The anxious moment approaches. Meet the men you will soon call brothers and learn some strategies to prepare for a smooth first year. It’s a great big cinderblock world. Welcome!
Newest Griffins,
Congratulations on your acceptance to the University of Notre Dame and welcome to Stanford Hall—the beautiful Cinderblock Palace, the Home of the Griffins and Men of Virtue, and the best hall on campus!
Closest neighbors. Trustworthy friends. Brothers.
I put these five words at the heart of my first communication to you for a reason. Sit with them. Allow them to sink in. Because in your time at Notre Dame, in your four years in Stanford Hall, those words will become your lived reality. Three years ago, at this time, when I found out I would be the rector of Stanford, I sat in a very similar place that you sit now. New to Stanford Hall. Not really knowing anyone. Wondering if the guys would welcome me, accept me, like me, let alone love me. Those worries have been wiped away, my fears destroyed, and my expectations surpassed. I know now that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, where God has called me to be. I would invite you to trust the same. You are exactly where you are supposed to be.
My deepest hope is that Stanford Hall will become a place where you feel at home, where you experience true friendship and an unmatched bond of brotherhood! A place where you are willing to be stretched and able to grow in both mind and heart.
These next four years are going to be a mix of joy, excitement, laughter, stress, struggle, and challenge. Through it all, your brothers in Stanford Hall will be here for you! Stanford men are united by an unmatched bond of brotherhood where everybody belongs. We need each other. And our community and commitment to one another can give witness to our world.
The five words, “closest neighbors, trustworthy friends, brothers,” with which I began didn’t just pop into my head. They come from the rule of life that we Holy Cross priests are called to follow. It’s one of my favorite paragraphs, and I think it is quite fitting for our time. “It is essential to our mission that we strive to abide so attentively together that people will observe, ‘see how they love one another.’ We will then be a sign in an alienated world: men who have, for love of their Lord, become closest neighbors, trustworthy friends, brothers.”
Closest neighbors, trustworthy friends, brothers, I look forward to meeting you in the coming days!
Yours in Notre Dame, Our Mother
Fr. Chris Brennan, CSC
Rector, Stanford Hall
What to Bring
Hello New Griffins,
My name is Parker Salomone. I will be a Sophomore this year and I’ve put together this information to give you everything I wish that I had when I was in your shoes only 12 months ago. I’ve left out the obvious, but I’ve tried to include things that may get your mental gears turning. Of course, they’re all optional, but recommended to various degrees. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me on Instagram.
As you begin to pack and purchase for your new dorm room, I encourage you to read the below, as I think it may save you some trouble. First, please read Notre Dame’s own guidelines for packing and what not to bring, but I believe my personal account as a Griffin might also be helpful.
Shared
Your room is what you put into it. All Stanford freshmen are placed in two-man rooms, which we call “doubles.” They’re all roughly the same size and they come with the same modular furniture, which I have given some more detail on in the next section, “Room Layout.” Beyond that, your dorm room is your oyster. As many freshmen find out, it’s easy to overpack. Your biggest items will likely be the ones you share with your roommate. So, I recommend connecting as soon as possible, but I recommend not splitting the bill on your shared goods. In the case that you part ways at the end of the year, that will make it easier to sort out what you shared. Many rooms get fridges, but less than half bring the rest on the shared list.
- Fridge
- Rug
- The Stepan Center, right near Stanford hosts a dorm room pop-up shop during move-in where you can purchase a carpet and some other fixings.
- TV
- Futon or other furniture
Wearable
Pack plenty of cool clothing, but Fall can also come on quickly and the Winter months are biting. I also highly recommend cleats for inter-section football. If you know you’ll be traveling back home for Fall Break or Thanksgiving, it might be nice to start planning in advance and leaving some of your portable Winter clothes home to start and swapping them when you travel. I think you’ll find it convenient to have a little extra space in your room.
- Shower Shoes
- I also have flip-flops separate for regular use
- Cleats
- Some Snow/Freeze-Compatible Gear
- For example, water-resistant boots. You may not use cold gear often, but you may be glad at the last football game of the year or the inaugural campus-wide snowball fight
Room Essentials
There are plenty of dorm room essentials you’ll want to have from the start.
- Shower Bag or Caddie
- A bag is nice so that you can hang it on the hooks right outside the shower
- High-Power Fans
- Personally, I use both a room fan and a personal fan
- Extension Cords
- Each side of the room has a row of outlets a foot from the ground
- Low-intensity light
- Our desks come with overhead lights, but if you’re always an early riser or a night owl (college has a way of doing that to you), you’ll want to be able to see around the room without waking up your roommate. LED strips are common. Technically, the university doesn’t want you to put them on the walls. I put mine around my bed frame.
