I don’t know where you get your information from, but the minhag in yeshivos was to get drunk.
Sam, this the basic answer I’d give to your question. I’m aware that the mishna berura and it seems the halachic consensus is to not get drunk. But in yeshiva we did, and in my father’s yeshiva they did, and from what I can tell in rav yisroel salanter’s time they did.