The college lacked sports teams, greek organizations, dinning clubs, graduate classes and expensive faculty in business and engineering. This kept costs down. They hid their business courses. For example, three tax-accounting courses were in the catalog, based in the Economics department and taught by low-priced local CPAs who were forced to share one office during those months that were not tax season. Marketing courses were found in Sociology and given worse treatment. Other accounting courses were taught as Math; modern accounting was "invented" as a chapter in a math text written by a monk in 1494. Finance courses were taught in Political Science, but since the Finance guy made real money in the market he had a nice office in the new Physics building. Spreading the business courses out avoided bothersome and very expensive accreditation standards.
One of the ways the school ingratiated itself with the local community was student housing. Children of the monied gentry lived off campus, individually or in pairs, in a spacious 'rent homes' provided by townies. These furnished abodes provided their monied occupants breakfast and weekend meals, most of which were prepared at central kitchens and delivered to the home on a schedule, although some owners cooked their tenants meals and pocketed the funds. The locals competed based on amenities, menus and 'house rules' (wink-wink) such as the curfew and the degree of scrutiny provided to the parents. To many members of the community these rentals provided significant income and therefore generated very strong local support for the school. The wealthy students moved through their education at a casual pace, sometimes enjoying the campus for an extra year or three.
For the smarter, less affluent students, low tuition required living in the dorms. Freshman dorms were essentially ancient military barracks, possible abandoned by the military after the Spanish-American war. Dorms for sophomores, juniors and seniors were rather nicer, and the best digs were the few roomy corner suites intended for 4, with a toilet and sink en suite. The school hoped you would stay in the same suite with your select chums for your last 3 years at St. Andrews. Part of the idea was that peer pressure would result in all 4 chums graduating in 4 years, boosting the valuable schools graduation rates. Dorm students who did not graduate in 4 years moved back to the freshman dorms, which were now an abject terror for those sentenced to be 5th year seniors.
The college administration was well aware that 'average time to graduation' is something parents scrutinize. For US colleges 4.5 years was considered 'on-time', St. Andrews considered 5 years as an 'on-time' average of the two groups of students, so the 'on-time' numbers looked very impressive.
Each fall, new freshman arrived on Wednesday before classes started, for testing and orientation. Jace and I had become instant friends when we both began playing the Jackson Browne CD, "Lawyers in Love" the first night. The TA put us in adjacent spots when the permanent assignments were made.
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Deni's Parties
At Friday during orientation, another incoming freshman, named Deni Winters, distributed party invitations to roughly 2 dozen of her fellow freshmen, folks she had selected based on first impressions. It was a signal event. The party was for Saturday night, well before the start of classes.
Jace and I met Deni in orientation. We got on rather well with her and thus were part of that initial group, which soon evolved into a social group including roughly twenty guys and maybe a dozen girls. By intent, Deni's social group mimicked a greek organization at a big university in that we ate meals together, held a regular table in the union, and enjoyed house parties on a regular basis. On occasion some of the group would pair off, but mostly we did things as a group. That included make-out sessions in the dark.
Deni Winters was one of the very few locals on campus, but her status was as campus royalty; she was well-known in the community and the University. The administration saw to it that she enjoyed every advantage and consideration. Her parents were both dead, her mother when she was 8 and the Professor, her father, succumbed to a long illness when she was 16. Arrangements were made so she was emancipated before her father's death (her mother's cousin was a judge), and she inherited three rental houses. Her father had been a well-regarded and honored professor at the College; on his deathbed she promised him that she would graduate from 'his' college instead of one of the larger schools that were recruiting her. Faced with the social challenges of college life, Deni decided to gather some friends who "fit together" without being too rowdy, so she could capture the social experience of a larger school without breaking her vow to her father. In the process she wanted to build-in a sexual aspect from the start , but one that attacked the problems that were part of the "weekend experience" at bigger schools, particularly the way the deck was stacked in favor of the males.
To this end she threw parties which included make-out sessions.
Deni's parties had rules. For instance, they were by invitation only. All beverages were provided by the hostess, guests were not allowed to bring any alcohol and the hostess only provided a single intoxicating drink to toast on special occasions. The party ended at midnight, but a few people would be asked to stay after, "to help clean up" after the party. (Clean up was females only for the first two years, and in fact these were after-party sleepovers with benefits available.) All 'plus ones' had to be approved by Deni at least a day in advance, and were mildly discouraged. Party games were played, and full participation was expected. Some games were mildly sexual, like the high school favorite "seven minutes." This was by design, Deni wanted a friendly group, not a group of couples.
Around 11 the party changed. Lights in the main room were dimmed and people were strongly encouraged to pair up or form trios for casual make-out/petting sessions. Dating couples were to leave at this point. Those partygoers who preferred not to make-out could remain in the fully-lit areas, but they risked not getting an invitation to the next party unless they had a good reason. Meanwhile, in the darkened main room, everybody "got to know others in the group better" in a casual, less dangerous setting then a booze-fueled typical frat party. As a common courtesy one was expected to vary one's make-out partner(s) from party to party, so people got to know everyone. Every girl who wanted to play got a partner or two. Those who did not stay within the lines of these informal rules was asked to leave and did not get an invitation to the next party.
For the party games and the make-out periods there was a firm 'no tallywackers' rule; this required male genitals to stay fully in their pants. Women were expected to keep their clothing on, but female clothing need not stay closed, or completely on, based on ongoing negotiations with their partner de jure in the darkened room. Exclamations of joy were expected. To get things going and set the mood, Deni often encouraged particular pairings and activities for these sessions.
At the second party in late September, the Deni pulled Jace and I aside during the party games and asked if we would be "especially nice" during the make-out period to VeeGee, a shy girl who was from India. VeeGee was cute, but she came across as a little overweight and her manner suggested a conservatism in sexual matters. As a result of a misunderstanding, VeeGee had left the first party early.
Of course we agreed. VeeGee was delighted to find herself double-teamed by two handsome guys.
Jace and I worked well together; VeeGee sat between us on a sofa and we took turns kissing her. While one of us was kissing her, the other was quite happy playing with her generous braless breasts. She soon chose to expose her nipples for our tongues, it was a first for her and she really liked that part best. Eventually we got our fingers into her panties and VeeGee had a very good time indeed - in fact it was her first "very good time" with male assistance. She cautiously sought to return the favor, although her actions were more exploration than concerted stimulation. Still, with a few suggestions she did the job for Jace, who was on a hair-trigger that night. When Midnight came she was very glad for the time she had with us, and she shared her happiness with Deni who thanked us both.
Deni was so pleased that all three of us were invited over on Sunday to become the first 'actives' in Deni's little social club, forming a sort of inner circle who provided Deni with advice about the group.
I learned later that, after our warmup session left her a nicely warmed up, VeeGee stayed for the after-party, helping with the clean up and then staying over. Deni seduced her and they spent the night together. It seemed they both had pleasant experiences with the softer sex, Deni was aggressive and VeeGee let her, then returned the favor. But they both liked guys for the warmup.
Kitty and Rose were two other girls who made out with guys, "helped clean up," then got friendly overnight. Deni and these other girls were not lesbians. Deni had dated guys in high school and expected to date them in college. But she felt safer overnighting with the 'warmed-up' females, so that is where she started. Plus, she wanted a gathering where, unlike a typical frat party, the females enjoyed the upper hand and were confident a "no" would be respected. If they wanted that hand in their panties, so be it. If a guy wanted such benefits, he had to earn them with good behavior.
It was far better for the ladies than the drunk or date-rape experience of the the typical big college frat party.