University of Dayton drinking question

<p>This is not a drinking school, this is a drink-till-you-drop school. It’s not “what are you doing tonight?”, it’s “where are you going to black out tonight?” If you are serious about your commitment to not drink, I would consider again other schools before choosing this one; I know I wish I would have.</p>

<p>Wow…</p>

<p>OK, not considering this school anymore even if they did just send me a later offering massive finical aid…</p>

<p>My son graduated from UD in May. I know that there was a decent amount of drinking going on, but I don’t think it was any more than the stories I heard from his high school friends who attended other private and state universities. My son had a tremendous amount of fun, maintained a 3.7 GPA with a difficult double major and graduated in 3 1/2 years. It is possible to party and study in college! If a student has well established time management and study skills when they come on campus, they will be able to balance the social life with the academic commitments. I know that my son had many friends who weren’t big drinkers and they fit in and loved UD just as much as the bigger partiers. Kids who don’t drink a lot are valued as Designated Drivers…they are not ostracized. Many of my relative’s children are UD grads, and I am proud to say they all have very successful careers with zero trips to rehab.</p>

<p>Here’s the deal. It makes no difference if you drink or not at UD. It’s a beautiful place (and getting more beautiful by the day thanks to wealthy and generous alumnus who loved their experiences, btw) and there are so many opportunities to make your student life experience a wonderful one. I would consider myself a heavy drinker, graduated 15 years ago, in four years. I lived with THREE guys who graduated with 4.0 GPA’s, two casual drinkers and one who didn’t drink due to his father’s history of alcoholism. There was never any pressure on him to drink, by anyone, and he wouldn’t trade his experience at UD for anything. All 10 of my closest friends all stay very close…best friends I have ever known. I was also talked into going on a retreat one weekend during the year, off campus, only because one of my friends was a counselor. Turned out to be the best weekend I had in four years at UD, because of what I learned about myself and the amazing people I was surrounded by at UD. It’s an amazing place, whether you drink or not.</p>

<p>Late to the post, but wanted to add. We lived in Dayton for many years in the 1990s and have many UD alumni friends. It is not the same school that it once was. While there was always a drinking/party presence, it is now firmly a “party school.” We know 3 students, all children of alumni like us, who have started at UD only to leave after their freshman year due to the drunken atmosphere. One of these was a Berry Scholar student! A drive through the ghetto last spring was a shocker. It is sad to no longer be able to recommend this university to serious students.</p>

<p>As a parent of a UD freshman, I wish we would have more carefully reviewed the social scene. Everyone knows that there is drinking on college campuses, BUT there needs to be more to do than just drink. UD needs to change its party image if they want to continue to expand and attract engineering students. I think UD is a great school academically and there are many opportunities for students at all academic levels BUT there seems to be very little in the way of nondrinking activities on weekends. Yes they have CAB and it offers an event typically once a weekend maybe 3x a month. But for 9,000 students that event is really not enough. The freshman dorms should have more social activities planned and be given a budget. The only guarranteed activity are the parties in the ghetto (or student neighborhood) where you are handed a Natty lite and welcomed with open arms. Does this make for the “happiest students” sadly that is how they have snagged that title and it now what UD’s image is. Even those adults working on campus admit that it is a problem. What about expanding the fine arts program for those interested in theatre, comedy, music? Are there plays on weekends or performances for the students to attend? Ah no, just plenty of ghetto parties. Thirsty Thursday - through the weekend you will see students staggering around the freshman dorms and hear the ambulances for those that overindulge. Serious students who have come to the University for a great education are outnumbered by those that just want to party hard. There needs to be a balance and UD needs to commit to those serious student. No one wants a degree from a party school. My child describes UD as a bunch of catholic school kids gone wild escaping their parents grip. My child is very disappointed that there are no intellectual groups to join people actually willing to talk about current, political, economic events instead of parties, sports, hookups.
UD is in a bubble but you if like reality and like to use your brain and engage > think twice.</p>

<p>@UDparent- our kids should get together and start an intellectual group at UD! I have an Honors Engineering student who is a non-drinker and would love to discuss/debate current events. While I have heard many stories of kids who are drinking, my child has a group of other like-minded friends who are finding alternative things to do on the weekends. So far it has not been a problem for our student (although this is the first semester at UD).</p>

<p>The school has outstanding academics and we are very impressed with the Engineering School and what it has to offer.</p>

<p>I have to express my deep disappointment in the party-scene culture of UD as described here. This is/was one of the schools I’ve been looking at for my S who is interested in chem E. We live in CA so not very easy for us to get to UD and explore for ourselves. Although S is responsible, and as an athlete he is not into drinking right now, I can easily see him getting swept up in it to the point he might let his academics take a back seat. Very disappointing what I’m reading on this thread, but also enlightening and I very much appreciate the candor.</p>

