It's...

Sizzling: Steds

... hot. Cannot deny that having history and tradition... being the oldest residence hall at Notre Dame... comes at a price... having air conditioning. With the temperatures soaring into the nineties and one day having a dangerous heat index of 107 degrees, having air conditioning would be really nice right now. Still, the Gentlemen are giving it the old college go, sleeping in lounges and pool rooms, wherever air conditioning can be found. On the recent hot temperatures, Teagan Adams, Steds junior and Hall sacristan, shared, “Taking three showers a day doesn’t even keep the BO away!”

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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A new...

Reidy with his art and muse 

... resident. Yes, Steds has a new resident, resident panini grill! With "Lazarus," the tested, tried, and true... and tired... panini make since 2010, has taken a hiatus, making room for our new panini grill. While nameless now, rest assured, a name will be given soon by Ed's workers and patrons. Regardless of its name, this panini machine is the proverbial game changer at Ed' and that's not just for customers but also workers, in particular our sandwich artist, Griffin Reidy. The artist behind the masterpieces served up, fresh, each and every night, Reidy has had a proverbial paradigm shift as he is now creating art with state of the art "media." On the paradigm shift, Griffin shared, "Some look to the dome for inspiration, some look to their friends, I look to the new panini grill at the world famous Ed’s to fully understand the epitome of strength and efficiency."

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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Down, but...

Gone, but returning very soon!

... not out. The beloved Steds basketball hoop is down, but it is by no means out! Hit by a delivery truck- again- the hoop sustained significant damage to the point that it needed to be replaced for the second in a year! After a brief police investigation, the culprit was found and restitution made. But something else was gained... the moving of the hoop so that it could never be hit again! With the landscaping removed, the hoop is now being pushed to the east and the court expanded, and when completed, it can never be damaged again. Well, maybe not by vehicles but certainly by the quality of play by our Stedsmen. On the expanding the court, an unnamed contractor stated, "When done, this is going to be the best basketball court of any hall!" 

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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Hit me...

Steds: Paint balling as a family...

… with your best shot; fire away! Pat Benatar may have sung this in her biggest-selling album, Crimes of Passion, in 1980, but this past weekend, it was more of a taunt this past weekend as the Stedsmen took to the paintball fields of Mishawaka. Taking advantage of excellent weather, the Gentlemen partook in a Steds tradition that stretches back even before Fr. Ralph's time. Playing a variety of paintball games, pitting Stedsman against Stedsman, Stedsmen of all ages took aim at each other all in good fun. And with fifty-five residents present, there was no shortage of targets! While firing away was going on, Fr. Ralph, fortunately, was tasked with arranging some light refreshment from Chick Fil A. One of the participants was Luke Patterson, a Steds freshman, resident Texan, AND first time paintballer.  On participating in both his first paintball game as well as Steds Paintball Excursion, Patterson shared, "Paintball with the Gentlemen was super fun. I felt very much in community with my hall and it was a great way to develop friendships with my class. It was truly an honor to play with the best and oldest hall on campus."

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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... Patterson (R) and Vollmuth (L) are learning the ropes...

... while veterans hone their skills...

... a quick reloading of paintballs...

... but Helzner wasn't in a rush...

... some seniors with smiles...

... unlucky Truxillo...

... untouched Mooney...

... Hickey also untouched...

... more smiles...

... and the paint balling continues!

What are they...

Ryan and Ed golfing at Carne

… doing? Yes, what are our Stedsmen doing now that they no longer have classes to attend, papers to procrastinate writing, nor any thing else for that matter, especially if they have graduated?! Indeed, what are they doing this summer?! Moreover, what are Steds parents doing this summer.Well, for Ed Johnson '84, whose son Eddie '18 got married a couple of weeks ago, made the trek to Ireland. Yes, as the happy couple made their way to Hawaii for the honeymoon, Ed, with his younger son and Stedsman, Ryan '24, went to Ireland for a little R&R... and yes, golf too. On traveling and golfing in Ireland, Johnson shared, "Nothing is more Irish and Steds than being with your son in the Emerald Island. Eddie, Ryan, St. Ed's IS Ireland and IS ND."

