Finals are...

The food arrives...

... continuing and so are the study breaks. Yes! Again, by executive order, following the precedent set by former President Tommy Kelly, President Michael Heffernan directed that everything been done throughout the week to provide the Gentlemen a break from their studying. So, again, at 9PM, there was a study break held in the Flounge, where the Gentlemen took a break, enjoying food and camaraderie... and certainly a buoying of spirits. From the first day of finals to the fourth, the Gentlemen were treated to Chipotle burritos, Rocco's pizza, Mission BBQ, and a breakfast by Chick Fil A. On the study breaks, Fr. Ralph said, "After ALL these study breaks, I think the 'freshman fifteen' is finally going to make an appearance!"

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... the President is happy...

... and everyone is patient...

... and frenzy commences...

... again with Chipotle...

... again with Mission BBQ...

... and they ate their fill.

Get out...

He's free!

... and go! Yesterday was the last day of finals and today is the last day for all undergraduates to move out of the Hall. As you can imagine, the hallways were full of activity, moving this or that thing out, throwing out a year's worth of trash, donating items to Goodwill, washing things that have never been washed, returning room keys and saying good bye.  Finished with everything, finals and now preparing for moving out, Robert Myler decided to take a break, walking out of the Hall and flashing the victory wave. On giving the sign of victory, Myler, Steds freshman and resident Michigander, declared, "Thank God for a great year. Now it’s summer!"

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Finals...

Bored genius: Robby Sommer

… Week is well underway, and the Stedsmen are pulling out all of the stops, redoubling their efforts, burning the midnight oil, etc., etc., etc. to make this Finals Week successful. So, all study spaces have been made quiet study spaces and hall quiet hours are in effect so that all can study. But some, well, don't need to study, and that's certainly the case with Robby Sommer. Spotted in the Flounge, Sommer was not studying but rather messing about with his phone. Playing a game? Updating his social media? Who knows, but what we do know is that Sommer was not studying. On Finals Week, Sommer, Steds freshman, rising member of the ND Cheer team, and resident Illinoisan, stated, "As my teacher, Sensei Wu, never said ‘always put off to tomorrow what could be done today!’”

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Something special...

We know what's fueling the A's this week

... for Finals Week. Yes, the Gentlemen have something very special to fuel their studying this Finals Week. This week, just in time for finals, Starbucks coffee is being served up in the Hall coffee machine in the Gregorian Lounge. From Sumatran to 1971 to sun-dried Ethiopian, Starbucks premium coffee is fueling premium results and grades of the Stedsmen. Another cup? Yes, please! On the premium beans fueling the late night studying, Brady Barrett, Steds sophomore and resident Connecticuter (yes, I had to look that up), said, "They say Voltaire drank 40 cups of coffee a day. This week, I may have come close, but instead of any philosophical breakthroughs, I only discovered how much I’d been procrastinating. Still, the Starbucks in Greg coffee machine got me through finals week, which might be the modern equivalent of enlightenment."

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The life of...

Shaia (left) with Klug, DeNooyer, and Thorn...

... our Seniors! While our Steds Seniors take their Study Days seriously, many Steds seniors decided to take a jaunt downstate and head to Churchill Downs before their studying started in earnest. Yes, to find motivation for their Finals Week, Steds seniors took in all the pageantry, charm and hospitality, and local fare and beverage that is the Kentucky Derby which, not doubt, inspired them into their final Finals Week. Still, the visit allowed some of our seniors to practice and/or brush up on their probability and statistics skills! Suffice it to say, it was the proverbial win win. On attending the 152nd Run for the Roses, Harry Shaia, Steds senior, RA, and resident Virginian, shared, "Suits, sun, and horses- the Gentlemen of St Edward’s Hall showed up and out at the Kentucky Derby.”

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... and his girlfriend Tess...

... with Kelly...

... Cook, Laufenburg, and Kurowski...

... and Kelly again, Davey, and Donovan...

... with Casey, Laufenburg, Cook, Robinett, and Cappuci...

... all enjoying a local beverages...

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

Thank you to ALL Stedsmen, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, grand and godparents, friends, people of goodwill, Saturday’s squirrels, pets of all species… and anyone else who we are forgetting...THANK YOU for rallying to our cause this ND Day!

It's true! Because of you, we rallied, and now, are once again the #1 residence hall and 3rd overall out of over 500 causes this ND Day... for the twelfth year in a row!

On the historic and decisive ND Day win, President Michael Heffernan stated, "On this ND Day, just as on any day, the men of St. Edward’s Hall made the collective decision to pursue excellence. And, as in all things, the men of St. Edward’s Hall emerged victorious. We thank our friends and family for their indefatigable generosity. We are endlessly grateful for everything you’ve given us."

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Your Sunday picture...

Pretty in pink

... from Notre Dame! Here's a view of Fr. Sorin amid a sea of spring color. In autumn, ND Grounds keepers decided pink tulips would be planted so that in spring there would be a sea a pink. Enjoy, and enjoy wherever you may be!

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Saturday squirrel.

Staying warm

Our furry friends have stepped aside so that another campus neighbor can have some attention. Walking around St. Mary's Lake, catching some rays, were not one but two turtles! As ectotherms, turtles, and all cold blooded animals, depend on external heat sources like the sun or warm surfaces to regulate their body temperature. And that's what these two turtles were doing on a sunny and warm day at ND. On being spotted soaking up the sun, the red headed turtle non-verbaled, "I forgot my shades!"

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Champions!

