Respect for the Individual Is Alive and Well on the Notre Dame Campus

Lou Holtz once said, "I am often asked to explain the mystique at Notre Dame. I reply, 'If you were there no explanation is necessary. If you weren't, no explanation is satisfactory.'"

Every time I step onto the campus at Notre Dame I feel like I'm going to my grandmother's house: some things old, some things new, the smell of food and warm, welcoming people. As I walked into the Gugliemino Athletics Complex the day before the Tulsa game, the usher greeted us with a sincere "Welcome to Notre Dame" then he looked at me and said, "Sorry about your Phillies," referring to a conversation that he and I had two weeks earlier before the Western Michigan game. In this day and age, that type of hospitality is almost unheard of, but not at Notre Dame where feeling welcome is almost second nature.

Students, who have a hundred other things to be doing, are graciously giving directions to fans in Tulsa sweatshirts who look amazed at the whole interaction. One of my travel partners, a lifelong Michigan fan, who had never been to South Bend before, was amazed at the cleanliness, then I pointed out a fan picking up a candy wrapper up off the ground and pointed out that this was the reason that Notre Dame looks so clean: it's a group effort. A campus that hosts over 90,000 visitors on a football weekend can only remain so beautiful if everyone does their part in keeping it that way.

Stopping by the Grotto, it's somehow possible to say a few prayers in peace while at the same time being surrounded by hundreds of other people that are all showing the same respect to our Blessed Mother. Time after time people can be heard saying what a spiritual place this area of campus is, with the Basilica, Grotto and the lake all within one's eyesight.

Every concert and show is treated like an event. On Friday's practice walk-through for the marching band, thousands of fans do their own practice walk, preparing for Saturday's main event. The energy projected from the trumpet section while they play "Notre Dame, Our Mother" and the "Notre Dame Victory March" inside the Administration Building, under the Golden Dome, in itself is a sight to behold. All of this is a prelude to the pep rally held on The Irish Green.

The staff in the Hammes bookstore and its new sister store on Eddy Street Commons, take the time to help each customer with every question that they might have. While this may seem like common practice, in reality nowadays this is viewed as a luxury and not an expectation. The clerk at the Eddy Street store asked me how I like the sweater that I purchased two weeks earlier; this woman sees thousands of people on game weekends and this type of treatment is typical to the kindness that is shown to individuals at Notre Dame.

The give and take continues on Saturday with the Notre Dame Bagpipe Band giving a concert at the steps of the Administration Building under the shadow of the Golden Dome. I asked Notre Dame Bagpipe band member Melissa Jordan if the band and student body as a whole take anything away from the enthusiasm of the fans. Jordan said, "The energy is amazing, both Notre Dame and away fans seem so thrilled to see the pipe band. All of the band and the audience's enthusiasm creates an amazing feeling of unity and excitement for everyone that can't be experienced anywhere else but Notre Dame."

That feeling of unity described by Jordan is felt every minute of the band's performance. Looking around the crowd—men and women, young and old have a look of awe on their faces. And you can tell just by watching the performance that the pipers and drum corps truly enjoy what they are doing.

On a game weekend, as I rode in the hotel elevator with a group of Western Michigan fans that had made their first trip to South Bend, these strangers said to me, "Thank you for making us feel welcome on your campus." I thanked them and thought about the example that Notre Dame students and fans are setting. It enforced my theory that a good deed done is contagious.

Every student-run hot dog and cheeseburger stand set up in the quads has something to offer. Maybe it's the glee club enticing prospective customers with songs or a student with a bullhorn on top of a ladder proclaiming to have the best bratwursts on campus. The smiles that are seen on the faces of older folks make them look young again—another direct result of the cheerfulness of the hosts.

The feeling of unity is even felt over at the campus of Saint Mary's, where the women of Saint Mary's graciously allow for parking and small tailgate parties on their property. Once again it is a friendly and comfortable atmosphere that is family friendly. The cheerful students that attend the lots are eager to answer any questions that one might have.

The closest comparison that I can make to the campus of Notre Dame is West Point where the beauty and pageantry on campus is extraordinary, but as beautiful as West Point is, the genuine kindness and helpful attitude of everyone at Notre Dame is second to none.

In these times when it is common to look the other way when someone else is in need, it is refreshing to be transported back to a time when people genuinely look out for their fellow human being. The students, staff and fanbase at Notre Dame are a true example of a place where "respect for the individual" is the standard and not the exception.