Tyger Allen | Sports Manager

The Bayside 400 building, nicknamed ‘Driftwood,’ was officially opened following a ribbon cutting ceremony in the afternoon of Aug. 8. The new building is between the North Campus basketball court and the North Campus commuter lot and includes 40 additional beds. It features five efficiency apartments, including one resident assistant room.

 As for the name, it was chosen by both students and President Farish.

 “It was ultimately selected by President Farish, but the students did a voting at Late-Night Breakfast and came up with the top five [names] and submitted those top five to him and he picked ‘Driftwood,’” said Director of Residence Life and Housing, Tony Montefusco.

 The remaining rooms are set up similarly to the other Bayside apartments. Most of them will house four people per unit, but some of the bigger units can hold six. The University purchased all new appliances and furniture for the 13 rooms.

 “It’s a great step up from Cedar and my roommates are great,” said sophomore Angelika Kremens. “The setup is pretty good too.”

 The University purchased all new appliances and furniture for the rooms. The couches, Loveseats and cushioned chairs have a black fabric for most of the upholstery, but do feature a colorful pattern on the seat cushion. Instead of the RWU curtains, the University opted for a patterned curtain that slides in front of the closet. The flooring of the first floor apartments has a concrete finish, while the second floor is covered with wood style linoleum.

 “I’m beyond thrilled with the building itself and the interiors,” said Montefusco. “At this point, we think everything is going to be OK.”

 Around the perimeter of the building, the university placed white Adirondack chairs for any student to use. Most of the upstairs apartments have a clear view of the turf field, where athletics teams have begun playing games for the fall season. In addition to the housing, the project added 35 parking spots and 29 trees on site, according to a university pamphlet on the building.

 As of now, the building has had only one major issue. According to Montefusco, one suite’s bathroom sink was not secured and fell off into his hands when inspecting it.

 “I literally held onto the sink until facilities got there and was able to disconnect [it].” Montefusco said. “So we checked all the sinks in the entire building to make sure that they were properly attached.”

 Aside from the sink, the opening has gone smoothly for the housing department.