Notre Dame
Class Communications
The Class of 1984 “Loop”
Mark Rolfes ‘84
Goals
• Keep classmates in touch with each other
• Increase attendance at Reunions
• Have fun
Raw Materials
• 1,900 – 2,000 fascinating classmates
• “My Notre Dame” Web Site
– Source of email addresses
– E-Mail web service
– Web Pages, if desired
History of 1984 Class Loop
• Mindy Fey – mid-1990s
– Created an email distribution list on her own email
– People heard about it and got added on
– About 100 addresses
• Jamie Kimmel Eifert (yes, aunt of Tyler) 1998
– Picked it up from Mindy
– Moved to Yahoo distribution list
– About 400 addresses
• 2003 – 2004 – No Loops
– Lost some steam, Jamie did not have time
– Mark Rolfes volunteers, but had a hard time getting a hold
of Jamie and finding the email distribution list
History of 1984 Class Loop
• 2005 – Mark Rolfes - The Modern Loop is born
– Coordinated with ND Alumni Association
– Got them to supply us with the list of email addresses from
Irish Online
– Moved us up to 1,400 addresses
• About 2010 – My Notre Dame web site
– Migrated from Yahoo distribution list to My ND
– Main benefit: any changes to My ND alumni directory
email addresses automatically are incorporated into our
email list
– Have the capability to maintain a supplemental list of
addresses (spouses, friends of Class of 1984, etc.)
So What is The Loop?
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Part Newsletter
Part Blog of the moderator
Part “Class Notes” like you see in ND Magazine
Part Discussion Group
Part Advertising of ND and Class Events
Football Ticket Exchange
Funeral Notices
Our Biggest Success
• Our 25 Year Reunion in 2009
• Most attendees of any Reunion in ND history
– About 450 registered classmates
• Organized a great set of events
– Friday night dinner with Fr. Hesburgh
– Saturday dinner speaker – Astronaut Mike Good ’84, who just landed
from a shuttle mission 10 days prior to the Reunion
• Class of 1984 Tent outside our dorm
– Live band, our own bar and food
• The Loop was the key to promoting the event
– Advertising the great events
– Letting everyone know who else was coming
– Encouraging people to attend, all the way to the last day
Class of 1984 Loop
• While it is made up of email posts, the role of
the moderator is to gather the emails, and
organize it into more of a newsletter format.
• Instead of random emails going out to a large
group, which people may start tuning out, the
newsletter format makes it more readable
• Comparison to 1984 Facebook page
– Random posts come in at any time
– Not everyone is on Facebook
Sample Loop
• Notre Dame Mourns Loss Of Football Hero
Harry Oliver
• Former placekicker - whose 51-yard, gameending kick versus Michigan rates as possibly
the top finish in Notre Dame history - passes
away from cancer, at the age of 47
Memories of Harry
My first week or so at ND in Grace Hall, I remember meeting this guy Harry. Good guy – regular guy.
So the Michigan game comes up. I was able to get two tickets for my parents for the game. It is still the only ND game my mother
has ever been to.
3 scores in the final 3 minutes of the game. I remember them lining up for the kick, and some guy in our section who had a radio
calls out “he’s never kicked a field goal longer than 34 yards in any game in his life”. A little less hope. The kick went up and had a
chance – there was no way to tell from the student section in the opposite side of the field if it was good – we had to look at the
crowd at that section of the end zone to know the answer.
I remember we stormed the field and just went delirious. Finally, the crowd went back into the stands, and then the band came
on the field and played a bunch of songs. I remember it was about 40 minutes after the game ended, when the band finally
finished the Victory March and marched out – and the stadium was still completely full. To this day, I still wait for the band to
finish playing after every game before leaving – and it always invokes that memory.
So about 20 minutes later, I finally meet my parents at the Library reflecting pool, where we agreed to meet after the game. I
asked my mom, “So, Mom, how did you like the game?” She said, “Well, all the Notre Dame games are like this, aren’t they?”
Now, 2 days later – I go into the elevator, and three floors down, on gets Harry. Someone else in the elevator goes “Nice kick,
Harry”. And I am stunned – “That Harry is Harry Oliver???” And he remained the nicest, most down to earth guy you would ever
want to meet. I think I last saw him about 10 years ago at Lee’s Ribs after a game. I don’t think anyone else recognized him, and I
don’t think he ever wanted that, but he was very appreciative of being part of ND.
