Former Wake student takes girl out for lunch (and Houston is pissed)

[PhDeac]

Honestly, I think it has almost nothing to do with drinking culture and everything to do with the difference in drinking age. In almost any college course in the US there are going to be underage kids, so in that situation the prof is providing alcohol to underage students which is illegal and the liability surrounding that for the prof and the school is too great. My mom said when she was in college in the 70s they used to drink with professors all the time. My sister also went to a small hippie school and she often drank with profs as well.

Right. Then you get into a position where you're picking or choosing students potentially giving some preference over others.

The basic issue is having opportunities for students and professors to hang out informally outside of class. I had a good experience this week with this. I gave students extra credit to attend a College town hall meeting aimed at faculty and staff to give them a behind the scenes perspective at some of the debates going on around campus. About a third of my students in a 35 student seminar showed up. I sat with 4 of them and talked to the others on the way to class. It was nice. Unfortunately, these types of experiences aren't necessarily encouraged socially.

I'm curious if the professor from the UK mentioned earlier was talking about her undergraduate or graduate student experiences. They're completely different here.

 

[RacerDeac]

I don't disagree with anything you said, except the possible assertion that you may or may not have been making about english drinking culture. English people, culture, has one of the biggest binge drinking problems anywhere. Obviously there are people who don't, but in my experience British college students are worse than American college students. The only difference may be that since the drinking age is lower, British students can casually and openly drink during the day (but still get blacked out at night) whereas most American college students can't do that so they only drink behind closed doors and get fudged up.

Could have been a difference between the small school where my wife attended and the "norm". Keep in mind, we're also talking 12-14 years ago.

All of that said, I have some Brit friends in their mid 30's who manage to party harder now than anyone I ever met while at Wake. I can only survive 1-2 nights after work with them when they come visit the States while they go for 6-7 nights/days straight. If they are the norm, then I have no doubt the college kids are worse.

 

[wakephan09]

I was certainly thinking about drinking age when I was talking about 'drinking culture', and I certainly agree that it plays a significant role in this discussion.

As for binge drinking amongst college kids being worse in England, I wholeheartedly disagree. They have almost no notion of 'pre-gaming' as we know it, and there is absolutely no culture of drinking games. Their social drinking (and that of british people in general) is primarily done in the pub or bar or club (for the younger set). While alcoholism, as a disease, may be more prevalent, the lower drinking age means that fifteen year old kids grow up having pints 'in public', and the stigma surrounding underage drinking is minimal. The university social culture is extremely different too because there are often no residency requirements and obviously no Greek scene. Much of the undergraduate drinking is associated with sport and course rather than house parties or halls.

Most british kids think red solo cups exist only in hollywood movies.

 

[RacerDeac]

wakephan - Your post is way more similar to my understanding as well. While Brit kids drink plenty, the culture under which they do it is nothing like the 24 pack of Natty Lite culture at Wake.

 

[Baconwfu]

I was certainly thinking about drinking age when I was talking about 'drinking culture', and I certainly agree that it plays a significant role in this discussion.

As for binge drinking amongst college kids being worse in England, I wholeheartedly disagree. They have almost no notion of 'pre-gaming' as we know it, and there is absolutely no culture of drinking games. Their social drinking (and that of british people in general) is primarily done in the pub or bar or club (for the younger set). While alcoholism, as a disease, may be more prevalent, the lower drinking age means that fifteen year old kids grow up having pints 'in public', and the stigma surrounding underage drinking is minimal. The university social culture is extremely different too because there are often no residency requirements and obviously no Greek scene. Much of the undergraduate drinking is associated with sport and course rather than house parties or halls.

Most british kids think red solo cups exist only in hollywood movies.

