As the school year begins, 248 Notre Dame women prepare to begin a new tradition in Ryan Hall, the University's newest residence hall, located between Welsh Family Hall and the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore.
Ryan features traditional single, double and quad rooms, but also has modified "super doubles," which have bay windows, and "super quads," which have private bathrooms. The dorm also has one triple room.
Ryan Hall's improved room options enticed many girls to apply to move. Senior Michelle Maloney, who moved to Ryan from Lewis Hall, said the new dorm has much more versatility than her old dorm.
"My friends and I decided to move to Ryan because it gave us a lot more room options than Lewis," Maloney said. "Although we didn't know at the time that Lewis was going to be renovated."
Upperclassmen like Maloney aren't the only ones excited to move in to the new dorm. Julianne Rizzo, a freshman from California, said she is excited to be able to spend all of her time on campus living in Ryan.
"It's amazing," Rizzo said. "I'm truly lucky to be here, especially right since freshman year."
Because Ryan Hall is so new, all of its residents are starting with a clean slate. They get to help create the dorm's cheers, traditions and signature events.
"It's exciting and fun because we get to build new traditions," Ryan Resident Assistant Nkechi Ekwunife said. "We're the first women to live in Ryan and our legacy will continue."
Ekwunife said she already feels a sense of community from the girls in the dorm.
"I feel like everyone's genuinely excited to live here," she said. "Not just to be back on campus, but to live in Ryan."
The dorm's rectress Breyan Tornifolio feels the same sense of excitement.
"[The reaction to the dorm] has been extremely, extremely positive," Tornifolio said. "I think the girls feel very blessed to be here. They think it's beautiful."
Like Ekwunife and the other residents, Tornifolio is excited about the chance to create new traditions for the dorm.
"I think the greatest part about Notre Dame is its tradition, hands down," Tornifolio said. "And it's really nice to start your own traditions. It's nice to see so many women take an active part in that. There's a lot of excitement here."