Ushering in the End of an Era Stadium Usher Hired by Rockne at Age 12 to Retire After 60 Years at ND
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Flying high Curbing underage drinking On a three-game winning streak, will the Irish In light of the recent bust at Finnegan's, The Friday soar into the contest with Air Force and pass Observer editorial suggests one solution to the with flying colors? Check inside for details. problem of underage drinking. OCTOBER27, Irish Insider Viewpoint + page 16 2000 THE The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's V NO. 43 HTTP://OBSERVER.ND.EDU Ushering in the end of an era Stadium usher hired by Rockne at age 12 to retire after 60 years at ND By HELENA PAYNE News Writer At the end of the football season, one man will retire after 60 years of greeting Notre Dame fans eager to see Fighting Irish teams battle opponents on the field. Victor Couch, 86, started working as an usher when Knute Rockne hired him in 1926 to usher in Cartier Field at age 12. Although Couch was not old enough to usher when Notre-Dame Stadium was erected in 1930, Couch was hired as a stadium usher in 1941 after a few years on the waitlist. Since then Couch has remained on the 850-member team of stadium ushers, waking up every football Saturday- for his part-time job at Notre Dame. "He's sort of a fixture at Notre Dame like the Golden Dome and the Grotto," said Russell "Cappy" Gagnon, coordinator of stadium personnel. "Everybody is so ·nice and so considerate. You just can't photos by PETER RICHARDSON help but love what you're doing," said Couch. Although, he was a stadium usher for 60 years, Couch, After more than 60 years of greeting Notre since his job at Cartier Field, has been affiliated with the University for 7 4 years. Dame football fans and helping them to Couch has seen many Irish football teams, head coaches and a renovation in the Stadium, but the change he identi their seats, 86-year-old Victor Couch will fied as the largest was the expansion of parking. "I would have to rush over to [the campus after work] on retire from a position which he first held Saturdays," said Couch about earlier years of ushering. "That's when you could get a parking space." as a 12-year old. Couch has been affiliated Though parking is more limited, Couch still manages to get on campus and said he always enjoys the games. with the University in one way or another Couch now works in an alumni-filled section of the stadi um, but he once ushered in the student section, where he for over 74 years. said he enjoyed the energy of the students even if at times it see USHER/page 4 NEWS ANALYSES Lieberman's Jewish faith First Lady 01ay be in 'dead concerns some voters heat' in NY Senate election The polls, however, are not the most the way that he can handle the affairs of By ERIN LaRUFFA By HELENA PAYNE interesting story of this campaign. a vice president on the Sabbath. Associate News Editor News Writer Even before the Democrat Clinton "He. recognizes in this Orthodox declared her candidacy, speculation Jewish community that there are people One of the country's closest-watched was rampant that she was going to Though polls have shown that the vice that hold higher standards of obser Senate races is a statistical dead heat, run for the Senate seat being left presidential pick of the candidate rarely vances than he does," said Signer. according to the most recent Zogby vacant by the retiring Daniel Patrick affects voters' choices in presidential Observant Jews rarely venture beyond Interational Moynihan. However, having spent elections, Democratic vice presidential their homes poll. years living in Arkansas and candidate Joe Lieberman's strong faith and the syna According Washington, D.C., Clinton only recent in Judaism has raised concerns from gogues on the I fr CAMPAIGN 2ooo--, I to the poll, ly established her residency in New voters who wonder what impact his Sabbath and First Lady York State. As a result, many of her faith will have on the nation. usually avoid Hillary Clinton has 42.2 percent of the critics have labeled her a "carpetbag "I think that there are people that using modern modes of transportation vote while her Republican opponent, ger." probably have profound suspicion of among other things. Congressman Rick Lazio, has 42.7 "I don't really think that that's a Lieberman because of his Judaism," However, Lieberman, the senator of percent in New York's Senate race. problem if she can maintain that she's said Rabbi Michael Signer, University Connecticut for eight years, has often With the