The bar scene here at the University makes up a good amount of campus culture. Because students only need to be 19 to enter, and there are few restrictions for drinking underage in most of them, bars have been an essential place for undergraduates to hang out. That is, until now.

The first change that broke news was when Scott Cochrane, owner of The Red Lion, Firehaus and The Clybourne, bought KAM’s from Eric Meyer. Meyer grew KAM’s to be the historic bar it is: puddles of spilled drinks everywhere, the Alma Mater painting on the wall and its iconic KAM’s smell let undergraduates feel like they were in a bar that actually has some history.

Ever since Cochrane bought KAM’s, there has been discussion about whether it will be torn down and redone or turned into luxury apartments. These high rise apartments — ones like 309 Green, HERE. and Skyline Tower — are popping up all over campus at a rapid rate. They are lucrative for the owners because most are marketed as luxury student living and have a high rent compared with the average student apartment.

Student apartments are where the money is at, and it seems Cochrane is following the path of a businessman. While this might not be the path alumni and current students support, it’s a respectable one nonetheless.

More news broke about the other Cochrane-owned bars. It was announced that both Firehaus and Cly’s will be closing in early September, turning into student apartments with the possibility of having one or both of the bars return.

This is a loss for the student body. Firehaus was a great restaurant and bar to go to with friends or visiting family, and Cly’s hosted the classic Tuesday Wine Night. With these two closing, there are really only three bars left that most undergraduates will go to: KAM’s, The Red Lion and Joe’s Brewery. They become overly crowded especially on the weekend; however, this does open up opportunities for those bars to take over events like Wine Night and become better businesses.

Even though I’m saddened by the loss of these bars because I loved to hang out at them, I understand that losing only two places to party at an already huge party school is not the end of the world. But I am concerned and interested in what the future bar scene is going to become at the University. It may die out and more students turn to apartment parties, possibly even parties in the new high rises.

Looking at the future, it has come to light that the new business move is building student apartments with a bar underneath it. The new Illini Inn has just opened and it follows that same format of having apartments on top and the bar on the first level.

The new Illini Inn looks beautiful and put together, but it looks out of place on Fourth and Daniel streets and almost feels like it has lost its character.

It is clear these changes are based on profit and accommodating the increasing enrollment. I am curious to see in the future how the new high rises are maintained, whether there will be new bars opened, or if enough students fill all these luxury spaces.

Sometimes change for a community is good, and to be honest, we’ll adjust to the changes and still party at bars as we always have been. Most of the incoming freshmen this year will not even know what they missed with The Clybourne and Firehaus, and by the time they’re seniors, those names will just be something of the past.

Jaime is a junior in LAS.

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