Although Ohio State students won’t get a traditional walk at graduation, they still have a chance to crawl through campus with this year’s Senior Bar Crawl. Credit: Christian Harsa | Asst. Photo Editor
Although Ohio State students won’t get a traditional walk at graduation, they still have a chance to crawl through campus with this year’s Senior Bar Crawl.
Local bars will host the 2021 Senior Bar Crawl May 4 beginning at 11 a.m., returning to campus after last year’s cancelation due to COVID-19. The 14 bars involved have collaborated to make the event safe and enjoyable for 2020 and 2021 graduates, aiming to give students a chance to participate in the valued tradition.
“The bar ownership, we all wanted to be able to give something to the kids, and we’re all very confident in our ability to execute a safe day of business,” Quinn Allen, owner of The Library Bar, said. “It was mainly just us giving back to the people who supported us over the last year.”
The Senior Bar Crawl traditionally takes place on the Tuesday before graduation, which falls on May 9 this year. This year’s bar crawl is for both 2021 and 2020 Ohio State graduates, Allen said, after the 2020 Senior Bar Crawl was canceled due to the pandemic.
Although the bar crawl poses many challenges, Allen said he and other owners are happy to continue the tradition of the bar crawl for graduates, because no student should finish their time at Ohio State without a Senior Bar Crawl.
“I’m excited to see just the community coming together,” Abby Lydey, a bartender for The Little Bar, said. “That’s what I love about being a bartender, everybody just having a good time and enjoying themselves, and it will be a special night, I think, for all the seniors graduating.”
The tradition of writing names on bar crawl T-shirts and checking off completed stops will also continue this year, Allen said. Participating bars will be selling shirts May 2, created in collaboration with Pop’s Printed Apparel, a campus-based printing company.
Dave Isaacs, a university spokesperson, said in an email that the 2021 Senior Bar Crawl is not endorsed by Ohio State. Isaacs said he strongly recommends students not take any chances that would deny them their chance to celebrate commencement in Ohio Stadium this year, which requires them to test negative for COVID-19 and be symptom-free.
Lydey said the COVID-19 precautions in place for the crawl will include mask-wearing when not at a table, limiting parties to no more than 10 people and spacing out parties — protocols that the bar already has in place.
Allen said bar owners across the community have collaborated for the crawl, coming together to maximize safety for patrons and revenue for their businesses after a tough year.
“We all share our trade secrets. We’re not trying to keep all the things to ourselves and hoping we do better than anybody else,” Allen said. “We’re trying to make sure every bar has the most successful day possible.”
As a bartender, Lydey said her favorite part of her job is seeing the community coming together for the crawl, which she thinks will have a great turnout. The pandemic has negatively impacted businesses like Little Bar, but Lydey said she looks forward to the support for campus bars May 4.
Allen said he expects long lines and many eager seniors during the crawl, and he said he hopes that patrons remain patient and give bars time to serve them with caution.
“We’re all preparing to handle the masses in the safest way possible, and just like everybody has been for the last year, we ask for everybody’s patience and understanding as we keep everybody safe and give them a hell of a time,” Allen said.
