Connecticut College Top Questions

There is always tons of stuff going on. On any given Friday you could go to FNL, the band that SAC brings to campus, a club hockey game to support friends, a dance club performance, or go out to dinner and a movie with friends. Most thursdays and saturdays people do go out, and they do drink, but we dont have any greek life on campus, so everything is centered around the dorms, and everyone goes where their friends are.

Floralia, lots of clubs, good sense of community, some division between sports teams and rest of campus, good guest speakers, parties are every thursday and saturday night.. other nights (including friday) are generally reserved for work, meetings, and casual hangouts with friends.

There's not usually enough going on around campus. I often feel bored on the weekends.

I am involved in the dance department, which is amazing. Dance Club is one of the most popular groups on campus. I'd say, athletics are fairly popular, but they are definitely not as big as at universities. I met my closest friends through dance. If I am awake at 2 am on tuesday, I am doing work. Some people party every night, but most people limit it to Thursdays and Saturdays. There are lots of events on campus, a lot of which don't involve drinking. I don't really go off campus. There is a bar on campus, which prevents drunk driving.

Popular groups are singing groups and theater stuff as well as huge athletic scene. Students for sure leave their doors open and get involved. The dating scene is basically nonexistent and most students just have a serious boyfriend or random hook ups. I met my closest friends based on where I lived and through classes and activities and general randomness. There are tons of amazing guest speakers and events, but most kids miss out because they are not too aware. The party scene is kind of weird, but pretty fun. It's often small parties with just your friends because we don't have frats or sororities but drinking is still a huge deal. Its more fun if you drink to be honest. I have gotten much less into the drinking scene and more into the going off campus scene as I have gotten older.

Many students complain that all there is to do on weekends is drink. I have not felt limited to drinking. What I really like about Conn's party scene is the Friday break, meaning, at Conn people generally party on Thursday and Saturday leaving Friday as a night for relaxation. Every Friday the school hosts indie bands at the student center for "Friday Nights Live," there are also student performances, films, and a generally "low-key" atmosphere. This adds a nice break to the weekend. As far as Thursday and Saturday: there is a lot of drinking. Its a work hard/play hard type of school, and many feel that all there is to do is go to a keg (which are held in dorm common rooms) drink in friends' rooms, go then go to the student center which serves as a holding tank for drunk students. It took some searching for me to realize that, while this is the easiest and most common weekend activity, it is by no means all there is to do. Students make oppertunities: Conn's large music community plays a part in this. "MOBROC" the society of bands on campus hosts concerts, djs compete and host dance parties, on campus apartments host theme parties; and then there is always off campus: Providence and New Haven, both of which have great night life are only 45 minutes away, and Boston and New York are two hours respectively. Downtown New London offers a veriety of bars and venues. when the weather is nice the beach is only a ten miunute drive and on any given warm day Harkness Beach will taken over by Conn students. Ultimately, however, this is a small isolated college, and drinking and socializing is the typical method of blowing off steam. People date and randomly hook-up... one does not seem prefered to another. There are no sororities or frats. There seems to be two worlds to Conn: the artsy world and the preppy world. While the two often meet, they have their own spots. For the more off-beat the campus coffee shop "Coffee Grounds" is a popular hangout; there is also the "MOBROC Barn", a space for bands and musicians to jam and hangout; there is the "freedom of expression tunnel" where graffiti artists can practice their trade. There is a pub on campus for those who feel like having a beer with friends on weekdays, on weekends it tends not to be used. The student center is nothing special but it works: there is a snack shop where lots of students hangout, some nice sitting areas, a pool table, and some couches.

On weekends there are lots of kegs and private room parties, as well as at least one party in the student center. There is definately a lot of drinking on campus. It's largely overlooked by the adminstration as long as underage kids do it in private/don't endanger thier lives. The school has may admistration sanctioned events which are largely kept secret until you actully enroll. Number one is Floralia, and all day concert and drinking fest (think a preppy white woodstock). It is in and of itself a good reason to attend the school. Also notable is Fishbowl, an end of year event in which the senior class is locked in the student center with excess amount of alcohol. It ends in a drunken naked orgy followed by a naked run to the gong (which you can't ring before Fishbowl).

Theres is always so much to do on campus! From accapela to dance shows to dances themselves. I always find myself running around trying to see everyone play and speaker that comes to con.

