Been There – Notre Dame

Starbucks Been There – Notre Dame mug is expanding the Campus Collection, making me question how many are there planned for us. The University of Notre Dame du Lac, a.k.a. Notre Dame, a.k.a. ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana. Established in 1842, the University consists of seven schools and colleges now and is considered one of the top universities in the US. Students of the ND enroll in more than fifty master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees in law, science, engineering, medicine, architecture, and business.
The athletic teams of the ND are called Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The name became official in 1927 but its exact origin is still a subject of debate. Sports and especially the Notre Dame football team played a major role in the rise to prominence of the University in the US. No wonder the design of the mug has that many sports-related elements.
We can probably start with the Notre Dame Leprechaun on the front of the mug. It was introduced as the Athletics team’s mascot in 1964. There is also Notre Dame Stadium, which is an outdoor football stadium. It was built in 1930 and went through two major renovations in 1994-1997 and 2014-2017. It can accommodate around 77000 spectators nowadays. Drums and trumpeters that we can see on the back and the front of the mug respectively, refer to football game-day traditions that include activities that occur all over campus and dorms. Apart from the decorations, the Musical Band of the Fighting Irish plays a concert on the steps of Bond Hall, then leads fans and students to the stadium to enjoy the game. Last but not least is the logo of the Fighting Irish team on the back of the mug. It is designed using the official colors of the University, blue and gold.
I have to also mention ND’s Main Administration Building (a.k.a. the “Golden Dome”) further to the back of the mug. It is in fact the third main building of the university. The first one built in 1843 was later replaced by a larger one in 1865. Unfortunately, the latter was destroyed by the fire in 1879. The current building was built in the same year in the span of four months and stands still. One of the most distinctive features of the building is its Golden Dome which was the last thing to be finished during the summer of 1882. The statue of Mary atop the dome weighs 4,400 pounds and stands 18 feet 7 inches tall.