By Adrianna Alvarez
News Editor
This Friday, LIU Post will have a soft opening for the new campus boutique located in the old gaming lounge on the second floor of Hillwood Commons. This will be the first student-run business on campus, which will sell unisex clothes and accessories.
Three weeks ago, a committee of five students began working with President Kimberly Cline in developing the idea of the boutique. Students on the boutique’s committee, Christina Principato, senior Accounting major, and Carissa Gallo, senior Economics major stated that the ultimate decision for putting in the Boutique was “to get experiential learning on campus.”
Students who apply to work for the Boutique through Jobnet, according to the women, will have the opportunity to be a part of the first student-run business on campus. Students can obtain jobs in sales, marketing, fashion, public relations, and social media and learn about management. All majors can apply.
Principato and Gallo stated that the Boutique is open to the possibility of student entrepreneurs being able to sell their items in the store. Half of the profits made by the Boutique will go toward student scholarships, while the other half will go toward future student-run businesses.
Principato declined to comment on how the boutique was being funded. “We are not allowed to say where the money is coming from since we are not even 100 percent sure.” Hours of business and the name of the boutique have not been determined yet.
Melanie Vanvoorhees, junior Childhood Education major, believes the new boutique would improve Post. “It’s going to benefit campus, it’s gonna provide job opportunities for students as well as more scholarships and it could definitely help people with their futures,” said Vanvoorhees. “I love shopping and adding this to campus is going to be exciting for me,” she added.
“I think it’s a great idea because it does create better job opportunities for some students that lose their workstudy and [also for students] that have workstudy, but need to get another job,” said Dana Goodman, senior Early Childhood Education major.
However, Enrique Perez, senior Criminal Justice major, said, “I don’t really feel anything for the boutique, it doesn’t appeal to me at all.” The school, according to Perez, should focus their attention on more important things like activities that would enable commuters to spend more time on campus and student life in general.
“I’m a commuter and I don’t think I’ll ever be using that,” said Jessica Hart, junior Art Education major.
To make room for the boutique, the gaming lounge had to be moved. Students were informed of the change at a Student Government Association (SGA) meeting. Students requested for the game room to be relocated, sent out emails and created a petition with 70 signatures.
“This upset me because as a freshman I didn’t have anywhere to gravitate to except the game room. It’s hard to find a place on campus that you can gather socially, and the game room provided that opportunity,” said Matthew Jarvis, senior Accounting major.
“That area is not a good space for a boutique, I’m more focused on saving the gaming lounge,” said Gerard Gilmartin, senior Digital Arts and Design major.
Daniel Potenzieri, senior Political Science major, and president of SGA, explained that he looks forward to more budget jobs being available to students, since there is such a lack of them on campus right now.
“Before we shut an idea down, lets see what happens first,” said Potenzieri. “Dr. Cline has a vision for the school to make it better. She’s very student- driven. Every plan is designed to help the student in the end, be patient.”
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