FROM THE HALL GOVERNMENT
Jack Rankin (left), Brady Eisenhart (middle left), Caleb Weiss (middle right), and Sean Utrie (right)
Hey Roos,
We first want to congratulate you on being accepted to, and coming to Our Lady's University. More importantly, we are happy that you have been selected to join the best dorm on campus, Keough Hall! This will be an exciting journey, full of friendship, growth, and lasting memories.
As you step into Keough, you're joining a close-knit brotherhood that values camaraderie, academic excellence, and success. Our hall is known for its rich traditions, ranging from our spirited Toga Dance and Chariot Race all the way to our competitive intersection football and basketball sporting events. We hope you are as excited to join our brotherhood as we are to have you here in our community at Notre Dame.
My name’s Brady Eisenhart, and I’ll be the president of Keough Hall this year. I am a Junior from Pottsville, PA studying Neuroscience and Behavior. I am involved on campus with Notre Dame Football Recruiting and am an experienced tutor for areas in the College of Science. I love watching all different types of sports, especially Notre Dame, Las Vegas Raiders, and the Yankees. I look forward to having you all be a part of the 30th Roo Regime!
Welcome! I'm Jack Rankin, a Junior from Western Springs, Illinois studying Classics, Economics, and Theology. I will be serving as the Fall Vice-President. On campus, I'm involved in the Sheedy Family Program, Tocqueville Fellowship, and Moreau Program. I love singing with the Folk Choir, classical archaeology, biking, playing guitar, and baking focaccia. Excited for a great year.
Hey all! I’m Sean Utrie, and I’m your spring vice president this year! I'm a Junior from Green Bay, WI, and am a Political Science and Economics Student on the pre-law track. On campus, I love playing sports (especially football and spikeball) as well as being a part of ND Mock Trial and going to weekday masses in Keough with my friends.
My name is Caleb Weiss, and I will be serving as Chief of Staff for the upcoming year. I am a Junior from Monticello, IN, and I am studying Finance and Accounting with a minor in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service. On campus I am involved in SIBC, the Leprechaun Legion, and all things Keough Hall. Excited for a great year!
This year, we are here to support you as you navigate your college journey. Keough is your home away from home, and we're excited to welcome you into our incredible community!
Get ready for an incredible four years filled with growth, laughter, and friendship. Go Irish! Go Roos!
Looking forward to it,
Brady Eisenhart, Jack Rankin, Sean Utrie, and Caleb Weiss (Hall Government)
FROM THE RECTOR
Rector Fr. David Murray C.S.C.
Dear First Years,
Congratulations on your acceptance to the University of Notre Dame and a hearty welcome as you join the men of Keough Hall!
You are joining a community that is part of a nearly two centuries old tradition of residential life here at Our Lady’s University – one which has impacted the lives of so many alums past, present, and future. Guided by Notre Dame’s founding religious order, the Congregation of Holy Cross, our residence halls ensure that the education of the mind is never separated from the education of the heart. This is why we live in community. The intellectual education you receive in the classroom will be supported and integrated through the emotional, social, and spiritual education you can expect to receive in the dorms across campus.
In Keough Hall, we go by the motto, “Brothers. Scholars. Champions.” As brothers, we learn how to live side by side with one another as we grow to understand how we have been called, personally and communally, to best live in this world. As scholars, we strive to cultivate our intellects and passions so as to make the world a better place. As champions, we support, encourage, and challenge one another to live up to the fullness of who we have been created to be. In Keough Hall, you will be invited to join the life of the hall – assisting with dorm liturgies in the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe, competing on our many intramural and intersection athletic teams, engaging in service opportunities on and off campus, working in hall government, and so much more. We are grateful for your presence among us.
Here are a few things you should know about me. In the fall of 2024, I professed perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the Congregation of Holy Cross, and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest on April 26, 2025. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve my early years of religious life and priesthood in Keough Hall. You will teach me much about what it means to be a priest. Please know of my prayers for you as you enter into this community. I am eager to get to know you and share life with you and the rest of the dorm. I am always up for a conversation and, as a former teacher, I am eager to answer any questions you might have. Don’t be shy – my room will often be open. I, and many others, are here for you.
You are entering into a major transition period in your life, one that will, hopefully, expand your comfort zones, expose you to new (and old) ways of thinking, challenge and invigorate you to discover who God has called you to be, and help you find your place in the world beyond the walls of Notre Dame. Some words of advice. Ask questions. Knock on doors. Invite others. Say yes to others' invitations. Take time to be by yourself. Learn how to pray. Walk around the lakes. Above all, be patient with yourself and others. I suspect that great things lie ahead of you. Count on my support and prayers.
On behalf of the rest of the hall staff, our priest-in-residence, Fr. Nate Wills, CSC, and the many men who call this place home, I am grateful and excited to welcome you to Keough Hall!
Peace,
Fr. David Murray, C.S.C.