school so it's not like you're going to be sane anyway. Therapy's a good idea. But go off-campus for therapy if you need it: they used to let the psych grad students "practice" in the counseling center. I can think of nothing worse than going for therapy and running into someone you met a party.

Exhausting. Exhilarating. Enlightening. I've been lucky — I'm in one of the "good" departments for women. I get to learn. I get to teach. There are some stunning role models here — intelligent, committed, caring people who make it all make sense. I've never been pushed like this. I've never been asked to be the smart girl that I am in such rewarding ways. We're competitive but not cutthroat. It's wonderful to be in a classroom full of smart people and be given the opportunity to be part of that dialogue.

If I were thinking of coming here, I would want someone to tell me that feminism exists here at a grass-roots level. The good thing about that is that your work makes an impact, sometimes visible and immediate. I've had students tell me how wonderful it is to have a teacher speak openly about the very negative ways gender politics operate here. I've had other students tell me that they would never have thought to call themselves feminists but maybe, after my class, it's no longer such a pejorative term and maybe they are feminists, even if only a little. There's an energy attached to the work that is unlike anything else. And the sad thing is that sometimes it seems like I never get beyond a basic, basic, basic level. I am always starting at the beginning again. I always have to define feminism — which offers a great opportunity to ground myself and be crystal clear about who and what I am. Except for when that repetition exhausts me. Except for when I realize the fact that I'm usually surrounded by people/students who seem to know nothing of the history of the past five years, twenty years, hundred years, let alone anything that happened before then. Except for when it drives me crazy that I am still having to explain why feminism matters. I'd have to say that's the bad part.

I don't regret my choice to come here. I'm smarter and stronger and better. But it's hard work.

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SUMMARY OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BENEFITS

Birth Control

General Rule: The University of Notre Dame health plans do not pay for contraception used to prevent pregnancy but do pay for contraception prescribed for medical reasons.

Oral Contraceptives

• Oral contraceptives (i.e., birth control pill) are currently covered for 100+ employees/dependents for medical reasons such as endometriosis and menopause-related conditions
• In such cases, the cost of the oral contraceptives is paid by the University’s pharmacy benefit manager (Medco) and the employee/dependent’s co-pay can be submitted to the Health Flexible Spending Account
• Payment as described above requires an annual letter from the employee/dependent’s treating physician

Other Contraceptives

• Other contraceptives (e.g., IUD and implants) are generally not covered because they are generally not prescribed for medical reasons, but they would be covered under the same circumstances as oral contraceptives if used for medical reason
• Costs associated with removal of such contraceptives  are generally not covered

Sterilization

General Rule: The University of Notre Dame health plans do not pay for permanent sterilization for male (vasectomy) or female (tubal ligation) employees/dependents under any circumstances. The University health plans do not pay for medical treatment required as a result of sterilization.

Fertility

General Rule: The University of Notre Dame health plans pay for fertility drugs and fertility treatment in conjunction with IUI or GIFT when such treatment (1) assists normal reproductive processes to achieve pregnancy and (2) uses sperm collected during normal sexual relations.

Covered Treatments and Related Drugs: IUI and GIFT

• IUI (intratuterine insemination) – sperm is obtained during normal intercourse, technologically prepared (e.g., “washed”) and then injected into the uterus
• GIFT (gamete intra-fallopian transfer) – nearly ripe ova are obtained from woman; one ovum, separated with an air bubble from a prepared seminal fluid sample, is immediately reinserted into the woman’s fallopian tube so that conception occurs within the body.
• If the drugs and/or treatment are covered, the employee/dependent can use health insurance, pharmacy benefit and Health Flexible Spending Account

Not Covered: IVF, PROST/ZIFT,ICSI, AIH or AID

• IVF (in vitro fertilization) – conception occurs outside of the body and then embryos are examined; the “best” embryos are implanted in the woman
• PROST/ZIFT – similar to IVF but the embryos are not examined prior to implant
• ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection) – sperm is obtained by masturbation or needle aspiration; sperm is injected into the ovum and the embryo is cultured in the laboratory for some time prior to insertion in the uterus
• AIH (artificial insemination with husband’s sperm) and AID (artificial insemination with donor’s sperm) – Sperm is placed in a cup which is then placed over the cervix
• If the drugs and/or treatment is not covered, the employee/dependent cannot use health insurance, pharmacy benefit or Health Flexible Spending Account

Viagra

General Rule: The University of Notre Dame health plans do not pay for Viagra (or similar drugs) used for sexual pleasure but do pay for Viagra (or similar drugs) prescribed for medical reasons.

