Few more things I love about UD (University of Dayton)

UD.  Flyers.  University of Dayton.A smaller Catholic college in southwest corner of Ohio.  To some, it's just a college.  But to UD grads, it is something more.A college friend of mine was trying to explain it to his wife, why it mattered so much that we are in the NCAA playoffs.  He had a very eloquent way of explaining and posted on Facebook.  I thought about it a bit after...why does it matter to me? To be honest, I'm not even a huge basketball (or sports for that matter) fan!  I do watch marathons on TV, when they're televised, which is like almost NEVER so really, I'm not sure that qualifies me as a "marathon running viewing sports fan."But I am beyond excited about this.....and just like my friend, and the many other who have been posting on Facebook this past week or so....it isn't so much about the accomplishment itself as it is to showcase the school we all LOVE.And I do mean LOVE.Did you know UD is one of the most beloved universities in the country voted on by its alumni?  And this was NOT a survey conducted by UD alumni association, this was an independent survey. Yes....there have been people who have asked me this when I told them the results of the survey.  How cool is that? (the results, not the question...)Did you know UD has consistently been acknowledged for its amazing St. Patty's Day celebration?  David Letterman, college surveys, news reports all stating. Students/people from all over Dayton and surrounding areas come together in honor of St. Patrick for a day (or weekend)...Ok, may be it is really to wear green head/toe and drink green beer....but it was really, really fun and the best street party I ever went to year, after year, after year..... after.....Did you know, I was in a sorority?  Of course not...for most, who says that beyond college years?  But at UD, a very small portion of the campus is "greek" and the wonderful part there is, it really didn't matter who was and who wasn't and what fraternity or sorority you were in as WE WERE ALL FRIENDS.  Don't believe me?  My junior year I lived with 4 girls in another sorority and 1 who was a GDA (G- Damn Independent).  We were all friends, and it didn't matter who was in what house....we were UD students and that's all that mattered.  At our reunion this year, I couldn't even remember who was in my sorority or another, or who was in none at all...what I remembered most was the love and acceptance I felt being a student at UD...and I've carried that forever.....Maybe it was the connection to the Marianists community....or the beauty of the campus ...or the friendliness of the students...or the accessibility of the professors...or the history of the college....or that the majority of the students live within a few blocks from one another...or that living in the ghetto is a cool thing....or the feeling that you are never a stranger on campus...or myriad of weekend masses...or the endless parties...or the green kegs...or the gross Tim's floor...or the Otis Spunkmeyer cookies...or the perpetual time thingy that hung in one the old buildings...or the beauty of St. Mary's chapel...or the sea of shorts and sweatshirts and flip-flops on the first day of spring (or close to spring) ...or the tailgating that seldom lead to going into the games...or the trip to Daytona each year at the end of the year (30 years and running for Dayton to Daytona)...or the endless stream of reasons for 4 years I, and thousands of others, had the privilege of calling UD our home......I hope everyone has memories of their college years like I do.I came across a quote and it summed it up for me...."I would always rather be happy than dignified." Charlotte Bronte.  While my years at UD may not always been graceful or my "finest", my days spent with the friends I made there were beyond compare.  So when thinking about does it really matter if UD continues to win in the playoffs, in the grand scheme of life probably not....I could come up with something corny about it being the best and blah blah blah...(yes, I really could.  I'm quite capable) but perhaps it is more to us alum and the current students so amazing because just for a moment, others are able to see why we're so proud of our university.  And for that....I'm grateful.Peace.....