How Weather Affects Partying

Katelin Kelly
Kappa Kappa Gamma

Lubbock is notorious for its lack of seasons and particularly dry and windy climate. For the past several years, Lubbock has been in one of its worst droughts in history. If we are ever blessed with rain it takes form as a cold mist, similar to the machines that hang above you to cool you down at Six Flags. The skies are filled with gray clouds and the sun is nowhere in sight. Its days like these that really affect my positive outlook and social attitude.  

When it’s time for class you wake up and peek out your blinds to see it’s a rainboots and umbrella kind of day. Forget trying to get your daily exercise by riding your bike to class because the brisk, damp morning air against your face will have you looking like a pathetic, wet dog by the time you get to class. After factoring in the fact that it’s Friday and you deserve to sleep in, you roll over, pull the covers back over your head and go back to sleep. Justifying not going to class is something I’m a pro at, but when I start to back out of Friday night plans, I know the weather has gotten me down.

It’s 6:00 but it feels like 9:00 because of how dark the clouds are making the sky, you’ve managed to pry yourself out of your bed twice the whole day and getting up to shower and get ready for the night sounds like the least appealing thing possible. And then, just when you convinced yourself you will go out to the pre-party but won’t go to the bar, you see it’s a Harry Potter weekend and it's game over. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying a night in on the weekends can’t do a body good sometimes, but when I wake up to a day mimicking Twilight weather, I know I’m not going to be very social for the rest of the day and that attitude often transfers into the night.

Even though Lubbock has two main seasons, cold or hot, there is some hope to get your party game back. During March and April slowly but surely something starts happening and the temperature rises. The 60 degree weather makes its way into the 70s, then the 80s and weather like this can only mean one thing for the Greeks of Texas Tech. It’s time for day parties. Day parties are not for the weak. You have to get up and get movin’ if you’re going to commit to a day party. You’ve barely woken up and eaten lunch but if the suns up it's time to put on your oversized tank that looks flattering on no one, Texas flag Nike shorts and all the other personalized gear you ordered from Cal’s Tees weeks in advance, as any good day partier should. Once you get outside to your day party of choice, your body soaks up the sun’s foreign rays and with a beer in hand and sand between your toes, it really can’t get much better. But take caution, even though the warm weather seems heavenly and your beverages taste cool and refreshing, it will all start to turn on you after a couple of hours. Once it hits mid day the sun is beating on your back and you start to turn pink. Your mouth turns dry and there’s nothing to drink besides alcohol, which, at this point, is teaming up with the heat to start the dehydration process. You’ve become a victim of the day party and all you want to do is bail to get out of the sun. Don’t let this happen to you. Be sure to get plenty of rest and water the day before in preparation for day partying. Also, don’t be ashamed to be responsible and fill that personalized jug you got with water to rescue you from dehydrating throughout the day. And then if you know what you’re doing, you will be able to champ through a day party and stay strong well into the night.

Overall remember not to let the cold Lubbock weather get you down and put you into an anti-social funk. There will be a brighter day in the near future and those days will be filled with good times. And now that you know how to survive them, let the day parties begin. 

Katelin is a senior studying journalism. You may contact her at katelin.kelly@ttu.com.