Story By: Isabelle Pasciolla
Pictures By: Rebecca Particka
Pushing through the large wooden doors, guests are surrounded by the scribbles of decades of visitors. From the walls to the tables to the doors and bathroom stalls, The Cabin is notorious for being covered in multicolored scribbles. Whether it’s people signing their names or writing encouraging messages, the writings can be seen almost everywhere.
“There were thousands and thousands of names when we were there,” said CMU alumni Staci Pawluk. “They probably switched out the furniture, I can't even imagine there’s room left anymore to write the names down.”
Behind every piece of writing is a story, like Gina Hofbauer, a senior at CMU, who decided to participate in the tradition on her friend’s 21st birthday. The group originally planned to go to Rubbles for karaoke, but wound up at The Cabin instead because they left late.
“There were thousands and thousands of names when we were there,” said CMU alumni Staci Pawluk. “They probably switched out the furniture, I can't even imagine there’s room left anymore to write the names down.”
Behind every piece of writing is a story, like Gina Hofbauer, a senior at CMU, who decided to participate in the tradition on her friend’s 21st birthday. The group originally planned to go to Rubbles for karaoke, but wound up at The Cabin instead because they left late.
“We got there and our waitress was really cool,” Hofbauer said. “She was very talkative (at) our table and recommended different shots.”
Everyone in the group ordered two shots, one for themselves and one for the birthday girl. After staying there almost until closing time, Hofbauer and the birthday girl went to the bathroom together and noticed the writing on the walls.
“Once we (saw) the bathroom scattered with different drawings and words, my friend ran to the waitress and asked for a sharpie,” she said. “I can’t lie, we wrote a lot of things. My favorite was writing ‘G and Hails 4 Ever,’ which was for me and my best friend. I also wrote kind messages that people would see when they were in the bathroom like ‘you are beautiful’ or ‘you are loved,’ because I wanted to make people smile.”
Hofbauer explained that once they saw how many other people had done it, they wanted to be a part of it too.
“It seemed like something I’d be happy to say I did,” she said.
Sydney Hollis, an alumna, has fond memories of going to The Cabin with a group of friends, oftentimes for holidays or special nights like Cabin Night on Wednesdays when there were drink deals.
“Our group lived about an eighth mile from the Cabin,” Hollis said. “It was just another Wednesday night, when they have deals for Long Island iced teas. We drank beforehand at the apartment, played some drinking games and then walked to the Cabin.”
“Going to The Cabin was a weekly ritual for us,” said Hollis’s friend Lindsay Scott. “We’d be there every Wednesday and didn’t even need to plan it, we all just knew that’s where we were going. It wasn’t a matter of if, but what time.”
Everyone in the group ordered two shots, one for themselves and one for the birthday girl. After staying there almost until closing time, Hofbauer and the birthday girl went to the bathroom together and noticed the writing on the walls.
“Once we (saw) the bathroom scattered with different drawings and words, my friend ran to the waitress and asked for a sharpie,” she said. “I can’t lie, we wrote a lot of things. My favorite was writing ‘G and Hails 4 Ever,’ which was for me and my best friend. I also wrote kind messages that people would see when they were in the bathroom like ‘you are beautiful’ or ‘you are loved,’ because I wanted to make people smile.”
Hofbauer explained that once they saw how many other people had done it, they wanted to be a part of it too.
“It seemed like something I’d be happy to say I did,” she said.
Sydney Hollis, an alumna, has fond memories of going to The Cabin with a group of friends, oftentimes for holidays or special nights like Cabin Night on Wednesdays when there were drink deals.
“Our group lived about an eighth mile from the Cabin,” Hollis said. “It was just another Wednesday night, when they have deals for Long Island iced teas. We drank beforehand at the apartment, played some drinking games and then walked to the Cabin.”
“Going to The Cabin was a weekly ritual for us,” said Hollis’s friend Lindsay Scott. “We’d be there every Wednesday and didn’t even need to plan it, we all just knew that’s where we were going. It wasn’t a matter of if, but what time.”
“There’s no better place to unwind after a long day of classes,” said Morgan Ford, another alumna and a part of this friend group. “There’s a 100% guarantee of tasty drinks, yummy food, and fun times.”
After drinking a few Long Island iced teas, Hollis decided to write on the wall beside their booth. She wrote in large letters “Kawasaki,” which is what she and her friends call their group. “It’s a lifestyle. A state of mind. A secret society,” she said jokingly. Hollis said she had wanted to write on the wall, “ever since my first visit to The Cabin in 2017.” |
Scott was a part of writing “Kawasaki” on the wall as well. “I wanted to memorialize our experiences there,” she said. “It felt like it was our spot, and we wanted to leave our mark there forever.”
Others in the group had wanted to write on the walls for quite a while.
“I remember my first time visiting and being in awe of all the names, dates, and memories etched into the wood everywhere you look,” Ford said. “My mom and dad both went to CMU and have their names somewhere in the alphabet soup. I just knew I had to join.”
It took Ford a few tries, but eventually she was able to write her name, along with her friends.