For Men

• Viagra (and similar drugs) are currently covered for men for medical reasons (erectile dysfunction)
• In such cases, the cost of the drugs is paid by the University’s pharmacy provider and the employee/dependent’s co-pay can be submitted to the Health Flexible Spending Account
• Payment as described above requires an annual letter from the employee/dependent’s treating physician
• The University pays for a limited number of such pills per month

For Women

• The University has not yet received a request from a female for payment of Viagra (or similar drugs), and such use is not yet approved by the FDA
• However, our pharmacy benefit manager (Medco) has agreed to pay for Viagra (or similar drugs) for females under the same condition stated above for men

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Disclaimer: The following are not comprehensive guidelines. For complete parking regulations and other important security information, see the Notre Dame Security/Police Department directory web page.

Parking rules you should know
Most faculty are assigned to "B" parking areas. "B" decals, which are valid in any "B" lot, also authorize one-hour parking in the central campus ("A" lots) for conducting official business. They are also valid in central campus lots after 5 p.m. and all day on weekends.

There are special restrictions for home football games. Three and a half hours before kick-off and one hour after the game ends, regular faculty parking assignments are not available. Many lots are restricted beginning at 600 a.m. on game day. According to the rules, you may park in the north half of B2/Library Lot or in B16 but be aware that those spaces fill very early. (See section on what to do if you want to work on campus on game days.)

From January 1 - March 15, there are also special guidelines in effect for snow removal. If it snows, vehicles must be removed from faculty lots by midnight except the B2/C2 lot, which is open until 230 a.m. If your car is plowed in, call Landscape Services for assistance.

Parking tickets
The first parking ticket is generally considered a warning and no fine is assessed. Tickets must be paid or appealed within 10 days of the citation. Contrary to popular belief, some parking appeals are granted so if you feel you have a good reason for an appeal, go for it. To appeal a ticket, either complete an appeal form (available online) or write to the Traffic and Parking Appeals Board (101 Security Building) and include your name, address, ID number, decal number, date of the ticket, date of your appeal, and reason for your appeal. Be sure to attach the ticket and, above all, be nice, not belligerent if you want to win. (Remember, the Appeals Board is made up of faculty, staff and students, not parking/security officers.) You should get a response in a couple of weeks. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the appeal, you may re-appeal the citation by appearing in person before the Board.

Automobile help from ND Security
In many of the parking lots and at other locations round the campus there are emergency call boxes that you may use to call the Notre Dame Security/Police Department if you are in any kind of trouble.. You may also call campus security at 1-5555 for non-emergency assistance (911 for emergencies only).

ND Security will provide free jump-start or lock-out assistance at any location on campus. (They have also reportedly helped with other automotive dilemmas, although it was "above and beyond the call of duty.")

SafeWalk
If you have to walk on campus after dark, you can get an escort by calling 4-BLUE. A SafeWalk team will meet you and walk with you to any point on campus. The service is free and confidential. SafeWalkers are student employees of the Security/Police department and work in teams of two. They have photo-ID cards and are in radio contact with the Security/Police Communication Center. Hours are 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. during the academic year. After hours or during breaks, contact Security/Police at 631-5555 for a SafeWalk.

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What telephone you get in your office, and what bells and whistles are provided with it, is determined by the chair of your department. For budget reasons, unless you're a chair, you will probably be given the basic model. This means no call waiting, which means that those who call you when you are already on the phone will get a message asking them to leave you a message. You won't know they're trying to reach you and they won't know that you're right there in your office. This can be a big waste of time. There is a solution. Much to my surprise, you can get the ND telephone people (1-8101, ask for Jerry Wray) to switch your given telephone line (digital) to an analog one. Then you can go buy yourself a unit that combines phone, answering machine, call waiting and fax (about $250 but entirely worth it if you have the bucks). Then you'll know when someone's trying to reach you and you can receive and send your own faxes from your desk, instead of walking them over to your local secretarial service (which is usually only open from 8 to 5).

