Students tired of beer-drenched eating club taprooms and DJ Bob may want to experience the BlackBox in Wilson College, touted as the "Princeton's first legitimate nightclub."
"It looks like a club you'd go to in Philly or New York," said Professor Marguerite Browning, Master of Wilson College.
Once just a venue for student performers, BlackBox is now promoting itself as a trendy hangout for student revelers. It debuts tonight at 10:30 p.m. and will feature hip-hop and house music, said Raphael Corkhill '07, London DJ and BlackBox musical director.
"This is still the early stages, so there's no definitive schedule, but it's all going to have an eclectic feel to it," Corkhill added.
The club will serve an assortment of snacks and beverages, including drinks donated by Red Bull.
Browning thought of establishing a dance club in October because she wanted to provide students with a fun atmosphere.
"I had this idea at the beginning of the year that there just weren't enough places for people to go in Princeton," she said. "No jazz clubs, no nightclubs, no dance clubs, in Princeton the town. That just isn't typical for a college town. Most college towns have lots and lots of places where people can go."
The BlackBox receives funding from the five colleges and is not affiliated with the University Alcohol Initiative.
"I just thought it would be nice to start to introduce some variety into the Princeton social scene," Browning said.
Planning for the BlackBox began in mid-January, after Browning received approval and funding from the University. A group of students took on the planning of the club.
"My idea was that it should be student-run," Browning said. "I said to them, 'Make a dance club.'"
Whether or not the BlackBox will be a permanent feature at Princeton will also depend on how students respond. It is currently scheduled for Fridays from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
Some questioned whether Street alternatives such as the BlackBox would appeal to students.
"If people want to go dancing, I think they'll go to the Street; I don't think they'll go to the Blackbox," said Safiyy Momen '07.
"[I] know that things like this need some time to build up a little momentum," Browning said. "[This] is definitely going to happen for the spring semester. At the end of the semester we will evaluate if this is something that is adding to the Princeton social life. If it is, what I hope is that we'll get additional funding from the University."
While the BlackBox may expand in the future, with additions such as a backstage area for food, the club will currently focus on music and dancing. Browning said that the student organizers were given a fund large enough to occasionally hire live music.
"I know they're focusing on student DJs to give people on campus a chance to see what they can do," she added.
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