Dating scene sucks. People party on thursdays and saturdays but take it easy on fridays, doing things like going to movies or concerts. I used to not drink and it was really hard. I started because it was so hard to find things to do without it. I often say "conn coll finally got to me..." Then again, there is a very strong community of non-drinkers, but it is very much excluded from the rest of campus--the fact that I didnt fit in with the non-drinking crowd was a major reason why I began drinking.

There is very little to do at Connecticut College when partying because there is no were to go, or it is broken up by campus safety very quickly. I was very lucky in that I had liked next to and lived with the my 9 closest friends. I have keep those friends for 4 years and they are the best friends one could ever hope for. I know everyone who goes out, and although we often go to the bars in New London, there are sometimes Kegs in the dorm or parties at the apartment.

So how does a typical weekend go? Well, Thursday nights are pretty big here and so are Saturdays. The rest of the week, I'm sure you'll find people drinking, but not much is going on. Thursday nights there's usually a TNE (Thursday Night Event) which basically means a dance with some kind of theme. The favorites are usually highlighter parties, anything but clothes...you get the idea. Friday nights we have FNLs (Friday Night Lives) where a band comes to play. These can be really fun and I went to a lot of them freshman year. Conn gets some really good bands that people don't really know about yet. Saturday nights are the most fun. There's usually a dance or some kind of event going on at Cro (the Student Union building) and if there isn't, people usually congregate there around midnight anyway. We don't have a Greek system, so SAC will throw a lot of dances and events to get people involved on weekends. There's also a bar on campus, which a lot of seniors go to. Off campus there are a few bars in New London, and people like to go to Mohegan Sun as well. However, if you're not 21 yet, you pretty much stay on campus.

There are a lot of different opportunities for students to get involved. Their are so many different clubs from MOBROC to REC to Italian club, providing something for all most everyone. There are also numerous sponsered events such as panel discussions, informational nights, and soo much more. The one thing that I feel Conn is lacking is a more engergetic and different social atmosphere. It is fun hanging out with friends, having parties in our rooms, going to the kegs, floor parties and dances, but after a while it just becomes so repetitive. I've actually met a lot of people on Thursday and Saturday nights, but they aren't relationships that have really lasted, or anything. I think the school as a whole needs to step it up and provide the student body with more engaging social activities--even a random spur of the moment student-initiated pillow fight on the green would be better than the monotonous Saturday nights we must endure.

almost everyone at conn plays a sport either club or varsity. But if one doesnt thats ok too. Although I dont know how I'd take up my time if I didnt play a sport. Life would get pretty boring. Im involved in the varsity sailing and squash teams so I'm away almost every weekend which is good because it gets me off campus so life isnt so monotonous. students dont normally leave their doors open, personally i dont because its awkward if your just sitting in your room watching tv and people just walk by and look in. Sporting events are decently popular I mean...no one really maps them on their calanders, but usually theres always an audience. If I'm awake on tuesday at 2am, Im usually procrastinating, watching tv, or actually doing work. There isnt really a dating scene usually people will meet drunkenly and hook up and then if they continue to hang out again a couple more times then theyll move on to hanging out sober and then finally they'll just BE together. I have a couple of groups of close friends. My sailing friends I obviously met through the team, my squash friends again through the team, but my non sport playing friends I met by living near them freshmen year. Festivus- a night of drunken merriment in the fall. Winter Formal-a night of drunken merriment in the winter. camelympics- dorms compete against each other in games lasting for 24 hours. Spring formal- a night of drunken merriment in the spring. FLORALIA- a Day of drunken merriment where bands come to play and everyone sets up couches and seats and tents on the green. People usually party hard on thursdays, recover on fridays and party on saturdays. we dont have greek life. Last weekend I sailed all day saturday babysat at night and sailed all day sunday. There isnt much to do on a saturday if you dont drink. People dont usually go off campus unless its to see a movie or go out to eat.

If I am awake at 2am on a Tuesday I am typically just getting back to my dorm from the Library, which closes at 2am. I tend to procrastinate, woops. I met my closest friends through classes (Freshman Focus), my dorm and COOP, which is an outdoor pre-orientation program I would highly suggest, it was so fun! We do not have Greek life here so no fraternities or sororities. I think this has a two-fold effect: the positive is that the student body is more unified, but the negative is that I feel there may be less options of social activities from a lack of Greek life.

