You Don't Have To Be #1 To Know How To Party

Although it is expected for most young adults to go out and party, the University at Albany is one of the schools that have been branded with the label “party school.” Since this, the university has been working hard to disprove its reputation of a party school. Although it may have lost its title of the number one party school, Albany students definitely still know how to have a good time.
After the events of Fountain Day 2004 received so much negative attention, the university took action to change the image of the school. The University Counseling Center implemented the Did You Know? Social Norms Campaign in the Fall 2006 semester. This campaign used statistics to prove that the majority of UAlbany students do not abuse alcohol, or engage in dangerous activities. The university took a small, random sample of students that answered anonymously, increasing the chances of more honest answers. They then took these statistics and posted posters all over campus to make the information more available to others. The Counseling Center website states that “Students will also be better able to make well-informed decisions about engaging in healthy behaviors now that they have accurate information.”
During the Fall 2007 semester, posters were displayed around the school stating “74% of UAlbany students drink alcohol twice a week, less often, or not at all.” This statistic was taken from a survey of 1,117 of the 12,748 undergraduates on campus. It is questionable how accurate this statistic is when less than nine percent of UAlbany students answered. A larger sample of the campus population would most likely reveal a different statistic. Shortly after this poster was displayed across campus, a student created a Facebook group called the “Elite 26%,” an opportunity to unite the 26% percent of UAlbany students that proudly drink three times a week or more. When the group was first created, there were a substantial amount of members. However, with the year ending, there are currently 81 members in the group.
Even though most students go out at least two times a week, the only nights that are considered unacceptable to go out in the city of Albany are Sunday and Monday. “Any night is popular to go out in Albany because the bars throw themed parties and other events to attract more people to them,” says freshman Carolyn Zimmer. At the popular student bars, Tuesday nights there is no cover, Wednesday nights there are beer pong tournament, and Thursday nights tend to have a theme, such as short-lived body shot contest at Michael’s. All of these theme nights feature drink specials that cater to the wallets of college students.
Unlike some other colleges, going to bars is just as popular, if not more popular, than going to a house party. Most students go to the bars in the mid-town area of Albany, such as Chubbie’s, Michael’s, and Bogies, because they are less strict about letting underage people in. When I asked a Chubbie’s bouncer how old I had to be to get into the bar, I was told “Your ID has to say you’re 21,” with emphasis on the word “ID.” Most bouncers refused to talk about the policies of their bars on the record.
Most of the students questioned reported having little or no trouble getting into these bars. “A lot of the bars are 18 and over, they just charge more as a cover if you are under 21.” Most bars in mid-town Albany charge $5 for students with chalked ID’s, and $10 for all other students. A college ID is normally required in addition to an ID. An anonymous source that did not want to reveal her underage drinking said, “Sometimes I don't even need my chalked ID, and they just let me in.” Every UAlbany student seems to have a bar of choice. When asked, the anonymous source said, “Michael's because it's cheap, but sometimes there's really sketchy guys or fights break out so then I go to Bogies.” Zimmer said, “There is one bar/club that my friends and I usually go to because the atmosphere is nice and a lot of people I know are there.” Freshman Olga Bykhovsky also chose Michael’s as her preferred bar.
Going out in Albany can add up quickly. The students that I asked admitted to spending $10 to $20 on a night of drinking. This sums up to a $5 cover, approximately three drinks at the bar, and a $3 cab ride back to campus. UAlbany students would spend even more money on a night out, but a lot of students decide to “pregame,” or drink before going out to the bars. “It saves a lot of money and it's fun to drink with your friends before you go out,” says the student that wished to remain anonymous. Bykhovsky also pregames because “You save money, and sometimes you have more fun.” Zimmer also participates in pregaming and said, “Sometimes my friends like to because it saves money rather than spending it all at the bar.” To gain a greater perspective on the drinking habits of UAlbany students, it is important to know how much students are drinking before they go out. The anonymous student admitted to consuming an average of 6 shots of alcohol before going out to the bars to consume up to three more drinks. Some students don’t measure at all, and just drink until they feel drunk, which can be a problem. Why drink so much? “Many students' goal is to get drunk, so pregaming intensifies their night. Also, like I said before, it saves money for a lot of college students to drink before the bar,” says Zimmer.
Binge drinking is an issue at most college campuses, and UAlbany is not an exception. Our culture sees binge drinking as something that is acceptable, and sometimes expected, for young people, especially college students to do. Another issue with pregaming is that it is illegal to consume or possess alcohol in the dorms if you are under 21, especially if you live on Indian Quad or State Quad, both of which are dry quads. Students are taking a serious risk when deciding to drink on campus, and many of them end up being caught. Bykhovsky says she and her friends have never been caught pregaming, “But I do know a lot of people who have gotten caught,” she says. UAlbany may no longer hold the title of one party school, but that doesn’t mean students can’t find a place in the city to party.