Sorin Hall is named after Fr. Sorin who went out from his congregation in France, under the orders of Blessed Basil Moreau, in order to establish a Catholic school in America. His journey was not easy, nor was it warm, but it did lay the foundation for the University of Notre Dame du Lac, as we know it today.
Sorin Hall was one of the first buildings on campus and was built in 1888, just forty-six years after the establishment of the University. Before Sorin Hall, all events, dorms, classrooms, and everything in between took place in the Main Building. Sorin Hall was a product of growing enrollment at Notre Dame.
Now, the dorm houses 140 residents across four sections and has a beautiful view of God Quad, the Dome, the Basilica, LaFortune, and St. Mary's Lake from the back. The location is unbeatable and the midday chimes of the Basilica make campus feel unreal.
The community in Sorin is tight, perhaps because of their small number but also due to their distinction on campus. Residents refer to them as residents of "Sorin College," which is a nickname from early Vietnam protests on campus, when their residents attempted to secede from the University entirely. While this resistance did not last, it left its mark on Sorin and the University as a whole: Sorin College has fight.
This fight is remembered annually in their fundraiser event, Kick it for Kevin, in which they honor former resident, Kevin Healy who lost his hard-fought battle with cancer while an undergraduate in 2009. In memory of Kevin, Sorin hosts a "Kick-It" kickball tournament that raises funds for cancer research. This event is just another example of how Sorin College fights everything, together.
The dorm also hosts its annual Talent Show, Notre Dame's oldest event. Legend has it that in the first winter of its establishment, Sorin’s residents felt isolated from their single rooms and stressed from a semester of studying, so they congregated on God Quad to host a variety show filled with jokes, hidden talents, and some games. Each year, the dorm continues this tradition and welcomes other dorms to get in on it! Sorin has hosted over 120 Talent Shows over the years.
If any dorm is unique, it is definitely Sorin. Sorin is the first residential hall, the first dorm with a signature event, the only one to attempt secession, the only one with a front porch, and the namesake of the University's founder. Without Sorin College, who knows where Notre Dame would be today