Beer, Booze and Bungles.

From my observations, these are the pillars of Bucknell party life. Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, these values are projected like a mantra across the entire Bucknell fraternity scene and the many partygoers who, lacking the time or dedication to the art of drinking, choose not to join one of these esteemed Greek organizations (The Princeton Review: #1 in Popularity of Greek Life). 

While Bucknell frequently ranks among the top schools for alcohol consumption (The Princeton Review: #1 in Widespread Beer Consumption, #2 in Widespread Hard Liquor Consumption), it never really shows, right? I mean, the piles of beer cans in the bathroom and the lingering smell of regret in the first-floor common room clearly reflect a calm, introspective student population with no interest in partying whatsoever. You can hardly even call it a party school.

Alright, enough with the praise to keep the administration off our backs—let’s dive into the nitty gritty. This school has an abundance of alcohol, as we all know. And alcohol, as we also know, often leads to mistakes or blunders—otherwise known as bungles. This often leads to some rather silly decisions, like the recent incidents in Smith Hall involving the destruction of several exit signs and the subsequent warning to residents about possible charges. While that could be an article on its own, it stands as a prime example of a bungle made under the influence. This isn’t exactly a good thing from any perspective—especially for those, like myself, who received that dreaded community billing notice from housing services due to the growing vandalism problem.

However, while there’s such an abundance of alcohol here that it could make Dionysus himself blush, there’s less of a presence of actual alcoholism on campus. While the designated party times (and special events) often involve copious amounts of thought-altering liquified grain, these events are proper and scheduled. Sure, some parties may start earlier and end later than others, but academics remain an unexpected focus—especially given my initial impressions of the party scene.

I would argue that this is in no small part due to the quality of our professors and the fact that the balance on your debit card is directly linked to the number of your GPA. But it also speaks to a student population that is capable of great focus when needed, while still having a (debatably) healthy release from the stresses of study. This balance is part of what makes this school special—and, to a lesser degree, contributes to the infamous Bucknell Bubble.

If anything, I would add another major pillar: focus. While the party culture here is widespread and intense when it’s happening, it also allows students to fully enjoy themselves and then shift their focus back to schoolwork for a successful future. Granted, there are significant problems with the party culture—enough to write an entire paper on—but for now, I’ll highlight the more understated positives and let the various issues that come with intoxication in large groups speak for themselves, with a weight greater than I could put into words.

While I despise these other issues which cannot be explicitly spoken of and which I lack the authority to speak on, I only say that I truly despise it with all my being.

While our party culture has its many, many evils, it does speak to a dedicated and committed student population. While I haven’t, and likely will never, join in any of these parties, they still form a strong part of the identity that I share with this school, as a student and young adult. While my opinions on the party culture here are varied, as you can see, I can say, most assuredly, that this school wouldn’t be what it is without this party life. And while there are many things I would love to change, the core idea of it I wouldn’t change for anything. I would just transfer if I ever get sick of it.