Every Friday from noon to 6pm, Queen's University's Clark Hall Pub opens its doors for the weekly spectacle of drunken debauchery known as 'Ritual'. Like children drawn to the piper's tune, students abandon their afternoon classes and make their way to the center of campus (and as some might say, of the universe) to dance and drink and laugh their stresses away. Latecomers can expect to spend upwards of half an hour waiting in a line that winds down two flights of stairs from the bar's second storey entrance and often spills out into the patio below, but for most, the chance to rendezvous with friends is a welcome part of the event, and that eventual first drink tastes all the better for it.
Beer is the beverage of choice, affordably priced for the modest student budget. Of course, the bar menu is complete, offering enough variety for any taste. In earlier days, mixed drinks came made to order by the pitcher (and who could beat the $13 price tag?), but this practice has become a casualty of tighter regulations and stricter enforcement of campus bar policy in recent years.
Provided you don't mind potentially ruining your Friday night out (many Ritual-goers can be found passed out in various states of undress throughout campus and the surrounding 'student ghetto' from 6pm onwards), Ritual is a great way to end a stressful week of classes. If you ever get the chance to attend Queen's, be sure to make Ritual part of your weekly Ritual as well!