Same Space, Different Feel

As some of you know, last semester I got involved with a group called TransPose. TransPose is a contemporary dance company that is completely student run and student choreographed. Now, some of you may be asking yourself, what is contemporary dance? Lord knows that I had no idea when I joined. The style of contemporary dance draws from different types of dance and innovates them, adding something new. You have probably heard of ballet, (I would hope) so let me start there. Ballet is characterized by leading movements with your feet or your hands and is very focused on flow. There are few sharp or abrupt movements in ballet. (Disclaimer: This is only my basic understanding. Please don't throw rotten food at me if I make a mistake!)

At its basic level, contemporary dance explores movement led by other parts of the body. Say, an elbow. Making your body follow your elbow out to the side and back over your shoulder opens up your torso for another movement while also changing the direction your are facing. These types of movements embody contemporary dance.

Most dance performances happen on stage. At Notre Dame, they can be in Washington Hall or on one of the stages in DPAC. A unique thing about this group, TransPose, is that they strive to never perform on an actual stage. Last semester, our show took place in the ballroom of the LaFortune Student Center and this semester in the Jordan Hall of Science. Not only are we performing in unique places but we are doing it in unique ways.

In the fall, the opening number took place with the audience eagerly crouched in the center of the ballroom while the dancers of the first piece, including myself, danced in a circle around them, rotating the circle as the dance progressed. Despite a brief and uncomfortable encounter with a pillar during a jump turn, it was thrilling as a dancer. From the reactions of the audience, I think they enjoyed it too. In Jordan, the audience entered from the north entrance and with each dance moved further down the grand galleria until the finale in the reading room on the opposite side of the building.

Dancing in these places has changed how I view them. Excluding the fact that this post is essentially a shameless plug for TransPose, this aspect of the group in particular has affected me personally. When I walk into Jordan, barely awake for chemistry at 8:30 in the morning, I walk over a spot where I performed. I trudge toward class remembering how I jumped and twirled for an audience not three feet away. I think it is wonderful that the University allows groups like TransPose to use these spaces because it gives it that little something extra. When I attend a lecture in the LaFortune Ballroom, the pieces I performed there run through my head. When I show people the fancy Jordan Hall of Science, I can speak not only of the hours of classes and labs that I attended there but also of the dance and emotion that flowed through an otherwise academically devoted building.

This is part of why I love it here at Notre Dame so very, very much. I would be nowhere else, but at Notre Dame.

Travel Monkey Likes to Travel

I think I inherited the travel gene from my dad. In approximately twelve hours, I will be getting picked up to start my medical brigade in Quito, Ecuador for the week of fall break. Sponsored by the Timmy Foundation, I and about fourteen other students, two doctors, a PA, a pharmacist and a nurse will depart from the airport on our trip tomorrow morning to work in a clinic serving patients from around Quito.

This will be my latest traveling adventure in my infamous unspoken and unacknowledged 'continent contest' with my dad. He has always been a world traveler because of meetings and clients galore. Because he works so hard, we as a family have been able to travel with him. I'm positive that I inherited the travel gene.

You see, Dad and I have been neck and neck in our continent contest and at long last, I am about to pull ahead. (The contest may or may not exist only in my head, fyi.) At this very moment, we are tied. We have both been to Asia (Dad- China and more, Me- India), Africa, Europe, and North America. Dad has visited South America in the past but has not been to Australia. I was lucky enough to go to Australia with People to People Student Ambassadors back in 2003 sans parents. Recap: we're tied 5-5. Soon, I will be up to 6 continents! How blessed can one person be? How lucky am I to have a family that works so hard that I am able to do such amazing things?!

I cannot wait to go and serve the people of Quito in a medical setting. The chance to practice my medical Spanish combined with experiencing the culture of Ecuador is going to be fantastic. I am so proud of the Timmy Foundation's mission and am glad to be a part of it. I hope everyone has safe travels this fall break and I'll be back in a week! God bless!

Fight Like a Champion

You would think I would feel bad about being aggressive to take pictures with famous people after having so many people in India sneak pictures of me, the blond white girl. But no, researchers have discovered that aggressive camera use is definitely acceptable, especially when the result is a picture with Regis Philbin!

He is really short but he's adorable!

Regis wasn't the only celebrity alumnus to appear at Notre Dame yesterday. The pep rally for the Michigan State game was graced by the presences of Condoleezza Rice, an ND graduate, the actual Rudy Ruttiger, former head coach Ara Parseghian and the 1966 National Championship winning Fighting Irish football team!

