By KERI ANNE FOX
Associate Online Editor
 

Christened "The Ronj" for the intense color of its painted walls, The Ronj had a successful opening day. The festivities started at 4 p.m. with faculty performers. With exclamations of "ooh" and "ahh" students wound their way through the old house on Frye Street sipping their cappucinos, admiring the performance area with a permanent stage, falling in love with Fresh Samantha Juices, and appreciating the upper area studies as they nursed their opening day free coffee. (I went to the "Marlboro Room", the downstairs smoking lounge, and smoked an inaugural cigarette.)

Sarah Potter, the first performer, sang traditional folk songs, offered wry commentary and encouraged the audience to sing along. She also did a great imitation of a cappucino maker..

"You know it's an honor and delight," she remarked about her being the first performer.

John Smedley, associate professor of physics, and Michael Hansen followed. Smedley and Hansen offered up a great jazz performance with Smedley on guitar and Hansen on percussion.

This proved to be a halfway time as faculty and staff found their way home and students left to fulfill their miscellaneous obligations.

All was quiet at The Ronj. Until about 8:45 p.m., at which point those of us who had just been hanging out and enjoying the atmosphere, got to witness firsthand a population boom in action.

It was time for the evening performances.

With a maximum occupancy in the forties, and the audience doubling that, people crowded into the performance room to hear and watch a variety of performances.

Among the performers were the traditional acts: the Crosstones, making everyone laugh and giggle, the Merimanders, showing an increasingly improved stage presence and sound (since my first year at least), and the Deansmen impressing the audience with the power of their voices.

Following these a capella groups was a musical conversation between a trumpet and a guitar, an open poetry reading, and the Strange Bedfellows. At midnight Pope L. performed a piece and after, Leo Willis '98 finished the night some deejaying.

The Ronj is already taking steps to fulfill its potential of being a spot for Batesies to hang out, relax, work their butts off, and get a caffeine buzz while doing so.