By Leah Rogers
Contributing Writer
As Sam Adams would say, “I hate college but love all the parties.” We all know college is full of hard work during the week and, for many, hard partying on the weekends. But is the culture at the University too party-oriented?
The academic workload here at can get very heavy, so it is completely understandable that students want to kick back and relax on the weekends. Every weekend, at least one fraternity is having a party, and it is relatively easy for students to get in. There, students can choose to drink or just dance and have a good time.
Many people may think that fraternities and sororities just have out-of-control parties all the time where the main event is drinking, but this is not entirely true.
“The school is very Greek-dominated, but fraternities host non-alcoholic events too,” Mike Kehrli ’13 said.
His fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, has events such as tackle football games and golf outings.
“We’re not just a drinking club, there’s a lot more that goes into it,” Kehrli said.
Although many students at the University do choose to get involved in Greek life, there are lots of alternative activities for those who prefer not to. Every week, Activities and Campus Events (ACE) shows a different movie for just $1 for University students. They typically show pretty current movies, such as “Toy Story 3” or “Iron Man 2.” The movies give students a way to relax and spend time with their friends. Students also get together and play popular videogames, like DDR or Rockband.
There are also other clubs on campus, such as C.A.L.V.I.N. & H.O.B.B.E.S., which provides students with free alternative activities on the weekends.
“Last weekend they went rollerblading, they’ve gone bowling and camping,” Rachel Celniker ’14 said.
Clubs like C.A.L.V.I.N. & H.O.B.B.E.S. give students a chance to avoid the party scene and still have fun with their friends.
But there shouldn’t be a huge social barrier between those who choose Greek life and those who do not. Students should be able to be in fraternities or attend parties as well as do other activities.
“I think many people don’t go to things like this [C.A.L.V.I.N. & H.O.B.B.E.S.] because they don’t know they exist or they think they are lame, but they’re really not,” Celniker said.
Students can check out both ends of the spectrum and get the best of both worlds.
Greek life does play a big role in many people’s social lives, but the University offers students a wide range of alternative activities. Students shouldn’t feel like they have to pick one or the other—don’t be afraid to mix it up, you never know who you’ll meet!