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As many of you moticed when the article
originally ran, Mr. Misenhelter failed to mention the letter from Notre Dame
alum which hangs on the Chiefs bulletin board. It's also quite apparent that he
did not attend (or listen at) the banquet to hear Bobby Bowden speak of the
great traditions which are now becoming a part of the Florida
State
University.
The Following was my response to the
commentary. This is the complete unrevised version. My major point was that
anyone who did not go to the game and read the article might think that was the
only point of view. This is not meant as a slam towards Mr.
Misenhelter. It's just a different
outlook:
This is a letter in response to
Dale Misenhelter, whose Wednesday article spoke of the great Notre Dame ahtletic
traditions. Mr Misenhelter, I've no choice but to agree with you that when it
comes to schools with long and stong traditions "you'd be hard pressed to find a
finer one [than Notre Dame] to emulate." If this had been the only case
presented in your commentary, I might find it hard to make my next
statement.
You, sir, are a
fool.
Yes, I look very favorably upon traditions
also. Considering the difference in ages of the two schools (as well as their
football programs) is is hard to think that ND shouldn't have its share of
time-ridden traditions by now. In just half a century Florida State has
formulated many strong traditions, not the least of which have to do with our
athletic department and our bands.
Yes, I too
was verily impressed by many of the Notre Dame supporters and the "Good Grace"
which you spoke of. But as with every football game that I have attended in my
four years as a Marching Chief, I also encountered the ritualistic gestures,
throwing of ice, and vulgarity which seem to accompany any number of athletic
events in this day and age. No, it is not absent at FSU. And it is certainly not
absent at the history-laden university in South Bend.
Yes, I would like to see more often the
entirety of Doak Campbell Stadium standing and cheering at once, just as the
crowd at ND did. I have seen it on several occasions, the most recent being the
FSU - Miami game this year. Undoubtedly, the sheer magnitude and rivalry of that
game were reason enough to remain in the stands, as the score was not close. And
with that in mind, who is to say that the very same motivation was not the cause
for the great togetherness which you saw eminating from the Irish fans on that
particular day?
Please do not mistake my candor; I
wholly respect Notre Dame for their traditions, their offensive line
coordinator, and the decency of their fans when compared to the likes of Miami.
However, I will not sit idly by while a graduate student in his first
semester at FSU attempts to tear apart the very fabric of my pride in this
school. Having been at the game in South Bend and having sat in fact only ten
feet from you in the stadium, I must say that your opening line in the article
was the most truthful: you "didn't really want to go to the Notre Dame
game."
As for why you chose to attend FSU instead of
a school which appeals to your misdirected spirit of tradition, I do not know.
But I invite you to stick around and maybe open your eyes, that you might see a
little more of what this great university has to
offer.
Louie St. Petery
A few months ago, I spent an hour or two digging through the
ancient Flambeaus in the Strozier Library archives, looking for the article on
the Ibis Incident of '63 to print in the Miami Chieftain. While hunting, I found
a couple of old Chieftains in the vertical files, both dated Volume 2, 1956 -
the second year the Chieftain was published. I picked out two articles to share
with the Chiefs. One explains the beginnings of the Chieftain (boy, has it
changed!) The other I chose because I felt like it. Happy New
Year!
Donna White
TBS Historian,
AW