A Tradition Throughout the Decades!

Whether it be pinning your dollar bill to the ceiling, celebrating your 21st birthday, participating in “Dads & Grads", revisiting during Grand Reunion Weekend, or enjoying “Two for Tuesday’s” on a student budget, many of us have a story from The Hut (or 2…100) that shaped part of our Santa Clara experience.

We invite you to share your memories, submit your photos and we will post them for all Broncos to enjoy.

   

Check out The Hut in 360°

 

Yearbook Memories

Commemorative Painting

Do you have great memories of The Hut like so many other Broncos? Studio Art major Nikki Dully ’20 created a commemorative painting, and now you can own a little piece of Bronco history. Proceeds support student learning, visual arts programming, and scholarships for student research.

Get your very own canvas or archival print framed or unframed by ordering online today!

 

The Hut on Instagram

See more Instagram photos at The Hut »

Your Memories

“Had an amazing time reminiscing at The Hut during the SCU Men's Soccer Alumni Weekend in 2014."

Left to right: Adam Saucedo, Ryan Purtell, Ryan Cochrane, Matt Upton, Keith DeVey, Will Weatherly, Ryan Wolfe, Jason Cunliffe, Kellen Gilmore, Zach Knight, Jeff Scott, Anthony Valdez, Kirk Fonseca, Alex Tablin-Wolf, Bridget Murphy, Dominic Doty

MATT UPTON ’04

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“My husband and I got married at Mission Church, held our reception at Adobe Lodge, and fittingly after-partied at The Hut. Lots of fond memories.”

ROBYN BAHENA, SCU LAW ’11

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“I have so many fond memories of the Hut... listening to Bing Crosby sing White Christmas on the juke box before finals, being denied re-entry because the bouncer thought I was too inebriated, having a beer after dropping my son off for his freshman year at SCU. My fondest memory, however, took place after an intra-mural volleyball loss my senior year.  We had lost our final game so we went to the Hut early in the day, around 4 pm. The place was empty. We finished our first pitcher and ordered a second. The owner at the time, Gary Hoffman, a former SCU football player told us to go fill the pitcher ourselves. Sounds dumb, but it was so cool to go back behind the bar and pour my own pitcher of beer. The Hut deserves protective cultural status!”

JOE ALLEGRETTI ’86

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"Dads & Grads" with my son, Bob, and his friends, plus dads, in June 2006. I hope my dollar bill and business card are still on the ceiling."

JOE PFAHNL ’71

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"Proud to have joined in the tradition of pinning a dollar to the wall on graduation day!"

STEFANI BOROS ’16

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“Two words: Swedish meatballs.” 

JOSEPH MACH ’95

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“The Hut!  Back in the late '60s it was one of just a few "saloons" in town where no matter your age (within reason), if you could belly up to the bar with the appropriate amount of change, you could get a beer. Being in the last class to board in Kenna Hall, some 2nd floor "inmates" and I would I periodically sneak out after curfew - shimming down the gutter downspouts - and head off to either Lord John's or The Hut for a nightcap. The Hut would open early in the morning to the door knocking of some alcohol dependent locals and progress through the day to serve Broncos and others. And, of course, graduation always began with a Bloody Mary or Screwdriver (and more) before heading off in cap 'n' gown to collect our diplomas. Farewell, noble friend.”

BOB LABOZETTA ’69 

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"Went there for a beer before my wedding at the Mission in 1986 and before the rehearsal dinner in the Mission Garden's the night before (yes, no drinks an hour before communion).  Best memory is my brother's bachelor party on campus the same year. We got kicked off campus for obvious reasons. My cousin had past out and did a face plant before we retired to the Hut.  We couldn't bring him in so we [put him in] the back seat of a car....[until the bleeding stopped]! He eventually woke up and joined us for last call in the Hut!  I know that all sounds primitive but at the time it made a lot of sense and was pretty funny!
Ahhhh, the Hut!  So sad!"

BILL KARLESKIND ’84

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"I finally put my first dollar bill up in 2012--three years after I graduated from SCU. So many memories, new friendships and fun time had at The Hut."

HALEY KAPRIELIAN ’09

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"Not proud of this, but one reunion - perhaps my 5 year in 1988, I drove my 1969 Peugeot 504 from the stadium to the Hut with about 5 people hanging out of the sunroof. A plainclothes cop was right behind me. He pulled me over directly across the street from the Hut and told all the others to scram... They all went into the Hut, declaring that Paul was walking the line and the entire bar emptied to watch the show. (He let me off with a warning and said to leave the car there overnight)."

