Dunne Hall

The Modern Perspectives RLC brings together students from a rich variety of backgrounds and interests to promote academic, social, and political engagement. Our theme explores contemporary challenges in leadership and ethics, and aspires to cultivate leaders who see beyond what is, and instead envision what should be. In line with the Jesuit tradition, our students share an interest in the global world and engage with social, political, and economic questions.

Our tagline of “Discover, Discern, Disrupt” encourages the Modern Perspectives Community to: Discover who we are, what we believe, and what we accept. Discern what we value, Disrupt the norm with these values and in ways that represent our individual talents and goals, and push toward positive social change in an unpredictable world.

It is often competitive to return to Dunne as a 2nd-year student. Those that return often intend to be engaged mentors for first-year students and are a big part of the reason our community tends to be particularly strong. Students consistently comment that "the people" are the best part of MP, and larger friend groups are very common in Dunne.

Commuter students assigned to the MP RLC can enjoy access to the Dunne basement lounge which includes plenty of space to study or lounge around, and lockers.

Modern Perspectives also tends to be one of the more active and social communities on campus. Residents often have a strong sense of floor identity and form close relationships with the other residents on their floor.

Our staff is comprised of 10 Community Facilitators (CFs), 1 Spirituality Facilitator (SF), 1 Faculty Director (FD), 1 Assistant Resident Director (ARD), and 1 Resident Director (RD). CFs in Dunne work closely with a floor partner and form a close relationship as a pair within our team. The floor partner relationship is especially important in building floor community.

The Modern Perspectives RLC 2025-2026 team includes:

Leadership Team

• Marqueze Kennedy, Resident Director
• Blessy Gnanamani, Assistant Resident Director
• Dennis Gordon, Ph.D., Political Science Department, Faculty Director
• Ves Mahanian, Spirituality Facilitator

Community Facilitators (CFs)

CFs in Dunne work with a floor partner to support a floor of approximately 50-60 students. All student staff on campus receive training in conflict resolution and roommate mediation, crisis response, community building, and campus resources, and are present in their community to support their residents. Students can contact their Community Facilitator or Leadership Team directly for support.

Every Residential Learning Community (RLC) offers several programs and events each week. Community Facilitators and The Building Leadership Team host floor and building-wide socials, facilitate activities to promote wellness and mental health, lead students to on-campus events, and organize service opportunities.

Events that have traditionally happened in Modern Perspectives, and are led by our team, include Speed-Friending the first week of classes, Trick-or-Treat Street, which invites children of faculty, staff, and local neighbors to trick-or-treat in Dunne, and the Thanksgiving Dunner, a full Thanksgiving meal for all of our residents.

Theme programming often includes political and ethical topics. Each year, we show the State of the Union, and invite Political Science faculty into the hall to provide perspective. During election seasons, we host campus-wide debate showings, voter registration drives, and student-led debates. Approximately four times each year, staff host a "Dunner Series" discussion, cooking a meal for students and hosting a dinner table conversation about the ethics of a topic they are passionate about. Past topics have included net neutrality, bitcoin, food sustainability, human trafficking, women in politics, dating ethics, volunteering vs. voluntourism, friendship, and immigration, among many other topics.