RIT’s student population rose to quick action on Monday, July 7, as a leaked email from Dustin Peterson — the RIT Dining Director of Operations-Retail and Partnerships — announced that The Commons would be closing for good. A screenshot of the email was posted on Reddit, revealing that the closure was due to a decline in the RIT population — despite the university’s enrollment appearing to have been steadily increasing for the past three years. The message also assured that no staff members would lose their jobs due to the change. The next day, Spencer Marchese-Ragona posted a petition on PawPrints, advocating for Commons to remain open. In less than 24 hours, the petition crossed the 200-signature mark, and currently stands at above 600 signatures.

The Reddit post attracted over 100 comments within the first 24 hours. Some students complained about the lack of real food options dormside, questioning whether the other on-campus eateries would expand their hours to compensate. Many specifically pointed to Gracie’s, criticizing its unreliable hours and inconsistent food quality — issues that often drive students to walk to academic side during inconvenient times of the day.

In response to a commenter’s criticisms about RIT’s spending habits, the original poster  responded, “Could I interest you in a performing arts center? Or a stadium for our D3 teams? (please be careful not to step in the puddles from the leaking ceiling in Gleason).” 

Many other commenters expressed similar distaste for what they feel RIT is (and isn’t) willing to spend money on.

The day after the email leak, Gerard Buckley — NTID President and RIT Vice President — and Kory Samuels — the Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services — sent out an official email. This email stated that not only was it true that Commons was closing, but it had already closed permanently on July 1, seven days prior. The email acknowledged the eatery’s significance to the RIT community, but stated that even so, it must go “as part of a broader effort to align services with evolving campus needs.” It also reassured students that the dormside food options would expand their menus in the fall, but did not address concerns regarding hours of operation.

While this email appears to confirm The Commons’ permanent closure, there remains the matter of the PawPrints petition, which has received more than enough signatures to be reviewed by the RIT Student Government.