DISCLAIMER: Article part of Old Black & Blue
By: FeC Forger
Darty: a drunken party while the sun is out; a day-time party. “We’re going to black out while it’s light out at the darty!” –Urban Dictionary
Amidst all the changes this academic year at Wofford has brought, the spring semester has birthed yet another phenomenon. The darty has seen an unexpected and unprecedented return. Friday afternoons, once a quiet period on campus, have become the backdrop for day time festivities that rival Spring Weekend and the most memorable of evenings at the Greek Row.
“It’s beautiful and astounding,” says Chris Cain ’17, member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. “It’s the perfect time for this to happen for me personally. More time with the brothers and more time in the new house before graduation. I can’t see any possible negatives.”
The darty has grown into a full blown campus cultural movement quite quickly, with alcohol induced debauchery becoming an expected part of Friday and even Saturday afternoons. Chris Edwards ’19, member of Kappa Sigma fraternity, explains the impetus of the darty-ing.
“[Kappa Sigma] just wanted to make Boys Bid Day great again. We really wanted our new members to feel like they were becoming a part of something special. The first darty ended up being super successful, and we haven’t been sober enough to look back since” he says, providing clarity on the origins of these sunlit soirées.
Campus feels, in many ways, revitalized. It is as if students are experienced a Renaissance of thoughts about social gatherings and academic activities on Fridays. Attendance in classes after 12:30 on Fridays has dropped by 85% according to Provost Mike Sosulski.
“Why would a student go to a 2 p.m. class when there is a raging darty going on just across the lawn from Old Main?” questions Sosulski, summing up the feelings of many students who hear the pulsating bass of the party music reverberating in the halls of Old Main, beckoning them to join in the celebration of surviving another week of higher education.
Though the darty culture may seem spontaneous and unplanned, the events themselves are meticulously organized. Just as in a 2 p.m. chemistry lab, there is little room for mistakes when manipulating the elements of day time revelry.
“Honestly, I feel like we are young scientists of party culture,” says Chad Plantation, member of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. “The stages are so precise, and the fundamentals are so key.” He further explains that the key element of a great darty is the shortness of notice. About 10 hours before they want people to show up is the perfect time to inform people that a darty will be happening.
“Inside that 10 hour mark is prime time. You start to hit up the sorority girls. We know they’ll jump all over it. They’re always looking for an excuse to post a picture on Instagram making their live seem like a never-ending rager. Then you mobilize the pledges. They start talking, and Snapchat starts blowing up. Next thing you know, there’s 200 people at the house at 2:30 p.m.,” says Plantation.
Cindy Kathryn ’18, member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, describes why she loves the new darty culture so much: “It’s nice because you can booze straight into your night time activities. Darty from maybe 2:30 to 5, grab some food, pass out on someone’s couch for a few hours and then you’re ready to continue your night.”
This new era of the darty reflects the endless ingenuity of Wofford students, who, despite increasingly more demanding academic requirements, always find new reasons to get drunk.
President Nayef Samhat, expresses his confidence in students: “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The students shape the culture of the campus. This day time partying is something students have created. I fully support them as they find new ways to express themselves through social gatherings.
DISCLAIMER: Article part of Old Black & Blue