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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Your Sunday picture...

Good night from ND

... from Notre Dame. Here is a view of Mary and the Dome of the Main building at dusk. But if you look closely, you'll see something else... Venus! That's right! If you click on the picture and look right above the tree on the right, you will see Venus. Enjoy Venus, the view, and your Sunday wherever you may be!

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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Saturday squirrel.

Butorides virescens

With our squirrels again on summer hiatus, we are able to turn our attention on yet another campus neighbor, the green heron. Seen at St. Mary's Lake in the late afternoon, this green heron was spotted as he was fishing in the shallows near the Peace Prayer Plaza. While his cousin, the blue heron, is much larger and more numerous around the lakes at ND, green herons are present too but just more difficult to spot given their small stature. On being spotted, this green heron non-verbaled, "Hi, but I am working here thank you."

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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On the third day of classes...

Laxing in the Park: Chu and Vonderhorst

... they took another break. It should come as no surprise, but transitioning from summer to the classroom is never easy. One day, you're enjoying having no schedule, late lunches, afternoon naps, and the outdoors, but then, it's just the opposite. You got a schedule, no time for lunch nor  a nap, and a seat in dank, drab classroom. It's tough. Having a tough go of it, Steds seniors, Nate Chu and Jackson Vonderhorst took to St. Ed's Park for a little athletic diversion as well as sun. On laxing in the Park, Vonderhorst shared, "Nothing beats starting the semester with good weather, a lacrosse stick, and nowhere to be but the Park.”

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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Something else...

Serving with a smile: Hickey (R) and Schober (L)

... that happened on the first day of classes was the opening of Ed's. Opening on the first day of classes-definitely a first for Ed's in its sixteen year history- was engineering by the "da' managers," sophomores, Caden Hickey and Evan Greer. Thanks to their foresight, organization, and tutelage, Stedsmen were able to enjoy their Ed's favorites once again, without having to wait, quenching that late night craving as well as fueling late night studying. On working opening night, Logan Schober, Steds sophomore and resident Missourian, shared, "Ed’s is great to see & serve the guys every week… working is great as long as you don’t forget to put cheese on the Tegers paninis!”

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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No more...

Esdras with the newest residents

... excuses! Thanks to ND Day funds, there are no more excuses for dirty rooms at Steds as the Hall now has TWO new vacuum cleaners. With vacuums now on every floor, dust, debris, and detritus will have nowhere hide. Like the two jumbo jets, Pan Am One and Pan Am Two, that continuously circumnavigated the world inapposite directions, these vacuums, Steds 1 and Steds 2, will continuously be on the move at Steds, cleaning up whatever comes across their path. On the new vacuums for student use, Esdras, the Hall's Housekeeper, said, "They're going to be game changers!"

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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On the second day of classes...

Classes? What classes?

... they took a break. While it may only be the second of classes, going to class can be grueling. The heat, the masses on the sidewalks, and the listening of others drone on, well, it's draining. THEN, figure on a tie up in the dinning hall that would rival a backup on the Jersey Parkway on Friday in summer, you're just beat at the end of day. And was certainly the case with some of our gentlemen, who felt spent and drained, after attending classes, but instead of napping or lounging and loafing about, they went to the Park, St. Edward's Park. On enjoying some time in the Park, Liam Verrier, Steds junior and resident North Carolinian, shared, “It’s always a treat to get some spikeball in with the boys, and on this sunny second day of class in St. Ed’s Park, we worked on shaking off that summer rust and getting back into in-season shape.”

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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Gentlemen, start your...

Arrubla: Ready to learn!

