<p>i visited kenyon and five other colleges recently. out of all of them (other top liberal arts schools), i got the feeling that kenyon had the biggest drinking scene. the tour guide boasted about how his fraternity had the best parties and pointed out the row of off-campus apartments (with kegs piled outside) and talked a lot about the parties there. the newspaper headline was something along the lines of "MORE PARTIES BUSTED". i also heard that a student was found dead from alcohol poisoning last year (though i don't know if that's actually true). i know there is drinking everywhere but i really got the feeling that at kenyon it's a bigger part of the social life than other top colleges, perhaps because of the extremely rural location. is this true, or am i getting a distorted view? just from walking around the campus the students seemed quite "preppy" and homogenous but that's another issue altogether. my interest in the school has really decreased since my visit.</p>
<p>There is going to be drink at every college you go to except BYU, PCC, and BJU. Take a college for what its worth, noone is going to force you to drink/make you go to parties.</p>
<p>I totally agree. Although there are lots of people here who like to party every Wed, Fri, and Sat, partying is not an essential part of life. If it is something you are worried about, they offer a "Wellness" hall (which I live on). There are lots of people on wellness who chose not to drink and we just hang out on weekends watching movies and things like that. It is also fine to go out to parties and not drink--no one will pressure you. Also, Social Board provides a non-alcoholic activity every Friday and Saturday night, such as $2 movies, capture the flag, band performances, trips to Columbus, etc. Drinking was something I was a bit worried about, but it hasn't been a problem for me at all. Let me know if you have any other questions</p>
<p>Even though I also live in the Wellness, I go to the parties..but the thing is I dont drink...So even if you go to the parties, there is no necessity for you to drink...No one is going to force beer onto your hand, trust me on that..Its all about your choice...Parties are definitely a part of social life here at Kenyon, they help you meet new people and bond together...esp in a small school like Kenyon thats a necessity...but drinking during those parties solely depends on you and what kind of frends you hang out with during the parties...I have been going out to the parties, almost every weekend yet I haven't drank anything till now......</p>
<p>Talking about homogenousness and preppy nature of the student body; I would like to point out the fact that kenyon is getting diverse every year..and belonging to some other class of society isn't going to make you feel miserable here..I am an international student from a middle class income level( in my country), but I easily mingle with all the people of my dorm, irrespective of their preppiness and/or color......Since arriving here, I have been able to find my own type of frends, who resonate to me in so many ways, that sometimes it doesn't feel like I am thousands of miles away from home...Kenyon is my home for now and it will be for the coming four years!!</p>
<p>Gloaming, there is a thread that I started last year called "drinking at KC", after the death of Colin Boyarski.</p>
<p>If you have more questions, I'd be happy to answer them for you.</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman at Kenyon and has a great group of friends, whom we met at Family Weekend. I don't know whether any of them ever drink (it is not my business), but I do know they have a lot of fun doing things other than going to parties. I don't think that the heavy party scene is the only way to enjoy yourself at Kenyon.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses!
Of course I know every college has a drinking scene and that not all the students partake in it, I was just wondering if Kenyon has a more prominent one than similar schools, because that was the impression I got from visiting. It's an issue for me because I'm from a college town, and having grown up around drunken students, I have an appreciation for how incredibly stupid the whole "Let's get smashed every weekend" attitude is. So it is important for me to not go to a school where partying/drinking is the only major social activity. On the other hand, there were aspects of Kenyon I really liked (the English department is very strong, and the campus was nice, although I was freaked out by the tinyness of Gambier.)</p>
<p>all right, i must admit that there is very little to do as regards organized events if you dont drink. i know because i dont drink myself. but that definitely doesnt mean that you cant have fun. yes, they have friday movies once in a while and bowling but the participation level is very low. a couple of weeks back, i went to the organized bowling thing but there was just one other person and the alley sucked. it doesnt really mean that u have to drink to go to a party but frankly speaking, there is mostly only drinking that goes arnd in parties. u wont even find a non-alcoholic drink around! and yeah, socializing with drunk ppl is kinda weird to say the least. (one way to do so might be to get there early and have fun before ppl start their stuff)
having said that, kenyon is such a wonderful place that even if u dont drink and there arnt many organized events arnd, u can still have fun if u want to! i mean, i know a couple of ppl (of course, i m not naming them) who keep whining abt how there is nothing to do and sulk into their rooms but there are so many ppl who are willing to just have a great time without drinking. i have a great friends circle that doesnt drink (those who drink arnt usually arnd on weekends) and we end up having a great time together. its not like we do sth grandiose but we have a good time. its usually the gameroom, some chinese food, long ridiculous converstaions with 12 people in the same room: stuff like that.
bottomline: i dont promise u ll have loads of stuff to do here if u dotn drink but yeah, if u want to haev a good time, u still can.</p>
<p>Oh, i must add...the whole wellness thing is ....questionable. for one, even blip is in it (hehe) and i mean, i know guys there who should definitely NOT be in wellness, of all places.</p>
<p>I agree that Wellness isn't perfect but it probably has a higher concentration of non-drinkers than most of the other freshman halls. While many people rely on drinking for their prime entertainment here, there are lots of creative people who find other ways to have fun. It was definitely something I was worried about, but I have no regrets.</p>
<p>i totally agree...i am DEFINITELY not regretting my decision to come to Kenyon. and besides, i think it all depends on you rather than everyone else as to what you do with yourself, weekend and otherwise!