The Real Rudy Ruttiger!

Last night also marked Notre Dame's first professional boxing match hosted in the JACC on campus. "Fight Like a Champion" featured main event Mike Lee, a 2009 graduate of Notre Dame and three time winner of Bengal Bouts, who is now 7-0 undefeated and five other fights. The proceeds from the fight went to the Ara Parseghian Foundation to support research on Neimann Pick Type C disease. The fights were fantastic! We had ringside seats and were close enough to see without having to glance up at the jumbo-tron. Since we were on the floor, we got tickets to the Mike Lee after party where I got an autograph and a picture with him!

He had already showered by this time. :)

Needless to say, last night was a great amazing night spent with my dad and a few friends. Let's just hope the game today lives up to the hype from last night!

Go Irish! Beat Spartans!

Always Remember, Never Forget

Five thousand students gathered in memory: 

9/11/2011

Never forget.

Photo available for purchase through photos.nd.edu

And God said, Let There Be Fish!

At long last, my fish tank that has sat barren (except for a bubble-blowing dragon ceramic) under my television stand is filled with life! Four fish currently inhabit my tank: a black molly, a silver molly and two swordtail fish! They are currently getting used to their home and continue to spaz out if anything comes near their tank. I hope they will calm down a little as they explore their new tank and tank mates.

I had a fantastic visit with my dad today after he drove my car up to Notre Dame. As soon as lunch was mentioned, we were off-campus in a jiffy. Notre Dame has one of the best dining halls in the country (North Dining Hall is better than South!) but sometimes, it is just nice to get off campus. My stomach dutifully snarfed down endless salad and breadsticks at Olive Garden. In between mouthfuls, I was able to catch up with my dad on what was going on in our lives. Olive Garden was super busy today but that isn't too much of a surprise since it is Labor Day. Why else would people randomly go to Olive Garden on a Monday? (Note: We're talking about normal people; I'd go to Olive Garden whenever if I only could!)

Speaking of Labor Day, guess who had class today? That's right, this girl. I walked into my Anthropology class bright and early at 8:30am this morning wrapped in a fleece. By the way, why was it sixty degrees today? It is still early September and it was 96 degrees two days ago, we shouldn't have started our decent into cold yet...right?...please?

Anyways, even my Anthropology teacher was confused at why we were having class on Labor Day. It was the first time he had ever taught on Labor Day! To apologize for making us wake up so early, he gave us a super easy quiz and I'm sure everyone who even skimmed the homework appreciated the free A. It makes sense when you remember that we have an entire week for our fall break while most universities only get a day or two but still, I don't like waking up early. Silly classes only being available at certain times saddled me with 8:30's MWF.

Of course the rest of my classes passed by too slowly because I knew I would get to see my dad as soon as I finished for the day. After what seemed like its own piece of forever, organic chemistry finished and I got a text saying that he was here. After that, there was nothing left to do but climb on my bike and rush back to PW! The time for me to leave him at the airport came way too quickly. Even so, I had a wonderful time picking out fish and eating soup and salad and breadsticks at Olive Garden with my dad.

Cheers for awesome fathers!

345 Coffee Shop: Open for Business

It seems as if I have opened my very own little coffee shop out of my dorm room. Now, I do not drink coffee. I've tried it a few times but am unable to stomach the taste. I've had good and bad responses from this. The good: 'That's great, that way you can't get addicted to it and there's more for me!' and the bad: 'What? You don't like coffee? How do you survive?' As to how my little coffee shop came to be, that's another story.

For my birthday, my parents wanted to give me a true princess gift: something that was absolutely unnecessary yet would be a convenience. Enter Keurig Coffee Maker. The fancy Keurig machines are sweeping offices across the nation--and college dorm rooms-- to provide quick and easy access to coffee at the click of inserting a K-cup and the push of the brew button.

As I sit here typing and drinking my English Breakfast Tea, I can tell you that the machine does not only make coffee but makes all sorts of hot drinks. All you need is the specific K-cup for the drink you want. They are all available online and most are spectacular. My Keurig was bought knowing that I would only be drinking hot chocolate (dark, milk, and white) and tea hence the 'princess gift'. Now, note that I am not complaing. I absolutely love my Keurig coffeemaker!

