During the grand opening of Frassati’s at the University of Dallas, located in the Haggar Student Center, Dr. Jonathan Sanford, president of the university, announced the renovation of the Rathskeller, which is expected to begin this upcoming summer and be completed before fall 2025.
Dr. Gregory Roper, dean of students, said in an email shortly after the announcement, “St. Thomas Aquinas plays such a key role in the core curriculum, the administration wanted to pay honor to him by rebranding the Rat ‘The Dumb Ox.’ The inspiration for the new Rat space is an Irish pub, and we think UD students will appreciate the traditional approach, reminiscent of pubs they may have visited during their ten-day in Rome.”
Robert Watling, vice president for finance and administration and CFO at UD, said, “There were several recommendations made by students, in particular about how we could potentially make the Rathskeller a little bit more inviting, particularly with respect to the layouts- perhaps provide the ability for live music, a bar area [and] different food option[s].”
Watling said, “The plan is to have a bar area, a stage for live music [with] some seating [and], in addition to that, a gaming area [with] a pool table. That’s what the bar could potentially look like with seating. So it’s sort of an upscale modern Irish pub, so to speak.”
Watling is unsure if the grill will stay, or if Aramark plans on replacing it with a healthier food option.
“Aramark is in the final stages of finalizing what the plans will look like. The idea is the renovation will take place during the summer, so immediately after the school year ends in late May, they would very likely close it down and take about two and a half to three months to renovate the space so we could open by the time the fall semester begins,” Watling said.
Student responses to Frassati’s and the new seating area have been positive and fuel many suggestions for what the university should renovate next.
Lauren Gowans, senior business major, said, “I love that the new renovations opened up so much more space in Haggar, allowing it to achieve its full potential as a study area, where it was limited before. It has become a central hub on campus now.”
Aidan Cook, junior philosophy major, said, “The extra study space is nice. It’s a comfortable place. The style is very different from most of the campus, which is a little odd.”
“The transition from the foyer into the new space is like walking into a whole different school,” said Gowans. “Haggar is dark, cozy and definitely old. The new area is stark, light and looks almost like an airport lounge. Each has its aesthetic, and there is no blending of the two, making the new space stick out. I miss the old vibes but definitely appreciate UD renovating something.”
According to Watling, there are not many other renovations in store for Haggar besides the Rat- at least for now.
“We recognize there is a need to refresh what the remainder of Haggar looks like,” said Watling. “I think it’s going to take a little bit of time to get to that, but we certainly do recognize that there’s a significant difference between what the Haggar Cafe looks like, what the new space looks like and what the Rathskeller is going to look like. [It] might take several years to bring those spaces into better harmony. We plan to do it; it’s just not in the immediate place.”
Regarding suggestions about what could be renovated next, UD students are never short of ideas, including suggestions to renovate the fountain in Braniff, the lighting in the Gorman foyer and the Art Village. In particular, students have a strong desire to see renovations in the dorms.
“[UD] could try to fix some of the problems with the freshman dorms, Augustine, and the student apartments,” said Cook.
“With the new housing policy, UD is going to need to find a way to make the dorms more welcoming,” said Gowans. “Having lived in Madonna, I can confidently say that it was a biohazard with showers and toilets backing up, mold growing everywhere and the constant smell of sewage in the hall,which concerned many parents. UD cannot reasonably expect students to ‘love ye truth and justice’ when they are being unjustly treated in their quasi-forced living arrangements.”
While there is no immediate plan to renovate the dorms, campus renovations will continue with the Rat, and the dorms will likely be addressed in the near future.