Seen on Bond Quad.

                  "What's something that frustrates you?"
"Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the constant landscaping work on campus. I study here often, and there's rarely a time when I don't have to listen to leafblowers or some other landscaping noises. I get that they're working to improve campus, but it makes it hard to enjoy the stillness and the beauty of the outdoors while I have the chance."

Seen on South Quad: positivity from a tree.

Seen at Clarke Memorial Fountain.

"We're originally from the same part of Mississippi. In fact, we would have gone to high school together, but she moved away before that. There was a magazine in the region that profiled high school seniors and mentioned where they were going to college. Her aunt brought a copy of this back to her, and said, 'Look, he's going to Notre Dame! You should make friends with him.' So we requested each other on Facebook. Our friends make fun of us for being a 21st-century couple, since we first 'met' through Facebook."
"He and I only spoke a little before school started. Then, on the very first day of classes, I got to my first college class early, as freshmen do. And the first person I saw outside the classroom was a familiar face: it was him. We started talking; we sat next to each other in class; we studied together."
"We went to mass together for a month before I asked her out. It was very Notre Dame of us. We had our first kiss on the bench next to Father Sorin on God Quad."
"And to top it all off, he proposed to me in front of the Dome last month."

Seen at the Reflecting Pool. 

"I can't get over all the autumn colors. So when I see especially colorful leaves, I collect them and pin them above my desk for as long as they'll last. If I had wax paper, I could make them last longer! I'm from Colorado, where we get some color changes in the trees--but nothing like this."

               "What's something about yourself you're confident in?"
"I'm really tall."
               "What do you mean?"
"When people meet me, they look at me and point out the obvious: they say, 'You're really tall.' But I'm not self-conscious. I own it. I say, 'Yeah! I am! Isn't it great?' When I wear heels, I'm taller than my brothers. They make fun of me for it. It doesn't bother me, though. I love my tallness."

Seen on South Quad.

Seen on North Quad.

"My father grew up going to Notre Dame football games all the time. We've had tickets in the family for over fifty years now. My dad's father had an eighth grade education. The pride of his life was that his son went to Notre Dame. Dad got in, went here, graduated Aerospace. And then he moved to Chicago and got a law degree. My sisters and I came back for literally every home game with Dad. The University was a central part of my father's identity.
"Dad was accepted into Arts and Letters initially, and moved to Engineering, so he graduated in five years. At the end of his fifth year, he wanted to apply to the law school at Notre Dame. He spoke to the dean of the law school, who said, 'Your LSATs look great. Your grades are great. But I think you need to try something else and expand your world beyond this place.' So Dad applied to Northwestern Law, got in, and went there. He would never have done that if anybody outside of Notre Dame had suggested it. But he considered it, and ended up doing it, because he was encouraged by a member of the Notre Dame community.
"When my acceptance letter came in, as Dad's oldest child, he cried. When he applied, this was the only place he ever wanted to go. And he wanted to at least give his children that opportunity. So to see that dream come to fruition was moving for him. Ultimately, all three of his daughters went. And that was a bookend on his relationship with Notre Dame: he fought for it, he went here, and his kids had a chance to do the same.
"He died of a heart attack this past March unexpectedly, running on the treadmill. He long ago got a niche at Cedar Grove and knew he wanted to be buried there. There was nowhere else for him. So our family gathered this weekend, went to the Log Chapel, had a reception in the Oak Room, and went to the football game. This is Dad's home. So this weekend has been about bringing him home."

"My service dog's name is Angel. I didn't have any trouble getting permission for her in my off-campus living; it was permission for classes that was tough. Angel's only been to two so far. I was recently diagnosed on the autism spectrum, among other things. It's a very real disability. When this happened, I talked to my therapist about what to do going forward, and that's when getting a service dog came up. So I adopted Angel in the end of July.
"I've taken a full year off school total, having left for two springs. Although I'm technically in my senior year, it's been difficult, since my friends and support system have graduated. I wasn't sure how I would handle the semester ahead, but Angel has been tremendously important to me in this way. She's in the process of being trained. I need her to complete the tasks I find necessary for my situation--she can help with self-harm issues, or when I'm having a bad day, or to make sure I've eaten a meal. But training classes cost money. My parents refuse to help me take care of Angel financially, and my financial aid was cut this year.
"The most frustrating thing about having gotten Angel is when I introduce her to people who knew me before I got her. They'll tell me I can't take Angel to events because they've seen me at the events without her in the past. Just because someone saw me in the past without Angel, it doesn't mean that I was doing well. Plus, she's a disability dog. You wouldn't tell someone with a more physically visible disability not to take their dog. So it's a slow process of explaining these things to people. But it's worth it. Angel's been worth it."

