Coach's Corner.

 Cap’ Joe’s pose of “Why didn’t that go in?”

Today, we have the pleasure of meeting Joe Scollan, Steds junior and player-captain of the Steds B2 basketball team. Known by the team as “Cap' Joe,” Scollan plays like a young Mike D’Antoni, leaves defense to another player, and believes that the “three ball” is a way to get to Heaven.

When he’s not stressing game fundamentals, Cap’ Joe tells his players:

    -Play hard, showboat, and have no fear to shoot.

    -The only thing we have to fear is RecSports officiating.

    -Inter-hall basketball: the game where everything’s made up and the points don't matter. 

    -If you're not talented, then make sure to bring brownies for half time.

    -Get a rich friend so you can live in his basement when you're broke. I'm looking at you Borchert.

I am not sure what the Steds B2 record is, but with advice like that, get me a ticket!

A view from...

A cold, yet beautiful, Notre Dame morning

...the front door this morning. I never tire seeing this view...plus she's a good neighbor!

Happy Thanksgiving...

It snowed yesterday.

The Gentlemen, as I am too, are thankful for all the laughs, Yacht Dances, and memorable times associated with this special place, St. Edward's Hall. Thank you to all who help make the traditions and high jinxes carry on. God's blessing upon you all!

VIDEO: A THANKSGIVING DAY MESSAGE

What Stedsmen are thankful for...

A memorial plaque for the Managers of Ed's.

As we head to hearth and home to be with family, giving thanks for our many blessings, I want to acknowledge, those past and present, who we are thankful for…the Managers of Ed’s.  Whether it was an all-nighter or just a late night craving, we all have given thanks for Ed’s being open, offering pizza sticks and its many other offerings. Managers of Ed’s, we salute you, giving thanks for your dedication and service.

Parting shots.

Frank Soler '14, an American, New Yorker and Stedsmen

With our seniors’ last year of matriculation at Notre Dame nearly over, I think it wise to stop and hear what they have to say. Here’s what Frank Soler, Steds senior and former Hall President, had to say when he was asked to offer some parting shots.

St. Ed: What are you looking forward to in your last semester?

Soler: I'm really looking forward to my final Yacht Dance and that one last time to share the open sea with the best men on campus. Oh, yes, and the Obamacare website working. 

St. Ed: What is one of your favorite memories of Steds?

Soler: Hitting the winning three-pointer in last year's Battle for the Shadow. Always good to remind Zahm who their daddy is.

St. Ed: Looking back, would you have done anything differently?

Soler: I would never have missed a Steds inter-hall football game. I am going to miss the glory days of being an exceptionally mediocre squad. 

St. Ed: What advice would you have for those following in your wake?

Soler:  When in doubt, always order Pizza Sticks and never leave a football game early. Also, choose Yacht Dance dates wisely...

Next year Frank will be returning to Notre Dame for his Masters of Science in Accountancy, and after that, he'll be headed to NYC, working for Deloitte's Advisory practice. 

Good luck Frank!

Tour de St. Edward...

Mike (standing) and his roommate "Marco" (on the couch) 

Our Tour de St. Edward—the weekly tour of resident rooms, study lounges and popular hangouts in Notre Dame’s favorite residence hall—continues with room 301, a room with a unique view of St. Edward's Park and home to two Steds juniors. Here's what the residents, Mike and Marco, had to say when I caught up with them.

St. Ed: With two persons in the room isn't a tight fit?

Juniors: The space thing really isn't an issue.  "Marco" is a fictitious name of roommate that I enrolled at the University so that I could have a room to myself.  I'm really surprised that I've gotten this far. 

St. Ed: What makes your room unique?

Juniors: 301 is unique because it is the only double on campus with two windows on different walls...at least that's what we tell ourselves.

St. Ed: What you do wish that your room had?

Juniors: We wish that 301 had a viable fire safety plan. Being on the third floor and at the very end of the hall, we could easily be trapped by a fire. The current instructions for an emergency are to climb to safety on a fire escape that, due to sequestration, was never extended past the 2nd floor. Thanks, President Obama.

St. Ed: What would you like to see in this summer's renovation?

Juniors: Fireplaces in every room, wall-to-wall carpeting, in-ground pool, in-flight movies, make the 1st floor more like the 2nd floor, the 4th floor more like the 3rd floor, a gazebo, "Ed's Rooftop Cafe," a concierge, a consigliere, wood flooring, "Haag Monorail" between Steds and Debartolo Hall, ground floor Krispy-Kreme, more stained glass in the stairwells, two car garage, third floor Zen sand garden, some type of tornado-safe area, and probably just updated plumbing fixtures.

 Wow... what a wish list. Good thing Christmas is coming!

The last Float.

The Float must go on.

Saturday's game against BYU marked the last Steds Float. Without a doubt, it was a cold day as well as a sad day for seniors, but still, seeing the Stedsmen assemble amid such conditions and emotion to cheer on the ND Marching Band would warm any heart! Watch for yourself...

VIDEO: STEDS LAST FLOAT

Steds love its...

