Colby College Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

James

you can't venture off campus. most kids travel abroad because its the only way to leave campus safely. There are no fraternities, it feels like the activities planned are artificial and stilted.

Cameron

Everyone loves Colby-Bowdoin sporting events. Sports teams tend to be the loudest groups on campus, but the outing club and the Colby Volunteer Center are certainly the largest.

Justin

Drinking is a big part of the social scene, which I did enjoy. Colby has its own drinking game called beer die which has extensive rules. Every student and alum has a "beer die name" which is usually pretty raunchy but also a rite of passage. I would say about a third of the students are chem free which everyone respects. There are plenty of activities and clubs which have events on the weekends. The outing club is the oldest in the country and has been copied by many other schools. They have their own cabin which students can sign up to use. Colby also has a lake house about 15 minutes which is great for swimming. It also features a full wood shop and blacksmithing studio. Classes on woodworking and blacksmithing are given during the winter months. There are so many varied opportunities at Colby for such a small school. There is even a woodsmen team which competes nationally.

Jordan

social life is vibrant, to say the least. you will never have a weekend at colby where you cannot find a party, and there is no grade or social discrimination when it comes to admission to such events. rarely will you have to pay for a drink (the benefits of going to school with kids who never knew money to be an object), and loud music and dancing is always provided. similarly, there are larger, school-sponsored seasonal events such as "formals" and gatherings that are offered and widely attended. overall, parties here are a lot of fun and always provide horrific (yet amusing, so long as you are not the subject of them) stories to tell and re-tell throughout the coming week. the disclaimer is, however, that colby social life is not all that friendly towards non-drinkers. if you are straight edge, this is not the school for you. of course, there are exceptions, and there is certainly a chem-free portion of the student body, but generally students who do not participate in weekend endeavors involving intoxication find social life here to be one-sided and barren of alternatives. in the same vein, kids here drink to an alarming extent, but that is not a trait specific to this school and is rather an unfortunate phenomenon paralleled at all colleges and universities throughout the country.

Blake

always several things available to do

Blake

Now this is one thing positive I can vouch for Colby. Programs such as Colby Cares About Kids which is where students help Waterville children through a mentoring program is one of the most impressive things Colby has going for it. Also various club sports and activities such as BMR (Broadway Musical Review) are a nice addition to an otherwise not so great atmosphere. Colby says that there is 21 and over alcohol policy but if you don't drink your social scene is pretty stagnant. Most kids who drink heavily are projected as being cool and most of the conversation of underclassman revolves around drinking and how hammered they got last night.

Connie

Lame.

Jody

Acappela groups are the most popular - both in terms of events and participation. Unfortunately, athletics don't seem to garner as much student support/turnout. Dating scene is pretty slim. The campus is too small - everyone is someone's best bud or the other... too many complications! If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm either running regressions or writing up proofs...or filling out Colby surveys... Traditions - COOT, Mr.Colby, Doghead, Champagne on the Steps, Bassett and Boylan Halloween Readings, etc. We don't have frats - thank god! Last weekend - I acted in a Theater dept. play, attended an island themed semi-formal, worked on my honors thesis, rehearsed a bulgarian folk dance piece for Colby Dancers, took a trip into downtown Waterville...and of course, gorged on waffles over brunch in Foss.

Cameron

I'm involved in performing arts, and I feel like we're pretty popular. The departments may be small, but we have a ton of students interested in seeing our shows. The problem I have with the theatre department is that they always pick shows with small casts and don't seem to care about giving more people a chance.

Ryan

I wouldn't say any group at Colby is considered popular. The football team is a big group, but not necessarily popular, and some of the other teams are the same way. The Outing Club is huge, and they organize trips all the time for you to participate in, like hiking, or skiing. The Outing Club will also rent out equipment to the members for no charge, so you can rent skies or hiking gear. I see this more is smaller dorm, but many students in the dorms leave their door open. Some athletic events are more popular than others, but like games like the Colby-Bowdin hockey game, everyone on campus goes to that. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I would probably be either studying or just hanging out with friends, not that many people drink during the week, but if you really wanted to, you could probably find a party every night. Every year, for St. Patty Day, Colby has DogHead. This is where everyone on campus wakes up at like 2 am on Saturday morning, and starting drinking, most likely green beer. We then all go to the same dinning hall drunk. Your supposed to then drink for 24 hours, but not everyone is able to pull that off. Last Saturday was DogHead, and I woke up to drink, went to a few parties on campus, then went off campus to another party, came back and went to breakfast, and then passed out for a few hours. I didn't end up drinking Saturday night because I went skiing on Sunday, and I wanted to be well rested for that.

