Okay, so I was reading the discussion board on Facebook for a group called GPA Bars Hub. I suppose that before I get on with my rant, I should explain what a GPA Bar is in the first place. See, as engineers at Queen's University, the engineers are (sometimes cocky) students that like to display their pride through the school leather jacket. GPA stands for Golden Party Armour, because of its colour originally. The Queen's Engineering colour is actually gold, and not purple, which is the colour for ALL engineers, wherever you are. Students then "purple" their jackets, using gentian violet, which stains anything it comes into contact with. In first year, the one things that are on the jacket are the words "Queen's Applied Science" on the back, the year crest on the front upper left, and the year of your graduating class. Upon completion of your first year, you are then allowed to adorn your jacket with miscellaneous "bars", the first three of which are usually the year motto, the pass crest, and your discipline, which all go onto the right sleeve. Most students also choose to adorn their left sleeves with other "bars", which are used to display successful completion of various tasks. Most of them involve drinking in large amounts. I, myself, not being a heavy drinker, don't find it particularly appealing, but I'm not completely against it; I get that people enjoy the rush that alcohol gives. However, as I was sitting there reading about the various bars that one could get, I found myself thinking, one too many times, "Why would anyone want to display that on their jacket?" In particular, I'd like to bring up three bars that are just plain stupid, if you ask me: Under the Sea - and idea where you funnel while under water (I think some people call that suicide, or more specifically, DROWNING), KGH'd - for those who have ended up in KGH (Kingston General Hospital) after a night of partying, and a new one that some are planning to get, Arrested - for those who have gotten arrested for drinking related...things. Honestly, why would you be PROUD of that? Could someone please explain that to me? The other bars are not as bad, trust me. They're just ones that just go to show how much of a tank you are and how much alcohol you can consume (Century Club, 21st Century, On the Rocks, Blue Light), and some that are a lot less... alcohol related (JForce, Lvl.12Wizard, A Few Good Men, XXX, Upgrade). And you can get random badges on your jacket too.
I also realised, that these bars and other adornments will only be cool for about one year, ie. the end of First Year and the beginning of second year, for most people anyway. You don't see the people with a million bars on their jacket actually wearing those jackets once they become upper years. I think that this is mostly because of the fact that Engineering is comprised of mostly males, who do not ACTUALLY mature until much later. Ritual, a Friday event that happens weekly at Clark Hall Pub, the Engineering bar, I'm sure, does not involve the students drinking until they can't see straight. People finally realise, that an alcoholic drink can be enjoyed in small amounts and are then there to just have a good time with their friends.
Maybe I'm judging a lot, and maybe, because I don't drink, I'm ignorant of the reasons people drink every weekend, and pull the fire alarms, but I do believe that it is not necessary to have several drinks before you have fun, one or two will suffice; and amount that does not make you do stupid shit, like guys wearing fishnet stockings (Is this really necessary? It was not a pleasant sight).