Besides, sometimes it is real fun...watching your buddies do stupid stuff at 3 in the morning is refreshing, to say the least.</p>
<p>Norton has some people in it too, who shouldn't be in there at all!! Although they actually spend 99.9% of their time in some other dorms..But for me these people are perfect examples of interdorm bonding and are epitomes of good social figures on campus!</p>
<p>And guys... the Kokosing gap trail is just awesome!! Biking through this heavenly trail is one of my favourite forms of recreation! We also do some fun stuff in science quad outside of the class material...Its all about who you are..you will definitely find people of your own type...Chochu can attest this claim of my...</p>
<p>chochu: Lets be a bit less cynical around here...Leaves a bad taste in the mouth when one goes through the posts!!</p>
<p>I am really sorry..i definitely wasnt trying to be cynical at all. was i being cynical? well, of course, i was trying to be stupid and make stupid jokes but i m really sorry if u found me cynical.
sorry again guys.
yeah, kokosing is amazing...havent been able to go there for a bit though.
i am IN norton as i write this (hehe...the .1% time that wasnt accounted for...hehe)
have fun guys, and sincere apologies if i offended anyone...</p>
<p>The boy who died at Kenyon last April was from Pittsburgh. He was walking back from a party by himself. It is a terrible, unnecessary tragedy.</p>
<p>I've heard wonderful things about Kenyon since I was a college student 30 years ago. My daughter is a senior applying to colleges and we keep receiving solicitations from Kenyon.
But my daughter refuses to apply because of the school's reputation as a drinking school. (Also, Bucknell). I can't blame her. After Kenyon's most recent mailing, a really nice piece on financial aid, I thought maybe we'd reconsider. I read the profile in the 2005 Insider's Guide--lots of drinking. I checked this forum--drinking again. Kenyon needs to do something really pro-active about this.
And you're hearing this from a mom who isn't sure the drinking age is such a good thing, and who went to an ultra-alternative east coast college.</p>
<p>Wow, I'm amazed at how long this thread has stayed active..
It's a tricky situation for me because Kenyon has a really good creative writing program within the English major, and that's my major interest, but I am really turned off by the drinking/isolation and the fact that only 9% of students are nonwhite. I am still applying, though.</p>
<p>My child is a non-white non-drinker and has found Kenyon to be a wonderful place to be. There are too many other social activities to choose from besides drinking at parties. Drinkers should be prepared to study more than they drink.</p>
<p>I agree with gsrp. </p>
<p>I expressed concern about the supposed drinking/partying vibe at Kenyon on their LiveJournal community, and the students (nondrinkers, mind you), told me it's nothing to worry about. There's plenty of things to do besides drinking. And hey, what's wrong with college parties? I heard they're pretty fun.</p>
<p>I went to a large state school before transferring to Kenyon. Listen to me, and listen to me well:</p>
<p>THE REASON WHY many people say Kenyon has a "drinking problem," is not because the "problem" is any bigger than any other school. It's quite the opposite, actually. Because of Kenyon's small size, problems are easier to notice--big schools have the same "problems," they are just more difficult to identify.</p>
<p>Unless you go to a religiously-affiliated college or university (or a school with strict drinking rules), any school will have a level of drinking not unlike Kenyon's. </p>
<p>It is quite a shame that someone would turn down Kenyon because of an issue that really does not have to be an issue.</p>
<p>As I have posted elsewhere on this board, my son (now a soph at Kenyon) is not a drinker and yet has had a fantastic experience at Kenyon. Sure, drinking goes on at Kenyon but it is no more a problem there than at other similar LACs. Please, let's keep this issue in perspective.</p>
<p>You willl even find drinking OFF campus of religious schools where drinking is not allowed on campus. (not necessarily at the ultra religious ones, though). Hinjew is right about drinking at other campuses. It can be a problem anywhere you go. FYI the Kenyon swimmers even those who are eligible by age do not drink during their training season. They still go to the parties, but the campus people who check IDs don't even bother to check theirs when they go because they know these kids will not drink during their training season.</p>