In any event -- Fare well, Harry Oliver.
Guest Essay
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Up Close and Personal with Mark Rolfes on how he is handling a 1-7 Football Season
Thanks to split personalities, we sent Loop Correspondent Mark Rolfes to interview himself:
LOOP (Mark): First, the most important question – do you remember me?
MARK: I don’t know who you are.
LOOP: That’s OK – so the Irish are 1-7 now – how are you holding out?
MARK: Well, this is my 6th week at St. Jude’s for the Mentally Insane. The doctors say I’m getting better. I’m only in the fetal position for
about 4 hours a day now. Group would be better if we didn’t have 2 Michigan guys who are always whooping it up. I asked the Group
Leader for help on it, but he went to USC, and he just laughs at me.
LOOP: Wow – how about your wife? Is she able to help out during these tough times?
MARK: My wife. I was able to continue my decades long streak of not being able to get a ND woman to date me, so I settled for a
Michigan gal. She comes to visit, and is always singing “Hail to the Victors” with the 2 guys from Group. Do you call that helping?
LOOP: That’s just terrible. I understand you have a daughter at ND now. Has she given you any solace?
MARK: No. I have been trying to get her to try out for the football team all semester. I think she can help at any number of positions
right now. But she refuses. A big disappointment there.
LOOP: Has Charlie Weis been in touch in any way?
MARK: Yes – he heard about my condition and called me right before the Michigan game. He felt so bad for me, he let me call the first
play against Michigan.
LOOP: Wasn’t that when the center snapped it over the quarterback’s head for an 18 yard loss?
MARK: You remember, too. That set my recovery back a couple of months, I think.
LOOP: Let’s change the subject – who do you like for President?
MARK: I’m leaning toward Fred Thompson. I think we need another actor in the White House. All I’m waiting for is him to say “Win One
for the Gipper” and I’ll be totally on board.
LOOP: So how does it look for you going forward?
MARK: The doctors think I should be home in early January, right after the bowl games. Then this season will be over, and then I will
once again have hope - - - January 2, 2009 BCS Championship Game - - - GO IRISH !!!!
Classmates at work at ND
• We have many classmates who work at ND. ND Magazine, Observer, ND
online occasionally have articles on them. When news comes to light,
someone will email in a link. For example…
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Congratulations to Cathy Pieronek on winning the Engineering Society’s Outstanding
Adviser Award – note that this is not a Notre Dame award, but rather the general
nationwide Engineering Society award. A truly impressive accomplishment – way to go,
Cathy! (Cathy is also a newlywed!)
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Fr. Paul Kollman ‘84 receives tenure in the Department of Theology and is named
Director of the Center for Social Concerns.
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TO: ND CLUB LEADERS
We are pleased to announce Elizabeth (Dolly) Duffy '84 is joining the Alumni Association
as associate executive director, replacing Chris Bellairs. She also will serve as assistant
vice president for University Relations.
Dolly will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Alumni Association, including the
alumni affinity groups, professional, academic, spiritual and service programs,
communications, marketing, finance and technology. She will report to Chuck.
ND Controversies
• Vagina Monologues – Should ND be allowed
to perform it on campus? This issue made
national news.
– Full text of Fr. Jenkins’ statement
– Selected columns/letters from The Observer
– Received comments from classmates pro and con
• Obama as Graduation Speaker
– Generated more posts that any other topic
Other Issues of the day
• Occasionally, we will throw out a discussion topic. For
example, “What do you think of the death penalty?”
• Classmates then have a chance to express themselves and
share and hear opinions
• Warning – some classmates like it – some do NOT. They
think The Loop should remain social.
• Solution – In the Email Headline:
– Notre Dame Class of 1984 Loop – Political Topic
– All posts related to the issue are combined into a special post,
with a warning.
– That post ONLY has comments on that issue. This way, noninterested classmates can just ignore/delete that Loop, knowing
they will not miss out on any social issues.
Other Family News
• Funeral Notices
– An unfortunate part of spreading class news
– Does give classmates an opportunity to quickly
learn news of our classmates passing away, and
allow them to attend a funeral or send a card that
they may otherwise not have been able to
• News on Kids
– More of the news now is about what our kids are
doing, rather than what we are doing
– Kids getting into ND, etc.
