God, Country and Notre Dame Football a Look Behind the Scenes Put on a Show, but I Was There by MEGHAN MARTIN at 5 A.M
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I THE The Independent-Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's OLUME 38: ISSUE 9 FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 5, 2003 N DSMCOBSERVER.COM God, Country and Notre Dame football A look behind the scenes put on a show, but I was there By MEGHAN MARTIN at 5 a.m. to unlock the gate." Associate News Editor While fans are still waking up, Gagnon and hundreds of others Mel Williams began singing will be at the stadium Saturday "God Bless America" at Gate D morning, getting it ready for the of Notre Dame Stadium right 80,795 fans expected to pass after Sept. 11 two years ago. It through its gates for this week began as a solo, a subtle tribute end's sold-out game against before the raucous throngs that Washington State. would follow, but has since With the 5 a.m. opening of become a chorus, a new pre Gate B, game day has officially game tradition at a place where ·begun, and Gagnon and his such thing8 are held sacred. small army of ushers, ticket Williams, who has been an takers and other personnel will usher at the stadium for the have to hit the ground running, past seven years, has since been as the day begins to run off its joined in song by a number of own momentum. his co-workers, and their pre "At 7, I unlock Gates A and D, game performances have gener the tunnel, and the press box," Above, student managers ated their own following of fans he said. "The team equipment paint helmets Thursday and fellow ushers. people come around 7:15 ... the "All those people get there press people come in at 9." night. Right, members of early to come and sing with us," The rest of the morning is the facilities staff unload he said. spent meeting with ushers, Williams and the Gate D ush addressing logistical issues that boxes Thursday in prepara ers are simply a handful of the arise and ironing out the final tion for Saturday's game nearly 4,000 people who will be details of the day: admitted to the Stadium on "By noon, we've got to have it against Washington State. ~ Saturday without tickets, those ready so that by the time we for whom Irish football games open the gates you guys think • ·•. are all in a day's work. it's always been that way," PHOTOS BY -··•.1•\ "Logistically, it's a big under Gagnon said. TIMKACMAR taking," said Russell "Cappy" While Gagan said that the Gagnon, stadium personnel week leading up to each game coordinator. "Joe Fan thinks he just comes in at 12:30 and we see FOOTBALL/page 4 Tickets marked up on the Web Irish Inquisition aims to provoke discussion metaphor of an Inquisition." By CLAIRE HEININGER The setting of a mock AU l*"l '\ Astq!IODI euvuHow Q}Qyntjonl News Writer medieval trial also provides a change from the usual_ discus Hilmi l> All Categorie5 Something medieval is in sion backgrounds of class the air at Notre Dame, and it's rooms and lecture halls. B.. i~ s.. rch All Categories 1-'""'ur.. ,.su•••••·•~•"..o'!'t!.t.•M not just the Gothic buildings jll;.>l" lllllr'WI t.>olbct:l 17!lt:em!> fc.xmd !;>~ noire dame football tickets "We wanted to keep it irrev ':') '" Iitie> IJ -mpto~; S>)ll r;y ilem~·>. ending flr~>ll DII'My lltt!d l!sMnt O!'lced 1hlq!Mt Df!Ctd sprawled across campus. erent and lighthearted." (sl!<~r~ ~~1 l!lliM ,..., Starting in late September, a . Cohen said. ··u·s partly sar Plctu,.~ . Featured -Item Title 8ida TIM! l.!ft new campus program called castic, Saturday Night Live Tlckett 0) 8NOTBf, Dr\ME fQQT8AlL TICKETS VS 14 ld 2011 1hn Irish Inquisition will bring all and Seinfeld-type humor. stuff lvt~\ ~¥Q~ PURDUE 9-27 the suspense, intrigue and that students like. But it was - . ~·~-- -·* e strategy of a medieval court also important to preserve the ~: room into the Oak Room eBay original idea of giving people Notre Dame football tickets often find their way to Ebay and sell for several times higher than above South Dining Hall. a place to speak their minds." face value. However, the University Is trying to halt this practice. The Irish Inquisition pro In a unique twist on most gram has been in the works scheduled campus discus since last semester, said Ed sions, the Inquisition process State, and USC - are already resale of tickets. Under the Cohen, Notre Dame· Magazine is actually initiated by stu By MATI BRAMANTI commanding stratospheric new rules, anyone caught associate editor and Irish dents. A current issue - any News Writer prices, in some cases selling a season ticket for Inquisition advisor. thing from the war in Iraq