University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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O a gm - jeff Schotland City's Private Clubs Popular he Lawrence community offers a variety of social entertain- ment, and quite popular among the col- lege students is meeting friends at the local private clubs. Private clubs have been around for several years, and just as the students have come and gone and changed with the times, so have these clubs changed to fit the crowds. Three of Lawrence's most frequented clubs are the Mad Hatter, Gammons, and Sgt. Preston's of the North. Each of these clubs has a special quality of its own and offers KU students and mem- bers of the community a different atmo- sphere to suit their preferences on a ni ht out on the town. The Mad Hatter, 700 New Hampshire, has been around for several years, origi- natin in 1966. Although its appearance has changed since bein remodeled in 1979, the general friendly atmosphere has remained the same over the years. The Hatter was one of the first private clubs in Lawrence to attract the students, and it is one of the only clubs that has continued to keep the student clientele. Owner Jim Pender feels a precedent has been set b older brothers and sisters who have told' stories about their good old days at the Hatter. And once a stu- dent visits the bar, meets a few familiar faces, relaxes in the easygoing atmo- sphere, and begins part ing with friends, he develops stories of, his own to tell that keep peo le coming back. Although the clrub has been predomi- nantly Greek over the years, Fender feels the atmosphere has made everyone feel at home and has contributed to the close- ness and rntermmglrng of all students Entertainment is provided by a DJ who plays a variety of music including many songs from the popular Top 40 hits This music is especrall appreciated by those who choose to ance on the small dance floor Occasionally a live band is brought in to perform The greatest aspect of the Hatter rs knowing that one can almost always run into a friendly, familiar face. With this type of close relationship among stu- dents, the Hatter is boun to be around for many years. One of the newer clubs, Gammons, has quickly becorne one oltlgmost pop- ular night spots in town. H Gammons, in the Southern Hills Mall on 23rd Street, was designed with a disco nightclub background and was present- ed with a sophisticated atmosphere. Owner Mike Kirsch said he wanted a classy establishment, and he chose Law- rence because he was impressed with the caliber of people here. A wide variety of entertainment, in- cluding Backgammon and Pente board games, music and dancing and constant projections displayed on a huge screen gives patrons versatility while socializ- in . Music is supplied by a disc jocke offering a broad mixture to cator to afl preferences. Gammons also cffers a menu containin dishes such as ham- burgers and Ries, steak, chicken, shrimp, and all kinds of fried ve etables. At first Gammons attracteg a pre- dominantly older crowd, but now stu- dents are 75 to 80 percent of the clientele. Gammons tries to cator to students since Lawrence is a college town. The club door is presented in KU crimson and blue, the lightin overhead is also red and blue, and Jaihawks are amon the images projected on the south wai throughout the evening. But Gammons does not like to dis- criminate. Those who o erate the club try to make everyone wellcome by offer- ing them a sophisticated yet comfortable atmosphere in which to visit with friends. ' Kirsch has high hopes for Gammons. In fact, he intends to expand and add a restaurant for both public and private dining. Sgt. Preston's, in Lawrence for only two years, has quickly become associated with the college community. Just a block from the Hatter, Preston's isbasically visited by the townspeople but has also become ver popular among many stu- dents and their parents. One of Preston's main attractions is the special attention iven to alumni on game days. The bar offers free transpor- tation by bus to and from all home games. This gives alums a nice place to eat and drink before and after the games without worrying about parking hassles at the games. This feature of Preston's kee s stu- dents and their families in touci with university life even after they have graduate . It is this quality that will make S t. Preston's one of the most memoraile clubs in Lawrence. Each of these private clubs, alone with several others, has contributed to the ac- tive social life of college students, and each club has its own unique qualities that distin' uishes it as a traditional part of life at the University of Kansas Pam Seuferling 7 X SW I V n e 4 J g . . ' .H . l . gl N x 1--1, .-H M K. if In A . - . . ' , . QS ...t V up l f ' 1 1. . 1 f uf, . . , ' - ' - . I ' l t 4 37' 371' ,MX M io- hh., FJ X get 11 'W I -1 1 1 J- ,.,, -f I-. . .A 'iff' ' f f ' f I ff x . 'I :U L 1.-ff.. .-tuna, N V Y V fx- 1 V Y YYYWWw, ' -lf ! ,.v, - Y WY Y Ynn Y Y . A - x 'N . H V -9 S' V9

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wait to get inside. Photos by jeff Schotland Crowds Find Wheel Unique ne of the first things a stranger in town might notice about the Wagon Wheel Cafe is the pizza parlow directly below it. But most KU students hear about the Wheel as soon as they get to Lawrence, if not before. This notoriety among students could be due to the Iayhawks painted on the bar's walls, or the fact that the bar sits less than two blocks from campus. Or bartender Jeff Siebeos could be right about why the Wheel is so popular when he says, I'm a tradition. Whatever the reason, the Wheel is definitely a favorite among Jayhawks past and present. Talk to the Greeks, and nine out of ten will name the Wheel as one of their hottest hangouts. If the bar's doors are open, members of KU's fraternities and sororities are there. Dee Dee Leach, Independence sophomore, calls the wall-to-wall, sweatshirted, top-sider footed, Izod-wearing, bandana-bearing crowd ultra conservative pre . The Wheel even offers as a standard order the Kappa