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A Student Union for the Future

Moravian's student union is transforming to better serve our current students and anticipate the needs of future generations.

A priority of the Lighting the Way campaign is to support our students with leading-edge tools and learning spaces. Investing in our campus makes a statement about who we are, what we value, and where we are going. It allows Moravian to provide world-class instruction to our students today, promoting dynamic interaction and informal learning experiences to prepare them for success, while also changing to anticipate the needs of future Greyhounds and Seminary students.

The innovation of a student union on Moravian鈥檚 campus dates back to the 1920s. Students longed for a centralized location for student life. Demand for a student union persisted through the hardship of the Great Depression and resurfaced, full force, in the 1950s when students rallied for the development of a central 鈥渉ub鈥 for student recreation. They fundraised and donated their own money and eventually presented a check to campus leadership for $400,000. The board of trustees approved building a student union in 1958, and the College Union Building, or CUB, opened in 1962. In the 30 years that followed, students paid a 鈥渟tudent activity fee鈥 to help finance the CUB. Student contributions were matched by alumni support and supplemented by board members and donors. In 1969, the CUB was renamed the Haupert Union Building, or HUB, in honor of Raymond S. Haupert, PhD, 鈥22, S鈥24, who had served as president since 1944 and announced his retirement.

The HUB has served as the center of the campus community for decades. Come early 2024, the HUB Expansion will transform the current building into a four-floor, state-of-the-art space equipped with the latest technology for collaboration, meetings, and events. It will centralize programs and resources for students and faculty across campus and the seminary and celebrate the entire Moravian community. 

In 1962, when The Comenian announced the opening of the CUB, it detailed its purpose as 鈥減roviding an informal, home-like atmosphere in which the student can come and feel as though [they] belong.鈥 Just as Moravian students envisioned decades ago, the new and improved HUB will continue to serve as the epicenter for student living and learning while anticipating the needs of future students in our changing world.

Creating Great Leaders Through a Transaction of Trust

Robert P. Flicker 鈥71 spent more than 50 years as a leader at East Penn Manufacturing, a battery company in Lyon Station, Pennsylvania. He began as a product engineer and climbed the ranks to chief operating officer. Now retired, Flicker is devoted to imparting his knowledge of leadership and trust to today鈥檚 rising leaders, all the while giving back to his roots where his own leadership journey began.

Flicker grew up on a small farm in Mertztown, Pennsylvania. He received his undergraduate degree in physics from Moravian and earned a master of science in physics from Lehigh University in 1974. He says he did not know much about science, higher education, or leadership until he came to Moravian as a first-generation student, but professors Ed Roeder, Jack Ridge, and Joe Powlette helped him gain confidence and sparked his interest in science. 鈥淏ecause they were excited about their subject matter and about being educators, they really got you excited,鈥 Flicker says. 鈥淚f you liked physics at all, you got hooked, because they not only were your mentors, but they led you. They wanted you to succeed.鈥 

Flicker strived to emulate these examples in his professional career. 鈥淚 tried to have the same passion and to make sure that I shared my knowledge with other people,鈥 he adds. 鈥淢y attitude was to be an open book and to encourage people to grow. A good leader should have good followers, and it is the leader's responsibility to develop them into good leaders. That's as simple as it is.鈥

Flicker has made it his mission to prepare today鈥檚 workforce to adapt to challenges. He will leave his mark in the new and improved HUB by investing in the Robert P. Flicker 鈥71 Leadership Suite, a 1500-square-foot space dedicated to student organizations and clubs. The suite will offer two areas for student groups to gather鈥攐ne will be an open common area, and the other will have closed-door privacy. Lockers will provide storage space. The suite will also allow student leadership groups, the Moravian Activities Council and the United Student Government, to centralize their offices together for the first time.

Robert P. Flicker 鈥71 Leadership Suite
Robert P. Flicker 鈥71 Leadership Suite

鈥淏oth of these student groups are funded through the student activity fee and have, in the past, worked separately to meet the legislative and activity goals for engaging the campus community," says Suzanne Moyer, Director of Conference and Event Management. "As these groups serve as prominent resources in themselves for our students, having them in the same physical location opens up a plethora of new opportunities and potential.鈥

Moyer says the suite will be prominently positioned in a corner of the building facing Makuvek Field and Johnston Hall and will span approximately 8 percent of the second-floor footprint. She anticipates it will provide the space and resources for our student groups to thrive. 鈥淎s the student community unpacks all of the features of this space, the foundation for next-level collaboration and support could very well lead to this space not only being an essential resource but the very heart of the HUB,鈥 she says.