poll's 4.5 margin of error, become knowledgeable about the theology professor. fulfilled certain senatorial duties on the who's leading is anyone's guess. issues,"said Notre Dame philosophy Signer said that Lieberman refers to Sabbath if necessary. However, another poll by Quinnipiac professor Jim Sterba, who also teach himself as an "observant Jew," which is "He will walk to the Senate to engage University indicates that Clinton leads es within the gender studies program. different from liberal Judaism, but not in voting on the Sabbath," said Signer. Lazio by a 50 to 43 percent margin. He added that Robert Kennedy also necessarily strictly Orthodox as he has Even in the case of a crisis within the "It's going to be an interesting set up residency in New York to run been categorized. This distinction, race," said Notre Dame government Signer said, brings about a difference in see LIEBERMAN/page 6 professor Christina Wolbrecht. see CLINTON/page 4 r---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~-------- page 2 The Observer+ INSIDE Friday, October 27, 2000 INSIDE COLUMN THIS WEEK IN NOTRE DAME/SAINT MARY'S HISTORY WSND studios victims of theft The making of a 'friendly' rivalry Luck of the Irish Nov. 3, 1977 Oct. 27, 1995 Unlike many Notre Dame or Saint Mary' stu Over $1,600 in electronic equipment was reported Boston College. Screaming Eagles. These four words have dents, I was not weaned on Notre Dame foot ball. I would say I watch the games to appreci stolen from the studios of WSND-AM/FM, but there was the ability to rile up the Fighting Irish more than most ate all the hard work the athletes put into no forcible entry. The theft had apparently occurred others. Mark Mitchell, the student government chief of their game, not because I'm a rabid fan. My interest is partially between 7 p.m. and midnight Oct. 28. In what appeared staff. developed the idea to create a traveling trophy dlle to the fact that my Sarah as a "quick in-and-out theft," a tape recorder valued at between the two schools that would belong solely to their younger brother also RykQwskl plays on an Irish team for $1,450 was taken from the station's prouduction studio student bodies. The trophy will travel between the victors his high school. A team that, like the Irish of Saint Mary's in O'Shaughnessy along with $200 of other equipment. of the ND/BC football games for at least the next 10 years. Notre Dame, has strug News Editor gled at times. In 1997, the Father Gabriel Richard Fighting Irish were 0-9. A OUTSIDE THE DOME Compiled from U-Wire reports yE·ar later, under new head coach Ed Maloney, they went 3-6. Last year I came home for Fall Break only to watch his team win their ninth stmight game. Injury leads to amputation for San Jose safety For the first time in years, the Irish were undefeated. No one can remember when they SAN JOSE, Calif. "It became evident Saturday tissue was a critical factor." la:;t accomplished this feat. Neil Parry, a sophomore safety on that there was so much Parry, an undecided major, was a That year, in the fall of 1999, I bought one of the San Jose State football team. who starter on the Spartans special th :>se underground T -shirts that students sell suffered a compound fracture during destroyed tissue that there teams. before the games, one for the Kansas game. a 47-30 loss to Texas-E) Paso on Oct. had to be an amputation. ,. The injury occurred on a kickoff Then I brought it home as a souvenir for my 14, underwent surgery Monday to return in the third quarter when a brother. lie wore it to every single practice amputate below his right knee. UTEP player knocked down a mem and every single game during his junior sea Surgery was needed to stop an Martin Trieb ber of the SJSU team, who then soH. And they won every single game he infection in Parry's right leg that San Jose State physician rolled into Parry's leg. played in. began Oct. 18, according to San Jose Spartan head trainer Charlie Miller The Richard squad earned the Catholic State head physician Martin Trieb. Trieb said. "There was no infection said the open fibula fracture was visi League Class C championship and a trip to the "It became evident Saturday that left in the remaining portion." Trieb ble through the sock. Silverdome to play in the Catholic League there was so much destroyed tissue said the fracture infection was highly "It was an angulated fracture Pr,~pBowl, only to lose by two touchdowns for that there had to be an amputation," unusual in 20-year-old Parry's case. where the lower leg was out of align their first loss of the season.