News > September 4, 2008

By Sam Cernuto | Staff writer

Another year has begun, which means freshman orientation has come and gone, classes have started and the first football home game is just around the corner. Amidst the packs of lost freshmen and long waitlists lies one of the best aspects of Work Forest: the weekend.

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(Graphic by Ryan Caldwell/Old Gold & Black. All Photos Kelly Makepeace/Old Gold & Black)

For some, the weekend starts with the traditional Wake Wednesday. For others who have 8 a.m. classes every morning, the weekend celebration will start at the end of their last class on Friday.

Every student celebrates in a different way, but, with so many fraternities and sororities on campus, a majority of the student body ends up at one party or another … or multiple parties in one night. In light of the reputation that the university has students who “work hard and play hard,” people typically believe that alcohol has to be involved. However, there are many students who choose not to drink, which bears no effect on their social life or how many fraternity parties they attend each weekend.

Among some of the students who don’t drink underage are students who many readers will most likely recognize. They are still avidly involved on campus, especially in Greek life.

For example, sophomore Kate Lesnewich, who is a member of Kappa Delta and a cappella group Minor Variation, says that she “goes out” one to two times a week. Sigma Chi member and Intramural enthusiast sophomore Parker Bradway attends at least two fraternity parties a week. Another student, sophomore Tyler Haertlein, whose interests range from playing for the Frisbee team to memberships in Sigma Pi states that during his freshman year he went out multiple times a week starting on Wake Wednesday.

Some freshmen have started attending parties. “Even though I’ve only been here a short time, I’ve already gone to quite a few parties: Sigma Chi, Theta Chi, Sigma Nu, SAE and even a Latin club in town,” said freshmen Derrica Barbee. Amidst all of these parties and Greek-related activities, why do these students choose to defy the college stereotype? Why do these students decide not to drink?

Barbee explains plainly, “I’m carefree and fun-loving. I like to have fun, but I don’t need to add alcohol to have fun. I’ve seen some of the negative effects of alcohol. Recently, one of my friends was rushed to the hospital with alcohol poisoning. I just don’t need that.”

Lesnewich takes a similar perspective: “I love going out with my sorority girls, but I don’t drink because I want to be in control of myself and know what’s going on around me.”

Haertlein’s answer is simple: “I just don’t drink, and I can have fun without it. I don’t see any right or wrong in my decision. There is no specific reason because I believe that reasons become justifications for what people do or don’t do.”

Bradway is not shy about his beliefs. “It’s a religious thing for me. As a Christian, I believe that it is important to represent Christianity by not partaking in underage drinking. That is why I choose not to drink. However, having said that, I could literally care less about being around alcohol and people who do drink.”

Since these students are involved in so many diverse activities on campus, one would wonder whether or not their peers would be surprised to find that they don’t drink. Bradway and Haertlein were bold about their commitments to this and both chose to “pledge dry” for their fraternities.

Haertlein sees it in a broad perspective, “I wouldn’t want to put out a false persona just to fit in. I hope that the way I act in non-party situations would reflect how I act at a party. However, I wouldn’t be offended if someone offered me a drink.”

“I hang out with people in all circles at Wake, and my close friends do drink,” Bradway said. “So when I’m at parties with them, people are surprised that I’m not drinking.”

Barbee agrees with Parker because she has a lot of friends that do drink and people automatically believe that she does as well.

“People assume that since I’m in a sorority I do drink. I love the girls in my sorority and even if they’re out drinking, I still want to hang out with them,” Lesnewich said. “Drinking doesn’t define how much time I do or don’t spend with them.” All of these students are freshmen and sophomores and therefore under 21. The final question is: will they drink come their 21st birthday?

Bradway and Lesnewich both agreed that they will drink, but in moderation. Barbee says that she will not drink once she is of age because she does not have a desire to.

Haertlein’s answer is different. “Age isn’t what’s keeping me from drinking. I might be drinking when I’m 21, but it won’t be because I’ve turned 21.”

As you can see, these students, even though they do not drink, are just as normal as any other university student. They go out, they have fun, they are a part of Greek life; however, they are sure of their choice not to drink and are not ashamed of it.

Also, they defy the stereotype that is so often applied to students who don’t drink.