Mary Grygier

Rumors have been circulating: Is the infamous Jug restricting its crowd to 21+ year olds? Is John Jug finally retiring? What will this mean for the first-year social scene? Will different ownership swoop in and take over the iconic establishment? The Old Stone Jug, run by John “Jug” Koen himself, has been a long-running small business contributing to a large part of the social scene for Colgate University students. A typical night at the Jug includes dancing music (which you can request), a dark room illuminated by colorful strobe lights, a somewhat crowded bar area where you can sit down and give your feet a rest, and food that – while it may not be the highest of qualities – satisfies any late-night craving.

It seems to be an unspoken tradition that on the night first-years arrive on campus, they swarm the quad in large groups trying to find something to do, somewhere to go. They bounce from dorm to dorm, remaining in one until they get kicked out and are forced to migrate to the next location. This happens every year, but why? What drives new arrivers to run around campus seeking fun? Students simply are excited when arriving and are hungry to roam about and meet new people, especially peers who may be their lifelong friends. Without a communal space for students to congregate and socialize, where are they to go next? Will the Curtis Fishbowl or the basement at 113 Broad Street suffice the first-year social craving? The answer is no, as these spaces reside within thin-walled dorms that also house the large number of students who do not wish to be in these loud social gatherings, let alone hear them while they’re trying to study for their exams. It results in conflict amongst students who have different desires and/or responsibilities.

Going to the Jug is, in many ways, a rite of passage for new Colgate students; whispers pervade campus from many first-years excited to get the “college experience” they have been waiting for. While I wouldn’t say the “college experience” is solely defined by the going-out scene, I would say that students yearn for a social outlet that is removed from what resides solely on campus. This is especially true for students who are not otherwise involved in alternative social outlets such as Greek Letter Organizations (GLOs) or clubs like Outdoor Education. Student-athletes who are unable to partake in GLOs also benefit from being able to attend the Jug, as it offers another way to decompress outside of their team. Rumor has it John Jug himself personally reserves seats at the bar for the men’s lacrosse team, but what do I know? In addition, there is some safety in knowing that the Jug restricts access to those outside of the Colgate community, therefore you’re bound to see a friendly face. What would happen if this rather inclusive outlet ceased to exist? 

If the rumors are true and the Jug will no longer be accessible to first-year students, Colgate may be forced to make a real systemic change in order to foster a more inclusive social scene outside of Greek life. While Greek life is another way students can socialize with their peers and form new relationships, students are restricted from participating in any GLO until their sophomore year. While I think the delay in participation allows for students to form independent and natural relationships with their peers, the ultimate exclusivity and limited capacity of GLOs would fail to provide the social satisfaction for students that the Jug does. If the entire social life of Colgate University were to rely solely on Greek life, perhaps a solution would be to bring more GLOs to the school in order to provide more options for students to choose from. With Colgate’s growing population, we must create more spaces and provide a larger selection of social scenes if we want first-year students to have fun.

The Jug allows Colgate to avoid addressing gaps in the campus social scene by filling the void. I believe that students will continue to seek out a setting like the Jug if deprived of it. It’s something familiar, and John’s goal has been to “be consistent… so that when you come it’s the same as when you were there before,” as cited in alumnus Jonathon Santiago’s article, “Special Edition: A Deep Dive Into the History of the Old Stone Jug.” Despite the flaws inherent to the existence of the Jug, this campus would be a completely different environment without it. First-years and others would be forced to find an alternative. Will that be hard to find? Can anything replace the beloved Old Stone Jug?