By Hazel Schaeffer

Though Monday and Tuesday nights may not be typical going out nights for Macalester students, Trivia Happy Hour at the Green Mill near Kowalski’s might just change that. Located at Hamline and Grand, the short walk and even shorter bus ride makes it the perfect midwinter excursion.Having resolved to spend more time this semester off campus, this past Tuesday I tagged along for trivia with a group of seniors who had gone regularly last semester. Green Mill has been hosting Monday and Tuesday trivia since 2005, from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m., during their late happy hours. Domestic drafts are $2.50, and mini appetizers like Crispy Chicken Chipotle Wantons or two mini burgers can be had for $2.99. On Monday, margaritas are $3.99 each, and Whiskey Tuesdays feature $2.99 Captain Jack and Windsor shots and drinks.

But of course the real reason anyone goes is for the trivia. Each participating table is given a sheet to record answers. On the back are a group of images to identify; this week’s theme was “Name That Award.” The front contains spaces to record answers to the 19 trivia questions and a “rap a-doo,” where you are given a rap quote to translate into Mac-Groveland vernacular. Two men with booming voices made rounds every five minutes to each of nine tables to read aloud the questions.

We picked a team name (Sack Panther Loin Falcons), and got down to work. Some came readily to us, such as Johnny Depp’s model for Captain Jack Sparrow (Keith Richards), identifying the Razzie Award and the name of the gas CH4 (methane). However for others, like “the meat in the Grover Cleveland Sandwich,” we were uncertain.

The “rap a-doo” was an excerpt from a Jay-Z song. We debated over what word to use for “raw”-should it be “crack,” which Jay-Z had sold prior to his hip hop career, or “cocaine,” crack’s raw from? In the end, we picked cocaine, reasoning it was the more general term, planning to argue the point if necessary.

We handed in our sheets, and shortly before 11:00 p.m. they came back graded. Twenty-seven out of 30 points seemed promising, and after third place went to the team with 25 points and second to 26, we were cheered when we were announced the winners. Appearently a Macalester education does help prepare you for the real world. We received a $20 gift certificate, just enough to cover tip.

Afterwards I talked to Seam McPherson, who has been running the weekly trivia since June. He enjoys trivia because though he “never felt as smart as the rest of [his] family, [he’s] always liked asking questions.”

I enjoyed trivia too. How refreshing to be out of the classroom, where meta-theories and social constructions are pondered over and accepted as life-changing revelations. At the Green Mill, where random facts rule the night, knowledge is treated lightheartedly.