To donate to Angel's training costs, click here.

Seen on Mod Quad. 

"Even before I came to Notre Dame, I knew that this was something that I wanted to be vocal about. The rippling effects of mental illness are astounding. I don't just sympathize, or feel for people--I empathize. I understand. I understand what it's like to be affected by mental illness, and I understand what it's like to be affected by someone else's struggle with mental illness. Seeing a parent affected by mental illness involves overwhelming emotional stress, overwhelming anxiety, overwhelming uncertainty. And it's difficult, to see someone who is so strong to you suddenly so vulnerable. Because of this, I came from a place where I wasn't expected to be able to accomplish much or go very far.
"It's not so much about understanding human psychology and cognition as it is about understanding what to do, how to act, where to start. It's not just our responsibility to understand; it's our responsibility to walk with others. Because every human being has a unique and beautiful purpose--for some, it's just more difficult than others.
"Acceptance and understanding of mental illness isn't just this week. It's not just today. It's always. Because it's not just a week or a day if you're affected by it; it's daily. So the time to fight stereotypes and perceptions is now. The time is now. It's now."

"Mental illness runs in my family. My grandfather committed suicide when my father was young, but it was taboo in my family to talk about it. Then my brother struggled with depression. It wasn't until he was in a very bad place that the conversational ice finally broke--in order to get him the help he needed. It was frustrating that that was what broke the stigma in my family, but it was a blessing in disguise: when I had mental health struggles in high school, we were able to talk about it and get me the help I needed immediately.
"I often find myself assuming that people have the same understanding of mental illness that I do. It's not a mindset, it's not made up, it's not a 'bad attitude.' These things are hard-wired into us. So that's why I'm vocal about mental illness and its effects. Some incredibly intelligent people are still blinded by the stigma that surrounds it, and it just blows my mind. This is a conversation we need to have now. And the more we talk about it, and the more questions we ask, the better we understand what's going on--and the easier it is for people to get the help they need when they need it."

"My speech for NAMI's 'Our Own Words' event isn't really my story. I have a story, but I don't really go into it too much. Instead, I tried to explain what depression is like to the listeners in a way they could understand. There's a divide between people who have experienced mental illness and those who haven't. Many people will tell you it's just something you can't understand unless you've been through it. And, to an extent, I agree. But that divide and misunderstanding really contributes to the stigma. If you think someone with depression should 'just cheer up,' then there's a misunderstanding. Or if you have one idea of what someone with depression looks like or acts like, there's a misunderstanding. 

"At the end of my speech, there's a somewhat positive spin on things. Depression has taught me a lot: how to enjoy the little things, how to appreciate every day as a new day. But with my depression comes a greater appreciation of happiness--and that's my overall message. Don't get me wrong, mental illness sucks, and it's hard, but it's given me a new outlook and new appreciations that people can relate to, whether or not they have a mental illness."

"I'm the spiritual coordinator for NAMI here on campus. Something I hope to convey with my work is that nobody is completely defined by mental illness. It's a part of you, but it's not all of you. You can still be a goofy person, someone who laughs, someone whose story isn't necessarily a 'sad story.'
"There's a quote from the poet Robert Louis Stevenson that I think applies to not just to those with mental illness but to all students here: 'Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.' Some days will be better or worse than others, and that's to be expected. But it's our attitudes towards the little moments that uplift us and keep us going."

"All suicide threats should be taken seriously--but equally seriously. Whether someone's life is perfect or whether they're going through an especially tough event, everyone needs to be taken seriously. Following the suicide of a fellow student, conversations can turn to victim-shaming. They talk about how much the event has hurt the community; they say that the responsibility was on the shoulders of the afflicted person to get help. They can lead us to witch hunts, looking for people who appear to be 'unwell' and cornering them into talking to authority. And a lot of this comes from hearing about mental illness from people who haven't actually experienced it--people who are on the outside.
"That's something that's important to me: to listen to people tell their own stories, and talk about their own experiences, so you know you're not alone. I had difficulty getting help for my bipolar disorder because I was surrounded by people who thought I was just looking for attention, rather than actually suffering. It wasn't until my senior year of high school in my AP psychology course that I realized I wasn't just an attention-seeker. We read through chapters on mental illness, and I said, 'Wait...most people don't feel like this?' An event like that is why we need to hear from people's own experiences and fight the stigma: so that you know you're not alone. So you know that other people have similar issues, are fighting similar battles, and are still leading fulfilling lives."

