A crowd of over 100 students, staff and administrators gathered on the ground floor of the Rutgers Student Center on the College Avenue campus yesterday for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Red Lion Cafe.
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University President Francis L. Lawrence addressed the celebrants, saying the cafe was "designed with incredible vision and warmth," and congratulating all architects of the project.
"As you come back as alums," Lawrence said, "we may have photos of you around the walls, the more successful you become."
The Red Lion features Rutgers memorabilia decorating the walls, including photographs and placards of previous classes.
Dean of Rutgers College Carl Kirschner said the inspiration for the Red Lion came from a trip two former University students, Michael Shafer and Lauren Heidman, took to Duke University for a professional conference. The students were inspired by Duke's recreation center, he said.
Shafer, now an assistant director for campus information services, said, "Lauren and I went down to Duke University with Dean Breitman and they have a place called the Devil's Den down there, and it builds school spirit." Paul Breitman, former associate dean of students and director of the Rutgers Student Center, was instrumental in getting the project of the ground.
"Students watch sporting events and basically get together in a social atmosphere, and that's what we wanted to create here at Rutgers College," Shafer said.
The cafe was designed as "a place where students could relax, have something to eat and see school tradition," Kirschner said.
Part of this tradition includes a bulletin instructing the class of 1970 on first-year behavior reading "ye shall wear dink & tie at all times" and "ye shall dress & act in a manner befitting a Rutgers man."
Joseph Whiteside, senior vice president and treasurer for the University, called the Red Lion project "another wonderful example of cooperation and teamwork between students and administrators," comparing the cooperation to that seen in the construction of the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on the Busch campus and the University Center at Easton Avenue on the College Avenue campus.
Whiteside joined Lawrence, Kirschner and student center Associate Director George Hefelle in thanking all the different departments and individuals involved in the project, including Athletics Director Bob Mulcahy, Ed Kozack, associate vice president for auxiliary services, Jeff Mason and the facilities and maintenance department, the purchasing department, the food service vendors, the crew team, the credit union and more.
Lawrence was joined by Rutgers College junior Seth Dembowitz, chairperson of the Rutgers Student Center Governing Board, for the ribbon cutting.
Attendees of the invitation-only affair enjoyed festive red and black balloons, four different sorts of sandwiches, a vegetable spread, assorted desserts, soft drinks, hors d'oeuvres and the sounds of a string quartet.
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