THE
Vol. CXXII Issue 10
EPORTER
Stetson University | DeLand, Fla.
On-Campus Pub May Return
Photo courtesy: duPont-Ball Library Archives
"Stetson students hang out in "Cellar Door," an on-campus pub and hangout which existed from 1967 to 1975
in the basement of what is now the Office of Marketing, or what was then called "The Brick Palace."
Caroline Williams
Staff Writer
If all goes we//, Stetson
may see a campus pub within
the next year.
In the 1960s-70s, students were able to socialize
and dnnk at a pub, known as
the Cellar Door, located in
the basement of what is now
the Office of University Marketing Sadly, that area is no
longer accessible to the public
since it is now being used as
university storage space.
However, rumors have
been circling around that there
is a possibility Stetson will revive this tradition on campus
in the near future
While tins topic has resurfaced many times throughout
the years, the Student Government Association (SGA) and
the Campus Life and Student
Success Department have
been communicating about it
consistently in the past year.
Vice President of Student
Affairs, Chris Kandus-Fisher,
Ed.D., expressed his enthusiasm for the possibility of such
an establishment and has already been discussing it with
members of the SGA.
"1 am willing to pile it in
the coffee shop, transform that
space into a pub-like setting,
and see if students like it and
if it's something we can pull
off," said Fisher.
After the CUB undergoes some renovations, the
new pub would most likely be
where the coffee shop is By
day, it would still act as a coffee shop, but by night it would
serve as a pub
"People could transform
the counter where the coffee
is served into where beer and
wine would be served," Fisher said "We wouldn't have to
worry about setting up another
structure."
The center of campus
seems like an odd place for
a pub, but Fisher argues the
opposite, as a primarily social establishment, he said it
makes sense for a pub to be on
the center of campus. It would
also be a safe location
"The thing I like about
the coffee shop is that it's contained," said" Fisher "There
are points of entry that we can
control for safety reasons, and
we can make sure there's a
check in place for people to be
carded, just like you would be
if you walked into any other
establishment"
Public Safety would most
likely do the carding, but their
other duties regarding the pub
are not yet solidified.
"Whatever group wants
to put this forward will have to
work with Public Safety on it
and figure out what their presence will be," Fisher added
"Are they just going to have
someone at the door helping
with the carding171 think even
Chief Matusick would say
he doesn't want to be going
in and feeling like a policing
agent"
Constructing a pub on
campus certainly has its benefits Many universities are
trying to normalize drinking
and take away much of the
red tape that causes students
to pregame, binge drink, or
"drink in hiding," as Fisher
put it.
'The more and more
restrictions you put on it for
those who can drink, the
more problems you have If
we can normalize drinking
for those who are of age and
those who are in a setting that
is appropriate, I think we will
actually have a better, more
educated community around
responsible drinking habits,"
said Fisher
The pub could also create a closer knit community
since students, faculty, and
staff would all be free to use
the space All of the big voices have given their approval for the building of a pub.
Public Safety, Dining Services, and the Campus Life
& Student Success Center It
is up to the student body now
to move forward and make it
work
At left: Students
play guitar in Cellar
Door in 1973.
Top right: The stairway and entrance
to Cellar Door, circa
1972.
Bottom right: "Students drinking in
Cellar Door, which
had an atmosphere
that reflected its
basement location.
Photos courtesy: duPont-Ball
Library archives
Inside this issue
Stetson Broadcast Productions
Plans are
going "full
speed ahead"
for new
Stetson media
outlet
Page 7
Women's Basketball Thrives
A win for the
team and
Q&A with
guard Jama
Sharp
Page 10