PAUL MCDONALD ’83

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"After two years in McLaughlin, a year at The Alameda, it was time to move off campus. But we were definitely on a budget. Looking nearby, walking distance, we found an apartment on Parker Court, just off Lafayette past the Southern Pacific rail line underpass. A kind of ragged part of town, a ragged sort of apartment. But The Hut fit right into the ambiance...we could, and did, walk to The Hut in just a few minutes."

MATT O'BRIEN ’73

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"Countless memories at the hut! I guess I was having too much fun back in the day to photograph them. But this one is my husband and groomsmen before our wedding.  Thank goodness they all made it to the mission in time for the ceremony."

MARY GRACE KETTMANN ’84

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"I arrived in the fall of 1949 as an incoming freshman, was housed in McKenna Hall, then the freshman dorm, and met Pat Malley, who was to be my roommate for the next four years. As part of our freshman orientation, we were told in no uncertain terms, that we were forbidden to go into any establishment within a three-mile radius of the campus that served beer or liquor. But there, like a beacon in a lighthouse, stood the Hut (it was then called the Maui Hut), just across the El Camino. It was not long before some of us decided to test that prohibition and venture across to the Hut. Inside were bare floors, a bit of netting on the wall, a few posters, no knob on the men's room door, and beer only served in bottles. To our surprise when we went in were also sophomores, juniors, and seniors. To forestall any surprise by an aggressive Jesuit, we always designated one of the group to look through the blinds and alert us if there was a likelihood of a visit by one of the faculty. That, in fact, occurred every now and then, and when the alarm was given, we all burst through the back door and dispersed into the neighborhood before one of the Jesuits managed to get through the front door. The class of 1953 spent a lot of hours and money in the Maui Hut because of that 3-mile limit was never changed during our four years on campus. For us, it was a welcome oasis from the tight discipline imposed upon us in the 1950s and even today, many years later, the place still resonates as one of those secret, slightly forbidden pleasures that helped the Class of 1953 cope with the many restrictions placed upon us by the University. Many good memories and I hope the current students have something like the Hut to spread their wings a bit and enjoy a beer out of the bottle."

BILL WIEAND ’53

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"[F]irst DJ sets were done at the HUT. Pic shows DJ Shatterbrained in concert August 2009."

MATT LIGHTNER ’06

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"Playing pool with Professor Graham Douthwaite, Trusts and Estates, and imitating his classroom persona, he didn't like it. The rest is just a blur."

PHIL GRIEGO, SCU LAW ’77

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"Celebrating Xochitl's 21st Bday!!!"
XOCHITL MIJANGOS ’13

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"Time: A couple of hours before midnight - St Patrick's Day - March 17th, 1954. The free day in the middle of Lent, which ended at midnight.  The Alameda was still open, 4-way traffic signals red, yellow, and green kept us safe crossing to and from the campus. An unusual hot night, Pat was tending bar, to a packed house, including the two beautiful young ladies that open and closed the Bronco Corral. What better place to stay cool, than in crosswalks, the only danger was a green light. A great wise Irishman, lead the onslaught of bar stools and a few chairs, which were all neatly lined, equally spaced apart in the event of the need for a quick get away, in the Alameda crosswalk. Two - maybe three serving later, sirens and red lights were blaring, thanks be to the wise Irishman, who later in life became a Judge, with the bar stool and chair arrangement, everyone escaped. All that remained and now askew were the bar stools and chairs. I often wonder how Pat convinced the City of Santa Clara's finest to return the bar stools to their proper place inside the Hut. May God continue to bless all those who tipped one at - as we called it the 'Maui'."

VINCE VASCONI ’55

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"It was the place that all world issues, conflicts and problems were solved many times over by the optimistic, exuberant and somewhat naive student body... many fond memories - if I could remember them... many brain cells I'm sure, sacrificed to the greater cause of post-exam celebration... ad infinitum..."

PAUL VIANO ’79

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"3L year of law school, myself and some good friends created a band. We practiced every week for a semester and put together a set-list of about 8-10 cover songs. We played our only show on a Friday night at The Hut. It was easily the most fun I had during my time at SCU."

SAMUEL JAIN, SCU LAW ’13

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"How about the Friday pool games with the great Hustler, the Z man."

