<p>I'm a pretty open-minded, quirky person who is considering applying ED to Wesleyan (I'm a female btw). I don't drink or smoke (not sure if that will change or not at Wes, but I certainly won't do too much of it since my family has a history of addiction). I wouldn't consider myself a "hippie" or a "hipster" but I'm certainly interested in dressing the way I like to, supporting animal rights (vegetarian), and all that jazz. I'm a big 80s movie fan and classic rock lover. I definitely don't get too rowdy/crazy and I have a fear of vomit so I don't want to be surrounded by drunken vomiting all day (I'd also prefer to stay away from hard drugs). I'm interested in looking into Eclectic and Alpha Delt and I'm wondering a) a bit more about them and b) if I'd be comfortable in either one.</p>
<p>A good friend of mine is in eclectic and from what I have heard there is a big party scene including constant smoking and drinking and a lot of hard drug use. Doesn’t sound like your cup of tea.</p>
<p>Fairly certain Eclectic is a music society with all the stuff that bb54321 mentioned, and Alpha Delt is a literary society? Doesn’t sound like something you’d bei nterested in.</p>
<p>Glad to finally get a response, haha. Yeah, I’ve definitely ruled out Eclectic. And what do you mean by “literary society”?</p>
<p>It’s not really like most greek life because it’s co-ed, so it’s called a society rather than a fraternity or sorority. I’m not entirely positive what the distinction of ‘literary’ means but my guess is that it probably doesnt have a focus on literature or anything. </p>
<p>I hear alpha delt has a reputation of being “nerdy” and very unlike the traditional greek experience (much like wes greek in general). for example they hold board game nights and quirky themed parties. But thats the most I know about it (as a pre-frosh who did some investigation work on an overnight visit) and i couldn’t tell you at all if you’d be comfortable in it cause I don’t even know anyone in it but to me alpha delta phi seems awesome and looks like a fit for me at least</p>
<p>as a current wesleyan, I’ll give you the low-down on Alpha Delt vs Eclectic.</p>
<p>Eclectic is a co-ed society that does not have any founding principles and/or “theme” per se. It’s not a music society, although the group is responsible for bring many musical acts to campus which they do a very good job with. (here’s the calendar for november – not much seeing as we’re on break for a good chunk of it, but look back through other months and you should get a good idea of the kinds of music Eclectic brings to campus: [Eclectic</a> Calendar](<a href=“http://eclectic.wesleyan.edu/?page_id=97]Eclectic”>http://eclectic.wesleyan.edu/?page_id=97)) Eclectic usually has about one or two concerts a week and hosts other kinds of parties and events throughout the school year. It’s also available as a venue/concert space for other student groups to rent out. Beautiful house (it was designed by the same guy who did the Lincoln Memorial). Acoustics aren’t great but they also do a good set-up. Events there are always a great time. </p>
<p>In terms of Eclectic as a society: what has been said about the amount of substance abuse is largely the case although not exclusively so. I have a few friends in Eclectic and they have all told me that drugs are a large part of the society’s lifestyle. That said, the people I know in Eclectic are all very cool and the society is a great asset to the Wesleyan community. Although membership in the society is exclusive (those wanting to join Eclectic must be asked by current members to join, you can’t just decide to join) the house is open to everyone for parties and events. The students in leadership positions in Eclectic take what they do very seriously and are great at making their events something for everyone to enjoy. Still, if drugs aren’t your thing, not sure you’d want to join, although if you end up at Wesleyan I’d definitely recommend coming to their events. Better yet, if you can make it to WesFest in the spring, Eclectic usually has an event or two going on during that weekend, so you could come and check it out.</p>
<p>Alpha Delt: Alpha Delt is a literary society as well as home to the Star and Crescent, a non-exclusive campus eating club open to the whole community for lunch and dinner (S&C is pretty pricey however, about $11 per meal). Alpha Delt has a reputation on campus for being the “quirkiest” of the frats/societies. The members are a cool bunch, the kinds of kids ranging from hardcore theater kids to kids who play Dungeon and Dragons and like anime, etc. It’s really a mixed bag of kids, although I’d say it’s largely theater kids and/or theater majors, especially ones who are involved in running the 92 and/who put on a lot of shows there. Alpha Delt doesn’t have as many events as Eclectic, although the ones that they do are really fun and something I always look forward to - they have this space called the Grotto which is basically like a glorified basement. The Blacklight Party in the Grotto is hands down my favorite party of the year at Wes. What twang10 said about board games is correct – basically, what Alpha Delt does is have these different little events at the beginning of each semester which are open to everyone but mostly a way for current people in Alpha Delt to meet new people who might be interested in joining. These events include board game nights but also playing video games, watching movies with current members, etc. Like Eclectic, you have to be asked to join Alpha Delt, although it’s an informal rush process, and they usually pick potential new members from the people who show up to the events at the beginning of each semester.</p>
<p>I hope this helps!</p>
<p>Eloise, you’re amazing. Thank you so much.</p>
<p>One more question: is the drug scene at Alpha Delt more or less prevalent than regular dorms? I visited Wes and stayed in WestCo, so I was surrounded by drug users who wanted to join Eclectic. If I ended up in, say, the Butterfields, could I avoid that scene somewhat? I’d be ok with smoking I guess but drinking is a no-no for personal reasons, and same with other drugs like cocaine.</p>