by Michaella Lesieur, Staff Writer
The UBar at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is reopened and back for another year after first opening last year.
“We opened the UBar first semester last year,” said the Director of Sales, Catering and Special Events, Sean Rooney. “They wanted a bar to go to on campus and we reacted.”
By having a bar on campus, it helps to keep students safe while enjoying a drink with friends.
“The UBar is a place on campus to relax, have a drink and enjoy time with your friends…and not having to worry about drinking and driving or relying on bus schedules to and from downtown,” said Rooney.
This past Thursday, the UBar celebrated the grand re-opening of the bar with giveaways and a special night for college students, who did not need to travel in order to have a good time.
“We had a good turnout for the reopening,” said Rooney. “Miller Lite was on hand and did tastings and gave away t shirts. The new karaoke is a big hit. The look and feel is that of a real club. Overall…a fun night for all.”
Psychology major and minor in business administration, Annie Vallier said she enjoyed the re-opening. “I attended this semester’s grand opening and it was a great time. This year they have a few cocktail options in addition to the beers which is great,” said Vallier. “The prices are great and the bartenders are fellow students—it’s great to be supporting a fellow student. They also added karaoke this year which is awesome! That added a super fun element to the experience.”
As college students, the ever so popular issue of money is something that can prevent students from having an unwinding experience from the everyday tasks of studying, homework and class lectures.
“Our drinking prices are better and this year we are offering karaoke for additional fun and laughs,” said Rooney.
The UBar is a safe and fun environment where a drink is something to enjoy without going overboard.
“We do encourage drinking responsibly,” said Rooney. “The UBar is not a place to guzzle beers and get intoxicated. Our bartenders are fully trained on preventing this.”
They are happy to have this safe option promoting drinking responsibly to the students of age.
“We feel great about offering this service to the students,” said Rooney. “Again, the goal is to create a safe environment on campus to drink responsibly, meet other students and have a great time.”
Students enjoy having this alternative made available to them on campus.
“I love that UMass Dartmouth has an on campus bar,” said Vallier. “It’s a pain to arrange for designated drivers when you want to go to the bars and the party bus to New Bedford gets back to campus really late. This is a great option for students who want to have a few drinks and not have to worry about transportation, because we can just walk back from the bar!”
The evening makes a perfect Thursday night treat, between atmosphere, good tunes, prizes and a favorite drink in hand. Rooney made sure to cater to the community’s interests by adding drink specials with prizes and giveways for all of UMass Dartmouth’s students.
In the next couple of months, the UBar has many plans to keep the life of the bar fresh and exciting for students.
“We plan to work with Campus Services on various promotions to keep the interest and excitement going,” said Rooney. “It’s a work in progress. We will always have the new karaoke, special nights with DJ’s, and contests with giveaways/prizes.”
The UBar would like to note, “The Ubar will only be opened every third Thursday of the month, creating monthly interest and build up,” said Rooney. “We will also ‘host’ various age appropriate student groups looking to book the bar for additional entertainment.”
If you have any questions or would like to book an event, feel free to contact Rooney at his email.