The most popular organizations are sports teams. Because Conn does not have frats or sororities, the void is filled by sports teams. Currently, I am involved with OVCS, where I volunteer twice a week in a New London elementary school. Students in dorms leave their doors locked. Athletic events are the most popular, followed by theater, and then guest speakers. I met my closest friends through a sports team. If I'm awake on a Tuesday at 2am I'm hanging out with my friends or watching tv, or finishing last minute work. You can find a person partying any day of the week; however, the most common days to party are Thursday and Saturday. Last weekend, I went to watch one my best friends participate in a track meet at the Coast Guard academy, and hung out with my friends. The Student Activities Counsel (SAC) works hard to have events on "party nights" that don't involve drinking.

Definitely sports are very important on campus because a large percentage of the study body plays some type of sport. Also, many students participate in community service in New London. I am involved with Habitat for Humanity and we build houses for low income families in the area and take a spring break trip every year to another part of the country to help build homes for the less fortunate there. We also participate in many awareness and fundraising activities throughout the year. Dorm life is pretty friendly, but its difficult to leave the doors open. My closest friends were met through my first dorm and sports. If I am awake at 2am on a tuesday I am doing work. There are alot of events every year- camelympics where the dorms compete in a wide variety of events, there are many dances, and there is floralia at the end of the year which is where the whole campus hangs out all day and listens to live bands. Parties happen every weekend and some people party during the week. I personally do not party during the week but I participate in an occasional party on the weekend. There are no frats on campus at all which is very nice. Honestly there is not a whole lot to do on most saturday nights that doesnt involve drinking or parties and there isnt a whole lot to do off campus!

I can't really pinpoint the most popular groups/organizations/clubs/teams on campus because everyone is involved in something different. I'm on the sailing team, which is a small group of radically different people albeit one common interest. Some students leave their doors open, especially those in singles in more social hallways, but I think it depends on how well you know those around you. Athletics events are very popular, although more the men's soccer, hockey and lacrosse games. Theater and guest speakers are also popular, although less popular. The dating scene is very bizarre: people settle down very quickly and there isn't as much random partying as their is at other schools, which some people are very frustrated by. My closest friends were firstly those who lived around me and then friends of friends. If I'm awake on a Tuesday night at 2am, I'm most like doing my homework, but on a rare social occasion, hanging out in someone's room. Floralia happens every year. People always party on Thursday and Saturday nights, at campus bar on Tuesday nights and at bars in downtown New Lo on Wednesday nights. Fraternities/sororities are non-existent, and last weekend I was sailing, as I am almost every weekend. I don't really do anything on a Saturday night that doesn't involve drinking, from dinner to going out with my friends.

Social life: students at Conn drink in small groups early in the night in their rooms. Then, they go out later in the night to larger parties. There us a lot of drinking, but the culture isn't terribly oppressive. If you don't want to drink, you can find a group of friends who also don't, but it is pervasive. So, to summarize, drinking is extensive, but the direct pressure to do so is not. There are usually dances every weekend, and too many themed ones to count. If you want some social activities while drunk, there are some to be had. Sober social activities and spaces are on the rise but currently in dire need. A capella is big. There are six groups, three co-ed, one male, and two female. Most are really good, there is a lot of excellent talent in a capella, and it is the most popular music presence on campus.