... learning! Classes for the new academic year started TODAY. While the weather for move-in was perfect, it was the same case for the first day of classes, making the day conducive to learning. Without any doubt, spirits are running high and the zeal for learning palatable among the Stedsmen, especially for the forty-six newest members of the Steds Family. One of the new members, Nicolas Arrubla, freshman and resident Floridian, was spotted leaving the Hall for class just as the sun was beginning to rise. On starting classes today, Arrubla shared, "Never forget to give thanks and glory to God for every day and every new opportunity; I thank God for sending me to this incredible University and being a gentlemen of the best hall on campus, Steds. 'The joy of the Lord must be your strength' -Nehemiah 8:10."

On a different note, make sure to view and subscribe to the Hall's instagram account- st.eds. You're going to love what you see... I guarantee it!

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

iTunes, click HERE.

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Your Sunday picture...

Rainbow: A sign from God that He's got it

... from Notre Dame. On the day before classes start, what better sign from God that every little thing is going to be okay than a rainbow?! Early in the morning, a brief shower passed through campus, but before it did, this enormous rainbow appeared. Odd as they usually appear AFTER a storm... but hey, we'll take it. Enjoy, and enjoy Sunday wherever you may be!

Behold the rainbow! Then bless its Maker,

for majestic indeed is its splendor;

It spans the heavens with its glory,

the hand of God has stretched it out in power.

From the Book of Sirach

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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Move in...

The Welcome Week Crew 2026...

... day was perfect! First, the weather couldn't have been more agreeable…  even better than last year. In the high seventies and no humidity,  it had to be one of the better weather days for move in for the last twenty years. No lie! Next, the Hall's Welcome Week Committee, under the direction of juniors Pat Fischer and Henry Mackie, assisted further by sophomores Evan Greer, Evan von Rotz, and Darryl Brocken, was organized and sprung into action like a well oiled machine, making unloading times much shorter than your wait for an oil change. Matter of fact, move in was complete BEFORE Noon. Suffice it to say, it was efficient, but it was draining so that when there was a lull in the action, a much needed break was had. Still, there was time for some high jinx too. With no one being injured nor any items being lost, Move In Day 2026 was declared a success. On being the first to arrive on Move In Day, Ben Schechter, Steds freshman and resident Massachusettan, said, "The early bird gets the worm!"

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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... with Ben arriving first...

... and the crew was ready...

... but a break was need after a while...

... there was constant preparedness...

... but still time to squeeze in a podcast mini...

... as well as a smile...

... and it was all fun until...

... someone got hurt, well, almost...

... and in the end, even the President was impressed with our boys. 

It's official...

Kelly and Thomas Larson with Fr. Ralph...

... they're married! With Fr. Ralph witnessing and with family, friends, and fellow Stedsmen present, Madison Kelly and Thomas Larson ’24, Stedsman and critically acclaimed cinematographer, were married at Our Lady of the Rosary in San Diego in April. It was beautiful and sunny, San Diegoan day, and it was only made more so by this couple. The bride made an entrance like none other, and the groom wore the biggest smile. After their beautiful and moving Wedding Mass, the celebrating of the couple was on!  And celebrate we did!

But there's more...

Our newly married couple honeymooned in Europe and had the chance to attend the Sposi Novelli (newlyweds), where they had the chance to meet Pope Leo XIV! On marrying and meeting the Pope, Thomas shared, "Standing at the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica with all of those young Catholic couples who chose to take that extra step and get married in the Church was truly inspiring. Marriage can feel like a very daunting, and sometimes scary, endeavor. But being at the Sposi Novelli reminded me that we aren’t stepping into it alone. Seeing so many young couples committed to their faith, to each other, and to the sacrament of marriage showed me that the Church is truly alive and well, and in great hands for the next generation. Also, getting to shake hands with the Pope was as amazing as it sounds!”

Best wishes and congratulations to Kelly and Thomas!

To hear this week's special installment of In the Red Room, on:

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... and then with the big boss, Leo XIV, at the Vatican...

... showing respect to the unbroken succession of St. Peter...

... and so did Kelly...

... and all newlyweds!