Story Category: The Bay Net Exclusives »

The opening of the Tiki Bar is somewhat of a legend within the community of students of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. As a freshman, students hear of the legacy of the Tiki bar, anticipating the next three years that will bring them closer to their rite of passage. And a rite of passage it has become. For seniors, attending the Tiki Bar opening is synonymous with graduating. As graduating is the celebration of accomplishments we as students have made over our four-year curriculum, the Tiki Bar opening is a capstone of the stress-relief partying accomplished over those years that was needed to balance the workload. Seniors that attended the opening this past weekend celebrated their accomplishments in both academia and partying.

Not only is the opening a widely known event within the St. Mary’s community and the tri-county area, but its notoriety even exists in outside counties. People from many Maryland counties, including Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, and counties within Baltimore talk of the opening and attend the celebration. It seems that the legend of the Tiki Bar extends all throughout the state of Maryland.

As a graduating senior in May, my friends and I were excited to attend the opening this past Friday. I had heard so many things about it that I didn’t quite know what else to expect aside from fun. Does it matter if there’s anything else to expect? As I started the walk from the car to the opening location, the atmosphere hit all of my senses at once. The smell of food and alcohol, the sound of music and laughter, the warmth of the sun in the sky against my skin, the sight of drink and food tents peeking over the nearest buildings, the taste of excitement. Once I proudly flashed my grown up ID to let the bouncers know I was supposed to be here, I walked into an environment that sent me into sensory overload. All the people, colors, and smells gave an observer no choice but to take in all at once. I smiled to myself. My rite of passage couldn’t have been more exciting and attractive.

“One is not enough, but two is too many,” was the shouted warning from one of my friends who had been there since earlier in the day as she saw me bee lining towards one of the numerous Mai Tai stands. With my first sip of the signature drink, a taste was put to all that I was experiencing around me. It seemed as though this drink exemplified the atmosphere: fun, engaging, and sensory, with a hint of mischief.

My friends and I grabbed our drinks and went about mingling and enjoying the reggae band. We saw other fellow seniors and enjoyed our right to be there. We went across the way and hung out on the boat dock, listening and enjoying the music blaring from each boat. We tasted food from the food stands, not forgetting to fill up our drinks when empty. We took in all that we could before our time there ended.

The atmosphere of the 2012 Tiki Bar opening was just as intoxicating as the drinks bartenders were serving. It was a multicultural mix of young and old who came together to enjoy the amazing weather and to keep the legacy of the Tiki Bar alive. I left fully satisfied that I had successfully completed my senior rite of passage in the most enjoyable way possible. On to graduation!