Justin

Most traditions at Colby are centered around drinking. Doghead- The Saturday before St. Patricks Day, everyone wakes up at 3a.m. and commences the inebriation. Everyone then goes to breakfast at 8 or 9 and then later to an off campus party, unless they've passed out before that. Loudness- The beginnings and ends of each semester are marked by a weekend of decadence and debauchery. Loudness consists of concerts, parties, and an excessive amount of drinking. While drinking seems to be a part of the Colby Culture, many people don't drink and are completely respected for it. There's no pressure. On the other hand, it can prove tricky to find things constructive to do on weekend nights. The outing club (again, cult) and the outdoors organizations provide a great outlet to the majority of kids on campus. Most people have memberships. There are also many other organizations that really bring great events to campus. Even those who organizations who aren't sponsored by the school (e.g. my lit magazine, The Extra Medium) are respected or at least not discouraged.

Peter

Doghead Schedule (saturday before St Patty's Day)- Wake up at 3 am Drink Watch the sun rise on the steps Drink Drunk breakfast at Dana Drink Pass Out Drink Optional: Swallow a goldfish

Devin

Outing Club is the biggest. With most groups you can be as involved (or not) as you want. I do costuming for theater productions and have made friends with a lot of people I probably wouldn't have hung out with otherwise.

Andy

I think the drama and music scenes are two of the best things about Colby. The Theater and Dance Department puts on a few big shows every year, but the Powder and Wig drama club, which is open to anyone who auditions, also does a lot. Those productions are smaller, but they're still pretty damn fun. Or intense. Often both. In the past few years they've done And Then There Were None, Around the World in 80 Days, Alice in Wonderland, and Proof, among others. The student band scene is growing, and our six a cappella groups perform for everything from cider socials downtown to humanitarian benefit concerts, apart from their invitationals and semester shows. We recently had a Battle of the Bands at the local opera house, which featured acts from Colby and from Waterville, the surrounding town. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday morning, I might be doing homework or I might be in the office of the Echo, our student newspaper. If I AM doing homework, it's still because I spent a long night in the Echo office. The Echo is something I've gotten progressively more involved with over the years, and I love it. My freshman year I think I wrote five articles. My sophomore year I wrote an opinions piece almost every week and did a lot of concert reviews in the spring. Now I don't write opinions columns that often but I'm one of two copy editors who goes over the whole paper before we send it in for publishing, and I've also been writing more in the arts & entertainment section. Everyone I know seems busier than they ever have been plus people went abroad so social dynamics in the groups I used to hang out with are kinda different, so knowing that I'll see the Echo staff every Tuesday night is nice.

Kelsey

the most popular group on campus is sga i believe, since it encompasses such a large group of people (and is accompanied with the perk of a better housing draw). the a cappella groups on campus are also very popular. i am in a co-ed, student run a cappella group. the athletic events are pretty popular depending on the day and how hung over everyone is. the dating scene is a bit non-existent. hook-ups are far more frequent, and they are usually due to drunken debauchery.

Piper

a cappella is pretty popular, as are cause-based groups i'm in the sirens, an all female a cappella group dorm friendly-ness kind of depends on the dorm. goho is great!!!!! events are generally fairly popular (especially since there isn't much to do in town...) truly, i can't even remember how i met them. it just worked! the most important thing is not to feel OBLIGATED freshman year to meet your "best friend forevah". it won't happen, most likely. this is a small school, but there are some pretty different people. it's important to remember that no matter where you go, it takes more than a few weeks to find your place. i know i'm still working on that. homework doghead (messy drinking near patty's day) loudness (craziness at teh beginning and end of each semester) janplan (can be whatever you make it!) fall ball (dance. it was awesome this year!!) lots more depends on who you hang out with. for me, generally once or twice on the weekend. i know some people who drink almost every night. I know some people who don't drink at all. not at all THANK GOD!! this school would suck if there were frats i was sick... meh. but i went to portland and it was beautiful!! hang out in pulver playing some pool, attend an event, play some video games, have tea, watch a movie with your friends. there's lots of options, you just have to surround yourself with some like-minded people not much... jorgensen's coffee is good tho. portland and freeport are sweet