The most popular groups are international student groups, politically oriented groups, and community service groups. Club sports teams, especially ultimate frisbee, soccer, and hockey are very popular and many of the varsity teams, specifically soccer, hockey, basketball, lacrosse, crew, and sailing are popular. There is no football team at Conn College. I am involved with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, which is a group on campus where Christians of all denominations and interested non-Christians can get together and learn about Christ through studying the bible, support each other through small group meetings, grow in relationship with God through prayer, worship through music, and help others through community service. It's a great way to get to know other Christians and to grow in faith in a college environment that doesn't always see religious faith in a positive light. Many students do leave their doors open in dorms, but it would be nice to have more people doing it. Athletic events are of limited popularity, but hockey, basketball, soccer, and lacrosse games usually draw pretty good-sized crowds. Theater and dance events draw big crowds, and these events are usually quite enjoyable. The dating scene at Conn is unique to my experience. People get involved in relationships, but there are few places to go on "dates" especially if you don't have a car. Also, a lot of students aren't really that interested in getting into serious relationships, but are more interested in experiencing college life and all its liberties to the fullest. I met my closest friends while playing frisbee out on the main green freshman year. I've also met other close friends through the clubs I am involved in at school. Being awake on Tuesday at 2AM means you are either doing homework (studying for a big test or finishing a paper) or out with friends (usually a night out for seniors). Traditions/events that happen each year are Camelympics (series of athletic competitions between dorms), Halloween Dance, Black and White Formal (Dance), Fall Concert (a relatively big name in music performs), Festivus (pre-Christmas celebration with a politically correct name), Winter Formal (Dance), Spring Formal Tent Dance, and Floralia (huge outdoor, day-long, multiple-concert, drinking party). People usually party every thursday and saturday night. Seniors sometimes add tuesday night to the list. There are no fraternities or sororities, which I think makes the college more unified and socially interactive. Last weekend, I went to a dance put on by our college after hanging out with friends for a few hours prior. You can drive to another city and try to find nightlife there, hang out with non-drinkers on campus (they do exist on campus, but are hard to find), do homework, go to bed, or try going to parties sober (not recommended) if you don't want to drink Saturday night. Off campus, I go to the beach, go to restaurants, go shopping, go to a nearby major city (boston, NY, or providence) for a concert or to just see the city.

I would say that no clubs or groups in particular are popular to join, students generally prefer to remain unaffiliated. Students do tend to go to events, however, so clubs remain active. The club I'm involved with, Hillel, does a variety of activities related to Jewish holidays and other celebrations throughout the year. 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the college is Jewish, and I would say we get about 40 kids for our bigger events. Athletic events are very unpopular, but things like acapella concerts, theater and dance performances are. Kids do tend to leave their doors open, so there is a lot of interaction between the students in dorms. I met my closest friends when I lived with a lot of them freshmen year, or through friends that they knew. There are a lot of traditions, usually centered around seasons, such as Festivus, Winter Formal, and Floralia in the spring. Kids go out and party on Thursdays and Saturdays, unless you are part of a sports team, in which case it's more like every day but Sundays and Mondays. Last weekend I wasn't at Conn...People can go to movies or performances on Saturdays if they choose not to drink...and if you find anyone who does, let me know.

I am not sure. i am part of the sailing team. I hardley see students in dorms with thier doors open. Atheletic events are slightly popular, depending on the team. Guest speaker and theature i am not sure of. Not alot of kids at conn date, i dont hear about guys talking girls out. I meet my closest friends through sports and through my dorm. I would be studying. The dances. some people party every night but the majority only party on thurday and saturday. I think frats would be fun, but they arent that important. I sailed in florida. I go to the dances if there is one. I go off campus once a week to eat out.

Students in dorms don't leave their doors open- I wish this weren't the case. Soccer and basketball games are popular but most other sports are not. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday (I almost always am), I'm either doing work, reading, or on the computer. Traditions/events that happen each year are Floralia, Festivus, Winter Formal, Spring Formal, Tent Dance. There is no Greek life on campus. People party anywhere from 1-4 days of the week but most often on Thursdays and Saturdays. Last weekend I went to a musical, went to a dance, hung out with friends.

If I am awake at 2am on a Tuesday it is usually because I have not finished my work for Wednesday yet, which very likely could be caused by distracting myself with my friends. Floralia is the best day of the year, without a doubt, but it is more fun to let incoming freshmen wait to experience it themselves than to ruin the amazingness of it by telling stories. All I have to say is music, drinking and hanging out with your friends ALL DAY LONG, right before the end of the year.

pop. groups-acapella, bball, hockey, soccer, lacrosse group i'm in-sailing open doors-some do popularity-some events are well attended, as well as speakers and theater is very well attended dating-it happens closest friends-sailing, dorm 2am on tues-homework traditions-camelympics, festivus, winter formal, FLORALIA party-thurs and sat frats-non existent last weekend-sailed in south carolina sat nite-hang out with friends, sometimes homework off campus-shopping, eating, site seeing (aquarium)

The most popular groups on campus are groups dealing with dance and performing art (there are a lot of dancers, a lot of dance performances, and a lot of involvement in the department). Athletic events are not too popular. Guest speakers are popular, but one always sees the same crowd there. Theater attracts crowds. The dating scene is mainly people swapping hook-ups, but then again I'm in a relationship so I wouldn't know personally (even though guys are creepy here). I met my closest friends at my dorm or through classes. I'm usually up late doing homework (night owl) or playing/dancing with my roommate. There are a lot of traditions, most notably Floralia (although I can't comment on it because I haven't experienced it). People tend to party on Thursdays and Saturdays, usually getting drunk and doing nothing. I go off campus nearly every weekend, usually to New York because I hate the social scene at Conn.

