Students are thrilled over the
reopening of the Fireside Lounge
after being closed due to construction.
The video game lounge
has also reopened. But some
bickering continues over who
gets to use what space.
“Students cannot get territorial
over common space,” Student
Life Director Matt Cipriano said.
However this has became a major
issue in the Fireside Lounge,
game room, and cafeteria.
Two weeks ago, students who
had hung out in Fireside were
under the impression the lounge
had re-opened, but, in fact, it didn’t
open until the following day.
“We were told the lounge was
open, so we went down. Before
you knew it, a wave of security
came to kick us out. It was like a
police raid,” said Dianias
Phillips, 33, an engineering
major.
The Fireside group went back
up the cafeteria lounge where
another group of students were
already hanging out.
“They just invaded our space,”
Kelsey Miozzi, 18, a nursing
major said.
“When [the Fireside group]
went to the game lounge, we just
left and went to the cafeteria. We
continued to stay there, then they
overran us again,” T.J. Repetz,
19, a chemistry major said.
The displaced Fireside group
then moved to the game room.
“Our group had always hung
out in the game lounge. When
Fireside closed, all of those people
packed themselves in there
and it got so loud you couldn’t
even hear yourself think,” Daniel
Sokoloff, 19, a physiology majorsaid.
The Fireside group didn’t mean
to get in the way of the game
lounge group. “We didn’t want to
be in the game lounge or the cafeteria,
we were forced there,”
Phillips said.
Since the area has been reopened,
the game room group has
resumed hanging out there.
“Now that they’re gone, things
are like how they should have
been,” Brian Ramos, 18, a graphic
design major said. “We’re using
this room for what it was intended
for.”
“They think people actually
care about them and their problems.
But, whatever, it’s okay
now, everyone has their own
space,” Miozzi said.
“We’re glad to have Fireside reopened.
This is where all the outcasts
of the school go. Here, we
can be loud and be ourselves,”
Phillips said.
While the Fireside group is
thrilled to have this area to use
once again, there are already some
issues with the new renovations.
“The furniture here has metal
legs, it’s already scratching up the
floors.Who knows what the floors
will be like when it rains, or even
snows. Imagine the floor, with all
the melted snow and salt,” Karle
Luecke, 18, a multi media major
said.
“We have already gotten complaints
about noise. You put up
brick walls, tile flooring, and
wood paneling, sound is going to
travel. It’s really not that hard to
soundproof a room,” Phillips said.
“I really do hope they enjoy the
brand new room we gave them,”
Cipriano said.
However, when Cipriano’s
name was mentioned to the Fireside
group, several raised complaints.
They said Cipriano had
tried to control them, and that they
resisted such efforts.
“The more you try to get a hold
of us, the less control you end up
having. Trying to control our
group is like controlling pudding,
if you squeeze it too tightly, you
loose it all,” Phillips said.
The Fireside group even expressed
their unhappiness by having
a conga line dance through
Cipriano’s office.
“We should just be allowed to
self-regulate Fireside, and ourselves,”
Dave Fineman, 20, a
physiology and game-design
major said.
“They should leave us and this
room alone. We don’t even pay
attention to ourselves; we’re all
insane together. No one should try
and challenge us,” Phillips said.
When told of the students’ feelings,
Cipriano responded, “It’s a
shame. I’m saddened to hear
that.”
Cipriano said he wanted the
group to come together and become
a student organization to
create better communication.
“I think they’re afraid if they get
organized,” Cipriano said, “they
are sort of
an organizat
i o n ,
w h e t h e r
they want to
admit or
not. If they
became a
true student
o rg a n i z a –
tion, they
would still
maintain the
same identity.
Being an organization gives
you a clear voice when there are
issues.”
“Most kids here are not normal
thinkers,” Phillips said. “Getting
an organization from this group is
like herding cats. We are chaos,
we don’t want to organize chaos.”
Cipriano said he wants the students
“to be themselves, but
they’re in college. They’re adults.
There’s a certain level of maturity
they have to be at.”
Despite some issues between
the Fireside group and Cipriano,
he still wants to work with them
to create the best possible environment
for the students.
“I’m hoping to go down soon,
get talking with a large group and
make a list of the good and bad
things with Fireside,” Cipriano
said.
As Cipriano mentioned, students
can’t get “territorial” over
space. These events are a major
concern to Cipriano, who finds
himself in a tough spot.
“I have to represent all students,”
he said. “I’ve got to do
what’s best for everyone.”