In three full years of higher education I have learned quite a bit. I try to pass on as much of that information as is possible. From the philosophy of Socrates to how to properly smuggle food from the dining halls, I know all of these will help me in the future. One week into my senior campaign I think I have discovered one of the more important nuggets of wisdom of my career -the art of the day party.
Day partying is the often underused tool of euphoria that consists of a group of people who gather in a large outdoor area to drink, eat, and play any lawn game you deem appropriate. Wikipedia and dictionary.com have yet to post any definitions of day partying so that one is my own and open to improvements.
With football games, assignments, and South Bend winters looming in the not so distant future I urge all of you to take advantage while you can. I can say from personal experience, there is nothing else on earth that is quite like a day party done right.
For most of my college life I would anxiously await the sunset before cracking a beer (O'Douls before I was of legal age of course). But we all must learn to open our minds and think outside the box of usual social events. We are not vampires, there's no reason to hide from the great outdoors. Don't let the drinking conventions of past generations hold you back.
I realize for some of you, hopefully not too many, it might be nerve-racking deciding what to do when you can clearly see and hear members of the opposite sex in a social situation. It certainly was for me. Here are a few suggestions for activities to hold you up without the crutch of pounding Journey music and dark, smoke-filled rooms.
Beer Pong and other conventional drinking games get a little more exciting when played in the great outdoors, but make sure to keep a few extra water cups nearby because twigs and dirt in your beer will put a damper on your day.
A Bean Bag set is also a staple of the day party experience. Bags, also commonly referred to as Cornhole, is a fun game for all to play and allows each player to consume at their own pace. A set is easy to put together with a trip to Lowe's or Home Depot. I would suggest going all out and giving your set a nice paint job. This provides for a solid conversation piece for after you ask your new friend where they are from, what dorm they live in, and what they are studying.
Other more extravagant items that I would highly suggest include a volleyball net, kiddy pool, bocce set or slip-and-slide.
But with music, beer, and sunshine anything else you can dream up is just icing on the cake. Go out there and party it up