However, when I opened the box for the Keurig, there were six boxes worth of sample K-cups and guess what? All of them were caffeinated coffee! From the purchase of a second Keurig machine made by my brother and I for my parent's anniversary, I have their sample boxes since my Dad only drinks decaf and my mother, tea. So here I sit, the fanciest contraption currently out on the market on my shelf and over sixty K-cups for coffee. What do I do? Share with my fellow dorm-mates, of course!

I made the offer to all my friends and to the freshmen living in my section that if they want coffee in the mornings that I have 8:30am classes MWF and would be glad to supply them if they brought their own mugs. All I do is write "Coffee's hot!" on my white board. As such, I have three regular coffee drinkers who stop by at different times during the day to get something hot to drink. Slowly but surely, my stockpile of undrinkable (to my eyes) coffee is being drunk by people who enjoy it. I can't believe it has worked out so wonderfully! Once I run out of coffee, I'll give the girls the website to order more of their favorite and tell them that they can store their K-cups under my futon and can have coffee whenever they want!

Got to love my Pdub girls! I know I'll be refilling the water a lot come winter time. Bring it on, South Bend! I have Keurig on my side!

Jewels, Jewels, Everywhere!

NB: Now I know this post is extremely late as I've been back in the states for a little while but I will have you know that I took diligent notes the days of the events described here so I can still convey to you how I felt while I was there. So with an apology to those who have been kept waiting (and to those who were lovingly bugging me) here goes:

Trains are perhaps the most well used transportation worldwide. From America to England to India, railroad tracks crisscross the country. As they are one of the main sources of transportation in India, what would a visit be without a train ride? Down the street from the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church  on Abu Road (where I've been staying) is a railway station with a few sets of tracks. With an 8:30pm train and tickets confirmed only a short two hours before, Fr. Sajo and I climbed into our sleeper car among hundreds of other passengers headed north towards New Delhi.

I admit, it was a little awkward to be dodging people who were attempting to take a picture of me with their phones but I managed. With intelligent crowd-weaving techniques learned at my mother's knee, I was able to avoid most of the picture seekers. With that said, if you see poor quality, random pictures of me pop up somewhere on the internet, that's where they are from!

The train ride to New Delhi was about ten hours long. It was our good fortune that most of the trip occurred while we slept. I wasn't informed until after the fact but apparently my wonderful hosts booked our train tickets on the most luxurious train available. It was actually pretty nice. There were three levels of beds and sheets and a wool blanket were provided. Comparing this ride to one I took to New Orleans from Memphis, there were only minor differences in breathing room. However, one major difference: the facilities. On an American train, the restrooms are similar to airplane restrooms. You get a seat, some toilet paper and a sink. On an Indian train, you have a hole and a sink. Albeit, there are two 'platforms' for your feet with the hole appropriately placed behind them for you to squat. However, at two in the morning when you really have to go, facing that with a mini-pouch of Kleenex in hand was not exactly what I expected. My recommendation? Go before you leave, every time, and you'll be fine.

We arrived in New Delhi to a much bigger train station than the one we had left behind. With fifteen sets of tracks that we had to cross in an attempt to find our driver. After dodging more clicking camera phones, we were safely in the car and I was free to gape out the windows at the biggest city I had seen in India (excluding flying into Mumbai late at night which doesn't really count). We got settled into our 'hotel' and by some luck managed to have two rooms with king beds (twins stuck together) and televisions. While the beds were little more than wood with a thin two inch thick mattress, it was rather spiffy. The first thing I discovered as Father Sajo and I shared bread and jam for breakfast was NDTV. Now I know of NDTV as Notre Dame Television. This NDTV was either New Delhi TV, National Delegating TV, or a hidden subset of Notre Dame that they keep quiet for unknown purposes. I have my suspicions.

Despite potential nefarious television schemes, we set off a few hours later for the site to beat all sites: the Taj Mahal. From the train station it was about 250 kilometers to the Crown Palace and I saw the craziest thing on the drive: quadrilingual signs! I wasn't able to get a picture of an actual street sign because we were either driving too quickly or there was another car in the way but I did get a snap of this one. The languages go Hindi, English, ???, and Malayalam. Most signs were bilingual with Hindi and English but there were quite a few that were quadrilingual.

