Mary Kaminski
They may be the new kids on the block, but the Duncan Hall (insert still unannounced dorm mascot here)s have no reason to be picked on. The 232 proud men of Duncan are doing just fine getting acquainted with the neighborhood. In fact, they are already claiming possession of West Quad by attempting to steal the naming rights of the recreational area commonly referred to as “McGlinn Fields.” Dorm soccer try-outs were to be held at “DUNCAN Fields,” a student said during post-Mass announcements last week. These new guys are already claiming ownership of their not-quite-humble abode.
At first glance, the interior of Duncan feels more like Rolfs Recreational Sports Center than a dorm; the fresh paint and clean carpets aren’t tarnished by the smell of stale beer and inexplicable 10-year-old stains quite yet. Give it time, though; the residents have big plans for the future of Duncan and aim to keep up with the rest of the long-established Notre Dame dormitories.
There was speculation around campus that the dorm wouldn’t start off as a cohesive unit or that the incoming freshman wouldn’t be “taken care of” by the older residents, since the upperclassmen are a combination of men from various dorms across campus. Traditionally, older students living in dorms mold the freshmen to fit the established identity of the dorm. The men of Duncan, however, have quickly become something more than a random assortment of students.
“I think everything is working out really well. The upperclassmen, yes, they are coming from another dorm, but they all chose to come here, so they are all very excited about everything,” senior C.J. Ramsey, a Duncan resident assistant (R.A.) says. “A lot of the guys are especially excited to be a part of the beginning of new traditions.” We have all heard the “back in my day …” tales of dorm traditions (for instance, back in my day, there was a Dillon Hall Pep Rally every year). The residents of Duncan have the special opportunity to be the men who begin and pass down the traditions.
Last week hall government elections confirmed juniors Joe Czerwien and Tom Bacsik as hall president and vice-president, respectively. The next step concerns the much-anticipated choice of hall mascot and spirit colors (and no, the “Duncan Donuts” — which I’m sure you all thought was your own, original and painfully funny idea — is not being seriously considered).
Residents were encouraged to submit their ideas for the dorm mascot last week. Since anyone who lives in the dorm can submit a suggestion, plenty of ideas were offered up, but there seem to be two clear favorites. Best of luck to the male dorms that would have to take on either the Duncan Highlanders or the Duncan Dragons in any type of friendly dorm competition. (Reminder: The Scots sure can hold their beverage, and dragons are fire-breathing, making both dangerous opponents on any playing field). Duncan rector Father Tom Eckert says he hopes the decision will be announced prior to the Purdue pep rally, which will be hosted by Duncan. The creation of a signature event will be the second primary task of hall government.
With hall government in place, some of the weight has been taken off the hall staff’s shoulders. With no Duncan residents to pull from in the spring, the hall staff had to completely run the Frosh-O program, which is typically run by sophomores and juniors. On top of that, in-hall training began before the staff was even living in Duncan — during training, the R.A.s lived in O’Neill, the assistant rectors lived in Fischer and O’Hara-Grace Graduate Housing, and Eckert was living in Corby Hall. “It was a challenge envisioning what the community would be like for the entire dorm when we didn’t even have the physical place where we were going to form that community,” Eckert says. When it was time to move in, however, the brotherhood started coming together. Duncan upperclassmen volunteered to help move freshmen in — another typical role of a Frosh-O staff. “As R.A.s, we really wanted to be present in our sections as the freshmen were moving in, so the other upperclassmen were a huge help. It’s really what lends itself to the great atmosphere we now have in Duncan,” senior R.A. Travis Allen says.
The upperclassmen residents entered a lottery last spring for the chance to win the perks of air-conditioning, spacious common areas and a brand new facility. Roommates could apply together to be in Duncan for a specific-sized room. Having previously lived in Morrissey, notoriously one of the most run-down of the men’s dorms, Ramsey appreciates the improved living conditions Duncan has to offer. The dorm consists of singles, doubles, super doubles, triples, quads and super quads. What makes a double or quad “super,” you ask? Bay windows and private restroom facilities upgrade a room.
One lucky group of guys certainly upgraded from the cinderblock motif of Keenan Hall. They landed the dorm’s only 6-man, a double attached to a quad with a bathroom and large common room — which will soon house a 100-inch projector screen. The “Duncan Penthouse” is “far from everywhere but close to perfect.” Or so their business cards say. Juniors Garreth Condron, Conner Cox, Bill Carson, Joey Schmitt, Jorge Romero and Noah Franske proudly admit that there is even enough room for their egos.
As for the freshmen, dorm life is uncharted territory, so they don’t have any horror stories of older and less attractive dorms to compare with life in Duncan. While they may not get a chance to be part of decades-old dorm traditions, some Duncan freshmen are thrilled to be charter members of Duncan Hall. “The first thing I thought was, how did I get so lucky?” freshman Alex Metoxen says. “I didn’t know a lot about any of the other dorms, but when I found out I’d be in a brand new one, I figured it wasn’t a bad deal.”
The freshmen and the upperclassmen that chose to transfer into Duncan are a melting pot that is evolving into a family. Those that transferred to Duncan all came for different reasons, but now they are as one unit. “I don’t know why they came here, but everyone chose to be in this community, to start new traditions and to be around for something exciting,” Allen says.
Eckert commends the men of Duncan for the respect they have all shown one another as they create a community and a brotherhood. “I can’t really say that I’m surprised. Every dorm is always the best dorm on campus. But I think the excitement and newness of the ‘Duncan experience’ is probably drawing people together, even with their diverse backgrounds and experiences,” Eckert says. He also noted that since everyone is new to the dorm, residents don’t necessarily know who the freshmen are, or who belongs to the older classes, putting everyone on a more even playing field in the community. “There are far fewer groups defined by class than maybe in other dorm experiences,” Eckert says.
Although the freshmen admit that they feel spoiled by their amenities, they are truly excited to be a part of the Duncan Hall tradition. And these guys have high hopes for Duncan’s status on campus. When asked what male dorm they would like to start a rivalry with, Metoxen says: “All of them, but definitely O’Neill and Morrissey. By senior year, there will be fighting.” A threat to another hall for no apparent reason? The sign of a true ND dorm. Looks like the Duncan Hall kids will fit in just fine around here.