"When we were both in school at Notre Dame, he took out an ad in the Observer asking if anyone wanted to carpool down to Texas. My sister was living there at the time, so I joined him and a few friends for the 20-hour ride. We had a lot in common--we both came from huge Notre Dame families, with siblings who had attended; we were both accounting majors. And that was how we met...while traveling!
"When we started Anthony Travel twenty-five years ago, we were uncertain at first. As we worked, we decided that our ultimate dream was to do Notre Dame travel. We were amazed that that dream was realized just a year later. Now we can give back to and be involved with the Notre Dame community through this work."

           "What advice would you give current Notre Dame students?"
"Be in the holy. Get in touch with your faith. Notre Dame is full of both amazing people and amazing places around campus. Go to the Grotto by yourself or with a friend. It doesn't matter what your faith is, if you're a believer or nonbeliever. Walk around the lakes. Celebrate together, through mass and through events. Of course sleep and homework are important, but Notre Dame is a holy place, and your time here may seem fleeting. So take a minute and look for the holy. Because it's here."

"My friends like to tell the story that I went to Notre Dame with my son, but there's of course more to it than that. My son-in-law was in graduate school here when I decided to take master's degree-level classes here at the Kroc Institute. I took them just to engage intellectually. When I was asked about it, I'd just say, 'I have three degrees already! What am I going to do with another one?'
"In 2013, I started a woodwork shop in South Bend from the ground up; last Christmas, we had a four-foot-long wood train at the White House. In this business, people call all the time asking, 'Is there any way you can...', and nine times out of ten, we can. The more noble reason that I started South Bend Woodworks was to create local jobs doing something I loved. The more selfish reason was that I wanted a job where I didn't have to be yelled at!"
            "Did your time working as a lawyer prepare you in any way for starting your own business?"
"I'm going to be honest with you: not at all!"

"It's not actually that hard to do! You just need the right kind of surface. I mostly set them up when work is slow. Then people who come in line are amazed, and we've got a talking point as they check out."

"I'm the second oldest of fourteen children, and the first set of twins. You want to hear a fun story? I was born on a bus, as was my brother. He came first, and then I did, and I was born totally blue. So my mother asked the bus driver to stop the bus so she could get off at a house. But I ended up just fine! They called me a 'blue baby.' And I'm still traveling now!
"I was 11 the first time one of my younger brothers called me Mom. At the time, it was terrible, because it meant he mistook me for our own mother. But it warms my heart now, because even though they live in Germany and I live here, my younger siblings still send me Mother's Day cards every year. I don't have any children, but I still get the cards on Mother's Day." 

"I'm not the typical Notre Dame story. I transferred to a different university after two years. It was in 1969, at the height of anti-Vietnam sentiments, and I was in the ROTC program here. Just having a military haircut made me stand out from the rest of the students. I felt out-of-place often: there were many students from the east coast here, and they were aggressive and smart and in-your-face. And here I was, this mild-mannered Midwest kid, trying to find my place. To top it all off, the drinking culture was too much for me. All my friends would go out to drink after football games, and I would go back to the library to study. Finally, after my sophomore year, I worked up the courage to ask my parents if I could transfer. I didn't start my first semester at my new school very well, and that was when I realized: you take yourself wherever you go. But my new school welcomed me with open arms, and I stayed and graduated and loved it. I still have allegiance to Notre Dame now; I visit campus, I donate, I have tickets to sports events. I just share my allegiance now. It took me some time after transferring to come to terms with the old Notre Dame and the changes it's experienced since I went to school here."

"I’m doing my senior thesis on mental illness, specifically on the campus community of Notre Dame. Very few people are comfortable talking about mental illness, which means that resources don’t get used. For my thesis, I’m collecting people’s stories to understand them. I want to understand the situation at Notre Dame, but I also want to share these stories and give a voice to those with mental illness. Various other college campuses have seen projects that created safe spaces. Notre Dame doesn’t have that yet. I want to help foster a climate that encourages people to talk about mental illness and educates peers to help connect individuals with the resources they need.

