Davidson’s Pub: A new social space

The Davidsonian supports Hayden Higgins' argument in this week's Perspectives section that the College would benefit from having a campus pub.

We envision the pub as a place where different people can go to have different experiences, depending on their personal preferences. For example, some might go to the pub to hear a student band perform, to catch up with a friend over a glass of wine, or to grab a couple of beers with a chill professor. Still other students might make plans to play a game of pool at the pub on Friday night or watch a game on Monday night.

This pub would not fall into the typical Up-the-Hill/Down-the-Hill categories.  Instead, the pub would transcend these typical boundaries, serving as a refuge for students seeking a solution to Davidson's social predicament.

We see this as a place for talking, mingling, and enjoying recreational activities conducive to conversation – intellectual and trivial – that Davidson students crave. Imagine an environment where students could come to relax and to connect meaningfully with other students. After all, such meaningful interactions sometimes get lost in the shuffle of dancing at a court party or of the passing "hello, how are you?" of a busy week.

A pub would provide a venue conducive to responsible drinking in the context of bonding with others outside the classroom. We envision the pub as a place open to students of all ages withrisk managers on site to provide wristbands to those 21 and over. The pub would promote casual drinking instead of downing shots behind closed doors.

As for preparing students to transition into life after Davidson, the pub would prove a tremendous asset to campus social life, making responsible drinking the norm rather than the exception.

What do you think about having a pub on campus?

Let us know at davidsonian@davidson.edu