North Adams State College Pub

Students of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts know the Amsler Campus Center as the home of the beloved Centennial Room, the dining hall option for students on campus. However, alumni of North Adams State College remember this same location, not for the Centennial Room, but for The Pub that once stood in its place. Originally opened in in the 1960s, the pub was seen as a safer option for of-age students to consume alcohol. However, there were also critics of its existence and who believed the Pub was lacking in entertainment and options for those not drinking.

In the Fall of 1975, operations to renovate and improve the pub were proposed under the assumption that it would increase revenue for the institution and allow for more event spaces on campus. From 1976 until 1981 many renovations took place in The Pub, including the addition of a manager, video games, a juke box, the installation of a pizza oven, improved stools, a dance floor, a new cooler, and new wiring. Many of these renovations being done or aided by the students of Charles H. McCann technical High School. These renovations cost $12,050 at the time of their construction, just under $70,000 today.

With the many new additions, The Pub took off in the 1980s. The pizza oven was used as a means of providing food for the establishment, which in part was run by each years junior class as a means of raising money for the class during happy hours once a week. The new coolers meant they could expand their drink menu from just beer on tap to having wine coolers and seltzers as an option too. The dance floor meant entertainment options and events could be hosted within this space by the institution, organizations affiliated with the school, and even some clubs.

The 1980’s also saw an increase in underage drinking within The Pub by primarily 18- and 19-year-old students, causing a massive backlash and eventually leading to the removal of combo events with The Pub. Many believed The Pub to be a poor decision on part of the school as they believed it encouraged underage drinking for students on their own campus.

In September 1992, the school stopped combo events happening between these groups and The Pub. However, by October of that same year, students were already calling for the reinstatement of combo events as it boosted the attendance of such events. Combo events would again be reinstated for the following semester, this time with a separate set of rules for the organizing groups to follow.

By the fall of 1993, The Pub would be closed for good, allowing for the Centennial Room to take its place on campus. Since the switch, the Centennial Room has continued to be a hub for students of all kinds to catch a bite between class or do homework over a cup of coffee or tea.