Late Night Rounds...

Tonight I decided to wait until really late to do my last rounds in the hall. I was walking on one of the floors when I noticed a piece of scrap paper on one of the couches in the common areas. Usually I am oblivious to these kinds of trivial details; but the silence and stillness of the hall because everyone’s gone for Thanksgiving Break makes me notice things that I otherwise normally would not notice. As I looked at it more closely, I realized that it was the instructions insert for an over the counter pregnancy test. My first thought was shock, thinking, “Maybe it is old, belongs to someone else… not one of our girls!” My nosy-ness immediately kicked in… Yes, I immediately went snooping in the bathroom – and sure enough, I found the discarded box in the trash can, right in plain sight. No luck, however, finding the student or the used pregnancy test.

While my job is usually a fun one, it’s moments like this that I realize the big responsibility that has been entrusted to me. We might have a new mother in the hall tonight. I am filled with worry, concern, and fear – for her and potentially for her unborn child. Part of me wonders – did she wait until this break – when no one would be around – to take this test? Has she been potentially pregnant for some time now? Is she getting the help she needs – if she is pregnant? Or is she going through this alone, afraid and overwhelmed? More than anything I wanted to know who she is, so that I could be a support to her in this difficult time.

And then there are even more serious worries. While the University as a whole is institutionally committed to life and provides excellent resources to support pregnant students who choose to carry their pregnancies to term (http://osa.nd.edu/health-safety/assistance-for-pregnant-students), the fact of the matter is that Notre Dame is no different from any other university. There are as many young women who have abortions here as at any other university. Part of that is because Notre Dame is such a competitive academic environment. I’d imagine that most students who do get pregnant abort because of the pressure from their families, from their peers to perform, to be successful. And to many of them, an unplanned pregnancy is one obstacle too large to face.

Please say a prayer for this young woman – whoever she is: that if she is pregnant, she will choose life, and if she is not, that she will have a conversion of heart to embrace a more chaste lifestyle; finally, pray for our staff, who will need to work to reach out to our residents, and hopefully assist this young woman whatever the situation be.

Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I am thankful for (in no particular order):

* personal growth, particularly in regards to boundaries
* greater self-awareness and confidence
* peace and balance in life
* opportunity to study at Notre Dame and for my scholarship which makes it free!
* relationships with family, friends
* taking new risks - even in dating!
* becoming more fully alive
* developing new interests
* clarifying my values
* new spiritual insights - things God has taught me / showed me this year
*greater clarity about my unique calling in life
* growing in understanding of those I differ from theologically
* my health, which I often take for granted
* medical professionals, who have helped me regain my health when I've been sick
* pastors, catechists, youth ministers, professors who have taught me the faith
* my classmates - who teach me so much and challenge me to grow
* best friends, who are always only a phone call away and offer love, support, and encouragement
* my job as an Assistant Rector and all the ways it's helped me grow
* the beauty of the Fall here at Notre Dame
* puppies
* my housekeeper who cleans my room every week and who is a wonderful woman!
* squirrels
* a renewed appreciation for the Rosary and Liturgy of the Hours
* the ability to rejoice with others
* the ability to weep with others
* connectedness with others
* opportunities for quality time
* others who have reached out to me
* Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Lattes
* "target dates" vs. "deadlines" in Christology!
* dining hall workers - particularly the card swipers!
* final exam care packages
* road trips with best friends
* queen sized beds
* a healthy dose of self-acceptance and acceptance of my current state in life
* & so many other things!

Quote for the Day

Franciscan University (my alma mater) publishes an e-devotional that they send out daily. Here's the one for today, which I thought was beautiful, and is from one of my favorite priests, Fr. Dave Pivonka, who served as Vice President of the University while I was a student there:

“Watch a child. If a little boy falls in the park and scrapes his elbow, he instinctively runs to his father or mother to make it better… More often than not, the parent can do nothing except gently kiss the bruised elbow and tell the little one that it is going to be OK. The amazing thing is that often this is all the child needs. The kiss doesn’t “fix” it; it just lets the little one know that he is loved, he is not alone, and he is going to be OK. Sadly, as we grow up we begin to believe that a little kiss or a mere hug isn’t going to fix anything, so we stop asking… God the Father is inviting you to run to him with your cut elbows, broken heart or shattered dreams. No hurt is too little and none is too great.”

Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR Spiritual Freedom: God’s Life Changing Gift, Servant Books

Uconn's Epic Win

So this Saturday I went to Notre Dame's final home game of the season vs. my home favorites - The University of Connecticut -- in which the Huskies handed the Fighting Irish a 33-30 loss in double overtime.

As you can imagine, it was (going into the match) quite a conflict of interests. Here was a team I had rooted for for my entire childhood up against the school that is paying for my entire graduate education and giving me an otherwise cushy life.

In the end, I decided to root for Uconn - although I did cheer when ND scored as well. Basically whenever anyone carried, threw, or pushed the ball up the field, I cheered, much to the confusion of those around me. I was also probably the only one in the entire Notre Dame student section who knew and sang the Huskies' Fight Song.

What made this game so epic? Not only were the Huskies the underdogs going into this game (pun intended), they were coming back from a several game losing streak following the murder of starting cornerback Jasper Howard back in mid-October. This was their first win since his passing. As the Coach stated in the post-game press conference, now they finally have a game ball to send back to Jasper's bereaved mother.

Not only that, but Uconn has only been in this league since 2002. Playing against legendary teams like ND has been tough for Uconn. This Saturday they finally got their chance to shine.


Uconn Husky, symbol of might to the foe,
fight, fight Connecticut
It's vict'ry, let's go!
Connecticut Uconn Huskies, victr'y again for the white and blue
so go (fight) go (fight) go (fight)
Connecticut, Connecticut U!
C-O-N-N-E-C-T-I-C-U-T. Connecticut,
Connecticut Huskies,
Connecticut Huskies,
C-O-N-N-U!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFcnQgs5V8