by Hazel Atangan
Just two weeks left to go, and the Notre Dame de Namur University students are anticipating winter break. They have survived nine weeks of agonizing classes which average about three hours a week. Students have produced a number of painful essays, projects, and presentations. They have endured test, quizzes, and midterms. Some have even gone on field trips and retreats. As the semester comes to a close, some students are scrambling to the finish, others are completely swamped and don’t know where to begin, and there are the few who have started early and have completed the majority of their work. In a couple of cases, seniors will be graduating and it could be the happiest time of their life.
Monday, December 1, will set off the final week of classes. Some classes will end and all work must be turned it, while others we be cramming the last bit of information before the test. Students will be heard complaining, worrying, and stressing that there is not enough time in a day. Teachers will be telling students that late work will not be accepted for the final grade. As for the parents of the students, they are ready for their loved one to come home for the holiday’s.
But everyone is not lucky to come home, the men’s and women’s basketball team will be staying on campus this winter break. “I want to go back to Hawaii, but I have obligations to my team” C’ani Kealoha said.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Haunted
by Linette Natividad
Ralston Hall—one of the most important assets of Notre Dame de Namur University, one of the most elegant mansions along the west coast and also one of the most haunted.
Ralston Hall Mansion belonged to William Chapman Ralston, a businessman and founder of the Bank of California. The mansion took three years to build and parts of the mansion were based off of the Palace of Versailles. The mansion consists of four levels with a ballroom, a dining room, a tearoom, bedrooms, and numerous other rooms.
In 1875, the year that Ralston’s financial empire fell, his body was found in the San Francisco Bay. Some say that he died of a stroke while going for his regular swim. Others say it was suicide. Since then, Ralston Mansion has passed hands numerous times and has been turned into a girls’ finishing school and even a sanitarium before it was converted into the Administration building for NDNU.
Ralston Mansion has been the Administration building for well over 80 years. Although the mansion seems peaceful, its past has been known to come back and haunt people.
Students and staff alike have had their own personal encounters with the paranormal. Ironically, none of them involve ghostly sightings of William Ralston himself. Instead, many have the eerie feeling of being watched. People have also seen the occasional light flick on and off by its own accord. Others have heard eerie sounds, such as the floorboards creaking where no one is walking, doors shutting and opening on their own, and other undecipherable noises.
One of the more popular stories of first-hand encounters come from the Administration staff. In the early days of the mansion, Ralston had a bowling alley built into the mansion. Although the mansion no longer contains a bowling alley, mansion staff claim to have heard the unmistakable sound of a bowling ball being thrown and the sound of the bowling pins crashing to the ground.
“It’s unexplainable,” said Matthew Irvine, an administration employee who heard the noise. “I’m a skeptic myself, but once I heard that loud crash, I didn’t know what to think. I have to admit that was creepy.”
Others refuse to believe that the mansion is haunted. “This is stupid,” said Frankie West, a senior at NDNU. “The mansion isn’t haunted. It’s just a bunch of stories to scare the freshmen. These stories circulate every year, and they get more ridiculous. People need to learn to stop being so gullible. A haunted mansion? Really?”
Whether it’s the eerie chills or the mysterious noises, Ralston Mansion, although beautiful, can be quite frightening. Haunted or not, one thing remains certain—no one has ever dared to go into Ralston Mansion alone at night; not even the skeptics.
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Long Wait Comes To A Short End
by Marcel Sanchez
The Notre Dame de Namur University men’s soccer team fell short of expectations but earned their spot in the record books. The Argos finished the season with a conference record of 9-1-2 and outscored their opponents 35-5. That amazing record carried school history also, enabling Notre Dame de Namur men’s soccer into the NCAA Tournament in their first year of eligibility. Chris Arceo, the starting forward on the team, commented on the year so far. “This year has been great and I can’t wait to prove to everyone that we are a playoff team. We deserve more then we get credit for and our team is ready to show that on the field during the tournament.” When asked about the next game, Arceo replied, “I do not expect the next game to be easy but it will definitely be a test for our young guys and the veterans.”
The soccer team earned the No. 4 seed in the West Region and had to head down to Southern California to take on the No. 1 seed Dominguez Hills. Both teams were excited for the game and neither seemed to underestimate the other soccer team. The head coach of Dominguez Hills, Brad Smith, claimed that he expects to win the NCAA Tournament, “I know what our guys are capable of and that is a championship. Even though we are favored to win, you can never count out the underdog and this will be a great test for both teams mentally and physically.”
The Argos fell short of expectations and lost their first tournament match 3-0 that seemed all too easy for the powerhouse forwards of Dominguez Hills. The goal keepers for the Argos were kept busy all game due to being out-shot 22-6 and the defenders constantly on their heals. The goal keeper for the Argos, Brian Meherg, was making super hero like saves throughout the game but could not stop the well placed shots. “Their shots were on target all game, our defense needed to pick it up because at the rate they were going it only seemed like a matter of time that one would slip by.” When asked what he could have done more to help his team Brian replied, “We needed better communication out there. Our defense seemed lost, always trailing behind the players and never getting stuck in. As the last man on defense I needed to make them more aware to keep the mistakes to a minimum to have a fighting chance and have our forwards sneak one by.”
To follow the historic year for the Argos the team will have to wait a long spring and summer to have their chance at another tournament run. Although the Argos did not win the NCAA Tournament their effort and hard work will be rewarded. For the first time the Argos will be ranked #25 in the national poll with a record of 14-4-3. After a post-game interview the Argos coach, Jim Nort, commented on the historic year. “Our team did great this season. We achieved something that has never been done before at this school and players should be proud of themselves to help the team get this far. We have a long road ahead of to be a top team in the nation but we definitely set the bar high for ourselves and we expect nothing but the best.” When asked what being ranked in the national poll means for the team, Jim replied, “It means a lot but that does mean we should just settle for that. We want to be the best and we will come out fighting hard next season to prove that we can compete with the best in the nation.”
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