With the closing of Opal Divine’s near campus, my options (as an adult who is legally allowed to consume alcohol) for having a congenial pint of beer at lunch within walking distance of campus are becoming alarmingly thin on the ground. There’s no longer anywhere I can go on foot for a drink between classes; it’s a bigger issue than it sounds.

It’s not about the drinking, but about having somewhere to relax where I can have a beer or two with of-age classmates over lunch or after class. Somewhere I can sit down and relax and breathe. And I don’t think the campus has that right now in its list of attractions.

After all, coffee shops are efficient affairs. Yet, even if you do manage to grab one of the tables, it’s still people constantly coming and going; hardly the stuff of a relaxed atmosphere. Cafeterias are a no-go for the same reason — people are too intent on getting in and out. The library won’t work either. I couldn’t relax around all those diligently working people if I tried.

There’s nowhere comfortable to just sit and relax. Nowhere to breathe and drop your backpack, if only for the length of a beer or glass of wine.

The logistics wouldn’t be that hard to manage either. As reported in Hilltop Views, Moreau House is finally going the way of the dinosaurs. Just knock out some walls and make it more of a lounge. You could even knock it over entirely and purpose-build something new.

We could make students swipe their student ID every time they get a drink or enter the building. Then add a limit on the amount of drinks that could be purchased to something such as three beers during the day. That eliminates potential underaged drinking because students can’t fake a student ID, making it harder for someone to cheat the system, and keeping random strangers from patronizing the establishment.

I might consider making it just a beer and wine bar, maybe with a kitchen attached. Also adding televisions there for sports would be nice. As both a transfer and commuter student, I’m not aware of anywhere on campus I’d go to watch a game. Not to mention, putting a bar in place of a former religious institution would provide some laughs.

The University of Texas at Austin operates the Cactus Cafe, where they also play live music. And I’ve seen campus bars operated with great success in the student union buildings of other colleges I’ve attended, where the bar is usually attached to a student building like any other coffee shop or eatery. The campus bars also usually had a proper kitchen attached, making a bar and grill, something SEU’s cafeterias aren’t really hardwired for.

I’ve been informed that the convenience store used to sell beer and it’s BYOB at the Homecoming tailgate for those of age; with this as precedent, on-campus consumption is clearly not an issue. Why not go the extra step and give of-age students, faculty, and staff somewhere to sit and drink? Something that could profit the university and, at the same time, give students somewhere to socialize and relax?

I think it’s worth at least an exploration.