In Her Campus Sewanee’s new He Said, She Said series, we’ll pick a different issue each week and ask guys and girls what they think about the same topic. In our inaugural piece, three freshmen–two girls and one guy–give their thoughts on the party scene at Sewanee…and yes, it is exactly what you think.
DFMOs a.k.a. Dance Floor Make Outs We’ve all seen it. Two people in the middle of dance floor doing..well..anything but dancing.
Bethany: Ah yes, the classic DFMO. I’ve seen it happen quite a few times in my short time here. In all honesty though, anyone going for the DFMO will receive no judgment from me. But maybe consider how you’ll feel the morning after when the girls in your English class are giving you dirty looks before you go for it.
Jon: When I see people making out on the dance floor, it doesn’t surprise me. Sometimes I just hit them with the “go ‘head bruh!” especially if they’re my friends. After that I get back to “messing the club up.”
Kate: A personal favorite. If the moment feels right, by all means go for it. However, keep in mind the setting is far from intimate: the room is not as dark as ‘drunk you’ thinks, and the people around are people you probably know and will probably have to see again. But if that doesn’t bother you, you go Glen Coco.
Blackout People
Jon: When I see blackout people, I sometimes feel obligated to try and get them home safely or get them help if they’re my friends. Unfortunately, I, like many others, fall prey to the bystander effect. If they’re not my friend or someone I know, I just hope they get home safely.
*Editot’s Note: The bystander effect means that if you see someone in a bad situation, whether it be too much alcohol or unwanted advances from another person, you should always intervene, regardless of whether or not you know them. Better safe than sorry!
Kate: Blackout drunk is the point at which being absolutely hammered stops being funny and starts being “oh my gosh you are SUCH a good friend, I love you SO much” in between fits of throwing up in the bushes behind a frat house. It happens to the best of us, but it is something that I would definitely try to avoid.
Getting Ready
Jon: My main concern when I’m getting ready is what I can wear that looks good but won’t be destroyed by frat sludge. I usually start with my boots and work my way up from there. I want to look fly and still feel comfortable.
Kate: I honestly wear the same three outfits interchangeably, because A) I don’t have that many “going out” clothes and B) Drunk people are barely going to be able to remember my name, much less what outfit I was wearing. So I just make sure I’m comfy and that I’m ready to get covered in good ol’ frat sludge up to my knees.
Punch
Kate: Don’t drink it.
Bethany: I personally love drinks that come out of a trashcan.
Jon: Drink it (if you know what’s in it.)
Notice homegirl on the right…
Pregaming
Bethany: The pregame. It varies from person to person as to what extent they want to pregame. Some find it unnecessary while for others it may be the most crucial part of the night. Either way, just try not to be that person who passes out before everyone else is even considering starting to drink.
Jon: When pregaming, my main goal is to still be good for the actual party. You never want to be that person who doesn’t make it past the pregame. My tip: always remember, the night is a marathon, not a sprint.
Kate: I am not the expert on pregaming, but I am definitely the expert on how not to pregame. I know it’s Friday and I know you’re excited to finally be free of studying and stress, but DO NOT, under ANY circumstances, get ‘shmammered’ at 7:00 and then pass out before the night has even started. It results in an entire Saturday of “What You Missed Out On” conversations, where you get to hear about how much fun everyone was having while you were drooling on your suitemate’s pillow.
Dancing
Bethany: Dancing is my favorite part of any night I go out. The best part about dancing at a frat party though, is that most people won’t remember my terrible dancing the next day.
Jon: I love dancing, it’s one of my favorite parts of the night. My favorite place to be is on a table or any elevated surface where I can “mess the club up.” But if a person isn’t into all that, the floor is just as good of a place to dance. Overall my main goal with dancing is just to have fun and forget all my problems for the night.
Kate: I am a terrible dancer, but that is still my favorite aspect of going out. The music has to be good though—I love a good mixture of Top Forty Hits and all-time classics. As for the swing dancing aspect of Sewanee, I am still struggling with learning how not to end up putting my partner in an accidental chokehold. I will keep you all posted on my progress.
People Who Leave Together
Jon: If they are my friends, I always just intercept them and make sure they are good and if they aren’t, that is when I intervene.
Bethany: If I see my friend leaving a party with someone I know and trust, I’ll say hey to them before they go just to check things out. Other than that, what other people do with their free time is really none of my business.
**Editor’s note: Yeah, people go home together all the time after parties, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what they are headed off to do. Still, if you notice that one or the other doesn’t seem like they’re fully in control, i.e. if the guy or girl is stumbling down drunk, it’s always a good idea to just step in and make sure everything is truly alright before they leave! It may be awkward, especially if you don’t know the people, but it’s our responsibility as students to make sure our community is safe.
EAT. SLEEP. NAP. REPEAT. FYSR