UF is one of the top-rated party schools in the U.S.
Partying is our forte, as we are known for being the sports-crazed, fun-in-the-sun university with the hottest student population. On almost any night, Midtown and downtown are filled with guys and girls walking around in search of a fun time.
I never partied in high school, but I was certainly not a sore thumb. When I began to make more friends at UF, my Facebook newsfeed became cluttered with photos of bars, clubs and house parties. My friends endlessly talked about the scandalous and unexpected things they did or saw the night before — things that would never happen in broad daylight.
There was an element of mystery to what happened. How could the street across from Library West, with Mochi, Chipotle and Leonardo’s Pizza by the Slice, turn so chaotic at night?
As a student at this party institution, I decided to give the party scene a chance. And so my search for the true UF college experience began.
My freshman year, I made plans to go to a club in Midtown with several friends. They were excited and enthusiastic to show me what I was missing. We enjoyed getting dressed up. In the end, I wore an outfit that was comfortable and casual, yet did not give the idea that I walked there straight from class.
The club was very popular but very unsanitary. The bathroom was disgusting, and the place smelled like beer and smoke. It was dark, but I preferred the lights off for fear of what I would see.
To recount my first clubbing experience, I was confused. I failed to see what everyone loved so much about the place. It was cramped and crowded. People were either huddled by the bar or on the dance floor, reenacting the same movements beat after beat. With a lack of alcohol in my body, I stood there, bobbed my head and smiled at my friends as they searched to find a look of satisfaction on my face.
I felt awkward and out of place. I felt alone in a crowded room. I couldn’t talk to my friends, and they couldn’t talk to me.
Shouting and repeating, “Hey, how are you?” then nodding to an ambiguous response wasn’t socializing to me; it was isolation.
“This is it?” I thought. “This is what everyone does every week. What’s fun about this?”
As I looked around with my plastered smile, I began to wonder: “Are people enjoying this? Is this a good time? Does anyone else have an 8:30 a.m. class tomorrow?”
Partying isn’t for everyone, but there aren’t many other outlets for entertainment in Gainesville. For anyone with some free time and an ounce of curiosity, the party scene is the obvious option. My experience gave me less than I expected, but I am envious of those who look forward to such nights and find stress relief and excitement from it.
I suspect there are others who, like me, prefer catching up with friends instead of a loud party, but this may be the only time in our lives that this is acceptable.
Partying is the American college tradition. The party scene is a potent mix of longing for acceptance, youth and alcohol. Behaviors that are unacceptable elsewhere are allowed and expected. It’s a safe place for those who choose to express themselves in a different way.
Maybe clubbing is an acquired taste, and it may take some people longer to get the hang of it. Maybe some of us actually have fun, like those from my Facebook newsfeed, and the rest keep trying, in search of a good time.
If you’re certain this isn’t your scene, worry not.
College will be over soon, and we’ll be out of Gainesville before we know it.
Raksheen Ayaz is an advertising and business junior at UF. Her column runs on Thursdays. You can contact her via opinions@alligator.org.
