Gallery • 11 Photos

Joe Berrouard

Much to the delight of the AIC community, the Stinger reopened its doors on Thursday, January 14 at four o’clock in the afternoon for its grand opening.

Well-known and loved across AIC, the Stinger is located down below the newly remodeled Dining Commons and is open to all.

After the campus bar was closed all of last semester, it has finally opened and already had few events take place there. After Thursday’s big opening with free food, there was a karaoke event on Friday the 15th, the NFL playoff games shown that weekend on Saturday/Sunday, as well as a mind reader on Saturday evening and a wing eating contest on Sunday afternoon.

During the week there were game nights, including Scattergories and Bingo, organized by Power and P.R.I.D.E, two student organizations.

Going back in time, the original Stinger was established 11 years ago in 2005 when AIC President Vincent Maniaci was hired to run the campus.

Brian O’Shaughnessy, Dean of Students and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, explained how the Stinger was invented and how it has developed over the years.

“Back in 2005, faculty and staff members would not eat in the same dining room as all the students, as they had their own faculty dining room,” O’Shaughnessy said.

“Once Vince became president, he said that all people, students and staff, should eat together. Therefore he planned to create a campus pub in the opened-up space, where people could meet and socialize,” continued O’Shaughnessy.

“The interior was mostly decorated with rustic AIC athletic memorabilia. At the end of 2014, with all the renovations occurring on campus, the idea of change came up and we started to plan the new Stinger,” O’Shaughnessy explained.

The campus pub is a spot for students and faculty members to meet up.

Zachary Beaver, Director of Engagement, Leadership and International Student Life, talked about the whole new idea of the Stinger.

“For the most part, the Stinger is about programming. The renovation pointed out the lack of programming, so we created the Stinger crew, which is responsible to organize weekly events, just like karaoke or trivia,” Beaver said.

The hours of operation are Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Fridays to Mondays from 5 to 11 p.m.

“Thursday is the faculty and staff day. It’s kind of a tradition. That’s why the Stinger will be open longer that day,” Beaver said.

Maniaci had some time to get an impression of the new Stinger in action.

“People will see me there as much as possible,” Maniaci promised.  “I want to be as visible as I can be with our students. Getting to know our students gives the opportunity to provide support and guidance.  At the end of the day, this matters most to me. It is why I love AIC.”

Serving drinks on a college campus also means responsibility, of course.

“I really hope that students will use the pub appropriately. If so, the hours of operation might change. We will need some experience first,” O’Shaughnessy said.

Beaver explained this concept further.

“Of course there will be some rules for the Stinger. Although everyone is allowed to enter since the main idea is programming, the drinking age will still be 21+. To enter, students need to show their student IDs plus a government ID if they plan to drink alcohol. Moreover, there are no open containers as well as any kind of bags allowed. This should help to keep people safe,” Beaver said.

Beaver made it clear that anyone “who violates these rules won’t be allowed in this space anymore.”

But what do students think about the opening?

Marisa Najarian, a junior RA, attended most of the events in the Stinger since the opening on Thursday the fourteenth.

“I think the programming down there is A+. There are so many different events going on that everyone can find something. It’s a great place to meet up with your friends,” Najarian said.

There will be more great events going on in the Stinger. Check out The Weekly Buzz emails for updates about all the events going on down at the Stinger. If there are any new ideas for programming, please contact the Stinger crew or the Center for Student Engagement.