As a freshman, there are certain benchmarks you hit during the first few weeks of school. You have your first day of classes, your first late night in the library, your first experience with awkward communal showers, and you inevitably have your first “Oh my god college is so scary – I’m freaking out” moment. But once one has conquered their first week of classes, the next benchmark is the thrilling first college party.
Source: Kenyon College
I, for one, came in with no idea how to navigate a Kenyon party. Luckily, I was not alone. In fact, most freshmen, no matter which school they are at, have no idea what to expect from their inaugural collegiate party. Not to worry though, future frosh, for I have taken the liberty of interviewing freshmen girls from Kenyon and other state schools around Ohio (The University of Cincinnati, Kent State University, and Ohio University) to find out what the firsts parties are like from the eyes of a freshman.
Here is a comprehensive list of my findings:
What Do Girls Wear Out?
Party outfits tend to vary widely from school to school, so there isn’t necessarily one archetype that every girl follows. A Kent State student commented that her favorite outfit that she’s worn out was a crop top with booty shorts, while a girl from Ohio University said that she preferred to wear jeans and a cute shirt. I’ve found that most people at Kenyon go out in whatever makes them the most comfortable, whether that’s jeans and a t-shirt or a skirt and a crop top–it’s very much up to the individual.
How Early Do Parties Start, and How Early Do People Actually Go?
This is something that I know my friends and I were very concerned about for the first few parties that we went to because although most parties say that they start at 10, we had heard that it was a total freshman move to arrive right when they begin. We typically don’t arrive to most parties until after 11. In contrast, at the University of Cincinnati (UC), people will leave their dorms early so that they get to parties right when they begin, and at Kent State, parties are “bumping” as soon as they start around 11 p.m.
What Type of Alcohol is Typically Present at Parties, and Do People Pre-game Before Parties?
Of course I can’t speak a lot about alcohol consumption (because we’re all underage), but one can always find beer at a Kenyon party. If you know someone who is hosting it, you can typically find other types of alcohol as well, but it’s not usually out for open consumption. A lot of students do pre-game in small groups if they don’t like beer, but it isn’t really necessary at Kenyon. It should also be noted that at Kenyon, there is no pressure at all whatsoever to drink at parties, and there are many people who go sober and have a great time. At state schools, it is much more difficult to find alcohol at a party. Most places have very limited amounts of beer, and any other alcohol is difficult to access. This leads many people to having to pre-game with liquor and other alcoholic beverages in their dorms before they leave for the night.
How Often Does Alcohol Poisoning Occur at Parties?
Most girls I’ve spoken with from state schools have reported that they haven’t seen many people vomiting, but it is common to see a girl passed out either at the party or somewhere along her walk home. It is also typical to find people who need help getting home or who are stumbling back to their dorm. Kenyon actually has the wonderful Good Samaritan policy wherein a person can call Campus Safety to get help for someone who is showing signs of alcohol poisoning. This is also great because neither the person who calls nor the person who is being helped will get in trouble for drinking if they are underage. That being said, I have yet to see anyone at Kenyon who has passed out at a party or on the way home, although I have heard that it happens.
Campus Safety’s Phone Number: (740) 427-5000
How Often Do You See the Same People at Parties?
Since Kenyon is such a small campus, the odds of seeing familiar faces at parties are very high. Not only that, but you will likely see the boy that you danced with the night before when you’re trying to get some eggs and coffee at Peirce the next morning. This can be a fun thing, too, because you get to know a lot of the same people, and it can make the party more enjoyable when you have people that you’re hyped to see each week. Not surprisingly, at most state schools, the only people you see at parties consistently are the ones they go to the parties with. Aside from that, it’s a whole new batch of people each night, which provides people with more anonymity than what we have here at Kenyon.
After seeing how Kenyon parties stack up to other those at other colleges, I have come to this conclusion:
It can be a bit frightening going to parties at a small school because it is very likely that when you wake up the next morning, people will know if you got a bit too crazy last night. Also, you probably will see that guy you made out with last weekend around campus, and you two might awkwardly avoid eye contact for a couple of weeks – but that’s okay. Kenyon parties are as unintimidating as they come, and they are always full great people who just want to have a good time, whether that be hanging out with friends and playing beer pong, or dancing your butt off all night. No matter what, I wake up every Sunday, I get my eggs and coffee at Peirce, I gush over what a great time we had last night with all of my friends. So shout-out to Kenyon parties! I wouldn’t want to spend my weekends anywhere else.