Bring on the new tradition
By Christopher DaCosta
Stress. My libido hasn't been this low since I saw pictures of Michael Jackson with his surgically inserted stubble. Faux facial hair aside, these past few weeks have not only wreaked havoc on our sex lives but have also diminished the possibility of salvaging any sort of respectable grades.
On the other side of El Camino, our cousins at Stanford seem blissfully relaxed and devoid of sexual frustration.
What's their secret, you ask? Apart from the alleged presence of every student's dream -- grade inflation -- and lax libations policies, Stanford is also home to a notoriously bacchanalian festivity called "Full Moon on the Quad."
The event is proof strange things happen on the first full moon of fall quarter, at least at good old Stanford; the big brother who always manages to steal the Bay Area limelight.
Last Wednesday I made the arduous journey north. I had decided to trade in an oh-so exciting Wednesday night at Santa Clara for an academic experience: Debauchery 101.
My Stanford friend coaxed and wheedled me into attending a "special Stanford freshman initiation" event. Little did I know this "initiation" was more a "college kids gone wild" sort of thing.
Stanford tradition dictates that seniors and freshman must gather in the quad on the night of the first full moon of the year. At midnight, freshmen and seniors must lock lips, imparting a physical legacy of tongue-work passed down to a new generation of Cardinals.
"Basically, everyone goes to this thing and it's all an uncommunicated excuse to track down and make-out with your crush," explained my friend.
I was dumbfounded. Even more so when we arrived at the quad greeted by cold temperatures, large crowds of co-eds and a few naked students.
This large-scale event paled in comparison to any Havoc party or midnight breakfast -- this was a writhing mass of horny college students brimming with school spirit. With all the excitement and frenzy, I managed to get pulled into a few involuntary spit-swaps with some Stanford hotties.
Costumes and live entertainment were present, oh and who could forget the hunky Stanford athletes. I was even more pleased to find the signature rainbow flag with two guys making out underneath.
Perhaps we here at Santa Clara could shed our worries about our multiple group projects and our conservative image and embrace a similar midnight hook-up ritual -- which would be a smashing success with all the lookers on campus.
* Ã Ã Contact Christopher DaCosta at cdacosta@scu.edu.