What do Saint Mary’s women really think about Notre Dame?

‘If you choose to play into the petty stereotypes you hear about then the relationship is going to be negative’

1972 was a year of firsts. American voters re-elected a man who would become the first US President to ever resign. And our nation’s premier Catholic University first began to admit women.

Gender relations at Notre Dame had been fairly straightforward. The all-male University of Notre Dame had an all-female sister school, Saint Mary’s College. ND men hosted raucous dorm parties for SMC women to attend. In a haze of the Rolling Stones and keg-stands, the two groups would interact, foster relationships, become engaged Senior year, and then help form the suburbs of Chicago.

Times have changed. Now, Notre Dame men attend parties and attend class with women, but those two groups aren’t always mutually inclusive. Since ND guys are the only male game in town (save for a few HoCro hangers-on), SMC women are at a disadvantage.

Is it hard out there for a smick? They certainly get a lot of flak for going to SMC. Jokes abound with comparisons to Donald Trump’s border proposal and keeping SMC women out of ND (“They’re not sending their best” reads one joke on YikYak). I myself have heard ND women mock Saint Mary’s girls for being “dumber.” This Saint Mary’s social anxiety permeates on intellectual, social and romantic levels.

To investigate purported SMC-ND tension, I interviewed three Saint Mary’s sophomores about their experience with the university and the Notre Dame community. So, what do Saint Mary’s women think about the post-1972 SMC-ND relationship?

Linnea (Linn) Larson, pictured here with former SMC President Carol Mooney, hails from Sterling, Illinois and is a Bio major.

Why did you choose Saint Mary’s?

I really liked the sisterhood aspect and everything that comes with that along with that. [I like] how the campus is small and the opportunities that SMC made to me.

Do you think there’s tension between smicks and ND women?

I’ve never felt negatively towards any ND women, I have met some who weren’t pleased to know that I was from SMC, but I just brush it off and move on. Bad experiences like those were rare.

What opportunities are available to you at ND as an SMC student?

As an SMC student I can participate in most ND clubs, go to the football games as a student, go to most of their events and take classes over there. I’m sure there are others – it’s a pretty sweet deal.

Do you like the ND-SMC relationship? Could it be improved?

I like the relationship and I don’t see much of anything wrong with it. I’m a very easy going person though so I don’t know if my opinion would be universal.

Other thoughts about the situation?

As a student at SMC, I am super proud to be a Belle and wouldn’t change that or want to go anywhere else. I love my campus and call it my home. But I also love having ND right across the street, the students there are awesome and being the sister school definitely has it’s perks.

Meet Carmela Marciano of Schererville, Indiana. She is also a Bio major.

Why did you choose Saint Mary’s? 

I chose Saint Mary’s because of the learning community. It is small and detail orientated. Having a small student body allows for more attention and one-on-one time with my professors.

Is there tension between smicks and ND Women?

At times there might be tension between Saint Mary’s girls and Notre Dame girls, but I’ve found that Notre Dame girls are very sweet. I haven’t had an issue with Notre Dame girls.

Opportunities available to you at ND as an SMC student?

I feel as if we get many opportunities from Notre Dame. It is great to be affiliated Notre Dame for this very reason.

Do you like ND-SMC relationship? Could it be improved?

I absolutely love it. Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s have a good relationship. As anything it can be improved, but it still remains great.

Any other thoughts?

I adore both schools, and I hope that they continue to work together to help their students surpass their goals.

Last but not least, Emma Lewis, a Communicative Sciences and Disorders major from Atlanta.

Why did you choose Saint Mary’s?

Saint Mary’s had the major I was looking for, and I loved the atmosphere and community.

Is there any tension between smicks and ND women? 

I haven’t had any personal experiences with tensions between Saint Mary’s and ND women, so I suppose not.

Opportunities available to you at ND as an SMC student?

I love the volunteer opportunities I have at Notre Dame as a Saint Mary’s student.

Do you like the ND-SMC relationship? Could it be improved? 

Personally I like the relationship between Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame. It offers me opportunities socially and academically that I wouldn’t have anywhere else.

Final thoughts?

“I think the relationship between the schools really is a personal decision,” said Linn. “If you choose to play into the petty stereotypes you hear about, then the relationship is going to be negative. However, if you choose to accept the opportunities the relationship offers and are open to befriending people from both schools without being influenced by stories that go around, I don’t see any reason why the relationship can’t be a positive one.”

Carmela said, “Neither do I. Some level of tension in the ND-SMC relationship, but all these SMC women still love their school and their community.”

“Perhaps there are complications living in a post-1972 age without a distinct gender binary, but we’re a bright group of kids – we’ll figure it out,” said Emma

Go Irish. Go Belles.

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