Sophomores plan dance, spirit week
By JASON McFARLEY
News Editor
Faced with the challenge of replacing a scrapped class tradition, Notre Dame's Class of 2003 will see a yearlong project culminate next week with Spirit Week activities and the Sophomore Class Ball.
It's part of the Sophomore Signature Event, a first-year initiative that began after last year's cancellation of Sophomore Siblings Weekend. The weekend was a longstanding part of sophomore programming before being nixed due to safety concerns for students' visiting brothers and sisters.
Organizers of the project, which includes a week of dress-up days, sophomore-only activities and a class dance, are excited to see the preparations end and the fun begin Monday.
"All the planning is set, and we're hoping for a lot of participation from our classmates," said Karen Lysaght, who chaired the committee that oversaw arrangements for the dance.
The dance will be held Saturday, March 31 at the Century Center in downtown South Bend. Dance tickets are $20 per person or $40 per couple, and the cost includes a formal dinner.
Sophomores can purchase tickets at the LaFortune box office, and sales last through 8 p.m. Monday.
"We're encouraging people to come with dates or with a group of friends," Lysaght said. "The dance is unique; it's different from the average hall dance."
The ball wraps up a week of events aimed at boosting class spirit.
Beginning Monday, each weekday will be assigned a dress-up theme and a special activity, according to Geoff Polk, chair of the class council's Spirit Week committee.
Monday is Pajama Day, and the committee is organizing a Grab 'n Give service project from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in both dining halls. Proceeds from the food-drive-type endeavor will benefit South Bend's Center for the Homeless.
Tuesday is Decade Day, when members of the campus community can dress in clothes from their favorite past decade. The Class of 2003 will also sponsor a class breakfast from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in front of DeBartolo Hall.
People can sport their favorite Notre Dame apparel on Wednesday, which is pegged as Blue and Gold Day. A karaoke contest from 9 p.m. to midnight at Reckers is planned. Campus athletes and other personalities will serve as judges for the event.
Thursday is Costume Day. A movie night, with a showing of "Remember the Titans," is the day's featured activity, and the first 100 students to the DeBartolo screening receive free admission.
Hawaii Day is Friday's theme. Free sign-ups for the day's photo scavenger hunt run through Thursday in the Class of 2003 office on the second floor of the LaFortune Student Center. Winning teams in the scavenger hunt receive gift certificates to the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore.
On Saturday, buses begin transporting students to the class ball around 6:30 p.m. Students will not be admitted to the dance after 7:15 p.m., and dinner is served at 7:30 p.m.
"We're really encouraging people to come and support [the Sophomore Signature Event]," Lysaght said. "It's the first year, and hopefully it will take off and become an annual event."
All News Stories for Friday, March 23, 2001
