Brandeis University Top Questions

Brandeis offers a variety of clubs, although they tend to be defined by the people in them. Clubs like Debate Team and Mock Trial contain some of the most competitive of people at Brandeis, sometimes to the point where certain members they are insufferably cocky and form their own distinct cliques. A Capella and other musical groups also tend to be very tight night. Athletic events bring fairly sizable audiences. Basketball, one of the sports Brandeis is better at, draws large crowds from across campus. However, compared to other more athletic schools with longer traditions, Brandeis cares far less about sports teams. Like other good schools, Brandeis tends to draw some interesting speakers. When former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton came to speak, the crowds filled even the largest areas in the gymnasium. The total number of those attending always does depend on the popularity of the speaker as well as the food being served at the location. Still, for the most part these events are well attended. The social scene at Brandeis is always a mixed blessing. While fraternities at Brandeis are not officially recognized and many students refuse to party, there usually are several things going on every weekend whether on or near campus. It is not hard at all to make friends at Brandeis, even if there is some initial awkwardness. Once you have enough friends, you are bound to hear something about parties on weekends if you asked. Some of the official dances sponsored by the Student Union aren't bad either, as long as you pre-game sufficiently beforehand. Alcohol is not difficult to find, as long as you know a few people who can help you with it. Really, Brandeis is not as bad as some people say in terms of partying. Worst comes to worst, if there's nothing to do on campus, there's always Boston.

Most popular organizations are political and SEA (students for environmental action) I am involved with the Ultimate frisbee team. It's a great group of people and most of my closest friends are on the team.

I'm the Waltham Group, which is the student-run community service organization. There are 13 programs, and students can get involved in as many as they want. They address issues of housing, education, healthcare, immigration, and homelessness. Students leave their doors open until they go to sleep, when they lock them. It's a safe campus, and people are generally open to visitors. I met my closest friends by living in the same dorms. The dating scene is very chill. People generally meet through friends or at a party, and then hang out until something happens. A lot of people end up dating their close friends. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm probably talking to my friends, watching TV, playing video games, or smoking/drinking. There are parties every Friday and Saturday, along with smaller party-like gatherings on Thursdays, and sometimes earlier in the week. There are a few bars off campus that students over 21 go to on Wednesdays. There are plenty of people who drink heavily every day, and plenty of people who abstain entirely. There is a small unofficial greek scene at Brandeis. Their only point is really to throw parties. There is no pressure to join them, and they are not an overwhelming part of campus life. They don't think of themselves as being different than anyone else, and they're not cocky like fraternities and sororities at other schools. It's easy to be friends with them if you're not involved in Greek life. There are always enough university-sponsored events on Saturdays (guest speakers, dances, shows, concerts) that you don't need to drink to have fun. There is also an hourly shuttle that goes into Cambridge and Boston, so you can go there if you're bored of campus.

Waltham is kind of ugly and if you live off campus you get to experience interesting things..... like firecrackers or gunshots or older people living in your basement that may or may not be selling drugs or people claiming to pee in your driveway after your bike was stolen ten minutes prior or being followed by four young men in a car while you walk the block to CVS... and then followed inside after they asked you where you were going, and whether you wanted a ride... at midnight after a blizzard Anyway, parties happen and if you want you can go to 1 to 4 parties every Friday and Saturday night. Some are kind of naked, others are kind of fratty, and yet others might include wine and cheese. If you take your academics seriously and haven't learned the art of bullshitting like many Brandeis students have, then going into Boston will be difficult because it is far enough away to take up a considerable amount of time.

I don't think there is one team or club that is big on campus, although SEA (students for environmental action), Hillel, and the sports club are very noticeable.

I'm most involved with the women's ultimate team. We practice, have tournaments, are very close. I never closed my door. I met my closest friends in ultimate and at other random events. I'm always up at 2 am hanging out with friends. There's always something going on around campus. Fraternities/sororities are barely there.

