Infuriated, I would later discover that Roncalli is one of the smallest all-guy dorms on campus. It sucked knowing I would spend my freshman year in this dorm, probably my last choice. On the first day of school, I walk inside seeing a bunch of guys all looking bothered by something and at that moment, I knew that they were feeling the same thing as me: CM rejection. Though we all felt this rejection, we later would discover the magic behind Roncalli, the best dorm on campus.
I found out that literally everyone (no joke) either picked DeSmet or Catherine Monica as their first choice, yet we all ended up here. As we went through the school year, we learned to accept our fate and just live the Roncalli life, which to my shock ended up being one of the greatest experiences I could’ve asked for. Roncalli is a brotherhood; everyone knows each other and simultaneously treats each other with respect and enjoys a good burn on one another. It’s hard to say other dorms are like mine, for the people I know wouldn’t be able to name even half of the people living with them in theirs. On another note, the environment and location of Roncalli is fantastic. It is located right next to the COG, so if you’re hungry, food is just paces away. Also, it’s a real mellow, laid-back place to be unlike the larger dorms that have people partying and causing a ruckus throughout the weekend. It’s always good to go back to a place where you can relax and not bear with any annoyances.
Roncalli was the hidden treasure of my freshman year. I would highly recommend any incoming freshman to live there, though I know the tradition of picking CM or DeSmet as their dorm of choice will live on. I can assure that those who get rejected from them will be the lucky ones. Long live the Dirty Ronc!
-Tyler Andrews