By: Katie Sanders, Editor-in-chief
Eight Wofford students have created a Friday night hangout event for students who want an alternative to the party scene at the Greek row. Inspired by Phi Slam at the University of Georgia who runs a similar program, the group began offering games and activities on Friday nights from 8 p.m. to midnight during Interim 2016.
“What bothered me my freshman year is that rather than it being uncomfortable to break the law by drinking underage, it was uncomfortable not to,” says Josh Crawford ’18, who originally thought of starting the Friday night hangout at Wofford. “I couldn’t go to an apartment without feeling really uncomfortable because I was the only one not drinking.”
However, Crawford emphasizes that the point of the event is not to exclude people who may choose to drink, but to provide the opportunity for an enjoyable Friday night for those who don’t want to.
“We are not exclusive- we want people to feel comfortable coming to our events and drinking if we’re somewhere on campus where it’s allowed,” he clarifies. “We don’t want people to feel left out just because they want to drink. The point is we want students who aren’t drinking to have a good time.”
The event was held various places outdoors until the weather got colder. Currently, Andrews Field House is its home. Activities are different every week but have included basketball, spikeball, four square, video games like Mario Kart on projectors and even inflatable jousting. There is also food. Recently they had a quesadilla bar and a milkshake bar. The group receives funding from Campus Union, the deans and the president’s office.
In addition to Crawford, the leadership team consists of KJ Atwood ’17, Justin Bouknight ’18, Anne Rand ’19, Drew Romance ‘19, Grant Page ‘19, Jonathan Tokay ‘19 and Will Stegall ‘19. However, the group doesn’t have one main leader, or even a name, because the team wants it to be more like friends getting together to hang out rather than an event affiliated with a specific organization.
Crawford says, “People ask if we’re associated with Fellowship of Christian Athletes or a fraternity, but we’re just a group of students who want to do something fun on Friday nights but want an alternative to the party scene.”
Currently, around 100 people come each week. The group predicts growth for their future.
“Something I see in the future for us is throwing larger parties,” says Crawford. “However, we need to establish ourselves more on campus before we put on a dance, which would be a big step socially. We tried swing dancing earlier this year, but it wasn’t a huge hit.”
The alternative is not only about drinking but also about an inclusive social scene as a whole.
“Making everyone feel welcome is huge to us,” says Crawford. “The alternative is not only about alcohol but also creating a safe and respectful social scene where people can enjoy themselves and make new friends- an atmosphere that is completely anti-exploitation.”
