From left: Francisco Diaz, assistant vice president for campus life; Arnold Speert, president; John Martone, vice president for student development; Jess Pepe, sophomore class vice president; Jamie Mariano, SGA president; Andrew Asare, sophomore class president; Mahmoud Mahmoud, sophomore class executive vice president; Travis Robinson, SGA treasurer; Sarah Velarde, sophomore class secretary; Jeff Wakeman, director of campus activities and student leadership; and Chris Weiss, residence life representative.

A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony was just one of several festive events attended by hundreds of William Paterson University students, faculty, staff and administrators on September 6 as they gathered at the center of the campus to celebrate the opening of the University Commons complex, which includes the John Victor Machuga Student Center, Wayne Hall, and the new Ballroom.

View from inside University Commons

“This is the center, the heartbeat of the campus, the place most used by students and faculty, too,” said University President Arnold Speert in remarks during the official ribbon-cutting ceremony during common hour.  “It’s a magnificent structure, and it’s about you, the student body of William Paterson University.”

Jamie Mariano, president of the Student Government Association, said the University Commons “has rejuvenated the life of this campus…The Student Center is no longer just a place for students to walk through to get to class; it has become the central location for socializing and a place where students can get involved.”

Mariano also thanked the John Victor Machuga Foundation for its generous donation to the renovation project.  “The support given to date has not only helped expand the Student Center, it has helped with scholarship programs and various leadership programs as well.  For this we will all be eternally grateful.”

In addition to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the day’s events also included open houses hosted by the Office of the Vice President for Student Development, the Career Development and Gloria S. Williams Advisement Center, and Campus Activities and Student Leadership; a barbecue on Zanfino Plaza sponsored by the Greek Senate, and an ice cream social sponsored by the Student Government Association.

The University Commons, which includes the Machuga Student Center, Wayne Hall, and a new 500-seat Ballroom and meeting room complex, totals nearly 200,000 square feet.  It offers students seamless access to student development services, activities, meeting rooms, and dining venues, all under one roof.