The day party. A darty, if you will. With weather warming up and spring quarter in full swing, darty season is upon us. And it couldn’t have come soon enough for the budding alcoholics of Stanford University. “Honestly it’s great. Instead of having to drink alone in my room in the morning, I can go out! I’ve been able to work on my tan, even socialize a little. It’s been awesome,” said Tom Reynolds, a junior who frequently tests his limits with alcohol.
Darty season is welcomed with open arms from this group of students who “can’t get through the day without a few cold ones.” With endless beer growing warmer with each minute out in the beating sun and a social acceptance, and even expectation, to begin consumption of alcohol before noon, darties present the perfect recipe for fun and further self-destructive behavior for those dependent on alcohol, all without the added shame. “It’s the best time of the year. I look forward to these few weeks every year – a total break from my roommate judging me and trying to refer me to CAPS,” Reynolds said.
Of course, no darty is perfect, and with this shift of timing comes several disadvantages for these students as well. For one, the isolation factor of day drinking is eliminated with the darty. Others find that the prevalence of drinking games results in a slower consumption.
“Look, there’s just something about the cover of darkness that’s irresistible. It’s much easier to hide how much I’m drinking. So you know, there’s pros and cons to both,” Reynolds said.
