Molloy College dedicates Public Square

Molloy College held a ribbon-cutting dedication ceremony on Oct. 20 for the grand opening of its new Public Square, which will be a hub for campus activities and house the new Madison Theatre, where Molloy’s 2011 Gala will take place.

“I am grateful for the hard work, planning, and dedication of the entire Molloy College Community, who are responsible for bringing such positive changes to our campus,” Molloy’s president, Dr. Drew Bogner, said in a written statement. “The addition of these facilities allow us to more fully complete our mission of providing transformational education to our students and the community.”

At the dedication, the administration placed two time capsules in a mini-wall just outside the building, one to be opened on the 75th anniversary of the college, in 2030, and the other on the 100th anniversary, in 2055. Each time capsule, filled by the college archivist, contained photographs and documents, as well as a student signature scroll (in the capsule to be opened in 2030) and a staff and faculty signature scroll (in the one to be opened in 2055).

According to Jacquie Rath, spokeswoman for the college, the Public Square has been in the works for a number of years, with the groundbreaking taking place two years ago. The building was part of Bogner’s vision to improve the campus during his tenure. On Nov. 12, Molloy will hold its annual Gala in the Public Square and Madison Theatre, which is named after. Madison National Bank because of CEO Daniel Murphy and the bank’s director, Gerald Kaiser’s donations For the past 10 years, the event has been held at the Garden City Hotel.

“This will be dramatically different,” said Cynthia Metzger, the college’s senior development officer for corporate affairs. “It’s our chance to share with our community the talents and foresight the college has displayed.”

The Gala will be hosted by comedian Martin Short, and will feature performances by violinist Ittai Shapira and blues artist Jo Wymer, among others. The money raised will help students with unrestricted scholarships.