It's Friday night on the Corner, and something special's going on. Added to the usual bar crowds, there is a peculiarly long line in front of Espresso Royale Caffe.
Although a great place to study, the cafe is not exactly known as a nightspot. Tonight, however, different faces congregate in anticipation outside the café. They wait patiently -- some not so patiently -- to get into what looks suspiciously like a nightclub.
Welcome to Club Rev, a new club that takes over Espresso Royale every Friday night.
The club is only one example of the many entrepreneurial brainstorms that pervade the University. Its founders are among those on this campus who strive for a level of professionalism through business -- even as they study as full-time students.
A bunch of café rats
Several days after the Friday nightclub scene, the masterminds behind Club Rev convene at a very different Espresso Royale. The place has shifted back to its usual relaxed scene. Except for some colorful light fixtures on the ceiling, there are few remnants of Friday night's revelry. These lights are among the group's efforts to transform Expresso Royale into the club they envision.
Five men congregate at a booth discussing the birth of Club Rev, the French translation for "dream." Materialized from the dreams of 2001 College graduate Arthur Hovanesian, the idea responded to what he saw as a void in the University culture.
"Me and all my friends have always wanted a place like this -- a place where U.Va students can go at a set time of the week and have a good time," Hovanesian said. "There were occasional things but nothing consistent here."
Hovanesian's search for a club atmosphere usually led him to D.C., where he said he and his friends would enjoy the clubs missing in Charlottesville.
As a regular at the Espresso Royale, Hovanesian said he foresaw a Corner club at this very location.
After excitedly sharing his brainstorm with his younger brother, Arshak, a third-year College student, Hovenesian said the idea quickly spread among their interested friends.
Third-year College student Azam Ahmed, one of seven organizers that emerged, emphasized how the club became a reality through the merging of many different perspectives.
"A lot of people talk about it. I felt like we all make this happen because we all bring a separate element to the whole concept," Ahmed said. "It became a collaboration after a certain point."
Ongoing for at least five consecutive Friday nights, all of the organizers agreed Club Rev still is growing into its full potential.
"The group works to incorporate unique elements into each new night," Hovanesian said.
Accordingly, an entire new set of CDs is burned for each party, he added. While the club evolves to incorporate a variety of styles, its founders said they also hope to set a theme for their weekly galas.
"Everyone in this group wants to do something classy, something we would want to attend," third-year College student Jason Motlagh said. "We're tempered by the understanding that this is a university town. We're about striking the right balance between a friendly vibe and a serious, professional vibe."
Doing it Playa-Made style
While Hovanesian and company are establishing Club Rev, other student entrepreneur groups such as Playa-Made Productions have been thriving at the University for some time.
Playa-Made, a University company that has organized concerts, parties and fashion shows at the University, actually emerged in San Antonio, Texas in 1996.
2002 graduate David Anderson, a high school student at the time, began the group with a few friends to host parties featuring local talent including Destiny's Child. But what started as a small venture funded by his parents soon grew to new proportions, Anderson said.
"I took the concept up to Charlottesville with me. Up to this point I had never had a real job per say," Anderson said. "I found a group of guys here who had the same initiatives and ideas I had."
Anderson said he and his friends worked together to incorporate Playa-Made into the University's entertainment scene. Their annual productions include "Soul Café" and Spring Fling's fashion show.
"Soul Café's initiative was to bring the Charlottesville and University communities together in an atmosphere open to any kind of artistic creativity, especially in the form of lyrics," Anderson said.
Even as these ideas took root, though, Anderson said he found Playa-Made producing additional, unforeseen results.
"Playa-Made started as a trial in business. But it became not only a business and company, but a family," he said. "As friends we have this common experience through Playa-Made of starting a business and growing it together."
Third-year College student Herb Reid became involved in Playa-Made in the first semester of his first year. By October, Reid said he was helping out by distributing fliers and manning the door for Playa-Made parties.
Today Reid is an involved member of the organization's branch at the University and said he sees Playa-Made as one of his most important experiences at the University.
"Everything starts from the bottom. The older guys just pass it down to you, especially when they graduate," Reid said. "These guys left a blueprint, and I follow that, build from it."
Since his graduation, Anderson said he has founded a new company, 20-10 Media, in Texas, which he called a "grown-up version" of Playa-Made.
Anderson, however, said his new company does not diminish the impact his old one had on his University experience.
"I definitely think Playa-Made has played a major part in my life and in some other people's lives too," Anderson said. By planning social events "you're actually creating the atmosphere for people to enjoy themselves. You're creating an experience -- and sometimes these are long-lasting memories you're creating for people."
Business smarts
While both Playa-Made Productions and Club Rev are part of the University's social scene, many student entrepreneurs apply their business skills to academics as well.
Second-year Engineering student J.J. Feminella runs a business called S Cubed (S3), which legally sells Economics notes for the introductory macroeconomics (ECON202) class.
Feminella said he first considered the idea of a professional note-taking service last year, when he realized that he could utilize his note-taking habits to cater to the huge economics class.
"We sort of filled the void for people who miss lectures or people who don't have confidence in their own note-taking abilities," Feminella said. "While we don't presume to think we're substitute TA's or anything, we see this as a valuable resource."
Before embarking on his unusual business venture, Feminella examined potential problems.
Feminella, though, found the current ECON202 instructor, Prof. James Taylor, to be "very enthusiastic" about his note-taking service. Feminella also received affirmations from Honor, the Charlottesville Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce.
With potential complications out of the way, Feminella said he and his two friends, began attending the economics class regularly, taking "copious notes" and then presenting these notes in a completely original and comprehensive format for students.
Everything, from the examples used to highlight concepts to the actual points covered in the notes, are at the trio's discretion, Feminella said.
He said he embellishes the notes with original graphs and charts and then takes the finished product to the printers.
Distribution occurs after economics classes, and Feminella estimated that around 10 to 15 percent of students taking ECON202 have utilized or expressed interest in his notes.
"We wouldn't have to sell very much to keep the business going -- paper is cheap," Feminella said. "I'm doing this because I think it's fun and I think it's an excellent service to students."
Feminella emphasized that he does not really consider his services a business, as he and his friends have pursued the project with open mindsets.
"People should buy our service if they feel they have a use for it. It would make me very happy if everyone understood ECON202 and didn't need a single note," Feminella said. "I'm reluctant to call ourselves a business because I'm not doing this for the business."
From party planners to note-takers, the University houses an assorted group of entrepreneurs. Though each pursue their own business ventures, they all said they see value in having a business at this stage in their lives.
Businesses are "about learning something you're not going to learn in just your classes. It's about how to form relationships, interact with people," Reid said. "This is fun because it gives you that business feeling -- it's preparation for life."
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