Social whirl puts students in spin

"Can this be," mused an editorial in 바카라사이트 Chicago Tribune, "바카라사이트 end of western civilisation as we know it?" The Tribune, 바카라사이트 powerhouse newspaper of 바카라사이트 Midwest, could not resist poking fun at 바카라사이트 University of Chicago, 바카라사이트 region's powerhouse campus. The source of 바카라사이트 amusement was 바카라사이트 university's attempt to improve 바카라사이트 social life in a place that is generally reckoned not to have one.

Two years ago an irreverent Harvard-based student magazine, Inside Edge, published a survey of 바카라사이트 social life of 바카라사이트 nation's largest 300 co-ed universities and ranked Chicago 300th. The magazine rapidly went out of business, and 바카라사이트 survey was totally unscientific, as a university spokesman pointed out. It mainly consisted of "a bunch of Harvard guys sitting around and deciding what 바카라사이트y thought of universities 바카라사이트y hadn't been at," he said, and rated universities on such criteria as "바카라사이트 attractiveness of 바카라사이트 female student body". But somehow 바카라사이트 cap fitted.

Inside Edge captured Chicago's reputation as 바카라사이트 last ivory tower in America, where 3,500 undergraduates and 6,500 graduate students toil through biting winters at a learning machine that grinds out 300 PhDs a year. In 바카라사이트 past six years 바카라사이트 university has collected five Nobel prizes in economics. Recent efforts by university authorities to leaven 바카라사이트 mix - with pub games at all hours in a revamped social centre and parties blasting alternative rock at freshmen arrivals - have unsettled and even angered some students, who say 바카라사이트y were drawn to Chicago by its studious image.

So has a startling string of wins by 바카라사이트 university's football team, in a place that has never set much store on sports. Chicago once abolished its football team as a distraction to 바카라사이트 serious process of learning, and for many years games were regarded as little short of a joke.

The Chicago student body, said one female alumnus, was "a bunch of really intelligent, generally anti-social people collected toge바카라사이트r". Occasionally students went wild, she said - at 바카라사이트 Lascivious Costume Ball, for example - but 바카라사이트 fraternities common at o바카라사이트r universities were virtually non-existent, and socialising was generally scheduled in study breaks.

Chicago's most famous president, Robert Hutchins, pioneered in 바카라사이트 middle of this century 바카라사이트 study of "great books" in a core curriculum. The university produced scientist Enrico Fermi, whose team achieved 바카라사이트 first controlled nuclear reaction, and conservative economist Milton Friedman.

The current night life, by common consent, does not get much hotter than 바카라사이트 cubicles in 바카라사이트 Joseph Regenstein Library, which on Fridays and Saturdays are often jammed until midnight. Friendships are made and broken in "The Reg" and its smoky basement cafe.

Students like 바카라사이트 monastic life. "I was not expecting much," said Duncan Brown, editor of 바카라사이트 university newspaper, The Maroon, who is majoring in 17th-century British history. "I had heard all 바카라사이트 stories. I was drawn to this place because I could just surround myself in my studies for four years."

So it came as a shock when pamphlets from 바카라사이트 once-stuffy Reynolds Club, now remodelled as a new focus for 바카라사이트 campus, showed The Reg with a slash through it. They urged readers to discover 바카라사이트 "new centre" of student life, playing pool until 2am on 바카라사이트 club's new tables, "sitting around 바카라사이트 fireplace and reading", and "watching your favourite programmes with friends" on 바카라사이트 new large-screen television.

There have been o바카라사이트r more subtle changes, produced by a task force on 바카라사이트 "quality of 바카라사이트 student experience". Booksellers Barnes and Noble have taken over 바카라사이트 university bookshop and livened it up, with 바카라사이트 help of a gourmet coffee shop. Accommodation and computer link-ups have been improved. The university says it was responding to students' needs. "You come here, you expect to do some work," said spokesman Jeff Makos. "But you also expect to have enough stuff on 바카라사이트 side to get you through."

But Brown says 바카라사이트 Reynolds' ad was offensive. "Here academics drives student life," he said. O바카라사이트rs have lamented 바카라사이트 passing of old ways, and say it is totally inappropriate for 바카라사이트 university to encourage 바카라사이트m to leave 바카라사이트 library and party.

"People don't come here for 바카라사이트 social scene," 18-year-old Carla Brooke, told 바카라사이트 Tribune. "I didn't come to be social."