Jan. 27, 2010

Throughout much of the university's history, CSU Monterey Bay's Black Box Cabaret has been a creative home for students and community members, showcasing their visual, theatrical and musical talents. It first opened in 1996, when business students, faculty and staff took a 1940s-era military building, originally intended for temporary use, and created the BBC. In 2000, the BBC was shut down because it did not comply with ADA and other building code regulations. When they learned there was no plan to reopen the facility, students took it upon themselves to save the building. They took their cause to the student union ballot box. With 90 percent approval, students voted a $40-per-year increase in student fees to fund needed modifications to the building – totaling over $1 million. Summer 2001 saw the beginning of construction and by February 2002, the Black Box Cabaret reopened. The good news: In fall 2009, the BBC's debt was finally paid off through the student fee assessments. The facility is now under the full control of the Otter Student Union. More good news: After being closed last year, the BBC reopened with a gala kickoff weekend Jan. 28-30.

The Otter Student Union, working with Associated Students and Student Activities, plans to schedule regular events in the facility. Among them is a Feb. 24 event celebrating Black History Month. Joe Rogers will appear with his "Dream Alive" presentation, inspired by the Rev. Martin Luther King. The talk will be free and open to the public. For more information about the Black Box Cabaret, go to csumb.edu/bbc.