Whether it’s just one (epic) day or a weekend-long celebration, most universities in the Northeast commemorate the end of treacherous winter and the beginning of beautiful spring weather with an outdoor “SpringFest” of some sort. There are activities and events sponsored by the university, and of course, plenty of parties going on all day and night. No matter what name your college or university has for this sacred event, everyone is bound to run into a few of the same sights, including, but not limited to:
1. Fanny packs
Once a hideous and unfortunate ‘functional fashion’ faux pas adopted by parents in the 90s, the fanny pack is now a staple of the college partier. Though still slightly hideous and worn in a kind of ironic way by college students, fanny packs actually make a lot of sense, especially for girls. Gone are the days of forgetting your purse at a party and losing your keys, ID, phone, and money: when you put them in a fanny pack they are literally strapped to your body. Wherever you go, they will follow.
2. Dogs
Where they come from and whose they are will usually remain a mystery, but even in the middle of a crowded quad full of rowdy college kids, you are bound to find at least one dog on SpringFest weekend. And it is amazing.
3. Alum
These are mostly just people who are recent grads reliving the glory days of college for one more year before it becomes very obvious that they are not undergrads, and kind of weird / slightly creepy for them to frolic around the frat quad like they used to.
4. Girls who strategically cut in front of every single line.
Whether it’s for food or for free giveaways, these girls have cutting the line down to a science. They go up to a friend who is close to the front of the line and pretend like they haven’t seen them in forever. They greet them with an enthusiastic “Oh my god what’s uuuup?!” and then go in for the hug and start up a conversation with them. Before you know it they find themselves so wrapped up in conversation that they never leave and eventually wind up at the front of the line, and they ‘might as well’ just get food while they’re up there (I cannot deny having done this before).
5. An excessive number of frisbees.
6. Water bottles that are very obviously not filled with water.
7. Overeager freshmen
First time spring party weekenders who go way too hard can probably be found drinking excessively out of a water bottle or flask behind the porta potties or the freshman dorm. A few hours later they can be found passed out in their beds covered in their own vomit.
8. "YOLO" Seniors
Seniors who realize that graduation is closer than they would probably like for it to be and drink to forget it.
9. The seasoned veteran, a.k.a. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint” guy
Each of them probably have their own spring party weekend story to share from their freshman year before they adopted “It’s a marathon, not a sprint” as their personal mantra. They will get rowdy but keep it to a dull roar.
10. Sunburns.
11. Kids on the roof of off-campus houses.
12. Someone in a flower crown.
13. Someone climbing a tree that probably should not be climbing a tree.
14. “Reminiscers”
“Dude, remember last year when I puked in front of public safety?”
And, of course,
15. Salmon shorts.
