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Bird's EyeView
Friday, September 27,1996
Living next to a bar makes it hard to
Love thy neighbor
Photos by Steve Puppe and Chris Hamilton
For Chris Baldridge, Little Rock, Ark., sophomore, living next to the O Street Tavern, 1340 Ohio St., provides hours of entertainment. He said that Wednesday nights especially were amusing when the bar offered dollar specials.
"My roommates and I enjoy sitting on our steps and watching it all happen," Baldridge said. "It's sheer entertainment to watch all the people interact together in line to get in."
Baldridge said the drawback to sharing close quarters with the tavern was the immense litter on his front lawn after nights of intense alcoholic celebration.
"We get a lot of beer bottles and cigarettes in our yard," he said. "We have also had a lot of people urinating in our yard."
Baldridge said that although he and his roommates objected to the tavern's patrons trashing their front yard, they had never called the police.
it is like living next door to a trash dump—no one has to tell you it's going to smell. "Baldridge said. He had the Laugence."
Sgt. Susan Hadl of the Lawrence
Police Department said anyone who was considering living near a bar needed to realize that crowds and noise were part of the picture. "Most of the crowd is contained inside the bar, but if it spills onto the street, we welcome any calls to come out and see the people on their way," Hadl said. She said living near a busy drinking establishment could be a blessing or a curse.
"The curse would be the obnoxious, intoxicated people vomiting, urinating and doing disorderly things," Hadl said. "The blessing would be, because of all of the foot traffic, potential burglar could be deferred. There's a lot of witnesses, and die-hard
"We get a lot of beer bottles and cigarettes in our yard. We have also had a lot of people urinating in our yard."
—Chris Baldridge, Little Rock, Ark., sophomore
criminal wouldn't select an area of intense traffic."
Hadi said that people living near bars should be careful.
Jeremy Reed, manager of the Wheel, 1401 Ohio St., said he advised neighbors of Lawrence bars to be sensible.
"Iwouldn't leave your doors unlocked, just in case someone decides to get a little crazy," Reed said. "People that live near the bars need to realize these are places with a fairly decent night life. If they want to get to bed before a certain hour, they might want to consider living elsewhere."
Shawn Schlegel, manager and owner of The Crossing, 618 W. 12th St., agreed.
"These people should expect the noise," Schlegel said. "It's a bar, it's not like living in a retirement home."
David Reeves, Lawrence senior, lived across the street from The Crossing for a year. He said he had been thankful the bar was near campus because its noise level had a time limit.
"They always close at midnight, so there was always an influx of loud drunks parading by the house by 12:05 a.m., "Reeves said.
Reeves said he would live near a bar again.
"I'd do it again if I lived by a better bar, one that I could enjoy going into," he said.
Saturday night: fevered
By Erin Rooney
W
Photo illustration by Edmée Rodriguez
When Mallorre Dill gets ready for a night on the town, she does her nails, gives herself a facial, showers, puts on make-up, does her hair and generally takes longer than she does when she is just getting ready for class.
Dill, Garden City graduate student, and other KU students find time in their busy schedules to get ready for a night out.
to get her to "I even piddle around," she said. "I find it relaxing because I'm in such a hurry the rest of the week."
The process of choosing clothes, showering and shaving has become a ritual for those getting ready to party. Joey Sprague, associate professor of sociology, said that the extra time students spend improving their appearances for social situations is due to students trying to communicate their individuality.
"If I look around in my classes, students wear similar clothes to class, both males and females wear jeans and T-shirts," Sprague said. "But when they dress to go to parties they create a difference that reflects their gender. We try and express that we're attractive in very gender specific ways."
Sprague also said that students dress for more than functional reasons. Students hope to convey a version of themselves that goes beyond wearing clothes to be protected from the elements, she said.
"It depends on if I'm going out with friends, or if I'm going out on a date," said George Tran, Salina senior. "If I'm going out with friends, I just grab whatever I can get my hands on. As a matter of fact, I hate dressing up. But if I'm going out on a date, I go through
Eric Radtke, Mission Hills freshman, said that he also took a shower before he went out with friends on the weekend, but he wouldn't wear a special outfit or think too much about his appearance.
my closet, and I look for something a little nicer than everyday wear."
A shower and a shave is also part of Tran's routine when he is getting ready for a date.
"I go out to meet people, have fun and stay out of trouble." Radtke said. "Picking up girls is not usually my goal."
Staying out of trouble is important to Radtke since he is younger than 21. New Kansas laws have made it a felony to possess a fake identification, and the city of Lawrence fines minors $200 to $500 if they're caught in possession of alcohol.
Partying is a part of Kate Peterson's life. The Leawood sophomore said that she went out on Friday, Saturday and an occasional week night.
However, alcohol often is an important part of socializing.
some waking up.
"I usually go home and sleep for a while before I go out," Peterson said. "I don't start drinking at four in the afternoon or anything. I'd be too sick by the end of the night."
Going to house parties and bars is common for Lawrence singles but has a different appeal to married students.
ent appealed to her for marriage. Married life has changed the party scene for Jennifer Cooper, Osage City junior, and her sister Angela McCoy, Olathe senior. McCoy was married in June, and Cooper tied the knot in August.
"You tend not to go to the bars as much
because you've already found somebody," McCoy said. "I didn't find my husband in a bar, though. I met him in class."
thought, Titer had come. Once or twice a week McCoy and her husband go out to eat and do other activities popular with couples, she said. Her sister emphasized that she still gets dressed up, puts on make-up and does her hair before going out.
"You don't want to seem like one of those people who get married and do nothing with themselves anymore," Cooper said.
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