Georgetown in the 80s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I really appreciate all the reminiscing going on here, but no one has actually answered my question. Was the student body as cool as represented in that movie or not?

Shockingly enough, the Hollywood movie does not in fact reflect reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I really appreciate all the reminiscing going on here, but no one has actually answered my question. Was the student body as cool as represented in that movie or not?

The student body in the movie wasn't cool. Those of us who were there in real life at the time were much cooler.

Not a lot of Rob Lowes among you I suspect!

Frat boys who end up working at a gas station after a DUI? Nope, can't think of any in my class.

[Anonymous]

We've established that Georgetown itself (the neighborhood) was cool. Not sure about the student body. It was a hot school. The movie. The NCAA championship. Patrick Ewing. Heady times.

[Anonymous]

Georgetown was douchey … but Poseurs was not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I really appreciate all the reminiscing going on here, but no one has actually answered my question. Was the student body as cool as represented in that movie or not?

The writer and producer was a friend at Duke. I could tell you the real person associated with each of the characters in the movie. They were modeled on people Kurlander knew from his dorm on West Campus. My girlfriend and later my wife lived in that dorm. It was new and modern and one traded living off the main quad for the air conditioning and amenities in the new dorm in exchange for a long walk up the hill and often a lengthy walk to stem classes on science drive. The gossip around reflected that the people in that dorm were independent minded and did their own thing. I thought they were nice people but not necessarily in the mold of the wealthy kids from NY and NJ. The “real” people involved were not exactly nerds but were very good students and very interesting people. If this made them “cool” I could see that perception as valid. My sister in law was my wife’s college roommate and fit that mold. Her father was the chief physician at Mayo in Minnesota. She was very well off but not snobby and was not in the least pretentious. Not surprisingly she found my late twin brother a match.

I did finish law school at Georgetown in the 80’s and took a few MBA classes on the main campus. If anything, I found the students wealthier than Duke - which was no small thing - especially the international students. Suffice to say Georgetown had a lot of talent in a number of endeavors. Maybe the best way to look at the students in the 80’s.

I was a bit emotional watching the movie. I had no social life at Duke as I was really poor and was an outcast with only athletic prowess keeping some doors open (I was invited into an honors program because the director wanted a scholarship athlete and the students in the program were far more kind to me than I deserved). I had no parents in my life whatsoever, my mother was in the throes of addiction and I was frightened and embarrassed, far more than I would ever let on. I was emotional over what I had missed in college - a true set of friends. But I was lucky - went to two rigorous schools entirely on my own from age 18 with no debt. Couldn’t be done today.

Kurlander - who by the way was really a great student - really keyed on the emotional richness of having a great network of friends. That was the thing at Duke. People often gave the impression they were humming along but then a really high intellectual gear would kick in. A great lesson in not stereotyping anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I really appreciate all the reminiscing going on here, but no one has actually answered my question. Was the student body as cool as represented in that movie or not?

The student body in the movie wasn't cool. Those of us who were there in real life at the time were much cooler.

Not a lot of Rob Lowes among you I suspect!

The 80s...when a saxophonist (with shades of course) was getting all the girls. I also find that to be one of the dated/comical aspects of the movie.

[Anonymous]

I was out partying with my sister at a bar in DC (she was the local- I was visiting from grad school). We were handed a paper asking us to show up early in the am (6am?) the next day with Halloween costumes to be movie extras. No where near Halloween. Of course we stayed out partying and did not show up for the potential ability to be in the movie background.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I really appreciate all the reminiscing going on here, but no one has actually answered my question. Was the student body as cool as represented in that movie or not?

The writer and producer was a friend at Duke. I could tell you the real person associated with each of the characters in the movie. They were modeled on people Kurlander knew from his dorm on West Campus. My girlfriend and later my wife lived in that dorm. It was new and modern and one traded living off the main quad for the air conditioning and amenities in the new dorm in exchange for a long walk up the hill and often a lengthy walk to stem classes on science drive. The gossip around reflected that the people in that dorm were independent minded and did their own thing. I thought they were nice people but not necessarily in the mold of the wealthy kids from NY and NJ. The “real” people involved were not exactly nerds but were very good students and very interesting people. If this made them “cool” I could see that perception as valid. My sister in law was my wife’s college roommate and fit that mold. Her father was the chief physician at Mayo in Minnesota. She was very well off but not snobby and was not in the least pretentious. Not surprisingly she found my late twin brother a match.

I did finish law school at Georgetown in the 80’s and took a few MBA classes on the main campus. If anything, I found the students wealthier than Duke - which was no small thing - especially the international students. Suffice to say Georgetown had a lot of talent in a number of endeavors. Maybe the best way to look at the students in the 80’s.

I was a bit emotional watching the movie. I had no social life at Duke as I was really poor and was an outcast with only athletic prowess keeping some doors open (I was invited into an honors program because the director wanted a scholarship athlete and the students in the program were far more kind to me than I deserved). I had no parents in my life whatsoever, my mother was in the throes of addiction and I was frightened and embarrassed, far more than I would ever let on. I was emotional over what I had missed in college - a true set of friends. But I was lucky - went to two rigorous schools entirely on my own from age 18 with no debt. Couldn’t be done today.

Kurlander - who by the way was really a great student - really keyed on the emotional richness of having a great network of friends. That was the thing at Duke. People often gave the impression they were humming along but then a really high intellectual gear would kick in. A great lesson in not stereotyping anyone.

I hope he is not as boring as you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But they shopped at places like Commander Salamander went dancing at the Fishmarket and hung out at 3rd addition.

As a NOVA high schooler, I did all of those things too. I so miss the Georgetown of those days.
NP

Same. I was also "desperately seeking sushi"

[Anonymous]

Nah, same as now just a bunch of sad Notre Dame rejects.

[Anonymous]

That movie was outside the University of Maryland in College Park by the Frats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown was amazing in the 80's, god how I miss that time. Third edition was our after work cocktail hour and everyone from the office showed up for a drink. Times were so much simpler and more social, you know, before social media that was supposed to improve our social lives. Lol.

Social media is not about improving your social life.

It is about creating the illusion that you have a perfect, enviable life, so you are too busy filming yourself curating a fake perfect life to enjoy the imperfections of a real life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That movie was outside the University of Maryland in College Park by the Frats.

That one scene was. The rest included multiple exteriors throughout Georgetown and sets recreating both the exterior of 3rd Edition and the interior of The Tombs to represent St. Elmo's Bar.