Flicker has been involved in the development process and has added his own touches to the plans, including featuring leadership-based quotes throughout the space to inspire students who will pass through daily. 鈥淚 think it's a good spot to put the word 鈥榣eadership鈥 on the wall, to have people begin to focus on what they think is a good leader and to try to become good leaders themselves,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 think a liberal arts education, coupled with whatever your major is, gives you the ability to be a contributing member of a team. [It] teaches you to accept other people's opinions, to have open discussions, to be a better listener, and this builds trust. You want to be the kind of leader that people will want to follow because they trust you.鈥

Flicker learned a lot about leadership and the power of trust from his former boss, DeLight E. Breidegam Jr. P鈥84, GP鈥14, GP鈥16, GP鈥18, cofounder of East Penn Manufacturing, who he says made deals with just a handshake. 鈥淒eLight loved people, and he had a passion for his business and for anything that he did,鈥 Flicker says. 鈥淭he first step in being a good leader is putting people first. DeLight sought input from everyone and was a clear communicator, but most of all, he could be trusted.鈥

Robert P. Flicker 鈥71 and DeLight E. Breidegam Jr. P鈥84, GP鈥14, GP鈥16, GP鈥18

Flicker acknowledges much of his foundation as a leader started at Moravian, which is a significant reason why he is one of the first living alumni to become a member of the Priscilla Payne Hurd Club in Moravian鈥檚 lifetime giving society, the Via Lucis Society. Flicker has also served on Moravian鈥檚 board of trustees since 2013 and is a member of the Student Affairs Committee, Audit Committee, Capital Campaign Committee, Advancement Committee, and University Executive Committee. 鈥淵ou need to give back to the community, even if it鈥檚 with your time,鈥 he says.

Flicker knows universities and colleges face challenges due to changing demographics, but he believes in Moravian鈥檚 mission and says it is well-positioned for success. 鈥淚鈥檓 very excited about the Lighting the Way campaign and how we鈥檙e thinking about being a valuable and long-term player in higher education,鈥 he states. 鈥淲e have great leadership with the president and his staff, and they have a vision for where we can go to meet future needs.鈥

A Place for Thousands of Talks

Nicole Loyd, Ph.D., was a big surprise. She was born 12 years into her parents鈥 marriage, after they had been told they could never have children. From humble beginnings in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Loyd attended Bucknell University and the University of Virginia on academic and athletic scholarships and received degrees in education.

Loyd鈥檚 love of sports started early. 鈥淢y first word was 产补濒濒,鈥 she says. 鈥淢y dad was an exceptional athlete and played Major League Baseball for a summer, and my mom was a talented athlete, too. By the time I was three, I was in swimming lessons, ballet, and gymnastics. By the time I was in middle school, I had added golf, field hockey, basketball, and softball to the list.鈥 

Loyd鈥檚 parents shared 鈥渢housands of talks鈥 with her about the importance of teamwork, good communication, and leadership. She brought that drive and endless energy to Moravian in 2008 when she started as dean of students. Today, she serves as Moravian鈥檚 executive vice president for university life and chief operating officer. 鈥淚 immediately fell in love with the people here and their deep sense of caring for one another,鈥 Loyd says. 鈥淎s a first-generation college kid who came from a working- and middle-class background, Moravian just fits me.鈥

Loyd Family Portrait

Loyd is well-known by students, faculty, staff, and volunteers as an influential and caring administrator. In 2015, she opted out of having an assigned office so she could work among students and faculty on campus. You can often find her in the HUB; more than anyone, she recognizes its great importance as a central gathering space. 鈥淥ur staff, our faculty, our president, our trustees, our alumni鈥攐ur entire community鈥攁ll put students first,鈥 she boasts. 鈥淔or me, having a student union building at the core of campus that shows our values and provides a place for our community to be together is a testament to our student-centered philosophy.鈥

Loyd鈥檚 gift to the Lighting the Way campaign is an extension of that philosophy. Anyone entering the expanded HUB will be greeted at the Marion Gibson 鈥淕ib鈥 & Barbara Loyd HUB Information Desk. Those same 鈥渢housands of talks鈥 that Loyd experienced with her parents will happen here with the same level of compassion and care. 鈥淎ll of the things I hold fundamental to my life鈥攍iving with integrity, always making time for people, working hard, giving back to the community, and telling the people you love that you do鈥擨 learned from them,鈥 she says. 

