By Saif Kureshi, Staff Writer
Nothing is more relaxing than taking a break from all the mind-bending problem sets and confusing readings by heading down to the game room in the Haverford Whitehead Campus Center to scour through the disorganized amalgamation of chairs and tables to find an unbroken ping-pong ball. Luckily, if ping-pong isn’t your game, you can pull off the pool table cover to reveal only a half-ripped table; perfect for when you find the least broken cue in the pile of 20 cues leaning against the wall. It is not a Haverford secret that the dilapidated game room requires better looking after.
As a response to the condition of this space, Haverford College Student Council Co-Presidents Maurice Rippel ‘19 and Andrew Eaddy ‘19 have proposed converting the game room into an on-campus pub. Eaddy said the goal is to emulate what schools like Swarthmore have done with the Swarthmore Inn. The Haverford Campus Center already contains a small hotel for visitors, the Coop, the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery, and the bookstore, and adding an on-campus pub would further establish the building as the prime visitor center for guests and alumni of the College.
Replacing the game room with an on-campus pub could also potentially alleviate many of the issues on campus regarding the consumption of alcohol. It is not a rarity on campus to have to assist a drunk friend back to their dorm on a Saturday night. Recently, campus-wide events and dances, like Winter Formal, have been cancelled due in part to the violence caused by excessive drinking at prior campus-wide events. Providing 21-and-over students with a space to safely consume alcohol without the binge-drinking pressures present on a typical weekend night would allow students to develop a healthier relationship with alcohol and that that one can have a fun night with friends without the need for excess drinking.
An on-campus pub could allow for greater management of game room resources as well. With direct supervision by Haverford-employed bartenders, it is unlikely that students and visitors from off-campus would mistreat or break pool cues and tables. Bartenders would also be able to limit drinks to any particular patron. The college will also be able to supplement its alcohol education programs that first-years attend during Customs with better data and information on student drinking habits on campus. This would better prepare incoming Fords with the information they need to be safe on campus.
There are still many unanswered questions surrounding the potential success of an on-campus pub. With the addition of any new community space on campus, careful consideration is required regarding the accessibility of the space. It is possible that much of binge-drinking on campus is done by underclassmen who are welcomed into our community with effortless access to alcohol with limited supervision. If this was the case, an on-campus pub would be ineffective in curbing Haverford’s drinking problems.
There are also financial and challenges, as the pub would need to balance generating enough revenue to maintain itself with providing cheap enough drinks for the majority of students. Another possible complication for the pub is ensuring that the space does not become effectively claimed by a particular social group on campus.
Whilst the idea is still in its nascent days, the idea of an on-campus pub is an interesting one that deserves more campus-wide spirited debate and discussion.
Photo credit: Iris Xu