The 2026 RecSport Volleyball Champions

If winning the hockey championship wasn't enough, then how about winning another championship? With a team composed mainly of seniors and one sophomore, Stedsmen made a run for the RecSports Volleyball Championship. And while their run had it's ups and downs, they rallied not only clinching the championship but also what everyone student dreams of- the coveted RecSports Champions t-shirt. On the win, Nathan Holt, Steds senior and resident Washingtonian (State), shared, "It was an honor to end a great career with some outstanding Stedsmen, especially on the high of winning a championship! For hall and King!

Congratulations 2026 RecSports Volleyball Champions!

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Everyone...

 

... and I mean everyone... is experiencing a slow day after last night's Yacht Dance. Thanks for your understanding, and we'll be back tomorrow.

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What do you do...

It was a prefect night...

... after winning ND Day and classes are over? Does one go to Disney World? No! We go on the Yacht Dance, of course! Oddly enough, the a week after ND Day was held was the last day of classes... AND Yacht Dance Day. Chance? I think not! Nor was the great weather! A bit chilly but no rain. So, it was perfect for a cruise, smooth sailing for one hundred and fifty-seven Stedsmen and their dates. The yacht shoved off at 11:40pm, and the dancing kicked off with the 90's classic, "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems." After sailing up and down the lake, the yacht returned to port at 1:45am with many tired dancers. On the attending the Yacht Dance for his first time, Evan von Rotz, Steds freshman and resident Californian, shared, “The best and only way to party is on a Steds yacht" while fellow freshman, resident North Carolinian, Ronan Sheppard, said, "It was a night full of energy and fun filling every second. Even in the way back, the speaker was blasting and we were singing into the morning!”

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... everyone was on the dance floor...

... and so were the seniors below...

... with amazing views...

... but it was time to go...

... and it was a quiet ride home!

There was...

Country music time at ND

... a concert. Recently, there was a Luke Combs concert at the Notre Dame football stadium, drawing country music fans near and far. Thankfully, the rain held off, but the temps were a bit chilly. Yet, Combs made the crowd forget it all as they enjoyed a great performance. On attending the concert, Zach Jones, Steds sophomore and resident Texan, shared, "It was chilly but Luke Combs warmed ND stadium with a great performance. Some of my favorites were Tell Em’ About Tonight, Where the Wild Things Are, and 1, 2 Many. And Dierks Bentley, the opener, did a good job as well!"

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We have...

Irish Entrepreneurs: Gomez with McCloskey

... a winner! Yes, Jonathan Perez Gomez, Steds freshman and resident Guadalajaran, recently won the McCloskey New Venture Competition People's Choice Award. What was Gomez's idea? In short, creating health care delivery system to be like a visit to your local Costco. Thanks to Gomez's idea, and a number of Steds attending the competition, Gomez pulled off a surprise win. On participating and wining, Gomez shared, 

"Participating in McCloskey was such an incredible and fulfilling experience. As freshman with a social venture based in Mexico and in a single member team, I was competing against upperclassmen, grad students, and Alumni with multi-member teams full of experts from Yale and Harvard. So it was not easy, but I think that my young age and the passionate way I delivered my speech were factors that allowed me to win over the audience and some people even reached out to me to give me advice or tell me to contact them later so that they can introduce a possible investor later. Of course, I was hoping to get a flashy award like best undergraduate venture or the Grand Prize, but at the end I ended up getting the People’s Choice award. And this award was more fruitful than any other because it just proved how unified and amazing is the community of Steds, as many Stedsmen came over to vote and support the venture. Thank you all for coming! 

Besides the awards, this event was an opportunity to listen and learn from highly experienced individuals. The founder of the entrepreneurship center at ND, Gary Gigot, gave a speech about his story in replicating entrepreneurial projects from the West Coast at Notre Dame. In the end, he publicly acknowledged my great job in my pitch, which I infinitely thanked him for. He then told me privately that being part of a family business that grows the good is something valuable at my young age. He gave me some advice and his blessing. This world of entrepreneurship is not easy; we will have to face rejection and unexpected things. But we should thank for the opportunities that exist out there and use them. You might make thousands of calls, knock on hundreds of doors, or shake dozens of hands, but it only takes one Good Samaritan that is willing to support you to make your dreams come true. Keep fighting and never give up. Go Irish!"

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Your Sunday picture...

Busy bee

... from Notre Dame. Here is a busy bee pollinating the blooming Spring flowers at Notre Dame. Enjoy, and enjoy your Sunday wherever you may be!

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Saturday Squirrel.

Bon appetit!

Our furry friends are always on the look out for food, and some times, they find a treasure. That's what this squirrel found outside South Dining Hall. A discarded apple was found by this squirrel who didn't waste anytime enjoying it. On enjoying an apple, this squirrel non-verbaled, "Yum!"

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Grads on the...

Steds in Stockholm: O'Leary, Bell, Ferraro and Sansone

... go. Peter Ferraro '23 is working for a Swedish company, and as a part of his "on boarding," he spending two months in Stockholm at the company's headquarters. Not wanting Ferraro to feel lonely, his fellow Stedsmen came and visited him... Jack O'Leary '23, Luke Bell '23, and Nick Sansone '23. On the visit and touring of other European capitols, Ferraro shared, "What better way to alleviate a little homesickness with a good old fashioned boys trip? After a few days sightseeing through the archipelago, we decided to swap the Swedish meatballs and ABBA music for some pierogis and Zabka runs in Warsaw. Luke, Nick, Jack, and I picked up exactly where we left off — proof that good roommates, current and former, always travel well!"

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