Inn Bad Taste

To the editors:

I am writing this letter in protest of the Inn Complete — THE graduate student bar/club which is supported by my $14.00 each year. I want to state right up front that I am not looking to start a new temperance movement, nor am I calling for the closure of the Inn. I am asking for a little vision, a request that I am almost sure will never be adequately addressed as long as the current leaders of the GSO continue to promote male-centered, acultural entertainment establishments.

The Inn Complete bears all the trappings of the classic American Sports Bar. There are games hanging from the walls, games on tables and games on the wide television screen. The walls are littered with sports memorabilia. The place reeks of stale beer and grease. I ask you, oh, most enlightened of beings, you, the cream de la cream of the world’s intellectual genius, should we put up with this crap? The Inn Complete could be considered just one in a vertiable plethora of alcohol bars for people to get grossly drunk in and complain about how much work they have to do. If that’s what you're looking for, I can suggest any number of local beer holes or corporate franchises in the area to grace your presence with.

One could argue that if I am so upset with the Inn Complete, then I shouldn’t patronize it—which, I rarely ever do. And yet, I dish out $14.00 a year of my meager graduate assistant stipend to the place! I am subsidizing the drinking habits of a small portion of the graduate student population.

The issue goes beyond economics. At stake here is the question, “what are we here for?" Are we here to become accredited so that we can obtain the highest paying job possible? or are we here to contribute to the development of our given areas of knowledge and perhaps in the process aid in the evolution of the world community? If our reasons for attending graduate school even hint of pertaining to the latter, then why are we supporting a club which perpetuates the norms of the prevailing rape culture? One need only glance at the images on that big screen to recognize what I’m saying—take a look at the advertising during the sporting events.

Should we attempt to expect more of our selves, and subsequently, more from the “club” our money supports? I want to suggest that the Inn Complete be supported by its patrons—which is only a small portion of the graduate student population. That way, the people who don’t mind socializing in such a vulgar environment can do so at their own expense, and not mine. For a long term vision, may I suggest the creation of a graduate student-supported restaurant and coffeehouse, with no games to play or images of half naked women encouraging men and boys to “drink to be manly” on big screens. Our culture would be well served, and so would our money.

Christopher Koliba, Social Science