u Original design rejected for mixing football, religion
By COLLEEN McCARTHY
Associate News Editor
When many students, alumni and fans don the 2000 "Shirt" for this football season, Notre Dame senior Neil Fitzpatrick will decline to follow suit.
The Shirt, which is designed by a student and sold in various campus venues, is an organization run by students. The popular piece of apparel is a tribute to the football team and worn as a sign of solidarity by the student body at the first home football game.
For Fitzpatrick, his ordeal with The Shirt began in the spring of 2000 when he submitted a design to The Shirt committee. What followed led to much frustration for Fitzpatrick and made him question the extent to which students run the committee — or if the University's administration was calling the shots in the end.
"The design I submitted had the football players in a group holding up their helmets at the base of the Dome with the words `Proudly in the heavens gleams thy gold and blue,'" said Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick was notified that his design had been selected as the 2000 Shirt.
Peggy Hnatusko, assistant director of Student Activities programs, said that although students are responsible for selecting the design of The Shirt, it has to go through various University offices to make sure that it meets University and NCAA regulations. It was during this process that objections to Fitzpatrick's design were encountered.
"I was told that my design violated the University's policy of mixing football and religion," said Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick was then directed to Father William Beauchamp, who at that time was executive vice president of the University. Beauchamp said he was asked to look over the design although he normally did not view the designs.
"There is not a specific policy regarding the mixture of religion and football, but someone had questions about his design and I did make suggestions to Neil that the University was concerned about the design because it had the statue of the Holy Mother Mary in it," said Beauchamp. "We are very sensitive with the use of University religious symbols and wanted to be sure the use of any symbols in the design were in keeping with the appropriate use of that symbol."
Fitzpatrick detailed his conversation with Beauchamp.
"I wanted to meet with him to show him the design and ask what changes I needed to make for it to be acceptable," said Fitzpatrick. "We agreed that I would enlarge the Dome to make it a silhouette so that no details of Mary were visible and that would be acceptable. I know I repeated myself a few times as to the changes that were agreed upon."
Fitzpatrick said he was puzzled that the University would object to his use of the Dome with the football players since on the 2000 football media guide the football players are before the Dome in a design similar to his original design for The Shirt.
"I was frustrated because the school is inherently Catholic and known for football so it was frustrating not to be able to use the Dome," he said.
Fitzpatrick redesigned The Shirt with the changes he had discussed with Beauchamp. However, Fitzpatrick said he was surprised when he found The Shirt in the bookstore that did not bear his design.
"In mid-April Neil and I spoke and I notified him that a University officer had not approved the changes and The Shirt committee had gone ahead with another design," said Hnatusko. At that point, the project was behind schedule. Normally, for The Shirt committee to reach its financial goal of $200,000 it is in the bookstore in time for the Blue & Gold game with production beginning on The Shirt in mid to late March, said Hnatusko.
"This year, it was just the week of the Blue and Gold game that everything was signed and sealed for The Shirt," she said.
Hnatusko said that she was not told whom the University officer was who had rendered the decision and was not given a reason why Fitzpatrick's redesign was not approved.
"Perhaps it was that the design had not been modified enough, but that's just an assumption," said Hnatusko.
Beauchamp maintained that it had nothing to do with the rejection of the re-design.
"I gave my opinion to Neil regarding changes I thought should be made. But it was my opinion — nothing more, nothing less," said Beauchamp. "From that point on, I was not involved."
Fitzpatrick said he "felt pretty duped" at that point, especially since The Shirt he saw in the bookstore was a design close to his own but with a change of words that read "Send a Volley Cheer on High."
"I went in to talk to Peggy in Student Activities and she was adamant that it was their own design," said Fitzpatrick.
Hnatusko said when The Shirt committee found out they needed a different design, they devised the new slogan and sought student artists to conceptualize a design to match the slogan. When that failed, the committee used a graphic design by a University staff member that was from a poster. Fitzpatrick disagreed.
"I think it is pretty obvious where the inspiration for their design came from, but the design is just different enough that they can get away with thinking it is their own design," he said. "[Student Activities] did want me to come in and get the money awarded for the design to compensate for the hours and work I put in but I haven't accepted the money."
Fitzpatrick said The Shirt project seems to be less student-run than most would think.
"It is an odd mix of saying it is student-run, but having the administration ultimately have overall control," he said. "It makes it an inefficient project."
Fitzpatrick said he will not buy The Shirt this year.
"No one who knows me has bought The Shirt yet and it still bugs me every time I see someone wearing the shirt," he said. "I had gotten good feedback about the design and felt it was pretty good so I guess this is an opportunity lost."
All News Stories for Thursday, August 31, 2000
