Wednesday, October 28, 2009

#59:Hating Rectresses

One aspect of student life that sets the University of Notre Dame apart from other institutions of higher learning is the importance of dorm life for the students.  There are many unique aspects of dorm life at Notre Dame ranging from drinking traditions to dorm masses, but no aspect of dorm life affects the students more than the rectors and rectresses that live in and are in charge of the dorms.

Rectors and rectresses at Notre Dame are tasked with a myriad of responsibilities to ensure that the residence halls run smoothly and remain places that students want to live.  They assist their halls’ councils in order to plan events that the residents want to make dorm life interesting.  They promote faith in their dorms by encouraging residents to go to hall mass (and oftentimes saying mass if they are a priest).  They also serve as advisors to residents that are there to help them through personal issues of all kinds.

The most prominent responsibility of rectors and rectresses, however, is their position as the leader of the hall staffs of their respective dorms.  This position not only allows them to hand pick assistant rectors and resident assistants, but it also allows them to determine the degree to which university rules are enforced within their dorms.  Parietals might be in effect, liquor and drinking games might be banned, and parties might be limited, but all of these university rules impact students to varying degrees based on how severely their rector or rectress enforces them.

For the most part, the rectors in men’s halls are fairly lenient with the rules.  Alcohol flows freely (if not openly) in the men’s halls as dorm parties are a commonplace, beer pong and 40s are never far away, and liquor is sometimes seen at unnecessarily high levels.  Many rectors seemingly understand that the residents of their halls are college students and will act like college students regardless of the rules.  For their leniencies in enforcing the rules (while managing to keep the dorms incredibly safe) these rectors are beloved by their students and oftentimes form strong relationships with them.

However, women’s halls do not have the same luxuries because rectresses at Notre Dame are not nearly as lenient as rectors.  In fact, rectresses are so stringent with the enforcement of their rules that there is an enormous disparity between life in a men’s dorm and life in a women’s dorm.  While most men’s dorms play host to parties each weekend, women’s dorms never host parties.  While some Notre Dame men feel comfortable building bars in their dorm rooms, women must go to elaborate measure to bring even small amounts of beer, liquor, or wine into their rooms (and when they turn 21, they’re constantly accused of supplying alcohol to younger residents). 

These disparities have resulted in Notre Dame Women having fairly negative relationships with their rectresses.  While rectors might be seen as mentors, advisors, or friends in men’s dorms; rectresses are seen as judge, jury, and executioner.  Likewise, rectresses oftentimes develop hostile relationships with males who happen to enter their dorms.  Friends, boyfriends, and even brothers are not seen by rectresses as the well-intending Notre Dame Students they usually are, but as binge drinking heathens that force feed girls so much alcohol that they turn up passed out in shrubberies in front of Welsh Fam or Lyons. 

Rectresses run their dorms like convents where even the slightest infraction is seen as a truly troubling character flaw.  They try to be mothers to their residents but have no idea how to actually be mothers.  They treat their residents like children and are seemingly incapable of giving them the benefit of the doubt.  They are overly judgmental and overbearing, and many of them need to be replaced.  Because of this, rectresses across campus are unfortunately hated strongly disliked by Notre Dame Students.

39 comments:

  1. I like my rectress, as do most of the girls in Lewis Hall. While I agree that there is a double standard among mens' and womens' dorms....saying that all of the rectresses are "overly judgmental and overbearing" is hateful and takes this fun blog a bit too far.

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  2. wow someone's bitter. this post is harsh...someone's had a bad run-in with a rectress. it's really not all that bad.

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  3. this. is. beautiful. Bob you have wholly and completely captured the existence of each and every girl on West Quad.

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  4. Well said. A bit harsh on the rectresses... they're just doing what they've been told. The rectors have usually been around longer and understand the degree to which the rules can and should be bent. Most of the rectresses I know of have been here less than 5 years. I think the strict enforcement of the rules in girls' dorms also comes from the RAs chosen. They tend to be complete bitches that love rules.

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  5. Right on the money. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sister Mary HATES every single person in O'Neill besides Ed

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  6. I think this is specifically a West Quad thing ... I have heard good things about rectresses and ARs in other women's dorms but man is McGlinn a convent.

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  7. Sr. Chris and Sr. Mary at Welsh Fam and McGlinn respectively are entirely inept, cold-hearted, miserable, and immature human beings who have no right having authority over the burgeoning adults that parents entrust to the University.

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  8. But Sr. Mary of PANGBORN is a saint!

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  10. it's not specifically west quad... i lived on south quad and hated my rectress too. she definitely played favorites and liked to accuse people of things that they didn't do.