Marion Gibson 鈥淕ib鈥 & Barbara Loyd HUB Information Desk

Loyd lost her father to COVID-19 in 2021, but she will honor him and his impact on her life and success by giving back to the university she holds dear. She recognizes you do not achieve success in life, or at Moravian, alone. 鈥淚t goes back to why I fell in love with this place鈥攚e look out for one another, and we help when we can. I鈥檓 not an alum, but I believe in the people who shape this institution, and I鈥檓 grateful to be a small part of it,鈥 Loyd adds. 鈥淪haring what my parents meant to me with this community is one of the greatest honors of my life, and I strive through my words and actions to make them proud every single day. I can鈥檛 wait to walk by that desk, and I鈥檓 sure I鈥檒l often have tears in my eyes when I do.鈥

Giving Thanks for Being a Friend

Laurie Riley Brubaker, Patricia 鈥淧at鈥 Murray Hanna. Joanne Belletti Molle, Judith 鈥淛udy鈥 Mazzucco Oehrle, and Carol Sampson Sweeney, all 1982 graduates, clicked their first weekend at Moravian. They won a lottery contest for a suite in the newly-built DeSchweinitz house, and from then on, they were deemed the 鈥淩oomies.鈥 鈥淲e learned how to live on our own under Moravian鈥檚 umbrella,鈥 says Molle. 鈥淲e divided up household chores and cooking, learned to budget weekly grocery money, held annual parents-day gatherings with our families, sunbathed in our baby pool, played practical jokes on each other, held our infamous General Hospital costume party during the Luke and Laura era, and planned our annual summer get-togethers at a classmate's home by a lake.鈥

The close living quarters posed occasional trials and tribulations and forced them closer. 鈥淭here were at least five of us girls in that three-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, so you can imagine that there would be challenges over the three years we were together,鈥 says Oehrle. 鈥淚 think the secret to making it work was organization, humor, and love.鈥 

The Roomies became lifelong friends, and three met their husbands at Moravian. 鈥淲e navigated life鈥檚 ups and downs together, and we still do now鈥攐ur marriages, the births of our children, health issues, the passing of our parents and siblings, our children鈥檚 weddings, and now grandchildren for some of us,鈥 says Molle. 鈥淟aurie鈥檚 passing added another element to our friendship.鈥

The Roomies Homecoming
The Roomies visiting Laurie

Laurie Riley Brubaker passed away in August 2019 after a long battle with cancer. She had a long and stellar career at Aetna, last serving as president of the company鈥檚 Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia operations. Laurie gave back to Moravian throughout her life, serving on the board of trustees, the Campaign Cabinet Committee, and the Leadership Council. She and her husband, Loyd, established the Moravian Tomorrow Endowed Scholarship to support academically qualified students and the Lloyd and Laurie Riley 鈥82 Brubaker Endowed Internship Fund to support first-generation and low-income students pursuing internships. They also named a faculty office in the Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Center for Health Sciences.

Developing future leaders was important to Laurie. After she passed, Lloyd sponsored the naming of the Center for Career & Civic Engagement in the expanded HUB in her memory. The Laurie Ann Riley 鈥82 Center for Career & Civic Engagement will continue the mission of the current center by empowering students to develop the skills, experiences, confidence, and connections necessary to pursue fulfilling careers while remaining civically-minded in their personal and professional endeavors.

Laurie Ann Riley 鈥82 Center for Career & Civic Engagement
Laurie Ann Riley 鈥82 Center for Career & Civic Engagement Phone Booths

The Roomies are honoring Laurie by funding two interview rooms in the center. The booths will provide students with private space for in-person or virtual interviews or meetings with prospective employers. 鈥淟aurie understood how important career development and community involvement are to students鈥 professional development and personal fulfillment,鈥 says Hanna. 鈥淥ur gift of the interview rooms is a perfect way for us to support the Lighting the Way campaign and to support Laurie, who is always in our hearts.鈥

鈥淚 know that Laurie, like the rest of us, really saw our time and experience at Moravian as hugely significant in shaping who we became in our lives. She wanted others to have that same benefit,鈥 adds Sweeney. 鈥淸The room鈥檚] function and purpose are a great way to exemplify Laurie鈥檚 desire to help others be able to get off to a good start by having a place to put their best foot forward while seeking that first big opportunity after Moravian.鈥

The Roomies will always remember Laurie as friendly, fun, confident, passionate, empathetic, and nurturing. 鈥淪he was driven to work hard and succeed but never at the expense of her morals and integrity,鈥 adds Hanna.

鈥淓nsuring that the next generation has the facilities its students need to be successful in their careers is very important to all of us, and I just love being able to honor Laurie鈥檚 memory in this way,鈥 says Oehrle.

Roomies visit Laurie Riley Memorial Bench