<p>A freshman I know at Harvard tells me that finals clubs have moved to the center of social life. When I was a student there 30 years ago they were very much at the periphery -- I didn't even know anyone who belonged to one. Is what she is telling me true? Or is it just the people she associates with. Very curious to hear an answer from current students or recent grads.</p>
<p>From what I’ve observed as a parent, final clubs may have become more prominent for the under-21 crowd as the Administration has been clamping down on campus events with alcohol. For example, Harvard has banned (or made it an infraction of the rules) to play beer pong on-campus. And according to my daughter, at her house, students having more than 5 people in their suite constitutes a party and the event must be registered and authorized by the master. Those over-21 are free to go out to a bar rather than final clubs, and most do. It’s almost like the Administration has been trying to usurp UChicago’s old logo “Where fun goes to die!”</p>
<p>Hmm. This is distressing. This same girl told me that social life for boys is particularly difficult, because girls are invited to drink at the clubs and boys who aren’t members have no alternative. The pressure seems to be higher to join because otherwise where do they go? I assume they are still single sex?</p>
<p>^^ That’s very true. When my daughter was a freshman, she could easily gain access to final clubs, but many of her male friends could not. Now that my daughter and her friends (male and female) are over 21, they go out to bars on their own – and they don’t seem to mind not going to the final clubs.</p>
<p>Does your son find Yale to be different when it comes to this sort of thing? Or is the university more relaxed about alcohol? Of the two, which seems more open socially? Do the secret societies still play a big role there too?</p>
<p>On the whole, Yale’s Administration seems to be more open-minded about underage drinking, but they’ve started to clamp down in their own way too. Sophomore year, my son lived in a suite where the common room came with a built-in bar for parties. My son told me Yale’s Administration took the bar out last year: <a href=“UP CLOSE | Shaping a drinking culture on Yale's campus - Yale Daily News”>http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2013/09/06/admins-work-to-combat-risks-of-college-drinking/</a></p>
<p>@pisicle,</p>
<p>My son, currently a junior, knows a few folks in final clubs, but at least for him and his circle, it’s not a big deal. He was “punched” last year for a club, didn’t make it past the first round, but had fun going to the event, anyway. I don’t think he’d have time for a final club, anyway.</p>
<p>As he started his freshman year, we received a letter from Harvard that basically said, No one under 21 may legally drink alcohol in the state of Massachusetts. But when you do drink, drink responsibly, drink in moderation.</p>
<p>Although gibby seems to think that the banning of beer pong is the university’s effort to stamp out drinking-related fun, my view is that it’s more of an effort on the part of the school to moderate behaviors that have become excessive for many. In fact, there is an article from the Crimson from a couple years ago when Harvard introduced its new alcohol policy which was fairly explicit that the university saw the number of alcohol-related medical emergencies rising quickly, and decided to take action.</p>
<p><a href=“But Can We Play Beer Pong? | News | The Harvard Crimson”>http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/5/24/beer-pong-alcohol-policy/</a></p>
<p>Obviously, the university’s formal position must be that folks under 21 can’t drink. Well, heck, it’s the law. But here is what then-Dean Hammond said about it: </p>
<p>"“Students sometimes want to push the limits of how much they can drink, and we want to push the idea that it’s possible to drink responsibly.”</p>
<p>As for cultural changes over time, my younger son joined his brother this year, and we got the same letter for him as we did for his brother two years ago. </p>
<p>Especially on Friday and Saturday nights, the alcohol still flows freely. I understand that it’s mostly beer, gin, and vodka. Apparently, oenophiles are not well-represented among the student body at Harvard.</p>
<p>So: drinking, yes; final clubs, not so much.</p>
<p>I teach in the state of Utah, where all public institutions have a zero tolerance policy. Get caught drunk or in possession anywhere on campus, and you are dismissed, just like that. They turn you over to the cops too. A few years back we had a judge who would sentence offenders to jail for a couple days. THAT is what it’s like when a school administration takes drinking seriously.</p>
<p>^^ I thank my lucky stars then that my kids and their classmates don’t attend school in Utah. FWIW: Both Harvard and Yale have adopted alcohol policies that are aligned with Gordie’s Call: <a href=“http://gordiescall.org/education/medical-amnesty”>http://gordiescall.org/education/medical-amnesty</a></p>
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