<p>And yeah, alcohol is extremely easy to get. During first semester, there's always at least one open and free party on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at the frat houses on Broadway--often really big ones. These sort of fizzle out as the year goes on, but the bars are all 18+, have great specials every night of the week, and they so rarely card at the bar that my friends and I actually do a double-take if they DO ask us. The uptown bars are so dependent on students (about 80% of whom are under 21) that, on the rare nights they do card, they are almost completely empty--so they simply can't afford to card too often. But even downtown in the touristy areas on Bourbon, it's not hard at all to get alcohol. It's easy to forget the drinking age is 21. Keep in mind, this was a city settled by French prisoners and prostitutes--and, as such, has a pretty lax attitude regarding laws, including the drinking age. But NOPD is VERY strict about peeing in public and you giving them a hard time.</p>
<p>As for in the dorms, if you have a pretty cool RA, they'll often turn a blind eye, as long as you're being reasonably quiet and discreet about it. If you have a hardass RA, then obviously you need to use your head. That said, hardly anyone drinks in the dorms anyway, just because we don't need to; students at other schools only drink in the dorms because they can't anywhere else--which is not the case at Tulane. Plus, the Boot store (though not the Boot bar itself) does often card, so it's actually easier to just drink at a bar.</p>
<p>And yeah, some non-drinkers do feel awkward, and those people can easily find friends at Tulane who don't like to drink. I mean, in a freshman class of 1500, there will be a bunch of people who don't drink. Some people, however, don't mind their friends drinking. My friend's parents are both recovering alcoholics, so he doesn't drink... And he, even sober when we're all drunk, has a blast with us anyway whenever we go out. I even know a guy who's in a frat and has never drank. It's in no way social suicide.</p>
<p>Sounds like Midtown Manhattan re alcohol.
Columbia/NYU/Fordham....except instead of being a few blocks from sketchy areas, the rough parts are many miles away in NO.
So? As the man asked...what about pot? I know that back in the day...the 3pm bong was an integral part of the day. What's it like these days on campus?</p>
<p>It's a college campus in the middle of New Orleans, filled with affluent students... so yes, pot is very easy to obtain. But there are air vents to the hallway on every door in Sharp or Monroe, so don't smoke in those dorms unless you take precautions (like stuffing the vent with a towel or something).</p>
<p>Things have changed quite a bit since this thread was done, and the comments might not be so accurate any longer. Maybe better to start a new thread?</p>
<p>Hmmm…well, I’m a freshman at Tulane this year, a non-drinker (due to health concerns and also simply not finding that kind of fun appealing), and I haven’t felt socially ostracized or anything like that. Part of my life’s philosophy (for lack of a better term) is that your world is what you bring into it. If I don’t choose to place myself around The Boot during 50-cent beer night or ladies’ night or any other night, then I won’t feel pressured to drink by whomever I’m there with, and some creepy older guys won’t have the chance to hit on me (<–a friend’s experience). When the partiers come stumbling into the dorm at 2 AM, I’m sleeping.
I act how I want to act and spend my free time accordingly - whether it be catching the streetcar to get dinner and see a show at the House of Blues with my roomie and some friends (as I did last weekend), attending a Rosh Hashanah party on my floor (tonight), or playing drag queen bingo with the LBC with about 100 other students on a Saturday night. There certainly is a sect at Tulane that goes out nearly every night, clubbing, drinking, etc…but since I’m consciously not a part of it and have found more responsible and, for me, more fun ways to spend my non-studying hours, I’m not affected by that scene at all. It exists to some extent in the campus atmosphere, but again, it’s all about choices.
To any prospectives that are apprehensive because of Tulane’s hard-partying reputation, I say that if you come as you are, acting as you are, you will attract similar people to you and can have a wonderful experience at Tulane.</p>
<p>While at Open House last weekend, I noticed that there was a Late Night Tulane program available. I know this is being done at other colleges, to provide alcohol free entertainment. </p>
<p>That night, there was going to be a mystery theater.</p>
<p>There are also musical acts at McAllister Auditorium, so no alcohol there, while you enjoy some good music. </p>
<p>So, I’m guessing you can find entertainment on campus that doesn’t involve liquor.</p>
<p>is it hard to get into bars as a 17 year old? i’m a year younger and everyone keeps saying 18+, it would kind of suck to not be able to go out just because i’m one year younger…</p>
<p>Some current info… Most of the bouncers don’t care if you’re 17. If they do, just go to the other one because there’s always two. I have a friend who was 17 for the first few months and never got turned away from a bar. Once she had to go to the other bouncer. The partying is great, but you don’t have to. People who don’t drink can still go out and have a great time (I often don’t drink when I go out). You can drink only a little bit or only sometimes if you want too. I haven’t seen any peer pressure and I don’t think you will get made fun of for not drinking, it’s all up to you and your friends will take care of you. If you don’t want to go out, tons of kids stay on campus and it’s easy to make friends who don’t drink. Also, it’s nice that because everyone can get into bars there isn’t a lot of drinking on campus so if you stay there, you won’t be surrounded by drunks and alcohol. Hope this helped!</p>
<p>how about the type of drinking that goes on, is it more of independently or with friends going to bars dancing and drinking or more house party binge drinking? Inclusive or cliquish, does everyone kindof invite each other and just show up?</p>
<p>kingsquirrel - There’s always parties going on, everyone attends, definitely not cliquish at all. Some are house parties and frats have some of their parties at bars. Many nights start off at parties and end in the bars. It really depends on the night and what you feel like doing.</p>
<p>I’ve heard Tulane students exclusively drink off campus and it is a very club-oriented party scene. Is this true? Or is beer pong in the dorm rooms commonplace as well? To a California kid, a party isn’t a party without BP. (I kid, I kid)</p>
<p>Current students can correct me, but I think drinking in the dorms is really frowned on. I mean, I am sure it happens, but it is a serious offense if caught. This is what I have heard anyway. I am sure current students can clarify and/or correct this.</p>
<p>Drinking in the dorm is definitely frowned upon. That being said, it still happens…a lot. There isn’t, from what I have seen, beer pong parties or anything like that in the dorms. Usually the smaller frats have those type of parties. Many students “pre-game” in small groups in the dorms prior to going out. From what I have heard, students who have been caught drinking have all received warnings.</p>