Beds
Our beds are twin extra-long and sit in modular frames that allow you to lie a few feet above the ground, semi-lofted, or fully lofted. The mattresses aren’t bad, but personally I also have a mattress topper. I think you’ll be glad you got one too.
- Mattress topper
- The mattresses aren’t bad, but personally I also have a mattress topper. I think you’ll be glad you got one too.
- Phone/book holder
- This will be especially convenient if you loft. There are plenty of options for frame-attached storage. My sheets have pockets on them to hold my phone.
Lastly, don’t forget to bring your personal care and hygiene products. To the chagrin of literally every other men’s hall, Stanford men are the most stylish. So plan accordingly.
Men, it’s an honor to have you with us. I look forward to meeting you in the coming days.
Notre Dame by a million,
Parker Salomone
Stanford Hall 2026
Room Layout
Hello Griffins,
Please see the below for some room layout recommendations. Freshmen typically lay out their room in H, H (semi-lofted), or L. You can also bunk, but that’s rare in doubles. These blueprints I’ve put together have a faint grid pattern. Each big square is representative of 1 square foot. There are floor-to-ceiling pipes in the room which vary in size and placement. There’s a heater under the window. There’s also a provided trash can and recycling bin. Plus, half of the rooms have the closet-door-sink layout flipped. The blueprints are not exact; however, they should help you plan out your incoming room setup. I’ve also included a map of the hall. All floors are nearly identical, but not the same. The map will give you a good sense of where you’ll be located.
Please feel free to send any questions my way on Instagram. College move-in is no small task.
Welcome home,
Parker Salomone
Stanford Hall 2026
Typical Double Layouts
Furniture dimensions:
- Stationary Closet w/ middle partition: 65x26in
- Sink w/ medicine cabinet and underneath storage: 28x31in
- Bed (2x): 42x84in
- Desk w/ wooden desk chair (2x): 24x42in
- Wardrobe (2x): 24x36in
- Shelf (2x): 48x10x18.5in LWH
Hall Government
Hall Government
Stanford Hall elects a new president and vice president every year; however, if that vice president is planning on studying abroad for a term, the president is welcome to select another man to serve as his vice for the other term. Such is the case this year. These three are also assisted by a cabinet.
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Tyler Cook
President
Computer Science
Covington, KY
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Matthew Kirkham
VP (Fall)
Finance
Altherton, CA
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Wilson Murphy
VP (Spring)
Political Science
Vero Beach, FL
St. André Welcome Weekend Team
St. André Welcome Weekend Team
Every Spring, applications go out to all Stanford men to become the St. André Welcome Week crew. Many Stanford men apply, only a few make it. Everyone in the Hall is excited to welcome you, but these 17 are the crew dedicated to acquainting you with all there is to know about the Hall, Notre Dame, and college life. Meet your St. André Welcome Week crew.
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Zach Mikhail
St. André Team Captain
Mechanical Engineering
Los Angeles, CA
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Spencer Aye
St. André Team Captain
Finance and Economics
Centennial, CO
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Stephen Kwapis
St. André Team
Finance
Kalamazoo, MI
-
Ronan Lauber
St. André Team
Finance
St. Paul, MN
-
Lucas Barquin
St. André Team
Undecided
Roswell, GA
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John Paul Llanos
St. André Team
Computer Science
Tampa, FL
-
Jonathan Mendez
St. André Team
Political Science, Psychology, Spanish
Miami, FL
-
Zachary Bohmer
St. André Team
Mechanical Engineering
Medina, OH
-
Quinn Brennan
St. André Team
Business Analytics and ACMS
Knoxville, TN
-
Daniel Roemer
St. André Team
Business Analytics and History
Le Grange, IL
-
Conor Laveau
St. André Team
Business Analytics
Thousand Oaks, CA
-
Julian Mercado
St. André Team
Accountancy
Brea, CA
-
Evan Kuster
St. André Team
Mechanical Engineering
Clinton, NJ
-
Jack Marchal
St. André Team
Economics
Greenville, OH
-
Drew St. Louis
St. André Team
Chemical Engineering
Lyme, CT
-
Isaiah Baumgartner
St. André Team
Finance and Theology
Fullerton, CA
-
Matthew Broussard
St. André Team
Undecided
Lafayette, LA
