Thereโs nothing like Waterloo in early September. Wilfrid Laurier Universityโs campus itself is buzzing as wide-eyed first-years try to figure out their place among the chants and bandanas.
Surrounding the campus, upper-years who have hardly opened their suitcases are on their phones, making plans to grab drinks with the people theyโve missed all summer.
Doing that is really easy in the โLaurier bubble,โ the ecosystem that provides everything a student could desire within a small radius surrounding the campus. Having alcohol sellers, student housing and a tight-knit community makes going out in Waterloo amazingly convenient. Yet the night scene has developed an inconvenient staple โ long lines that form at early times.
A summer away from school gives us some fresh clothes, summer job money and a healthy body to bring in to a new school year.
It also gives me a fresh perspective on my lifestyle within the Laurier bubble.
When I spend too much time in this town, I begin to forget the average human personโs daily routine and become entrenched in my small circuit student life. An example being walking distance. While a 20-minute walk in Toronto is considered โnearby,โ in Laurier it is reacted as a journey to Mordor.
Coming off the summer, itโs that normal life perception that had me feeling absurd for waiting in a line along with 100 people outside of Philโs at 8:45 p.m.
The issue of long lines at clubs and bars is a #FirstWorldProblem yet itโs becoming a #GoingOutInTheLoo annoyance. I waited longer in line for a club then I did to my buy books during the first week of school. Going out on odd days of the week has started to feel like Iโm lining up for the premiere of a movie or the midnight release of a pair of Jordanโs.
There are lines forming outside of these places before regular businesses have closed their doors and before the clubs themselves have opened.
Iโm not a business student but Iโm pretty sure this phenomenon is a clear sign of demand.
Although the process is often forgotten after all the consumed drinks, students are putting themselves through an inconvenience in order to spend money at these establishments.
If I had money to invest it would go in to opening a nightclub or bar in this area.
Reasonable cover with cheap drinks should be enough to entice rational students that arenโt down to wait 45 minutes in line.
I believe some of the onus falls on the students themselves, as they are unwilling to give new businesses a chance. It seems that nightclub frequenters are willing to endure the lines because they know what to expect when they get in.
Thatโs human nature. We enjoy going to familiar places with familiar faces.
Students would rather sacrifice 45 minutes in line instead of a whole night in an empty club.
While there is room for more nightclub businesses to which students should be more willing to try out, I like to think of the long lines as Laurierโs bubble ecosystem just balancing itself out.
We have it pretty good in this small town, maybe even crazy good. I guess Iโll settle that these absurdly long lines at early times are a small price to pay.
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