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If you are not so interested in going to ND home football games but would like to use your campus office on those days, pay close attention to what follows. Football is a very serious affair here at ND and getting 80,000 fans on and off campus for the game is serious business. Don't take it lightly. All regular parking regulations go out the window and you can find yourself, as I did my first year here, screaming at one of the parking guys in flourescent orange vests and waving your handicap parking permit to no avail — and risking your life doing so — just trying to get near campus to park your car. The bottom line is, if you want to come onto campus and park your car there the day of a game, arrive at campus at least 4 hours before the start of the game. Even then it can be tricky as almost all entrances are manned with guards and some get there early. I recommend arriving 4.5 hours before game start. Most lots will be turned into paid parking lots. The best entrance is the least obvious one: Bulla Road (coming from the east), then park your car in B2, across from the Library. You will still need your parking decal which will get you free parking. Without it, you'll have to pay. As for leaving, I'd try to get off campus soon after the third quarter — approximately 2.5 hours after game start, or bring your dinner, for it would be foolish to try to exit for about 1.5 hours after the game is over.

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For those of you who hang on to sanity by working out, you've lucked out. ND and South Bend have lots to offer:
Fitness equipment: There are lots of places to go for fitness equipment such as stairmasters, ellipticals, treadmills, weights, if exercise in a stationary spot is your idea of workout nirvana (no judgements here, to each their own and all that). See the ND athletics web page for more information :

See in particular the Rolf's Sports Center and the Rockne Memorial (a.k.a. the Rock). If you prefer to sweat with your peers rather than your students, check out the faculty gym in the Joyce Center. For a nominal fee ($35) you have a faculty-only locker room, your own permanent locker, showers, a sauna, and a small room of fitness machines and weights (including free weights). Call Joyce Center to arrange access.

Racquet Sports: If smashing small balls (amazing how you can transform those little balls into images of your antagonizers while you play) is more your sport, the Joyce Center and Rockne have many racquetball and squash courts, while the Eck Center offers indoor tennis courts. Reserve at the Eck Center. The Joyce Center, however, is seldom booked. Racquets and balls are available for rental.

Court sports: A group of (mostly male) faculty regularly plays basketball at Rolf's. Ask around and you'll be sure to find them. Other than that, there are few regular games which faculty organize and participate in. If you're interested in volleyball, the City of South Bend runs pick up volleyball throughout the winter. Pick up a schedule at one of the local libraries, or call the City of South Bend's recreational office for more information. Outpost on Grape Road has sand pits for volleyball in the summer. Ask inside about signing up.

Field Sports: The City of South Bend organizes softball in the spring and summer call the city's recreational office. There is an informal group of faculty and staff who play soccer on an irregular basis. The Kellogg seems to be the place to ask around about this.

Swimming: The Rolf's swim center has a bright modern 50 meter pool, the Rockne Memorial has a 25 meter pool in one of those wonderful old natatoriums. See the web page for their hours. In the summer, there's a beach on St. Joseph lake, but don't consider this a recommendation. Personally, I think about the goose population there and head for Rolf 's. If you are looking for outdoor swimming in the summer, the country clubs are your best option. Let your fingers do the walking, as Ma Bell would say.

Rock climbing: The Rockne Memorial has a rock climbing wall, open several days a week. Even if you ve never climbed, head on over. Someone there will show you how to put on a harness, climb up, belay, and all that fun stuff. Go girl!!

Ice Skating: From winter until sometime in spring, the ice rink is up in the Joyce Center. From noon to one or two p.m. on MWF, the ice is open for skating. The Ice Box on the west side of town has two rinks and open ice time. If sacrificing ears and limbs is no deterrent, check out the outdoor rinks run by the city.

Ice Hockey: If you really want to get aggressive, ice hockey is THE way to go. There's pick up hockey for faculty and staff on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon in the Joyce center. You have to be able to skate (not well, mind you, you're just not allowed to crawl your way through the game on the ice), and you need a helmet. It s mostly men but there are usually a couple of women who play. All levels are welcome, contact Ed Hums for more information. There's also a local women's ice hockey team called The Sting, with weekly practices either at ND or the Icebox. It also caters to women of all levels. Some women start out having never skated before. Great women, great fun. Ask at the Ice Box or Joyce Center when Sting practices are scheduled and show up at a practice to get more information.

Running: The Loftus Center and Rolf's have indoor tracks to allow you to mindlessly run in circles in climactic comfort. Rolf's also has route maps for runs of different distances around campus and town. There is also a running group that meets regularly. Ask at ProCycle on South Bend Ave. and Ironwood. There are a number of local fun runs: ProCycle has a bulletin board that announces these.

