Dude, where are all the dudes?!

Here’s some food for thought: for every 100 women at American colleges, there are only 77 men. And for every 100 women who graduate from American colleges, only 73 guys manage to snag their Bachelor’s degree.

The college gender gap isn’t a new phenomenon—women first started outnumbering men in 1982—but it is widening by a significant margin every year. I knew that there were statistically more women than men in the world of higher education (and of a much higher caliber), but I had no idea that the discrepancy was so huge. Projections show that enrollment could soon grow closer to a 60/40 ratio, making men even scarcer on campuses than they are already.

I’m really mystified by the extent of the gender gap. Where the hell are all the guys going? Haven’t they heard that college is awesome—an opportunity to open your mind and push your liver to its absolute limit, one last chance to enjoy freedom from responsibility before being unceremoniously thrust headfirst into the real world? (Can you tell I’m a senior?)  And on a more serious note, don’t they know that having a B.A. is pretty much essential if they want to get a good job?

Does the scarcity of dudes mean that a college environment is naturally more suited to girls than guys? The fact that our culture views guy-centric things like football games and wild frat parties as stereotypically “college” activities would seem to contradict this idea, but it’s hard to argue with the numbers. Read More »

While it’s obvious that there are situations common to all college students whatever campus they may call home, every campus has its own unique traditions. Some, like walking through a certain fountain upon graduation, date back hundreds of years. Others, like puking under a table at the late night Mexican restaurant on the night of your 21st birthday, are simply infamous amongst the student body.

And it is these things that unite students and make us proud to call our specific school home. So this week I asked the CollegeCandy writers to show a little school pride and share their university’s eccentricities with the world.

Tell us: what campus “tradition” sets your school apart from the pack? Read More »

My top contender for Halloween costume this year is “The Swine Flu.” Who knew dressing up as a pig could be so dangerous?  But in all seriousness, swine flu is still among us, and no matter what your college is doing to protect you (read: installing bottles of antibacterial everywhere), we must protect ourselves.

Here are ten tips students should heed when battling the Swine Flu.

10.  Let’s take a look on the bright side. Swine flu is giving you a reason to avoid those all-nighters in the library. The best way to stay healthy is to get a good night’s sleep. Exhaustion will weaken your immune system. So if you happen to opt for sleep instead of a problem set, never fear. When you’re teacher asks where your homework is, just say the swine flu ate it.

9. Wash your hands frequently. I never leave the house without a bottle of Purell, and these days I’m getting stingy with sharing it. Hygiene is key. If you can’t take the flu, stay out of the pig’s pen.

8.  If you feel sick, stay home! You’re not going to impress the hottie in your Bio class if you come into Lab looking like death warmed over. You’ll be labeled the Swine-Spreader and there goes your good reputation.  Next thing you know, you’ll be have to eat your lunch with the Mono-Makeout Slut.

7. Speaking of makeout sluts… Now’s a good time to get your urge to kiss under wraps. Kissing may be like a handshake for you, but you’re going to be exchanging more than a hello with this swap of spit. The Swine Flu is sneaky and it’s looking to sow its wild oats. It will wait for you to put your beer goggles on and then it’ll plant a wet and germy one right on your lips. Beware. Read More »

If you’ve read any news blogs or even watched a televised newscast in the last week and a half, chances are that you’ve heard the tragic story of Annie Le, the Yale grad student who disappeared ten days ago. Her body was found hidden inside a wall at the building where she worked last Sunday—which was to have been her wedding day. Now a lab technician named Raymond Clark has been charged with Annie’s murder.

This whole saga has been unbelievably upsetting and awful, and our hearts go out to Annie’s family and her fiancé. It’s also spurred a lot of interesting discussion about safety on college campuses—and why the media is curiously fascinated by crimes that occur on Ivy League campuses.

Slate editor Jack Shafer observes that the New York Times has written five stories about Annie’s case so far, while the Boston Globe has run at least six. A quick search shows that CNN.com has a whopping 14 stories about the murder. The media frenzy has been so… well, frenzied that an NBC producer was trampled when journalists and camera-people rushed to speak to a New Haven police spokesman on Tuesday. Read More »

Take a break, dude. You deserve it!

Part of the reason I write a Weekly 10 is because I’m paying homage to my man David Letterman (seriously, my dad hasn’t ever missed an episode), and partly it’s because I like lists. Particularly lists where I can prattle on about whatever issue I feel is super relevant. Ya know, like how I’m just not that into you or being super fabulously sober.

This week I’ve decided to list the 10 jobs that totally deserve to sleep in past noon this Monday, Labor Day. Why is it even called Labor Day? Shouldn’t it be Not-Labor Day? But I digress. Some people deserve a break for all they do/deal with on a daily basis. I don’t have the power to give it to them, but maybe they’ll note my appreciation and hook me up in the future.

