For eight years Rusty Poehner’s red hair and raspy voice have been as much a part of the Maintenance Shop as the stained glass window or Mr. Poppy.

It’s safe to say the M-Shop will never be quite the same.

On Aug. 6, Poehner was relieved of her job as M-Shop program coordinator. Her dismissal is the most notable of the changes going on in the Memorial Union programming department.

Exactly how these changes will affect one of the most well-loved clubs in Iowa has yet to be seen.

“They basically re-wrote my job description so instead of professional experience in entertainment, they wanted someone doing course work towards a master’s degree in student affairs,” Poehner says.

Poehner was hurt not only by her dismissal, but by the timing as well. Her husband Lester is working on his Ph.D., so she has been the only money-earner for the couple and their two children.

“After eight years of breaking my ass for this place,” Poehner says, “and with Lester in his last semester, they couldn’t even wait two more months to lay me off? Fuck ’em.”

Eric Yarwood, who has been a programming advisor with the Union for three years, will take over most of Poehner’s duties under the title “assistant program manager.” In addition, two half-time graduate student assistants have been added to the staff.

Lisa Kratz, manager of programs for the Memorial Union, says these changes have been in the works since last spring.

“Since I started two years ago I had always wanted to try to incorporate graduate assistants into our department,” Kratz says. “We want to incorporate experience for people interested in the student activities field.”

Poehner’s stint as program coordinator was not without controversy. Most notable was her outspoken opposition to the Memorial Union Board of Directors’ decision to ban smoking in the M-Shop in the spring of ’98.

Even so, Kratz denies that personality conflicts was a factor in her dismissal. Kratz says it was instead the resignation of another employee that made this a good time to make changes.

“We had another staff person [arts programing advisor Leslie Melvin] leave, so the timing seemed to work out,” Kratz said.

Not everyone is so sure of the reason for Poehner’s departure. Tyler Uetz, former director of the M-Shop, says the administration of the MU has been looking to get rid of Poehner for some time.

“It’d be hard for someone to convince me that [personality conflicts] weren’t at least a good portion of it, especially after seeing the way [the administration] communicated with Rusty,” Uetz says. “Nothing was ever brought to her attention until it was a problem. She was constantly threatened with the loss of her job. I never saw anyone just sit down and talk with her about her job.”

One particular instance when Poehner was criticized by the administration came to mind.

“When Rusty used the word ‘ass’ in a quote in The Daily they raised hell over it,” Uetz says.

Uetz, like many others, voices concern that the people making the decisions affecting the M-Shop, from the MU Board of Directors to faculty and student committee members, were not the people using the M-Shop.

“The M-Shop is under a microscope, under the watch of people who never go to it, and never experience it,” Uetz says. “They are as far removed from the students as Congress is from someone making minimum wage.

“I started working here in early ’96, and I never saw Maryjo Mertens [executive director of the MU] at a show,” he continues. “I maybe saw her for lunch two or three times.

“I never saw Jim Huss [former president of the MU Board of Directors] until the Student Union Board banquet,” Uetz adds. “He said he was so glad it was now smoke-free, even though he had never been there.

“The people making the decisions are not the people who use the M-Shop and go to shows there,” Uetz says. “They only see dollar signs.”

Members of SUB also feel they should have been part of the decision to replace Poehner.

Jen Barger, junior in chemistry and SUB outreach director, was shocked by Poehner’s dismissal.

“I think [replacing Poehner] was inappropriate because the decision ended up affecting students as a whole, but the students on SUB were not consulted,” she says. “Obviously, the administration has a completely different perspective than I do on this. Their perspective is that this is just a personnel issue, but this personnel was actively involved in issues affecting students.”

Poehner’s job was always to bring in as much entertainment as she could on her budget, with no regard to making money. In the last few years that has changed.

“As [the MU]’s need for revenue has increased, the role of the M-Shop has changed,” Poehner says. “The M-Shop was never considered a revenue maker. It’s just a matter of time until they change their focus to revenue-generating instead of providing great music. Student affairs is not about providing something really unique.”

During her time as program coordinator Poehner has seen her share of changes in the M-Shop. At different times, the Shop has been open late into the night or early in the morning. Every year their food service seems a little different.

At one time, Friday After Class’s were so popular that students had to reserve themselves a pitcher. Then last year, after smoking was banned, the M-Shop saw a drastic decrease in daytime business.

If M-Shop’s draw continues to dwindle its future may be in jeopardy.