Bicycling: Flat as it is, there is some beautiful bike riding around Michiana (a horrific name that captures Michigan and Indiana all in one; surely the person that thought of it is in line for a McArthur). The Michiana Bicycle Association organizes several rides a week during the spring, summer, and fall. Their web page is: http://members.aol.com/recla/mba/mba1.htm

There are also several places to mountain bike and are lots of materials and maps available for free at ProCycle.

Golf: Well, I feel like if I include golf, I have to start talking about bowling and darts and other games that some people like to call sports. Basically, if you can t find golf at ND without help from this manual, you're in real trouble. Drive a quarter mile on campus and you can t help but run into (or better yet, over) a golfer. (okay, it's just a joke, I'm not advocating violence against golfers, really).

Hiking: I like to call this walking in Indiana. But that might just be my West Coast bias, where hikes usually involve inclines and paths that extend longer than 4 or 5 miles. Your best bet is Potato Creek, where there are some nice trails and nice fall foliage. There are some other parks St. Patrick s, Rum Village, Bendix Woods, that are nice for short woody walks. For a beach hike, go to Warren Dunes in Michigan on the lake. For real hikes: stash away some of that money you're saving by living in South Bend and fly somewhere. Or drive up to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan (6-8 hours).

Sculling: ND has a boathouse on the St. Joe river that is available for ND employees and students. For about $150 per year, you can have access to the boathouse and several different one person sculls (not all sculls in the boathouse are collectively owned, make sure you do not borrow someone else's private scull). The contact person changes, so check the boatshed for contact information. It's between Howard Park and the Farmer's Market along the river walk, south of downtown.

Canoeing, kayaking: Indiana and Michigan are rich in river water ways. If you're interested in canoeing or kayaking, there are books about canoeing in Indiana that provide information about launch spots, travel routes, etc. During the summer, the city runs rafts at the East Race downtown for one or two bucks a ride. Find the river downtown and you can't miss it.

Yoga: You can find yoga classes through ND Rec Sports, through the Healing Arts Center, and through local fitness clubs. The Garden Patch Health Food Store sometimes has info about less-formally advertised classes.

ND Rec Sports: Rec Sports offers lots of classes and groups for other athletic interests you might have: yoga, martial arts, sailing, aerobics, kick-boxing, etc. Go to Rolf s for a listing of classes coming up.

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Where to eat
With the demise of the Oak Room in the South Dining Hall and the subsequent renovations, the non-student part of the campus was left without an inexpensive and congenial place to dine in the evening. However, with a greater investment of both time and money, there are some very good options. Those aside, for both breakfast and lunch, there are many accessible and quick places to eat. Hours of operation are cited here, but times and menus might change, so check Food Services on the Notre Dame Home Page.

Sorin's - at the Morris Inn
The Fall 2001 Unlimited Magazine lists, in its Best Sandwiches in the Midwest section, cites Sorin's. "What better sandwich to eat in Indiana than the Hoosier Hot Brown: baked ham and turkey, topped with melted cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and bacon." Sorin's is located in the Morris Inn, on campus, and is a full service restaurant and bar, open to the public, in addition to accommodating hotel guests. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its menu is classic American and Continental fare, with an emphasis on seasonal entrees. Food, service and ambiance are very pleasant. (Breakfast ,7 a.m. - 10:30 a. m.; Lunch, 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Dinner, 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)

University Club
In a similar full-service restaurant vein is the University Club, with membership open to all faculty and staff of Notre Dame, St. Mary's and Holy Cross. Yearly fees are $50, and allow members full use of the facilities of the club and the ability to charge meals. The Club is open for lunch and dinner, and the Stein Room and Bar are open throughout the day until closing at 10 p.m. (midnight on Friday and Saturday.) In the Stein Room, the regular menu is available, as are sandwiches and snack type foods. The larger restaurant (Stadium Room) has a full range of regular lunch and dinner and full bar service. The menu extends from hearty sandwiches and quick entrees to full course meals — some favorites and some chef's specials and seasonal delights. Prices are moderate. (No cash is accepted; meals must be put on your account.) (Lunch, 11:30 - 2 p.m.; Dinner 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.)