So here are the people both on and off campus that totally deserve the holiday and our respect on this last official day of summer. Read More »

Your bags are unpacked, your Harry Potter poster is hanging over your bed, and you’re celebrating your first night back on campus with some Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka drinks and the new roommates.

Ahhhh. How good it feels to be back.

There are tons of impromptu house parties happening all over campus. You and the roommates decide to party hop so you slip into something white (to show off your tan) yet casual (you don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard), pair it with some Havaianas (but which color?!) and hit the town stumbling.

Besides your roommates and the random road trip you took with some friends mid-summer (when you couldn’t handle your mother’s nagging about unpacking your suitcases any longer), you haven’t seen anyone since last semester. When you were pulling your hair out at the library at 3am trying to churn out that last paper before sweet, sweet freedom.

Let’s just say, it wasn’t your finest moment.

But that’s all changed and you wanna show. it. off; you’re more tan, more toned and more experienced (that summer fling taught you a few things). Most of all, though, you’re just really excited to be back and see everyone.

You mosey up to the first party and it goes something like this:

[Loud, shrieking screams]
Girls come running.
“OhMyGod OhMyGod OhMyGod!! HOW ARE YOU!?”
You are swooped up in a group hug. Someone behind you spills beer down your back.

“Hey! I’m good! How was your summer? When did you get back? How’s the boy? Any cute boys here?  Where’s the keg? We should totally do lunch this week!” Read More »

Clearly the fact that there have been six Harry Potter movies released, (two more in the making) seven books out in stores, and an upcoming theme park in Orlando, doesn’t quite express the extent of society’s obsession with the magic wizardly world. Because college Quidditch (yes, the broomstick-riding sport) is on the rise.

With over 200 colleges expressing their interest in the sport, including Princeton, U-Mass-Amherst and Vassar College, Quidditch is spreading like wildfire. It even has its own site, (for all you nerds out there) where you can have access to the latest Quidditch news and history of the sport.

Similar to soccer, the players try and get the ball, or Quaffle that is, into the opposing goal, except they try and do so while riding around on a broomstick…on the ground. Read More »

There is no doubt that in some way or another, every person out there has been affected by the economy. Between businesses getting shut down, people getting laid off, or the millions who are losing their homes, the list of disasters seems endless. But we, as college students, are not immune.

We all know that there have been some crazy budget cuts for colleges, but did you know what that means for you? Any idea what might be coming next for your school?

Just ask the cheerleading team at Florida International University. Oh wait, never mind. You can’t, because as of this week, they do not have one. That’s right. The nationally recognized cheerleading team, currently ranked fourth in the country, has been eliminated as part of an effort to cut 1 million dollars from FIU’s athletic budget for the coming school year. Read More »

Ahh summer time. The heat is blistering, the Natty Lite is chilled and the pool beckons. For those of us not taking summer classes, these three months are a glorious break from homework, studying and fluorescent lighting. Yes, the whole summer yawns out blue skies and cut-offs until late August and it’s hard to imagine ever going back to school.

Except, I do imagine it. I catch myself worrying about non-existent assignments and responsibilities that won’t resume until September. But even more, I constantly find myself spacing out at work, reminiscing about all the good stuff that comes along with college. Mostly the whole not-bored-at-work-9-to-5 thing.

And I miss it!

Meal Plans: While I’m lucky enough not to be taking classes this summer, I do have to work — which means I’m stuck in a college town all summer long without the benefit of visiting home, and therefore the benefit of home cookin’. My freshman year, I ate dining hall food. My sophomore year, my sorority dues included a meal plan. This summer, with my sorority house closed and the dining halls freshmen-infested, I’m armed only with my apartment’s kitchen and whatever the hell I find when I Google “easy, cheap, healthy recipes” and pudding. Do I enjoy learning to cook? Absolutely. Would I prefer a cook to prepare my meals? Uh, hell yes. Plus, there’s no clean up if you’re not the one using all the dishes… Read More »

Living off campus is amazing.  You have more space, freedom to have a random flip-cup party any day of the week without an R.A. on your case, and an escape from cafeteria food.  However, for all these great perks, there are some things about living off campus that I just can’t help but miss.

Proximity to your friends.

Even if you choose to live with a friend (or friends, depending on the size of your apartment or house you’re renting), you’ll never have the same access to your friends as you did when you lived on campus.  They were either in the next dorm, just down the hall, or sleeping in the bed that was two feet away from yours (or, if they were a really good friend, they were just in your bed).  When you live off campus, you have to make plans to see people, work around conflicting schedules, and any chance of a spontaneous night of debauchery pretty much goes right out the window.  What’s easier than sneaking down the hallway at 2am and waking up your friends with a fifth of Popov and some orange juice? Nothing says “friendship” like a rousing game of Popov Pong. Read More »