Even though Reims is a small city, it has a pretty decent nightlife. Place d’Erlon is filled with bars, some of which are named after famous people who were not French, like Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce. Some of the bigger bars have miniature dance floors where old bearded men play old, fun American songs on their Macintosh computers. Place d’Erlon is really great when the weather is nice because all of the students go there and just drink outside of all of the bars. There is a lot of interaction and even places to sit outside. However, as the weather becomes colder and it rains more, it’s nice to seek refuge inside the bars.
If bars are not your style and you love to dance, there are a few club options throughout Reims. The only club that I’ve been to is named “the factory” and the trip was organized by Sciences Po. It was a fun bonding experience because everyone from the school attended and danced to cheesy American music together. However, it was extremely far away and didn’t let us in for an hour, which made the experience really tiring.
A really different thing between Sciences Po and Drexel is the existence of the BDE, or the bureau des élèves. The BDE is a group of second year students who were elected to the position at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. They are in charge of planning events, excursions, and parties. This is key. At Drexel, clubs are active and there are many events that take place on campus. However, I could not even imagine CAB, the campus activities board, organizing a public party and collecting money for it on campus. I was extremely shocked when the BDE threw a house party and one of their residences and collected 5 euros from students wishing to attend. Another side note, most parties thrown by Sciences Po members are extremely crowded because even though the campus is small, the entire campus attends these parties and activities. School spirit is huge at Sciences Po Reims, the beaver tribe –the school mascot is a beaver – is a tight-knit group.
Many second year students tell me that the nightlife in Reims is pretty small in comparison to bigger cities. Nonetheless, it is still possible to go out, bond with new friends, and have fun.
