With new specials, extended hours and a ban on alcohol shots, the 1862 Lounge gives and takes away.

One of many changes within the Lounge has to deal with the hours of operation. Siera Ramirez, manager of the 1862 Lounge, has made the Lounge open more consistently by expanding its hours. It is now open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to midnight and Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The Lounge is also open for all away football games. Ramirez has been streaming the games on a smart screen, allowing students that are unable to attend the game in person to come together and support the Muskies.

Besides the change of hours, the Lounge also has multiple new specials, such as offering tacos on Tuesdays, during which the Lounge is open from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and wings on Wednesdays on alternate weeks. There is also a special of pizza and a pitcher of beer for two meal swipes on Thursdays as well as specials that change hourly on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Lounge is also going through the change of no longer offering shots. Bryan Bain, Dean of Students and Title IX coordinator, decided to implement this change because shots are “not consistent with promoting responsible decisions related to the consumption of alcohol.”

His decision was supported and informed by various data, such as “researchers estimate that college student drinking each year results in about: 1,825 student deaths from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, 696,000 students being assaulted by another student who has been drinking, and 97,000 students reporting alcohol-related sexual assaults or date rapes.”

He also “observed an increase in inappropriate behavior (e.g., vandalism, noise issues, misconduct, etc.) and saw higher levels of over consumption of alcohol during the time in which shots were available at the Pub.”

After backing up his decision with data, Bain said, “I support the existence of the Pub in the 1862 Lounge. I also support providing campus community members who are 21 or older an option for gathering and responsibly enjoying alcoholic beverages. Shots, however, perpetuate the opposite, which is why I discontinued their availability on campus.”

As the Lounge is going through multiple changes, Ramirez hopes that more people start taking advantage of the Lounge as it is “not fully utilized.” She wants the Lounge to be “a place for the students.” If students want an event to take place in the Lounge, they just have to ask.