Club patrons critical of U.'s stance on Stalag 2000

Hundreds reacted to Penn's decision to cease negotiations for an indie rock club slated for 40th and Market streets. After finding out Friday that University administrators had decided to halt negotiations to bring an alcohol-free indie rock venue to the edge of campus, hundreds of Penn students, parents and music fans expressed their dismay at the University's decision to cease talks with the club's owners. Music promoter Sean Agnew, who was to own the Stalag 2000 club, immediately began seeking support from patrons of his former concert venues, including one that was near campus. Within 12 hours, over 1,400 people replied via e-mail, Agnew said. Social Planning and Events Committee President Jon Herrmann, who had been consulted by the University when it was first considering helping the promoters of Stalag 2000, said SPEC will likely circulate a petition tomorrow on Locust Walk. And Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Michael Silver said the UA may also circulate a petition tomorrow and Thursday on Locust Walk during the UA's regularly scheduled UA on the Walk forum. According to Silver, the UA has not settled on an official stance regarding the University's termination of relations with Agnew, but one might be forthcoming after the next UA meeting on Sunday. Stalag 2000 was slated to move into a privately owned facility at 18 N. 40th Street, near the corner of 40th and Market streets, later this month. The 9,000 square-foot facility, which is owned by a catering business called Ayinde, currently serves as storage space for the University. Initially, Penn administrators were drawn to the idea of an alcohol-free music venue because of pressure to provide alcohol-free social opportunities as recommended by a provost-appointed task force last spring and to further the development of the 40th Street corridor, which is currently one of the University's major real estate projects. Negotiations fell through last week after the University decided to pull out, Agnew said. Neither Agnew nor other University administrators would comment on the reasons behind the breakdown of negotiations. Just after contact with the University was terminated, Agnew sent out a plea over e-mail to about 800 patrons of the former Stalag 13, which was shut down down by the Department of Licensing and Inspection for lack of proper licensing over the summer. The former punk music venue was located in West Philadelphia at 39th Street and Lancaster Avenue and attracted a following among some Penn students. In his plea, Agnew asked former patrons of Stalag 13 to write about their experiences with the club in order to sway University administrators. According to Agnew, 600 of the 1,400 replies were from Penn students and their family members. "Please reconsider. Your decision to have Stalag 2000 on campus was one of the first decisions regarding the new alcohol policy which I had believed affected me," College junior Aaron Hokanson wrote in an e-mail meant to be passed on to administrators. Hokanson also explained that the indie rock scene had been a positive influence in his life, steering him away from drugs, cigarettes and alcohol. College junior Jonathan London, who is also manager of Penn's student radio station WQHS and who works as a disc jockey at WXPN 88.5, also threw his support toward Stalag 2000 and its would-be owners. "The outlets for the expression of these artists are dropping like flies," London said. "The places I can go and not feel like an outsider for not drinking are decreasing just as rapidly! "From a faithfully active Penn student to those involved: Please don't do this to us." In another testimonial, City Paper arts editor Sam Adams, whose mother is 1968 College for Women graduate and member of the Trustees Council of Penn Women, said he has been a supporter of Stalag 13 and Agnew for several years. "Over the years, I have been to many shows at Stalag 13 and have never experienced anything other than young adults being given an opportunity to entertain themselves and form a community that does not center around alcohol, sex or drugs," he said.