Journalism School to Build Student Center

Last week, the Graduate School of Journalism announced plans for the construction and opening of the Stabile Student Center—the school's first such facility since its opening in 1913.

Chiefly sponsored by gifts from alumna Toni Stabile and Daniel Edelmen, Journalism '41, the Stabile Center, set for completion in the fall, was envisioned to create a space that fosters interaction among students and faculty.

Journalism School professor Ari Goldman said that the construction is one aspect of Dean Nicholas Lemann's impact on the school. Since coming to the University, Lemann added a new two-year masters program, changed the curriculum, and hired a number of new professors.

"The student center is a new phase of his [Lemann's] leadership because now he's having an impact on the physical plant," Goldman said. "The only place that students have to gather now is in class or, in good weather, on the steps."

Executive Vice President for Facilities Joseph Ienuso said that the project is still in its design phase, and the renderings on the University Web site are conceptual.

"If you walk into the Journalism School, you pretty much have to know where you're going," Ienuso said. "You breeze through the lobby, get on the elevator or take the stairs, and go to your destination."

"Some of my folks ... in the warm weather put a couple of tables and chairs in the space between Furnald and Journalism, and all of a sudden an idea started to emerge around that," Ienuso said. "Can we enclose that space?" The Center is planned to be built as a social hub in the minimal space-less than 1,000 square feet-between Furnald and the J-School.

This is "something akin to what the law school has in terms of study space, social space, that is really going to transform student life in the journalism school in a very positive way," Goldman said.