Notre Dame College is heading its customary celebration of formation in the mission and tradition of the Sisters of Notre Dame with the founder of a global movement that compels others to declare and live by their own missions.
Founders Week 2016 at Notre Dame from Monday, October 3, through Sunday, October 9, embraces the theme Persistence, Integrity and Compassion.
The annual observance honors the Sisters of Notre Dame, who established the College in 1922, and highlights the living mission of the institution with events for students from past to present. The week includes Homecoming and Alumni Reunion Weekend festivities, focused on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 7-9.
Among other tributes to the Sisters, Alex Sheen, founder of because i said i would, an international nonprofit organization that promotes making and keeping commitments to others, will speak at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 4, in Regina Auditorium. His lecture, which especially indicates integrity, is free and open to the public. One of the pledges to raise awareness and better humanity Sheen has made and kept was to walk 245 miles across the state of Ohio in under 10 days to fulfill a promise to three Cleveland women who were held captive for 10 years.
To recognize compassion, in particular, the traditional Meet the Founders forum, in which as many as 10 Sisters of Notre Dame will share the order’s many ministries with members of the campus community, is from 3-5:30 p.m. Monday, October 3, in the Administration Building lobby.
The week actually begins with a picture of persistence. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to take photos with a life-size image of Sr. Mary Agnes Bosche, one of the College’s first founders, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, October 3, throughout campus.
In the spirit of service, discourse and reflection, the commemoration features a blood drive, daily Mass and student fellowship gatherings. Sporting events and alumni reunion events, movie and music nights, food and Homecoming fun round out the rest of the week.
In addition to Sheen’s presentation, on Tuesday, October 4, Founders Week celebrates Faculty Appreciation from Faculty Athletics bagels and coffee from 9-11 a.m. in the Keller Center lobby; a student burger-making contest at 11 a.m. in the Connelly Center Dining Hall; and an Open Mic Night from 8-10 p.m. at the Falcon Café.
The salute to the Sisters combines perseverance, integrity and compassion in a showing of the movie 42, a biographical film about Jackie Robinson, the first African-American Major League Baseball player, at 10 p.m. Wednesday, October 5, at the Falcons’ Nest student center. A yoga session takes place prior at 7 p.m. in the Regina Hall Recruiting Room.
In the Notre Dame tradition of service, an American Red Cross Blood Drive is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, October 7, in Regina Gym.
Daily Catholic Mass is at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, October 6, and Saturday, October 7, both in Christ the King Chapel, while the Liturgy is celebrated at 11:30 a.m. weekdays. Sunday night is a special student Mass at 8 p.m. in Regina Chapel, followed by fellowship.
The weekly Falcon Christian Community student-led Bible study and fellowship is at 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Campus Ministry Office, Regina Hall 308.
Founders Week also features two invitation-only presentations on campus. The Class of 1965 Endowed Scholarship will be awarded for the first time on Monday, October 3, and the College Fidelia Award, one of the highest honors Notre Dame bestows, will be conferred on Wednesday, October 5.
The scholarship, for which members of the Class of 1965 have raised more than $40,000 so far, will be granted each year to an upper-class female student of high academic standing who is committed to graduating from Notre Dame. The College's Financial Aid Office will select the award recipient each year.
Gretchen Noetzel Walsh, the first and only director of the Notre Dame’s Academic Support Center for Students with Learning Differences, is the recipient of the 2016 Fidelia Award for her leadership and unselfish service to the College.
Also during Founders Week, Notre Dame will open an Art Books Cleveland (ABC) Octavofest “100” Exhibit with a reception from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, October 6, in the College Performing Arts Center Gallery. The reception and display of paper art created to the theme “100” are free and open to the public.
The College also is offering an Octavofest WatchART! demonstration and workshop from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, October 8, in the Performing Arts Center Gallery, hosted by the College’s art department. The hands-on studio session is free and open to the public and part of Homecoming and Alumni Reunion Weekend.
A related event during Founders Week, presented by the College's First Generation Center, is a motivational presentation by Daniel S. Serbin, J.D., vice president of Parker Hannifin Corp. He is expected to share his personal and career experiences with students at Notre Dame who are the first in their families to attend College.
Founders Week Schedule of Events
Monday, October 3
Meet the Founders Photo Opportunities | 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. |Throughout Campus | Free Admittance
Connelly Center: 10 a.m.
Keller Center: 10:30 a.m.
Falcons’ Nest: 11 a.m.
Division of Nursing, Regina Hall Third Floor: 11:30 a.m.
Campus Ministry Regina Hall Room 308: noon
Marian Room, Administration Building Lobby: 12:30 p.m.
Office of the President, Administration Building First Floor: 1 p.m.
