Being 21+ At The University Of Arizona

The culture at the University of Arizona as a freshman through part of junior year stays pretty consistent. You attend frat parties, you go to late nights, you tan on the roofs of Hub or Luna. Girls create their friend groups and dress up to part for the theme, while the boys claim Saturdays are for them and only care for their frat brothers.

Until you turn 21 and the vibe completely changes. You meet people outside of your friend group, you no longer need to depend on Greek life to feel included, and everyone begins to really know who their senior class is that they'll graduate with.

The difference when you turn 21 rather than being 18 at the University of Arizona is that you are exposed to a whole new life, especially the nightlife or even the day drinking. You are allowed to go to bars and clubs, your tolerance for both alcohol and drugs grows, and the time you now go to sleep is at 4:00 AM. You no longer can have a chill night to just go out like how you use to on a late night at your favorite frat, drinks are now being pushed to your face, and the temptation of always wanted to go out lingers right in front of your face through Snapchat FOMO. Peer pressure is a whole another level, leading you to go out on a Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and even Sunday. There's no break, it is a marathon up in here.

I began a job at No Anchovies on University Blvd as an Ambassador as well as a photographer for some events. Being on the other side and watching this culture has really changed and opened my mind to this lifestyle that has evolved here. Seeing the mindless behavior of my friends or acquaintances is truly surprising and honestly sometimes weird, but makes me think what the hell do I do when I am out and about! Also, how did these bars become this nightlife that we live? This college town has restaurants as club venues for performance events and DownTown has created its way to seem like we are kind of in a New York City environment. Things are starting to develop and grow, becoming more modern with their time.

This in no case is me judging or calling people out, it's more of finding an understanding of how this culture was made/created. Is this how it is at every other school? I think to myself what if I stayed in Jersey, what would I have experienced there in my college career? The way bars and clubs market and produce themselves here is similar to ways of big cities like Las Vegas. It is so awesome seeing a little city like this flourish the way it is and I'm only talking about the drinking atmosphere. It is truly insane how us kids could make a place like Tucson into such a hard ass rage school. I mean we are a dope community of kids coming from all sides of the country and WORLD.

So I guess in conclusion, I'd say that the way things are growing right now in this bar, nightlife, club culture at the University of Arizona is astonishing. No one can describe it to someone that's never been here. The smiles on the faces of students when they enter Petes or Congress is something that honestly makes me happy and boosts my mood for the day or night that I am out. It's basically a melting pot of so many different types of people and different dreams/aspirations all put together. I mean c'mon you're taking a shot with the next plastic surgeon of LA or the next congresswoman of DC. Your dancing with the next big-time producer or a kindergarten teacher. Man, college is insane. I can't believe it is coming to an end. Senior year, you've been so good to me.