Add Berkeley, or California still knows how to party

 Bay Area shenanigans have been on the Cod radar recently, and that keeps up today: Via IHE, news that Berkeley residents are not happy about having fraternity houses as neighbors. Can't blame 'em, and glad that my 'Fessering self does not have to live next to my Studenting self of some years ago at #5 Fraternity Row. But it being Berkeley, I figured there would be a wrinkle, so I clicked through to the local story, which featured the picture at right. The red Solo cup will be familiar to anyone who has attended an instiution of higher education in the United States, but the caption reveals that this is definitely not a Nashville, (or a Knoxville, or Fayettville, or Madison, or Austin) party:

"Discarded liquor and champagne bottles litter the ground outside a fraternity house on the campus of the University of California, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 in Berkeley, Calif. Neighbors are filing suit against the fraternities, alleging excessive noise and underage drinking. (D. Ross Cameron/Staff)"

Champagne? The lads are just making it easy for us. For those of you who are hazy on undergraduate lifestyles, I'll remind you that the two directives governing the average college alcohol purchase are 1) as much as possible 2) as cheap as possible. As in, say, whole pallets of Busch Light. Not sure if the boys in Berkeley are insisting on grower Champagne, or even senttling for nonvintage, but it's amusing to imagine the lads ordering their pledges down to Kermit's for another bottle.

But lest we forget, it is the flagship university in the state that's untouchable like Elliot Ness*: *Love Tupac, but want to move to a state where a blog can marry this video of Justin Timberlake singing and dancing to California Love.

Comments

[Addison]

Solo cups are popping up all over:

http://twitter.com/kkrader/status/7977933676

[rental equipment]

It's a nice music video of him. I really miss this guy!

-James

[Jay Porter]

Makes me all warm and fuzzy for my alma mater.

FWIW, while I was at Cal during the early grunge era, I did go to a wedding of one of my fraternity brothers at the bride's family's winery, and sat at a table with Hanns Kornell , while drinking Hanns Kornell bubbly. So your inferences are not altogether incorrect.

However, I must admit, in those days, we mostly drank Milwaukee 1851 Light, mixing in some Ballantine, Lucky Lager, and Regal Select when we wanted to step up.