Colby College Top Questions

Most traditions at Colby are centered around drinking. Doghead- The Saturday before St. Patricks Day, everyone wakes up at 3a.m. and commences the inebriation. Everyone then goes to breakfast at 8 or 9 and then later to an off campus party, unless they've passed out before that. Loudness- The beginnings and ends of each semester are marked by a weekend of decadence and debauchery. Loudness consists of concerts, parties, and an excessive amount of drinking. While drinking seems to be a part of the Colby Culture, many people don't drink and are completely respected for it. There's no pressure. On the other hand, it can prove tricky to find things constructive to do on weekend nights. The outing club (again, cult) and the outdoors organizations provide a great outlet to the majority of kids on campus. Most people have memberships. There are also many other organizations that really bring great events to campus. Even those who organizations who aren't sponsored by the school (e.g. my lit magazine, The Extra Medium) are respected or at least not discouraged.

Doghead Schedule (saturday before St Patty's Day)- Wake up at 3 am Drink Watch the sun rise on the steps Drink Drunk breakfast at Dana Drink Pass Out Drink Optional: Swallow a goldfish

Outing Club is the biggest. With most groups you can be as involved (or not) as you want. I do costuming for theater productions and have made friends with a lot of people I probably wouldn't have hung out with otherwise.

I think the drama and music scenes are two of the best things about Colby. The Theater and Dance Department puts on a few big shows every year, but the Powder and Wig drama club, which is open to anyone who auditions, also does a lot. Those productions are smaller, but they're still pretty damn fun. Or intense. Often both. In the past few years they've done And Then There Were None, Around the World in 80 Days, Alice in Wonderland, and Proof, among others. The student band scene is growing, and our six a cappella groups perform for everything from cider socials downtown to humanitarian benefit concerts, apart from their invitationals and semester shows. We recently had a Battle of the Bands at the local opera house, which featured acts from Colby and from Waterville, the surrounding town. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday morning, I might be doing homework or I might be in the office of the Echo, our student newspaper. If I AM doing homework, it's still because I spent a long night in the Echo office. The Echo is something I've gotten progressively more involved with over the years, and I love it. My freshman year I think I wrote five articles. My sophomore year I wrote an opinions piece almost every week and did a lot of concert reviews in the spring. Now I don't write opinions columns that often but I'm one of two copy editors who goes over the whole paper before we send it in for publishing, and I've also been writing more in the arts & entertainment section. Everyone I know seems busier than they ever have been plus people went abroad so social dynamics in the groups I used to hang out with are kinda different, so knowing that I'll see the Echo staff every Tuesday night is nice.

the most popular group on campus is sga i believe, since it encompasses such a large group of people (and is accompanied with the perk of a better housing draw). the a cappella groups on campus are also very popular. i am in a co-ed, student run a cappella group. the athletic events are pretty popular depending on the day and how hung over everyone is. the dating scene is a bit non-existent. hook-ups are far more frequent, and they are usually due to drunken debauchery.

a cappella is pretty popular, as are cause-based groups i'm in the sirens, an all female a cappella group dorm friendly-ness kind of depends on the dorm. goho is great!!!!! events are generally fairly popular (especially since there isn't much to do in town...) truly, i can't even remember how i met them. it just worked! the most important thing is not to feel OBLIGATED freshman year to meet your "best friend forevah". it won't happen, most likely. this is a small school, but there are some pretty different people. it's important to remember that no matter where you go, it takes more than a few weeks to find your place. i know i'm still working on that. homework doghead (messy drinking near patty's day) loudness (craziness at teh beginning and end of each semester) janplan (can be whatever you make it!) fall ball (dance. it was awesome this year!!) lots more depends on who you hang out with. for me, generally once or twice on the weekend. i know some people who drink almost every night. I know some people who don't drink at all. not at all THANK GOD!! this school would suck if there were frats i was sick... meh. but i went to portland and it was beautiful!! hang out in pulver playing some pool, attend an event, play some video games, have tea, watch a movie with your friends. there's lots of options, you just have to surround yourself with some like-minded people not much... jorgensen's coffee is good tho. portland and freeport are sweet

