Mason Jenkins

Ask any Emory student what the most popular college bar in Atlanta is and he'll probably say Playboy's Bar of the Month for April, Maggie's. Over-indulging students perpetually fill the divey bar, drawn in by the familiar crowd and cheap drinks. It seems like every student has passed through its doors at one time or another, but doing so requires the go-ahead from this collegiate Mecca's bouncer, Mason Jenkins.

Jenkins has developed a reputation for not drinking on the job. He prefers going to his day job as a field technician for a consulting firm without a hangover.

Enforcing the law is in Jenkins' blood. His grandfather was the chief of police in Atlanta for 30 years.

At Maggie's, Jenkins routinely witnesses countless scenes that could only occur in college bars or in movies. Instances of students streaking through the bar, erupting into spontaneous water-gun fights and arriving from theme parties in costume are all commonplace. Once a minor tried to bribe his way in with pesos after spring break.

The hardest part of the job is not breaking up fist fights because, according to Jenkins, most altercations between Emory students are verbal. The most difficult moments involve overly emotional drunk kids who either get kicked out or turned down at the door and sometimes sit on the curb in front of the bar crying until their cab comes.