Official Freshman Orientation Handbook

Morrissey Manor

2011-2012 Academic Year

Table Of contents

Foreword

THE HALL

The People of the manor

LIVING IN MORRISSEY

Rules and Regulations

SOCIAL LIFE

MISCELLANEOUS

FAQ

FOREWORD

Dear First Years of Morrissey Manor,

On behalf of our Rector, Fr. Ronald Vierling, the Morrissey Manor Hall Staff, the Manor Council, and the Freshman Orientation Committee, I (Andrew Mancini, the beloved, attractive, and intelligent author of this work of art) would like to welcome you to the single greatest dorm on this fine campus.

Morrissey Manor, a name that is respected and feared among the Notre Dame community, will be your home for this upcoming year and years to come. I am guessing that as soon as you got your dorm assignment and saw “Morrissey” you had one of the following reactions. You either a) jumped up and yelled for joy that you are assigned to live in the best dorm on campus, b) were confused that you are assigned to live in the lead singer of the Smiths (look it up) or c) were indifferent because you have no idea what the significance of Morrissey is (yet). Now there is very little I can do for you if you had an a) or b) reaction, but if your reaction fell into that of category c), it is my personal job to make sure you realize that in a short time you will be moving into the best dorm on campus (have I said that enough yet?).

However, before getting to the proper of this handbook, there is one quick thing I would just like to clear up. You are a resident of Morrissey Manor. Manor. Not Morrissey Hall, Morrissey House, Morrissey College, Morrissey Dorm, or That Place on South Quad by the Name of Morrissey. The Manor is where you will live, make friends, and spend the largest amount of time your freshman year.

Right away in the Manor you will meet the guys in your section who will eventually become your best friends on campus. However, the bond between the men of Morrissey goes beyond that of simple friendship (yes, I know how this is starting to sound…). Instead, this bond is more like that between brothers. These ten or twenty men you live with will the same ten or twenty who will always be there for you whenever you need it. Whether you are bored on a Friday night, stuck talking to a girl from BP, or struggling with a tough homework assignment, your section mates will be those who will always bail you out when you are in a sticky situation.

I know you may be anxious about moving away from home and into a strange building with a bunch of strange guys you have never met before, but I can honestly say you have nothing to worry about. As a sophomore in Morrissey, I can tell you that my freshman year in Morrissey was the greatest year of my life. The guys you’ll meet, the memorable weekends you’ll spend together, and the bond you will develop with everyone you live with will make your freshman year at Morrissey at time you will remember forever. I mean it.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I am looking forward to meeting you all in August.

Always in Morrissey,

Andrew Mancini

THE MANOR

THE HISTORY OF MORRISSEY:

Built in 1925, Morrissey Hall is named after Fr. Andrew Morrissey, C.S.C., Notre Dame's seventh president. Today, the dorm is often referred to as Morrissey Manor, and is nicknamed simply, “The Manor.” The dorm's motto, “BonumJucundumqueHabitareFratres” means, “It is good and pleasant for brothers to live together.”

The X-shaped cross on the building represents the crucifixion of St. Andrew, Fr. Morrissey's patron saint. Its shield symbolizes the undying commitment of St. Andrew, as well as the pride of The Manor's residents. The symbols seen on the shield signify Notre Dame (open book), the Holy Spirit (descending dove), Ireland (harp), and sportsmanship (winged shoe).

The Manor is one of three dorms (along with Lyons and Howard) which were formerly known as “the Golden Coast.” At the time, the three dorms were located on the edge of campus.

Designed by Francis Kervick of Kervick & Fagan Architecture Firm, Morrissey boasts some of the most elaborate architecture of any dorm on campus. With its elaborate masonry and tall tower, Morrissey's exterior is most impressive.

The Manor underwent a 2 year multi-million dollar renovation during the summers of 1997 and 1998. A complete overhaul of the exterior gave the Manor new landscaping, sidewalks, a new roof, gutters, and more bike racks, while the interior renovation gave us remodeled rooms for the students (with new doors, furniture, sinks, floors, and internet hook-ups for each student), 24 hour social spaces, study areas, laundry facilities in the basement, and lounges on each floor equipped with cable television.

In the Spring of 2006, Morrissey received the latest campus-wide upgrade to the dormitories, which included wireless internet and cable television in individual rooms.

As you can tell, Morrissey has a lot of history behind it, and you will be a part of this history as soon as you step through the doors of the Manor.

