Broad Street Downtown Market and Tavern will be adding a student planning team to plan and host events for Thursday nights in the Underground. The team will be composed of at least five Hillsdale College students who will collaborate to create a wide variety of events for students of all ages. Events will be held on Thursday nights; an ideal choice for Broad Street because of its availability, but Friday and Saturday night events are also likely.
In the past, opportunities for Hillsdale students to get involved with local businesses were limited, Career Services assistant director John Quint said. Within the past year, a desire for student involvement arose in Broad Street, which Quint noticed. Broad Street’s Underground brimmed with possibilities; it included an accessible bar, spacious open floor, and stage.
“The management staff of Broad Street is just there for support,” Quint said. “They want college students to have a sense of ownership in the Underground.”
This means Broad Street is offering students the chance to experience and practice marketing, promoting, planning, and hosting events. The committee of students will also have the discretion as to whether or not they will host 21-and-over events, as well as discretion in choosing how to market and the dates they set for each event, according to Broad Street management.
Limited guidance from the management was a decision made in part by Broad Street entertainment manager, Ryan Hudson. Prior to joining Broad Street in September, Hudson worked for the Dawn Theatre, a popular spot that has hosted past student events such as Hillsdale Greek Life’s annual Mock Rock. From his experience at the theatre, Hudson saw that student vision was necessary if Broad Street was to become better connected with the college.
“We need people in tune with what the students want, and who knows better than students themselves?” Hudson said. “The main idea is we want to get students more involved.”
Broad Street has already made itself available for student employment, but the addition of a student planning team will broaden the involvement of local businesses with the college. One applicant, junior Michael Beley, is optimistic about the budding committee. As a finance major and social chair for Sigma Chi, he already has ideas about the events Broad Street could host.
“We could do something for March Madness, the Kentucky Derby…and possibly a dance for Valentine’s Day,” Beley said. Beley also said he’d want to host an event for 21-and-over crowd in the form of a beer pong tournament. Beley, along with the other applicants and the management of Broad Street, look forward to engaging the rest of the college with the community. Final applicants were chosen Feb. 1 — names have yet to be released. Broad Street hopes to have its first official student-run event by Feb. 18, but further planning will determine the exact date.
