Willy’s Pub closes for remainder of the semester
Graduating seniors may have enjoyed their last taste of cheap beer at Willy’s Pub at Pub Night yesterday, with Pub closing for public events for the semester beginning today.
General Manager Katie Mackall said the board of Valhalla and Willy’s Permits, Inc., a nonprofit holding corporation that oversees Pub, informed the management team this morning that the student-run business would have to close for the remainder of the semester. At this point, Mackall said management is not at liberty to disclose the reason for the closure.
Mackall said previously scheduled events and external sales can still take place; however, Pub cannot organize any new events or sales.
“The direction that we have received is that events that are not open to the general public and have already been organized can still happen,” Mackall, a McMurtry College junior, said. “Because no events have been run by the board so far, I cannot speak to specific events happening at this time or not.”
The V&W Board will meet Monday afternoon to discuss Pub’s status for the rest of the semester, according to B.J. Almond, Rice’s senior director of news and media relations .
“We will reveal what we can when we can if we can and are here for the students but again, currently cannot reveal much information,” Mackall said. “We are sorry for the effect on the student body and want to keep people in the loop but are not able to do so at this time.”
Article will be updated as the story develops.
More from The Rice Thresher
Startup incubator unveiled in Ion District
The Rice Nexus in the Ion building was opened to the public Feb. 14. The Nexus will assist selected faculty, student and alumni startups with office space and industry mentorship, free of charge.
Rice testifies for lawsuit against ‘devastating’ federal funding cuts
Rice joined 70 other universities supporting a lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health, which may reduce research funding by billions of dollars. A Feb. 7 NIH memo announced a drastic cut to indirect costs, which covers overhead for research institutions; including funding for lab spaces, water and power bills and paying subcontractors, according to testimony from Provost Amy Ditmtar.
‘Collateral damage’: Houston’s top horn musician allegedly harassed Rice students for decades. And the school knew.
Rice University’s famed horn professor William VerMeulen abruptly retired last spring amid a swirl of sexual misconduct allegations. But dozens of students and industry insiders say “the administration has known for 30 years” — and failed to act.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.