University of Notre Dame - Dome Yearbook (Notre Dame, IN)

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MomK-n. of the O ' Neill frcslini;in class sign in u m their amval at Ni tre l ,uiie ;md preixire to move all ol their things in while eiifn ' - ing the fun activities of Freshman Orientation. I ' iom couTKay of Ala Frencii Orientation usuiilly invi l es crarv acrivines or behavior, including these freshmen from Fisher Hall showing their support for Pangtom. P uilo courtesy of Pamcin .Aliare; Other games may even involve the limbo, which is usually played during the Morrissey ' Lyons luau. hoco courtesy of Paul DeMo« M; ny freshmen find it easy to meet new people when coming to campus for the first rime, including these Lyxns residents. Photo counesy of Megan Camnw iCU ti c,oy ' r ' ' U« Campus Life a

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Wlmm redstart Wliat ' s more scary then leaving home for the first time? You ' re moving into an unfamiliar place, meeting new people from all over the world, and basically saying goodbye to life as you ' ve ever known it. It ' s a time of transition for everyone, and what better way to get over your fears than diving right in to the world of Frosh- O. Freslmian Orientation at Notre Dame is a mL of helpful tips, crazy games, embarrassing moments, and introduction, after introduction, after introduction! From helping new students move iii to putting on skits that demonstrate University mles, each domi has its own Frosh-O staff that packs the first weekend on campus full of activities. Tlie hectic schedule may leave you exhausted by the time Monday comes around, but it also helps you to forget your anxieties and see Notre Dame more iuid more like home. Perhaps the most important part of the orientation weekend is the exposure new students get to their classmates. Besides meeting the boys or girls from your own domi, Frosh-O includes many activities that bring dorms from all over campus together for fun, usually slightly embarrassing, events. Karaoke with Knott, being served breakfast by Fisher, tie date escorts to Domer Fest and a luau with O ' Neil are all activities McGlinn girls may experience. Usually at such events students are raiidomly matched up or put in groups before the exciting, but slightly awkward, mingling comniences. Wliere are you from? and Wliat ' s your major? are two questions you can be sure will begin many conversations throughout the weekend! Frosh-O would just not he Frosh-O without its fair share of serenading and new songs. Many guys ' dorms like Zalim, O ' Neill, and Keough spend some of their time running throughout campus and singing some crowd pleasers to random girls ' domis. Build Me Up Buttercup, You ' ve Lost That Loviiig Feeling, and various boy band numbers are popular picks that are sung in earnest trying to capture some attention, or at least please the Frosh-O leaders! Often dance routines, surprise morning wake-up calls, or nins tlirough the Stonehenge fountain follow these iniicxent outings. And of course, throughout the weekend, students are taught Tl-ie Fight Song and the Alma Mater to belt out for the first but surely not the last rime as a Domer. The orientation weekend is critical to a student ' s success at Non-e Dame, not only because of the free food and fun, but also dorm unity that begins by wearing your dorm ' s shirt for three days straight! It creates friendship, not only with classmates but with upperclassmen and advisors, it encourages discussion and questions, and makes people feel comfortable with the campus. The silly activities make everyone let down their guards a little and enjoy themselves, despite any fears or concerns. Simply by knowing each other better by the time Sunday arrives, it ' s easier to say goodbye to parents and start your college classes! e-Y klATULttH Paley Freshmen are usually involved in games like scavenger hunts that involve imitating popular buildings on campus, including Touchdown Jesus seen on the side of the Heshurgh Library. Phuki ciHinesy nf Alex Fretxch aa Freshman Orientation

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Activities on Campus Tlie war in Iraq, terrorism, the economy, homosexual marriage, and abortion are just some of the issues that have caused many Notre Dame students to shed the traditional reputation of apathy for involvement in the 2004 political campaigns of Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic Senator John Kerry. College Democrats and Republicans joined with he Rock the Vote campaign to register voters and increase voter awareness on the Notre Dame campus. For freshmen, studying the campaign began early. The fresbnen were assigned T ie Vanishng Voter as required summer reading. Tlie book deals with the trend of increasing apathy toward voting and politics. On September 2, 2004, author Thomas Patterson, a professor of government at Harvard University, visited Notire Dame for the First Year of Studies Academic Convocation. The convocation consisted of ;in interview followed by a question and answer periexf, wliich allowal students to ask Patterson about his h.x)k iind liis views. The first 250 students at the convocation received Voting Irish t-sliirts. In addition to numerous student debates, Natuynal Review cxlitor Richard Lowry and Tim Natiim editor David Com debatal at Washington Hall. Lowry presented the conservative argument while Gim offered the liberal. Tliey debated on many of the major issues of the campaign, focusing especially on the war. The College Republicans also sponsored a Republican convention watch at LaFortune. In addition, many domis and groups sponsored debate watches where students gathered to see President Bush and Senator Kerry face off on the issues. The director of labor policy for the Kerry Edwards campaign, Marco Trbovich, gave a lecture titled Tlie Power of Libor in Presidential Politics. UxA leaders also traveled to the Noo-e Dame campus. Joe Donnelly, a U.S. Representative for Indiana and the Democratic challenger to Chris Chocola, spoke to the QJlege Democrats at LaFortune. Chocola spoke to students at Saint Mary ' s College about his political experiences and his campaign. The Center for Serial Concerns offered a sbc-week, one-credit course called QinscicTice in the Crossfire. Stijdents, who ranged from freshmen to seniors, attended tliis class for two hours every Monday, participating in discussions and listening to guest speakers. Tlie class ' s purpose was to encourage students to vote using their conscience and take an active part in politics. In addition to diis class, the Center for Stxial Gincems also held numerous Iccaires on topics such as the election, trade, the role of religion in politics, the economy and Iraq. On October 26, a week before the general election, WVH, WSND-FM, NDTV, iind Sdmkmh Magazine held a mock election where students could cast dieir vote throughout the day at LaFortime. Bush won the mtx:k election by receiving 47.5% of die vote; Kerry Ciune in second with 46.8% . Many sftidents participated in the preparation for the 2004 election hv simply watching the live debates from LaFortune or their dorm ' s common areas. Photo by Bizcibeth Heshurgh ftY Amy W Audta aa Section Activities «