Just as football season marks the beginning of fall, Thanksgiving weekend is the first glimmer that the semester is coming to a close. As the majority of UF students rush home to get some turkey, stuffing and tryptophan-induced sleep, a unique time in Gainesville nightlife starts to take hold.
College students in Gainesville have the ability to go to a different club or bar every night of the week, but it can be useful to find a place that becomes "your spot."
One of the perks of bartending is that I get to people-watch during lulls. People-watching in a bar gives you insight into relationships that no psychology class could accomplish. Couples who come into the bar generally fit into a few types, and I have found they are by far the most entertaining people to watch.
This week's column continues our journey through proper bar etiquette. Now that you have your drink in hand, we'll move on to the next area where problems often arise - paying.
This difficult midterms week that recently passed wore on my patience because of the day-to-day annoyances bartenders face. It inspired me to share my thoughts on bar etiquette from start to finish.
Much to Bernie Machen's dismay, Gainesville is a town that loves to party. Most people who grew up here or go to UF get into the party atmosphere early and try to figure out ways to get around that pesky drinking age.
Just as the 21st birthday girl has become a fixture in Gainesville nightlife, so has "that guy," the one who ends up getting kicked out of the bar every time he goes out.
Balancing responsibility and still managing to go out is one of the biggest problems facing college students. Between classes and bills, it sometimes seems as though fun takes a backseat.
I have lived in Gainesville my entire life, and I understand as much as anyone how small this city can seem. After working in the bar scene for so long, I rarely go out without running into somebody I know.
When UF was ranked the No. 1 party school at the beginning of the semester, I was not remotely surprised. The bar scene and nightlife have always been a significant part of college life in Gainesville.
Thousands of students are drawn to the streets of downtown and midtown Gainesville every night. They come in droves, staggering out of the student ghetto, fumbling their way from the dorms and cruising out from the various apartment complexes that litter this college town.
A typical American concept of karaoke usually involves a smoky bar with disinterested patrons chugging beer while some poor soul on stage tries his best rendition of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'."
Solutions by The State News
