Lucye Rafferty/The Hoya Former university president Leo J. O’Donovan, S.J. cut the ribbon at the Southwest Quad dedication Friday.

University alumni and donors gathered in the Leo J. O’Donovan, S.J., Dining Hall last Friday for the dedication of the Southwest Quad.

The dedication, attended primarily by members on the Board of Governors and the Board of Regents, was for the three new residential buildings – Kennedy, McCarthy and Reynolds Family Halls – as well as the dining hall and the Wolfington Hall Jesuit Residence.

After a welcome by Provost James J. O’Donnell, University President John J. DeGioia explained that the building of the Southwest Quad was the largest project the university had ever undertaken.

“At the beginning, there was nothing little about the Southwest Quadrangle project,” DeGioia said. He pointed out that the project also acquired much support from the university community and alumni.

Even though three of the five buildings dedicated were mainly student residences, DeGioia said that “the Southwest Quadrangle was never envisioned as student [space only].”

Instead, the one million square feet of space was designed with the spirit of cura personalis – care and development of the whole person – so that the Southwest Quad would include academia, the Jesuit community and interaction between students and faculty, thus making it a “historic project,” DeGioia said, for which he thanked the 2,000 alumni and donors.

But alumni weren’t the only ones happy about the new facilities. Amanda House (COL ’05), a resident assistant in Reynolds Hall, spoke enthusiastically at the ceremony about the Southwest Quad.

“When I arrived at Georgetown, this area was a big hole,” she said. “It’s been amazing to watch the transformation and now to live here.”

She talked about how the lounges are used not only for study but for fun.

Edmond Villani (C ’68), the chair of the board of directors, said he was “reminded of what a home Georgetown is to all of us.”

After alums have left Georgetown, he said, they often wonder how they can make a difference. But he pointed out that their financial gifts of the $50 million it took to build the Southwest Quad serve as an example of how alums remain active in Georgetown.

“All you have to do is look around here . to see how all of you have made a difference,” Villani said.

John Kennedy (C ’52), the namesake of Kennedy Hall and chair of the Third Century Campaign – the university’s current capital campaign, which has raised over $970 million of the target $1 billion – echoed those statements. He said he is “proud of the tremendous impact [the Southwest Quad] is having on Georgetown students.”

After Kennedy’s remarks, O’Donnell recognized the donors who the buildings are named after. The Rev. Brian McDermott, S.J., then performed the blessing of the buildings. The Chamber Choir sang the alma mater as alums stood and joined in.

Family members of the namesakes of the buildings performed the ribbon cutting as well as Villani, and the Rev. Leo J. O’Donovan, S.J., former university president and namesake of the O’Donovan Dining Hall.

But most students refer to the dining hall, in short, as “Leo’s”, a name that O’Donovan has no problem with.

“I think it’s a wonderful name,” he said grinning. He admitted that he never imagined students would refer to the full name of the dining hall anyway.

Tiber Frekko (C ’55, M ’59, L ’63), who is on the board of governors, said he thought the Southwest Quad was “absolutely fantastic.”

“When I first arrived here, this was part of a large hole. It was nice and full of trees, but it was a ditch,” he said jokingly. But he called the new buildings “such an improvement for student life.”