Hey guys and gals! :)
Yea, weird title (and it’s not a Michael Jackson song!! gasp). And it’s in no way meant to judge anyone. Many students love drinking and that’s cool–to each his own! But I wanted to address something that I often get asked by prospective students who don’t intend to drink in college. Like:
“What is there to do for fun off campus besides party? Or drink? Or drink while partying?”
“Do non-drinkers feel pressured to drink? Do they ever feel excluded from the social life because they don’t drink?”
And the answers are, there are plenty of things to do and no there is no pressure to drink or any feelings of exclusion (unless you put yourself in those situations). Good news right? It basically boils down to the notion that your college life is what you make of it. If you are not interested in drinking, then don’t! Whether you’re somewhere with alcohol or not, it’s up to you to make the choice to drink or not to drink. I’ve been places with alcohol and have had no problem with feeling pressured to drink. But, if parties aren’t your cup of tea either way, there are things you can easily occupy yourself with on the weekends. It seems like EVERYONE in college drinks, but that’s because the college schema always includes drinking and wild partying. This is reinforced in movies, music, television, radio, Internet, etc. The truth is that there are plenty of people like myself who choose to not drink for whatever reasons (faith/religion, health, social beliefs…) and we always, ALWAYS, find something to do.
friendssss
I just wanted to do a blog that addressed this issue because many students fear they can’t have fun unless they drink…and that’s simply not true. And your non-drinking fun isn’t limited to the mall, the movies, or to restaurants ( I used to hate when that was all I got told there was to do for fun here…not true either!) This list is by NO means exhaustive, but it has some interesting off campus things that are easily accessible to JHU students and I hope they seem cool to you!
- Interested in leftist things? Check out “Red Emma’s,” a coffee shop/bookstore with a focus on radical politics and culture. Red Emma’s is a short JHMI shuttle ride away from campus, near Peabody. We went there for film class over Intersession and it was cool…you’ll find books and newspapers that you probably wouldn’t find elsewhere. If you have a really intellectual group of friends who like arguing about such things (c’mon…we all have those kinds of buddies ;) ) then Red Emma’s may be a cool place to visit and hold a discussion among yourselves or even with the workers there.
small shop but pretty cool
- Take a walk on Saturday morning to the Waverly Farmer’s Market and support local growers by purchasing their fruits and veggies and meats…there are also a ton of pastry/drink stands, and people sell their homemade crafts and skin and hair products. It’s a good way to get off campus and to get some fresh air. If you keep going past the Farmer’s Market, you’ll run into a lot of stores, including a Goodwill in which I love shopping. If you need your McDonald’s fix and the fact that there is no fast food but Subway around campus drives you nuts :) then there’s one a little past the Goodwill. Don’t judge me! I’m not a glutton. :)
- Visit Peabody! It has many concerts during the week and on weekends, and students with IDs get discounts. If you’re into classical music, symphonies, wind ensembles…there is plenty to see and hear at Peabody. It’s an excuse to dress up nicely for a classy event. Many concerts are on the campus and some are downtown. Peabody Calendar It’s a short JHMI ride away!
- Take the Charm City Circulator to the Inner Harbor any time of the day. Like after class or in the morning or some other weird time of day. You can eat and go shopping, or just walk around, and I actually think it’s a cool thing to do alone! To give yourself some “you” time. Weird? maybe, but I like it. :p
- Be nerdy and visit some museums! The Baltimore Museum of Art is free and is right on/near the edge of campus. The Walter’s Art Museum is near Peabody can be reached via Charm City Circulator or the JHMI shuttle. The American Visionary Arts Museum is just outside of the Inner Harbor in Federal Hill (a beautiful neighborhood, you should take a day to explore it by foot) and is America’s largest museum for “self-taught” artistry. The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and culture is right across the street from the Inner Harbor and is the biggest museum of African American history on the east coast. How about the National Museum of Dentistry? Cool right? ;)
visionary art museum
- Visit other colleges…Towson University, Goucher College, Loyola University, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Morgan State University…these are all schools close to Hopkins that often have shows and speakers and other events that you may be interested in. MICA is an artsy school with a tonnnn of exhibitions that are worth checking out!
- Have a gathering of friends with a theme…like that sounds really nerdy but it’s actually cool. For instance, this Friday, members of my Christian fellowship are having an honest discussion about sex and sexuality in an intimate setting with food and games afterward. I’m looking forward to it!
- I actually want to try this…you can go biking on the Gwynns Falls Trails which is a 15 mile greenway and part of it is near the Inner Harbor. Check out the website and you’ll see it’s much more than just biking on grassy trails.
The vast majority of my closest friends don’t drink either, so we find plenty of things to do and places to visit on the weekends that don’t involve alcohol. I know that’s the first thing that comes to mind when people think of college and college life, but quite honestly, if you’re not into it, it’s fine. I haven’t had any less of a social experience here because of my decision to not drink and I’m certainly not boring! ;)
For those of you who care, I hope this blog helped if you were worried about this issue, and feel free to ask questions!
Hasta Luego,
Dominique
Dominique, Great blog!! I had been meaning to (before I turned 21) and I’m so glad that you did. As always, nice work and keep being yourself because Hopkins is definitely a place that allows one to be easily.
Bravo Dominique. I know I will be sharing this blog entry with many prospective students as it is a frequent question that is asked. It is sad that college and drinking (and over-drinking) has become so synonymous in the media. There are so many students who avoid drinking altogether or allow their social life to be dictated more by experiencing life with their friends rather than being inebriated. Great job!
Great blog! I totally agree- not only is Hopkins a campus where there are 10349805804 other things to do on a Friday night besides drinking, but there is also no reason to be pressured into doing it if you don’t want to!
” The American Visionary Arts Museum is just outside of the Inner Harbor in Fells Point (a beautiful neighborhood, you should take a day to explore it by foot)”
It is in Federal Hill, the opposite direction from the Inner Harbor from Fells Point. Both worth exploring on foot but I wouldn’t want your readers to get lost!
Thanks for saying such nice things about Baltimore and I agree that you do not need to drink to enjoy!
^^Thanks JoAnne! I always get those two mixed up! :p
Really cool blog Dominique!