My name is John Kowalski and I am proud to say that I attended Notre Dame from 1963-65. As you know, Notre Dame was much different than it is now. We are the reason why they call Notre Dame “the toughest little College on the prairies” - shacks, cold winters and questionable food.
Do you remember food being a precious commodity in the early years? I can remember one occasion when my parents visited me for my birthday and my mother brought me a homemade care package. My first instinct was to smuggle the package back to my shack and immediately gorge on the treats. In no time, my shack mates and I were devouring the cake – handfuls at a time. As time passed and you spent more time with your fellow Hounds, it became easier to share – not only your treats but your achievements as well.
Notre Dame relied on us to work together and instilled a sense of Teamwork among the students. After all these years, we were, and are, all in together. It’s truly the challenges we faced that encourage me to give back to Notre Dame. It is my hope that my contribution will help lighten the load for today’s Hounds.
John Kowalski’65Calgary, AB
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