"I’m specifically focusing on working with informal, interpersonal relationship and peer support systems. There are formal systems in place, and structured programs…but some people don’t have time for it, or don’t prioritize it until they need it. But these support systems should be part of our daily dialogue, not just reactive. I feel like every person at Notre Dame has interacted with mental illness in some way, whether it’s personal, or a roommate, a friend, or someone down the hall. It can be really stressful for bystanders, too. And I want to empower bystanders so they know what to do, how to do it effectively, and how to foster a stronger and safer community.

"Right now, I’m starting with an online form to collect people’s stories. (Find the form here.) It’s completely anonymous. I just want to understand what people have gone through. And providing a place to share one’s story can be cathartic in a way. I hope there’ll be a response and we can get a dialogue going, so I can better understand the situation here and create something that’s valuable to this community in particular.

"Last semester…well, last semester sucked. I was depressed and had no clue what to do. I didn’t know how to talk to my friends, or what to tell them, or how to explain why I wasn’t leaving my room or going to classes anymore. And it becomes a hard thing to talk to your friends about. I love them, but I didn’t know how they’d react. So that’s why I feel, if we can talk about it more, it won’t be as big of an issue for when people are going through these situations. I want to develop something that’s sustainable, and valuable to use, that will last long after I graduate."

Seen in LaFun: Catholic graffiti.

"I proposed to her after we attended a basketball game in December. I was so nervous that I walked her around campus for a few hours: around the quads, to the Grotto, back to the main building. Finally, I said to myself, 'If you're gonna do it, do it now.' So I stopped right here, in front of the dome, and got down on one knee."

"My section of Zahm all dressed up and went to the dining hall at St. Mary's. We all wore silly things--hats, swimsuits, glasses--but I decided to wear my Po suit. I got a lot of hugs."

                 "What's your greatest Notre Dame memory so far?"
"Oh, just coming here. Notre Dame has been a huge, life-changing step for me. So just that: starting my journey here."

"My advice to women who currently have cancer is to take it day by day. Get done what you need to get done; check it off one by one, like a checklist. And one of the biggest lessons I learned was to ask for help. You're used to being the one who takes care of everyone else. But you'll need help. And people will want to give it to you--it's their way of supporting you. So let them help.
"It's sad that we need events like Football 101 to raise awareness and donations for a cure for breast cancer. But at the same time, it's incredible to celebrate with survivors and the people who supported you along the way. I invited all my friends to celebrate my five years clean."

Seen at Football 101: rushing the quarterback. 

"The pink hair is for breast cancer awareness. I did it last year for tailgating before a game. And with Football 101 coming up, I figured, why not? So I did it again."
                "And is it permanent?"
"Uh, of COURSE!"

          "What piece of advice would you give the incoming freshman class?"
"Learn the importance of hard work, and learn it early. Learn how to buckle down here. You need to recognize what's expected of you and meet that, especially with the standards of excellence we have here at Notre Dame."

"I'll never forget when we stormed the field my freshman year. It was during the Stanford game and we all just rushed out. It was exhilarating."

              "What brings you to Football 101?"
"Actually, I've been around so often that I know all the plays. I can see a hand signal and tell you what they're calling."
"It's for a great cause. And it's a community event, a place to be with friends and have fun."
"I'm sure my husband would love it if I became a little more involved with football."

                    "What's your favorite Notre Dame memory?"
"On or off the field?"
                    "Either one!"
"On the field, probably the UCLA game. It was a rough season overall, which made that was a shining moment. Off the field, it was my dorm's reaction after the UCLA game. I was in Siegfried. When I came back, they'd decorated my whole door and waited for me in the hallway."

           "What would you tell your freshman self?"
"Focus on academics...but don't let them drive all that you do. Don't let them stop you from participating. Don't miss football games. Join clubs, stay involved. Academics are important, but college is so much more than that."

"I made my shoes and decorated my cap myself. I'm not an art major--but maybe I should have been. "
            "Why does your cap say 'poms'?"
"I was a member of the pom squad!"
            "What will you miss most about being on the pom squad?"
"Running out onto the basketball court before a game. The crowd is roaring, the lights are down, and the energy is electric."

