Lilley Center Opens: Dean of Students, Chris Columbo, and Linda Hartley, Director of Development and Alumni Relations pose at the Lilley Student Activities Center opening.
Lilley Center Opens: Dean of Students, Chris Columbo, and Linda
Hartley, Director of Development and Alumni Relations pose at the Lilley
Student Activities Center opening.
On Thursday, December 8, 1995, deans, students, faculty, and alumni of the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), participated in the opening ceremony of the new student center for SEAS activities on the first floor of S.W. Mudd. During the opening of the office, there was a reception along with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Dean Colombo, Dean Harvey, and Dean Hartley were the honored ribbon cutters. Mrs. Lilley, widow of Robert D. Lilley, former president of AT&T and Trustee Emeritus of Columbia University, who donated the money necessary for the center was however unable to attend this reception. The center currently houses the Moment, and various pre-professional societies. The center will also serve as a meeting place for engineering students.
In addition to Mrs. Lilley's generous donation of $25,000, the dean's office donated funds for the ethernet cards and connections for the computers in the office. Also, the furniture was obtained at no cost from the recently donated General Electric building downtown. The center consists of three separate rooms. The main room serves as a general meeting area. Two computers and a lounge are located in this room. A smaller room towards the back houses an additional computer and serves as a desktop publishing center for the student groups. The third room is a conference center that will fulfill the needs of small groups that wish to have a central location at which to hold meetings.
Aelan Mosden, the editor-in-chief of the Moment, is very pleased to finally have a central location where the paper can do layout and editing. "Previously, the staff members had to make do with their own personal computers and had to use Coke machines and windows as makeshift light tables for layout," said Mr. Mosden. Their new office in the student activity center provides them with the equipment needed to publish a student newspaper.
If the activities center is indeed successful in fulfilling the needs of SEAS student groups, future plans may include expanding the number of groups in the center and installing additional computers and other equipment. The additional funding required for these projects will be obtained from a number of different sources.