Varsity athletics are pretty popular because it's such a small school and allows for a lot of participation in that kind of thing; I decided not to play varsity lacrosse and instead play club ultimate frisbee and have been pretty happy with that choice but sometimes I wish the school was bigger just so that the clubs would have more members and be better organized It depends on which dorm you life in, but for the most part, people leave their doors closed but unlocked when they're inside and definately locked when they leave; we've had some problems with theft on-campus of late Athletic events aren't very popular and it really depends on what the subject matter is for the guest speaker Theater isn't very big here The dating scene is pretty pathetic because there's not really a whole lot to do for 'dates'; mostly people end up hooking up and dating their friends for better or worse I made my closest friends from a lot of different outlets; some of them live near me, others play ultimate frisbee with me, and some I just randomly met some night and clicked with them If I'm up at 2am on a Tuesday night, I'm probably stoned and hanging out in my friend's room talking and watching tv; i'm not usually doing homework that late and if I'm not asleep it's probably because i'm hanging out with people smoking There are a couple of formal dances that happen throughout the year but I don't really like going to those because they're a pretty preppy and drunken scene; We have a fall concert and a big concert in the spring called Floralia that's an all-day outdoor event; Camelympics is a weekend in the fall that different dorms compete in various events randing from floor hockey to scrabble People typically party hard 2-3 times a week, work hard for a few nights, and maybe have a couple nights of laid back hanging out with friends Last weekend I went "out" two nights; On Friday I smoked, hung out with some friends, and visited some kids in another part of campus; On Saturday I took a school-sponsored bus to Providence and stayed with a friend at Brown University and came back on the train on Sunday There isn't a lot to do on Saturday night if you don't drink; sometimes there are concerts with little-known bands or movie nights but a lot of the weekend "out" culture revolves around getting drunk If I go off campus I go to coffee shops, restaurants, or different shopping places in the area; it's really easy to get to the train station so if I want to go to Boston or Providence I have little trouble doing so

drinking; party life can be dull

Sports games usually have a small but intense faction of students. Parties are in the dorms or campus center, and are a lot of fun. The south dorms are typically more social.

ACapella (I know it sounds so lame) are actually really really great. It depends on the floor. Last year my door was never closed but now it's rarely open. Athletic events are only popular if the team is doing well. Guest speakers? like really? Theater actually does really well. I met my closest friends freshman year. they all lived either in my room, down the hall or a floor above me, and it was probably the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. If I'm awake at 2 am on a goddamn Tuesday it's probably because my STUPID senior neighbors are up partying, screaming, running down the halls, blaring music and slamming doors. OH and throwing bottles and cans down the hall. FLORALIA IS THE GREATEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO THE WORLD. IT IS MAGIC. AND LOVE. People party generally only thursdays and saturdays. unless they are my fucking neighbors. then it's every day. Last weekend I had a party for a friend on thursday: made the accident of bartending and can't remember the last few hours of my night HENCE spent saturday sober but i still went out. You could go see a movie, go shopping with friends....or just go out and not drink? Off campus = shopping, food, movies? beach occasionally.

Most everyone (that I know, at least) either is in, or knows people in, most of the clubs and organizations on campus. Tragically, most of them are pretty stupid. I have, at various points, been briefly involved in Student Government, the environmentalist group, and a few others, but I am currently doing none of those because they mostly consisted of people sitting around tables discussing how "things should be done," and "let's just get out there," and - god help me control my disgust - "spreading awareness" (fake activism is fingernails on the chalkboard of my mind). Students in dorms generally leave their doors open on Thursday and Saturday to facilitate easy access to the bathroom vomit repositories, but other than that, especially in big dorms like the Plex, it's like walking through a prison or a hospital. Athletic events are middlingly popular, guest speakers usually don't get any kind of audience (possibly because we don't have any well-known or interesting ones, as a general rule), although Theater and Dance both tend to draw crowds (sometimes even deservedly!). Conn College does not have a dating scene. There's a drunken hook-up scene. There's an occasionally-let's-hold-a-dance scene. But no dating scene. I met my closest friend here in high school, and all of my other close friends have been people I've run into classes (the occasional shining star in the sea of willful blind ignorance) or in my dorm. If I'm awake a 2am on a Tuesday, I'm probably working or watching a movie. Traditions and events that happen each year aren't really traditions or events, just labels for that week's drinking. One exception is Camelypics, which also throws in arbitrary and mostly boring competitions between dorms, but that's about it. People don't party too often besides Thursdays and Saturdays, but damn if they don't make up for lost time when they do - thank god there are no frats. Last weekend, I watched a movie or two, had dinners with friends, generally hung out, and then spent Sunday studying for a test. Saturday night events without drinking? I'll get back to you. Leaving campus is a blessed relief for me, because I only do it when I'm going home (because the only other things to do are go to a mediocre mall or a decent theater).

