Even in the planning stages, students and administrators hailed the new Collis Center as medicine for some of Dartmouth's social ailments.
"One thing fraternities and sororities provide for is good hang-out space," Dean of the College Lee Pelton said last May. "My hope is that the new Collis Center will provide that space as well, but it will be neutral space."
Now that the building is open, it remains to be seen how much a difference Collis will actually make to the average Dartmouth student's social life.
"It's too early to say what it is," Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia said. "There haven't been that many weekends. Students are still getting new ideas about the building ... I take a 'wait-and-see' attitude. It certainly does function as an informal place to meet."
Last Friday night, when there were several Greek houses having parties, the ground floor of Collis was dead at 11 p.m. The music from Friday Night Dance Club was booming, but the dance floor was empty.
Downstairs was a different story. The pool room was overflowing; there were about 15 people in the video game room and the Lone Pine Tavern was almost filled to capacity, with about 40 patrons.
Friday Night Dance Club's crowd did increase throughout the night, topping out at about 50 people, meaning the crowd at Collis reached a peak of about 120 students.
The question is whether Collis is becoming a viable social alternative to the focal point of the College's social life - the Greek system - or whether it serves simply as a stopping point for students to warm up, check their BlitzMail and head out to Webster Avenue.
"I don't think it will ever replace the frats, but it's nice to have," Linda Nelson '97 said, looking bored on the ground floor of Collis. "I'm waiting for someone to meet me and we're going to go to the frats."
People playing pool agreed - Collis was a place where they started their night, not finished it.
"I think there should be more tables," Bryan Kim '95 said between shots. Collis "is definitely not great ... it's not a significant improvement."
Sateia said Collis is still in the "embryonic state," where it could become one of many things.
"It's going to take a while before [students] see it's here for them to take ownership for our own social life," she said. "It's not going to be handed to them on a platter."
Some students agreed, saying that Collis did fulfill their requirements as another social outlet on campus.
"It is a wonderful place. Everyone on campus now has some alternative to the frats," Trevor Burgess '94 said. "It's certainly not a panacea, but it's helping a lot of people to find a niche ... It's a great creation of safe space, everyone can feel safe here."
Rey Rittner, the manager of Lone Pine, said students have had very favorable reactions to the opening of the pub. Indeed, if the Friday night crowd was any indication, Rittner is right - the tavern was at capacity level all night.
"They love it," he said. "I've gotten so much positive feedback about the pub and about me that I feel like I'm a gift from above. I really enjoy the space."
But Rittner said the majority of people who go to the tavern on Friday and Saturday nights are over 21 - students who do not need to go to the Greek houses in order to be served alcohol.
The Lone Pine closed its doors at 1 a.m. Friday night, and the crowd of about 40 students filed out, some going to Friday Night Dance Club while others headed to the fraternities.
And then at 2 a.m., the doors to Collis closed. Fraternities still have the option of remaining open until all hours of the morning. Some house parties don't even start until 1 a.m.
"I go to the frats for my social life," Nate Morgan '94 said while leaving Lone Pine.
