Giving Opportunities

View photos from the official opening ceremony

The student union is the direct result of Robert V. LaPenta's (class of 1967) tremendous generosity to the College. This $12 million, 41,000 square foot Georgian-brick facility opened in August of 2005 and has been dubbed the “living room of campus.” In it, students can comfortably dine, organize, and mingle, meet and form friendships, and broaden their perspectives through club and social organization membership. All student clubs and organizations, including The Ionian, WICR and the Tara Knights Society are located here.

The student union is located in the heart of campus, at the west end of Mazzella Field, with Hagan Hall at the opposite end and the expanded Mulcahy Center along the south side. The student union represents two very different faces to the campus. On one side, fronting the new Spellman Quadrangle, the building presents a traditional masonry facade designed to blend with the existing College buildings. An arcade allows entry into the union at several points, repeating both the function and the scale of the Spellman portico. On the other side of the union, facing Mazzella Field, the expression is modern – made of glass and steel – relating to both the scale of the much larger space and the more dynamic activities that take place there. The open glass facade, with its balconies, allows for a unique view of sporting events.

Facilities and services available in the Robert V. LaPenta Student Union include:

food court/commons;
multi-purpose entertainment rooms;
bookstore;
media center;
bistro;
all student services offices;
student organization offices; and
lounges, including a computer lounge, coffee shop and meeting rooms.

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