Student Dining Halls
The Student Dining Halls, both North and South, offer: continental breakfast, regular breakfast; brunch, lunch, and dinner. Faculty, staff, and visitors to campus may purchase a meal at a fixed price. The food is pleasantly displayed, abundant and varied, but except for faculty eating with a group of students, the clientele is primarily students on a meal plan. (Breakfast, M-F 7 a.m. - 9:30 a. m; Continental Breakfast, (9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.; Lunch, M-F, 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Dinner, M-F 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.; Extended hours in South Dining Hall 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. weekdays. Weekend hours vary slightly.)

In addition to the above "full service" eateries, there are many small cafes, where for breakfast, lunch and break times, one can get a variety of foods. These are, for the most part, housed in various academic buildings on campus and offer limited space, but friendly service and tasty quick meals at very reasonable prices.

Greenfield's
Located in the Hesburgh Center for International Studies, Greenfield's is a comfortable sit-down restaurant with a light and airy atmosphere. The menu has approximately six standard items in both the hot and cold category, and several specials each day. You order your meal at the counter, and then, when ready, it is brought to your table. Open to faculty, staff, students, and the public, it is usually heavily populated by faculty. In addition to some excellent food, it has a fairly extensive coffee selection. (Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.)

Café de Grasta
Housed on the first floor of Grace Hall, this is the newest and the largest in space. It has an intimate atmosphere but there are plenty of tables and booths. Seating is never a problem. Daily specials, pasta, hot dogs, sandwiches are complimented by a very large and varied salad bar. There is also a good selection of drinks and snack foods. (Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.)

Café Poche
On the first floor of Bond Hall (the architecture building), it features sandwiches, soups, salads, pastries, and coffees. (Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.)

Common Stock
A deli serving bagels, sandwiches, soup, bottled beverages and gourmet coffee, this is located in the Business School. (Monday -Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.)

Decio Commons
Newly renovated, the Commons (in the Decio Faculty Office Building) offers a salad bar, hot lunch specials, soups, deli sandwiches, cold beverages, and cappuccino. (Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.)

Irish Café
Specializing in sandwiches and cold drinks, this is on the lower level of the Law School. (Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.)

Waddick's
Tucked away on the first floor of O'Shaughnessy Hall (the central Arts and Letters Building), this little nook offers a place to grab lunch or to read and munch between classes. It has home style soups, sandwiches, salads, yogurt, baked potatoes, and beverages. It is also the one of the few places open past 3:30. (Its hours of operation are 7 a.m. -- 5 p.m.)

The Huddle
In LaFortune Student Center are a number of places to eat and relax. Times of operation vary with the area. This complex is frequented by during the day and night by hungry students, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning.

Allegro Subs
On a lower level of La Fortune, Allegro is known for freshly baked bread with huge portions of meat, cheese, and veggies. Expresso is available to accompany the sandwiches. (9:30 a.m.- 8 p.m.)

Burger King
Open until 8 p.m. during the week and weekends, it has a Sunday night closure of midnight. Here you know what to expect! (Monday - Thursday. 8:30 a.m. - midnight; Friday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. - midnight)

Tomassito's
Pizza and bread sticks are king here. It is on the first floor of La Fortune and also offers Campus Delivery to most locations. The little delivery trucks travel until 1 a.m. during the week and 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Huddle Mart
Otherwise known as the little store, the Mart is located on the first floor of La Fortune. In addition to hot and cold food, beverages, pastries, soup, and sandwiches, school supplies, and toiletries are available. This is a convenience store rather than made-to-order, but it is very convenient with its 2 a.m. closing time. In addition to all this, it has a wall of candy which can be bought by the pound.

Reckers
Reckers is a great late (and late, late) night hangout. Attached to the back (south side) of the South Dining Hall, it often is host to entertainment, both planned and otherwise. Wild modern colors compliment the interestingly shaped furniture and a lighted up electrical, handheld square announces when your order is ready. There is an enormous selection of smoothies and other fruit drinks, along with Starbucks coffee. Made to order sandwiches and wood fired pizza add to the energy of the place. It is very popular, and so beware; at times, especially at night, it is very crowded.

Warren Grille
For those of you who play golf, the clubhouse on the course offers pannini, focaccia sandwiches, gourmet burgers, soups, and donuts and Danish. While closed until noon on Mondays, it is otherwise open from 7 a.m. -- 7 p.m.

Finally, in most of the buildings on campus, there are vending machines with cold beverages, coffee, fruit and cookies and snacks.

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