The halcyon days when thousands of students would squeeze into Charles Sturt University Bathurst's Rafters Bar appear to be well and truly over, which confirmation the on-campus bar is now all but closed.
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The much-loved Rafters Bar has a long and colourful history as the hub of students' social lives but it's also been in decline in recent years, none more so than 2020 as the COVID-19 outbreak forced a campus lockdown.
CSU's deputy vice-chancellor Jenny Roberts confirmed the decision to limit the opening of Rafters Bar even further this week, a far cry from busier times when lines seemingly stretched for kilometres and large-scale events were held weekly.
She said more students choosing to study online with less being based on-campus was a large factor in the decision.
"There has been quite a shift in the way people study due to technology and personal commitments such as work and family, and we are always looking first and foremost to meet the needs of students," Ms Roberts explained.
"Social activities on campus are always a big part of university life, but especially after a difficult year in 2020 we have had to make some tough decisions.
"Currently the uni bar will only be open when actual events are planned instead of every week."
With only a handful of events already planned, like 'Paint and Pour' and 'Bingo and Trivia with Betty Confetti', it appears the decision could mean very limited offerings as Rafters Bar continues to compete with downtown venues.
That's nothing new though, students of yesteryear will remember the rise of DK Pool Club and Cheeky Tuesdays, both of which overtook the uni bar in popularity in the mid-noughties. The former, at least, did stop operations in late 2019 though.
Ms Roberts said it would be vital for student clubs and organisations to plan, promote and support events at the uni bar for it to remain open.
"Obviously Rafters is in competition with venues downtown, so we are hoping students come up with a good range of events whether it is live music, comedy or other events that they would enjoy and be successful," she said.
There are currently 572 new students commencing on-campus study at CSU in Bathurst, along with approximately 600 returning students enrolled on-campus.
However, the total number of students registered as living on campus this year is significantly lower at 450.
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