Mass | 11:30 a.m. | Christ the King Chapel | Open to the Community
Meet the Founders Forum | 3-5:30 p.m. | Administration Building Lobby | Free Admittance
Class of 1965 Endowed Scholarship Presentation | By Invitation Only
Tuesday, October 4
Faculty Appreciation from Falcon Athletics | 9-11 a.m. | Keller Center Lobby | Free for Faculty, Staff and Students
Mass | 11:30 a.m. | Christ the King Chapel | Open to the Community
Burger-making Contest | 11:30-12:30 p.m. | Connelly Center Dining Hall | Lunch Prices Vary
Founders Week Presents Alex Sheen: because i said i would | 3:30 p.m. | Regina Auditorium | Free Admittance
Open Mic Night | 8-10 p.m. | Falcon Café | Free Admittance
Wednesday, October 5
Mass | 11:30 a.m. | Christ the King Chapel | Open to the Community
Yoga | 7 p.m. | Regina Hall Recruiting Room | Free Admittance
Fidelia Award Presentation | By Invitation Only
Falcon Christian Community | 9 p.m. | Campus Ministry Office, Regina Hall 308 | Open to the Community
Movie Night: 42 (Jackie Robinson Story) | 10 p.m. | Falcons’ Nest Student Center | Free Admittance
Thursday, October 6
Mass | 4:30 p.m. | Christ the King Chapel | Open to the Community
Octavofest Art Books Cleveland “100” Exhibit Opening Reception | 5-6 p.m. | Performing Arts Center Gallery | Free Admittance
Homecoming Pep Rally | 9-9:45 p.m. | Keller Center | Free Admittance
Hypnotist Josh McVicar | 10-11:30 p.m. | Regina Auditorium | Free Admittance
Friday, October 7
American Red Cross Blood Drive | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Regina Gym | Open to the Community
Mass | 11:30 a.m. | Christ the King Chapel | Open to the Community
First Generation Center Presents Daniel S. Serbin of Parker Hannifin Corp. | noon | Regina Auditorium | Open to the Community
Cookout on the Commons |4:30-7:30 p.m. | Quinlivan Circle | $7 per person
Tours of Campus | 4:30-7:30 p.m. | Meet at the Cookout | Free Admittance
Homecoming Volleyball Game vs. West Virginia State | 7 p.m. | Murphy Gym | Free Admittance
Notre Dame Night at the BottleHouse Brewing Company | 7-10 p.m. | 2050 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights | $25 per person
Movie Night: Remember the Titans | 9 p.m. | The Falcon’s Nest | Free Admittance
Saturday, October 8
Falcon Walk | 10 a.m. | Meet at the Tailgate | Free Admittance
Homecoming Tailgate | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Lot Next to Mueller Field | Free Admittance
Community Day with Kids Zone and Food Trucks | Lawn Next to Tailgate Lot | Meal Costs Vary
Homecoming Football Game vs. West Virginia State | noon | Mueller Field |Faculty and Staff Free; Adults $8; Kids $5; Kids under 5 Free
Octavofest WatchART! Demonstration and Workshop | 1-3 p.m. | Performing Arts Center Gallery | Free Admittance
Mass | 4:30 p.m. | Christ the King Chapel | Open to the Community
Homecoming Dance | 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.| Regina Gym | Free Admittance
Sunday, October 9
Alumni Reunion Celebration Mass | 10 a.m. | Christ the King Chapel | Free Admittance
Alumni Reunion Brunch | 11 a.m. | The Great Room | $25 per person
Mass | 8 p.m. | Regina Chapel | Followed by Fellowship in the Campus Ministry Office Regina Hall 308 | Open to the Community
About Alex Sheen
Sheen, who was born in Toledo and raised in Powell, both in Ohio, founded the nonprofit because i said i would after the death of his father, who Sheen has written is an “average man” who “kept his word.” The organization contends many problems in society do not require “miracle cures” but only for people to commit to making differences and follow through on their pledges.
To honor his dad, Sheen began offering cards on which people could write plans to better humanity they intended to keep. He sent these promise cards at no cost to anyone who requested them. In the four years since his father’s death, because i said i would has sent nearly 4.5 million cards to more than 150 countries.
In addition to his walk across Ohio for Cleveland women held captive, some of Sheen’s promises kept are: volunteering at 52 nonprofit organizations in one year; purchasing and delivering 100 tickets to Disneyland to children with cancer; and personally driving disaster relief aid to victims of Hurricane Sandy.
He has been featured on CNN, ABC World News, TODAY Show, Good Morning America, NPR, Fox News, CBS Nightly News. He has appeared on the cover of Spirit Magazine and been honored as a Steve Harvey “Harvey’s Hero.” His work has been among BuzzFeed’s “Most Important Viral Videos” and ranked #1 spot, multiple times, on Reddit.com.
Sheen, who has lived in Lakewood, Ohio, earned a B.B.A. in marketing from Ohio University and has worked as a corporate strategy lead at Hyland Software in Westlake, Ohio.
He has presented to more than 90 organizations in a single year. While he does not accept commercial sponsorships or endorsements, he has any speaking engagement fees paid directly to because i said i would.
The nonprofit organization recently published online “The 7 Elements of Honor” that guide its work and is accepting public feedback on the principles through March 25, 2017. The elements are compassion, self-control, sacrifice, honesty, hope, contemplation, accountability.
About Notre Dame College
For almost a century, Notre Dame College has educated a diverse population in the liberal arts for personal, professional and global responsibility. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College has grown strategically to keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of students and the dramatic changes in higher education. But it has never lost sight of its emphasis on teaching students not only how to make a good living but also how to live a good life.
Today, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master's degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. Notre Dame College offers NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic programs for men and women and is located in a picturesque residential neighborhood just 25 minutes from the heart of Cleveland. Hallmarks of the Notre Dame experience include stimulating academics, personalized attention of dedicated faculty and staff, and small class sizes.