It鈥檚 a space so nice, they built it thrice. And on Tuesday, February 17, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends all gathered at the James C. 新澳彩开奖结果 Student Union to cut the ribbon on a newly remodeled Donovan鈥檚 Pub.
With a jazz trio playing on-stage, guests mingled beneath the bar鈥檚 hand-carved inscription, 鈥淐茅ad M铆le F谩ilte,鈥 Gaelic for 鈥渁 hundred thousand welcomes.鈥 Others sat in the caf茅, where a flat-screen television showed pictures of the construction process 鈥 a vivid reminder of just how far the pub has come during the last year.
Donovan鈥檚 Pub, first constructed in the mid-80s, was the brainchild of John 鈥52 and Patty Donovan P鈥87. Its third redesign comes after construction of the new Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology necessitated using JCC space for library resources.
Case-Geyer was dedicated in 2007, and the pub was left a dark shadow of its former self. At the university鈥檚 request, Patty Donovan stepped forward to help re-recreate it.
Administrators and student government members rolled up their sleeves as well. 鈥淭his is a success story,鈥 said SGA President David Kusnetz 鈥09. 鈥淥rdinary students and administration members came together with the same goal to revitalize this space, and we were determined to see it through.鈥
After three at-bats, no one is willing to trust that, if you build it, they will come. So the Class of 2009 has spent the past six months trying to set a new Senior Class Gift record and create an endowment to support activities in the pub 鈥 events like this year鈥檚 Super Bowl Party, Monday Night Trivia games, and faculty-staff happy hour.
After all, 鈥渓eaving something behind keeps you connected when you鈥檙e an alum,鈥 said senior class gift committee member Katrina Zawojski 鈥09.
Her sentiments were echoed by Patty Donovan, who has, once again, built her family鈥檚 legacy on campus. 鈥淚t has been a labor of love for me, my husband, and my family,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e glad that it turned out so well.鈥
Donovan鈥檚 Pub will once again serve as a welcome center for Reunion, May 28-30. Visit for registration details.