Study Break at Shakespeare’s Pub

A little snow to kick off finals isn’t that bad! 

6th St.

Unfortunately Austin didn’t receive any snow. All of the meteorologists said there was a 60 percent chance it was going to snow on Friday, but Austin received about five flurries.  All the snow was either in the hill country or Houston. After being disappointed with the meteorologists’, my girlfriends and I decided to just go to 6^th Street before Hell Week …I mean Finals Week, begins.

Inside the Pub

I was having fun!

Some Friends

 The last few days have been very cold, but it didn’t stop us from celebrating  Hunter Lawrence’s 46 yard kick Saturday night against Nebraska. It’s was freezing outside, but all of UT (who didn’t go to Dallas) were on 6^th Street.

 My girlfriends and I went to  Shakespeare’s Pub on 6^th Street and between San Jacinto and Trinity. The club was completely packed. Even to get in the bar, there was a 10 minute wait. Once we finally got inside, the atmosphere was pretty exciting. In the back room, there was a romantic setting aligning the stage. Candles were lit, lights draped from the ceiling, and a huge Christmas tree was in the corner. The DJ played great music. Everything was the latest music in Hip-Hop and R&B—which is hard to find in Central Texas.

 I have been there before, but it I’ve never stayed longer than 20 minutes. But on Saturday, we stayed the entire night. It was a nice late night study break especially after the big win against Nebraska.

Night Owls Embark on Studying for Finals

As a college student, the first couple weeks of December are consumed with finals, projects, and papers. Every year I end up camping out at a coffee shop, because I know I won’t get anything done in my apartment. I mean,  there’s a TV there, and lots of things on my DVR list that need to be watched…so I’m easily distracted. Here’s a map of ten Austin area coffee shops/restaurants that stay open 24 hours or late into the night to give our Night Owls a place to plunge full force into preparing for the end of the semester.

 

 

Put a Hex on the Aggies

Monday night marks the annual UT tradition of the Hex Rally. Each year, the university comes together to root on their football team against Texas A&M.  This pep rally dates back to 1941 when a local fortune teller advised university students to burn red candles the week leading up to their game in order to break the “jinx” A&M had put on the UT football team. Of course, the Longhorns won the match-up and the tradition has stuck ever since.

This year’s rally will feature speeches from head football coach, Mack Brown, strength and conditioning coach, Jeff “Mad Dog” Madden and players from the team. Tthe Longhorn Band, Texas Cheer and Pom, Redefined Dance Company, and the Ransom Notes will perform before the ritual of lighting those red candles. Why should you attend this year’s Hex Rally? Besides the fact that our football team is awesome this year and has a shot at going to the National Championship, Emmily Attyah, UT sophomore and the co-director of special events and rallies for Texas Exes Student Chapter gave me various reasons why she loves the rally and thinks everyone should attend.

“It is a way we can all come to together in a fun atmosphere to root against our enemy,” said Attyah, “It makes you definitely feel proud you can say you are a Longhorn.”

As co-director of special events and rallies, Attyah plans both of the main pep rallies at UT (against Oklahoma and Texas A&M). Her job involves designing a t-shirt for the event, booking an emcee, notifying student organizations, planning with the football team, designating the space, leading her committee, finding the candles, and creating a playlist for the preshow.

“There is a lot of work, communicating and planning that goes along with this job,” she said.

Attending the Hex Rally should be on the list of things every Longhorn should do at least once. Head over to the Main Mall tomorrow night at 8 pm and put a Hex on A&M. Texas Exes Student Chapter will be hosting an after party at Austin’s Pizza on the drag immediately following the rally.

“I suggest everyone to come to at least one rally because even though we are one of the largest universities,” said Attyah, “the rallies really show how united we are.”

Study? No. Beer? Yes.

First off, I just want to introduce myself. I’m Samantha Borger and I’m a journalism senior at the University of Texas. I’ll be posting about Night Owl-ish activities every Wednesday and Thursday for you. I plan on focusing more on the restaurant and bar scene in Austin after dark. I’m so excited to see what corners of Austin our blog ends up uncovering!

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It’s Tuesday and sitting at your desk studying is the last thing you want to do. Cain & Abel’s dollar beer night is but a hop, skip and a jump around the corner, and the Tuesday night special is just $1 for domestic bottles of beer.

Every Tuesday I walk home from class around 5 pm with a “to-do” list running through my head. Laundry. Groceries. Blog post. Read this. Answer that. Study those. And then I get the inevitable question via text message:

“Are you going out tonight?”

followed by a

“Come on, you know you want to.”

Well of course I want to! The real question is, do I have time? Remember that to-do list? And you might be thinking…who goes out on a Tuesday night anyway? Well, it’s harder to resist when you find out the cheap cheap price of fun for this weekday treat.

While the $1 special on Coors Lite, Bud Lite, Miller Lite and Budweiser actually applies all day, the party doesn’t really get going until after 9 pm. By 11 pm it’s nearly impossible to find a table, even though the bar and restaurant includes upstairs and outdoor patio seating.

Located in the West Campus area of Austin, Cain & Abel’s crowd tends to be mainly UT students. In fact, one can tell on which weeks students have the most mid-terms based on the length of the line out the door on a Tuesday night. Its location is so convenient that most of the people it attracts are those who can walk themselves there. That means you don’t need to call/pay for a cab or wait for a bus if you want to drink.

Cain & Abel’s, or just “Abel’s” as some patrons choose to shorten it to, is definitely not a dance club. They have two pool tables (one downstairs, one upstairs), a Foosball table and a jukebox that is more likely to be playing ’80s pop or classic rock than Hip-Hop. Overall, it’s more of a place to socialize, mingle with other students, and run into people you know.

Unfortunately, besides Eric, the longtime bartender, service at this establishment is definitely sub-par. They serve food until 11 pm, but you’ll probably have to flag a server down yourself or just put your order in at the bar if you want to eat in a timely manner.

So, night owls, if you’re looking for an alternative to studying on a Tuesday night, I recommend Cain & Abel’s as a convenient and economic choice.

2313 Rio Grande St
Austin, TX 78705

Hours: 11am-2am

(512) 476-3201