JOHN RINSET ’66

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"In the late '50's, SCU was still in the "loco parentis" made: the priest on each floor of the dorms would do a room check at 7:30 pm to be sure you were studying, and another check at 10 pm to be sure you were in bed, Many pillows were used under the covers to simulate bodies to fool the priests while the students snuck off to The Hut. But the priests were aware of such shenanigans and would occasionally raid The Hut to catch such miscreants. This led to everyone rushing to the windows to escape, or into the ladies room, thinking no priest would go there. Oh to taste those Singapore Slings again!"

BOB PFEIFFER ’53

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"So many memories... and I even remember most of them! But heading to The Hut after shows (theatre kid here) will top the list."

CHRISTY CHOW ’16

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"Some Class of ’72 English Majors will tell you they were so busy studying - and taking those much-needed breaks at the Bronco Corral-hourly - they didn’t make it over to The Hut. There were names of Greek gods to memorize, papers to write, boys to meet, floats to build, football and baseball games to attend and numerous social events to organize. However, my younger brother, a Bronco-for a-year (1978) was on campus the year of the shooting at The Hut. His big joke was “Hey, did you hear? They’re serving free shots in the back, at The Hut.” Last year, I went to The Hut after the Bronco Bench Red and White Event. It was packed with SCU sports fans. People had warned me that my feet would stick to the carpet. And they did. Good-bye, Hut, we hardly knew ye."

KERRY DALY ’72

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"We were so sad to hear about the Hut closing its doors. Bryan has many fond memories bartending there under beloved 'Coach'. Circa 2000-2002."

BRYAN and REBECCA FRANCESCONI ’02

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"I was the first student bartender at The Hut. I struck up a friendship with the owner at the time (Fred "Freddy" Klein, a paratrooper WW2 vet who fought for the German side) and he lamented over the fact that there were only a handful of students who patronized The Hut. At that time, The Hut was mostly serving employees of the nearby Southern Pacific freight yard and various bikers. Most Santa Clara students were afraid to step foot inside. Choppers and Hells Angels logos tend to put a chill on expanding commerce. I was introduced to The Hut by a wonderful girl (Tessie E.) who I was dating at the time. Tessie lived a few doors down and convinced me it was safe to go inside.

I assume it's OK to disclose that at the time I began visiting The Hut, I was not yet 21. When Fred offered me a job as a bartender to "bring in the students" I informed him we'd have to wait a few months until I turned 21. He chuckled and allowed me to stay. Shortly after my birthday, I began tending bar and word soon spread that there was a living, breathing student in The Hut. Some of my classmates began to venture in for a look. Many of my old friends from 3rd floor Dunne would come on for a peek. A friend (John B.) gave me a steel bar with a leather strap, "just in case". Other times it remained every bit the biker bar ... I witnessed things you might nowadays see on an episode of Breaking Bad. I saw my share of fights, blood, drugs, and weapons.

Through my naivety and the kindness of the patrons, I was taken under their collective wings, and had an unofficial protective order in place. Regardless of the mayhem which sometimes erupted on a weekend at 12:30 AM, I was off limits as I was the second youngest person in the bar (a regular patron named Suzie had a fake ID, I learned some time later she was all of 17).

Patrons of bars often pick up nicknames, and there were several: Wild Bill (Wild Turkey straight), Crazy Richard (Bud), Railroad Rick (Olympia Beer) and Little Stevie (Bud) to name a few, and yes that's what they drank. Before long, I was deemed "The Kid".  I doubt many of the patrons knew my first name. Favored patrons were given red nail polish painted coins for the jukebox - free music downloads(!) - painted because they were not to be counted as revenue by the jukebox servicing guy.

I remained at The Hut until graduation, at which time I left my job. The Hut was transitioning at that time, if memory serves me correctly it was in the process of being sold - one of the buyers was a Santa Clara football lineman who had a brief stint with the 49ers during the strike-shortened NFL season. The Hut was well on its way to becoming a full-fledged college bar.

As a point of clarification, the dollar bills and business cards were not on the ceiling or walls during my stay, that trend began after I left in 1983.

My only regret is not reconnecting with Freddie Klein after he had sold his business. He was an incredibly kind man - he went so far as to give me both a motorcycle and a Pontiac Trans-Am  similar to the type of car seen in the Burt Reynolds movie Smokey and the Bandit (I returned both gifts). May God Bless Freddie Klein and his wife Nellie. And farewell to The Hut."

MARK L. ’83

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"Dads and Grads at The Hut - 2006"

KATIE PAYER ’06

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"From ’69 to ’73---Frank & Vera's THE HUT (the "official name" back then)---a truly low-life shrine of a dive! The ultimate just-off-campus spot to hit and have Mel the bartender line em up. Shuffleboard, pool. For me, Zach, Muffman, and all our gang of Jesuit-educated derelicts, The Hut will forever occupy a cherished and [significant] place in our collective SCU history. Am so glad to have shared The Hut with my fellow classmates and with the many graduates to follow!"

