BROTHERS. SCHOLARS. CHAMPIONS. KEOUGH HALL WELCOME WEEKEND PACKET CLASS OF 2021 (AVAILABLE ONLINE: ROOS.ND.EDU) 2 WELCOME TO KEOUGH HALL A MESSAGE FROM THE WELCOME WEEKEND CAPTAIN Newest Brothers of Keough Hall, First, I would like to congratulate you on becoming the newest members of the Notre Dame family. You have chosen to spend the next four, five, or maybe even six, years of your life at a university founded upon ideals of integrity, spirituality, and academic prowess. As a member of the Class of 2021, you now join very elite company comprised of world-class students, faculty, and alumni. Take this opportunity to be proud of your accomplishments, but I challenge you to begin to think about your future endeavors. Now is the time to begin another period of your life, a period where you will make great friends, experience Notre Dame traditions, and expand your knowledge of self, life, and your studies. Whether you find this an exciting or frightening adventure, you and your fellow first year ‘Roos will begin a new chapter when you arrive to campus. Before going any further, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Robby Lucian. I’m a rising senior studying Finance and Energy Studies in the Mendoza College of Business. I found a passion for Keough Hall, which started in on my first day as a resident in this hall and now I have the great honor of welcoming all of you to our new home as the Captain for Welcome Weekend 2017 (WW2k17)! A little bit about me first. I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio originally (no matter what people say) but now I reside in sunny Santa Monica. I love to practice Karate and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Lacrosse, and lounging around hanging out with my friends in the hall. I’d love to chat about the above interests or about life in general. You can almost always find me in room 212 in the evening; probably watching Netflix or doing problem sets at the last minute (or both), but I’m always here to help in any way that I can. I can't wait to meet all you new ‘Roos, you're going to love it here! At this miniature heaven on earth, there is no “Greek life.” While this is not common among most universities, fear not, the hall is here! At the University of Notre Dame, the halls on campus function as the primary social units. Believe us, the brotherhood you will enjoy while in Keough, and even long after you graduate, transcends that of any fraternity. Although Keough Hall is young compared to many of the other halls on campus, the Men of Keough Hall have established themselves as leaders in the classroom, in service, and on the playing field. As recently as 2009, Keough Hall was recognized as Men’s Hall of the Year. However, I can assure you that during the three years I’ve been at Notre Dame, there is no hall that even compares to Keough. We continue to make our own traditions, which have become an integral part of the Notre Dame community. Additionally, the spirituality of the Keough Hall family is known campus-wide as we maintain one of the best- attended Sunday Masses, accompanied by an exceptional musical ensemble, The Keough Tabernacle Choir (for those of you musically, or really even not so musically, inclined folks, the choir meets an hour before mass to practice and would love to have you!). Seriously though, Keough mass is always standing room only so get there early if you want a seat! As with several other aspects of Keough Hall, our orientation has the reputation of being one of the best on campus. This year we will be carrying on the successes of previous orientations with a wide variety of planned events such as West Quad Cookout and Domerfest, but will also add new highlights to the Keough Hall Welcome Weekend schedule. These and other activities will keep you busy, entertained, and surrounded by fun and interesting people with whom you will be sharing experiences with for years to come. Let’s move on to what you need to do. Before leaving home, make sure your backpack is packed, your shoes are tied tight, and your lunch pail is filled with tasty treats. Once you arrive at Notre Dame, follow the signs leading to Keough Hall. Once checked in, you’ll receive a Keough Hall t-shirt, your room key, and other essentials. After that, you will be in our capable hands, as scary as that may be. Whether you expected to receive this letter or not, I hope you’ve enjoyed it and realize that I’m incredibly eager to greet you as you pull up to our home and introduce you to life as a Notre Dame student. Now, it’s time to explore the rest of the Welcome Weekend Info Packet and hopefully it will answer all of your questions. If it doesn’t, please do not hesitate to contact me. The packet is available to peruse online at roos.nd.edu and will be available for download as well. Be sure to join the group on Facebook, Keough Hall Class of 2021. Okay, it’s time for a deep breath. Yes, all of this is real. Welcome home. Robby Lucian [email protected] 3 WELCOME TO KEOUGH HALL A WELCOME FROM THE RECTOR: REV. PATRICK REIDY, C.S.C. 100 Keough Hall, Notre Dame, 46556 • (574) 631-4945 • [email protected] Dear First Years, Congratulations on your acceptance to the University of Notre Dame and welcome to Keough Hall. Nestled serenely beside the Bookstore Basketball Courts and McGlinn Fields, just a stone’s throw from the historic Notre Dame Golf Course, Keough shelters the hopes and hearts of those who call it home. We’re thrilled to number you among them. You’re entering a residential tradition unique among top-tier colleges and universities. Guided by Notre Dame’s founding religious order, the Congregation of Holy Cross, our residence halls seek to build communities that attend to one another in struggles, assist one another in good works, and celebrate together in times of joy. Mutual respect and genuine care define our life together in Keough. Within our walls, you’ll find men striving to discover themselves, to grow in their faith, and to make friends for the long haul. Loving brothers, humble scholars, grateful champions – these are the men of Keough. They’ll invite you to compete on our intramural athletic teams, to assist with our liturgies in the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to contribute to the work of hall government, and to engage in hall service projects throughout South Bend. I hope you’ll join them. We’ll be blessed by your giftedness. A few things you should know about me. I’m a religious priest with the Congregation of Holy Cross. After professing perpetual vows in Holy Cross, I was ordained at the Basilica here on campus. The men of Keough shared in my celebration. I’m beginning my thirteenth year at Notre Dame after growing up in the shadow of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Few things excite me more than skiing, cycling, Chipotle burritos, used book stores, and the Denver Broncos. Along with family, Keough makes that shortlist. We’re committed to your flourishing in Keough Hall. An outstanding orientation team, a gifted hall council, and one of Notre Dame’s finest hall staffs all look forward to welcoming you in a few short weeks. You’ll find in them a kind of fierce loyalty to this place. It’s pervasive, to be sure, though it doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve begun a major transition, one that’ll take many of you well beyond what’s familiar. Trust yourselves. Be patient. Remember all that brought you here. This information should prove helpful in your preparations; still, feel free to contact me (info above) if there’s anything I can offer prior to your arrival on campus. Know of my prayers for you. In Keough Hall, Fr. Pat Reidy, CSC Rector 4 WELCOME TO KEOUGH HALL WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THE KEOUGH HALL EXECUTIVE BRANCH FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT: GATES McGAVICK Men of Keough, On behalf of Hall Council and everyone in Keough, congratulations on being admitted to Notre Dame! What an achievement for you and your family—these next four years will be among the most special times of your life. Over the coming weeks, as you go through the busy process of ending your summer and moving to your new school, make sure you take some time to appreciate your own work, and the work of the people who helped you towards this chapter of your life. Exciting times are ahead. My name is Gates McGavick, and I’m Keough’s current President. I grew up in Seattle, Washington and Somerset, Bermuda, but these days I call Keough home—as I’m sure all of you will, too. We here in Keough are incredibly proud of our special sense of brotherhood, and can’t wait to welcome you into the dorm. During your time, here, you’ll do all the basic college stuff. You’ll study for tests, order pizza, watch movies with friends, and so on. But in Keough, you’ll make the friends who will be in your weddings; those late nights studying will lead you to the subjects you’ll build a career around. The time you spend here among your brothers will count among the happiest time of your life.