While watching One Tree Hill --
my addiction -- the other day, there was a stereotypical slumber party. Girls in pajamas were beating each other down with fluffy, feather-filled pillows until the feathers covered the room like snow. Gossip, eating food, and a few heart-to-hearts later, I was thinking, “When is the last time I was at a real sleepover?”
Granted, in 2003, when that episode was filmed, One Tree Hill probably helped start the stereotype of a girl’s sleepover. It is cheesy in some ways, but totally accurate in others -- the gossiping and heart-to-hearts definitely happen.
I think a big reason sleepovers dwindle down after high school is that college brings us the lack of parental supervision. You did not really want your parents to hear about what was going on in your life, so you hid in your room or basement to get away with chatting about the juicy stuff because, "OMG, did you hear that Jenny made out with Johnny behind the bleachers?!" is so juicy. In college, it really isn’t necessary to hide in your room. Unless you are talking about your crazy roommates, hanging out in the living room or common area is fine. And as a freshman, who wants to hang out in a shoebox-sized room, anyways?
A few rounds of gossip, scarfing down some brownie batter, and a Disney movie later, it was past midnight and most parents would not want their child driving home that late. In college, if you stay somewhere until midnight or later, there is not really anyone to care. Your roommates might get mad if you come in at 3 a.m. and stomp around, but other than that, it is not an issue. Why would you want to drive home, though? Well, sleep.
College students love sleep. Sleep is this elusive dream that only becomes a reality on breaks and weekends. I, like many people, can only well sleep in my own bed. I am very picky about it. Some people do not care and could sleep while standing upside down in a corner with music blaring. I, however, need my bed, my blankets and quiet. So at the end of a girls' night, after the gossip has died down and the movie is over, there is a 98 percent chance I am going to hop in my car and drive home to my nice bed.
Even if you are too far gone, you probably have a boyfriend or a pledge connection who can get you to your warm, cozy bed. So any reason to have a sleepover becomes null and void in college. This makes me a little sad, because I will never get to beat the crap out of my best friend with a giant feather-stuffed pillow when she says something stupid.
