Students will be required to hang out in the Tavern next fall, a Housing and Dining official speaking on background told The Eagle yesterday. The new "Tavern time" policy is part of an AU pilot project designed to make the Tavern a more happening spot on campus.
"We want to make the Tavern into the social epicenter of American University," a Housing and Dining official said. "This time, the students will cooperate."
Students must spend at least one continuous hour in the Tavern every day, she said. A time clock will be installed at the Tavern entrance so that students can ensure their "Tavern time" is logged with the university.
Housing and Dining will reward students who spend more "Tavern time" than the university requirement. "We're going to have an award ceremony at the end of each semester," she said. "The student who spends the most time will receive a blue ribbon, free meal blocks and a gift certificate for the bookstore."
That might not provide enough incentive for some.
"Whoever wins is so going to get beat up," AU sophomore Tim Wheeler said.
Junior Samantha Beckindale agreed.
"That kid's never getting laid," she added.
Security is paramount to the success of "Tavern time," the official said.
"We don't want people to clock in, sneak out, come back three hours later, clock out and leave," she said. "So we're going to alarm the doors in the back that go to Butler."
"That's going to be a pain," Wheeler said. "I go through there all the time when I need to get to the tunnel, gym or bookstore."
But it's just that attitude Housing and Dining wants to change, said the official.
"That's not what the Tavern is for," she said. "It's not some kind of super freeway. It's a destination."
Housing and Dining expects the plan to make the Tavern more crowded than ever before, the official said, so there will be a few minor design changes to prevent congestion.
Chick Fil-A will be moved to the Tunnel, she said, to make room for more chairs and tables. The restrooms adjacent to the Tavern will also be converted into extra space.
"They should be adding things to Tavern, not subtracting," said Beckindale. "Then maybe I'd want to go. Probably not, though."
Others agreed Housing and Dining could accomplish the same goal without mandatory Tavern attendance.
"The reason people used to go to the Tavern was because it had a cool atmosphere and they served beer," said Gary Powell, an AU alumnus who graduated in 2004. "The last time I stopped by, the place looked like a hospital. You can force students to go, I guess, but they're not going to like it."
"We're not forcing anyone to do anything," said a Housing and Dining official. "Going to the Tavern is going to be something people will want to do, especially now that their friends will be there all the time. Anyway, it's just a pilot program."
"If I have to go, I'll go," Wheeler said. "But I'll probably be pre-gaming beforehand"
