THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2002
JAYPLAY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3
Students'partying ways wane with years
By Nathan Dayani
ndayani@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Some time between freshman year and graduation, students reach a point when they no longer feel compelled to party on a daily basis.
For some students, the added responsibilities of seniority and increasingly difficult class schedules often compromise their willingness to party like a rock star.
"Classes get tough," Jennifer Iverson, Prairie Village senior, said. "There's not that impetus to go out Friday and Saturday night and spend your whole weekend hung over."
Iverson said students often started their college careers with a carefree attitude and few significant obligations. Part of the freshman experience is being free from parents for the first time and escaping from the mundane high-school routine, Iverson said.
Lucas Wetzel, Westwood senior, agreed.
"It's definitely fun to be running around, young and free — and intoxicated," Wetzel said.
Wetzel is a former Kansan reporter.
House parties are often the only alternative to partying in the residence halls. But significant differences exist between small and large house parties, Eric Kautzi, Leawood sophomore, said. Kautzi, who lived in a house during his freshman year, said he disliked large parties because they tended to lead to large groups acting irresponsibly.
"It kind of comes with the territory," he said. "I was more comfortable hanging out at my own house, drinking on my couch with my friends," he said.
But Iverson frequented both small and large gatherings during her freshman year. They were an opportunity to meet a variety of KU students, she said.
"Iexposed myself to people with differenit majors and learned a lot from them," she said. "It's always fun to see people in classes
you saw at parties because you get a sense of what they're really like," I verson said.
As students get older and move out of residence halls, they are more prone to partying at more intimate gatherings held at houses and apartments, Amber Huntzinger, Lawrence senior, said. Huntzinger, who lived in a large apartment complex during her sophomore year, said she and her roommates often hosted small gatherings with their neighbors.
Huntzinger is also a former Kansan staff member
"We were too young to go out to the bars," she said. "We did a lot of our partying at our apartment because we knew our neighbors."
Wetzel also said that he began to party at smaller venues as his college career progressed.
"You start to appreciate smaller gatherings and hanging out with people you know," he said.
By the time students are old enough to drink legally at bars, their temptation to
party may be diminishing, Huntzinger said.
"The excitement has kind of worn off a bit," she said. "I do it a lot more for the social aspect of being with my friends rather than just going out to drink."
And with seniority comes responsibility. Iverson said.
"I've gotten a lot more aware of what drinking and being hung over does to your productivity," she said.
Although Wetzel said he no longer attended large parties as he did during his early college days, he was glad to see that the tradition lived on with younger students.
"It's kind of fun squeezing through a kitchen when you're 18 and everyone else is 18," he said.
But now, Wetzel said, he would feel out of place if he attended such a party.
"It would be like I was trying to repeat my wayward youth," he said. "You can't rewrite history."
— Edited by Amanda Sears
'Kansan' clears out 'crap drawer' for belated review
COMMENTARY
Jayplay writers cover a wide variety of topics such as cooking, sex, books and productions at University Theatre, but how do the writers know what to write about? Well, people send us their products to review.
Donovan Atkinson datkinson@kansan.com
The Kansan receives CDs from record labels practically every day. Film studios send packets of information on upcoming feature films or video releases.
By the end of the semester, The University Daily Kansan accumulates CDs, books and movies that were not selected for its weekly reviews. Donovan Atkinson gives last-minute attention to some of the rejects.
Here's a peek at some of the more unusual freebies tossed our way this semester:
Photo illustration by Kyle Ramsey/Kansan
Matchstick Men by Eric Garcia
Garcia, author of such classics as the dinosaur detective novel Anonymous Rex, gives readers a view into the world of grifters. Not just any grifter world, but the grifter-with-issues world. The book itself reads like stage directions for a play, Garcia apparently likes short, choppy sentences.
The Clitoral Truth by Rebecca Chalker
Subtitled The Secret World at Your Fingertips, this book is a guide to all things clitrelated. While Chalker's text is informational, giving a history of the clitoris, the art by Fish is unsettling. Fish's artwork contrasts with the classy cover photo of a woman's torso. The art is rough and dirty, and the word "skanky" comes immediately to mind.
Kansas City, Mo., Holiday Press Kit
The Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City decided to let us know about all the great things to do in Kansas City, Mo., during the holidays. This season, they are using the slogan "Kansas City: A Flavor All Its Own." So of course, a packet of barbecue spices was attached to the press kit folder. I know when I think of Christmas, my thoughts always turn to barbecue.
Worship God by Rebecca St. James
Want to know why most Christian music artists don't make it to the Top 40? Look no further than Rebecca St. James. Her DVD, Worship God, showcases three music videos, eight songs and several special features. On one of the features, St. James takes us behind the scenes of her music video "Reborn." The video features martial arts, an old man with a disappearing egg and a funky techno beat. When's
the tour?
Lizzie West by Lizzie West
West is an inspiration to aspiring song writers: no matter how bad you are, someone will record your album. Written and sung by West, the four songs on the sample CD seem to come straight from the WB. The lyrics seem to tell a story, a story that you missed the beginning of and started listening to halfway through. Somebody
should inform West that singing about burying the family dog in a Christmas song is not a good way to establish an audience.
X by Def Leppard
If you enjoyed Def Leppard in the '80s, then you're in luck. They still sound like an '80s band, as psuedo-ballads abound. Accompanying our copy was another CD, Def Leppard Q & A, where the band relates what contributed to its "success."