I Miss The Hawk

This week, I want to reminisce on a place that I miss dearly.  A place where I spent an embarrassing amount of time and money my freshman year, but is no longer a Thursday night destination, due to the Lawrence Police crackdown on underage drinking: The Jayhawk Cafe.  If you go to KU, you’ve probably been to the Hawk at least one time. If you haven’t been to the Hawk, please let me know what it’s like to have self-respect or standards of any kind.

I want to start by thanking a few people.  First, thank you to the bouncers for pretending to believe that I’m a 22-year-old from Connecticut every week for a whole year.  What I loved about the Hawk is that any piece of plastic with a name and a face on it got you in, even if it looked like the Hannah Montana driver’s license we all had in second grade.

(Source: WiffleGif)

Thank you to the DJ in the main room for always playing the best music.  One time I requested Starships by Nicki Minaj and he told me to go away, so that was really rude, but other than that, I’ve had mostly good experiences in the main room and it will always be my favorite room in the Hawk.

Next, I want to thank the bathroom in the Pine.  If you haven’t been in the Pine bathroom, this is what it looks like: it has a door with no handle or lock, so someone has to stand guard, two toilets with no stalls, a sink, an empty soap dispenser and no paper towels or mirrors.  It has definitely never been cleaned, but that’s not the point. I’ve made a weird amount of friends in that bathroom, so I’m thankful for that. It’s kind of the culture of girl’s bathrooms at bars to suddenly become best friends with the other girls in there.   

(Source: Tenor)

The Hawk taught me some valuable lessons.  I’ve learned how to remove stains, and after too many pairs of ruined shoes, I’ve learned to avoid the muddy puddle that is right by the front door.  Waiting in line, sometimes for hours at a time, taught me patience, but also that some things are just not worth my time. I’ve also grown to appreciate personal space (I’m looking at you, Boom Boom Room), and to be aware of my surroundings.  Most importantly I’ve learned that people who promise to Venmo you for the Uber are definitely lying.

I miss you, Jayhawk Cafe.  We all miss you so much, and we are so bored without you.  I hope to see you soon.