Sal’s Bar in downtown St. Joseph has been faithfully serving Johnnies and Bennies for decades, and along with their years of service, comes tradition. I’m sure many students — even some not yet old enough to enter the bar — have heard tales of closing time at Sal’s: Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” plays as gallant Johnnies disregard social norms in a gesture that removes the barriers separating them. It’s a strange tradition, I’ll admit, but it’s tradition, and is a part of our identity.
Yet, as popularity has shifted to the La Playette, another bar just down the street, so too has this end of the night salute. Bar goers at the La last weekend saw the night come to a close as it typically does on the West side — Piano Man and all.
However, this is not merely a musical dispute between two local bars. This is part of a larger discussion of tradition and what makes our traditions special. Just like we didn’t put up with that kid in middle school who, out of the blue, proclaimed, “Start calling me MegaZombie, it’s my new nickname,” a good tradition is not arbitrarily created. A genuine tradition evolves with time and allows all members of its culture feel as if they are a part of it.
Likewise, the best traditions are nontransferable. Imagine if our friends in the Twin Cities started marketing and selling loaves of Tommie Bread. They may be able to replicate the recipe pretty well, but it doesn’t change the fact that Bavarian Benedictine Monks were not the founders of the St. Thomas University.
It’s important we think about the traditions we live by because they are deeply symbolic. Our traditions tell us of where we come from, create our identity and in many ways dictate our futures.
So, is Piano Man playing at the La Playette during the nightly last call really that big of a deal? Maybe not. Maybe this tradition does not, in fact, belong to Sal’s bar, but rather belongs to all Johnnies and Bennies, wherever they may be. Maybe this is a trivial gesture that really doesn’t matter.
But maybe we’re allowing a local bar to create a discrepancy in our tradition. A discrepancy that takes away the meaning behind what we do. A discrepancy that creates a rift between ourselves and generations of Bennies and Johnnies before us.
As this new academic year gets underway and we welcome a new class of Bennies and Johnnies to campus, I urge everyone to think about the traditions we have. Think about what they mean and what that says about who we are. Finally, consider how much you would be willing to let them change before putting your foot down and taking a stand.
This is the opinion of Alex Brehm, an SJU senior.