#millfest

Ladies and Gentleman, fest season is officially upon us. 

For some of you who don’t know, fest season originated in the 1960s at Ohio University. It began as a block party on the different streets in Athens, and ever since then it has grown to be one of the biggest traditions at OU. 

Whenever I used to hear anyone hype up the fests I could never relate. They looked like a great time and I know that’s what OU is known for, but nothing really drove me to go to a fest. My freshman year I attended the Number Fest and that was an interesting experience. I was constantly dodging beer cans getting thrown, often saw people making out and mud was everywhere! It probably wasn’t the best first fest experience to have considering Number Fest is one of the wildest ones, but it definitely was interesting. Ever since then I haven’t been to any of the fests but this year I said that before I graduate I would go to every one.

Saturday I went to the first fest of the season, Mill Fest. I finally got to fully experience what it meant to “Fest with the Best.” I’ve come to realize that if you’re not naturally a wild person, you really have to mentally prepare yourself for the mayhem that is going to ensue at a fest. Granted, people have blown some things out of proportion but fests do get pretty wild. 

  So below is the “The Lone Giraffe” certified OU Fest guide: 

  1. Realize early on that people are not themselves at a fest     

I believe that when people attend a fest that they take on a new persona. In the way that Beyonce is sometimes Sasha Fierce, they go into beast mode. A lot of it probably has to do with the amount of alcohol they’ve consumed but when you’re festing you feel like nothing can stop you. So don’t be alarmed if your friends are more “turnt” than usual, it’s just fest season kicking in. 

  2. Dress appropriately

  This is probably the biggest decision you will make during spring semester at OU… what to wear to fest. Some people don’t take it that seriously but there is definitely some underground fashion that is happening. The trends that I see most frequently are: 

Basketball jerseys

LAX pennies

Jean shorts or Leggings 

Neon colors 

Old Nikes, Converse or rain boots

Any kind of baseball cap worn backwards

Sunglasses.

Most attempt the “I don’t care, I’m just chilling, but I really do care” outfit and I commend them. It’s like you don’t want to dress like you’re going to an event, but at the same time you’re going to see everyone you know so you can’t actually look like trash. I decided to wear a grey sweatshirt, cargo pants and rain boots. It wasn’t the cutest outfit but I was warm and comfortable. Fest attire is tricky but at the end of the day as long as you don’t care about mud and you’re having fun that’s all that matters. 

  3. Don’t get lost 

Getting lost is probably one of the scariest things that could happen to you. I noticed that people’s phones tend to die faster due to creating (and watching) so many snapchat stories and posting pictures onto Instagram. The social media overload will definitely kill your phone fast. So try to stay as close to your friends as possible. Wandering off to go have your own adventure really isn’t the best thing to do. That’s how people wake up in an alley and no one wants that. 

4. Fanny packs are cool 

Kind of back to the fashion thing. I always hear people talking about how they lose their whole lives during fest season. I believe the solution to this is to wear an old fashion fanny pack. They’re definitely not the cutest thing in the world but it will keep you from losing your phone and wallet. It also allows for your hands to be free at all times. 

5. Don’t get arrested This is probably the biggest tip of advice. PLEASE DON’T GET ARRESTED! It’s really easy not to get arrested. If you decide to drink, stay on someone’s lawn and don’t have an open container. If you do have an open container or a cup make sure it’s turned upside down so the police know that it’s empty. I have seen soooo many people get arrested. It’s like I’m watching a live episode of cops. So don’t be that person, be smart. 

I hope that advice was helpful! Don’t be scared of Fest Season like I was, embrace it but be smart about it as well!