Like college kids can afford fancy liquor...
If you're reading this and you live in East Halls...well, you probably already knew what day it was. Every Thursday night since time immemorial (aka the start of the semester, which feels like it was 20 years ago) crowds of parched students have departed East Halls in a mass exodus of shrieking, underdressed clumps that apparently don't have to wake up at 7:30 in the morning to get ready for class. And make no mistake, they don't care if you do either.
According to Urban Dictionary, the most reputable source on the Internet, Thirsty Thursday is the product of both impatience for the weekend and the perceived ease of Friday schedules. Personally, I don't know what school these people are going to, but if they have time to party on a weeknight then sign me up. College is hard enough at dark o'clock in the morning; complications from a hangover being added to that mess sounds like the equivalent of physical manifestation of demons in my room.
I've been unlucky enough to live in Curtin Hall, "conveniently" (and they stressed that on the tour) located right next to Curtin Road and the CATA stop. That means I get to experience to soothing sounds of the freshman population drunkenly stumbling across the lawn and the weekly riots that occur when the bus inevitably leaves people behind. You think you've seen it all until people start climbing on top of the bus stop at 12:30 in the morning.
Buy why do people get so excited for the weekend that they feel the need to get it started a day early? Myself, I've got a few theories. First off, weekends represent a period of non-regimented activity. In short, you don't have a schedule to follow, which produces feelings of relaxation and relief. Thinking about schedules makes us anxious; we have x amount of hours in the day to fit in x amount of classes, then squeeze in food, homework, studying, sleep...the list seems endless, which causes anxiety in a lot of people. Nobody likes to feel like their time is crunched into tiny, restrictive blocks of 24 hours, so the ability to sleep for 15 hours with nobody to hassle you about it is obviously something desirable.
Secondly, and perhaps most noticeably, is the fact that college kids, freshmen in particular, love to party. For many of us, this is the first time we've been away from our homes and forced to assume adult responsibilities, which causes both relief and immense stress. It's a good feeling to be able to know that you're trusted enough to make your own decisions about a time that'll end up shaping your entire life. At the same time, that's a huge burden to bear for someone so young, and some of us handle it better than others. I won't get into condemnation of people who do like to party, nor complain that my schedule prevents me from going out to blow off some steam myself most nights. I find it fascinating how hard partying is a manifestation of our need for stress relief, when it seems like it would cause more trouble than it's worth on a weeknight.
So enjoy these Thursday nights, folks. You're getting the real freshman experience, listening to your classmates wander around at ungodly hours while you angrily slam your window shut and moan into your pillow, imagining dragging yourself out of bed in a few scant hours to step put into the cold, half-sober morning to fight for a seat on the bus.
And to think they told us that this wasn't a party school, and that East was "quiet and conveniently located." No wonder everybody feels the need to drink.
Very funny and creative post. I'd say your theories for why Thirsty Thursday occur is spot on. I think it is very cool how you can incorporate memes into college life. Do you make these memes or find them on the internet?
ReplyDeleteFound them; I'm not creative enough to make them myself.
DeleteThis post is so funny and accurate, I was laughing the whole time. I will definitely continue to read this blog. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI was honestly laughing the whole time. I live in Pollock, so I don't have to deal with that craziness as much, but I loved reading about the stuff that goes on even when there are classes the next day. I love how you can find memes and connect them to your own life; your post is always very interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteDamn Ian, spot on. I don't understand how some people go out 4, even 5 nights a week. I agree that it's partly a manifestation of their need to relieve stress, but I also think it's their need to use alcohol and drugs in order to have fun. Really well-written post!
ReplyDelete