The Aquinas 1989-08-30

              August 30, 1989
the .
a Ulnas 'tJNIvERSITY OF SCRANTON
Serving the
University and
the community
since 1931
Vol. 62, No 1
Gavigan opens amid disagreement
ofreadiness by students, U!liversity
BY PHILIP NAIMOLI
ANJ) ANDREA IMBRIACO
Despite difficulties that could
have delayed. the project
indefinitely, students now occupy
Gavigan Hall, the University's
newest donn.
"Right now we are at '97.5
percent completion. We were
hopIng only for a level of
habitation," said James Devers, the
University's Director of Physical
Plant.
According to Devers, a base of
decomposing material delayed the
project for one week until a suitable
layer of dirt was placed for the
foundation.
Local strikes by the bricklayers,
painters, roormg and phone unions
had ,University officials
apprehensive about reaching the
scheduled completion date.
Since wiring for the fIre alarms is
tied into the phone system, no fire
alarms would have been operational
if the phone strike had continued.
"We were planning on having a
wire for the alarm system put in
independently just in case. We
wanted safety fIrst," said the Rev.
J.A. Panuska, S.J., University
President. .
Panuska said that completio~f
the rooms was the highest priority as
the scheduled date for student
occupation approached.
This left the television lounges
and the fourth floor academic room
relatively Wlfmished.
Designs for the location of the
academic room were rethought
during the planning process, also
leading to delays in its construction.
"The [academic room] was
moved from the middle of Gavigan
to the end...allowing for a view of
"There are
problems with every
new building, and
student expectations
must be reasonable in
terns ofwhat can be
realistically'
completed, "
--the Rev Joseph
Simmons, SJ.
the campus from the north, south,
and west," Devers said.
This design alteration also
allowed for additional rooms,
bringing the total of students
occupying the dorm to its present
240.
Although most student reactions
to Gavigan as a whole have been
favorable, minor problems such as
jammed door locks, missing shower
heads, and lack of air conditioning
have caused some concern.
"The University didn't wire the
individual phone jacks right so we
have topay $40extra forphones, and
next year's students will get them
free," said Bill McInerny, a
sophomore from Middletown, N.J.
"The mailroom isn't open yet,
and I have letters waiting for me,"
said Will McMahon, a sophomore
from Clayton, N.J.
Others associated with Gavigan
feel some students are overreacting.
"There are problems with every
new building, and student
expectations must be reasonable in
terms of what can be realistically
completed," said the Rev. Joseph
Simmons, S.J., Gavigans resident
counselor.
Redington Hall encountered
similar difficulties when first
opened.
"There were certain problems
with Redington, but it was not as
rushed as Gavigan. Of course, you
must expect these things," said the
Rev. Thomas Masterson, S.J.,
Director of Campus Ministries, and
Redington Hall's resident
counselor.
and Blue Shield pay for it. Why
shOUld wehave topay for health care
twice," Restuccio said.
Two registered nurses and a
receptionist staff the facilities full
time. The part time staff includes
two medical doctors and a nurse
practitioner.
The physicians are available
Monday, 9:30 to 1l:30 a.m.;
Thursday, 12:30t02:30p.m.; Friday
2 to 4 p.m. The nurse practitioner is
available Monday 1 to 3 p.m. and
Wednesday from 10 a.m. until nOOn.
Women's health hours are on
Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m.
Health services provided health
care for over 4,000 on-campus
students during the 1989-90
academic year.
Commuters and off campus
residents were not eligible for
University health care, at this time,
according to Popeck.
commuter, off campus and resident
students were found to utilize the
health facilities.
Commuters received no
information regarding the fee prior
to its implementation.
"Commuters received no
explanation of what this fee is. It
came as a total surprise," Walsh
said.
"The fee is totally unfair for
commuter students, many of us
never even knew where the nurse's
office was located," said Natalie
Restuccio~ a senior commuter from
Pittston.
The average fee for the initial
visit to a physician in the Scranton
area is $25, according to Popecic.
"Thehealth fee is a smallprice to
pay for convenient health care,"
said Popeck.
"I havemy own doctors here, 10
minutes away. I'll let Blue Cross
eligible for health care would have
been overwhelming, Popeck said.
According to Popeck, at
Bloomsburg University, where a
similarhealth fac~lityWas installed a
few years ago, an equal amount of
left open to commuters whether to
pay the health fee or not," said Bill
Walsh, a junior commuter business
major.
The paperwork involved· in
determining which students are
BY MARIA FERRANTE
Editor in Chief
A $30 per semester health fee is
now being charged to both resident
and commuter students due to the
expansion of the health facilities
located in Nevils Hall.
The fee, which is not optional,
covers off-campus and on-campus
resident students and commuters.
It is an administrative decision
that came out of an inquiry by the
health services task force in the
spring of 1988, according to Pat
Popeck, RN and director of health
services. _
"We were practically the only
school that did not offer health
services to the entire student body
and turning away students became
very frustrating," Popeck said.
Commuter students seem the
most upset over the mandatory fee.
"The option should have been ,
Health services accessible to commuter and off-campus students
...,../,::