Have you ever seen a hundred visibly intoxicated girls in bathing suit tops and jean shorts roaming the streets of a college town in the afternoon? No? How about a group of shirtless fraternity boys shot-gunning a beer at the incredibly late hour of 10 a.m.? Not that either? Well, then you clearly haven’t been to UC Santa Barbara's illustrious Deltopia, or as the “real” adults of UC Santa Barbara like to randomly call it, "The Warm Up.” (The warm up for what? My liver?)
Here’s a little background information: on the first weekend of spring quarter, everyone and their out-of-town mothers flock to the already crowded beach street called Del Playa to day-drink. Police patrol the streets on horses, and you can see people getting arrested on almost every block. Basically, it’s an excuse to start drinking at 9 a.m. without anyone giving you a weird look, except the war generals on their high horses.
Somehow I managed to survive my first Deltopia without any physical or long-lasting psychological problems. Here’s my freshman-approved guide to surviving the madness that is day raging:
1. Drink a ton of water
Literally drink as if you’ve been in the desert for eight months, and you just saw a lake. Even if you think you’ve had enough, have more. Take it like a shot if you don’t want to feel left out. Hydration over hangover.
2. Eat before going out
Totally obvious advice, but I saw a ton of people skipping brunch and going straight for the bottle. Not smart…seriously. The line around Freebirds was longer than it is at 1 a.m., and no amount of guacamole or nachos in the world could have convinced me to wait in that.
3. Always have an exit buddy
In the wise words of Pixar, always know your exit buddy. It is in your best interest to have someone who will immediately leave a party with you as soon as creepy frat boy number one starts making moves, and creepy frat boy number two doesn’t seem too far behind.
4. Don't sit on any curb
Any UC Santa Barbara student will tell you that the last thing you should dowhen you’re drunk is to sit on a curb. Cops will swarm you with breathalyzers faster than you can say “shots."
5. Know whose house you're going to
Deltopia is a million times better and safer if you’re partying with your closest friends. Besides, do you really want to be stuck at a house with a bunch of random out-of-towners screaming how “lit” UC Santa Barbarais? That party is going to get shut down insanely fast.
If you follow these basic rules, Deltopia will be a day to remember--or forget. I don’t judge. Happy dayging!