You and I had vastly different experiences with British kids then. I was over there for a few months in 2005 and it was constantly on the news about how much of a problem binge drinking was and how getting blacked out and wandering around towns was normal. I saw it, I mean i wasn't above getting trashed too, but it wasn't uncommon to see people peeing in the streets (center city london) and idiots stumbling all over the place, which in my experience (granted wake isn't exactly an urban setting so most of the "stumbling home" was done in cabs instead of on foot) is unusual
I'll agree that most of what they do is done in a pub or bar, but that doesn't really change anything....American students can party in houses and have red solo cups because there are big cheap houses (relative to the UK) in the US around urban or semi urban areas with yards and whatnot, that's uncommon in the UK.
In my travels most foreigners lament british tourists the most because they are the most drunk and rowdy (not that americans aren't).
I mean yeah they have no drinking games and they don't "pre game" per se, but that's because they don't have to because the drinking age is lower. They may casually drink during the day, but they in my experience (which is backed up by what I hear on the news and others) binge drinking is as much if not more of a problem as in the US.


...but then again, who cares

 

[wakephan09]

It seems that our experiences are different. Were you in London? There are plenty of 'suburban' campuses with cheap, spacious student housing perfect for house parties (Kent, Leeds, Exeter, to name a few Universities).

Even at the urban universities, students living out of halls have the space and motivation to organize house parties, and they often choose to do otherwise.

I do agree that, in general, the issue of 'space' - whether we are talking about yards or basements or whatever sort of party space - is far more limited.

 

[Deac2010]

Just because he's a Wake Forest dude and you knew of him does not make it not weird. He should have definitely not done it.

 

[RubbinsRacin]

tl dr this thread but he was just tryin to get some butt right?

 

[cookoutdeac]

The way I'm reading this was he took her (do we even know it's a her?) through a drive-through or something and got her a burger. They went back and ate with all the other students.

 

[tigerswood]

I was certainly thinking about drinking age when I was talking about 'drinking culture', and I certainly agree that it plays a significant role in this discussion.

As for binge drinking amongst college kids being worse in England, I wholeheartedly disagree. They have almost no notion of 'pre-gaming' as we know it, and there is absolutely no culture of drinking games. Their social drinking (and that of british people in general) is primarily done in the pub or bar or club (for the younger set). While alcoholism, as a disease, may be more prevalent, the lower drinking age means that fifteen year old kids grow up having pints 'in public', and the stigma surrounding underage drinking is minimal. The university social culture is extremely different too because there are often no residency requirements and obviously no Greek scene. Much of the undergraduate drinking is associated with sport and course rather than house parties or halls.

Most british kids think red solo cups exist only in hollywood movies.

Wrong. Only in Toby Keith songs.

 

[Houston]

I am Houston, and

I AM PISSED!

 

[Milhouse]

what a dumbass

 

[MBDeac08]

The way I'm reading this was he took her (do we even know it's a her?) through a drive-through or something and got her a burger. They went back and ate with all the other students.

That is the way I read it. He just didn't ask for permission and get it cleared with admin/parents.

 

[dartsndeacs]

The way I'm reading this was he took her (do we even know it's a her?) through a drive-through or something and got her a burger. They went back and ate with all the other students.

Babysteps. You don't ask for anal right after getting the digits.

 

[mmedeac]

Not only should he not have taken her off campus without discussing it with parents and admins, she should never have been in his car with him. Liability all over this. Years ago it was normal for a teacher to take a student home that had missed the bus or stayed after school for extra work or activities. Huge no-no today! A no-brainer.

 

[Dented]

I just hate this. I know exactly why this is a good rule, but I hate that it's a good rule. What's incredible is that this rule has even worked its way up to American upper education, to where undergraduate professors are wary of spending time with their students outside of class. It's deleterious to the entire academic experience, imo.

My anecdotal evidence: I had an English teacher at Wake who got her degrees from schools in the UK/Harvard. She said that at University College of London and Oxford, professors would regularly booze it up with their students. When she came to America as a young professor, she was really disappointed that this was not only a nonexistent activity but that it was frowned upon.

I drink with my MBA school professors pretty regularly. I only ever drank with one professor while I was at wake undergrad though. I think the fact that every student in an MBA program is over 21 helps.