“I made a mental note to myself that next time I returned, I would definitely bring a Sharpie. Of course I forgot the first time because I was too preoccupied thinking about the Cabin Sticks I was about to eat. When I eventually remembered, I broke out the Sharpie while my friends and I were waiting for the food. I wrote my name on the wall beside me and then passed around the Sharpie for everyone to do the same.”
Others in the group had wanted to write on the walls for quite a while.
“I remember my first time visiting and being in awe of all the names, dates, and memories etched into the wood everywhere you look,” Ford said. “My mom and dad both went to CMU and have their names somewhere in the alphabet soup. I just knew I had to join.”
It took Ford a few tries, but eventually she was able to write her name, along with her friends.
“I made a mental note to myself that next time I returned, I would definitely bring a Sharpie. Of course I forgot the first time because I was too preoccupied thinking about the Cabin Sticks I was about to eat. When I eventually remembered, I broke out the Sharpie while my friends and I were waiting for the food. I wrote my name on the wall beside me and then passed around the Sharpie for everyone to do the same.”
The tradition extends farther back though, through many generations of CMU students. Staci Pawluk attended CMU from 1991 to 1994. In her junior year she moved into Casa Loma Townhouses with her friend Tracie. The two met during their dorm orientation and went on to be roommates from sophomore year until they graduated.
The Cabin is right around the corner from Casa Loma, so it was the first bar they would go to during their nights out on the town. The group of girls have written their names on the tables and the walls as they did it on more than one occasion.
“That was the thing to do back then,” she said.
The girls enjoyed going to The Cabin for the food, whether it was to fill their stomachs before heading out or on the way home to “soak up the alcohol.” They particularly enjoyed the pizzas and Cabin Sticks.
“They had good food, it was pretty reasonably priced,” Pawluk said. “Because when you're in college you're poor.”
Oftentimes The Cabin was their “pregame” bar before heading out to other places such as Blackstone, The Bird and Nick’s Saloon. Pawluk and her friends mostly liked the Cabin because of the uniqueness with all the writings and because it was never crowded due to its lack of a dance floor.
“Parts of it seem like it was just yesterday,” Pawluk said. “But the memories are a little fuzzy. You’ll get like this too in 25 years.”
The Cabin is right around the corner from Casa Loma, so it was the first bar they would go to during their nights out on the town. The group of girls have written their names on the tables and the walls as they did it on more than one occasion.
“That was the thing to do back then,” she said.
The girls enjoyed going to The Cabin for the food, whether it was to fill their stomachs before heading out or on the way home to “soak up the alcohol.” They particularly enjoyed the pizzas and Cabin Sticks.
“They had good food, it was pretty reasonably priced,” Pawluk said. “Because when you're in college you're poor.”
Oftentimes The Cabin was their “pregame” bar before heading out to other places such as Blackstone, The Bird and Nick’s Saloon. Pawluk and her friends mostly liked the Cabin because of the uniqueness with all the writings and because it was never crowded due to its lack of a dance floor.
“Parts of it seem like it was just yesterday,” Pawluk said. “But the memories are a little fuzzy. You’ll get like this too in 25 years.”
As for what started the tradition, Pawluk isn’t sure and neither is anyone else. Pawluk has asked her sister and her friends if they know why people write all over the restaurant, but no one does.
“As a young college kid you’re having fun and you just saw all of these names all over the walls and the tables so you’re like, ‘Okay this is a thing,’ so we just did it too,” she said. Hofbauer was also not entirely sure how the tradition got started, but personally she believes it is a good way to spread positive messages and express emotion. |
“I think it’s a way for intoxicated people to express themselves and their thoughts in a creative way,” she said.
Hollis, Scott and Ford all felt that writing on the walls was a way of staying connected to Mount Pleasant forever.
“(It’s) to leave a piece of themselves or a memory to come back to from college,” Hollis said.
“I truly feel like entering the doors of the Cabin takes you into a different dimension,” Scott said. “The only thing that matters is laughing, dancing, and bonding with those around you. We all want to be young, happy and careless forever, and writing on the walls is an immortalization of that.”
“ It truly feels like becoming a part of something bigger,” Ford said. “A piece of me will always stay in Mount Pleasant. My signature on those walls makes that official.
“Each and every one of us college students did our time at Central Michigan University. Writing your name on The Cabin wall is your signature to prove it. Once a chip, always a chip. The Cabin walls never forget. Fire up forever!”
Hollis, Scott and Ford all felt that writing on the walls was a way of staying connected to Mount Pleasant forever.
“(It’s) to leave a piece of themselves or a memory to come back to from college,” Hollis said.
“I truly feel like entering the doors of the Cabin takes you into a different dimension,” Scott said. “The only thing that matters is laughing, dancing, and bonding with those around you. We all want to be young, happy and careless forever, and writing on the walls is an immortalization of that.”
“ It truly feels like becoming a part of something bigger,” Ford said. “A piece of me will always stay in Mount Pleasant. My signature on those walls makes that official.
“Each and every one of us college students did our time at Central Michigan University. Writing your name on The Cabin wall is your signature to prove it. Once a chip, always a chip. The Cabin walls never forget. Fire up forever!”