Most people at Notre Dame claim that their dorm is the best; some people might even believe that their dorm actually is the best. But we all know that there can only be one “best dorm” on campus. All biases aside, I am going to explain why Walsh Hall is in fact the best dorm at Notre Dame.
- ~Aesthetic~
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Let’s face it: some of the dorms at ND are absolutely disgusting. I have friends who must battle cockroaches and bats in their bedroom, and I almost feel bad when I am living in the luxurious hall that I can call home. Walsh Hall offers amazing amenities to all of its residents, and everyone is very committed to keeping our home clean and beautiful. Although Walsh was one of the first dorms built on campus, it was remodeled in the 2016-2017 school year, and it has never looked better.
- GOAT Apparel
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Thanks to the help of our super crafty residents and hall staff, Walshies get to rep some of the coolest swag on campus. Whether you want a giant hoodie for the winter, tie-dye tank top for the blazing August months, or a cool sticker for your computer or water bottle, there is something with Walsh Hall written on it.
- High Tech
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Because of the renovations that happened two years ago, Walsh is very ~high tech~ now. This includes card locks on all of the doors. Yes, that’s right people. Walsh residents do not have to carry around a key with them in order to access their rooms. Our student ID’s can be swiped to unlock the building entrances and unlock our room doors.
- Best Location
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This one was almost too obvious to include, but in case anyone is unfamiliar with Walsh, I will include it. Walsh is located between Sorin Hall and the Knights of Columbus building on God Quad. Being in the middle of campus is a luxury that most Walshies don’t even think about, but being able to walk to just about any class in under 10 minutes is an absolute game-changer. Not to mention, being one of the two dorms accepted into the exclusive God Squad isn’t something to forget about either.
- Many accomodations
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Another thing that’s special about Walsh is that it is one of the few dorms with at least one of every single kind of room. This makes Walsh the perfect home for everyone! In Walsh, girls can live in singles, doubles, triples, quads, quints and even a six-chick!
- Walsh Love!
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Everyone in Walsh LOVES Walsh. This leads to awesome participation rates in almost everything we do. Whether it’s our Mr. ND fundraiser, hall council every week, interhall sports or the Overnight Retreat, there are always Walshies wanting to get involved and spend more time with everybody else in their dorm.
- Plentiful Food
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WALSH LOVES FOOD. Although I will admit that it made fighting the Freshman 15 a little bit harder, the amount of snacks that are always available in Walsh makes everybody’s life better. Not to mention every year, Walsh Hall hosts a Sustainable Thanksgiving for all of its residents to celebrate the holiday, good food and being sustainable together as a hall.
- Dub Club
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With only about 160 residents, Walsh really feels like a home away from home. The tight-knit community of Walsh helps girls transition into college and meet friends from different majors, grades and parts of the globe. It is totally normal to walk through the hallways and say hello or strike up conversations with fellow Walshies who you might not even know. Walsh is filled with some of the best girls at Notre Dame and that allows our community to thrive.
- Best Rector
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Walsh’s rector, Liz, is our #fearlessleader. Liz is one of the most understanding and supportive women that I have ever met, and she goes out of her way to create relationships with all Walshies. Liz is extremely involved in Walsh and at Notre Dame and is always giving 110% to make sure that all Walsh events are slightly extra and a ton of fun.
- Empowerment
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At Walsh Hall, every woman is empowered to prioritize herself and to have her fellow Walshies’ backs at all times. There is a solid mentality of smashing the patriarchy at Walsh, and the community is nothing but supportive for everyone.
I understand that nobody wants to admit that their dorm isn’t the best dorm. But with all of the evidence I just provided, how could you not believe that it isn’t Walsh Hall? I mean, what other dorm won Hall of the Year for the 2014-2015 academic year, Women’s Hall of the Year for the 2015-2016 academic year, and Most Supportive Community for the 2017-2018 academic year? Not to mention, Walsh’s superiority was even mentioned in an article in The Observer called “The final dorm rankings”. Basically, Walsh Hall is the best dorm at Notre Dame, and I suspect that it will continue being so for a long time.