Hi, I am a senior currently applying to college and I happened upon this organization, “The Alternative”. It seems they are only at Princeton and are found at thealternative.princeton.edu. I was wondering if any other organizations at other colleges followed a similar goal, hosting events that promote an ideal of anti-hookup/party culture in favor of more meaningful social interaction.
Thanks for your help!
I’m part of [Union Programming Board at the University of Oklahoma](Union Programming Board) which regularly hosts a variety of weekend events that are sober. It doesn’t rail against the idea of hookups or parties but simply offers a sober weekend alternative.
By the way, I’ve managed to find boyfriends in college, despite not having an organization devoted to it. It’s rather easy. Simply be a likable person, ask someone you have a crush on on a date, and see how it progresses. IMO the idea of a hookup culture that destroys real relationships is way overblown.
Brown has a thing called Free Food Fridays which are supposed to be places to eat food and play games instead of going out, but all the kids who are pregaming just come and take the food and leave. So it hasn’t been working very well. One suggestion would be to look into substance-free housing wherever you end up. You might find that your RAs plan events as alternatives to going out.
University of Richmond has Spidernights, formally CA Alternatives, which hosts substance free events almost every weekend. Events include board game nights, open mic nights, carnival nights, etc.
We also have substance free housing communities available.