Lewis University dedicates Dorothy Day Residence Hall
Published: September 14, 2009.
Lewis University dedicated its newest residence hall Thursday, Sept. 10, on the Lewis University main campus in Romeoville. The 12th student residence at Lewis is named Dorothy Day Residence Hall in honor of the late social activist who founded the Catholic Worker Movement, an organization that combines direct aid for the poor and homeless with nonviolent direct action in the cause of peace and justice.
Joseph Falese, Vice President for Student Services, welcomed the many in attendance and Ashley Jones, Resident Assistant, offered an invocation. During his remarks, Brother James Gaffney, FSC, President of Lewis University, said, “May all who reside here, who study and learn here, who serve here, add to the balance of love, the balance of peace in our university community, and also the world that we share.”
Participants in the Ribbon Cutting ceremony included: Brother James and Joseph Falese, James Goodwin, Chair of the Board of Trustees; Robert DeRose, Vice President of Business and Facilities; Katheryn Slattery, Dean of Student Services; Bashir Zayid, President of Student Governing Board; Pat Cermak, President of Wight Construction; Ken Osmun, Group President of Wight Construction; Mujahid Mushtaq Choudhary, Director of Residence Life; Karlie Cooper, Residence Life Coordinator; Sean Barber, Resident Assistant, and Angelica Corral, Resident Assistant. Brother Philip Johnson, FSC, Director of University Ministry, offered a blessing for the new building. James Goodwin offered comments and Kathryn Slattery made closing remarks. Other dedication ceremonies for Dorothy Day Hall included tours and a reception for faculty, staff, students, and guests.
Dorothy Day Hall is the third new residence hall constructed on the Lewis main campus in the past four years to meet a burgeoning student population. The building has an additional level compared to the similar structures of Pope John Paul II Hall and Mother Teresa Hall, built in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Dorothy Day Hall can accommodate approximately 130 residents. It includes four floors of apartment-style living space with each floor consisting of single and double occupancy rooms, two study/conference areas, a lounge area, laundry facilities, and a kitchen. The first floor also has a game room and offers an expanded kitchen facility. The lower level of the building is being utilized for additional classrooms, office space and meeting areas.
Look at the construction process as it progressed by clicking on the link
www.lewisu.edu/newresidence/
“A number of environmentally-friendly features were incorporated into the new residence hall,” added Donald Castello, Director of Facilities and a designated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional. Recycled materials were used in construction of the building; paints and other surface covering made from low emission materials were utilized to reduce indoor air contaminants; and energy consumption reduction features were designed into the building’s exterior, windows and primary building heating, ventilation and cooling systems. The hall is connected to a centrally located HVAC Digital Control System that monitors systems around the clock and makes changes in temperature remotely as needed. A bio-swale system located near the parking lot filters pollutants from storm water runoff. There also is an eco-friendly lighting system that operates with occupancy sensor lighting plus locations on each floor designated for recycling.
Despite a tumultuous early life, Dorothy Day dedicated herself completely to the poor, co-founding the Catholic Worker newspaper in 1933 and developing the publication into a movement that built Catholic Worker houses across the country to provide sustenance and direction for thousands of needy and homeless people throughout the United States. A dedicated social activist, she was a pioneer in promoting civil rights and pacifism while opposing nuclear weapons. She persisted as a peace advocate throughout the Cold War and also protested against the war in Viet Nam, being jailed for her peaceful demonstrations. In 1973, the 75-year-old was imprisoned after taking part in a banned picket line in support of the United Farm Workers in California.
Her work to promote peace was cited by the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in their 1983 peace pastoral, The Challenge of Peace which recognizes pacifism and conscientious objection as a legitimate expression of the Christian faith. Cardinal John O’Connor, then Catholic Archbishop of New York, initiated the proposal for a declaration of sainthood for Dorothy Day. In 2000, the Vatican officially opened the cause of sainthood for this remarkable woman, now to be known as “Dorothy Day, Servant of God.”
A Catholic university sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis offers nearly 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, accelerated degree completion options for working adults, various aviation programs and 22 graduate programs in nine fields. The 10th largest private, not-for-profit university in Illinois is being honored for the sixth consecutive year by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.