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First of all, I would like to point out that I do not tolerate underage drinking in any form under federal law due to the proven health risks associated with this practice.
Two years ago, as an incoming high schooler ready to start applying to colleges, I sat down and thought to myself what exactly I want from my four years of college. Number one on my list was a school that would provide me with a solid academic background to prepare me for medical school. Like many incoming college students, I wanted to find that it’s oh so difficult to balance work and play. While work is a necessity to be successful in life, I wanted to find a school where I could have an equally strong social background. Needless to say, Brandeis wasn’t high on my list.
During the application process, I often searched for forums detailing Brandeis’ social life only to be disappointed when the results came up. Brandeis is not known for its social scene, as fraternities are not directly funded by the school, like other large universities in the Boston area. I’m looking at you MIT. Then I saw comments that pointed me towards the idea that the Brandeis social scene is what you make of it. I found it strange, but if it takes a little push on my part to enjoy it, then there’s nothing that’s going to stop me. I later applied to Brandeis and was accepted only to find that I was in control of my destiny. If I’m only in college for four years, then I better make the best of it.
Brandeis parties can be classified into four different groups: frat parties, athletic team parties, miscellaneous group parties, and private gatherings.
Brandeis fraternities include Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT), Alpha Eta Pi (AEPi), Phi Kappa Psi (Phi Psi), Alpha Delta Phi (ADPhi), and Sigma Alpha Mu (Sammies). As far as parties go, I’d rate ZBT #1 as they always have great music, a busy dance floor, and plenty of drinks to carry around. Also, another cool thing about the house is that the parties always include black lights and they occasionally have white parties where everyone is white under the black lights. AEPi parties, on the other hand, sometimes lack the active environment and instead provide a home to be drunk and merry in a relatively relaxed setting.
Phi Psi didn’t throw many notable parties my freshman year, but they are looking to expand over the next year. ADPhi has the same status as Phi Psi, party-wise, but we will soon learn of their ability to compete with other fraternities. And as for Sammies, they’re a fairly new fraternity, two years old I think. Sammies are building a house over the summer with a bar, so we should see great things from them. The best way to know about parties is to have friends in frat houses or at least in the know, but not necessarily be in one yourself. Frats are a great way to meet people, make lifelong friends, and be invited to private parties with on-campus fraternities, Delta Phi Eta (DPhiE) and Sigma Delta Tau (SDT).
Athletic team parties are a fun way to meet Brandeis athletes depending on what you’re looking for. These houses usually have pre-game events and random costume parties including Halloween, which are always huge.
Miscellaneous parties include those organized by student groups (not affiliated with fraternities or sports teams). These include the random parties held in Rosenthal’s second year which aren’t huge, but are worth stopping by before the biggest party of the night. The Purim party is also huge every year and is organized by the Jewish student life on campus. One of the more amazing organizations for throwing parties is the student group calling themselves Flavor Country. These parties tend to be the biggest and best on campus. But you have to be close with the guys running these get-togethers because there is usually an invite-only list for the guys.
One of the best ways to have fun on campus is definitely forming a group of friends and making plans to get together and organize your own parties. They are usually thrown into a suite or in some cases freshman dorms (Ahem!). Everyone is so busy during the week with school and extracurricular assignments that the only time to connect with your friends is during the weekends. So these private parties are a big part of the Brandeis party scene.
Whatever social path you decide to take while at Brandeis, remember one thing: You are only in college for four years. They will pass much faster than you can imagine. Your task is not only to create the foundation of your future, but also to enjoy life as much as possible while you have time for it.