As a Notre Dame student, I am a huge fan and proud supporter of athletics. I found the caption to the photo depicting Ryan Grant under Brian Kronk's "From Green to Blue" article yesterday to be troublesome. The phrase "hangs his head in shame" had me outraged from the time I saw it. I don't think he's hanging his head in shame at all.

Shame comes from not taking pride in what you do, not being loyal to your cause and abandoning your team. None of which Ryan Grant, or for that matter any member of the Notre Dame team, did that day. The students, for the most part, were still in the stands after the clock ran out, ready to recite the "Notre Dame Victory March" and "Notre Dame Our Mother," and the team wore the colors they were proud of and fought to the very last seconds on the clock for their cause.

I don't see any cause for shame. Like many, I was disappointed in the outcome, but although I do not play on the field, I know the loyalty was still there.

That's why they were out on the field again for practice yesterday, with every ambition and intent to win their next game. They have remained true to their cause; they have been loyal to their family and the team remained united. How we all respond to the last game is something that will show our true colors — our blood runs blue, gold and yes, even green.

I am proud to say that I was sitting in the stadium when the 2002 football team and family were 8-0, but even prouder to say that I stayed in the stadium when we were 8-1.

To those talking about the green jerseys being "bad luck" and the Notre Dame's perfect season being destroyed, I urge you to look at the sea of green on Nov. 2. The weather was freezing, but we all wore our green shirts proudly that day, regardless of what happened.

I recall the Pittsburgh game, when my friend walked into my room complaining about how many people were at the bookstore buying the "Return to Glory" shirts. I am positive that just as many people this weekend were elated to prove that they too are a part of it all by buying their shirts.

It is not the shirt, it is not the luck, but rather, it is the loyalty and faith that we have in Our Mother, our team and our family. There is no shame on Grant's face, there is no shame on anyone's face on campus and there is no shame in Notre Dame.

Jackie Ramirez

freshman

McGlinn Hall

Nov. 4

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