- Duncan Hall (University of Notre Dame)
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Duncan Hall Established 2008 Type Residence Hall Rector Mr. Terence Fitzgibbons Location Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
41°41′52″N 86°14′35″W / 41.697782°N 86.243173°WCoordinates: 41°41′52″N 86°14′35″W / 41.697782°N 86.243173°WCampus West Quad Colors Duncan Tartan (Blue and Green) Mascot Highlanders Website Duncan Hall Website Duncan Hall is one of the 29 residence halls at the University of Notre Dame and one of 15 male dorms. It lies on West Quad as the westernmost dorm on that quad, immediately west of McGlinn Hall, east of the golf course, south of Pangborn Hall, and north of Duncan Fields. Duncan was built as the first of four planned new dorms to relieve overcrowding in on-campus housing, breaking ground on March 8, 2007 and opening in August 2008 for its first residents.[1] The dorm presently houses 232 undergraduate students from all classes. The first rector was Fr. Tom Eckert, CSC, and the current rector is Terence Fitzgibbons. The current dorm president for 2010-2011 is Jimmy White, and the vice-president is his younger brother, Pete White. Duncan Hall also won Men's Hall of the Year for 2009-2010.
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History
Duncan was built as the first of four new dorms to be built by the University to alleviate overcrowding in the existing residence halls. The hall was the first to be built since the completion of the original four West Quad dorms (Welsh Family, Keough, O'Neill, and McGlinn) in 1996/1997, and it fills the space of former volleyball courts west of McGlinn Hall, filling the quad out to its western limit at Holy Cross Drive.
Duncan Hall is named for its benefactor Raymond T. Duncan, Notre Dame class of 1952, a personal friend of Joe O'Neill, benefactor of O'Neill Hall (also on West Quad). The Duncan family has strong family ties to the University, including Mr. Duncan's father Walter (class of 1912), two of his brothers and two of his sons.[2]
The dorm broke ground in March 2007 and was completed in 17 months, on schedule, to be opened for its first residents during ordinary move-in in August 2008. Mackey Mitchell Architects was the designer of this project.
The design process of the dorm took into account favorite features of various dorms around campus, including a second-floor chapel (a feature shared only by St. Edward's Hall) and a diversified selection of room types more typical of Notre Dame's traditional residence halls than the uniform West Quad dorms. The dorm incorporates features such as super-quads, which include private bathrooms, and super-doubles with bay windows, as well as a study lounge and social space in every section, 24-hour space with a large kitchen that presently hosts a food-service business called The Highlander Grille, a basement with an exercise room, and many other niceties.[3] The rooms are larger than typical on-campus dorm rooms, and the dorm is generally viewed as relatively luxurious.
The inaugural freshman class was filled as with any other dorm, by the random process of the Office of Residence Life and Housing. Residents from other three classes, however, were selected through a random lottery process six months prior to move-in, choosing 150 students from a voluntary applicant pool.[4] The chosen students had the opportunity to accept or decline a transfer from their present hall to Duncan. Several second-round admissions were made to fill gaps from the original lottery process.[5]
The fall 2008 semester marked the beginning of the establishment of Duncan culture and tradition. Shortly after move-in, the new residents elected a hall government administration. On Sept 12, the residents held a vote on the dorm's mascot, choosing among Highlanders, Duffers, and Dragons. The Duncan residents settled with Highlanders as the official name. [6]
On Friday, October 3, 2008, Duncan Hall was formally dedicated, an event marked by a Mass in the chapel presided by Fr. John Jenkins, university president, and attended by the Duncan family and distinguished guests as well as the dorm's residents and hall staff.
Current Rector
Duncan's current rector is Terence Fitzgibbons. Terry returns to the University from his most recent position as Overseas Lay Minister for the Congregation of Holy Cross in Jinja, Uganda. During this time, he served as a teacher at an undergraduate Catholic seminary and a primary school. Terry holds a B.A. in Political Science and Arabic Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and an M.A. from the University of Toronto in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations. After completing his undergraduate degree, Terry served for four years as a Surface Warfare Division Officer on different ships in the United States Navy. During his time in the military, Terry lived in Ingleside, TX; Manama, Bahrain; and Yokosuka, Japan. As a senior, he was a Resident Assistant in Alumni Hall. Duncan Hall first rector was Fr. Tom Eckert, CSC. Previously, Fr. Tom served as rector St. Edward's Hall, leaving that position in 2006 to seek a master's degree in Iberian and Latin American Literatures before moving to Duncan for its opening in the fall of 2008. Fr. Tom attended Notre Dame as an undergraduate, class of 1995, and a seminarian, ordained a Holy Cross priest in April 2003.[7]
References
External links
Categories:- University of Notre Dame residence halls
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