HISTORY & TRADITIONS
History
Donner House has developed into the loved community that it is today because of its quirky and original traditions. The history of how Donner House came to be is not well known at Carnegie Mellon. The original building only consisted of the central core, which is today the lounge, reading room and foyer. It was built to serve as a common space for residents of the Hill to mingle outside of their respective dormitories. Donner became such a well-loved communal destination that when CMU needed to expand its residence halls, they decided to build on the already successful Donner community. Construction on the East wings of Donner began in 1956. So many people requested to live in the new Donner House that in 1958, they began to build the West wings. Just as the actual Donner building has grown, so to has the Donner community due to the love and connectivity between its residents.
Donner House has developed into the loved community that it is today because of its quirky and original traditions. The history of how Donner House came to be is not well known at Carnegie Mellon. The original building only consisted of the central core, which is today the lounge, reading room and foyer. It was built to serve as a common space for residents of the Hill to mingle outside of their respective dormitories. Donner became such a well-loved communal destination that when CMU needed to expand its residence halls, they decided to build on the already successful Donner community. Construction on the East wings of Donner began in 1956. So many people requested to live in the new Donner House that in 1958, they began to build the West wings. Just as the actual Donner building has grown, so to has the Donner community due to the love and connectivity between its residents.
Big Blue, and The Big Blue Family
Donner House has blue tinted windows, which can be seen from the outside, and blue accents inside. This is what earned the building the nickname "Big Blue." For the same reason, Donner House has the distinct honor of owning the color BLUE during Orientation's main event, House Wars, when each of the first year housing communities is assigned a color. Embracing the majestic color of blue and the warm community that Donner had developed, each year new students are welcomed into the Big Blue Family that is past, present, and future residents of this Donner House.
Donneroos (noun): The collective term for a group of residents of Donner House is Donneroos. According to historical memory, this is not a combination of the words Donner and Kangaroo, but the true origin is no longer known.
Donner House has blue tinted windows, which can be seen from the outside, and blue accents inside. This is what earned the building the nickname "Big Blue." For the same reason, Donner House has the distinct honor of owning the color BLUE during Orientation's main event, House Wars, when each of the first year housing communities is assigned a color. Embracing the majestic color of blue and the warm community that Donner had developed, each year new students are welcomed into the Big Blue Family that is past, present, and future residents of this Donner House.
Donneroos (noun): The collective term for a group of residents of Donner House is Donneroos. According to historical memory, this is not a combination of the words Donner and Kangaroo, but the true origin is no longer known.
The Leg
Over the years, Donner House has developed its own unique flair. Perhaps Donner's most notorious tradition is that of the Leg. About 5 years ago, residents of the Dungeon (nickname for the basement of Donner) were dumpster diving behind the building when they discovered a mannequin leg. The residents were enthused about their findings and brought the leg home to Donner, where they spray painted it blue and wrote "Dongeon" on it (shorthand for the Donner Dungeon back then). The Leg served as a rallying point for Donner residents, until its retirement in 2012. Traditionally, before the epic House Wars during Orientation, one person held The Leg and as each person passed it on their way to the Cut they would lick it, kiss it, touch it or high five it. The Leg was a symbol of Donner pride, commitment, unity, and quirkiness, which are still some of the most important tenants of the Big Blue Donner Family. The Leg will forever remain on display in the foyer of Donner, commemorating those who fought to uphold the honor of Donner in House Wars. |
The D
How do Donner residents express their mutual bond? Enter the D. Donner family members learn the Donner D hand signal upon their first day of Orientation. When residents see each other on campus, they are invited to throw up the D at each other as a way to say "Hey, I see you over there, I hope you're having a fantastic day!" The D is a friendly and fun way for Donneroos to greet each other all over the world. It was first established by residents of T.West in 1976, and has since been a staple of the Donner community. |