Staff Editorial: Penn needs clubs, not myths

Stalag 2000 would be a welcome addition, whatever misguided notions Penn may have about its clientele. So what went wrong? In a nutshell, the 1950s broke out. University officials decided not to extend a lease offer to the owners of Stalag 2000, expressing concern that the club's indie music concerts would bring an undesirable element -- people more focused on drugs and alcohol than listening to music and having a good time -- to pristine University City. Sean Agnew, co-owner of Stalag 2000, says his club still wants to relocate to University City. And Penn's initial offer of a trial lease on a facility the University was only using for storage space makes it difficult to imagine that financial considerations sunk the deal. And so, all that is standing between students and a new nightclub is a host of outdated, stereotypical ideas about who goes to concerts and what they do there. That is more than a shame. The University can either work on bringing venues to campus that students are genuinely interested in frequenting, or deal with the reality that currently prevails -- no clubs, no alternatives to a night of drinking. That's reality, and it exists even if the University does want to engage in a discussion on the morality of rock and roll. The funny thing is, it seems like administrators are just about the only people who are concerned about the possibility that the club will bring an undesirable element to University City. This past Friday, Agnew sent out an e-mail requesting testimonials from those who had enjoyed the events he'd hosted at two previous clubs. Within the next 12 hours, 1,400 responses poured in from around the country, testifying to just what Penn is about to miss out on. We would encourage administrators to pull their collective head out of the sand, read some of those letters and bring a much-needed music club to University City. Anything less risks making a mockery of the recommendations of the task force on alcohol -- and of administrators' misconceptions.