Happy Thursdays: The aftermath

It’s Thursday once again. Stepping out of Br. Andrew Gonzales Hall, the music from the various bars nearby resonates as the stream of people heading in that general direction never fails to amaze those whose only Thursday night plan is to get some sleep. But then again, this is what Thursday nights are for a large portion of University students—pitchers of alcohol, crowds of dancing people, and endless moments of fun.

Students from the University have always been familiar with the Happy Thursday culture, whether it be drinking, karaoke, or a very big dinner. After all, the end of the week symbolizes a momentary release of stress, a celebration of getting through the week, and if not, a last hurrah before the stress of the week ahead.

Something that no Lasallian can seemingly escape, ‘Happy T’, as it is fondly shortened to, offers up so many experiences, interesting stories for both the storyteller and the listener. But what happens after? When the bars close and the pitchers are emptied, where do souls looking to celebrate the success of surviving a week in DLSU go? What more stories do they have to offer?

The one who took care of a drunk person

It’s not uncommon to find Rob* (I, AB-PSM) out having drinks with his friends every Thursday night. He finds that a little celebrating at the end of another hectic week is usually in order, so he’s gotten relatively used to the Happy Thursday drill, and admittedly knows better than to go beyond his drinking threshold. The same cannot be said for one of his friends, whom he had to carry all the way from Sherwood to his condo.

“Once we got to my unit, I told [my friend] to take a shower, and left to find him a spare change of clothes,” Rob recalls. While he thought he’d go the extra mile and make some coffee to help his friend sober up, Rob heard a thump from the bathroom. He rushed in, only to find his friend laughing on the floor of the shower after having slipped on the shower curtain.

The one who was really drunk but had to get home

Jelai* (I, OCM-MGT) used to be a frequent attendee of Happy Thursdays. It was something new for her, which is why she was eager to experience it. The experience did not disappoint, and she always went home thinking that the time enjoyed was time not wasted; until one night that is.

“My mother insisted that I be home [by] 10 pm. That was fine since I usually leave Chillout or Barn at around 9, so that I [can] get my things and book an Uber,” she explains. However, that night, after a heavy night of drinking games and uneaten dinner, she realized that she was too drunk to take note of the time, much less plan on how she would get home.

“My friend ended up washing my face for me and calling her dad to bring us home. Of course, I got home and my mom smelled the alcohol and sweat on me and that was it, the end of my Happy Thursdays.” Arriving home tired and wasted definitely stopped her from attending any more Happy T’s, but now, she at least has time to sleep, which has become her new way to celebrate the end of the week.

The one who just wanted to sober up

Jasmine* (II, BS – ADV) has the habit of washing up, whether in the Starbucks restroom or in one of her friends’ condos. “That’s the first step,” she says. On nights where she has gotten drunk, the first thing she does to feel like herself again is wash up.

“It can get really sweaty inside the bars and even dirty as drinks can be spilled all over when people start to become careless,” she explains. One time, she recalls having seen someone vomit on another person. “Since then I always make sure that I am clean before I go home,” she says. Washing up clears her head and helps her focus on gathering her things and leaving.

After cleaning up her outer self, Jasmine likes to get another drink—one that’s non-alcoholic. “Green tea is good for me after I drink,” Jasmine confides. For her, it acts like a sponge, soaking all the alcohol out of her system. A place that isn’t a stifling and noisy bar also helps her get her focus back.

The one who didn’t even go

Zoe* (II, BS MEE) can’t be bothered with going out on Thursday nights. After a grueling week filled with academics, her idea of a good time is flopping into bed and watching sad romance movies.

Her roommate of two years, on the other hand, does have the tendency to participate in the occasional Happy Thursday. On one particular Thursday night, Zoe remembers crying from one of her movie’s climactic death scenes when her roommate bursts into their shared condo, giggling about being tipsy.

“She walked up to my bed, and I was scared she’d notice my eyes were puffy and judge me, but she just leaned really near to me and whispered ‘Do I smell like smoke?’ then started laughing again,” Zoe recalls.  The rest of the movie was then drowned out by her roommate’s half-drunk antics, and to this day, Zoe still doesn’t know how it ends.

The Happy Thursday phenomena has grown to have somewhat mixed reactions—from people who’ve had not-so-pleasant experiences because of it, to people who treat it as a celebratory end-of-the-week tradition. Either way, it’s become a staple of DLSU culture, and will probably continue as an avenue for new college experiences for batches to come.

*Names with asterisks (*) are pseudonyms.