The University chose to name the new dorms after a beloved priest, generous supporters of the school
By Hannah Gray
A tiny man with big glasses, a beaky nose and a heart full of love, and known by students, faculty and staff as Padre, will be remembered as the University names one of its two new dormitories after him. The other dorm will be named for Suzanne and Fred Fields - the priest's sister, a member of the UP Board of Regents, and her husband, both generous supporters of the University.
The Rev. Arthur Schoenfeldt, C.S.C., who died last December, attracted people of all types. "He was a funny, holy, wonderful little man," English professor Louis Masson said. "To know Art was to love Art. He is irreplaceable."
"Father Art was a holy eccentric," Masson said. "Because of his illness, he couldn't pursue a teaching career, so developed an eccentric ministry." He continued to say that Father Art brought people together, and that he the truly knew many people.
He suffered from Chrone's Disease, a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, and from a panic disorder. According to Masson, this gave Padre an understanding of how fragile life is. Instead of being bitter, Padre turned to other people.
The Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., President of the University of Portland, worked with the Fields to find something that was appropriate. The new dorms were high on Beauchamp's list and the Schoenfeldt family already had a history of donating to dorms, so it was a perfect match, according to Jim Lyons, Vice President for University Relations. Plus, the addition of the dorms has allowed the remodel and expansion of The Commons.
Sue's grandfather, Col. David Dunne, was a financial supporter of Christie Hall, said John Soisson, the Executive Asst. to the President, via e-mail. The idea that Sue's grandfather had helped promote the residence life of UP is meaningful in the fact that she is as well. Since Schoenfeldt lived in the dorms - in Christie and Mehling - for a portion of his life, it also made sense that a dorm be named after him.
Schoenfeldt and his sister were only children and were very close.
In his life at UP, Padre contributed to the school far beyond his pastoral services. He started the Arthur and Dorothy Schoenfeldt Distinguished Writers Series with the help from his sister and her financial contribution.
The series was named after their parents. Through this program, about one to two distinguished writers are brought to campus each year to teach and meet with students and faculty, alike.
The series was donated by the Fields as a gift to the University's Defining Moment Campaign. The speakers are typically experts in the fields of literature, science, and journalism. Padre took care of the details and planning, while his sister made sure it worked at the highest standard.
"Susan brought the kindness and appreciation to her brother's unique and unusually gifts," Masson said. "She is blessed with the resources to help make Art's dreams come true. She was a great supporter to him."
Suzanne has been a leader for the Board since she joined. Her husband, Fred, has been involved in the University as well, according to Soisson.
The layout of the new dorms will be a combination of a residence hall with a chapel in the middle. People can enter through the chapel. The residence hall is broken into two sections - the male dorm and the female dorm.
The hall will be three stories with approximately 320 beds, intended for both upper and lower classmen, according to Lyons. The connecting chapel has not been named.
The outer dorm rooms will be like the basic two-person rooms seen in Mehling, Christie, or Kenna. The inside dorm rooms will be more like singles, to attract the upperclassmen. Lyons said this was an attempt to encourage students of all ages to stay on campus. He said that staying on campus, students' grades are typically higher and the students are more involved with the campus community.
The dorms are already in progress and are scheduled to finish by next August for 2009-2010 school year. The University plans on building a third residence hall to create a quad much like the ones already on campus.
Fr. Art "found his greatest joy and satisfaction ministering to and befriending students," in his pastoral residency, Soisson said.