LOCATION:

The Manor, besides having a rich and exciting history, also has a prime location on the Notre Dame campus. Situated on Notre Dame’s South Quad, Morrissey is only a short (read: five minutes at most) walk away from South Dining Hall (the best dining hall on campus), Pangborn, Lyons, and Howard Halls (the best girls’ dorms on campus), the Rockne Memorial (the best place to work out and get ripped on campus), the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and LaFortune Student Center (the best and only student center on campus). Another pro about Morrissey’s location on campus is how easy it is to explain to those of the female variety how to get there (you will be doing this a lot, trust me). On South Quad? Good. See the tall building with a tower that is more attractive than any other building on campus? That’s Morrissey. It’s that easy.

QUICK FACTS:

Established: 1925

Nickname: The Manor

Colors: Black/Gold

Location: South Quad

Chapel: Little Flower Chapel

Number of Floors: 5

Number of Rooms: 103

Capacity: 230

Elevator? No

Air Conditioning? No, real men do not need air conditioning

Study Rooms? Yes

Exercise Room? No

Kitchen Access? Yes

Laundry Facilities? Yes

Sinks in Rooms? Yes

Modular Furniture? Yes

THE (MOSTIMPORTANT) PEOPLE OF THE MANOR

RECTOR:

To ensure that the dorm is not in constant mayhem, a Rector heads the ship and is the one who oversees the entire dorm for the whole year. Morrissey’s Rector is the one, the only, Father Ronald Vierling. Fr. V, as he is lovingly referred to, is, quite simply, the man. Rumor has it he wrestles alligators in the Everglades over break, has developed three cures for HIV, and has single-handedly saved the planet on six separate occasions. Okay, not really. But he still is a really awesome guy who will always have your back and ensure you are living up to your potential at Notre Dame.

Fr. V will be one of the people (along with the ARs and RAs) that you can always go to if you ever have a problem with anything dorm related (or even if your problem involves something else). If you make sure to get on his good side right off the bat, you’ll be set for your time in Morrissey and will have no problems here. Fr. V’s office can be found on the first floor right off of the main lobby.

ASSISTANT RECTORS:

Since Morrissey is a large dorm filled with hundreds of college guys, Fr. V needs some help in overseeing everything. This help comes in the form of two assistant rectors, or ARs. The two ARs reside on the second and third floors so you will be seeing them around for sure. If Fr. V is not available due to some priest conference or secret mission, the ARs are next in charge and can help you out with whatever you need.

RESIDENT Assistants:

Because Morrissey is divided up into eight sections (we’ll get to that in a second), there are eight Resident Assistants (RAs). Your RA is who is in charge of your section and someone you can always turn to with questions or concerns. I know this sounds cliché, but make sure you get on good terms with your RA right away because he will be there for you like a brother whenever you need anything.

LIVING IN MORRISSEY

SECTIONS:

All of Morrissey is divided up into eight “sections” of rooms labeled by a number (based on floor) and combination of letters (based on side of the Manor you are living on). For example, 1CD would be the cluster of rooms located on the first floor and nearest to Howard (you’ll understand when you move in, trust me it’s not that hard of a concept). As a freshman you will be living in 1AB, 1CD, or 2CD along with the other freshmen coming in (and maybe a sophomore or two, possibly). Each section consists of a ten-man wing (five doubles), a six-man wing (three doubles), and a hallway which contains the quads (two doubles and a common room) of each section. Your section will be the first group of guys you will meet and bond (oh, how you will bond…) with, so take advantage of it right away!

ROOMS:

Morrissey has the biggest rooms on campus. Not really. In fact, the doubles in Morrissey are just about the smallest rooms on campus. However, don’t fret because it is really not that bad at all. You sacrifice some living space and gain a whole lot of brotherhood. You can check out the size of the rooms on the Morrissey website so you are not completely shocked when you get here. The way your room will be set up (most likely) is your bed residing on top of your dresser on one side and on top of your desk on the other. This modular furniture is very convenient and allows you to fit two people in a room! You may not understand right now, but I am convinced the smaller the rooms and the closer you are with each other the better of a dorm experience you will have.

COMMON ROOMS:

One of the less known facts about Morrissey is that each section comes with two common rooms (a small one for the six-man wing and a large one for the ten-man wing). These rooms are completely bare when you arrive so be sure to bring along stuff to furnish them with! Some ideas of things you should bring for this common room include futons, mini-fridges, a TV, carpet, and some gaming systems. They are much larger than the rooms you will be living in and are perfect for “socializing” in and just general bro time.

ROOMMATES:

By now you have been assigned a roommate (or three) that you will be living with for the entire year. What you should NOT do now that you have a roommate is never contact him and then be extremely awkward when you first meet in August. Seriously, talk to him. The system is completely random but I have never heard of someone (well, a guy at least…it’s different for girls apparently) who has been completely unhappy with their roommate. More often than not he will be a cool guy and will be one of your best friends right away. Talk to him, find common ground, work on what you will both be bringing, and don’t be awkward. Got it?