I'm involved with the sailing team and ski club. Dorm life is great; I am really friendly with many of my neighbors. I met my closest friends in my dorm, in my classes, or on the sailing team or ski club. Traditions/events like Festivus, Tent Dance, Floralia are great and a lot of fun.

The renewable Energy Club is pretty popular, and there is a good deal of participation in sports. Some students leave their doors unlocked, even after a lot of laptops were stolen earlier this year. I keep all my bathroom stuff in the bathroom, and it has never been stolen. My closest freinds live near me, on my floor, or did cross country with me. Also, I met lots of cool people in the christian group on campus. Last weekend I went to a show, and then hung out in one of my friend's rooms. It is also fun to hang out in the student center on the weekends. There is an ok amount of things to do if you don't want to drink, but I woulld recommed being in the sub-free dorm, to meet the people to do it with. Even at the "dry" dances, people bring beer and stuff. There isn't much to do off campus, but the school and the community is really trying to make transportation esier, and New London is becoming a better place to hang out.

REC (Renewable Energy Club) is pretty prevalent on campus as are the a cappella groups. The most well known groups, however, are the sports teams. Every team is pretty well known on campus, even just the club sports. -- I am involved with Group Art Attack which is the student-run theatre group here. We put on more independent/smaller scale productions such as One Acts, 24-hour theatre, and the very popular Dinner Theatre. We also fund some student directed shows that aren't on the mainstage at Tansill Theatre. -- It depends on where you are: in Central and South campuses, open doors are pretty common; however, in the plex, you will rarely see an open door. -- Athletic events, guest speakers, and theatre productions are all quite well attended, especially home varsity sports games, featured speakers, and mainstage theatre shows. -- You're much more likely to hear of random hookups than of a "cute couple". Of course, there are the random couples scattered everywhere, but many of them started before Conn. -- I honestly met my closest friends randomly. There wasn't any particular event that drew us all together; we just kinda found each other and started hanging out. -- If I am awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I am probably either reading or trying to get my roommate to shut off his lights so that I can go to sleep. -- The most popular events each year are Festivus, Camelympics, Floralia, Harvestfest/Alumni/Parents Weekend, and the Winter and Spring Formals. -- Thursday and Saturday nights you will always see, guaranteed, drunk people whether it be in your dorm, a friend's dorm, on the green, or in Cro. -- We don't have any frats or soroities, and I'm pretty glad for it. -- Last weekend, I went to an a cappella concert, went to a band's concert in Cro, went out to a diner, had a snowball fight in the arboretum, and hung out. -- You can go to a dance or some sort of event in Cro almost always or you can just hangout in your room with friends; no one is going to bother you. -- We go and see movies pretty frequently off campus. Also, we go out to eat pretty often. Singapore Grill and Chile's are some of our favorite places.

Dorms are the best way to make friends, and I have met and hung out with new people each year as a result of my doors. The coed bathrooms also foster good relationships between the sexes.

Strong sense of school spirit FESTIVUS AND FLORALIA-- drunk celebrations.

If I'm awake at 2am on Tuesday, I'm either doing work or talking to people in the hall instead of going to bed! 2am on a Friday? I am slightly tipsy, playing a board game or watching a movie, or hanging out at an event in the student center. I don't drink every weekend, though. I usually drink about once a month, and then I usually don't get really drunk. People at Conn usually get pretty tight with the people they live with, and this is encouraged by the communities that are built within the houses (we don't call them dorms). I go to student theater and concerts, and there's usually plenty to do if you don't want to drink. I'm not a big partier, and I'm socially very happy here at Connecticut College. The party scene exists, but if you don't want it you don't have to have it.

