Flat Tuesdays is UMBC’s very own bar located on the second floor of The Commons. During the day, the environment is chill, full of studying and chatter among friends. But the nightlife here is not quite what you would expect from a college bar.

Alcohol has grown to play a large role in college social culture. It’s an essential getaway for students when they need to unwind after hours and hours of having their heads buried in their textbooks or computers. Having a better bar on campus would benefit everyone. Students will be happier and safer, being a quick walk away from their apartment or dorm, not to mention the number of graduate students and faculty who could benefit from it as well. A change in the environment and structure of Flat Tuesdays is necessary to attract students.

Throw in some music and maybe even a TV or two, and UMBC would be taking steps in the right direction in creating a social, drinking environment. Students usually venture off campus to bars, such as the Fish Head Cantina, or areas like Fells Point and Federal Hill. Unfortunately, that commute means they all have to find transportation and as we all know there are high risks associated with driving and alcohol.

If you’re looking to just have a drink or two and head home around 9:30 p.m. on a weekday, then Flat Tuesdays is the bar for you. On the other hand, if you are a student looking for a night out with your friends to take a mental vacation away from school, other local bars would better suit your needs. Considering most real bars are open until two in the morning, it’s clear that Flat Tuesdays isn’t a practical option for the kinds of drinking most people want to partake in.

Flat Tuesdays isn’t as huge of a component of UMBC nightlife as it should be. It could increase revenue for the school as well as teach students how to drink responsibly. In fact, many students do not even know that UMBC has a bar. “I did not know that we had a bar here at UMBC. Not that many people talk about it,” said junior biology major Viraj Patel. Lack of advertisement is a major setback, limiting the potential of the bar.

The alcohol selection is limited to beer and wine, so it’s tough luck for those whiskey and vodka lovers. A college bar without shots seems to be inherently lacking and Flat Tuesdays would certainly benefit from a liquor license.

“[Flat Tuesdays] isn’t a true college bar. It would be nice if there was a venue on campus where students could enjoy their evenings with alcoholic beverages past a reasonable hour to not only amp up the student life here at night, but also limit the amount of possible counts of drinking and driving off campus for bars and such,” said Ankur Vaidya, a senior biology major.

By making a couple changes, Flat Tuesdays could be turned into one of UMBC’s nightlife hotspots.

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