The Bunker leaders tackle old challenges

Author: Bryant Cobb

Last year, the much-anticipated new student-run nightclub, Xanadu, opened its doors to the general student body in a bid to liven up social life on campus. After moderate success in the spring, the nightclub's management plans to address challenges it found during the club's inaugural season as it prepares for the club's reopening this coming year. In addition, in an effort to more appropriately describe the club, Xanadu leaders decided to change the space's name to The Bunker to more accurately reflect the club's setting.

According to Dave Campbell '09, one of the nightclub's leaders, the old name, Xanadu, did not work because it "just did not lend itself to being called an ideal space. It's a converted dining hall."

Despite the name change, the club will remain in its previous location in Hamlin Hall, whose interior organizers plan to paint to enliven the atmosphere.

"It was actually the design of the building that gave us the idea for the new name," said Campbell. "It kind of has that Cold War bunker feel."

While the name of the club may have changed, the challenges that the club's management faces have not. Perhaps the biggest problem facing the student leaders is the possibility that underage students could sneak alcohol into The Bunker. Club leaders are working within the arm of the law to prevent such occurrences.

"We have been trained by authorities how to follow Vermont liquor laws to check IDs and how to serve alcohol in a safe and responsible manner," said Campbell. "We are also going to kick you out if you are belligerently or dangerously drunk."

Finding and retaining employees will also be of major importance to the club's success. The nightclub has had three presidents in less than a year. Glenn Bickley '08, the club's current president, said that the long hours have caused prior presidents to resign. However, he insisted that he will stay on for the year.

According to Director of Dining Services Matthew Biette, the administration also sees retaining a staff of committed students as a challenge.

"[Club management is] going to have to find dedicated people who want to provide a safe environment for their friends and who are dedicated to upholding Vermont and federal laws," said Biette. "I really don't want to get that call from authorities. Dedicated personnel will help to prevent that from happening."

The club also faced problems related to excessive noise last year. According to Biette, even Hamlin's thick walls may not be an insurance policy against noise complaints.

"The location of the club could be an issue," said Biette. "There is a neighborhood right down the hill."

According to Bickley, shortening the nightclub's waiting lines outside could help address neighborhood concerns by mitigating the issue of noise, as well as improving the club's accessibility for students.

"Controlling crowds outside is really the best that we can do," he said. "We can't change the location of the building."

While The Bunker faces hurdles on its way to becoming an established Middlebury institution, Campbell believes there is reason for optimism.

"We are really excited that we have received SGA funding," said Campbell. "It has legitimized us."

Last year, the club cooperated with WRMC 91.1 FM to provide lights and sound equipment for the space. This year, according to club leaders, The Bunker will seek to use much of its own equipment, while still collaborating with the radio station for programming.

According to Bickley, no date has been set yet for the club's opening.

"We will be talking with Facilities this week to hopefully set a date," said Bickley.

Last year, the club received generally positive reviews. Club leaders acknowledged that the space did not launch without hiccups, but that they eventually learned to handle the problems.

"It was chaotic the first couple of times, and lines outside was an issue," said Campbell. "However, as we continued, we became much better at handling these situations."

This year, Bunker leaders hope that the club will build off of last year's success, but stressed that the club's progress lay largely in student hands.

"We're providing an opportunity, but that's as much as we can do," said Campbell. "It's up to the students to get behind it."

Additional reporting by Zamir Ahmed and Brian Fung.