-fortunately, the dynamics of student activities at the College vary tremendously, so that pretty much every activity you can think of is represented. as this is primarily a liberal arts school, activities involving the humanities (literary magazines, art clubs, music, theatre and sketch comedy, etc.) tend to dominate our campus scene. also, Greek life. this is pretty much a given, something you'll find at any university.
-the main group i am involved with is our school's literary magazine, called jump! magazine. it's pretty ridiculous- oftentimes it is intentionally tacky (avant-avant garde), but popular nonetheless. it is also an art magazine- i mean, the magazine can be anything the students want it to be, as it is based on their submissions. we meet at least once a week to read submissions and hang out. it's pretty laid back. mainly we just talk about the going-ons of campus life and have a good time, too good a time, in fact, that it just seems the magazines assemble and manufacture themselves as the semester unfolds.
-it really depends whether or not a student will leave their dorms open. i would say that most of them do, but you sometimes get those few who always lock it shut, to avoid the noise in the hall, i suppose. it also depends on the type of hall you're in. Freshman dorms, for instance, are expected to be more social than other dorms on campus, as the Freshmen are forced to engage in all sorts of friendly Freshman mixers and whatnot. upper level dorms are more tricky. they tend to be more closed-doors.
-athletics at the college is very popular. most students exercise in one way or another. last year, our rec center was remodeled to look like a state of the art, VIP gym. in addition to having personal trainers, our gym now teaches a number of aerobics classes, such as yoga and pilates. intramural basketball is also pretty well established. most students have their own routines, whether lifting free weights or runnings outdoors. there are a number of sports clubs that a student may find himself participating in at one point or other, ranging from Frisbee to rugby to running. unfortunately, with the exceptions of our running and gymnastics teams, the Tribe athletics are fairly average. WM's football team, for instance, is known more for its reputation as a losing team, but we love them anyway. depending on the day in the week, students will turn out to athletic events to support their friends or to have a good time. football games are by far the most popular events to attend.
-another strength of WM, i believe, is their ability to put on several guest speaker and lecture series throughout the year. this includes students and faculty as well as visitors of the College. if you try hard enough, you can probably find a guest speaker event at least once every two weeks, if not more.
-the theater department is very strong at the College, and their productions always yield a popular turnout.
-the college dating scene is fairly frustrating at the college. with a few exceptions, most relationships don't last too long, mainly because everyone's too caught up in their own affairs to make it work. beginning a relationship is hard enough, as none of the students feel they are allowed to express their themselves openly, and bottle up their feelings for one another, shying away from the dating scene altogether. one thing is certain and that is that, whether or not in a relationship, the students at the College are collectively sexually frustrated, and a great majority of students have given up searching for love at the College, displacing their unsatisfied desires on sports, the arts, or the academics.
-i came to meet my closest friends in a number of ways. two of my closest friends lived on my freshman hall: this is obvious enough, as most students find themselves remaining close with at least one member of their freshman hall. the summer of my freshman year i participated in a study abroad program in Cambridge, where i met a couple other students who would become close friends of mine. it is through these friends that i was able to branch out and meet their friends. also, most of the jump! staff are dear friends of mine. i believe this is important in putting a magazine (or any organization for that matter)together.
-if i am awake at that hour Sunday through Wednesday, you can believe i am working hard on a paper. but this is rare (remember, i am an early bird!), and most likely, if you'll find me up at this hour, it is because i have had one too many.
-popular annual traditions include the president's Yule log during Christmas (where he reads to us 'How the Grinch stole Christmas'), senior walks with the president, and seniors ringing the bell of the Wren building. additionally there are the innumerable formal dances, including the Green and Gold Affair. other traditions include the Triathlon (jumping, swimming, and running around campus naked), campus golf (playing golf one Saturday morning with tennis balls. necessarily, alcohol is involved), and Blowout (showing up to the last day of classes drunk).
-regardless of whether or not you are available, there should usually be a party every friday and saturday night, if not a small get-together among friends at the bar or in their home. i would guess that about half the student body goes out every weekend, while the other half stays in or goes home if they have the means (a car with gas will do).
-frat life, and especially sorority life, are very powerful organizations at the College. sororities have an invisible hand behind every student activity at the College, and members are well connected in every way imaginable. there are many social dangers involved with these organizations (mainly, conformity to do what the mass tells you to do), and i disagree with many of their practices, but still one cannot deny the power of these organizations, or their benefits, for that matter.
-last friday, i spent the morning doing homework, then went to work. when i got off, i met up with two buddies for a couple of drinks. the next day started out the same. after work, i went to richmond to attend a party my friend was throwing. sunday i took it easy and caught up with laundry and homework, mainly.
-you can always throw a party that doesn't involve alcohol. since students can't afford to be hungover every Sunday morning, oftentimes a night will consist of dinner at a restaurant, followed by a movie. if they stay in, then pizza and a dvd. in my opinion, the best thing to do on a Saturday night, if you aren't drinking, is to catch up on your classwork.
-i usually go off campus to run. i am a competitive runner and at least three times a semester i find myself traveling to Richmond, VA beach, Charlottesville, or DC to compete in some sort of distance event or other. otherwise, i go off campus to visit friends who have graduated (mainly in the Richmond area). other than that, i rarely leave campus.