What happened to social grace?

Romancing with Riley: To get 'mad game,' take risks

While trying to stay afloat on our life-size inflatable Shamu in the middle of the Caribbean Sea this past spring break, a few of my friends and I stumbled upon the question of "game," as in who had it and who didn't. Both yours truly and my friend, who we will call "Ellen Grenley" for the sake of her privacy, were accused of having, and I quote "mad game," due in most part to an impromptu spin-the-bottle game that took place on the deck of the local dive bar the night before. This proclamation immediately spawned a debate of what exactly constituted game, and subsequently, a rather heated discussion of whether or not either of us actually possessed such a thing.

Romancing with Riley: Make the very most of time with friends

As I soaked up the sun on the Brunswick quad this past Ivies Weekend, sipping a frosty brew and playing a lively game of what I will call, "Wed, Bed, or Run Over with a Sled" for decency's sake, I took pause for a moment to soak up a bit of the social scene instead. (Except I didn't so much "pause" the sipping of the frosty brew as much as I aggressively chugged it and then unnecessarily slammed the empty can to the ground. But, I digress.) As I looked around at my fellow Bowdoin students, I suddenly realized why I came to this school, and believe it or not, it had nothing to do with the school- "sanctioned" mid-day binge drinking. As lame as it sounds, I looked around and saw a bunch of friends.

Romancing with Riley

This piece represents the opinion of the author:

April 21, 2006

I am proud to say that I, Sarah Genevieve Riley, a soon-to-be graduating senior, have never been in a fight. That is, until last weekend when I was drawn into a particularly brutal round of verbal fisticuffs with a fellow Bowdoin student who shall remain nameless because I don't know his name. Now, my point in mentioning this little t?te-à-t?te is not to place blame, as both of us said things we shouldn't have. No, I am telling you about this verbal mudslinging because it should not be happening at a school like Bowdoin.

We as a student body are smart, well-rounded, fun loving, and driven. We are the best of the best...at least, we are when we're sober. Under the influence, things change. Suddenly, we're a little angrier, a little chattier, a little more trigger happy, and a lot more willing to make out with members of the same sex, regardless of our sexual orientation.

Of course, as evidenced by certain examples in the preceding paragraph, alcohol consumption (excuse me, responsible alcohol consumption) isn't necessarily a bad thing. It helps us let go of inhibitions, makes us more willing to chat up complete strangers, and often inspires us to accept dares that, when sober, sound remarkably like social suicide. In fact, my only real beef with alcohol's effect on the Bowdoin student population is its power to erase the concept of social grace from our otherwise perfectly functioning minds.

Now, I don't mean to play the Mrs. Robinson card here, but back in my Moore Hall days, I never felt the need to yell at anyone. I never felt the need to push anyone, or punch anyone, steal anyone's boyfriend or make fun of anyone wearing a ridiculous outfit. Every weekend night (and also a few Sundays and Wednesdays), I went out with my friends, consumed beverages, made a fool of myself in some way, shape, or form, and then eventually came home. Every once in a while there were a few random superheroes prancing around a party or two, in which case my friends and I smiled and high-fived them and maybe tried to steal their Superman cape. It was fun, relatively innocent, and nobody really got hurt, physically or otherwise.

Nowadays, I get pushed and shoved just trying to get to the keg or the bathroom. If my roommates and I host a party, our house is destroyed, our possessions are stolen (including an amazing "Welcome Bowdoin Students" sign that we would really love to get back), and all the while, we never even hear a "please" for beer or a "thank you" for buying it.

While I am well aware that fights and general disrespect have been a reality at Bowdoin since long before my time here, this year seems particularly bad. Where I used to witness a few ridiculous disputes break out over ridiculous things between ridiculous people, this year has been the first time I've felt the urge to take something?or someone?out. And because I'm a lover (as many of my past columns have attested) and not a fighter, and because I believe most of you are too, I think maybe it's time we all just relax a little bit.

Say thanks to the senior and/or lacrosse player serving you a beverage. Wait patiently in the keg line at 30, because pushing won't do anything except squeeze the residents even further out of their beaters. Don't yell, don't spit, and don't pull hair. Let the general stupidity that naturally comes along with 150 college students being tightly packed in to a poorly ventilated basement roll off your back, and instead enjoy being witness to the stupid things people (read: me) will do when dared. Also, think about returning our welcome sign.

On a separate though related note, I would like to personally ask the seniors to start living a little. We have (insert the latest BSG "days until graduation" email here) left at Bowdoin, which means only a few more weeks to live like we will never live again. Sea Dog on Tuesdays, bowling on Thursdays, sporting events all day Saturday, and of course the magic that is Saturday night, wherever you choose to spend it...they are all about five weeks from being nothing more than a memory.

So stop fighting the onset of senioritis. Put down your honors project, step away from the electronic classroom, and remind yourself that you can sleep when you're dead. Let's dress up for theme parties and spend all day Sunday doing nothing other than enjoying the company of our friends. Let's grill, let's play horseshoes, let's go to the beach and go to the bar. Let's show these underclassmen how it's done.

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