Watch the Bouts, support Bangladesh
Letter to the Editor
Tonight, many Notre Dame students are going to mix it up.
Tonight, punches will be thrown and noses bloodied, but don't be too worried about it. At the end of the fight, the students will embrace better friends than when it began.
Tonight, one of the greatest traditions on the Notre Dame campus, The Bengal Bouts, will begin.
The Bouts are an offshoot of Knute Rockne's boxing program that under the management of Dominic "Nappy" Napolitano took on a charitable goal. They have been a fixture on this campus for 71 years and have sent as much as $71,000 to our brothers and sisters in Bangladesh.
There are plenty of reasons to attend the Bengal Bouts over the next week. Come to hear the outrageous nicknames people come up with. Watch your friend, roommate or significant other in competition and out of support for his six weeks of hard work. See a sport that isn't in the mainstream on its purest amateur level. But most importantly, come to support the Bangladeshi family of five that can live for two weeks off the proceeds of your $10 student ticket.
If you are from South Bend or the surrounding area, come to watch Josh Thompson, Mark Criniti and Luke Dillon who attended area high schools. If you are a senior, come for your last tournament to watch Pete Ryan, who has been winning fights since your freshman year. But no matter where you are from or how old you are, come in support of the Holy Cross priests who work so hard to improve the lives of an impoverished people half a world away.
This year promises a record number of fighters and over a dozen returning champs and finalists. Having studied for six weeks under the tutelage of alumni coaches Terry Johnson and Tom Suddes, they are eager to showcase their talents for the community. On behalf of the coaches, managers and student captains, please consider this your cordial invite to the Bengal Bouts.
We invite you to cheer for the fighter who takes his licks for a kid who can't get a break in Bangladesh. We invite you to study the veteran who boxes with precision for the student learning the fundamentals of math and science at Notre Dame College in Dhaka. We invite you to grimace for the young man spilling his blood to fill the mouths of children he will never know. At the end of the night, we invite you to put your hands together for the fighters who fought a brave battle, not against each other, but against Bangladeshi poverty.
Joshua Thompson
Brian Hobbins
Co-Presidents
Notre Dame Boxing Club
February 21, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Thursday, February 22, 2001
