BY MIA DRAGONE
Tess Donnelly, a Stonehill senior, has been working behind the bar as a bartender at Brother Mike’s for the last three years and loves it.
“My favorite part of working at Brother Mike’s is how fun the position is. I’ve been a Brother Mike’s bartender for three years now and have more and more fun each semester,” said Donnelly.
Brother Mike’s, Stonehill’s club, opens at 9 p.m. and closes at 1 a.m. on Thursdays and features a DJ playing music and dancing. It is considered by many as a great option for students on campus.
On most Thursdays at Brother Mike’s, the place is packed by 10:30 p.m. and that's when students' nights begin.
For bartender Tess Donnelly, the night starts more than two hours earlier.
“A typical night at Brother Mike’s begins at 8 p.m., when we all show up for the night,” she said. “Our set up tasks are almost always the same; the stage lights go up, set up all three stations, empty all trash cans and leave them around The Hill, grab that week’s order from the loading dock, and restock the shelves of liquor and coolers for the cans. Once everything is ready we usually have an hour or two of some downtime while we wait for the crowd to come in, which is usually around 10:30-11 p.m.,” said Donnelly.
Once people start to show up that is when the fun begins but it is also when it starts to get hot. It's not all just music and dancing at Brother Mike’s for bartenders who also must deal with things behind the scenes.
“The worst part of the job would either be how hot it gets, or when people can be unpleasant to the staff,” Donnelly said.
“With the sheer number of people that attend Brother Mike’s weekly, The Hill gets very hot. And because we’re constantly moving, it feels even warmer for us,” she said.
Sometimes the patrons aren’t on their best behavior. “ Unfortunately, another downside to the position would be when students can be rude to us behind the bar. I think sometimes they forget we are also students, may not have a lot of experience going to other bars, or maybe they even had a few too many, but we are often faced with unruly patrons,” said Donnelly.
Along with the bar staff campus, police are there monitoring and making sure everything goes smoothly.
The bar scene itself is extremely lively and social, where students aged 21 or older can drink. The 21 and over section, where alcohol is allowed, is gated off.
“The most popular drink at Brother Mike’s is definitely The Skyhawk which is made with vodka, lemonade, and a splash of grape juice,” she said
Donnelly doesn't spend her Thursday nights like other Stonehill students at Brother Mike’s but she still makes behind the bar a blast.
“Sometimes I do wish that I was on the other side of the bar, just given how fun it looks from my perspective. But I also have so much fun with the other people I work with that I don’t feel as though I’m missing out. I get to see my friends and chat with other students when they order, so it still feels like I’m there in a sense,” said Donnelly.
After a long night, the last call for drinks is at 12:45 a.m., and the staff can start getting ready to close the bar.
“Once we do last call at 12:45 a.m., we begin cleaning up our stations, capping open bottles, locking the coolers, and wiping down the counters. Once everything is clean and tips are counted, we get to head out not too long after everyone else,” said Donnelly