A cappella is very popular on this campus. I always say, "we don't have a football team, we have six a cappella groups." Students always come out to support their friends in what they are involved in--whether ti be theater, sports, dance, a musical band...the list goes on and on. The students party a good deal, but rarely does it get in the way of other social and academic activities and obligations. I have met my closest friends on campus by living in the sme dorm with them, which again speaks to the wonderful home a Conn dorm can be.

I have really enjoyed the guest speakers at Conn- whether they are for the Psychology, Sociology, English, or Philosophy department. I think most people make friends with people in their dorm freshman year. Dating is pretty common, and partying is very frequent. There is no Greek system, though. I have gone off campus to a friend's house in Vermont. Also, there are movie theaters nearby which is a nice way to get off campus and not drink.

Students are involved at Conn with many different things. One of my best friends is a Molecular Biology and Dance double major, involved in Dance Club, a tour guide and the treasurer of Ski and Snowboard Club. Some athletic events are popular; others are not. The soccer games are so much fun to go to. When there are soccer games, the entire campus boisterously congregates on the green to cheer on their fellow camels. Thursdays and Saturdays are the big nights to party at Conn College. A typical Thursday night involves watching Grey's Anatomy, keg hopping, and then heading to Cro to meet with friends at a dance or over pizza. Conn's social scene is far superior to any others I've encountered. It's just so fulfilling to be able to walk around campus and talk with tons of people who you know very well or who you recognize from class and want to get to know better. Guaranteed, at 1 am, most of the student body will be hanging out at Cro. If you are a girl and decide to come to Conn, bring many dresses. There are at least five events where they are highly recommended! One of the most fun is Festivus, the Christmas dance. Ask any camel what the best day of the year is, 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} will reply, without hesitation, "FLORALIA!" Floralia is the best tradition at Conn, hands down. It is such a great cure for all the stress the spring semester brings. For one day, all the students bring all their furniture outside and relax in the sun while listening to live bands. One cannot know how truly amazing it is until one experiences it.

The social life is what you make of it. Thursday and Saturday are the biggest party nights at Conn although if your actually twenty-one, Tuesday night tends to be a big night at the campus bar. The best part about the party scene are the keg parties which occur almost every weekend. Conn is actually the last college in Connecticut to allow registered keg parties. Other than that, most parties occur in students dorm rooms, which usually end with a friendly hello from campus safety. On the down-side, weekends can get a little repetitive as the campus is so small. But as long as you put in a little effort and attempt to explore the wider community every once and awhile, you can always find something to do. A great tradition at Conn is floralia which is a springtime festival where campus safety essentially takes the day off. Its kind of a mini-woodstick. There is always a famous band (reel big fish, girl-talk, ok-go) and a lot of carnival activities to participate in. Conn students love Floralia so much that many have turned it into a religious following. Don't believe me? Check out some of Conn students facebook accounts. I guarantee you will find someone with the label 'floralist' under their religious views.

Connecticut College has a club for almost every interest. Though it has fallen off lately, my freshman year there was a Steve Buscemi club. I was never a member, but from what I heard the club just met and watched Steve Buscemi movies. And they got school funding to do so. If you can’t find a club that fits your tastes, you can apply for school funding and make the club. It is not a very difficult process. As for partying, Conn is very dorm-o-centric. With over 98{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students living on campus, partying happens here. In dorm rooms, in dorm hallways, sometimes in dorm bathrooms. It can get pretty old. However, there are not many other options. New London is opening up as an alternative to hanging out on campus, but it is not there yet, and the campus events (dances on most Thursdays and Saturdays [the party nights]) are geared towards the ludicrously inebriated. I would like the campus to bring more alternative events to campus (movies, music, other social alternatives?), but like any small school in the middle of nowhere, the weekends consist of drinking.

The dance department is incredibly amazing. The faculty is an assortment of modern dancers who come from different backgrounds and that bring amazing skill and technique to the department. Our dance club shows are the most attended events on campus, selling out three nights each semester. The class "experimental workshop" is essentially the most popular class on campus as well (we have general education requirements that need to be filled and it fulfills your creative arts requirements) and it is pretty funny-you're in a class filled with such a broad spectrum of individuals, from hockey players to math majors to actual dancers and everyone is forced to be immediately comfortable with touch and one another.