<p>My S is now a freshman engineering student at UD. I can honestly say some of these posts last year concerned me a bit, but based on many factors we chose UD. We are very happy with our decision, yet I can understand why some might be concerned. My son does drink. We were not oblivious to this fact; however, we also know there isn’t much you can do once they leave home. He was never a big drinker in HS, never gave us a reason to worry. May sound naive but it’s the truth. He says there is a lot of drinking at school, but also that there were just as many weekend nights that he didn’t drink. The last two weeks of the semester for him were dry. He has significant merit aid that he can’t lose (or he comes home), and he takes his studies seriously. He understands the balance, has made significant strides in time management, and applies himself. He also likes to have a good time, but it’s not the be all and end all for him or his friends. He has two good friends who don’t drink at all. No social issues for them. </p>

<p>We are far from lenient parents, and yet we loosened the reigns a bit senior year of HS and he didn’t abuse it or himself. We didn’t fly off the handle every time we knew he may have been drinking. We weren’t happy, but we were realistic, and it gave us opportunities to discuss his responsibilities as a young adult drinking. Maybe that’s why once he got to college the novelty of drinking wasn’t such a draw. He is not allowed to drink in our home, nor are his friends, and is often the designated driver among his friends because he gets that getting drunk shouldn’t be the goal every time he goes out. He’s very secure with himself and doesn’t get caught up in peer pressure with regard to drinking. And he’s one of the happiest kids I know!</p>

<p>I know this is long, but ultimately we all know our children. If you have any doubt that your child can’t handle alcohol and college life then it’s not just UD you should be worried about - most colleges have a party scene - and if your child wants to find it and make it a significant part of their college experience they will. Some have more of a reputation than others, but at the end of the day a child can succeed anywhere if they apply themselves. </p>

<p>Academically, my son is going back (thank God!), has been challenged in all of his courses, and was well prepared after attending a highly competitive private school on the East Coast. We’re very impressed with the Engineering program so far. We are not sorry about the decision to send him to UD.</p>

<p>I am a freshman Honors student at the University and felt the need to reply. Dayton is not really a party school. If you want to know what a party school is look at greek life in the SEC. They go out (drink/parties etc) 6 of 7 days a week. At Dayton, I have never heard of anyone doing this. </p>

<p>I went out 3 nights a week max during my first term here at UD (more for special occasions ie: Halloween) and still have a great GPA and am still in the Honors program. Like it was said before, its all about the “work hard play hard” mentality. In fact, some of the most successful students here are those who relax on the weekends and let themselves loose. They get their work done on time and only go out if this is done.</p>

<p>That said, UD is great school with a great community. You do not have to drink to have fun as there are many others here who drinking is just not for them. Drinking and socializing are part of any college experience and I believe UD helps extremely in networking and builds lasting relationships that train you for the real world.</p>

<p>I just want to clarify my position. The University of Dayton has an excellent engineering program. My child is in the honors program as I stated, living in an LLC (living, learning, community) in a nice dorm. There are no real horrible drinking issues on the floor, but there is drinking in the dorm and on the floor. Yes I went to college also and remember that many drink! My point on the topic is that UD needs to expand the nondrinking weekend activities. My suggestion was to expand the fine arts program, is there one? I am not aware of any drama clubs or thespian groups, singing groups? It would be nice to have more than a CAB activitiy on occasion. How about having a UD idol? Or talent show? Is this done? A play or musical? Are there these kinds of opportunities? My student would not participate in it, but I bet would go to watch just for something to do. NO there isn’t any pressure to drink, but many do, and with lack of activities, you feel out of the loop if you do not drink. Our high school had a strong alcohol education program and it must have worked! The others on the floor that do not drink, play video games in their room. I don’t consider that an activity. Once in awhile is fine, everyone needs down time. My point was to suggest that the University needs more nondrinking activities to prevent it from becoming known as a party school and to continue to bring in serious students that will grow their engineering and other programs. While I agree that socializing is part of the college experience, drinking doesn’t have to be in order to build relationships and networks in the real world. To the California parent, I guess you really need to visit to see UD yourself. To the CinMom, where does your honors engineering student live this year? I have encouraged my student to keep searching for a group. I am sure there are others on campus that feel the same with similar interests, my student just needs to find them. To California mom, the thing that we liked most about the University of Dayton engineering program is that they want your child to succeed and are not trying to weed out anyone. The university offers much support and guidance in classes and career counseling, and hopefully when the time comes an awesome co-op program.</p>

<p>

UD has many singing/musical groups and an active arts program. [The</a> Arts : University of Dayton, Ohio](<a href=“404 : University of Dayton, Ohio”>404 : University of Dayton, Ohio) Dayton is actually highly art focused with many galleries and music events happening regularly. It surprised me how vital the arts life is in Dayton when I moved here 9 years ago. From your questions/suggestions it seems your child has chosen not to participate in those programs.</p>

<p>Hello,
No I am not aware of any plays being performed by student groups. Are you referring to the ARTstreet movies? Where are these performances held? Are they oncampus because freshmen are not allowed cars? I would be interested in learning more and will click on your link. And yes my student performs in music groups > there are a few performances like for Parent’s weekend and student tours. I was not aware of any singing groups or thespian related activites. Thank you.</p>

