Friday, October 10, 1980
Cabrini College, Radnor, PA 19087
Vol. XXVII, No. 2
Campus center expands growth BY MARY C. GOLDNER This past summer $1.5 million was given -to Cabrini College for the funding of a new )llulti-purpose building. Since that time the idea and the dream have become The George D. Widener Campus Center. Mr. and Mrs. F. Eugene Dixon made the money available through the George D. Widener trust. Plans for the campus center were speeded up considerably with the endowment received. No one expected to have this opportunity so soon, with actual groundbreaking moved up by years. Mr. Heiberger, vice-president for development, reported that official groundbreaking should happen in late Fall and actual completion of project be late Fall of '81. The campus center will house the now existing student center, located in the basement of Sacred Heart Hall. This encompasses the WigWam, T.V. lounge, broadcasting studio, the publication offices, dean of students office, SGA office, game room and campus ministry. The director of resident Life will also have his office in the building. These will be expanded in size.
The Campus Center will be located on the green between Counsel Hall and Sacred Heart Hall, also using a section of -the parking lot. Structurally th,• building will be two stories, but will appear to be 1 1/2 stories high. The first floor will be built into the ground so when entering you will walk down. Other facilities that will be provided include a large social area to be used for class, SGA or assorted club functions such as dances and parties. This room is on the ground floor so to buffer any noise that may occur. A lecture halt will also be in this building. It will be set up in movie theater fashion. It will be accessible from the fround floor. The game room as we know it now will be enlarged and many more games will be installed. A major problem facing Cabrini now is the lack of quiet or study areas for students resident or nonresident. This has been resolved in the structure of the campus center. Many small and large areas and individual rooms have been worked into the master plan. Albert's Bookstore as it is now
will be changed considerably. The mailroom and the bookstore will become separate. The mail boxes are to be set where Albert can put the mail in from one side and on the other you can pick it up. These will be located as you enter the bulding. "I think the changes to be made in the bookstore could be very beneficial to Albert as well as the students. The separate rooms for the bookstore and the mailroom could alleviate a lot of the crowding that occurs when students come to check their boxes. I definitely think it is a good idea," said Donna Brophy, bookstore employee. Sister Sharon Morano, MSC, dean of students, Madonna Marion-Landais, assistant to the dean of students and Gus Nicoletti, director of resident life, will all have their offices located on the second floor. "I'm excited about the proposed campus center. The need for additional facilities for both student and staff will not only provide efficient office operations but also a place that can coordinate campus and community activities.
THE PLANS for the first floor of the student center which will be completed the fall of 1981.(photo by Maryann Ribick)
Sister Mary Louise- Sullivan, MSC, president of Cabrini College, said they hoped to also include an outdoor amphitheater for concerts, etx., if there are enough funds. It was also said that
hopefully during the summer months arrangements culd be made for groups that were having meetings or conventions. The houses and the center could be utilized in the off season.
Dixon dollars aid growth
Dorm council, S.G.A.
and now are funding the building of the campus center. The campus center is the major aspect of the growth campaign for 1980and 1981.The building will house a radio station, a theatre, a game room, an outdoor lecture hall, and a host of other things. It will bear the name George D. Widener, in honor of the Dixon's trust. In addition to her function in fund raising, Mrs. Dixon has an eye on the direction of growth. As for the goal of growth, she feels that it is important to "preserve the small school atmosphere because there are some students who do not prefer the large campuses, and they have a right to an option." Dixon feels the admissions department has been outstanding in pursuing the 600 student goal. She also credits admissions, as well as other campus groups, with sponsoring events which have given Cabrini a high public visibility. This she considers inseparable from the goals of growth. As far as the structural growth of Cabrini is concerned, Dixon feels that after the completion of the campus center there will be little new construction. Rather, there will be extensive renovation of existing facilities. Academics is another area of
don't see eye t~ eye
BYnMLAWLOR
Edith Robb Dixon has a great interest in the future of Cabrini College. In her position as chairperson of the board of trustees, the philanthropist can act on that interest. ~ Dixon was appointed chairperson in May of this year, and is very pleased with and excited about the position. "I enjoy the association here more than that on other boards. At the moment, Cabrini is my number one priority," she said. The main concern of Dixon is the growth and development campaign of which the college is in the midst. The main job of the chair is with the raising of funds. Dixon is very experienced in this area, having served as head of the annual fund drive in 1976 and being instrumental in the first Friends of Cabrini benefit. She was also very active in fund raising in other years. Additionally, Dixon has personally funded the college, both through private donations and the George D. Widener Trust. According to John Heiberger, vice president of development, Mrs. Dixon, and her husband F. Eugene Dixon, have been responsible for the psychology lab, renovations in Sacred Heart Hall, much equipment in the athletic department, many improvements in the threatre,
BYnMLAWLOR
EDITH DIXON, chairperson of the
board of trustees. growth with which Dixon is pleased. She commends Joseph Romano, vice president for academic affairs, for maintaining the libert arts tradition, yet building programs that meet More DIXON on 3
The conflict between the dean of students office and the student government association concerning the establishment of dorm councils should be resolved by this time. ,,. The S.G.A. voted, at their meeting on Sept. 23, to not recognize the dorm council. The vote was 20-0 with 2 abstentions. Apparently the fear of the S.G.A. was that the councils, each of which will have its own. constitution, would supplant the rights and duties of both the students and the S.G.A. established in the S.G.A. constitution. Acting on that vote, the S.G.A. put out a letter to the campus stat_ ing that they would not recognize "any form of resident aouncil." 1 The letter was sent out on Sept. 25. That same day, the dean of students office put out a response to the S.G.A. letter, saying, among other things, that "there is no conflict of roles between the organizational structure and by-laws of the Student Government Association and the dorm councils." The issue remained that way until the next S.G.A. meeting on Sept. 30. Gus Nicoletti, director of resident life ( an administrative branch of the dean of students office) was to address the S.G.A. about the issue at 8 p.m.
All other business was concluded by about 7:30 and the time between that and Nicoletti's appearance was marked by little mini-caucuses. At one minute S.G.A. president Bernadette Lynch would be conferring with her vice president Mary C. Goldner, the next Goldner would be talking with Nicoletti, then Lynch with Nicoletti, then Goldner with various S.G.A. officers, etc. When the formal meeting reconvened shortly after 8 p.m., Lynch announced Nicoletti, stating that he would speak on dorm councils, a "rather revolutionary new thing on campus." Ncioletti explained basically that dorm councils were part of a drive to promote co-responsibility in residency. The aim of this is to have responsibility in residency to peers, not to a policeman-like authority figure. He explained further that dorm council constitutions are in-house rules. Rules in a dorm council constitution are agreed upon by the people in the house, to be followed by the people in a house, to promote a harmonious living condition in that house. Nicoletti explained further that all students are held to the S.G.A. constitution and that no dorm council constitution would be in More COUNCILS on 3