"Our son received his doctorate from Notre Dame, and now his son, our grandson, is graduating. He majored in Business Management and managed the Huddle for a very long time. We've seen him grow from that. He absolutely loves it here."

              "Who is someone who has inspired you at Notre Dame?"
"Oh, my professors. All of them. It's so hard to choose just one. Appreciate your professors, because you need them! I wouldn't be where I am now without their attention and support. The first professor who comes to mind is Stuart Green. He was instrumental in my journey to a Fulbright scholarship. He wrote me recommendations, coached me, helped me with the smaller things that build up to the scholarship."

"Don't let your senior year overwhelm you. We all get a little scared, but it's important to be excited, too. I'm graduating from St. Mary's and am not sure what the future holds for me. And yeah, that's scary. But I'm grateful to have had the four years that I did, and I wish I could have been as excited about them then as I am now."

"I would tell my freshman self this: Desconecta lo que no funciona. My mother told me that at the beginning of last semester. It means disconnect what doesn't work, like unplugging the broken devices from your life."

"I'd tell my freshman self to be herself, to get out of her comfort zone. I didn't start doing that until this year, and it was a world of difference."

"I got the idea from Pinterest!"

"I knew Notre Dame was right for him before he did. He had applications for too many colleges and came to me with a load of them. He needed to cut some down, and he wanted Notre Dame to be one of those. But I encouraged him to keep the application. We're an Irish family, and his grandfather was always a big Notre Dame fan. The acceptance letter came five months after his grandfather passed away. He would have loved to see him at Notre Dame.
"We visited campus for the first time after he was accepted. And I could just feel it. I knew it was the place for him. And now, over the past four years, I've seen him grow. He's become much more decisive and thoughtful. We dropped him off as a teenager, and now he's graduating as an adult."

Congratulations, class of 2015!

"I did an eight-week SSLP at Good Shepherd Shelter in LA. It's a place for battered women and children. Like most people, I started my SSLP excited but unsure of what was ahead of me. I was excited to be in a new place, to learn about myself and others, to give of myself and participate in service. But, as has happened for countless other people during their SSLP, my SSLP changed my life. It entirely changed my life and career focus. After coming back to campus, I became a Firestarter at the GRC and an SOS Advocate for the Rape Crisis Center of St. Joseph County. For anyone who knows me, I'm very vocal about the issues of rape and domestic violence. It's something that we all know is very hard to talk about. My SSLP made it easier for me to talk about these difficult topics--and start conversations that needed to be started. After graduation, I'm going back to the Good Shepherd Shelter for a year of service. Rape and domestic violence affect everyone, whether they're talked about or not. Especially now, it's imperative that we're conscious of these issues. Without my SSLP, I wouldn't be talking about this now."

"I came into freshman year as a pre-med major, trying to do what I thought I needed to do, what I thought was important. But now, I'm graduating with a double-major in history and FTT, with a job I know I'm going to love. I followed my passions, and it's been a world of change. I would tell my freshman self to stop overthinking. Or...even to underthink. If I hadn't joined Humor Artists--we call it HA--on a whim freshman year, my life wouldn't be the way it is now. I met both my best friend and my boyfriend through HA. It's been an incredible family to fall back on when times get tough. We're vulnerable onstage. No matter what character you're playing, there's always a part of yourself in it, and that takes vulnerability. That atmosphere lays groundwork for being our weird, loving selves together."

"I grew up on a little farm in South Dakota. Father George's family were my next-door neighbors. He convinced me to go to Notre Dame! When I walked into my quint in Walsh, the four girls were already there: two of them had fathers on the Notre Dame Board of Trustees, one's father was the curator of the Snite, and one's father was the mayor of LaPorte. After we'd unpacked, they suggested we go to brunch, so we walked to the Morris Inn. We met Father Ted there. And he knew all their names. It was a little intimidating, but everyone was so kind and so welcoming. It didn't matter that I'd come from a house on a farm. And now, those roommates are some of my best friends, after undergrad and law school at Notre Dame."

"I'm going to be a freshman next year. I'm thinking about history or political science."

         "Have you already committed?"

"I did within an hour of opening my letter! It's been my dream forever. My dad went to Notre Dame, my mom went to St. Mary's, and my name is Keenan."

          "Like the dorm?!"

"Yup! My dad lived in Keenan!"