Loretta

-most popular groups: sports teams, iplay (intramural sports), a cappella groups< CCAK (colby cares about kids) -powder & wig. it's the only student-run theater group on campus, and its a lot of your typical thespians (even though i don't consider myself one) -some people leave their doors open, it's not uncommon. -some athletic events (like hockey) are fairly popular, especially if they're against bates or bowdoin. however a lot of our sports teams aren't that good, so not a lot of people go. -dating scene: it's so hard to date here. either you're just hooking up, or you're in a serious relationship. i have a boyfriend from another school and it works out much better than when i was single here. -i met all of my closest friends as a freshman on COOT (colby outdoor orientation trips) -if i'm awake at 2am on a tuesday, i'm either studying/writing a paper or just hanging out in my room procrastinating. -doghead, senior steps, loudness (4 times a year), johnson pond regatta -people party a lot, always on the weekends (including thursday), and sometimes more. yet there are never huge parties, usually just people hanging out in a dorm room. -last weekend i went off campus to a house party one night and stayed on campus and went to my friend's birthday party the next. -non-drinking activities: SPB (student programming board) usually has events going on such as concerts, dances, games, etc. that don't involve drinking. also there are usually guest speakers or student performances (a cappella, orchestra, choir, etc.) -the only things i ever do off-campus are go out to eat, shop, or the occasional house party.

Michelle

I think the most popular group at Colby is the outing club. I am involved in Student Government and I love it. Yes, students leave their doors open often. Athletics are very popular at Colby,but speakers and theater productions are less popular. There are many couples on Colby's campus, but there are also many people in the Colby grey area where people may be hooking up but not officially boyfriend and girlfriend. My closest friends are on Student Government with me and also my roommate that Colby matched me with my freshman year. If I am awake at 2am on Tuesday, I am doing homework. Doghead happens each year. We have a lot of dorm room parties with drinking games. People usually party two to three times a week. Fraternities and sororities are not allowed at Colby. Last weekend I drank both nights and had a great time. On a Saturday night, you can go to a movie. I row off campus.

Emily

I am involved in Colby Women's Rugby, a club sport, primarily run by the student officers of the club. I am president so I work with other faculty and staff members to schedule practice time, and get everything paid for and such. We have a coach that comes to some of our practices and our games, but the students are the ones who really run the organization. Students often leave their doors open. you can just walk down the hall and pop you head into your neighbors room to say hi.. its a great procrastination method. but also its really nice especially at the beginning of the year because you really get to know the people you are living with. athletic events are pretty well attended, especially if it is a beautiful fall day because everyone loves to get outside and walk around the beautiful campus. And as i said before, the hockey games are pretty great-especially against bowdoin. we get some really great guest speakers that are very well attended, people here really do have an interest in things in the world, so they get out and learn more about them. I lived in the same dorm freshmen year as a lot of my current closest friends. then i have lots of friends through rugby, i-play, and other friends. it is super easy to meet people at colby so making friends isn't a problem. If your up at 2am on a tuesday, you are probably doing work, but if its a wednesday it may be a different story. traditions- Doghead people party frequently. the weekends can usually be expected to bring some fun and a break from the academic week, but if you have a light week of work, no one is really opposed to a little mid-week drinking. no frats/sororities last weekend i went skiing on a saturday night when you arent drinking, the student planning board (spb) usually has an event planned. Last weekend there was a really cool psychic who came, a couple weekends ago the regurgiator came, and he is really cool, swallowed a gold fish and brought him back up still alive, solved a rubix cube in his stomach! there are casino nights, bingo, or you can just have a quiet night in with some friends. there are always other options. this weekend we have mr colby, a campus wide competition to determine who is mr. colby. there are some pretty fun things to do. off campus mostly i go skiing, i cant speak for everyone else on this account.

Shawn

People usually party on Friday and Saturday nights, but on Sunday they study. There are the few including me that study on weekends in the library and don't go out to party. No fraternities/sororities on campus. On a Saturday night I usually let myself have some time off from studying and watch a movie, play cranium, watch a play or attend a campus wide event such as a dance.

