Volume 1 Issue 1 Memorial Union

Newsletter
Date
4/14/2016

This is Volume 1: Issue 1 of the Memorial Union Newsletter. The

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TODAY!
Annual Block Party Returns to Kick Off Spring Fest
Get ready students and faculty of URI, the annual Block Party is right
around the corner! On Tuesday April 26, the Union will be flooded with student
organizations, fun activities, giveaways, and food. This years theme will
represent the 2016 Summer Olympics, which is taking place in Rio De Janeiro,
Brazil.

Just like previous years, student organizations will have booths with fun games
where participants can win prizes like water bottles, key chains, and garden
globes. There will also be fun sports related games like air volleyball, nine-hole
mini golf, a mechanical surfboard, and ping pong tables. However, this year, they
are introducing something new. Students can try all their favorite sports at the
same time, 360 sports consist of soccer, basketball, and football all in one.

For those who dont like sports as much can participate in the photo booth
and caricature station. There will also be food vendors selling sports related
snacks like soft pretzels and smoothies. The famous Wicked Popcorn will also
have a station there so students can try samples and buy their delicious popcorn.

The Block Party will feature booths that will be fundraising for Relay for
Life, a charity that helps those who are suffering from cancer. The Block Party is
also involved with the Student Entertainment Committees Spring Fest. For those
who dont remember, Spring Fest consists of numerous events throughout the
 Memorial Union Newsletter 2

week from lobster bakes on the Quad to celebrity guests making appearances at
the school.

This is the perfect chance for students who are interested in joining student
organizations to find out more information while donating to an awesome charity.
I cant wait to see everyone at the Block Party. Its a great way for students to
get involved with the school and Relay For Life. says Vina Saengdara, current
Student Memorial Union president.

Get to know the

president of the Get to Know Vina Saengdara, President of the
Memorial Union: Memorial Union Board
Vina Saengdara

Vina Saengdara is senior, attending the University of Rhode Island. She

currently serves as the student body President of the Memorial Student Union
Board Committee. Saengdara, an accounting major from Providence, Rhode
Island, is a first generation Laotian-American. She takes pride in her heritage, and
the struggles her parents endured while coming to America in order to give her
and her only brother, a better life. Saengdara said her many achievements, like
being awarded scholarships to enter the university, as well as her induction into
Phi Eta Sigma National Honors Society her freshman year.

Saengdara came to URI on a first generation scholarship. Being the first

out of her family to attend college is an accomplishment all its own, and can be
overwhelming at times. As of right now, she is currently in the process of
interviewing and finding an accounting job upon graduation.

While at URI, Saengdara stated that her biggest accomplishment was

being elected President of the Memorial Student Union Board. Her original
involvement with the board was aided by her upperclassman friends who were
involved with the student organization at the university. At the time they had been
planning the block party and asked for Vinas help.
 Memorial Union Newsletter 3

Throughout her sophomore year, Saengdara joined the committee, and

served as treasure. The following year she increased her responsibilities and
changed her position, becoming the new Union Board Student President. As
acting president, she has a long list of responsibilities. One of the most critical
responsibilities to the groups success is acting as the liaison for communications
throughout other student organizations as well as beyond the scope of the
university.

Saengdara hopes that before her graduation from the university in May,
the search committee will end the year-long process of finding a new director of
the Memorial Union with the inauguration of a new Memorial Union Director.

Serving as the Union Board President has taught me a lot, and most importantly,
it has given me a lot of real world experience, and Ill always be grateful for that.

Vina Saengdara

Memorial Union Airport Lounge to be Renovated

Current photo of the Airport Lounge in the Memorial Union (4/13/16)

The Airport Lounge also know as the A Lounge is one of the most
frequently visited attractions in the Memorial Union. Due to all the constant
traffic coming into the A Lounge, the Union Board has announced a plan for its
renovation. This has been a project in the works for about two years and finally,
renovations will take place during summer of 2016.

The Union Board has taken numerous polls and surveys asking students
what they wanted in a new revamped student lounge. Many students have agreed
that more comfortable furniture would be a great aspect of the lounge to improve
upon. Students also agreed that the Airport Lounge currently isnt functional;
they feel as though the space isnt proper equipped. Students also mentioned how
 Memorial Union Newsletter 4

outdated the A lounge looks compared to other universities, stating that URI
needed to catch up to other schools and step into the future. By installing more
outlets, up to date furniture and changing the layout of the lounge completely,
students would be much happier in the A-Lounge.

Renovations are to occur this summer, with the furniture removal to be the
lounges biggest priority. The Union Board stated that the new furniture can easily
be moved around so the space can used to its full potential. The new furniture
includes brand new chairs, which will be similar to those in the library, and new
tables. Another key component to the new furniture will be consistency in color
and type of furniture. The Union Board also wants to add charging stations so
students who are doing their homework can easily find an outlet to charge their
laptops or go to a section where there will are phone chargers available.

Ronzios Leaving the Memorial Union?

Ronzios is known by most students as a place in the Memorial Union
where you can grab quality pizza at an affordable price. Unfortunately for the fans
of Ronzios, this will be the restaurant's last semester in the Memorial Union.

Ronzios is a pizza shop known throughout the state of Rhode Island with
12 locations, two of which are universities. The University of Rhode Islands
Ronzios is located at the bottom floor of the Memorial Union and offers a wide
variety of Italian foods ranging from subs to specialty pizzas.

Ronzios lease will end sometime between mid to late June of this year.
After the lease ends, the space will be offered by bid to interested restaurants local
to the area. Depending on what type of restaurant replaces Ronzios, they may
need to make serious renovations to the kitchen and update their appliances,
considering that Ronzios is primarily a pizza restaurant and have only a pizza
oven.

Other restaurants and eateries in the Memorial Union, like Starbucks, are
controlled by URI Food Service and are able to keep their place in the Memorial
Union for much longer periods of time. Because Ronzios is the only food
establishment not controlled by URI Food Service, students were polled to figure
out what restaurant would best replace Ronzios. Many students voted for
restaurants that are located in the Emporium while others voted for healthier
alternatives like sushi or a vegan restaurant.

Regardless of what business takes the space from Ronzios, the location of
the restaurant is used daily by students. Many internal and external organizations
 Memorial Union Newsletter 5

associated with the Memorial Union use the restaurants within the Union to cater
their meetings and events. It goes without saying that whatever restaurant takes
the place of Ronzios, it will have a wide range of audiences to cater to.

Memorial Union Searches for New Director

Last May, The Memorial Union lost its director of the past 30 years. With
the retirement of former Director of the Union, Bruce Hamilton, the Union Board
has been led by a series of interim directors. The director of the Memorial Union
is the person who coordinates all events, clubs, organizations and major
renovations that take place within the Memorial Union. Without a director in
place, student clubs and organizations will have a difficult time using the
Memorial Union for meetings and events. A search committee was designed to
find a suitable candidate for the position. Since Hamilton's retirement, two
separate search committee groups have been unsuccessful in finding an ideal
candidate. Both search committees are composed of various Memorial Union
employees as well as our own student Union Board President, Vina Saengdara.

Currently, the search committee has been put on temporarily suspension.

The university is presently focused on finding the new campus vice president
before electing a new director of the Union in hopes that this will help the
process. Some of the qualifications for the next director include at minimum of
seven years of experience, particularly in a position of student advising.
Candidates who possess a doctorate degree are preferable. So far, out of the 30
candidates interviewed only seven have had doctorates. This upcoming May
marks a full year that the Union has not had a permanent hire filling the position
of director.