Just one year ago, I remember eagerly anticipating Green Key weekend after hearing it described by many upperclassmen as the "most epic weekend of the year." Unfortunately, my actual experience taught me that the only difference between Green Key and any other weekend is the magnitude of people who go out, as well as the increased motivation to consume as much alcohol as possible. I'm sorry to disappoint the hopes and dreams of '13s who thought there would be glittery Keystone cans and rainbow-colored pong tables, but Green Key is exactly what you've seen before the same basements, the same people and the same alcohol.
In fact, it was around this time last year that I started getting bored with the fraternity scene. While I had always enjoyed going out with my friends and dancing, by Green Key things had changed. It seemed that my nights with my friends were becoming increasingly centered around the actions of other people specifically, guys.
Up until that point I hadn't really thought about why people went out to fraternities. Maybe I was just in an analytical mindset after cramming for a midterm that day, but I remember standing at the doorway of a fraternity and having a grand epiphany that the primary motivation for many who go out is to have some sort of "random interaction" (you can define this interaction however you want). I'd wager a guess that this is even more true on Green Key, as the amount of random hook-ups probably rises with increased alcohol consumption.
At first, the Dartmouth hook-up culture didn't really bother me, but by Green Key I had become disillusioned by it. While I suppose I can understand the initial excitement of hooking up, people typically express a wide variety of feelings some positive, but more often negative after such interactions. I've found that people are usually either overcome with feelings of sorrow because an encounter didn't turn into a relationship, or they feel regret that the person of interest wasn't as attractive or engaging as they had originally believed.
But instead of learning from the aftermath of these experiences, many instead opt to get drunk as soon as possible in search of another random hook-up to distract them from their prior disappointments. Thus they enter into a never-ending cycle, where many thrive on these meaningless interactions to pass the time instead of searching for honest and clearly-defined relationships.
Most people who don't know me are surprised when I tell them I don't participate in the hook-up culture, as it seems to be expected since I am involved in the Greek scene.
People usually then tell me that I'm idealistic when I explain that I'm waiting to find a nice guy with whom I can watch romantic comedies, hold hands on the Green, be cute, have nicknames for each other, eventually get married on Third Floor Berry and possibly name our golden retriever "Novack."
But I think when it comes down to it, people of both genders want the same things I do (minus the third floor Berry wedding that's kind of weird).
While of course there are some people who are only looking for no-strings-attached encounters, what I've found is the majority of people are just too impatient to wait for someone with whom they are compatible. Or people think everyone randomly hooks up, so they should too. But meaningless interactions will only go so far. Even though Ke$ha says, "the rush is worth the price I pay," I would have to disagree.
In the end, I don't think it's worth all the hurt feelings, drunken confusion and dramatic conversations. Wouldn't you be better off just waiting for someone you actually like in a sober context?
Maybe I'm just old school, but I'd rather wait.