Fun Loops – Best Bookstore Team Names
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"You're not THAT special" (Not that great a name, until you know that the members of the
team are all counselors in the Undergraduate Admissions Department)
Amish Guard
The Cereal Killers
Game of Throws
When the Game’s Not Exciting, Brent Musburger Talks About How Hot We Are
Fifty Shades of Brey
Irish We Were Athletic
Our Games Last Longer than Rand Paul’s Filibusters
Ball Me Maybe
Occupy Ball Street
We’re only at ND because Hogwarts Doesn’t Accept the FASFA
Fat Bottomed Squirrels
Schindler’s Assist
Our Shots Drop Like the Facebook IPO
Pope Benedict’s Last Stand
Nothing But Fishnets
We Are Never Ever Getting Backboard Together
Fun Loops – ND Rankings by Princeton Review
Best Campus Food: # 9 – Wheaton College is #1 – Virginia Tech and Washington U (St Louis) other
notables ahead of us.
Best Career / Job Placement - # 11 – Northeastern is #1 – also ahead of us is Wabash College in
Crawfordsville, IN. – guess we all decided on the wrong Indiana college.
“Don’t Inhale – colleges with lowest drug use” - # 12 – Naval Academy is #1 – other service
academies, Brigham Young, and Wheaton College all ahead of us.
“Everyone Plays Intramural Sports” - #1 GO IRISH!!! #2 is Whitman College in Walla Walla,
Washington. Penn State, Wabash College (again), Florida, Clemson and Gonzaga are other
notables in the top 10.
“Jock Schools” - # 5 – Clemson, Florida, Wabash (you’ve got to be kidding me) and Penn State
rank ahead of us.
Fun Loops – ND Rankings by Princeton Review
“More to do on Campus” – I think this category reflects that you do more on campus, because
there is so much LESS to do in the surrounding town. We are # 20. Tuskegee College is # 1 – also
ahead of us: Albion College (MI), Wheaton College, Holy Cross and Duke.
“Most Beautiful Campus” - # 7 – Ahead of us is # 1 Princeton, Sweet Briar College, Colgate,
Wagner College in Staten Island, Mt. Holyoke and Scripps. At # 11 is Elon College, which last year
was ahead of us in the College Football Computer Rankings. Strangely, Wabash College was not
on the list.
“Students Pack the Stadium” - # 3, behind Florida and Maryland. Penn St, Georgia, Clemson,
Texas and Michigan also in the top 10. (Wabash at # 14 – how big is their football stadium, I
wonder?)
“Most Religious Students” - # 2 – BYU is # 1 – Wheaton College, U of Dallas and Catholic U also in
the Top 20. Georgetown, BC and Wabash College are nowhere to be found on this list.
“Alternative Lifestyles Not An Alternative” - # 1 – Last year we were # 2 behind Hampden Sydney,
which dropped to # 3. Rounding out the Top 10 are Thomas Aquinas, Trinity, Wheaton, Grove City,
College of the Ozarks, Baylor, Seton Hall, and BYU. Take that, Wabash.
Fun Loops – 1984 Trivia
• Let's start off the Loop with a class of 1984 trivia question - little known
fact - what member of our graduating class won a collegiate national
championship in the sport of basketball?
• Sophomore year, Mark Sommers went abroad to Ireland, joined the
basketball team, and played in the Ireland equivalent of the NCAA
Basketball Tournament. His team won, so Mark Sommers (Grace Hall) is
the only person in our class to be a member of a College National
Championship Basketball Team!
• From Mike Kitz:
Mark, Great trivia question, but the answer is incorrect. Mark Sommers is
not the only member of the class of 1984 to be a member of a college
national championship basketball team. There were three other
classmates on our team, Mike Cannon, Mike Brennan and myself, Mike
Kitz. And while we were a good team in Ireland in 1982, we would not
have made it past the third round in Bookstore Basketball. Still, it was
great fun.
Fun Loops – News Clips
• Tony Deceanne catches a home run bare
handed at the White Sox Game
http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100410&content_id=9197778&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=min
• “Sad Domers” – On TV at BCS Game in Miami
– http://gif.mocksession.com/2013/01/sad-domers/
Fun Loops – Unusual Activities
Mark, Thanks for getting back to me and updating where life's taken you. The
years keep on rolling for us, huh?
Well, I leave tomorrow to begin winding my way to Antarctica with tons of
gear. This is one of the most inaccessible places in the world and still
unexplored in many parts, so things should get interesting. I appreciate all the
prayers. You've indicated an interest in knowing more about this trip, so
please find attached a summary of what we'll be doing on the climb.