LAVATORIES AND SHOWERS:

Surprisingly, sometime during your stay in Morrissey you will most likely need to use the bathroom. If you somehow manage to get around this, I will be both impressed and slightly disturbed. Each section has one bathroom for everyone to share. There’s not really much more to say here…bathrooms are bathrooms and I assume you know how to use them by now.

STUDY LOUNGES:

Located in the basement, on the first floor, and on the third floor, Morrissey has three study lounges where you can study if you so desire. Rumor has it that several Morrissey residents have successfully avoided these “dead zones” throughout their four years at Notre Dame. I applaud these gentlemen…and wonder how they passed…

CHAPEL:

Morrissey’s own chapel is the Little Flower Chapel located on the first floor off of the main lobby. Morrissey offers daily mass every weekday at 10PM as well as mass on Sunday at 10PM. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of college life for a bit, retreating into the chapel is a good way to get some alone time and reflect on your day.

24 HOUR LOUNGE:

Like all dorms, Morrissey is equipped with a 24 hour space where girls are allowed to stay even after parietals (a novel concept huh?). Morrissey’s lounge, located in the basement, is furnished with comfy couches, a big screen LCD TV, and ping pong, pool, and foosball tables to make sure you have a warm and homey place to retreat to when it is 4:00 AM and the weather in South Bend becomes akin to that of northern Canada (which is often) but you are not quite ready to stop talking to that cute girl you met from Walsh who is probably not interested in you at all.

YAZ’S:

One of the glorious benefits of living in Morrissey is access to the most celebrated restaurant on campus, the one and only “Yaz’s.” Named after Carl Yastrzemski, a Hall of Fame first baseman for the Boston Red Sox and famous resident of Morrissey, Yaz’s serves only the finest frozen food to the residents of Morrissey. Yaz’s, open Sunday through Thursday throughout the school year, is located in the basement across from the 24 hour lounge and, personally, is one of the reasons I am thankful for living in Morrissey. Try the Zachos or a Hood Brother. You’ll enjoy them going in and regret them going out.

MAIL ROOM:

Among the less exciting benefits you receive for living in Morrissey is access to campus mail. Located in the basement, Morrissey’s mail room is where your mailbox is located and where you will pick up all your incoming mail (if you are luckier than me and actually get incoming mail…). To ensure a letter is delivered to your mailbox correctly, make sure whoever is sending it addresses it in the following way:

Your Name (and please, don’t have them write “Your Name”)

XXX Morrissey Hall (XXX = room number, not the Vin Diesel flick)

Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556

And ta-da!

KITCHEN ACCESS:

On the third floor and in the basement are two kitchens every student living in Morrissey has access to. Tired of dining hall food and want to cook up a gourmet meal for yourself? Bam! Use the kitchen! Once again, a kitchen is a kitchen is a kitchen. It is a fully functional kitchen with a stove, fridge, utensils, and whatever else your little heart desires!

LAUNDRY:

The most exciting benefit of living in Morrissey is the privilege of being able to do your own laundry. Unless you subscribe to Saint Michael’s Laundry Service (you will be getting information about this in the mail), you will inevitably have to do your own laundry (located, like most of our other amenities, in the basement). I have heard that all the ladies on campus respect and admire a man who knows how to do his own laundry, so think about that before you complain. If you use cash, a load of laundry (washing + drying) costs $3.00; however you save fifty cents if you use Domer Dollars.

WIRELESS INTERNET:

Like all of campus, Morrissey is equipped with wireless internet. OIT will be getting to you early on about how to set up your computer in line with the Notre Dame network, so I won’t both to mention that here. However, take it from me, the internet in the dorm is fast and rarely goes down.

EVERYTHING ELSE:

If you have any other questions check out the Morrissey website at morrissey.nd.edu! It has everything in this handbook and even more (there’s pictures even!)

RULES AND REGULATIONS

PARIETALS:

As you most likely know by now through a current student or from reading DuLac (you DID read DuLac right? Just kidding), Notre Dame has a visiting policy by the name of parietals. In addition to this, all dorms at Notre Dame are single sex (which is why I’ve been such a bro throughout all of this). Sunday through Thursday from 12am-9am and Friday and Saturday from 2am-9am are hours when absolutely no members of the opposite sex are allowed in the dorm save for the 24 hour space. I know this sounds like a pain and, to be honest, it really can be. However, you will see that parietals really do have a positive side. While it may seem like parietals are just in place to prevent students from having sexual relations, the administration has made it clear that this is really not the case. Basically, parietals are in place to quiet the dorm down so people can sleep. Also, parietals are nice because you can walk around Morrissey in the morning in just your boxers and be comfortable (and please, wear boxers…no one wants to see that).