University Café Closing For Good
The Graduate Student Organization Lounge Committee decided on Tuesday to fully withdraw funding and close operations of the University Café on Nov. 30, 11:59 p.m. because of extremely high food and labor costs. The daytime operations of the cafe will cease beginning Monday. The motion was passed by Miranda Moore, former chair of the committee, amended by Ryan Soule, GSO treasurer, and seconded by GSO president, Andrei Antonenko. It referenced current cost problems including the loss of all audio equipment that had arisen abruptly after Godfrey Palaia, the former manager of the University Café, took an indefinite leave of absence. It was announced at the meeting that Palaia finally resigned on Oct. 24. The Faculty Student Association would not confirm Palaia’s resignation, citing privacy issues. For the past three years, the GSO has barely broken even with labor and food costs. In October, the cost of employing a day-time manager, a night-time manager, and student labor, has totaled a loss of $7,670.23, according to the committee. It has lost money at a rate of approximately $8,000 a month since the start of the Fall semester, having began the semester with a $27,000 GSO subsidy. The Café had been plagued with financial problems throughout most of its existence and losses became exacerbated after Palaia’s sudden leave of absence in August. Antonenko described the decision as inevitable: “I’m upset that we’re losing the Café, but it would be an irresponsible waste of student fees to keep it open,” he said. ”We can’t invest more money.” Despite the standard subsidy, an additional $5,000 was allocated to Café during the academic years of 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 to keep the Café open and running. The general mood of the GSO executives was a sentimental one regarding the loss of the Cafe. Luigi Longobardi, a regular at the Café and the chair of the committee, said, “I feel very bad. I joined the committee because I loved the place. The fact it’s closing fourteen months after, it hurts. If I had to go with my heart, I’d keep it.” Updates: Cafe Finds Support From FSA, Grad Dean |
gee, wonder who took the audio equipment? should this have been included in the article on employee theft? pardon me for thinking aloud...
I'm pretty sure it's general knowledge and nobody had a problem with it- I'm assuming that the cafe didn't actually own the equipment itself.
The article did not do a very good job of explicitly stating that all the audio equipment belonged to Godfrey. He didn't steal it, but very generously loaned it for Cafe use during his tenure. In fact one of the reasons that the Cafe lasted as long as it did is because of his hard work. I wish they had included more on Godfrey, because all the intractions I have had with him over the years have been very positive. He genuinely cared about having a good place on campus for students to relax and interact. I agree that it is sad that there can't be even one place on campus for students, especially grad students, to hang out in. For those of us with an interest in listening to and playing music, it is an additional loss of a low-key, but professionally maintained performance venue. There is nothing like it in the area as far as I know. But we all know that the administration could care less about student life...as long as Kenny can keep throwing up new buildings and campuses. Perhaps I am too cynical, but as a grad student I have been here for many years.
We could sight a graduate student, Chris, who claimed that all the audio equipment in the Cafe was in fact Godfrey's. Would that be relaible though?
In coverage to come, we may focus on the role the Cafe played as a regional music venue or perhaps its importance to Graduate Student Life.
Coverage could also discuss the departure of Godfrey's widespread involvement in everything from Off-Campus Housing to Earthstock.
However, none of that is relevant for this article.
I should add insight like yours is always welcome here on the comments section, or if you have more to say, as a Contributing Opinion.
- I was fortunate enough to attend this meeting on behalf of WUSB - The campus radio station.... 4 out of 5 freshman don't know we exist ;)
- The major point brought up at the meeting was that the GSO would pull their funding out of the cafe. HOWEVER! It was expressed (several times) that the administration has a major interest in keeping the cafe alive, heck they use it for their own functions.
- A student had brought up the idea of the space potentially turning into a Starbucks. A representative from the FSA stated that this is the very unlikely.
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The likely course of the cafe will be new ownership. Both internal and external sources of such ownership are being pursued.
I definitely think the independent jumped the gun with this issue. GSO pulled its funding, but due to the importance of the cafe to university administration, it is not necessarily safe to say that the University Cafe is closed for good. Especially since the lounge seems to be running still.
With all the people reading the independent, I'm sure that the Cafe has lost business due to the misconception.
I'm pretty sure the determination was an accurate one at the time, even though it might not actually be what happens. In fact, you should expect a major follow-up to this story in the next several days.
I don't think one can accurately gauge the impact of the article, however. If one is going to speculate, the same logic could say that it has strengthened the efforts to "save the cafe" by putting on real pressure.
I'm sure if you talked to the manager of the cafe, he would not agree with your logic.
Apparently the "save the cafe" efforts have nothing to do with why its staying open, but your article might be why half the patrons of the cafe (including me, until I passed by an open house on friday) think its still closed.
Of course I'm not saying you should take my word for it, but the next time the Independent does an article, it should get more than one official source. For instance, Chartwells, the company assisting the cafe was not mentioned at all, nor was the new manager's take on the issue, nor was FSA who has played a significant role at the cafe for the last past year or so.
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Depressing and Disturbing
I am currently an undergrad student at Stony Brook in my 5th year, and I can honestly say that the University Cafe is the coolest thing that has happened to Stony Brook during my entire time here.
Many years back Stony Brook University used to have many places on campus where people could purchase alcohol, but all of those closed about 10 years ago. I was very happy about the opening of the cafe becuase it gave me a nice, intimate place, close enough that I could walk to close after class, to relax after a long day, have a drinrk, and listen to music. But no more.
The closing of the cafe is very depressing news. To me it seems to be only one event in a distrubing trend of Stony Brook University that as soon as something good comes along, it dies very quickly.
I know that a lot of people don't know about the Cafe. Perhaps if the cafe had been advertised more, then it would have drawn enough customers to stay open.
Now, where on campus would be nice enough for me to go and have a drink with a Professor, like I had had at the Cafe? Or to sit and relax in a mature atmosphere with a freind that's also within a 5 minute walk of my classroom? Where can I listen to local acts in an intimate setting like that Cafe on a college campus?
This is quite dissapointing indeed.