April

The Colby Outing Club is by far the most popular club on campus, but Colby Cares About Kids is also extremely active. I am in the Chorale, the largest choral group on campus. One of the music professors conducts it and auditions its members - about 70 students, male and female. We go on tour (usually to Europe) every other year, and not to be biased or anything, but we are REALLY REALLY good. Buy one of our CDs if you don't believe me. Whether you leave your door open depends on which dorm you live in. Most dorms, especially the smaller ones, are very social, and people leave their doors open for visitors whenever they are home. There are two types of relationships at Colby: longterm relationships that start to resemble marriages and hook-ups. In the longterm scenario, you sleep over at your significant other's place most nights of the week and are (ideally) exclusive. Everyone knows that you two are a couple. These relationships frequently last until one person graduates or goes abroad. The hookups are self-explanatory. No one really "dates" at Colby because it is impossible. By the time you start "dating" someone, you already know them too well to go on a "get-to-know-you" date. Also, we can't really draw on the "nearby" schools for new blood because they are too far away, and oh, did I mention that it's cold outside? Take my advice, and get yourself one of those longterm relationships so that you have a bedwarmer. I met my closest friends from living in a dorm with them or participating in the same extracurriculars as them Freshman year. I have met all my other friends since then through these initial friends. Awake on a 2am on a Tuesday? There's no doubt about it - I am frantically doing homework (or wasting precious time filling out surveys on college life). Doghead - drinking fest around St. Patty's Day Loudness - the first and last weekend of every semester Champagne on the Steps - seniors get drunk on the library steps the last day of class Last weekend, I ushered at a play for the theater department (it's my work study job) and attended a show by a "Psychic." I also watched a movie with my friends. (It was not an exciting weekend - the weekend before that I held an Old Hollywood Glamour party in my room where everyone dressed up and drank [legally!] and danced.)

Caroline

The dating scene at Colby is kind of weird because it seems like couples will either date for a really long time and essentially be "married," or they're just hooking up. There's not really a middle ground. I don't really know what you would do at Colby if you didn't drink- I always wonder what chem free kids do on weekends because the social life revolves so much around alcohol. You can usually find kids who are taking the night or weekend off from drinking, but there aren't tons of kids who abstain from alcohol in general, and the ones who do generally isolate themselves. You can find kids drinking literally every night of the week, which means you have to learn to balance fun with work. A lot of the bigger traditions revolve around alcohol too, like Doghead and Champagne on the Steps.

Evan

Getting hammered for all and any events.

Dale

people party a lot, but there are also a lot of none alcoholic events that are very popular.

Christine

As I mentioned earlier, the Colby Outing Club is the biggest club on campus. Other things that people tend to be really involved in or vocal about are the Student Government Association (SGA) which represents each dorm and each grade, and the Student Planning Board (SPB) which is responsible for social activities on campus like concerts and game nights. The shows of our acapella groups are usually well-attended. In terms of teams, the biggest games to go to are definitely the hockey games. Barely anyone goes to the football games. The dating scene at Colby is an interesting one. For the most part, people are either in a serious committed relationship or just randomly hooking up with people. There isn't much of an in-between or a whole lot of "casual dating" going on. If you're awake at 2 am on a Tuesday you're probably doing homework. Or you're an alcoholic. The pub closes at 1 during the week, as does our student center, so there's really nowhere social that you can be that late unless you're at a party, and parties are pretty much saved for the weekends. Partying is a pretty significant part of the social scene at Colby. It snows here for about roughly 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the time we're on campus, so we've mastered indoor evening activities. Beer Die, a drinking game involving dice and a table, was created here and is a tradition. There aren't any frats or sororities, but there are sports teams and students who live off-campus. Your typical student will probably go out on a Friday and a Saturday night, an ambitious partier will go out Thursday. We take academics pretty seriously, though, so it's not uncommon to see people out and about and ready to work by 10 the next morning. If you're looking to do something on a Saturday night that doesn't involve drinking, your choices are limited, but they exist. SPB does something almost every weekend, whether it's Colby Night at the Movies, human bowling, a dodgeball tournament, or bringing in guest performers. Our student center also has a game room where students can get together and play pool or hang out.

Anuj

There are tons of activities going on during the weekends. Live music usually happens every week, dances, game nights, kareoke, iplay sports, and tons more. We have speakers every week in the evenings, talking about global warming, politics, economics, art, religion, everything. I met my closest friends by doing activities that interested me. I usually only stay up until 2am to study during the week.

Jake

Varsity sports are not too popular as a spectator sport, with the biggest one being hockey. A great part about Colby is, when going to dinner, almost everyone you see is either coming from the gym or practice or is planning on going right sometime later that night. Everyone seen physical fitness as an important part of keeping you mind and body healthy.