by John Kolman '96

W&M, like most college campuses, has its share of good and bad points, most of which are not listed in the college handbook. Some, but not all of them concern the social life at the college. Others concern day to day activities, such as the struggle for a parking spot, or a good meal. Yet others concern the administration, or lack therof that runs the school.

First of all, what I'm sure most people are interested in, the social life. During my tenure at the College, I met someone while on vacation in North Carolina who had gone to William and Mary. He had graduated about four yuears previous to this encounter, and upon learning I was attending his alma mater, the first thing he said to me was, "So, is Williamsburg still the entertainment capital of the world?" (his words, not mine.) This question stunned me for a second, until I recognized his sarcasm. After all, at what other college campus could you have the cops called on you for kicking around a soccer ball outside at midnight on a Saturday night? (I call my sister at Chapel Hill at midnight on a Saturday, and nobody is home yet!)

Back to the College. I have to say here that Williamsburg is the most dead town in the world. Of course, it's also the smallest town I've ever lived in, so that might bias me a bit. Despite that, the College of Bill and the Babe has its share of fun ... you just have to know where to look.

There are really three different kinds of places to party at the College. First, there are the fraternities. At W&M, the frats are all lined up in two rows on campus and on a Friday or Saturday night, there are always multiple parties to be found on fraternity row.

Of course, the trick to the frats is getting in. (Women can disregard this entire section because, frankly, it doesn't apply to them.) For a fraternity member, this should not be a problem at your fraternity...if it is, you have some problems. But for the fifty percent or more students who are g.d.i.'s (god damn independents) it's a bit more problematic. There are a couple of basics. Eventually, every freshman guy learns that there are some places that are just not possible to get into without knowing a brother. That, of course, will open up all kinds of doors...sometimes. But there are a few fraternities, at least so I found, that are pretty good about letting people in. You just have to keep in mind two rules of thumb. First, don't ever try to get in before midnight, and second, don't show up in a huge crowd of guys. (If you have a large group, split up and go in a few at a time.)

Once inside, the fraternities offer a standard type of fun. They are good for drinking bad beer for free, for dancing, and for hanging out. Each of the fraternities has a split level setup, with the bar on either level, and one level cleared as a dancefloor. There is also a door leading out to the porch, which is great for hanging out, smoking, scoping chicks, whatever. Of course, there are different music styles for each fraternity.

The second place to go for a party is the delis. The delis are one of the defining factors of life at the College. Eventually, everyone ends up there. Of course, which deli you frequent says a lot about you as well. Back in my day, Mama Mia's was the hangout for all of the freshmen and some sophomores. But I have been informed that this is no longer the case, as they have become much more strict in enforcing the drinking age.

Of the other delis, the Green Leafe is the upperclassman deli. This is probably the closest thing Williamsburg has to a real bar and the crowd is definitely somewhat older than the other delis. It is also the hardest to get into, and almost impossible if you are under age.


The College Deli is kind of a "greek" deli, that is, the crowd is very much fraternity and sorority members.


Finally, Paul's Deli is where all the really cool people hang out (of course, I say that because that's where I spent most of my senior year!)


As for ambiance, the College Deli has a patio area, which is the only outdoors area among the delis. This is always packed to overflowing on warm fall and spring nights. It is a bit less popular when there is snow on the ground. Paul's Deli looks like your typical sports bar, with two sides and the bar in the middle. It has the required sports memorabilia covering all of the walls, from pictures of W&M athletes, to old jerseys, etc. (It has this great original Florida Panthers road jersey signed by Wayne Huizenga...I want that.) The Leafe is somewhat darker, with the required smoky atmosphere and it is sometimes so packed that it is impossible to move once inside.

The delis do their first real business of the weekend on Thursday nights. That is the traditional deli night at the college. Friday and Saturday are more for the fraternities, although the delis are by no means empty on these nights either. As for the type of entertainment, the delis compare to the fraternities in that they also serve beer and serve as a place to hang out with friends. The differences are that there is no dancing, they serve better beer, and food as well, and they are much more expensive. After all, free beer is hard to beat on price.

Finally, there is often plenty of partying going on in the dorms themselves. Of course, this calls for much better strategy, as getting caught by an RA is to be avoided at all costs. By school policy, having a party in your dorm room is not allowed. According to the school, a party consists of I believe eight people more than the rooms' normal occupants. And never wander around in the halls with an open drink. I had a friend get busted for this who was 21! That pretty much covers the unofficial social scene. I'm sure there are plenty of other things going on there that I was just not aware of, but that is just a matter of keeping your eyes open and knowing the right people.