Dead week social scene

Many students might find themselves socializing more this week than they have all semester. After all, this week an on-campus venue promises to be a hotspot from 8 a.m. until midnight.

Students can expect to mingle with their peers under the influence of nothing more than caffeine and Adderall (the club drug of choice). The dress code is sloppy-casual, which means sweat pants are preferred. However, some will be attending in the name of seeing and being seen, so looking presentable should still be a priority.

But studying and getting work done should be a higher priority because this on-campus venue is the library and the occasion is dead week.

In case you’re not familiar with the term “dead week,” it’s used to describe the week before finals when students look like they died because many have sacrificed sleep for studying. Some might even smell like they died because showers and other hygienic activities are also a common sacrifice this week.

Though many are putting their scholastic responsibilities before other important responsibilities (like bathing), others are hitting up the library for the same reason students hit up Kilroy’s on a Saturday night.

Well, OK, I’m not sure how many people go to the library to drink. But I’m assuming not many because IU is a dry campus. Consequently, the library does not serve Long Island iced teas.

I’m talking about the other reason people go to Kilroy’s – to be among their peers and celebrate IU traditions.

The tradition of final exams at the end of a semester is something that should be celebrated after successful completion. If we celebrate during dead week when we should be preparing for our final assignments and exams, we won’t appreciate winter break. Having almost a month off of school is a sufficient reason for a celebration – and well-deserved for those who actually go to the library to get work done.

We shouldn’t forget what the library is meant for, and how it has a separate function than bars, fraternity parties and other places for socializing. The library is like a temple where students should congregate to study their material and pray to God they get an A.

College can be overwhelming because it is an atmosphere in which we are constantly surrounded by our peers. They’re our roommates, our classmates and our neighbors. One of the most challenging facets of the life of a college student is figuring out how to find the balance between a rewarding social life and an impressive grade point average.  

It’s especially hard with demands shooting from every angle. Our professors want us to be successful in our educational and professional endeavors. Our peers want us to party hard while we’re still young.

The real test is to see if we can handle both. By the end of this week we’ll know whether or not it’s possible to go to the library and find a happy medium between Acapulco ’08 and taking the term “dead week” literally.