Dive bars and benefactors

Yesterday, I was privilege to attend a hoity-toity dedication dinner in honor of Stonehill's New Science Center. After weeks of speculation over the name of the building -- they couldn't seriously call it the New Science Center forever, right?! -- the $33 million space's name was announced: in honor of a $7 MILLION (jaksdhflkasjlkjhqlrewrhlthljkhlkjrwe?!?!) donation from a unbelievably generous family, the Shields Science Center was born. Among the company of honored guests, benefactors, and faculty, I chowed down on fillet mignon and scallops, making sure to save room for the chocolate tart dessert. And even better than the purple flower garnish-adorned mooing cow upon my plate was the open bar, from which wine, beer, and cocktails flowed throughout the evening. What a lovely night!

...but that's not all. To further my Thursday festivities, I traveled from a fancy atrium to the black hole of Easton: Buddy's Union Villa. I can't even call this place a dive bar. Filled with sketchtastic unemployed townies sporting mullets, cut-off t-shirts, and the unfortunate desire to serenade the crowd with karaoke renditions of "I Wanna Know What Love Is" and "Summer Nights," Buddy's is by far the grossest bar I've set foot in. Now, I'll fully admit that my summer spent surfing the watering holes from Murray Hill to the Meatpacking District makes me a bit biased here, but this place is even worse than Rudy's, NYC's off-kilter public house, famous for its free hot dogs. And that says a lot!

Despite the less than stellar local crowd, however, Buddy's fills with Stonehill's finest every Thursday evening. Most enjoyable is the clear distinction between the regulars and the co-eds. Maybe it's just me, but something tells me the locals hug the walls for a reason: getting caught amongst a sea of beer-chugging, pastel-wearing boys would seriously tarnish their townieness. All in all though, I can't say I hated it. There's something bittersweet about the sticky floor and swaying (ahem) customers.

Happy Friday!