Once we reached the Taj Mahal it was all I could do to contain my excitement. We had to park about one and a half kilometers away and as soon as we stepped out of the car, we were accosted by vendors selling pamphlets, booklets, necklaces and more. We were pushed onto a bike cart faster that you could say 'the Taj Mahal' and were scootering our way towards the West Gate. The Taj Mahal is amazing. The Taj Mahal is gorgeous. The Taj Mahal is beautiful. The Taj Mahal is any adjective that describes beauty, amazement, or perfection. I let the tour guide in me speak before I leave you with the pictures that can speak for themselves. The Taj Mahal is over 150 feet tall and is mostly made of marble. The top thirty feet is actually bronze. It is actually a tomb for the Maharaja and his third wife and was made as a symbol of his love for her. The way it was built brings to mind my seventh grade field trip to the Parthenon replica in Nashville, Tennessee as the Taj Mahal was built the same way: to look perfectly straight to the naked eye while in reality slanting. To climb the stairs to actually look inside the building required booties to cover your feet. They were remarkably similar to the foot covers used in operating rooms in the States. Once you got inside amid the press of the crowd you climbed a few more stairs to view the replicas of the two tombs. The actual tombs were ten meters below but because of vandalism or safety concerns (I couldn't quite understand our guide) replicas were constructed.

Perhaps the most amazing facet of the Taj Mahal is that though it looks like it has designs painted on it, absolutely no paint was used in its or its gates' construction. It is all white marble and gems inlaid into the surface of the marble. The jewels included onyx, lapis lazuli, turquoise, malachite, jasper and mother of pearl! Even though this is a blog and is supposed to be filled with my wonderfully melodramatic words, I can honestly say that I lack the writing ability to accurately depict the beauty of the Taj Mahal without the use of pictures.

The Royal/North Gate

Megan at the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal from a Distance

Eastern Facade of the Taj Mahal

We also visited several other places along the way to the Taj Mahal including a Jai Guru Dev temple which was built to honor a man that followers believe to have become a god and a gorgeous set of archaeological monuments. The Jai Guru Dev temple was modeled on the Taj Mahal and the lighting around the center of the building was quite... flamboyant. The archaeological site was beautiful and extremely detailed. I took lots of pictures specifically for my architecture major friend but the most stunning monument was the tallest stone tower in India at about 130 feet tall with its alternating rounded and angled columns.

Last but definitely not least, we visited the Lotus Temple. The symmetry of the petals in addition to the shallow pools set below the structure to make it look like a flower sitting in water absolutely stunned me with its beauty. We had to remove our shoes before we climbed up onto the main platform but we were allowed inside the temple itself. I can only imagine the acoustics inside as it is only one giant room. The picture below is actually taken from rather far away if that is any help in deciphering the enormity of this temple.

The trip to New Delhi was absolutely amazing and I had the most fantastic time. I hope you have enjoyed my seemingly far-fetched but very fact-based tales. I will never forget my experiences in India nor the great people I had the luck to meet. Thank you all for keeping up with me and my fiercely delayed posts. Also, cheers for proper formatting! At last Blogger decided to cooperate with me! With a final flourish, tour guide Megan is gone and frantic packing-for-college Megan has returned. Until next time!

Mount Abu - Like the Monkey! (And More)

After thinking about Mount Abu I have a desperate need to watch all three Aladdin movies. Who could ever forget that rascal of a monkey who just had to grab the ruby and bring the entire cave down on his human friend? Little did I know, that Mount Abu was filled with monkeys of its own! Nota Bene: At the request of a few readers, I have added many more photos to this post. To prevent this page loading slowly, they are sized to be tiny however you can click on them to enlarge the picture!) 

Before we reached the marvelous monkeys, we visited what is called Meditation Hall -- the largest pillar-free hall in Asia. It seats about twenty-five thousand people and is mostly used for religious ceremonies. 

We took a lot of fun pictures with several different poses outside of the hall. One spectacular one involves Fr. Simon however I’m pretty sure he would not appreciate it on the internet. So alas, I shall leave you wanting. The two gorgeous ladies with me are Sonia on the left and Anju on the right. 

From Meditation Hall we actually started up the mountain proper swerving around corners with only a horn blast to forewarn anyone coming from the opposite side. I will admit that I caved to my seatbelt while my fellow passengers laughed at my insecurity. At that point, I had not quite become comfortable with the Indian inclination to not wear a seatbelt -- except in the cities. And then there were monkeys!