“[The administration] is always looking for a buck,” Poehner says. “When they see an empty room they think ‘We could be getting $400 for letting someone use this room.’ The corporate mentality doesn’t see things in terms of potential.”

“It’s going to die of attrition,” she continues. “The M-Shop winds up 11th on a list of 10.”

Another major concern has been whether Yarwood and his assistants will be able to bring in the same level of performers as Poehner, who came into the job with experience managing bands as well as operating a management and production company in San Francisco for eight years.

Memorial Union Executive Director Maryjo Mertens thinks so. She feels confident Yarwood will do the job just as well as Poehner.

“We taught Rusty everything she knew,” Mertens says. “So if we taught her, we can teach Eric. A programmer can book shows, it doesn’t take an exceptional talent. As a matter of fact I did it for a number of years.”

Those who worked closely with Poehner believe she was an exceptional talent, and that’s what kept the bands coming back.

“Rusty understood the artist’s lifestyle and accommodated them,” Uetz says. “Most artists were taking a pay cut to play here, but they did it because Rusty and her staff treated them so well.”

Fritz Junker, who does booking for the Hoyt-Sherman Theater in Des Moines, says that only a fool would think that anyone could book bands.

“Booking is all about who you know, not what you know,” Junker says. “And Rusty knew everybody, and everybody knew Rusty. For someone green they’ll have quite a task in store.”

Junker says someone new doing booking will not get the respect of someone who has been in the business.

“They’re going to pay more, because they’re not used to working with the agents,” Junker says. “It’s the agent’s job to screw you over on pricing.”

Junker and Uetz both credit Poehner with inspiring them to pursue careers in managing music, and they are not alone. Former M-Shop director Greg Parks now does the booking for “First Avenue” in Minneapolis.

Steve Winders, who has replaced Uetz as programming director, echoes Uetz and Junker’s feelings about Poehner.

“The M-Shop is a fantastic place,” he says. “But it’s not just the place that the artist’s love, but also the people. Rusty always made the artists feel comfortable. Room and board and hospitality were all included, which is unusual. That treatment is not going to change. The sound and light people are still around. We’ve got competent people all around.”

Yarwood is also confident that he and Winders will be able to maintain the high quality of music the M-Shop has had in the past.

“Some people are making it sound like I don’t know this place,” Yarwood says. “I’ve been around for three years working with behind the scenes stuff. At the age of 12, I started working at a record store, and worked my way up to handling all their ordering and inventory. I have a background in student activities, and in that time period, I have dealt with a lot of agents and contracts. The contracts are a big part of this job, and I’ve been working [with contracts] for six years now.”

Yarwood and Winders have been bruised by the way the press has ignored what they’ve already booked for the fall, which they feel is a very respectable lineup, including New York’s trendy Cibo Matto and Blues legend Buddy Miles.

“[Yarwood and I] both really wanted them,” Winders says about Cibo Matto. “A big draw is that Sean Lennon is in the band. Their first album, ‘Viva la Woman,’ Spin named one of the top 90 albums of the ’90s.”

Winders is proud of the rest of the fall lineup as well.

Brenda Weiler, The Frogs, Pansy Division and Commander Cody are just a few of the artists already scheduled. The venue will also host Stuart Davis’ CD release party.

Winders says there may be some small changes in the music format at the M-Shop.

“Traditionally, anybody who’s been to the M-Shop knows that they have more jazz, or blues, or folk,” Winders says. “Not to say that we’re not having that as well, but maybe there will be a little more on the other side. Cibo Matto is more synth-pop. We are trying to appeal to students as always; we’ll still bring in anything we see fit. It doesn’t come down to personal preference, it’s what the students want to see.”

Winders’ love for the M-Shop, as well as his desire to pursue a career in the music industry is what led him to the job.

“A lot of people don’t get to see the background of the shows,” Winders says. “Almost everyone who has played here has expressed how much they love to play here. Digital Underground said they would love to come back again on stage during their first show.”

The genuine love so many people feel for the M-Shop is obviously the reason they are up in arms about its future. While issues about its management and future have been questioned, everyone, including Poehner, hopes the M-Shop will live on.

“I’m still supporting it, too,” Poehner says. “I’m still volunteering. After all I’ve done I’ll be damned if I’m not going to be on the guest list. They’ll get my money and support for as long as they can use it.”

Yarwood and Winders are working to make the shop bigger and better than before, but they know it won’t be easy.

“As far as I’m concerned we’re doing a damn good job,” Winders says. “But Rusty has big shoes to fill.”