By Valerie Turpin

It’s deep into the second semester for USC School of Cinematic Arts students. After long nights of editing, studying, writing and designing, the ability to keep moving forward can feel like a daunting task. In Ken Wannberg Endowed Chair for Music Editing Professor Ken Hall’s "Directing the Composer" on February 23rd, former Notre Dame football player Daniel “Rudy” Ruettigger, an icon of motivation and effort, visited the students for a pep talk.
 

“When you’re excited about doing things that [others] don’t want to do, you help other people,” said Ruettiger. “There are people in here who are excited to come to class. They aren’t just helping themselves, they are helping other people to get excited about coming too.”
 
Rudy spent the morning before the class touring the facilities and visiting with faculty. He stopped for a photo in Hall’s office with a poster for the film Rudy, which Hall music  edited.
 
“[Professor] Kenny [Hall] lights up when he’s around [his] students,” said Ruettiger. “You’re too deep into [classes] right now to know it but it’s true. You’re the future of the entertainment industry and you don’t even know it. But you will.”
 
With Ruetigger’s encouraging words, these students can take this motivation and tackle the second half of the semester with a revitalized outlook.

For more information on Rudy, please visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108002/