Imagine your last weekend out on the town: chances are you did the same thing you did the previous time you went out. Either way, it probably wasn’t something new.
Nightlife in Baton Rouge is mediocre at best. As someone who has lived in Baton Rouge for over three years, nightlife activities haven’t changed very much. In a way, they’ve actually gotten worse.
Tigerland has been a major staple for partying at LSU. However, over the years there have been multiple scandals, specifically racial, that have caused them to lose a lot of business. People have noted the dress code at Reggie’s bar targets African-American males, and there was also the occasion where they put “Reggin” stamps on students’ hands, failing to acknowledge what the word spells backwards. Tigerland has had many other issues unrelated to racism as well.
There has been a large issue with crime in the Tigerland area. Crime rates increased 25 percent from 2014 to 2015, according to Baton Rouge police statistics. Not long ago, previous LSU fullback, Dillon Gordon, was stabbed at Reggie’s bar, according to The Advocate. This resulted in former head coach Les Miles insisting his players were banned from the bars. Tigerland went from being the go-to for a night out to a place where some people were scared for their lives.
Baton Rouge is No. 22 on the list of the top 25 murder capitals of the U.S. this year. Places like downtown and the outskirts of colleges are prime areas for crimes to happen. Unfortunately, almost all of the bars and nightclubs are located in those exact areas.
The clubs downtown are certainly a different kind of fun, but it ends up being repetitive from week to week. Many college-aged kids go to the clubs and drink excessively resulting in drunk driving and occasional fights. Not only is it unsafe, it isn’t fun. Nobody wants to end their night feeling like their life is on the line.
There are rarely any places where people don’t feel they must drink to enjoy themselves. It could be that some of us simply aren’t creative during the night. It could also be that these locations don’t offer much to do other than drink. Underage drinking is always an issue in college towns, but no matter how hard they try to crack down on the issue, it’s still incredibly simple to gain access to drinks in these establishments.
People sometimes choose house parties as an alternative to the redundant nightlife. However, almost every house party I’ve seen has been shut down by the police. I understand disturbing the peace at 2:00 a.m. is a good reason for police to shut down a party, but we’re college students. If we’re able to have a party without being a nuisance, we should be allowed to do so. It shouldn’t always result in police officers outside.
In the future, there may be better options for college students in Baton Rouge. Hopefully a new type of nightlife activity is approaching. Until then, we’re left with the same things we’ve always done.
Chantelle Baker is a 20-year-old communication studies senior from Waipahu, Hawaii.