SOTD 4.30

Colder Weather, Zac Brown Band

Ring by Spring

Listen to my report on to see how the shifting face of marriage has changed the Ring by Spring tradition at Notre Dame.

"Ring by Spring" is a marriage tradition dating back to coeducation at Notre Dame. The term refers to couples who become engaged before graduating from college. As the legend goes, a couple will take a romantic walk around the lakes, the boyfriend will propose to his girlfriend at the Grotto, and their wedding will take place at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. These three steps complete the Ring by Spring tradition.

At Notre Dame, where traditions abound, Ring by Spring is perceived to have been wildly popular in the past. I interviewed different parties at Notre Dame to get the inside scoop about Ring by Spring. Kailyn and Mark, seniors who became engaged last December, discussed their reasons for wanting to marry. Professor Pamela Butler, an expert on the history of marriage in America, discussed the implications of marrying at a young age and how Ring by Spring fits into the larger history of marriage in this country. Lastly, Freshman Katie DuFour shared the results of the study she did at Notre Dame about whether or not people are interested in getting engaged at a young age and her opinions on the tradition.

I came to the conclusion that Ring by Spring is not as common as it is perceived to be at Notre Dame. While there are still a number of undergraduate couples who are engaged, they are in the minority of their class and often judged by their classmates for choosing to get married so early. Most importantly, their motivation to get engaged is not at all connected to an interest in carrying out the Ring by Spring fantasy. Kailyn and Mark insist that the Ring by Spring tradition had nothing to do with their motivation to get engaged before graduation. They feel they are simply ready to settle down and live their lives together.

In history, marrying young could benefit women especially. Many of them attended college looking to obtain an "MRS degree," basically on the lookout for a future husband. Once becoming engaged, they gained the security the marriage provided. In the present, this reality no longer exists. In fact, marrying young can work against the potential economic prosperity a women will have in her career. Especially at Notre Dame, where a large majority of women are career focused and capable.

Marrying young has shifted from goal to a happenstance.

"Day at the Notre Dame Grotto & Lakes"

"Day at the Notre Dame Grotto & Lakes", a set on Flickr.

For my photography project, I exposed what it would be like to spend a day at the Grotto at Notre Dame. Arriving at 6:20am, I watched the sunrise over St. Joseph’s lake at 7:02. It took the sun 19 minutes to fully rise above the clouds sitting on the horizon and become fully visible. At 7:21, when the sun had fully risen, St. Joseph’s lake was quite choppy but St. Mary’s lake was as calm as glass.

The average person spent between three and five minutes at the Grotto. The majority of visitors did not give a donation in the collection box. As a matter of fact, no students donated money before lighting a candle. Very few visitors did. The average adult visitor lit two candles. The average student lit one. Eleven people stopped to place their hand on the rock from the Grotto at Lourdes and say a prayer. Of the visitors that came to the Grotto, about ninety percent of them knelt down to say a prayer after lighting a candle. Four people prayed with a rosary.

At 12:09 an elderly man rode up the path toward the Grotto on a blue and silver bicycle. He opened a cabinet beneath where the candles are kept and pulled out a pair of blue gloves. He began disposing of the burnt out candles and threw away the wooden sticks used to light the candles that were used up. He then pulled out a broom and began sweeping away the ashes, dirt and leaves on the Grotto floor. He then lit a candle himself, walked out of the gated area, got back on his bicycle and rode back down the road at 12:28.

It began raining at 6:48pm. The 5 people visiting the Grotto at that time quickly dispersed. For the rest of the night, only 8 people visited the Grotto. Because of the rain, none of them knelt down to pray. They spent an average of 2 minutes there.

The following photographs were taken on a DSL-R camera and edited using iPhoto. The photos are arranged in the order they were taken. The project was done on April 17, 2013.

SOTD 4.9

Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash

Behind the Duties of a Notre Dame Rectress

Sr. Mary is the rectress of Pangborn Hall on Notre Dame campus. As a rectress, her duties include providing comfort and support for residents of the Hall, coordinating dorm events, enforcing dorm rules, and regulating the on-campus living experience in Pangborn. This is her fifth year living as a rectress in Pangborn after being raised and living in Grand Rapids, MI. 

Sr. Mary participates in the Our Father during chapel mass in Pangborn.

Sr. Mary directs students during the process of room picks.

Sr. Mary directed room picks, a process in which residents pick their
 room assignments for the following year in the dorm. 

Beginning at 8:00pm, Sr. Mary and the rest of hall staff worked
late into the night on room assignments for the dorm residents next year.

Working with Resident Assistants (RA) is a big part of
the rectress's job. She is also responsible for interviewing
and choosing students to fill the position of RA each year.

Sr. Mary assists the priest during communion at
mass on Sunday nights in the Pangborn chapel.

As is tradition, Sr. Mary addresses the members of Pangborn Hall
following Sunday mass. Her announcements include information about
upcoming dorm events, opportunities to get involved on campus, and administrative details. 

Summer Hits Notre Dame

As soon as the good weather hit, Notre Dame students flocked outside to enjoy some Vitamin D in South Quad.