TOM KANE ’73

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"Met my husband Michael Calcagno at the hut! We went back before our rehearsal at the Mission with the whole wedding party to reminisce and celebrate."

CATIE (LAWRENCE) CALCAGNO ’11

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"When I arrived at Santa Clara in the fall of 1960 I was assigned to O'Connor Hall. At the time The Ship (theater) still stood at the corner of Franklin and Lafayette. Adjacent to O'Connor at Alviso and Franklin was the gym. Montgomery Labs was behind The Ship on Lafayette in the area now occupied by the Mayer Theater. Between O'Connor and Montgomery Labs were 2 or 3 tennis courts (which were in unplayable condition) and "The Hut", which was the student union and presumably gained its name from the fact that it was indeed a Quonset hut. Pool tables yes, pub food yes, alcohol no. Not long thereafter 1) girls were admitted to Santa Clara, 2) new tennis courts were built across El Camino Real, and 3) Benson was built (among many other changes) and The Hut was removed. Sorry I have no photos but at the time I couldn't afford a camera... had to save my money for phone calls."

RAYMOND BECKER ’64

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"Dog Man, Singing Rugby songs and  getting kicked out for "LIFE" during my 30th anniversary. The fact that it now is closed takes the sting out of the sordid endeavor, but the place was a second library for me."

JOHN BARGERO ’86

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"I was a serious pre-med Biology major at SCU back in the days of no classes on Wednesdays. Well, except for Engineering and Science students who always had Wednesday labs. I turned 21 on a November Wednesday my senior year, but I wouldn't go out after midnight and celebrate with my friends because I had an Anatomy Lab Practical Exam at 8 am the next day. After the exam was over, my friend Kevin Sawyer, who was the teacher's assistant in the class, told the Professor - Dr. Frank Flaim that it was my 21st birthday. Dr. Flaim took everyone in the class who was 21 out for drinks at the Hut at 10 am that morning to celebrate. What a fun experience! I wasn't a big drinker and had never been in the Hut before. I was amazed at the people who were already there so early drinking seriously!"

CATHY WALZ ’78

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"We knocked down a few brews with fellow B-Schoolers at the HUT after completing the final course in our MBA program. It looks just as funky as ever. Sorry to see it go!"

ANDREW BARNES, MBA ’79

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"Most of my memories are Rugby related, thus I have limited memory....The youngsters must remember that getting to The HUT or Lord John's required crossing the ever dangerous Alameda. Leaving was even more dangerous. The HUT was also where I hung out when playing for Mission Rugby....BBQing out back and then playing pool, etc. We had no hand-held devices back then, so photos of the era are limited and rare...Thank goodness!!! I am attaching a SCUTs action photo taken against Stanford in 1977. This was the II's team, but you get the idea of what the world was like when The HUT was nearly 40 years younger."

ROB ADAMS ’79

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"Alabama Slammers on the morning of graduation."

SUSAN EDDINS ’87

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"I married my wife in the Santa Clara Mission 26 years ago. I was so nervous that day, that my groomsmen and I ran over to The Hut right before the ceremony!!  Now my daughter goes to SCU and I have to stop by The Hut whenever I visit her--I was already preparing for Dads and Grads!"

JOSH BENTLEY, SCU LAW ’91

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"My first memory of the Hut was entering from the east door and immediately being gazed upon by the locals, add to that the intense cigarette smoke and the darkness it took a bit for the eyes to adjust. Upon leaving via the front door one's eyes were shocked by the intense sunlight, thankfully one had sunglasses. The Hut was truly a "workingman's tavern", cold beer, and well-poured drink. During my junior year while living at the Alameda it was common to visit this venerable institution before lunch in Benson, then on to price theory."

GEORGE BERRETTONI ’72

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"I have two fond memories: One occurred after I graduated in 1987 when my future wife, Cathy Bueno (class of 87), turned 21 and thought she would celebrate at the Hut.  Despite presenting her authentic drivers license the bouncer still thought she looked too young and would not admit her.  She even got carded as late as four years ago at a bar in Washington DC.  The second memory is regarding our daughter Julia de Lorimier (class of 2015) when I celebrated Grads and Dads with her at the Hut (photo attached).  Go Broncos!"

ARTHUR DE LORIMIER '86