University of Notre Dame
"Life, Sweetness, Hope"
Background Information:
The University of Notre Dame, founded in 1842 by a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, is an independent, national Catholic university located adjacent to the city of South Bend, Indiana, and approximately 90 miles east of Chicago. The University seeks to cultivate in its students not only an appreciation for the great achievements of human beings, but also a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice, and oppression that burden the lives of so many. The aim is to create a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice. (ND website)
Initial Thoughts:
Everyone has an opinion about Notre Dame. Those who love Notre Dame really, really love Notre Dame, and those who hate Notre Dame really, really hate it. It's amazing how one university can inspire such distinctly polar reactions.
Notable website features: different videos, prayer website, chat with Admissions
Lacking: virtual tour (likened to ODU), opting instead for just campus pictures
The Campus:
- Layout: Notre Dame is a closed campus with 1,250 acres (including the two lakes), and over 130 buildings. Although adjacent to the city of South Bend, IN, Notre Dame is its own entity and quite separate from its neighboring city. The campus itself is separated into quads -- North Quad, South Quad, God Quad, Library Quad, Debartolo Quad (no one really calls it this), West Quad, Far Quad. There are many places for students to hang around and relax around campus; North Quad features many trees for students to sit under and plenty of green spaces, and South Quad has wide open spaces for games of frisbee, football, lounging around in the sun (although quite rare due to the unpredictable Midwest weather). Click here for the campus map.
- Architecture: Everything is very uniform at Notre Dame. All of the buildings (except for very few exceptions) have the same coloring to it, contributing to the close-knit feel of the campus. Apart from its close-knit appeal, it is quite evident where the inspiration for its buildings come from -- its Catholic faith. The Catholic faith is evident the moment that you step onto campus -- the Golden Dome with Mary on top, the Basilica, the Grotto, Jesus on God Quad, the Library featuring a mosaic of Touchdown Jesus (formally known as the Word of Life mural), First Down Moses (statue of Moses outside the Library), and many other statues around campus. Faith is evident everywhere on campus, and in fact, in every classroom -- every classroom on campus features a Crucifix somewhere inside the room.
- Scale - Although quite daunting at first, Notre Dame is actually a good size for a university. It's not too big and not too small. You can literally go from one end of the campus to the other in a matter of 15-20 minutes. Everything at Notre Dame is within walking distance.
- The Student Center - Lafortune Student Center is quite small compared to other college student centers. Inside of LaFun, you can find a Starbucks, Sbarro, Burger King, Subway, The Huddle Mart, Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, lounges, a computer cluster, floral shop, FedEx Kinko's, a travel agency, pool and arcade rooms, etc.
- Student Living - Unlike most schools, Notre Dame is distinctly different in the fact that it does not have Greek life, opting instead for single-sex dormitories. These dormitories can be considered Notre Dame's version of Greek life, as every dorm has its own colors, traditions, and mascots. Dorm life is very important to the Notre Dame culture. Unlike some schools, there are no "freshman dorms" -- all of the dormitories on campus house every grade level. All first years are randomly assigned to a dorm their freshman year, and afterwards, stay in the same dorm they were assigned to. Switching dorms is rare for the typical Notre Dame student and hard since ND tries to foster a true sense of community -- although this close-knit feel can be stifling at times. Students live on campus for at least 2-3 years before moving off, and many actually opt to stay on for all 4 years. As for the housing off campus, one can find a variety of student housing that is just minutes away from campus -- although none of these places are owned by the University. It is important to note that South Bend is not exactly the most vibrant/safest city to live in, nevertheless, it is very possible to find a good location in the city.
- Notable Attractions: Notre Dame boasts a lot of must-see attractions, and it's hard to pick just one, but one of the sights that never fail to amaze me is the mural inside of the Golden Dome. When you walk inside Main Building, be sure to go to the center of the first floor and look straight up. Up above, you will find a mural of Mary in the heavens -- a truly exquisite image. Aside from the Main Building, I also love going into the Basilica. Walking inside the Basilica (no matter how many times you have done it), is an experience in itself. The beauty within that sacred place is truly breathtaking, and words do not do it justice.
Final Conclusions:
The beauty of the Notre Dame campus is undeniable. In the spring and summer, it is green and vibrant; in the fall, warm and gold; in the rough winters, cold and haunting. And no matter what your perception of Notre Dame may be, it is difficult to deny that Notre Dame is truly a special place. The phrase "Nowhere Else But Notre Dame" is uttered by many people who have (or had) the privilege of attending this university. It is a place seeped in lore, in "magic" (as the typical Notre Dame student will gladly tell you), and most of all, in faith. Notre Dame seeks to do much more than just foster the growth of intellectuals; rather, it aims at helping its students to become better people in every sense of the word -- educating the mind, heart, and soul. I know many schools boast this type of education, but at Notre Dame, you can rest assured knowing that this is the absolute truth. At Notre Dame, you are asked to ask very big questions -- about faith, about life, and about your role in the world. Students are taught that of whom much is given, much is expected. Due to this teaching, Notre Dame students leave believing that they truly can change the world, and that this is expected of them.
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