After months and months of anticipation the coffeehouse by day, tavern by night finally opened its doors, and despite much criticism in the developmental process, Shorty's opened without a hitch.
Many individuals, especially those in Student Government, spent many months trying to bring Shorty's to campus.
The notion of an on-campus pub had been on the table for over a decade, and finally students at this university have a place they can go slam a few beers with their favorite professor.
The students involved with bringing Shorty's to campus should be very proud of the results of their labors. With the grand opening Sunday the behind-the-scenes work of these individuals came to the forefront for all students to witness.
Shorty's is aesthetically pleasing and sets a very comfortable atmosphere. Shorty's is truly a good place to meet friends and relax from the stresses of college life, and during the first few days of its existence in Benson, Shorty's has been filled with students all abuzz (no pun intended) about the new on-campus pub
It would seem that SG has finally accomplished a task that is both beneficial to the students and can be enjoyed by students.
"...You want to be where you can see that troubles are all the same..."
It is wonderful that students on this campus now have somewhere to go and unwind, for this is something that was truly lacking on this campus.
However, once the novelty of Shorty's wears off and it becomes just another part of the food court, will students still want to meet at Shorty's?
And has anyone actually said, save members of SG, "Meet me at Shorty's?"
It is much easier to just meet at the post office, and once the newness subsides it will be interesting to see if Shorty's continues to attract students in number as it has so far.
But like any SG project, with the opening of Shorty's several problems and criticisms have become apparent. The most glaring problem with Shorty's is the exorbitant prices for beverages.
Although it is to be expected ARAMARK would wish to charge in upwards of $3 for one glass of beer, since a bottle of Gatorade in the food court is nearly $2. But it's not real money because you can just use your meal card to pay for the beer and the coffee.
With the addition of Shorty's to the campus, it is now possible for students to buy beer, condoms, and cigarettes without taking any cash from their wallet. Isn't capitalism great.
Now that SG has successfully opened Shorty's, what's on tap next? (Again, no pun intended.) With only several weeks remaining in the terms of the members of the SG executive board and the school year as a whole, will SG attempt to undertake any new projects, or will they try to ride the wave of Shorty's for as long as they can?
It is true that SG put a great deal of effort into Shorty's so that we, as students, "will now be able to gather and socialize in a welcoming environment open to students, past, present, and future."
However, it is imperative that every member of SG realize that the goal of this year was not to open Shorty's, but in fact to adequately govern the students. The school year is not over and any illusions otherwise are misleading.
It is the duty of SG to continue to bring forth initiatives that will work for the betterment of the school, and to ensure that student views are heard. There are many important issues on this campus that deserve SG's attention, and with Shorty's now marked off their list, SG has plenty of spare time to attack new, important issues. Christmas is in 10 months, so they should probably start planning and setting budgets for the holiday lighting to decorate the campus, not just the Sundry Shop.
For all the negatives that can be put upon the shoulders of SG, the fact remains that they brought a great place ot hang out to this campus. SG ran into obstacle after obstacle in trying to bring Shorty's into existance.
First they were told that Shorty's would not be its own separate building near Palmer and Piccolo residence halls. Then they were told that Shorty's was not going to open as scheduled at the beginning of this semester.
Then there were problems with getting the facility inspected by the Health Department, but SG perservered and was determined to provide every student with the opportunity to knock back a cold one in Benson.
So there you have it: SG's crowning achievement of the year is bringing a pub to campus -- take it or leave it.
"...You want to go where everybody knows your name."