Pangborn Hall wins HPC's dorm of the year contest
By ELLEN FITZGERALD
News Writer
"Skid row," "the ghetto of south quad," "aesthetically challenged," "the smelly dorm." Those are monikers often given to Pangborn Hall, but now "1999-2000 Hall of the Year" can be added to this list. This was the first time Pangborn has received this honor since its first year as a female residence in 1992-1993.
At the annual Leadership Banquet on April 11, the Hall Presidents Council named Pangborn hall of the year. Sorin received best male hall, Cavanaugh best female hall and Knott most improved hall.
Pangborn's winning application, made by dorm presidents Casey McCluskey and Jen Kosteva, was an elaborate booklet describing the more than 80 programs Pangborn was a part of this year. Criteria for the award include programming for both the hall and the greater campus community, participation in events and the creativity of the applicatoin.
The road to hall of the year began last year when McCluskey and Kosteva were elected. Their main goal, they said, was to boost spirit and identity in Pangborn and become hall of the year. When the pair was elected they met with the hall staff and challenged them to win the title. They then met with the rest of the hall.
"To get dorm of the year we had to involve the whole dorm," McCluskey said.
They made a plan for each of the five sections to host three programs a semester, one spiritual, one service and one educational. This would have given Pangborn 30 at the close of the year, but instead they ended with more than 80. Because of all this programming, Pangborn was constantly recognized in the monthly awards given out by HPC
"That really impressed them [HPC] that we did so many programs in so many different areas," McCluskey said.
Also, HPC was impressed by the way Pangborn kept up old traditions of the Spring Fling and Phox Phire while also beginning new ones, the Pangborn Putt-Putt and Black History Month.
According to McCluskey, Pangborn had to work harder than another dorm to get noticed because of their lack of reputation.
"They don't even make fun of us at the Keenan Review," she said.
Pangborn rector Heather Rakoczy said that the small women's dorm at the end of South Quad deserved the award.
"Why did HPC give us the award, hall of the year? Because of the application and the programing we did. Why are we hall of the year? Because of the 200 women who live here," said Rakoczy.
The male hall of the year award, according to Sorin rector Father Stephen Newton, can be attributed to the amount and diversity of the programming planned by this past year's presidents, Larry Burchett and John Taggart.
Some of Sorin's best programs this year included the annual talent show and the fall break service project, Newton said. This fall break, 40 Sorin men traveled to Philadelphia and Camden, N.J., to renovate houses for the needy.
Sorin also reached the interhall football championship.
The dorm has a very strong spiritual community, too.
"Our liturgies are always overflowing," Newton said.
Other events that Sorin hosted this year were monthly dorm dinners, football game barbecues, two banquets, a final exams coffee shop located in Newton's room and some of the most highly attended dances.
"It's a real honor to live in a dorm where everyone is so close and considered a family," said Jeanette McKeen, president of Cavanaugh, female dorm of the year. The dorm hosted a wide range of events, both for its residents and the wider community, all year long.
Knott Hall received this year's most improved hall award. This award is given to the hall which has most greatly improved its programming through the course of the year.
Knott rector Brother Jerome Meyer, attributes this award to the improvement of programming by hall presidents Andrew Olejnik, Chris Muro and Joeseph Mueller.
During the course of this year, Knott boosted its programs in many ways. They expanded their multicultural events, devoting a week to the topic and bringing in speakers, a mariachi band and a hall Mexican dinner. Another important change was making the Justin Brumbaugh Memorial Three-on-Three Basketball Tournament open to the entire Notre Dame community. Knott has also been interhall sports champion for many sports, worked with the Boys and Girl's Club of America and has sponsored many speakers.
Programming is one of the most important things that HPC looks at when determining the hall of the year recipient, and each of the 27 residence halls was encouraged to apply for the various awards. To win, the dorm must apply, and in their application present all of the work the hall has done throughout the year.
All News Stories for Wednesday, May 3, 2000
