The Anatomy of A College Party: An Alarming Display

Last week, I went with my friend to my first (and probably last) party of the semester.Let me preface this by saying, this is not written to judge anyone around me or deny the fact that alcohol and party culture very much exist at my school. Additionally, I have been to quite a few of these frat parties due to the fact that I rushed first semester.

We walk in; my friend greets me (a brother in the fraternity that occupies the house we are walking into). As he hugs me, I can smell the alcohol on his breath. We walk downstairs and run straight into the bar. We politely decline the drink offers that pelt us from every which way. Walking to the back of the three room basement, I first remark that this is most certainly a fire hazard, and then we settle in, watching a few girls play beer pong. It is almost miraculous to me how excited full grown women can get about ping pong balls bouncing into beer cups. But then I look down to the hands that aren't throwing the balls, and I notice the drinks these girls are actually drinking.

At this point, it is 10:30 PM; the night is just getting started. We walk out it the main room of the party where the music is blaring so loudly that the house itself is shaking. We observe people jumping up and down and grinding on one another. It all just seems a bit germy to me. I like to keep touching to people who's names I will remember the next morning. As I watch them, I am reminded of one of John Green's quotes about college, "sometimes it seems like there's only two kinds of college students these days, those who binge drink with alarming frequency, and those who define themselves primarily in opposition to that binge drinking." Now my question was just why? I don't want to judge people, but what is the point. Oh right, the point is to forget about your problems. But how the heck did this start? I mean, I know that people have been having parties since the beginning of time. After all, hundreds of the artifacts that we have from Ancient Rome were used to mix wine in. Honestly, I'm still wondering why as I watch people leave Shabbat Dinner to go to parties.