“‘Someday’ has arrived in style,” beamed Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., president of Fairfield University, at Friday afternoon’s grand re-opening of the John A. Barone Campus Center.
As the long-anticipated construction has finally come to end, Fairfield University students and faculty alike were invited to a celebration 18 months in the making.
Described as the new “social hub on campus,” Kelley challenged the university community to become more involved now that the campus center has finally collected all university organizations into one common space.
Vice President of Student Services William P. Schimpf extolled Jan. 25, 2002 as a “wonderful day.” While many of the afternoon’s speeches focused on the present and future of the campus center, Schimpf chose to take his audience back to Fairfield University, circa 1964, the days when the student body was all male and the university population was 1,300 undergraduates.
During that year, the groundbreaking began for the then new Barone Campus Center. According to Schimpf’s description, the 1966 campus center came complete with a barbershop, a Hi-Fi listening center, a dining hall that could fit the entire student community at once, an assembly hall, social center, rest rooms, and three meeting rooms.
The man of the hour, the affable Dr. John A. Barone was front row, center for the ribbon cutting and rededication of his namesake building.
“I’m thrilled at the second opening. It’s a thrill to see the students here, I like to watch students enjoy it,” said Barone. “It’s good to know that even though I retired ten years ago, I’m still here to see it.”
Now, the future of Fairfield University, the sparkling light of Fairfield University’s eye, the Barone Campus Center. James D. Fitzpatrick, assistant vice president for Student Services, felt that a new facility was needed for the students who spend an average of 153 leisure, class-dismissed hours per week.
“I wasn’t sure that I’d ever see this day,” said an enthusiastic Fitzpatrick. Even Fairfield University student-body president, Joe T. Piagentini, ’02, felt that the newly completed campus center is a “clear reflection [of the direction] in which Fairfield University is headed.”
Designed by the Boston-based architectural firm of Perry, Dean, and Rodgers and constructed by the Gilbane Construction Company, the Barone Campus Center holds offices and meeting space for the majority of the student organizations, including The Mirror, the Manor, FUSA, and most recently, WVOF, the campus radio station.
All student mailboxes are now in one confined space, along with a game room, a larger bookstore, the newly renovated dining area and the Stag. In addition, students can now take advantage of renting out laptops with wireless connection in the study area of the campus center.
How does Barone fare with students? Well, Eddie Seavers, ’03, seems to enjoy it.
“The new campus center creates many opportunities and provides a number of advantages to the students,” said Seavers. “For those students who experienced the old campus center, the benefits of the changes are more than apparent and well worth the inconvenience of the construction.”
“I only wish the freshmen had had the chance to walk to Dolan all the time to eat their meals,” continued Seavers, “they don’t know what they’re missing.”
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