<p>I stand corrected.</p>

<p>[UD</a> to evaluate campus riot | <a href=“http://www.daytondailynews.com%5B/url%5D”>www.daytondailynews.com](<a href=“http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/ud-students-out-of-control-police-in-riot-gear/nWtgt/]UD”>http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/ud-students-out-of-control-police-in-riot-gear/nWtgt/)</a></p>

<p>It looks like St. Patricks Day is a big deal …</p>

<p>I bet UD thinks this is great timing. It definitely puts a black eye on the university. In a couple of weeks students and parents will be deciding where they should go to college. I can see a few parents being nervous about UD.</p>

<p>As I stated above the UD drinking image is a PROBLEM. My student is seriously considering transferring. Their admission standards are too low for a respectable school. It is starting to have a very negative image and until the University recognizes it, they will continue to lose serious students. The riots and drinking on St. Patrick’s Day were ridiculous. Many of the rioters were from other schools, locals, and not even students. Not to say that UD students were not involved. They were. It is unfortunate that the University can not gain control of this holiday. Miami doesn’t have it, yet they have Green Beer day on a Thursday BEFORE Spring Break. So there can be no out of control partying. Also OU now limits the number of students that come in for Halloween. Why can’t Dayton do something like this? I think it is already too late, the University is “too nice” and although many of the Professors realize there is a problem, the Administration does not. A few months ago the Sigma Chi fraternity went on a drinking binge while on a bus trip. They trashed a public gas station, had sex in the dumpster, peed all over the gas station and outside. Many were arrested, some for underage drinking. It was another disgrace for the school. I wonder what will happen when Dayton-to-Daytona comes up this spring? Stay tuned I am sure UD will make the news once again. Go Flyers.</p>

<p>Hey UD parent. I’m a student here at UD too and like your son/daughter I am seriously considering transferring out of UD. The recent St.Patty’s day disruptions have certainly drawn a lot of attention from concerned parents and prospective students, as well they should. I was personally very disappointed in the activities of the UD students during the event, because although everyone knows that heavy drinking/partying occurs every weekend here on campus, in my experience the revelry has never been mean-spirited like that. People get along and invite each other onto porches and such, and in the two years I’ve spent here no rioting like last weekend’s has ever happened. </p>

<p>That said I do believe that the situation is indicative of a greater problem within the UD community, that of excessive partying and drinking. I enjoy the ghetto (what UD kids call the student neighborhood) as much as anyone else, and have made some great memories with friends there. No one who is a student here can deny that there is a certain distinctive “community” feel to UD and that this community is not just based on partying or a sort of drunken camaraderie, but on real friendships with the open and accepting kids that go here. And it’s true that you can still have fun without drinking here, nobody forces you to drink or party if you don’t want to. That said, it’s an undeniable fact that almost everyone goes out and parties on the weekends. The school system is even set up for this, as the library, the gym, and all other campus facilities are closed in the early evening on Friday and Saturday nights. I understand that all colleges have parties on weekends, but UD could at least provide its students with other options. As I mentioned before, I do go out some weekends and have a lot of fun doing it, but I would like to have more options than staying in my loud and disruptive dorm with drunken people staggering around on the weekends I don’t want to go out. I understand that college is about more than partying at every opportunity, and often want to take time on the weekends to read or have a serious discussion about an important topic with someone, but that’s really impossible when everyone is drunk or partying.</p>

<p>You mentioned in one of your posts that your child described UD as a group of catholic kids gone wild after leaving their parents’ supervision, and I have to agree. Though I was initially thrilled by the party atmosphere, I’ve come to want something more out of my education and UD just can’t offer that. It’s true that UD does have a pretty rigorous academic program in some areas, but the larger problem is that the general attitude of most of the people on campus is to get to the weekend so they can go out again. Most of the students simply view classes as something to get through so they can party rather than actual opportunities for enrichment or education. Don’t get me wrong, some students can be very passionate and interested in class, especially at the 300 or 400 levels of classes. However, for the most part, discussion about the topics ends after we leave the classroom. It can be difficult to find people who are really interested in learning for the sake of learning, or just having debates about these issues in their time off, as everyone is away partying (even if they don’t drink). </p>

<p>Voluntary lectures go unattended most of the time, fine arts performances or exhibits are generally ignored by those students who aren’t required to visit them, and there is (in my opinion and experience) a general lack of enthusiasm or dedication to the idea of learning for the purpose of personal enrichment rather than as an academic requirement. For me at least, this is a really important part of college and one of the reasons we make such a significant investment in school. Most people here are dedicated to academic success, that is to say passing their classes and getting a good GPA. But few would voluntarily spend extra time in the library for example, and do so for personal enrichment. Just my perspective on the situation; there are many intelligent people here at UD, and I don’t mean to insult anyone, I am only trying to describe what I have experienced here. I apologize for the length of this post too!</p>

<p>@joe416-Thank you for that very well written and unbiased student perspective of UD. I have visited there twice with 2 of my kids in the last 10 years and they liked it but ended up elsewhere. I am visiting UD in 2 weeks with my youngest daughter and will need to keep your insights in mind. Good luck with your educational pursuit.</p>