Guarded by concrete lions, filled with the Manorites of Morrissey and crammed between Fisher Hall and the Rockne Memorial Gymnasium, Pangborn Hall seems to some to offer little in the way of attraction. But as Pangborn prepares to house the community for the new women’s residence hall being built on East Quad — scheduled to open in the fall of 2020 — the Office of Residential Life is trying to sweeten the deal.
The Office of Residential Life announced Monday that students who elect to transfer halls into Pangborn will receive special housing benefits, among them guaranteed singles, extra community spaces and select singles as doubles. The policy has generated buzz in female dorm communities as students ponder the future of their residence life.
Sophomore Elisabeth Lasecki said she was not in favor of making the move due to her commitment to her own dorm: Farley.
“I’ve created a good sense of community in my own hall and I wouldn’t want to give that up, especially being off campus for my freshman year,” Lasecki said. “So I would just love to continue building up the community I’ve already built rather than all of a sudden changing it up.”
Echoing Lasecki's words, senior Brookelyn Bacchus said it would be difficult to be a founder for an entire new dorm.
“I think it’s really hard to create a new community in a situation like that, but I also think it’s a great opportunity to expand a network of people and meet new people,” Bracchus said.
Director of Residential Life Breyan Tornifolio said in an interview with The Observer on Feb. 7, there will be plenty of hall spirit for the women making the move to Pangborn, as they will have the chance to build a community from the ground up.
“There will be welcome weekend, there will be hall council — it will function as a hall,” Tornifolio said. “So, women who might be looking for a fresh start, who want to take some leadership roles, this is their opportunity.”
The idea of being a trailblazer for Pangborn didn’t seem to impress sophomore Allysa Dunnigan much either. Dunnigan said Pangborn would be a “terrible living situation for a year.”
Although not personally excited by the idea, Dunnigan said she thought it was a great opportunity for other Notre Dame women.
“It’s a cool opportunity if you want to do leadership and be an RA because the chances are higher,” Dunnigan said.
Sophomore Marielle Corbett agreed that moving to Pangborn could be rewarding.
“Pangborn is a good dorm and it seems like a good deal,” Corbett. “Especially with the $500 waiver for the fees — that makes a big difference and so I would definitely consider it if I didn’t already love Lewis.”
Other women explained although the plan interested them initially, the overall transition would be inconvenient.
“If I could get a single I would consider it, but I’m a science major and my main thing would be if I could get closer to Jordan [Hall of Science],” sophomore Caroline Langley said. “Pangborn is not any closer than where I already live so I wouldn’t consider [moving], probably not.“
Or perhaps it’s simply a stubbornness to give up the dorm life so many Notre Dame women cherish.
Lasecki said she feels moving out of the dorm she was placed in would be in opposition to how she understands Notre Dame dorm culture.
“I understand the purpose of it, it seems to be transitional ... but it seems to be antithetical to this Notre Dame structure which is your freshman year you’re placed into a community,” she said. “Then all of a sudden, to just uproot that seems kind of against what the Notre Dame dorm is meant to be.”
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