The most popular groups on campus are a capella and improv groups. I'm involved with the ultimate women's frisbee team and love it. It was a great way for me to meet a lot of upperclassmen. People do leave their doors open, and most of my friends walk into my room without knocking. My closest friends live on my hall, were in my roommate's orientation group, and live in my building. Also my other closests friends are on the frisbee team. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday I am probably attempting to study in the lounge on my hall but instead I am getting distracted and having a good time with my friends from the hall. One tradition is Pachanga, which happens every semester and is the biggest on campus dance. Another tradition is the freshman Black and White Semi-Formal Dance, the Sophomore Royal Ball, and the Junior-Senior Formal. Dating takes the form of hanging out on campus/ in each others dorm rooms. Not a lot of people "go on dates". People party on the weekends. Fraternities/Sororities are not that important here. There are 4 frats and 2 sororities. The sororities do not have houses so they don't really add anything to the social life here. The frats are not like other colleges, they are really chill and a great place to hang out with friends on Friday/Saturday nights when they hold parties. All the guys are really nice. People tend to make a face if you say that you're in a sorority. Last weekend I went to Maryland for a frisbee tournament. The weekend before that I went to a frat party on Friday night with my friends, and Saturday night I went to Pachanga with my friends. On a Saturday night if you don't want to drink you can go into Harvard Square on the free shuttle and get dinner and see a movie with friends, or go into Boston. There are also a ton of shows (improv, theater, a capella) occuring.

1) The first ones that come to mind are Crew(as in the sport) and Ultimate Frisbee. Intramural sports are actually really big on campus. Crew, of course, is basically varsity, yet it's a club. That one confuses me. Ultimate Frisbee as a sport itself, too, would be considered varsity, but it does not qualify as a varsity sport in any university because it does not have referees. Other groups that are big are community service groups, especially one of which I do not remember the name. However, you can find basically ANY club on campus (bowling, figure drawing, videogaming, poker), and if it doesn't exist, you just make it. 2)As an example of obscure clubs, I'm in the Wun Hop Kuen Do club. What is Wun Hop Kuen Do, you ask? Exactly. It's a mixed martial art. Unfortunately, the martial arts scene on Brandeis is currently at a low point, because it's been overtaken by things like pilates and all that tomfoolery. It doesn't help that it seems to be a 1500 year-old tradition that different types of martial arts aren't allowed to get along, though my friends in different styles and I are trying to fix this problem, because none of us alone have many members, but together we can be a more persuasive force. 3)It depends if they want to chat with other people or not. I leave mine open if I want to. Then again, I live in a single, which has made me far more social. As for people locking them when they leave? Well, I do. I also know that there are plenty of people who don't. 4)The popularity of athletic events depends upon two factors: The first is whether the team is doing well or not, and the second, most important factor being whether or not there is free food available. The same goes for any event, actually -- free food means everyone on campus will be there. Guest speeches depend on who the speaker is. EVERYONE went to see Jimmy Carter. EVERYONE went to see Bill Clinton. Theater is a very exclusive niche on campus. It's not huge among non-theater majors, though non-theater students sometimes put on plays. 5)This will be very telling: I'm not interested in dating at all. 6)For some, it was taking classes with them. For others, it was leaving my door open. 7)Surfing the 'net. Some people would be up at 2am doing work; other people just . . . go to sleep at 2am on a regular basis for no reason. 8) There are a lot. Purim party (lots of drinking), Liquid Latex (a show where people only wear liquid latex), the Drag fashion show, Asian Lunar New Year, Pachanga (lots of drinking), Culture X . . . good times. 9) Depends on the person. A lot of people I know party every Friday and Saturday, others don't party at all. 10) Technically, they're not allowed to exist at Brandeis. Thus they are kept on the down-low. 11) Last weekend I said I was going to do work but I didn't do much. I went to Kung Fu and Fencing, played videogames with my friends, drew, read the Tao Te Ching, and modified the programming of a videogame. 12) Sleep or hang out with friends in the dorm. There is nothing to do on a Saturday night that does not involve drinking. 13) I go to BOSTON off campus. What DON'T I do off campus?

There are a lot of events that go on every week. You have to check the on-line calendar and e-mails to know about all of the theatrical performances, guest speakers, dances, etc. They just opened a new late-nite dinner that's open until 3 am Wed. through Sun. On the weekends, people go to on-campus parties with drinking and music. There are unrecognized frats and sororities off-campus that those interested participate in. I'm involved in Student Union government and enjoy helping to oversee clubs and advocating for enhanced quality of life.