...moms! Sorry dads, but Steds is once again hosting its Moms' Weekend, April 4th to April 6th, 2014. While the the exact schedule of events is still being worked out, the Moms' Weekend Commissioner, Patrick Krauss, is now gauging interest, and if you haven't received an email from him, it means that your son didn't give your email address! If you came last year, come again. If you're new or haven't in the past, make sure to come. The weekend is a great time with your son, his friends and other Steds moms, and expresses what we Gentlemen never say enough, "We love our moms!"

The Haberdasher.

Wetzel experiencing the rodeo called "life."

In addition to being Hall Vice-President, John Wetzel, Texan and Steds junior, is the Steds Haberdasher. Designing fall and spring apparel offerings for the Hall, Wetzel is the Gentleman responsible for making the Hall’s Gentlemen look sharp and smartly dressed for any occasion. When Wetzel was taking a break from his various Hall offices, I was able to ask him a few questions.

St. Ed: What was the inspiration for your Steds’ fall collection this year?

Wetzel: I draw inspiration for from all over. Wherever I can find it really, and I would say:

10% Zoolander

30% St. Ed’s personal clothing selection 

20% Old photos of the Hall

30% 2013 Yacht Dance

10% GQ

10% The rodeo called “Life”

St. Ed: Ah, yes, but that equals 110%.

Wetzel: That’s what I give… I am dedicated to fashion and to the men wearing my designs, the Gentlemen.

St. Ed: What are some of the challenges in turning your fashion vision into everyday, working "haute couture"? 

Wetzel: It’s a challenge. It’s always difficult to find a maker of garments that can produce a product up to par with the quality that the Gentlemen expect and need for their active lifestyles.

St. Ed: Is there anything in your collections that you are particularly fond of?

Wetzel: I am a huge fan of the ash grey crewneck sweatshirt with “ST.ED'S” spelled out in felt block letters on the front that we offered this fall. This designed was inspired directly from the Steds archives.

St. Ed: Can you give us any hints about what we might see in the spring?

Wetzel: The only thing I can say about the spring is that there will be fewer sleeves so the Gentlemen will be ready for Spring Break.

There you have it... the Steds Haberdasher.

Down and...

#99 isn't a Steds lucky number.

out. Yes, it's true. Steds is out of this year's football playoffs, and one of its players, Jonathan "Chep" Chepkevich, is down. Chep, Steds senior, is down with a broken jaw, suffered during a game with Zahm, a game which Steds won thanks in part to Chep's sacrifice. Now able to talk and eat solid foods, I caught up with Chep and asked him his thoughts on this year's Steds football season and his injury.

St. Ed: How would you describe this year's Steds football season?

Chep: We fought the good fight. We twerked the good twerk, and we exemplified Allen Iverson's practice mentality.

St. Ed: Some say that your injuries are a result of your "No Fear" style of play. How would you respond to that?

Chep: Steds fears not pain nor any opponent. Although our injuries can be very real, we ALWAYS play without fear, namely of concussions, as they are merely a fabrication of the leftist media.

St. Ed: After making a full recovery, would you don the Steds football jersey again?

Chep: I most certainly would don the green and gold again and fight for glory alongside my generous brothers.... but first, I would need a sewing kit since they had to cut my jersey in half post-injury.

St. Ed: What advice would you pass on to those Stedsmen chasing after glory on the football field?

Chep: Always be a generous teammate. Also: If you choose to go all "WWE" and suplex the opposing team's quarterback onto your face, a liquid diet is on the horizon.

Wise advice indeed Chep...

Thoughts from abroad, kind of

Alex Caton on the Speaker’s balcony. It’s no St. Ed’s portico, but it’ll do.

  

St. Ed: When the Government shut down, were you able to go outside, or were you holed up in your residence hall?

Caton: The Senate office, the office that I am with, worked throughout the shutdown, but oddly, on my off days there was nowhere to go since all the tourist attractions are taxpayer-funded. I was able to go to the Washington Monument from a distance, though…and thanks to a kind band of WWII vets who stormed and broke through the Park Service’s defensive barricades, I was able to visit the new WWII monument.

St. Ed: Studying in the shadow of the Government, are some of your classes Log Rolling 101, Intermediate Gridlock and Advanced Gerrymandering?

Caton: I’m learning gridlock and partisanship from the pros as an intern in the US Senate. That said, my favorite class is American Political Journalism. It meets at the newsroom of the Washington Post and is taught by their Sunday opinion editor and former Steds resident, Carlos Lozada ’93.

                        

St. Ed: Recently, Azerbaijan released election results BEFORE voting had even started. Do you think that our Government could reach such a level of efficiency?

Caton: Sounds like a noble goal. If Hillary runs in 2016, I think we’ll give Azerbaijan a run for their money.

St. Ed: What do you miss from home?

Caton: I miss sleeping seven feet above the ground. I miss the feeling of my bare feet on the carpet in the Vator. I miss the Observer Viewpoint section—there have been some real gems this semester. I miss Wade in the Water at Hall Mass and having my guitar. I miss Hall Council banter and the taste of a Teger hot off the press at Ed’s. DC is a terribly interesting city, and I plan to come back after graduation, but it ain’t St. Edward’s Hall.

There you have it folks… thoughts from abroad, kind of…