The women of Ryan Hall are settling into their new home and intend to pick a mascot and colors by mid-October, around the time of the dorm's dedication, hall Rector Breyan Tornifolio said.
"In two weeks we will elect our first hall council, who will help orchestrate discussions about our mascot and colors," Tornifolio said.
The women will come up with ideas as a hall.
"We will find what's a good fit for us," Tornifolio said. "Then we will shrink the list and have a dorm vote."
Tornifolio, previously rector of Pasquerilla East, is adjusting to her new surroundings quite well.
"It was difficult to leave P.E.," Tornifolio said. "I loved my time there. But the opportunity to start something and build something from the ground was something I felt called to do."
Senior and first floor Resident Assistant Sarah Pastorek is also excited about Ryan Hall.
"The biggest thing is that we get to start our own tradition and build the kind of community we want to live in," Pastorek said.
Pastorek, previously a resident of McGlinn Hall, said that the 248 residents of Ryan Hall are enjoying the new community.
"We want to live here," Pastorek said. "I'm really enjoying living here. I made the right decision."
However, life in a new building is not without its snags, as the residents of Ryan can attest to.
"At the moment, we only have warm water, not hot water," sophomore and previously Lewis resident Marta Michalska said. "But really, you have so much awesome stuff here, you can't really complain."
"Some locks are backwards," said sophomore and previously McGlinn Hall resident Maria Emilian. "Sometimes they stick, too, so you can get locked out of your room."
"We're tweaking here and there," Tornifolio said. "Of course there are things that no one can prepare for. All in all things are going quite smoothly."
To welcome residents, the staff had a Ryan Hall Kickoff on August 31, including a grill-out and girl time for the new community.
The new building is full of beautiful features, the residents said. Included is a beautiful chapel and large spaces for residents, Emilian said.
Ryan Hall is a "green" hall, Michalska said. Some green features include high efficiency washing machines, energy efficient windows, and toilets that have two flush sizes to save water, Michalska said.
One thing that was stressed by Ryan Hall residents is the new and unique community.
"I love that we are all different," Tornifolio said. "There's lots of excitement, lots of involvement. All the girls involved are trying to take good things from their old dorms, to bring the best of the dorms here."
