Pub Night draws town skepticism

Author: Christine Fisher

"There's no such thing as a free lunch, let alone free beer."

The mention of "free" beer and pizza offered at Middlebury Campus Activity Board (MCAB)-sponsored Pub Nights in a Sept. 29 Middlebury Campus article raised the eyebrows of town officials on the grounds that Vermont state law prohibits any licensed establishment from giving away alcohol.

According to an article published on Oct. 20 in the Addison Independent, John Tenny, the chairman of the Board of Selectmen, received a call about The Grille's program from a local restaurant owner concerned that by serving free alcohol, local businesses may lose customers. In response, Tenny wrote an e-mail to Dean of the College Tim Spears. "At a time when the nation as a whole is recognizing the problems of excessive drinking and losing patience with alcohol-related abuse, I would hope that the College would adopt a more constructive leadership role on this issue," said Tenny.

However, it should be clarified that the Otter Creek ales, pizza sticks and other goodies provided at these weekly pub nights are not actually free. Although they are made available to students free of charge, they are still being paid for by someone; like any other catered event on campus, the party host - MCAB in this case - foots the bill.

Steve Reigle, manager of The Grille, explained the process: when students come to Pub Night and wish to drink, they are issued a wristband - purchased by MCAB - with a two-drink limit. The same goes for students who are not drinking. All food items, coffees and other non-alcoholic beverages are also covered by MCAB money. However, because the MCAB account is largely funded by the student activity fee that every Middlebury College student must pay at the beginning of each new school year, only students are allowed to attend Pub Night.

Pub Nights, which are now held weekly at The Grille, began last year and have grown in popularity ever since with the help of Jessica VanWagenen and Brooke Lenci, both '06. So far this year, each event has attracted anywhere from 200-300 library-weary students, seniors and underclassmen alike, all eager to partake in the best study break campus has to offer.

VanWagenen and Lenci believe that Pub Night's appeal to a wide segment of the student body is perhaps one of its greatest accomplishments because many campus events tend to be very class-stratified.

"Brooke and I are very pleased that The Grille has become a social space on campus, and we hope that we can continue this tradition throughout the year by booking good bands and attracting as many students as possible. We have been particularly pleased that every week we've drawn from all four classes on campus," VanWagenen said.

Spears echoed these sentiments, as he too seemed to appreciate the importance of Pub Night as a safe, fun and unifying on-campus social option. He believes the atmosphere of Pub Night, including its location in The Grille and the availability of food, creates an environment conducive to responsible drinking.

The Nov. 3 Pub Night will feature Speechwriters LLC. The on-campus band of J. Brito and Pat Phillips, both '06, will perform on Nov. 10, a night made complete with Harpoon UFO on tap and free giveaways of 200 pint glasses.