When the average college student turns 21, he or she proudly ventures off to the nearest bar. When Justin Acri and two of his friends turned 21, they bought the nearest bar.

“Scott (Ramspott) and I were just sitting around one night, looking across the street at the empty place, when we decided to go for it,” Acri, a junior in journalism and mass communication, said.

The Dean’s List, formerly known as Shamrox and The Coliseum, was originally built as a two-story night club. The location has also housed a couple of businesses in the past.

“We just wanted to create a fun place for college kids to come hang out,” Acri said. “We’re not even a week old and so far we’ve been packed every night and have reached capacity twice.”

Acri, and partners Ramspott and John Laugerman plan on catering toward the college crowd. All three are currently students at Iowa State.

According to Acri, most of the entertainment will be provided by a disc jockey, with live bands playing two or three times a month. An alternative format will be mixed in with dancing style music.

“The Dean’s List has a great atmosphere,” Megan Vernon, a junior in education, and Lorissa Nelson, a sophomore in LAS, said. “It’s new, different and exciting.”

The two story set up consist of the dance floor covering the first floor, and a variety of pool tables, pinball machines and dart boards covering the balcony. The Dean’s List is described by Acri as a laid back, lounge, type of bar.

“This place has a lot of potential,” Tyler Fink, a senior in journalism and mass communication, said. “The elevated dance floor seems to hold back a lot of people, but its a good change.”

The Dean’s List will open at 6 a.m. on home football game days, serving chili and according to Acri, “getting crazy.”

“Our future plans include a jukebox Sunday, Monday Night Football parties, and hopefully bringing in bands in the basement,” Acri said. “There are no plans of turning the basement into a juice bar.”

The Dean’s List, located at 2522 Chamberlain, will be open from

7 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Thursday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, and noon. to 2 a.m. on non game day Saturdays.