Student athletes demonstrate to College Trustee Dr. Clement Osei how to use equipment in the new fitness center during a tour of the facility.
The latest campus addition – the Hennessy Center expansion – was showcased during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, October 19, 2017.
College President Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien, O.P., Ph.D., reviewed the College history from its founding in 1952 and the need since then for recreational opportunities for residential students. “This expansion includes an additional gym, a well-equipped fitness center and creative practice and program space. How grateful we are to the many people who brought it to fruition,” she said.
Sr. Mary Eileen thanked the Building and Grounds Committee of the Board, Holt Construction, Dominican College’s Facilities Staff and the many donors. In addition, she thanked State Senator David Carlucci, who was in attendance, for his support.
Senator Carlucci cited a study that found students enrolled in a school fitness center had higher GPAs and were more likely to graduate. That is important, he said, because Dominican College graduates contribute so much to the community. “The things that are going on here at Dominican College don’t just stay within these walls, they proliferate to our community and improve the quality of life of all of the people in our community and in New York State,” he said.
The dignitaries and donors at the ceremony toured the improvements and additions to the Hennessy Center, including the new gym, the fitness center, an athletic training lab, and a recruiting/conference room. The festivities included a ribbon-cutting outside both the gym and the fitness center. Sr. Barbara McEneany, O.P., Director of Campus Ministry, blessed the area outside of the fitness center with Holy Water. In addition, a plaque listing the project’s top donors was unveiled outside the new gym.