Facility opens new identity at U.

The petals from the cherry blossoms across campus draped Livingston yesterday afternoon as Cheap Rosetta Stone Software University President Richard L. McCormick cut the red ribbon to officially unveil the new student center. Also present were Sen. Bob Smith, D-17, Piscataway Mayor Brian C. Wahler, Vice President for Student Affairs Gregory S. Blimling, Livingston College senior Victoria Rowlands and Executive Director of Student Life Elizabeth O'Connell-Ganges."There has yet to be an institution on campus with as many spaces to utilize," O'Connell-Ganges said. "We're having an open house to showcase all the new technology." The grand opening celebration highlighted the new facilities and technology now available. One aspect O'Connell-Ganges spoke of was the high-tech collaborative learning center, where students can connect their laptops to computer-projection systems at each workstation to do group work. Jason Goldstein, board member of the Rutgers University Alumni Association, played an active role in getting the expansion in the student center. "I spent years with undergraduates and graduates to see this moment," he said. "I can sense the dedication of all the people over the years who helped to put this together."While eating at Sbarro and Dunkin' Donuts, members of the community can bask in the light beneath a high-ceiling sunroom with three large-screen televisions playing news and entertainment programming.Of the many new features in the center, the Rutgers Zone, which will open officially on Monday, stands out as an Rosetta Stone Spanish Latin ultra-modern lounge. "Student Life and the Livingston Campus Council had a lot of input as to the games and what students would like out of this room," said Adam Helgeson, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year student. "Virtual put-put has to be tried it's so unique, such a perceptual experience."The Rutgers Zone will also be a hub for signature sundaes and rush events for fraternities and sororities, he said."Hopefully, lots of people will hold their events here," Helgeson said. "It's such a cool hangout place. Once they're done with class on Livingston campus, students can come here to play pool or just sit at the bar for a soda or two." The Rutgers Zone will also remove the pressures associated with drinking or dressing up at bars or clubs, he said.The Rutgers Zone is outfitted with its own scarlet knight statue, complete with its signature scarlet cloak. Skee ball, basketball, baseball and football games, air hockey, billiards, pinball and a comfortable lounge area complete the room, which faces a bar with five large-screen televisions.A jukebox nearby played oldies, like Simon and Garfunkle's "Mrs. Robinson" and The Eagles' "Hotel California." "We arranged with a third party company to license all the music to really provide the best atmosphere for our students to hang out in," Helgeson said.The multipurpose aspect of the Rutgers Zone and state of the art audio-visual equipment will be of great use, Director of Student Centers and Programs Kathryn Kuhnert said."We're all certainly excited for the new open-floor plan, flexibility of space and the new technology," she said. "We have multipurpose and state of the art audio-visual equipment that we'll be sure to Rosetta Stone Software utilize to the fullest extent."Livingston Hall, in which the guest speakers gave their speeches, seats 330 and has several large projection screens and an audio-video station, from which a multitude of lighting environments can be controlled."Really, this is a spectacular center that students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the community can utilize for daily events," O'Connell-Ganges said. "It offers multiple functionalities and opportunities for student and faculty connections with a bold arrangement of events."