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College Fun. By Mackenzie Bearden
“We Can’t Stop” by Miley Cyrus bumped from the speakers of my first temp Bigs’ SUV. I had just joined Alpha Phi and I was ecstatic to be done with hell week, AKA Rush. We were out running some errands getting last minute items for later. This would be the first night of college fun for PC 13, but even more importantly, the first night back for upper classman.
There was an edge of suspense in the air. Much like the heavy anticipation of racehorses restless at the gates, the older girls were all too ready for the events of the evening.
After a ridiculous amount of time and an excess of primping later, we had all transformed from the day’s big t -shirt Nike loving girls to Oklahoman goddesses of the night, ready to take on the unknown realm of college parties. When we were finally satisfied with the superfluous amount of pictures exiting the house, we made our way to the first stop.
Within a matter of minutes, a red sea of tilted plastic cup bottoms bounced in the air; followed by a cacophonous symphony of sporadic laughter and unintelligible conversation. In light of the ambiguity of the new atmosphere and people I was with, I thought it best to be more of a spectator rather than a participant in these festivities.
After the girls had their fill (for the moment at least), we made our way to the first Fraternity. Upon entering I was greeted by the ruddy faces of young men dressed in their Sunday best. As we walked through the fluorescent lighted halls, music vibrated through closed doors that one could only speculate what prospered behind. My empty hands seemed to stick out like a sore thumb, and after a continuous flow of beverages were offered, I finally accepted one to hold in an effort to blend in.
Just as I was starting to adjust to my environment, my temp big looked at me and asked if I wanted to go to her favorite frat house instead. So we said our goodbyes and made our way out onto the dark street. As we began the stroll, honks and hollers were provided by the passing cars that didn’t seem to frighten my big, so I tried to ignore them.
After walking for about 45 minutes, I saw a sign in the distance that read, “Walgreens”. At this point I understood that my big probably didn’t have an ideal sense of direction like I originally assumed. Right as I was about to confront her orientation, I saw her make her way up the steps of a near-by house. I was no expert on the Greek world just yet, but this little white house with bunnies and gnomes for yard decorations struck me as a suspicious looking fraternity.
Upon entering the home I was hit with the smell of oatmeal and old spice. Looking to my left there was a wheelchair and to my right I saw an oxygen tank. My stomach sank a little and before I had time to fully understand the situation the soft cautious voice of a woman from behind asked if we were in the wrong house. As my big made herself at home in one of the recliners, I grabbed her arm and quickly escaped the embarrassing situation spewing frantic apologies on my way out the back door. Trying to make our way through the rubble of the side yard, I brilliantly slipped and fell on to a rusty fence cutting a 3 inch gash in my side.
Using the GPS on my phone and the help of some designated drivers scouting the neighborhood, we finally made it back to Alpha Phi. Relief consumed by body as I fell into a chair in the dining room and layed my head on the table.
However this moment was short lived as I heard the unpleasant sound of a gag reflex from across the room. A nearly comatose girl was draped over one of the trash cans as her body tried to reject the substance that invaded her unexperienced liver. My big sister tendencies kicked in and I found myself by her side for the remainder of the night. . Looking around the house, I saw that she was not a rare sight as older girls frantically came to aid the Littleswho took on much more than their bodies were prepared to handle. Other than concern, I felt an overwhelming flood of disappointment for my sisters, and all of the other girls on campus for that matter who had put themselves in this dangerous state.
FINALLY, I crawled up to one of the rooms that wasn’t decorated in the girls’ dinner and attempted a few hours of sleep. As I reflected on the crazy events of the night I began laughing, after all how else should one respond to the ridiculousness that had occurred?
So I guess if there is anything to take from this adventure I endured is that it is very important to be aware of yourself and your surroundings. Just because you lose control after too many drinks doesn’t mean you won’t have to suffer the consequences of your actions once you sober up. Also, be aware that the people you go out with may genuinely care about you but they are not entitled to be your personal babysitter. So don’t ever go into situations that you know you can get out of on your own. Whether that be drinking too much and worrying about alcohol poisoning, or being alone with someone who may not have honorable intentions, watch out for yourself; because if you don’t there’s no promise someone else will.