We kept driving around seeing the different sites on Mount Abu. The most spectacular was the Jainist temple Dilwara. We were not allowed to take any pictures but we got a small booklet of postcards that have the gorgeous images on them. The temple was constructed entirely out of marble -- a specialty of this area of Rajasthan -- and the details were exquisite! I wish I could share that beauty here but there are no words to describe how amazing it was. 

Next we visited the Gardens of Peace. The archway leading in bearing a startlingly similar symbol to the Nazi symbol (which I have now discovered is a Hindu symbol) we were led in by a preacher of sorts. I thought that Christians were the evangelists but boy I was wrong. This man attempted so fiercely to convert me to the mixture of Jainism and Hinduism represented at the gardens that Father almost got himself thrown out. It would have been easier to get away from his preaching if priests here wore the traditional white collar that we have come to know in America but unfortunately they do not. And thus it was until the sky started to drizzle that I was able to beg off. We stayed to take some pictures of the things they had stationed around the enclosure. Here is a picture that marks the entrace to the ‘children’s zone’ of the enclosure that is designed to entice small children.

After we visited the gardens, the rains truly came. When we think of rains in America, we think of maybe a few hours of rain that the windshield wipers can easily handle. Just a casual once a week kind of rain. Here, it is completely different. The rain came down so hard that we took to the car for safety. We arrived at a sister school to St. Anselm’s on Mount Abu to drop off the sister who had accompanied us and huddled inside there waiting for the downpour to lessen. It never did become less than a deluge but we eventually took our leave from the school. Areas that had been perfectly dry and barren as we ascended the mountain became waterfalls filled with dirty water cascading down the mountain. 

The weekend of the 15^th of July amounted to our vacation to Jaipur. Sonia and Anju joined Fr. Soji, the other priest at St. Anselm’s at two in the morning as we departed on the six (realistically seven) hour drive. We slept most of the drive there and were exhausted when we finally arrive. We switched out drivers for one who knew the area and the highlights as well as to give our poor drive the chance to get some shut-eye. 

We set off through the crowded streets of Jaipur to our first stop: a gigantic marble temple. While I lack the proper memory to tell you its name, I will probably end up google-ing it and finding out. 

Next stop: Jaipur Zoo. There were many beautiful animals there including leopards and tigers. I personally found all the other native Indian tourists ogling at the crocodiles and alligators to be quite entertaining.  Outside the zoo:  He says ‘Peace’.

We then journeyed to the National History Museum situated in Jaipur. Anju and Sonia had a moment of joy right off the streets of New York as they ran into the fifty or so pigeons on the ground in front of the museum. They were unsure at first but after I scared a few pigeons off by stomping at them, they took to the idea very quickly with rather large smiles on their faces. 

Something that probably shouldn’t have surprised me was the price difference for natives versus foreigners. To get into the museum, Indian tourists had to pay a mere 20 Rupees, the equivalent to about $0.50. For me, on the other hand, we were charged R 150 the equivalent to about $3.50. While four dollars is not much in our eyes, it was a startling difference. (Don’t even get me started on the entrance fee to the Taj Mahal! R20 vs. R750! [$0.50 vs $18!]) Even so, the museum was very interesting and they even had their own mummy. I got several pictures but the lighting wasn’t wonderful so they did not turn out quite as well as I had hoped. 


Another rain started while we were in the museum and we were crowded around the covered pathways that formed a square around the courtyard. Very quickly, people were trying to take pictures of me. This is the less glorious side to being like a celebrity (a status brought about by nothing other than my blonde hair, pale skin, and blue eyes), the constant photographs. Finally, I gently took one girls phone from her handed it to her mother and smiled next to her. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate taking photographs by myself? The next notable person who wanted a photo was a father with his barely toddler age son sitting on his shoulders. Practically throwing his child at me, he took a picture and showed it to me afterwards. I think that little boy is going to be made fun of for the picture of him screaming for his father, arms extended towards the camera, with an apologetic looking American holding him. The second to last spot (but most important) we visited was an old fort and palace of the Maharaja. 

The palace turned fort or fort turned palace (I couldn’t quite catch all the words from our guide) served the hidden castle buff in me quite well. After a few well placed questions regarding scructures around the place, the security guard seemed to like me and my interest enough that he gave us a private (free!) tour of the entire locale. From real life murder-holes (holes made in the wall to allow you to get your target without him being able to see you: see picture) to a royal garden that had been walked by the Maharaja (prince) himself the palace was beautiful. I knew all that knowledge about castles and forts would come in handy someday. (I salute you, Tamora Pierce!)

