Does Keene State have a party culture? Keene State may have had a reputation of being a party school in the past, but does it still live up to it’s hype? Is it safe for all students who choose to be involved in it? Whether you like going out to house parties or would prefer staying in with some friends, fun can be found here any night you are free.
Courtney Chouinard, a sophomore, defined party culture as “just the type of people that go to parties and what would be expected at a party.” She went on to talk about the party culture at Keene State. “You need to know somebody to get into parties, and you mostly have to look and dress a certain way—at least for girls,” Chouinard said. She thinks that Keene State parties are normal and just involve dancing and drinking games.
Keene State junior Tom Lupetin thinks that Keene has as much party culture as any other school. He also thinks that party culture is ingrained in most institutions where most kids are experiencing the liberties of being away from home. “Keene State’s culture itself is pretty diverse on a student-by-student basis, so I think that the school’s party culture is available to those who want to participate,” said Lupetin. There is definitely a population on campus, however, that is not as interested in partying and are open to other activities.
An unnamed junior agrees with Lupetin. “Thirty to 40 percent of students, in my opinion, do go out one to three days a week,” she said. Along with having “ThirstyThursdays,” KSC has a party culture. She went on to say that Keene State was known for its party culture in the past, but after the incident at the 2014 New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival, it was seen as too much. This led the school and community to crack down on students partying, changing the previous party culture at Keene State.
Along with the commentary on the previous culture, the unnamed student said, “A big aspect about going out in college is going in a group; no one should ever be going out by themselves, in Keene or other schools.” She had never felt peer pressure to do anything she was not comfortable with and felt she could always say no.
“In my opinion, the party culture in Keene is something that’s fun and exciting. I feel that freshman through junior year is mostly house parties, while seniors or anyone 21-plus predominantly go to one of the many bars in Keene,” Trevor Cellerino, a senior, explained from his experience. “On a Friday night in Keene you will find me at a bar, hanging out with my friends and drinking with locals,” said Cellerino.
Enjoying being 21, he said he always feels safe when he goes out. “For the most part, there is nothing I feel that I need to worry about besides the elements; you have to make sure you have the proper attire on to brave the cold,” said Cellerino. While other students prefer to be more low-key, like Lupetin, others “either use the weekend to take a break from classes or plan something in a setting that [they’re] familiar with.”
Some students consider schools based on if they have a party culture, and others may not take that too seriously. “I think parties are more accessible at Keene State than other schools, once you get to know people,” said Chouinard.
Any school can be a party school, but it is important to remember to think before you act, and drink water! Continue to have fun, Keene State. Keep it classy.
Denise Ronan can be contacted at dronan@kscequinox.com
