I grew up with Rock’s House, and I’ve lived through one addition, which was done well, respecting the fact that the stadium with a needed addition. Brian Kelly, Jack Swarbrick and Fr. John Jenkins aren’t seeing the big picture in my opinion. College football capitalism has officially overtaken the beautiful simple tradition that is Notre Dame — something that never needed to adapt to the “change or die” attitude.
We need people in charge who love this place for what it was and what it is, not for what they can do to leave their stamp. While this Campus Crossroads project is no doubt architecturally sound and attractive in its own right, this building design is not representative of Notre Dame or ND football. Turf fields and Jumbotrons are nothing more than ploys to save and make more money, respectively: plain and simple.
We're lowering our standards. The fact that Notre Dame would associate itself with such weak ideals is not only in direct opposition to Catholic (and Hesburgh) values but appalling to people who believe in leading by example and optimizing for the good of all. $75 for a college football game? Despicable. At least we know what the money is going. Until they start advertising on the Jumbotrons, which is, of course, an inevitability. Then I don’t know where all the money will go to — maybe another great idea.
Joe Schwartz
class of 2002
Aug. 31
