A certain sentiment has been floating about campus throughout the first week of the semester: “You HAVE to check out Blackboard.” For many students, a million worries rush to the their minds, wondering what professors would dare to post something other than a syllabus to the dreaded website so soon. Much to the relief of anxious students, the Blackboard in question is in fact the newcomer on North Avenue—a “twist on an outdated formula for the ‘college town’ pizzeria.” Owned by four friends tired of sitting on the sidelines of the restaurant business, Nick Beck, Vince Gentile, Chris Macaluso and Dominic Schinco recently decided to open the shop to “give the community some of the pizza we grew up with, a taste of home,” as Beck says.  Sampling flavors from their hometowns in Queens and Long Island, the owners were inspired to not only give students and inhabitants of New Rochelle a fresh take on true New York pizza, but to foster an entirely unique sense of community as well.  And judging by the crowds that continue to pour out of Blackboard’s door, the four have done just that.  Beck said that the pizzeria has the goal of not only filling the void for Iona students as a not so stereotypical “college hang-out place,” but more importantly, to support the entire New Rochelle community.  Described by the owners as “not your typical pizza,” murmurs of approval swell throughout the shop as patrons get their first fill of all that Blackboard has to offer.  Junior Christina Orphanides exclaimed between bites of her Blackboard slice that, “It’s awesome. I’ve definitely just found my new favorite restaurant.” Christina is certainly not alone in her praise—many students can’t help but notice that Blackboard is a breath of fresh air in comparison to other North Avenue eateries.  As Beck hands a student a colorful salad, he proudly touts that every day Blackboard receives fresh ingredients to make all of their meals from scratch, and makes sure to flash a smile at his most recently garnered customer.  With a youthful and enthusiastic team, Blackboard is constantly bustling with excitement, even when hungry Gaels are not occupying all of the tables. The laid-back establishment offers not only pizza, but also a wide variety of paninis, pasta and salads at a price that any broke college student could afford.  The pizzeria has gone straight to the stomachs of the students, with deep-fried Nutella Oreos and a grilled Reese’s Peanut Butter and Nutella pizza that will perhaps lead one to believe that you can indeed buy happiness.  The atmosphere is abuzz, filled with an enthusiastic energy that doesn’t seem to be disappearing anytime soon. Blackboard has found its spot in the hearts of the Iona and New Rochelle community, and with a bit of flair and nostalgia, seems to fill a void that we never knew existed. If one thing is certain, students’ stomachs will not be going empty any time soon if Blackboard’s quartet has anything to say about it.