-most popular groups: sports teams, iplay (intramural sports), a cappella groups< CCAK (colby cares about kids) -powder & wig. it's the only student-run theater group on campus, and its a lot of your typical thespians (even though i don't consider myself one) -some people leave their doors open, it's not uncommon. -some athletic events (like hockey) are fairly popular, especially if they're against bates or bowdoin. however a lot of our sports teams aren't that good, so not a lot of people go. -dating scene: it's so hard to date here. either you're just hooking up, or you're in a serious relationship. i have a boyfriend from another school and it works out much better than when i was single here. -i met all of my closest friends as a freshman on COOT (colby outdoor orientation trips) -if i'm awake at 2am on a tuesday, i'm either studying/writing a paper or just hanging out in my room procrastinating. -doghead, senior steps, loudness (4 times a year), johnson pond regatta -people party a lot, always on the weekends (including thursday), and sometimes more. yet there are never huge parties, usually just people hanging out in a dorm room. -last weekend i went off campus to a house party one night and stayed on campus and went to my friend's birthday party the next. -non-drinking activities: SPB (student programming board) usually has events going on such as concerts, dances, games, etc. that don't involve drinking. also there are usually guest speakers or student performances (a cappella, orchestra, choir, etc.) -the only things i ever do off-campus are go out to eat, shop, or the occasional house party.

I think the most popular group at Colby is the outing club. I am involved in Student Government and I love it. Yes, students leave their doors open often. Athletics are very popular at Colby,but speakers and theater productions are less popular. There are many couples on Colby's campus, but there are also many people in the Colby grey area where people may be hooking up but not officially boyfriend and girlfriend. My closest friends are on Student Government with me and also my roommate that Colby matched me with my freshman year. If I am awake at 2am on Tuesday, I am doing homework. Doghead happens each year. We have a lot of dorm room parties with drinking games. People usually party two to three times a week. Fraternities and sororities are not allowed at Colby. Last weekend I drank both nights and had a great time. On a Saturday night, you can go to a movie. I row off campus.

I am involved in Colby Women's Rugby, a club sport, primarily run by the student officers of the club. I am president so I work with other faculty and staff members to schedule practice time, and get everything paid for and such. We have a coach that comes to some of our practices and our games, but the students are the ones who really run the organization. Students often leave their doors open. you can just walk down the hall and pop you head into your neighbors room to say hi.. its a great procrastination method. but also its really nice especially at the beginning of the year because you really get to know the people you are living with. athletic events are pretty well attended, especially if it is a beautiful fall day because everyone loves to get outside and walk around the beautiful campus. And as i said before, the hockey games are pretty great-especially against bowdoin. we get some really great guest speakers that are very well attended, people here really do have an interest in things in the world, so they get out and learn more about them. I lived in the same dorm freshmen year as a lot of my current closest friends. then i have lots of friends through rugby, i-play, and other friends. it is super easy to meet people at colby so making friends isn't a problem. If your up at 2am on a tuesday, you are probably doing work, but if its a wednesday it may be a different story. traditions- Doghead people party frequently. the weekends can usually be expected to bring some fun and a break from the academic week, but if you have a light week of work, no one is really opposed to a little mid-week drinking. no frats/sororities last weekend i went skiing on a saturday night when you arent drinking, the student planning board (spb) usually has an event planned. Last weekend there was a really cool psychic who came, a couple weekends ago the regurgiator came, and he is really cool, swallowed a gold fish and brought him back up still alive, solved a rubix cube in his stomach! there are casino nights, bingo, or you can just have a quiet night in with some friends. there are always other options. this weekend we have mr colby, a campus wide competition to determine who is mr. colby. there are some pretty fun things to do. off campus mostly i go skiing, i cant speak for everyone else on this account.

People usually party on Friday and Saturday nights, but on Sunday they study. There are the few including me that study on weekends in the library and don't go out to party. No fraternities/sororities on campus. On a Saturday night I usually let myself have some time off from studying and watch a movie, play cranium, watch a play or attend a campus wide event such as a dance.