Hampshire College Top Questions

People at Hampshire are typically very friendly and most students leave their doors open and are always open to a conversation or an adventure. It's very easy to get involved and meet people either through living with them, through classes, or through the tons of clubs you can join. In terms of having fun and partying, week days are pretty tame, though the smell of pot is pretty much always prevalent throughout the dorm halls. The weekend starts on Thursday, the low-key part of the weekend, and it usually involves drinking or smoking pot with small groups of friends in dorms (the doors DO get closed at this point, unless you want to get caught by an intern). Fridays and Saturdays are more high energy- there's always parties in the mods, and always at least one crazy-themed dance party. Of course, all the partying requires some relaxation- weekend brunch at the dining hall is always full of unkempt, tired-looking students who are nursing hangovers with tatertots and water. In terms of large-scale events, we have about three major traditions that happen every year. First is Hampshire Halloween- a huge halloween party with the slogan "trip or treat" that's full of dance parties, fireworks, and crazy costumes- it's the biggest and best party of the year. Next is Easter Keg Hunt which is pretty self explanatory. Kegs are hidden by upperclassmen throughout the woods on campus and people wake up incredibly early to go find the kegs- most people are trashed by noon. Last is Spring Jam, a fun outdoors event that's full of moon bounces, carnival food, and great, live music. It's a nice, relaxed time to hang out with friends and chill out before spring finals start to get too heavy. As for other events, athletics aren't really a big thing- our basketball and frisbee teams get small audiences during games, and we don't have greek life. There are plenty of other clubs and music groups on campus that get a lot of attention, though. Campus can get a little small sometimes, and there are plenty of things to do off campus- there's plenty of restaurants, shops, cinemas, and venues within a 15 minute radius, and tons of great places to explore on weekends in the surrounding towns. The PVTA bus (which is totally free!) takes you anywhere from Amherst center to Northampton, and if you can find a car, there's plenty to explore in the surrounding towns- from the butterfly conservatory in Deerfield to the Bookmill in Montague.

I hate to continue in such a negative vein, because Hampshire College really is awesome, and if you find the right people you can live it up pretty unfettered, but community and student life really are not our strong suites. There are a fair number of student organizations, and it isn't hard to start one. Most of them are political, some are special-interest (like manga clubs, anime clubs, japanese illustration clubs...) others are academic (like the right proud Hampshire Animal Behavior Group) and these permit upper classmen to help lower classmen arrange their programs, or keep posted on events, internship opportunities and the like. You can learn a lot from other students...provided you find the right ones. Students are generally pretty trusting, a byproduct either of our college's small size or its "hippie" nature. Doors are left open and most people are approachable. There are virtually no activities, with the exception of Hampshire Halloween (which is sick-nasty, and you should go even if you don't wind up at Hampshire), which encourage the student body to congregate in full. The party scene at the school is weak at best, and essentially a lot of New England Prudes Turned Hippies dancing in small circles by themselves, never touching a member of the opposite sex. This dismal report is not universally the case, however. Some parties are legitimately awesome. Again, it's a matter of finding people you like. Off-Campus events are a better bet. Whether it's a concert in Northampton or an Amherst event, you may be able to find your fragment of the five college community in their natural environment.

Frizbee and circus tend to be the most popular activities. Circus is great. It's mostly a bunch of nice sub free kids who like to juggle and hang upside down. There are no frats etc on campus, but there are still parties. Housing at Hampshire is set up so that half the students live in dorms and the other half live in on campus apartments called Mods. The parties tend to be in the mods. Personally, i dont like to party, but i never have a hard time finding stuff to do. There is always something going on at one of the colleges. College clubs are usually open to students from all colleges, so if there is a club that you want to participate in, and Hampshire dosn't have it, one of the other colleges probably does.

There are no frats or sororities, which is wonderful. People do leave their dorms open, for better or for worse. There is little athletics at Hampshire, let alone athletic events. The dating scene is normal, people find people and that's that. I met my closest friends sharing a cigarette with them. If I'm awake late during the week (ie: 4am), which I usually am, I'm doing anything from work to talking to smoking to painting. On Saturday night without drinking you can go out to eat at the local towns (Northampton, Amherst, Hadley, etc), you can go to concerts, which there are a lot of, or you can just hang around with friends and stay sober. There are also a lot of parties in peoples' dorms and mods (on campus apartments), which are sometimes busted by Public Safety but whatever.

