Some people told me they thought I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe, which I reviewed here, exaggerated the preponderance of alcohol in college social life.
Lindsay, who I know through my blog, recently started freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania. On her Xanga she recaps her first night on the college social scene at Penn. I applaud Lindsay’s courage in choosing not to drink, and in her willingness to share the ugly details.
Parents who still believe in America’s elite universities as spotless beacons of pure intellectual pursuit are advised not to read Lindsey’s post!
It was my first day in residence and all the rules outlined for the floor involved alcohol. The legal drinking age in Canada is 18, though, so most of the drinking that goes on is legal.
Is this really all that new, though? Seems to me that drinking has been part of the youth culture for a lot longer than Gen Y.
Seeing how UMiami has a party reputation, I was expecting to find a lot of it on campus.
Surprisingly, most of it occurs at private residences; I suppose President Shalala is trying to keep the school’s image as best she can.
I’ve found the city itself, including Coconut Grove, South Beach,etc. to be far more entertaining than any dumb houseparty.
Where else but Miami can I eat fried cuban bananas, practice my Spanish w/ the locals and enjoy beautiful beaches? Anyone who would rather get drunk rather than appreciate the culture of this great city is a f’n idiot
Thanks for the compliments and for the fabulous book review on Charlotte Simmons. Sounds like Wolfe really understands the inner workings of collegiate life. I have definitley had my moments of feeling like Charlotte– questioning how the image of academic prestige is so different than the reality of nonstop kegs and hangovers.