By April 10, the sign in front of her store proclaimed “BUBS CANDY IS HERE.” Her supply sold out in two days. The Wooden Spoon restocked, and young people seeking Bubs kept coming in.

To be eligible to audition, a group had to be fewer than 10 people, and the Bubs (as they are called on campus) usually have 14 or 15. "We told her it would really affect our sound, that we don't want ...