The mountain we'll climb is Mt. Vinson. It's one of the "7 Summits" and is the
highest mountain in Antarctica at nearly 17,000 feet.
Dave McAvoy
We were able to follow Dave’s exploits via daily Internet audios
ND Classmates in the News
NOTRE DAME 1984 ALUM MIKE GOOD WILL BE ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE
First time contributer, long time reader. I was an aero engineering major and lived in Keenan Hall
all four years. Favorite memory is playing hoops on the outdoor courts at Stepan Center.
I'm still on active duty with the Air Force and am assigned to NASA at Johnson Space Center in
Houston, TX. I'm currently assigned to the next Space Shuttle mission, STS-125, scheduled to
launch on 8 October.
To the class of '84, please keep our crew in your prayers as we blast off on our Hubble Space
Telescope servicing mission. I am carrying a ND banner with me to space that I plan to return to
the university after the mission. I look forward to visiting with everyone next May at our 25th
reunion.
While I'm in orbit, know that you will all have someone praying for you in high places.
Thanks,
Mike Good
ND Loop – Email from Outer Space
“Greetings, Earthlings” (May 13, 2009)
From Mike Good, aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis:
Mark and ND 84,
Greetings from space. A transducer is not a big deal, but to us it looked
like the left engine was sick and trying to quit. It was a relief when
“Houston” told us the real story.
So far, so good. What a beautiful view – I’ve seen the whole world
many times already including a pass right over the launch pad today
and the deserts of Africa. Sunrises are spectacular, but impressively
quick. We’re traveling at 5 miles per second over the ground. May God
bless you all and hope to see you in June.
Mike Good
Second Message from The Shuttle
Mark, ND Loop, and Class of ’84,
Wow – awesome support! I am overwhelmed by the encouragement
from my classmates and humbled by all the attention.
We’re just bringing the guys in from EVA 5. Lot’s of good work done so
that Hubble can continue to be productive. I hope its greatest
discoveries and most beautiful pictures are still to come. It is truly
inspiring to many around the world – everyone from astrophysicists to
school teachers and students.
We’ll say goodbye to Hubble tomorrow and look forward to a safe
landing on Friday. Hope to see you all in June for our 25th Reunion!
Praying for all of you from above – you look beautiful from here.
Mike Good
Reunion 2009 – Our 25th
• Great Events
• Great Speakers
– Fr. Hesburgh
– Dave Gaus ’84 – Our classmate runs a network of rural hospitals in Ecuador
and won the Dooley Award
– Mike Good ‘84 – Gave a slide show of his trip on the Shuttle Atlantis
– Dolly Duffy ‘84, Scott Malpass ‘84
• Get Your Own Tent
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We had our own tent by our assigned dorm
Live band made up of our classmates
Our own food and beverages
Made it seem like our own event, instead of a large mix of everyone
Definitely the way to go
• Advertising
– The Loop got the word out
– Energized our classmates organizing the events
• #1 All Time Largest Number of Classmates at any ND Reunion in History!
How to Start Your Own Class Loop
• According to Dolly Duffy, other classes have
tried starting something similar to The 1984
Loop, but it has not taken off for other classes
like it has for ours.
• Step 1 – Contact the Alumni Association
• Step 2 – Have them help you get your email
list from My Notre Dame, so you have a lot of
classmates on your distribution list
How to Start Your Own Class Loop
• Step 3 – Start Sending out Loops
– Start with our standard list of questions for classmates to answer
• Step 4 – Pick the right moderator
– Outgoing, extroverted
– ND Rah-Rah - Gets back to ND a lot
– Good sense of humor – get creative
• Step 5 – Don’t get discouraged
– Sometimes it is like writing a newspaper column – people ARE reading
it and enjoying it – but it is hard to tell sometimes that this is the case
– Be persistent, don’t put pressure on yourself
• Step 6 – Always be looking for info on your classmates
– ND web sites
– Classmates in the News
In Conclusion
• What time is it? Was I able to fill up a whole
hour???
• The Loop has been a great way to keep
classmates in touch
• Keeps us laughing, keeps us crying
• Promotes our Reunions, mini-reunions, football
game meetups
• Keeps us connected to each other and to ND
• Every class would benefit from starting a Loop