Like every great institution, pub night has its peaks and lows. But let us be frank; last week’s venture to Dance Cave, a bar that used to be an icon of law school nightlife, was a partying abyss. Many were rightfully appalled as an obnoxious, amateur DJ tapped her feet to remixed farm animal noises, while her electro crew engaged in hipster spasms that vaguely resembled dance moves. Especially charming were her inarticulate responses to the multitude of reasonable requests for music appropriate for human consumption (my favourites were that “[she] was already paid” and that those complaining ought “get back to the suburbs”). Needless to say, I don’t think we’ll be returning anytime soon.
However, to the upper years who know pub night as a weekly episode of unmitigated rambunctiousness, this year’s pub nights have been a gentle beginning. Dance Cave aside, the bars are not the only concern. After all, Bedford Academy is a traditional pit stop for U of T Law, and the Annex Wreckroom played amazing music. The SLS spends hours intricately planning a line-up of downtown Toronto hotspots that encompass a broad variety of atmospheres. But attendance has been slower than usual. Skepticism and lethargy are abundant. People seem to have forgotten what pub night is really about.
Based on my foreshadowing, you probably correctly predicted that in the following paragraph, I would tell you what pub night was about. Pub night is more than a random social gathering of people who happen to go to law school. It is your primary opportunity to make connections with a large number of people from different years in your casual social setting—people who will be your friends, contacts and colleagues for life. It’s an opportunity for collective catharsis after a packed week of case summaries and lectures. It is a testament to the fact that at the University of Toronto, we not only work hard, but we play hard and succeed in spite of it. In short, pub nights are a manifestation of our school’s very character and a U of T Law institution. This is why the Jersey Shore meets The West Wing each and every Thursday night.
It is typical for attendance at the beginning of the year to augment slowly. Orientation Week exhausts the fortitude of 1L livers; first years also opt to attend the countless ethics seminars and legal research and writing sessions that are conveniently slotted for Friday mornings. The 2Ls recently underwent the painful and exhausting process of OCIs, Dance Cave put a bitter taste in the mouths of many and most 3Ls likely have not started attending classes. But as the month of October begins, it is time to question our own forbearance and embrace this proud law school tradition.
The future breeds optimism. Last week’s pub night at Souz Dal, casually known as the Tiki Bar, drew strong numbers from all years. Of course, the minimal floor space had us shoulder to shoulder and the two solitary bartenders made drinks hard to come by. But the bar
unquestionably had a unique character; it isn’t every day that we can stumble out to a patio with tropical décor and sand beneath our feet. Besides, what better way to make new friends than the involuntary intimacy of a crowded bar?
Still, it is clear that the people long to bust a move. You know—to decent music, not the Dance Cave byproduct of an egotistical dj banging on an electric keyboard. 2Ls hum Call Me Maybe in their study carrels, and even the originality of Souz Dal resulted in a mid-night flight to Levack Block by some in search of a dance floor. The sls seems to be responding swiftly. Cognizant of law students’ enjoyment of belting out Backstreet Boys songs, the infamous Fox and Fiddle has been booked for this Thursday’s soirée of dancing and karaoke. Pub night is
regaining its former glory. All we need to show some good old U of T law pride and show up.
