Spotlight on social scene

Nobody can drive down Burrill Avenue on a Thursday night and not encounter the mass of students stumbling back to their dorms. It's the unofficial start of the weekend and a good portion of the campus is literally buzzing after a night of socializing with their friends. Most Bridgewater students congregate in houses or at the bars in the area, but how do colleges all over the country party? "Toga, toga, toga," is a classic line from the movie Animal House, but this describes just one of the many theme ideas for parties on college campuses around the world. For instance, at Arizona State University theme parties are the only type of parties. Such themes have been "construction hammered and screwed," "Barbie and Ken," "Jamaican Me Crazy," and "Rappers and Backup Dancers." The themes are an enticing way to draw people to a party, and are sure to make it popular and fresh.

Although themed parties are popular in Arizona, Amy McEvoy, of the Florida Institute of Technology said most parties took place in the sorority house where she lived. Often times, the fraternities on campus would gather there, bringing 100-150 people and gallons of alcohol.

"We never paid a cent for drinks," McEvoy said. "We would invite at least one fraternity to each party knowing alcohol would be provided." When it was a football weekend, some kids would wake up as early as 8 a.m. to start drinking by the football field and outside grounds.

McEvoy recounts, "It never really got out of control. We made sure everyone was 21 or had a really good fake I.D. My first semester here, though, I was shocked. I'm from up north and the parties are just so different in New England."

In comparison, the Green Mountain State is known for its coffee, skiing, and naked bike rides? That's right, the naked bike ride, where hundreds of students at the University of Vermont get together, have a couple of drinks, and hop on a bike in their birthday suits. In the dead of winter, this offers an entertaining sight. Although this is a highlight of the school year, according to Ben, a student at UVM, the most common party spots at UVM are apartments.

"It's not too bad, but we do drink a lot then again we do a lot of other fun stuff as well," Ben said in regards to UVM's reputation as a party school.

The social scene in the United Kingdom had a lot to offer, according to Pam Garrity, an American college student doing a study abroad program at Stirling University in Stirling, Scotland. As the drinking age is 18 in Scotland, many students go to pubs or nightclubs on campus or in the city to relax and have fun on the weekends. House or "flat" parties are relatively uncommon, as most students chose to go out to pubs and bars to socialize.

"Drinking seems to be less of a rebellious activity and more casual," Garrity said. "People did not seem to drink to get drunk as often or as intensively in the United States. It was more of a social and moderate event."

No matter where you go to college- Europe, West coast, East Coast, big or small- everyone knows how to party and kick back in their down time. Parties are the center of social life in college and show- the vitality of their students. Whether students choose to party in Bridgewater or not, a student can always find the nightlife right around the corner.