Keenan Hall

Keenan Hall is one of the 32 Residence Halls at University of Notre Dame. It is located on North Quad in front of North Dining hall, between Zahm Hall and Stanford Hall. Keenan Hall shares the building and The Chapel of The Holy Cross with adjacent dorm Stanford, and it was built in 1957. Its mascot is the Knight, and its colors are blue and white. It leads the Notre Dame halls by number of Hall of the Year titles won, and it hosts a number of the most popular events on campus, such as the Keenan Revue and Muddy Sunday.

Keenan Hall
University of Notre Dame
Campus quadNorth
Coordinates41.703959°N 86.237231°W / 41.703959; -86.237231 ,
MottoFratres in Christo
Motto in EnglishBrothers in Christ
Established1957
Named forJames Keenan Jr.
ArchitectEllerbe Becket
Architectural styleModern architecture, with elements of collegiate gothic
ColorsNavy and white    
GenderMale
RectorJimmy Tull
PresidentTyler Bergeron
BenefactorJames Keenan
Undergraduates257
ChapelHoly Cross
MascotKnights
Interhall sportsBaseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, dodgeball, football, golf, hockey, lacrosse, racquetball, soccer, table tennis, tennis, volleyball
CharitiesDismas House, The Great Pumpkin, Habitat for Humanity, Slice of Life
Major eventsKeenan Revue, Muddy Sunday, Keenan Klassic, Disco Roll
Websitehttp://keenanhall.com/
Map
Location in Notre Dame, Indiana

History
The main entrance to Keenan on North Quad, with Stanford in the background

Keenan Hall was built in 1957 and was named after James Keenan, a Notre Dame alumnus from Fort Wayne, in memory of his son James Keenan Jr., who died in 1941 before entering the university. The Keenan family operated a chain of hotels in the Midwest, and Mr. Keenan served on Notre Dame's Lay board of Trustees. Keenan Hall was designed by Ellerbe and Co. and built by the M. J. McGough Company. The hall was dedicated on November 23, 1957, by bishop Loras Thomas Lane of Rockford, Illinois and president Rev. Theodore Hesburgh. Originally, it accommodated 300 students in 150 rooms. The inaugural rector was Rev. Michael Murphy, C.S.C. Keenan and Stanford were built as part of Rev. Hesburgh's vision of hosting all undergraduate students on campus housing. Initially, they accommodated freshmen.

Keenan and Stanford are hosted in two wings of the same building, built on the spot that once hosted the toboggan of the University's minims program. They are connected by a lobby and the chapel of the Holy Cross which they share. The building is representative of functionalist architecture with a simple double-L shape plan, a flat roof, and little exterior ornamentation. Until the mid-60s, it was a hall for incoming freshmen. The entrance doors are split in between the two dorms, and traditionally, Keenan residents do not use the Stanford doors and vice versa. The corridors of Keenan are blue and white, reflecting the dorm colors.[1] Each floor is divided into two sections, North and West.[2]

The Holy Cross chapel features a 13-foot crucifix and a wooden carving depicting "Christ as a Young Boy in the Temple" by Ivan Meštrović, former professor and artist in residence at Notre Dame. The chapel also features stained glass windows by Robert Leader, one of the last remaining Iwo Jima veterans who witnessed the famous flag-raising.

Robert F. Griffin, C.S.C was rector of Keenan Hall from 1969, and he was a well-known campus figure, known for his cocker spaniel Darby O'Gill, his Urchin Masses, and his radio show.[3][4][5][6]

The current rector is James "Jimmy" Tull. Jimmy earned a Bachelor's degree in History from Brown University and Masters in Theology from Notre Dame. He became the rector of Keenan in 2017.

Traditions

Keenan Revue
The east entrance to Keenan Hall, also located on North Quad

Keenan Hall hosts many activities and events, the most prominent of which is the Keenan Revue, a comedy sketch attended annually by more than 4600 students, making it Notre Dame's most popular hall event. The first Revue was organized in 1976 by two Keenan Hall RAs, Thomas Lenz and Richard Thomas. The event was created as an alternative pastime to the campus drinking culture, and was meant to showcase the performance talent of Keenan residents. Lenz was a member of the Glee Club and Thomas had previous experience in theater. The first show, called "New Keenan Revue", opened on November 6 in Washington Hall.[7][8] The first Revue was a variety show, with performances including singing, comedy, violin, poetry, juggling and others. Over time, the Revue evolved mostly into a skit-based comedy show.

In 1979, issues with the electric wiring of Washington, together with the small size of the building, prompted the 1980 show to move to the O'Laughlin Auditorium at Saint Mary's College. The Revue broke even in terms of finances for the first time in 1983, and in 1984 it was taped for the first time. Because the residents wanted to keep the show free of charge as a gift for the community, the Revue was subsidized by Hall Presidents' Council in 1986.