Last, but not least: the greatest news of this entire post. I, Megan Christine Schlitt, had the undeniable pleasure of riding a camel. The trip to some beautiful refurbished Hindu gardens that concluded our Jaipur trip paled in comparison to the fact that I rode a real life, honest to God camel.  And with that, I’ll close this extra long post with a victorious picture of me mounted on the aforementioned camel.

B.S. Memorial School

Here's a laugh for today:

Imagine saying, "Yes, mommy, I go to BS Memorial School! Go BS!" 

Visa, Visa, Visa!

I have been having a wonderful time relaxing for the first half of my summer. Currently, we have gathered for Grandma and Grandpa's 50th wedding anniversary and Grandma's birthday in Hilton Head, South Carolina and it is gorgeous here! I got to meet the newest addition to my family after a few years delay and though she still doesn't know my name, I had a blast building sandcastles with her older sister. Despite infamous family tempers, we haven't quite killed each other yet. This bodes well since I'm still here until the end of the week!

One particular fun part of this trip is taking requests on guitar. I have entertained the drunk legions (sorry, I just had to use the word legion in this post, I couldn't resist!) of family and will be doing the same thing tonight. As long as they don't scream for Free Bird, I'm sure it will go smoothly. I've actually become much better at singing and playing at the same time this trip. You know me and coordination: I need as much practice as I can get!

On the other side of the world (literally) my Indian visa was finally approved and sent back to the outsourcing company earlier today. It is being overnighted to my house so after much stress on my end, I will be able to leave for India on schedule. I was contacted by a priest who works at home who worked at St. Anselm's for four years earlier in the millennium and was able to tell me what I'll be teaching. Grades 5-12 all have built in 'English Conversation' classes so I will be taking over that hour of class. Whether I will play more of a teaching assistant role or be the sole professor, I have yet to discover. I leave next Monday so there may be a few quick updates while I'm bored sitting in the airport in Mumbai!

I have missed blogging this summer and am happy to be back in business! Until later!

Tunnels under Notre Dame

Ever wonder why it looks like a random patch of grass has been plowed of snow during the winter on campus? That pathway across North Quad, or the one between Flanner and Grace? All those spots around campus are actually tunnels! Students on campus have an opportunity to take a tour of these tunnels and two sections in PW did just that. Read on for some of the interesting facts you never knew about the tunnel system under Notre Dame!

First and foremost, the tunnels under campus are HOT! Walking through the tunnels felt like a sauna, although it wouldn't quite fit the 'purifying' aspect of a true sauna. These tunnels are filled with pipes and more pipes carrying water and steam throughout campus. They were never meant for students to use to go to class during winter. They maintain an average of one hundred degrees fahrenheit no matter the weather outside. Imagine walking into that with all of your winter gear on. No thank you!

On campus, our air conditioning is a bit different than most places. Usually, air is cooled and then blown out of the conditioner to provide, you guessed it, cool air. However, at ND, the plant chills large amounts of water which are pumped to campus (not through the tunnels). The chilled water is funneled through a radiator-like system and air is blown through the bars to provide cool air. Now you would think that the powerplant uses more steam and energy to heat us up during the cold South Bend winters but actually, it goes through more steam in the summer to provide cooling!

Last year, around November, there was an electrical fire inside the tunnels near the LaFortune student center with no known cause. LaFun was closed for nearly two days and smelled like smoke for weeks! They were forced to leave the doors to the building open to try and air it out so it was definitely a few cold weeks to study in LaFortune that year!

If you are a senior at our Lady's university, going on the tunnel tour sponsored by the staff at the power plant is more beneficial than for the common student. Only during the tour during Senior week, you are allowed to sign the tunnel walls at specific points along the tour. As we walked through the tunnels, once we got our minds off the heat, it was super cool to be able to see all of the seniors who had been here before us.

A little bit of trivia to finish us off: back in the 80's there was a man, a previous employee of the university utility staff, who really wanted to hear a Presidential speech that was occurring in the JACC. Having his handy-dandy key to the tunnels, he decided to traverse underground to the JACC so that he could listen. Little did he know, when he opened up the hatch to step into the JACC, the secret service men were waiting for him! Needless to say, he enjoyed the company of our wonderful secret service men until the President's plane was airborne.

That's it! I hope you enjoyed these fun facts about the tunnels under Notre Dame. High fives to all of the great workers who keep water flowing for our showers and heat for those cold winter nights.