Cheater’s is too close, too crude and too controversial in nomenclature. From the all-female wait staff to the outrageous promotions – such as “Free ‘til You Pee” – the bar is off the charts in just about every way since it changed from Laclede Street Bar and Grill.

For a bar so close to an academic environment, Cheater’s will elicit harsh responses to the way it has taken everything to the extremes. It is hard to tell where the criticism begins.

For starters, the name, no matter how you take it, is contradictory and unfitting in a collegiate environment. Whether it is a sleazy derivative of the reality television show or an allusion to the University’s academic dishonesty policy, the name “Cheater’s” is both attractive to passersby and at the same time threatening to the students’ scholastic culture.

In any form, “Cheating” will not resonate well with the University community or the administration. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. Upon entering the bar (or restaurant), students will notice the all-female wait staff and immediately wonder why.

Likewise, with promotions such as “Deals for Heels” and “25 Cent Pitchers,” the impression Cheater’s leaves for the customers is not that of a sophisticated college restaurant and bar. In short, Cheater’s does appear like the place to illuminate the college students’ nightlife. While these promotions may be good marketing strategies, they are unnecessary, extreme and a few too many. They introduce a culture that is contradictory to that of a university and to that promised by a college bar.

After the closing of Laclede’s, a new bar, polished, but with the same elements, good food and good service would have attracted a large enough crowd without appearing vulgar and desperate for customers.

Excessive amounts of free drinks and a catchy name in a college bar do not enrich the students’ nightlife. For better or worse, they are extraneous elements in the college experience. Good food, friendship and a warm and welcoming atmosphere are, and have always been, the epitome of college life and tradition. Unfortunately, Cheater’s does not promise this.