Faculty lounge set to open

   The Student Union is no longer the only hot new hangout spot in Argyros Forum.

   The Faculty Athenaeum, a lounge and patio on the third floor of Argyros Forum, is set to open Feb. 24. The $12.5 million Argyros Forum expansion project paid for the Athenaeum, which has been in design and construction for the past two years. 

   "It has been something the faculty has wanted for several years," said Louise Thomas, faculty senate president and director of keyboard collaborative arts. "I think it will be a beautiful place for faculty to come together and it will really represent us as an institution."

   The lounge, which spans the entire left side of the third floor, features flat-screen TVs, leather upholstery, gold ambient lighting and a dining area with food trays, a refrigerator and an island countertop with a sink. It has yet to be furnished.

   The opening ceremony will coincide with President Jim Doti's 2012 State of the University address, Kris Olsen, vice president of campus planning and operations, wrote in an email. Olsen and Thomas did not yet know details or who will attend. 

   Angeliki Kanavou, assistant professor of political science and peace studies, said she'll visit the lounge at least once.   

   "It promotes community," she said. "We all need community."