Ode to Tuesday

I'm not one to reminisce about college. Sure, I loved it while I was there and there are definitely some things I miss (laundry service, Outpost quesadillas) but, with one exception, there is nothing from college that I actively wish was part of my current life. The exception? Twenty-one year-old night.

Twenty-one year-old night took place in a two-level room in the union every Tuesday night. The balcony level provided prime people watching spots while the floor level provided easier access to the bar. Students looking to earn some extra money worked the bar, manned the popcorn machine, and controlled the music. Most people came straight from the library or computer labs and everyone would drop their backpacks in a large pile right inside the entrance. This was the time of the week where you wanted to get your work done before ten because there was no way you could drag yourself back to the library after last call.

College obviously provides lots of drinking opportunities, and of all occasions involving beer, twenty-one year-old night was by far my favorite. It had the set-up of a bar where you could mingle or claim a private table for you and your friends but without the bad lighting and terrible local bands. It had the atmosphere of the basement of a fraternity house, where all the people of age would gather during parties to escape the underclassmen bothering you to get them a beer but it also attracted people who hadn't been to parties on the court since First Night Down freshman year. Beer was cheap and served in bottles (no Beast to be found!) and by my senior year the bar accepted id cards for payment so you never needed cash.

I think what I really miss about Tuesday nights is the chance to put everything else aside and relax. It might be the first time all day you got to see your friends and roommates so it was a great time to catch up and exchange gossip. It was a scheduled social time that inconvenienced no one (no one was left cleaning beer bottles off their coffee table the next morning), was easy to get to, was affordable for everyone, and would be there next week if you missed it.