Is Dupont No. 1 party school?

Even when Bloomington had the No. 1 party school rating due (in part) in to a rambunctious street riot as a result of losing the NCAA men's basketball championship a few years ago, we couldn't compare to the nonstop sex, drugs and drinking described by Tom Wolfe in his fiction novel "I Am Charlotte Simmons." \nDupont, a school notorious for its demand of high SAT scores and above average GPAs required for admission, appears to be nothing more than a drinking limbo in which students sarcastically await the end of their four-year drunken stupor before beginning the rest of their lives in the "real world." \nAmid the descriptions of the high demands placed upon students to succumb to "Diesel" fashion jeans, khaki pants, polo sweaters and expensive shoes (no socially acceptable student in this tale will be caught sporting any sort of sweatshirt or college memorabilia), the story of a small-town girl turned morally inept, depressed "mutant" emerges. At least this is Charlotte Simmons' perception of her self-degradation.\nCharlotte, the prodigy of her small mountain town and highly praised valedictorian of her high school graduating class, loses all sense of self when she arrives at Dupont on a full scholarship. At first, she seems to prevail in her pursuit of academic stardom, imagining what people in the future will think of the genius Charlotte Simmons who graduated with honors from Dupont.\nYet this prodigy accustomed to admiration from family and mentors becomes lost in the social definitions of what is fashionably acceptable to Dupont's college society, including not only what to wear but when to drink, what time to come home, who to party with, and who and how many people to sleep with.\nThe stereotypical definitions of sororities and fraternities are uncensored. The people in these societies wear cashmere sweaters and polo shirts with either $80 Diesel jeans or khaki pants (no crease, of course). And there are no exceptions. All of the greek students are described in the same way. Partying is described in a vile and degrading manner, even though it is clear that everyone participates in the ritual drinking and dressing up, common in almost every college town. \nYet in this novel, partying is demonstrated to be very unrealistic. Even in Bloomington, one of the best college campuses to party in and go bar-hopping, the students are not this sadistic about drinking. In Wolfe's descriptions of Dupont, not only does everyone party (with the exclusion of Charlotte and two other castaways who befriend her -- three out of 1,600 freshmen all living in the same residence hall), but they go out every night until 4 or 5 a.m. Seven days a week. Year-round.\nThese descriptions of such a wild, yet incredibly intelligent and highly academic university are further called into question when every establishment that even comes remotely close to being associated with alcohol, all smell of the "sweet, rotting smell of beer, huge tides of it faintly laced with the putrid smell of vomit amid a bilious nightclubbed gloom." Although the sensory descriptions are wonderful, the details contradict the rest of the basic plot. \nAside from the overwhelming details of an academic-institution-turned-drinking-night-club filled with vulgar swear words (each one with its own meaning), much of the novel seems far too drawn out. Although there are important philosophical implications about life and education, humorous "the day after" war stories and serious societal issues about gender and sexuality, the 738 pages it takes to get to an ending that anyone would have guessed within the first 100 pages, is almost too painful to manage. \nPerhaps if you have a lot of spare time, or have an extreme love of philosophy, this novel will find its way into your social life -- or perhaps not so much while you are reading the lengthy descriptions of Dupont's dubious college days.