The social scene at DePauw University can be summed up in two words, "greek life."
First-years, however, are not allowed to participate in this tremendous part of campus life until the middle of October. Some find this to be disappointing and unfair, but I feel as if this actually isn't a horrible idea.
The upperclassmen will all attempt to convince you that you won't get caught on Greek property, but why take a chance?
There are plenty of ways to have fun without getting hammered in a fraternity house on a Thursday night. College is a new experience for all of us, and should be one of the most experiential and enlightening times of our lives. Don't let anything get in the way of that, including drinking or missing class.
I understand that being away from your parents for the first time makes some people nervous, some excited and some straight up frightened.
For others, they just want to experience all of the things that their parents wouldn't let them do at home. That's fine; I get it and want to do some of that stuff too. But you also need to consider the safety of yourself and those around you. Most first-years aren't used to consuming large amounts of alcohol, so the fraternity houses can be incredibly dangerous.
The first few months of our time on campus should be spent getting acquainted with our peers, learning how to behave in a new environment and studying (which I have done a lot of). Drinking should never get in the way of your schoolwork, and it should be specifically reserved for weekends only.
Consumption should be kept to a minimum until your body is used to the amounts. Public Safety said to keep blood alcohol content (BAC) below .15, which is still nearly double the legal limit.
This may sound like an evil plot to keep our campus sober, but it's really not a bad idea if you think about it. You don't want to get yourself into trouble or do something regrettable in your first few months on campus, and with a BAC below .15, that shouldn't be a problem.
You will have over seven semesters to have fun on greek property, so making it through the first few months without it won't be so bad.
All of us first-years will look back on the first few months of our time here at DePauw and remember all the good times we had meeting new friends. Nobody will say, "I wish we had been able to go on greek property sooner," or "I wish I had partied more as a first-year." However, what you very well might say is, "I wish I had met more people," or "It's too bad I got in trouble for drinking and was put on probation."
So, to all you first-years out there, have fun, but not too much fun. Respect the rules and stay away from fraternities for just five more weeks. It's not as far off as it seems.
-Mauk is a freshman from St. Louis, Mo. whose major is still undecided.
