A few weekends ago I went to the Pub, located in Kennedy Union. I went with my friends, played some trivia, drank some beer, ate free food and won a T-shirt. Not a bad way to start my Friday evening, and certainly nothing out of the ordinary; for years I have seen people do these exact same things.

However, this visit was different because it was my last. And for some students, there will possibly never be a first. When I went up to get a beer, the student bartender informed me that this was the last night the Pub would be open.

I have to admit, I was a bit shocked and disappointed. I mean, I have been waiting since I was a freshman to go to the Pub on Friday.

I remember walking in KU, gazing in at the large crowd of upperclassmen enjoying a beer with friends. I remember countless Friday nights working in the Hangar, dreaming, longing to be a part of the happy Pub patron crowd.

This year, when I was finally old enough to go, I began attending every Friday that I could, anxious to finally be a part of the Pub fun. I will admit, those nights were not well-attended, but the people that were there certainly seemed to be having fun. I know I did - I mean, $1.50 for a beer and FREE KU pizza?! Emphasis on the "free"-every college student's dream! Believe me, when the Flex has dried up and your personal funds are low as well, a free meal once a week is a beautiful thing. That being said, I decided to try and take the Pub's fate into my own hands.

I did some e-mailing and received a timely, well-written response from Mr. Doug Lemaster, head of Pub services. He told me that it was "impractical" to keep the Pub open when attendance was low and that the draft system was not used frequently enough to keep maintaining it.

When I asked if I could do fundraising for the Pub, he did not acknowledge my query and informed me that the Pub would be closing. Great. Well, I will admit that I understand the university's desire to "not promote drinking," and I understand that a bar in our main cafeteria definitely sends a message to "possible future Flyers" and, more importantly, their parents, but I can't help but be saddened by this change.

UD has been changing a lot lately; don't believe me? Ask one of your friends involved in Greek life.

While change can be good, it can also be problematic. How can we change and grow as a community without leaving our original identity behind?

Just a year or so ago the university considered removing the chapel logo from outgoing mail and handouts to prospective students. Naturally, many people, including myself, were angry and wrote letters and, as you may or may not know, it never happened.

But this suggestion to change ourselves to appeal to the masses was only the beginning. With the changes being made to Greek Life, and our university, i.e. expanding our campus and eliminating the Pub, we are changing ourselves to appeal to a larger group of people. Well, what's wrong with the people we have? Please, I understand that we need new students each year, but what's wrong with the type of students we attracted BEFORE these changes were made? Why do we need to try and become some "powerhouse" university?

I came to UD because it FELT right; not because it had a Pub or didn't, or even because it was Marianist. I came because it fit me, and I have never regretted my choice, even as my student loans build up and my basement door has a padlock on it instead of my snow shovel downstairs.

These changes may not affect you directly now, but they are your future. And if you are here for three or four more years, it will soon be your reality. All I'm suggesting is, take notice of what is happening around you; pretty soon it will be your basement door locked, and the only way to change that is to talk and make people listen. This campus needs leadership, and the best leaders begin when they are young.