Any group you want to exist, you can work to start it. Theres everything from bellydancing, and live action roleplaying, to any social justice issue you can imagine. Sports is practically non-existant (soccer, basketball, and frisbee are the only teams I've heard of), but there are a lot of political speakers, and theatrical performances. Theres always something to do or someone to hang out with. I've gone for walks at 4 AM on a weeknight and have found kids hanging out. The towns nearby generally close down pretty early, with the exception of some pizza shops, and so many complain that there is nothing to do.

Political groups are very popular at Hampshire. Some groups: Students for a Free Tibet, Students for Justice in Palestine, Civil Liberties and Public Policy (mostly focused on reproductive freedom), a chapter of Amnesty International, Building Awareness Across Bars (focused on civil liberties of those incarcerated), the Feminist United Collective, and the Union of Progressive Zionists. We also have the less intellectually intense groups: Hampshire College Climber's Coalition, the Connoisseurs Club (meet and eat fabulous things), Hampshire College Red Scare (communist frisbee team), Spinsters Unite (spinning/yarn club), and The Society for the Creative Realization of a Weirder You (SCREWY...who knows...). There are no frats or sororities, but parties happen all the same. I would say there is probably a good dance party once a month, and people host everything from soirées to beruit tournaments. There are a lot of drugs, a lot of drinking...but these things can be avoided if you so choose. Also, there is a lot of sex.

People do a lot of drugs here, but there are also many fun events that happen on campus and at nearby campuses. You will not have trouble finding fun things to do at Hampshire, whether you do drugs or not: and I speak from experience, since I am one of the few drug-free Hampsters.

There are a lot of traditional events that happen at Hampshire like Hampshire Halloween, Keg hunt, Drag ball, etc. These type of events are popular and people from the five colleges like to come to Hampshire for these. It is most convienient at Hampshire to hang out with people that you live near. I met my closest friends by living with them. I was placed with them randomly since I came in as a transfer student. Students in the dorms usually are very open, people in the same halls are all close friends, generally speaking. People who live together in the mods are also usually close. There are sub-free living areas on campus and there are students who are committed to being substance free. They have their own events and parties. There are no fraternities/sororities. There is drinking and parties with drinking. The biggest and best parties are usually on Friday nights.

In terms of legal activities: If you can't find it at Hampshire, you can at another of the five colleges. In terms of illegal activities: You can find it at Hampshire. Also at another one of the five colleges. Hampshire has late quiet hours which are not always enforced. The campus is pretty laid back, though. Most people are trusting, although I've known a few to get computers stolen while in the shower. The bathrooms are co-ed, but this is fine. There are some loud halls/mods, some quiet. It really depends. Traditions (Hampshire loves to make them): Hampshire Halloween: this Halloween bash once made the top-ten for Rolling Stone's best parties of the country. Now excessive spending and administrative interference makes dropping acid and floating on top of costumed people less "totally rad." Mustachio Bashio: Hosted by the Greenhouse mod, this is a large mustache-only party. Most people grow or buy their most extravagant facial hair. It's amusing to see men's faces change on Friday night before the big event. Easter Keg-Hunt: Name says it all. Get out there early; it'll be gone by noon. Drag Ball: Held in the dining commons. Last year, the president and his partner came decked out in drag. X is a popular drug choice at this event. If you want any type of drug in large proportions, Hampshire is the place to go. Especially noted for psychedelics. The drug scene, though, is relatively easy to avoid, although not to ignore.

The farm is probably one of the best parts of Hampshire. Not only is everyone who works at the farm fantastic, but the animals (cows, sheep, pigs, chickens) are so much fun to work with. Fall is filled with harvesting, and spring is busy with maple syrup and lots of babies! Even if you're not willing to get up in time for chores, you'd be missing out of you don't go visit.