Stony Brook University celebrated the opening of the arena in its Jim Fiore Center for the Advancement of Women in Society this past weekend during a ceremony that one student described as “ballin’.”
“There were hot bitches everywhere, no fatties,” said John Thompson, a sophomore women’s studies major who was there with his fellow classmates for credit.
The event was presided over by the building’s namesake, Stony Brook University’s former Athletics Director, Jim Fiore.
“I hope that this new arena will serve to promote women’s rights through athletics,” said Fiore before cutting the ribbon.
“Through our programs, we hope to bring more female fans to games, and more male players to the courts.” he continued.
“Sports, being a male dominated culture, is sometimes intimidating to women,” Fiore said after the ceremony. “There are a lot of rules, and sometimes they get confused.”
But Fiore plans to remedy the issue by handing out pamphlets to all female attendees, which will have his contact information printed on the back, “so that they can contact me … about sports.” he said.
“Female athletes are welcome to come and learn the game,” said Fiore, but explained that there were no plans to build a separate court for women.
When asked why the women couldn’t just play on the same court, Fiore responded that he “didn’t understand the question.”
The exclusion of women’s restrooms in the facility was a “hard decision,” said Craig Fleishman, the building planner in charge of the center’s layout. “But it came down to that or an Auntie Anne’s [pretzel stand], and well, you know.”
