"We spent six years visiting a nursing home, but we needed a change of pace. So this year, we started visiting the children's hospital.
Seen at Hesburgh Library: Sheba the therapy dog (who is too photogenic for just one picture).
"We were just on an Advent Walk. Where did we go, boys?"
"We walked to five chapels around campus and said prayers there. We visited...uhh...it's in the program."
"It was with our Boy Scout Troop."
"And where did the walking sticks come from?"
"That was from something different. We had to do five hikes total. They had to be at least two miles each. ...That's ten miles total."
Seen in Hesburgh Library: farewells to the floor of the 2nd level in preparation for renovation.
"How did you get to wear this whole outfit?"
"Well, the staff in charge of Howard Halliday said, 'Put this on--you're Mrs. Claus.' Santa's here, too."
"How does Howard Halliday work?"
"Brother-sister dorms decorate a tree together under a theme. Then the most popular tree wins, which is determined by the number of $1 donations it receives. And later, every tree is donated to families in need for their homes."
"I'm from Panama and we can't shop online there. It'd take a month for something to get to you. But I just discovered Amazon Prime! Things get to you in just a few days!"
"So that's where you got the onesie?"
"Yeah! I'm a flying squirrel! I got it online, so I figured, why not wear it?"
"I'm studying psychology at IUSB. What most fascinates me is why people think the way they do. I've started relating what I've learned to everyday life--an action performed frequently will stick around with you. And to you, your habits might not be so obvious, but to people who don't have the same habits, they can't help but notice these habits all the time. My end goal is to be a forensic psychologist, but it's a long and tough road."
"I'm one of two student managers for South Dining Hall. Normally the job is reserved for a senior, but I've had it since second semester sophomore year. We're basically managers for the managers. Some tasks are less desirable, considering it's a dining hall we're talking about--there are jobs like sweeping, cleaning dishes, loading trays. But they're jobs nonetheless, and they keep the dining hall running smoothly. My job is to give the managers a push in the right direction whenever they need it--to stay attentive to their duties, to spend time with other employees in their jobs. And showing up to work. There's a point system that tracks that. Showing up is a big priority."
"I like to draw, but I'm really impatient. So I draw whatever I can as quickly as I can. It's kind of become a thing among my friends."
(Drawn in 35.44 seconds.)
"I've been dancing since I was three. I had only done ballet before college, and I joined TransPose because I wanted to keep dancing in college. The styles we use in TransPose are freer than traditional ballet. They're more about feeling the movements that come next, rather than thinking in poses. It sounds cheesy, but we've become a family here. There's no mask onstage--we take each performance as a chance to be our true selves."
"I'm from Indonesia and I went to secondary and high school in Singapore. In Singapore, I was an international student as well. There's a stressful, competitive atmosphere in schools there, and I wasn't sure I wanted to continue with that for colleges. The tests you take early on determine the level of courses you're in later on. There are 11 levels in your third year of secondary school--so if you're at the top, in 3-1, you feel the most successful. But if you're in 3.9, there's a certain hopelessness attached with moving up, as though your path is already set.
"I didn't visit Notre Dame before I committed, but I did talk with a friend who goes here. I saw that Notre Dame had the values and the atmosphere that I wanted going forward. It's very different from the impersonal nature of an urban school.
"Since I couldn't visit any of these schools, my decision was driven by gut feeling. Some of my friends looked at schools' rankings. But just because a school is ranked in a 'top ten', it doesn't mean you'll get in. And if you do get in, that's not a guarantee that you'll fit in. Under my circumstances, I felt like going with my gut was the best decision."
"What was one of the happiest days of your life?"
"It has to be the day my son was born. He's 10 now. Before that, I'd been told that I shouldn't have kids. It just goes to show how incredibly your life can change in ten years."