The comedy of the Revue was often based on Notre Dame inside jokes and stereotypes. This led to a long contention with St. Mary's College, which hosted the show, but was also the frequent target of jokes. St. Mary's students started expressing their discontent with the show in 1991, and in 1996 Keenan invited St. Mary's representatives to preview the show's dress rehearsal. Nonetheless, controversy persisted, and many took aim at the Revue for the content of its jokes, sometimes deemed offensive. In 2000 the St. Mary's Board of Governance voted to allow the Revue to remain on campus, but controversy did not cease and in 2004 the editorial board of the student paper The Observer wrote a column to invite students to take the issue less seriously. The show was hosted in the O'Laughlin Auditorium at Saint Mary's College for the last time in 2010, when St. Mary's administration decided to cut ties.[9] Since 2011, it moved to Stepan Center on the campus of Notre Dame.[10]

In recent years, the skits of the show have parodied and made fun mostly of campus life and stereotypes, have been less harsh, and have caused less controversy. The show is the signature event of Keenan Hall. Three shows are offered on consecutive Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in February.[11][12] The show is loved by the student body, and ticket distribution is an event in itself, always drawing large crowds, with tickets running out in minutes. With an attendance of over 4600 (1500 per show), it is the most attended hall event, and one of the most popular and beloved events at Notre Dame.[13][8]

The south entrance to Keenan Hall, directly across from Zahm Hall, one of its rivals

Muddy Sunday

Another popular event on campus is Muddy Sunday, a volleyball tournament played in mud during the annual spring An Tóstal celebrations. All the profits go to Habitat for Humanity.[14]

Keenan Kommons

The basement, known as the Keenan Kommons, is one of the largest common spaces on campus. It features lounges, ping pong tables, pool tables, televisions, and study spaces. It was recently renovated and now features three TV's, including a 90-inch flat screen.[15] The Kommons also includes a weight room, two kitchens, a laundry room, a music rehearsal space, a library and study room, and a meeting room. Especially beloved to students is a student-run eatery called Zaland, which is an affordable option for late-night food and sells the "Best Pizza in Zaland".[2]

Rivalries with Stanford and Zahm

Traditionally, the rival dorm of Keenan has always been the twin dorm Stanford Hall, with whom Keenan shares its chapel. The annual inter-hall football match is called "Battle for the Chapel". Keenan is very active in sports, especially in interhall tackle football.[16] In recent times the main rival of Keenan has been Zahm Hall. Residents of Keenan and Zahm have a long history of pranks and feuds. Keenan has several times won Hall of the Year and Men's Hall of the Year, and currently retains the "Hall of the Year" title.[17]

Other Traditions

Keenan Hall's "SYR" is Disco Roll, a 70's-themed disco dance held at a local roller skate rink. Keenan is also extremely active in service, partaking in two major service events each year as well as a weekly trip to South Bend's Dismas House, a safe haven for individuals recently released from incarceration, every Monday evening for dinner. The two major service events are the Great Pumpkin, a haunted house set up in the Kommons for underprivileged children in South Bend for Halloween, and Day of Service, which takes place in late March. Keenan also runs Keenan Klassic, a two-on-two charity basketball tournament the weekend of Reading Days in May.[18][19][20][21]

Awards

Hall of the Year:

  • 1996-1997
  • 2001-2002
  • 2013-2014

Men's Hall of the Year:

  • 2003-2004
  • 2005-2006
  • 2007-2008
  • 2010-2011
  • 2014-2015

Notable residents

References
  1. "Arkos Design — University of Notre Dame — Stanford Hall & Keenan Hall Renovations". Archived from the original on 2017-02-06. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2015-11-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Storm, Hannah. (2006). Notre Dame inspirations : the University's most successful alumni talk about life, spirituality, football, and everything else under the Dome. Weill, Sabrina Solin. (1st ed.). New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-51812-9. OCLC 71365254.
  4. Dame, Marketing Communications: Web | University of Notre. "The words of Father Griff | Stories | Notre Dame Magazine | University of Notre Dame". Notre Dame Magazine. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  5. "Honoring the 'angels' of Notre Dame // The Observer". The Observer. 7 October 2005. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  6. Griffin, Robert, 1925- (2003). In the kingdom of the lonely God. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 0-7425-1484-6. OCLC 51204705.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. "Keenan Revue Lives On for Laughs".
  8. ""He nailed Jesus on a crossing pattern!": Pray for the Keenan Revue". 12 February 2016.
  9. http://articles.wsbt.com/2010-02-18/year-s_24801706%5B%5D
  10. MENAFN. "- MENAFN.COM".
  11. "Keenan Revue in Review // The Observer". 11 February 2011.
  12. "Revuepoint: The Keenan Revue Reviewed".
  13. Buchanan, Matthew. "Keenan Revue".
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-11-23. Retrieved 2015-11-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. http://www.arkosdesign.com/OC/site/index.php?page=galleries&type=misc&id=stanford_hall___keenan_hall_renovations%5B%5D
  16. Skrbina, Paul. "Only one college still offers intramural tackle football: Notre Dame".
  17. "Keenan wins Hall of the Year // The Observer". 2 April 2014.
  18. http://keenanhall.nd.edu/events/disco-roll/%5B%5D
  19. http://keenanhall.nd.edu/events/great-pumpkin/%5B%5D
  20. http://keenanhall.nd.edu/events/reindeer-roast/%5B%5D
  21. http://keenanhall.nd.edu/events/keenan-klassic/%5B%5D
  22. "Stan Bowman: Notre Dame becomes a special place for Chicago Blackhawks".
  23. [email protected], BOB BLAKE South Bend Tribune. "Blackhawks' dorm visit shocks pair".
  24. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2015-11-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. http://archives.nd.edu/Scholastic/VOL_0125/VOL_0125_ISSUE_0005.pdf
  26. Dame, ENR/PAZ // University Communications: Web // University of Notre. "Hall Portrait: Keenan // News // Notre Dame Magazine // University of Notre Dame".
  27. "Interfering fan a Notre Dame grad // The Observer". The Observer. 2003-10-16. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
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