Fisher Officially Opens Newest Residence Hall

Home to more than 150 students, the Upper Quad Residence Hall is the newest addition to St. John Fisher College’s Residential Life program. On Friday, Sept. 20, members of the Fisher community gathered to celebrate the opening of the residence hall and its impact on the campus footprint.

The new building offers collaborative spaces for group or individual study, large lounge areas for programming or spontaneous gathering, and spacious double rooms. It also holds a premier spot, close to the center of campus, the academic corridor, dining hall, and athletic facilities. This fall, more than 1,400 undergraduates, including 90 percent of first-year students, chose to live on-campus; construction of the new residence hall provided more capacity and allowed the College to eliminate triples for first-year students.

“Residential life on campus is very important at Fisher, and we’re proud of the College’s investment in this building,” said Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president of the College. “Often, first-year room assignments turn into lifelong friendships and we’ve seen that time and again on campus. As I have the opportunity to travel and talk with alumni, many of their friends were people they lived with their first year, or second year, or every year.”

Zahedie Martir, who serves as a resident assistant in Upper Quad, said it was exciting to see the building come to fruition over the past year. She was among one of the first students to see the early design and vision for the building, noting that the College worked with students through construction to hear their feedback and thoughts on the project.

“Students had a say in many aspects of the process and their voice was heard; which is so important,” said Martir. “The location is perfect; the study rooms are essential and outfitted for all our technological needs; and the lounges create the perfect atmosphere for building community. Upper Quad is literally a dream and meets the needs of the student population.”