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  11. Really? Name calling Sister Chris or Sister Mary doesn't change the fact that you're probably just pissed off that they gave you a ResLife for wasting your education your parents "entrusted" to you.

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  12. Are you serious? The rectress of Lewis Hall is crazy! She is really fake nice to the point of being disgusting. I got banned from Lewis Hall because I slept on my friend's (I am a girl) futon overnight because I was locked out of my dorm. She called my rectress and made a huge deal out of something that was not a huge deal. Everyone I know in Lewis hates her.

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  13. I live in Cavanaugh and we have the best rectress EVER! Amy <3

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  14. I hate my rector. He might as well be in charge of a women's dorm with his policies.

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  15. "Saying that all of the rectresses are 'overly judgmental and overbearing' is hateful and takes this fun blog a little too far."


    Grow a sense of humor. Seriously. No one likes the hyper-sensitive skank who feigns moral indignation at everything. In fact, I don't know you and I hate you already--imagine what people who actually do know you think of you. It's not too late to change.

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  16. I have to say, i LOVE BP's rectoress Rachel, and while I don't know the woman in charge of Cavanaugh I do think rachel could give her a run for her money!

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  17. If Sr. Mary saw this, she'd probably be most upset that she was referred to as a rectoress... It's rector.

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  18. Hey, if you don't like it, leave.

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  19. North Quad rectresses know where its at. They rock.

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  20. This is absolutely amazing.
    I was part of the epic 10-person pizza party at 8pm on a Saturday night in a section lounge of McGlinn that literally ended with Sr. Mary yelling "You didn't ask my permission for this, there are to be no social gatherings without my permission. Go to your rooms now and study."

    The white board 10 minutes later read "NO SOCIAL GATHERINGS."

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  21. Maybe you should have invited Sr. Mary!

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  22. Most of the rectors I know are very down to earth (Morrissey, Keough, and Duncan). The women rectresses, especially the one at Lyons and Welsh Fam, are ridiculous in terms of the harshness of their interactions with residents.

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  23. If you are one of the few girls on here defending your rectress, look out... your probably really boring

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  24. Good selection showing BP in the picture, what a fat bitch that rectress is...

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  25. I'm sorry but the BP rectress is a psycho. Nothing awesome about her besides her crazy awfulness.

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  26. rectors > rectresses
    men > women

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  27. Whoever said most lewis girls like their rectress must be a freshman. I know literally over a hundred guys and girls that absolutely can't stand her. Unless you are one of the typical ND weenies that has never done a bad thing in your life, you probably don't get along with Linda.

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  28. It's true. In general, the rectresses are so harsh not only on their own girls but especially on guys. They treat them like they are disease-ridden rodents and it's completely unfair. It really sheds light on the fact that sexism still exists on our campus in terms of fairness. Obviously there are nice, friendly rectresses on campus, but many of them are ruthless and judgemental.

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  29. Sister C is an evil person. I will never forgive her for the hateful way she treated my daughter.

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  30. Damn right she is! Watch out, Farley residents, she will try to psychoanalyze you for the slightest thing, and then she'll find your head of department to tell them what a "bad seed" you are.

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  31. Sister J at Walsh is awesome :-)

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  32. rectors are probably more lenient... but not in Carroll Hall. Father Jim, or Uncle Jim, or huge fat bastard, is probably the most strict rector or rectress on Notre Dame's campus.

    However, it is fun to watch him waddle.

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  33. RECTOR LINDA IS THE BEST

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  34. I noticed this the first time I stayed in a dorm on campus... months before I was even accepted as a student. Part of the problem is due to the antiquated rules that are enforced in women's dorms.

    As for Linda, she can be a little... enthusiastic, but I'm pretty sure it could be a lot worse. She does encourage us to bring men over, at least for mass and events.

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  35. im guessing this post was written about welsh fam's rectress.

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  36. To Anon above, I live in Cav too and it's true, AMY IS AWESOME. The best rectress ever. I'm so worried since she's leaving that we'll have some nun psycho-bitch running things next year.

    A rector/rectress is like an air conditioner. You don't notice them unless something's wrong.

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  37. I think everyone's being to harsh on Sr. Mary...you just have to be smart about it. If you come in at 3 AM drunk off your ass and making a ton of noise, yeah, you'll get in trouble. Just be smart, and you can come in quietly and not get in trouble. As long as you're not a complete idiot, I think she's a very nice person and I really like her.

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  38. Walsh used to have the best rectress in the world--SJ!!!!!!

    and then we got Annie...

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  39. Father Jim and Father Bob are hardcore.

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