By Ivan Pereira
Starting this semester, Queens College freshman can finally call the Flushing campus their home at the school’s new dorm.
Last week, the student body and administrators celebrated the opening of the Summit with a special event that examined the residence’s place in Queens College’s history.
Sue Henderson, the school’s vice president, said the dorm helps to boost Queens College’s reputation as a strong academic school accessible to anyone.
“New Queens College has the distinction of being a great commuter college and a great residential college,” she said.
The 506-bed building, which is 98 percent filled, was completed in September after 15 months of construction and includes everything a young adult would need to thrive while hitting the books. Each room comes equipped with a dining area, fridge, oven, couch, bed, bathroom and broadband Internet access.
Each of the Summit’s floors contains a study room and there is a common area and state-of-the-art fitness center located on the ground floor of the building.
“It’s another indication of how much forward thinking exists at this institution,” said City University of New York Chancellor Matthew Goldstein.
Even though students have been living at the dorm for only a month, many say they enjoy the accommodations.
Dominique Pirraglia, 17, whose hometown is Staten Island, said living on campus has enriched her college experience so far.
“I like that I got to meet people that I may have never met before, people with different backgrounds and different majors,” she said.
After years of petitioning for a residential space for Queens College, ground was broken near the FitzGerald Gymnasium in May 2008 for the Summit. Queens College’s president, James Muyskens, said the construction project was completed rapidly because the school and the building’s developer had it thoroughly planned.
“It’s quite a feat when a project as big as this one comes on time and on budget,” he said.
Last month, U.S. World News and Report ranked Queens College in the top 10 public universities in the northeastern United States for undergraduate and graduate studies. There were concerns from the community that the dorm would bring with it more partying and disrupt the neighborhood, but Muyskens said Queens College’s reputation as a safe campus would not change.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