to upwards of $500 each. These more than face value will In December of 2002, Cohen abortion to the latest strug With the beginning of the prices are expected to rise face the loss of ticket privi noticed that many of his fel gles of the Irish offense - will Notre Dame football season even further as the rivalry leges for "a minimum of five low faculty and staff members be announced around campus just a day away, everyone games draw nearer. years," while selling single had strong opinions on the weeks in advance of the trial wants tickets. Hundreds can Demand for tickets, while game tickets garners a two war in Iraq; however, only date. Then. if a student is be found on Internet auction always high, has spiked since year suspension. Repeat those in political science and particularly eager to hear the sites like eBay - for a hefty the arrival of head coach offenders risk the permanent directly related fields ever got opinion of a faculty or staff price. Tyrone Willingham and Notre revocation of their right to the opportunity to participate member on this issue, he or A search of eBay revealed Dame's "Return to Glory." buy tickets to any Notre in panel discussions on the she may issue a summons to sellers across the country Fans from around the coun Dame sporting event. topic. that individual. The summons offering dozens of tickets for try are eag.er to pay hun A recent e-mail from "We didn't want anyone to will be sent anonymously via every Irish home game this dreds of dollars for the Alumni Association executive be stifled," Cohen said. "The e-mail and will request the season. Some, for tomorrow's chance to be part of the director Chuck Lennon idea was to have a relaxed employee's appearance at a opener against Washington famed sea of green. warned students against sell public place for them to speak public gathering to contribute State, are still up for grabs, The apparent profiteering ing tickets. "If, for any rea their hearts and minds about his or her thoughts on the fetching over $80 apiece. has not escaped the notice of son, they turn up on eBay or these issues. Bringing people announced topic. The more high-profile Notre Dame policymakers. In are scalped, your ability to in one after another drew That's where the Inquisition games of the 2003 campaign May, the University revised ·comparisons to a courtroom - against Michigan, Florida its policy regarding the see TICKETS/page 6 setting, which turned into the see IRISH/page 4 · page 2 The Observer+ PAGE 2 Friday, September 5, 2003 INSIDE COLUMN QUESTiON OF THE DAY: WHAT'S YOUR PREDICTION FOR THE FOOTBALL GAME THIS WEEKEND? The tradition continues With another football season upon us, I can only write my column on the tradi tions that go hand Dennis ldowu in hand with Irish Katie Jackson John Duffy Dan Weber Andrew Panglllnan Julie Pearce football. So what if Freshman Freshman Sophomore Sophomore Freshman Junior I'm only a sopho Badin Hall Sorin Hall Dillon Hall Dillon ·Hall Farley Off-campus more ... I have been watching .. Notre Dame foot '"Notre Dame ·s "28 to 10 Notre '"!saw .. We ·re going to "Notre Dame ·s '"Notre Dame all ball since I was a going to win by Dame. Vontez Washington kill them. That•s totally going to the way. little girl. • •• Have I always two Duff will be a State•s about it.·· wzn. definitely. " been an Irish fan? touchdowns. •• standout on scrimmages and Not exactly. But I Sarah Vabulas defense... rd be surprised have always been a sports fan, particu- if they got more larly a football and Scene Editor than three baseball fan. Since points. They arriving here in South Bend over a year ago, I've quickly were terrible.·· learned the goings on around campus in regards to football. It's an incredible tradition to learn the cheers, dance the Irish jig and boost the IN BRIEF closest and bravest person around you into the air for push-ups, hoping not to drop them. It's also a tradition to make Irish Fighting for St. Jude, a fun of the freshmen as they fumble service club that raises money around to learn the dances and the for the St. Jude Children's · cheers. (I wish you the best on that, Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., will freshmen. If you need help, just turn to sponsor a Krispy Kreme donut the upperclassmen section and do your sale today. The sale begins at best to copy.) 8:15 a.m. outside DeBartolo Some- crazy people, like my group of Hall. friends and me, even dress up for the big games. (I'll be the girl painted green sit Cheer for the Irish during the ting in section 33, so don't mind me.) first football pep rally of the But the question remains, why do we season.