burger. Patrons of the bar remember it after they leave Lawrence, and they tell others about their good times. Tom Steider, Overland Park junior, heard about the Wheel from his father. He grew up with the Wheel, Steider says, almost seriously. He became an alcoholic, and I decided to follow in his footsteps. Graduate students like the place, too. Doug 'Egbert is working on his MBA and still goes to the Wheel for cheap beer and good times. He received news about the bar in Dighton, Kansas. We started coming here when we were in high school for KU - K-State games, he says. And ever since then . . . Katherine Seymore, Wichita freshman, heard about the bar from older brothers and sisters. And Tammy Lawrence, also a freshman, knew about the Wheel long before she came to school at school at KU. I was in high school, and a friend of mine brought me here, she says. I was fifteen. Brinker Harding from Okoboji, Iowa, doesn't go to the Wheel to drink. Leona, the cook, makes the best specials in town, he claims, It's my home away from home. I'm down here every day. The Wheel's daily kitchen specials are well known. So are the 254 draws sold from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Monday through Thursday. Although there are no specials on Friday afternoons, or on Saturdays after football games, these are traditionally the Wheel's most crowded times. The specials, the crowds, the Hawks on the walls - all have a charm unique to the Wheel. And as long as the University lasts, so will these time-honored customs. Shayla Williams At left, students and their parents celebrate Dad's Weekend after the KU football team s victory over Colorado. Below, Wheel patrons

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XPJ- ff' W X il Eli K vi ,i 5 E o . t , 1 X 1 The Life ofthe Party History Distiinguishes Opera House ne of the oldest and most unique buildings in Lawrence is the Lawrence Opera House. The pre- sent structure, which is the third build- ing located on the site at the corner of Seventh and Massachusetts, was built in 1912 and has been a series of businesses before becoming the O era House. May- be it's part ofthe building's history that makes the Opera House such a popular place to visit: , The first of the three buildings was built in 1854 fthe same year Lawrence was foundedj but was burned to the ground' in 1863.,Later, in 1869, a brick 'uilding was built at the same location, and it servedas a meat market until early in the 1870's 'when it ac uired the name of Liberty Hall. This Cbuilding served as an entertainment center and was used for many social and political atherin s In 1885, the buildin was iought V JD. Bowersock, one ofgLawrence's most influential mayors, who converted the three floors into the Bowersock Opera House. The Opera House presented stu- dlents andtownspeople with shows of comedy, tra ed , and drama until fire claimed the iuillding in 1911. iBowersock promised to build a new, fireproof structure, which he did in 1912. This structure, then the Bowersock The- again sold and used as a warehouse. One of the Opera House's greatest eras was the late 1960s and early 1970s when the building was bought by Mike Murfin' and John Brown' and named The Red Do This new building be- gan featuring live acts with both nation- ally known and regional talent. Some of the more popular grou s that appeared at the Red Dog during this pe- riod inclYxdE:l'I'ke-Sr--Tinal'ner, Fleetwood Mac, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, while some of the local grou s in- cluded The Flippers, Spider ans the Crabs, and White Clover, which later wentt on to become Kansas. News of these great forms of enter- tainment quickly 'spread throughout the Midwest, making The Red Dog'? one of the most famous entertainment houses in the area. This great trend continued until the early 1970s when Murfin and Brown sold the building. Once again the Opera House was sold several times and iven new names such as Bugsy's, The great American Music Hall, and the Free State Opera House, but none of these businesses lasted for any length of time. , In 1977, the structure became the Law- rence Opera House and has remained so up to the' present. The building has un- dergone rnuch restoration an renova- The building is divided into 'three floors, with strictly 3.2 beer available on the main floor, a private bar serving li- quor on the balcony, and a private club with stereo music and games, known as the 7th Spirit Club, in the basement. Under the present mana ement of Curtis Reinhardt, the Opera Fiouse still tries to maintain a variety of music that attracts all factions of the public. Some of the shows that have appeared over the year include Doc Severenson, Maynard Ferguson, The Secrets, Jasper, Kelley Hunt and the Kenetics and many more. Reinhardt thinks the building's histo- ry and it's unique form of entertainment have made the Opera House what it is today. He says its greatest charm is the aesthetic feeling that vibrates through a person while sitting amidst a full crowd and listening to the music as it's playing. Although the Opera House has been put up for sale, and no one knows for sure what future lies ahead for it, Rein- hardt feels that the building could re- main a part of the Lawrence community. Its memories will definitely linger among the many people who have lived in Lawrence for any length of time or to anyone who has ever been touched by the.music that has eminated from the building known as the Lawrence Opera atre, is the same building that stands to- House. day as the Lawrence Opera House. tion to helprkeep it in it's historical state The Opera'l-louse changed hands -sev- and to keep it ooking much as it has Pam Seuferling eral more times, .becomin f the Dickin- since 1912. , ' S0nTheatre in 1928 and The Jayhawker The Opera House has attracted stu- . in 1939. Diiring- these times the estab- dent interest again, being one ofthe only lishmentspfeatured rimarily films. until entertainment houses inftown featuring I in the late 1950's.wgen the building was live music four to six nights a week. , . 1 if