Not everyone is content with the cover charge, however. "It's upsetting that it went up to $3.99," said Cabot House resident and frequent Cookin'-goer Sharon Kantrowitz '85. "You go a friendlier feeling when it cost less money."

Price Increases

When Cookin' opened in September, the cover charge was $1.99, but the nightclub was losing money, says Figueroa. The price went up to $2.99 in January and increased to $3.99 several weeks ago. Figueroa adds that he does not now forsee any further increase in the cover charge.

Figueroa invested $1400 of his own money to open Cookin', and although the Undergraduate Council promised funding in the fall, the nightclub has yet to see any of it.

Every night Figueroa circulates a book from table to table for people to sign and make comments in. "It gives us a sense of people's opinions," he says. Comments in the book range from "We should have something like this down at the river" to "We should have something like this down at the river" to "We should have something like this at Yale."

Cabot House resident Dennis P. Lewis '87, explains the mystique of Cookin': "It's a non-tension place. No one comes in worrying about whether he'll get carded or whether he'll fit in. It's that freestyle living that every one wants." Smiling and clutching his heart, Lewis adds, "It gets me right here."