"I've definitely grown since my freshman year. I've learned how to communicate effectively, which is key. Before college, I wasn't the best at holding spontaneous conversations. And now I'm an RA, which means I'm always engaging in conversation."
            "What's a memorable conversation you've had at Notre Dame?"
"It was on the Sophomore Road Trip. We were discussing our faith journeys. Our conversation was really moving, and it opened my eyes to how far I'd come in my Catholic faith. I think there's a part of Notre Dame's culture that allows for conversations like those."

"I was the head manager of the football team my senior year of college. When my wife and I attended the FSU game in 1993--the game of the century!--we saw a list of past managers when were on the concourse. Two FSU fans asked my wife, 'Oh, did your husband play football for Notre Dame?', and she said, 'He managed.' But they still wanted a picture with me! After they left, we realized that they must have thought that I 'managed' to play football. So somewhere, two FSU fans are walking around with a picture of me, thinking I was a football player and not a manager!
"One of my strongest memories of Notre Dame was the first night game under the lights in Notre Dame Stadium. I was a manager on the field for that game. When you're in the stands, games are so loud--cheering, screaming, talking throughout every play. But when you're on the field, you don't hear any of that. You're immersed in the game mentally and physically."

Seen at the Knights of Columbus building: Human Society dogs being well-loved by students during midterm week.

"When I tell people I'm a double major in neuroscience and English, they always pause and ask, 'So how does that work?' I realized the connection, the importance, of these two a few months ago. My best friend from home and I went on adventures often. We'd wake up at 4 am, when everyone is asleep but everything is awake. And we'd just let adventure take us wherever it pleased. This day we wandered into a forest. The moon faded into an eclipse, two stars bright, ablaze, luminous points in the sky. We traveled through the forest, reaching the point where the vibrant, palatial aura morphed into something darker, dingier. We encountered some wildlife that startled us both, so we turned back. Somehow, my friend slipped and twisted her ankle. She fell and immediately began crying. For some reason, my initial reaction was to carry her on my back while we headed back. I started to sing a song we both love. The lyrics are about your personal capacity to change your outlook on a situation. By the time I had finished singing the song, she had stopped crying. She stood, limped for a few steps, and then was fine for the rest of the day. It was a moment of healing. And that was life-changing for me. Some part of her mind, when focused, could transcend any physical pain, any external challenge she might face. It's like how hypnosis has been proven to be a more powerful anesthetic than any drug. Understanding and utilizing the mind can change the way you interact with the world.
"It's been said that out of everything in the universe, out of stars and plants and other organisms, the brain is the most complex. I want to incorporate this into my writing -- when characters feel unmotivated, useless, struggling with physical or emotional pain, I want to explore that mental capacity to change the situation. I want to focus on the brain's extraordinary power to overcome any situation. And that, I hope, will make my writing moving. I hope to change the world a little through that. Or maybe change the world a lot. As you can see, I'm a dreamer."

"I was a history major in college. I love history books that read like novels. I'd go to the dorm rooms of friends who were math majors, and look through their bookshelves, but nothing would be of interest to me. I connect with reading about what has happened, not abstract mathematics. They also used to call me Bananas in college, because my last name is Banas. It stuck for a while after."

"The Holy Spirit is undeniably at work at Holy Cross House. Each morning, the residents wake up to our Blessed Mother on top of the dome, shining across the lake. But most of all, it's the Alma Mater that truly affects these men. Some have memory loss and difficulty accomplishing daily tasks. Many work with physical therapists. But when the Alma Mater plays, they miraculously stand and remember all the words. It's truly inspiring--and a sure sign that the Holy Spirit is present here daily."

"I'm a grad student here, and today I had to stay on campus later than usual. So we decided to eat dinner as a family, have a picnic, and enjoy the day."

"My grandpa came to the game last Saturday. He went to Notre Dame for college, but he hadn't been back to campus in a very long time. So we walked around campus, visited the Grotto, stopped by LaFun, revisited memorable places for him."

"We're part of a 24-hour run to raise money for the Special Olympics. This means that, for 24 hours, someone from the team will always be running around campus. The shark suit and trident get passed on with each shift of runners. We have booths set up around campus where we take donations."
             "Can I take your picture?"
"We can run in place, but we can't stop."

Seen in Riley.

(The number is the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.)

Seen on South Quad.

“I cannot talk enough about SSLP (Summer Service Learning Program). You immerse yourself in 8 weeks of service after a few preparation classes, and wrap up with reflection sessions in the fall. I opted to serve at Hesed House, a homeless shelter in Aurora, Illinois. I’d never had experience working with homelessness before.

“So for 8 weeks, I was completely immersed in the culture of Hesed House. Our schedule involved serving in every way imaginable. But my favorite opportunity by far was the nighttime meals. When we ate and talked, I could get to know residents better, but I also made new friends. Holding conversations with so many people was undeniably humbling. I met some residents who have been guests of Hesed House long-term. And it wasn’t that they’re not making progress—it’s that some people need more time. Meals also helped me to realize that there are a lot of people at Notre Dame who think similarly to me. The guests were a reminder that there are countless other perspectives—they helped keep me grounded in remembering that my opinion is not necessarily the right one.

“Getting to know the guests honestly taught me to love people a lot more. It didn’t matter that they were homeless—they’re not different from anyone else I’ve ever met. I truly consider the guests my friends. And without this program, I wouldn’t have been exposed to their situation. I wouldn’t have met these friends.

“I strove to take every opportunity possible. No SSLP student before me had slept in the low-threshold sector of the overnight area, so I asked if I could. One night, while sleeping there, I came down with some sort of sickness. I ended up leaving the overnight area, but it put me in a position to think: what do you do if you’re sick in a homeless shelter, surrounded by countless other people, and you can’t just return to your SSLP-provided room?

 “Along those lines, I made a pact with myself to try to make at least one person happy every day. I knew, going into the session, that I couldn’t change the world in two months. But during bad days, when I wasn't sure if I had done anything, someone would thank me for my positivity, or recall a piece of advice I gave them, or the time I lent them a helping hand. Moments like those were indescribably fulfilling.

“I don’t know where I’ll end up in my future, but this experience solidified my decision to be involved with a nonprofit organization. I’m obsessed. This summer, I found renewed joy in people. You can study all you want, pass your entrance exams into college and graduate school—but if you don’t know how to interact with people, how to love people, you’re not going to get everything out of life. And I really firmly believe in talking to people, in relationships, in loving everyone with everything you’ve got.”