Today, Ed Board takes a moment to reflect on the end of an SMU tradition: Tuesday nights at Jack’s Pub are gone forever. Ed Board comes to bury Jack’s, not to praise it. Let us remember.

For upperclassmen, the trip to Jack’s was easy, just a short drive. For first-years it was the trail of tears. Each night they spilled from their residence halls with Uggs on their feet and dreams of free drinks from frat guys dancing in their heads.

At the door there was the interminable wait in one long line with no separation for those of legal age and those below. Ed Board would always remember to switch in our fake ID — nothing like big, black X’s to ruin the night.

Once inside, Ed Board would join friends at a table, but some of you chose pool to entertain you while drinking. No one played volleyball. The constant fear of a hypodermic needle to the foot kept Ed Board’s shoes on.

Care for a drink? If the bar weren’t surrounded by shaggy-haired frat guys in North Face jackets and white-washed jeans ordering trays of shots, Ed Board would spring for the Keystone pitcher special.

And then there were the restrooms. When not full of first-years vigorously scrubbing away evidence of their under-21 status, the men’s room at Jack’s was occasionally home to acts of perversion so profound and disgusting that decorum prohibits listing them here (Courtesy: “Animal House”).

Jack’s was as popular on Facebook.com as it was in real life. Multiple groups exist where the bar’s patrons can pledge their allegiance (“Jack’s Pub Groupies”) or marvel at its customer base (“I saw Ryan Cabrera at Jack’s Pub”).

Of course, not everyone got to enjoy Jack’s. Facebook.com boasts a group called “Banned from Jack’s Pub,” which has as many members as the groupies, including a significant number of football players.

Not everyone wanted to enjoy Jack’s either, and rightfully so. After Chaucer’s closed, Jack’s became SMU’s favorite try-not-to-get-shot-at bar. Sure, that incident wasn’t on a Tuesday, but it was nerve wracking nonetheless.

So, what now? Where will SMU students go to drink cheap beer on weeknights? Ed Board won’t suggest a specific bar (advertisers can pay us for that privilege), but we will say this: Branch out. Dallas is a big city. Resist the urge to follow friends, lemming-like, into the same old bars. The end of Jack’s Pub is the beginning of a new era, hopefully one of better bars.