<p>This site describes the Princeton fall parties known as Lawnparties. Read this if you're interested, it gives the best sense of Princeton's real spirit. Lawns, yes, polo shirts, yes, irony and intelligence and entrepreneurial spirit, yes, overindulgence, yes, youth, yes. </p>
<p>All of the above.</p>
<p>Nice website. Far more “modern” than I expected.</p>
<p>Fall of 1975: Chicago and the Beach Boys in Jadwin. We jumped up and down in sync, so much so that the floor began to oscillate with us. Then there was Dan Fogelberg in '76. Great memories.</p>
<p>I love traditions. One of the dorms at my alma mater had The End of Learning is Gracious Living carved over a door and every year in the spring we had a “Day of Gracious Living”…such great memories.</p>
<p>Except for way better acts than most schools (gotta love THAT!), I didn’t really see what was unique here. Loads of schools have regular outdoor social events with live music. Nor what exactly reflects school spirit-- like which college has kids that don’t love live music?</p>
<p>Starbright, the parties and performances happen on the lawns of those “exclusive” eating clubs. And it is the modernity of the site, the way it IS just like lots of other colleges. Not preppy except ironically.</p>
<p>Would like to hear Michelle’s opinion on that…</p>
<p>“Not preppy except ironically.” – I assume you’re being ironic?</p>
<p>^Nope. From what my son tells me, the preppy look IS ironic. He only has one collared shirt, which he saves for Lawnparties. It’s all great fun.</p>
<p>Even as a parent of a Princeton grad, I have to agree with Starbright that this type of event is not unique to Princeton. :)</p>
<p>A favorite music memory of mine from my own college days, back in the Dark Ages, is a performance on campus by Blood, Sweat and Tears who were great, but the opening act stole the show. It was Don McLean, before anyone knew who he was, and it was one of the first public performances of American Pie. It wasn’t long after that that it became a hit that was on the radio constantly and he became famous.</p>
<p>Michelle graduated a long time ago. As did I. And I mean ironic straight out of the dictionary. </p>
<p>They aren’t dumb, the Princeton kids. They don’t come from a vacuum. They understand the first-level image the place has, and they also know how hard they study and how many are trying to improve the world. Don’t get me wrong. There’s certainly the traditional definition of preppy there, and the kids focused primarily on Wall Street. </p>
<p>But even they are modern kids, with senses of humor for the most part.</p>
<p>Princeton does a much worse job of branding itself correctly than do its peers.</p>
<p>And while I know that many colleges have bands on campus, if you dig deep, Lawnparties is the entire student body, a whole day, and up and down the Street. It’s more a festival than a concert.</p>
<p>I know Princeton kids are not dumb, but I sure feel dumb because I do not understand the point of this thread at all. There are live concerts/festivals on Princeton’s campus - okay, that is nothing new as far as my own or my kids’ college experience. Is there a prevalent assumption that preppies don’t like live bands? If so, I didn’t know that. Where is the irony in preppies going to concerts/music festivals? Maybe I don’t know enough real preppies to understand the irony here.</p>
<p>I haven’t been to the website. I just remember how one child described it as no-casual clothing event (no jeans, etc.). Could that be its “uniqueness” or unusual quality vs. most other campuses? (I don’t know.) In any case, she thought it was fun. :)</p>
<p>Or could I be confusing this with a similar event?</p>
<p>Well, I suppose just click the link above. If you think it’s nothing new, wonderful. If you are surprised that this is happening at Princeton, well, now you know.</p>
<p>Alumother, are you addressing me?</p>
<p>epiphany, oh, no, sorry. Was addressing Bay.</p>
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<p>I don’t mean to belabor this, so I apologize. But I’m genuinely confused. Maybe it’s just me but I am honestly not understanding what is ironic, or surprising, or fill-in-the-blank here. Am I not getting it because I don’t have stereotypes of Princeton students? What I know is they are basically indistinguishable from every other bright young person I have known, whether it’s taste in music, clothing, motivation, whatever. There is nothing divine or rarified about kids that get into HYPs, they need not be placed on a pedestal. </p>
<p>Please don’t misunderstand me- I’m not meaning to suggest Princeton isn’t a fabulous school or that a parent should not be proud their child got into Princeton…not at all! Only that having gone to such a school and taught at a few equal calibre places, and having coauthored with PhDs from such institutions, I really don’t get what the point is here. </p>
<p>I know for some it’s hard to believe but students at HYPS actually like live modern music and parties, laughing, having sex, and sleeping in. They even sometimes procrastinate, smoke pot, get Bs, feel down on themselves, argue with their parents, get speeding tickets, and fail to hand in assignments on time because they are hung over. Ironic, I know, but true!</p>
<p>The point is the stereotype that Princeton kids are more preppy than other top universities. I am very happy to see that I am attempting to dispel biases that no longer exist. How lovely. What more could a parent and alumna want?</p>
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<p>well said…</p>
<p>Stereotype that no longer exists? Preppy sure but nothing about your post speaks to that. What does liking live music and a sense of humor have to do with being preppy? </p>
<p>instead your post seems to suggest kids at Princeton are somehow rarified and special, and just because you hold them on a pedestal doesn’t mean others do. That kind of pedestal putting has mostly occurred only in recent years with increased college hype. Mostly among highschool kids and some parent circles. Weird if you went there and still find it surprising they put their pants on one leg at a time like every other college kid.</p>