As we all know UT and A&M have been at war for who knows how long. We compete about academics, pride, location, and in the past, sports. But these past two weekends the two schools went head to head in the only competition that really matters, "Who can throw the biggest and best weekend long party?" I attended both and well... Let's look at the stats.

Attire

A cute country outfit was pretty much the standard for most girls at Chilifest. Cute, Country, and Chic seemed to be the motto that weekend. That, or an oversized frat shirt/tank. But no matter what, cowboy boots were always a must. Pro Tip: Do not wear white.

However, Round Up was a bit more laid back with the main attire consisting of sororities' custom made apparel or the typical basketball jersey. Of course, no outfit would've been complete without the staple fanny pack and glitter to match. Most girls also opted to temporarily tattoo their bodies with Sharpie as well. Maybe I'm biased, but I know I was definitely more comfortable for Round Up wearing sneakers rather than boots so I'm gonna have to give this round to UT.

Venue

Chilifest is held every year at Snook, Texas out in a field practically in the middle of nowhere. This means each of their fraternities have to create their own houses or "builds" around the field to keep all the party shenanigans away from prying cops' eyes. This build of the white house was pretty impressive though so I guess you win this round A&M. *eye roll*

All the parties at Round Up are held at each fraternity's house with the exception of a few who held darties in parking lots. The atmosphere was just like any typical frat party except multiply that by 20. At this particular frat, there was even a pool which many people took advantage of after spending all day in the heat, so UT gets brownie points for that one.

Performers

There was one stage at Chilifest and while it was bigger than any of the frat stages we had here at Round Up, but their lineup was little to talk about. Performing were Cody Johnson (which must be a local celebrity because I have never heard anyone outside of College Station talk about him) and Lynyrd Skynyrd (whoever they are)? It goes without saying, but I did not attend the concert.

UT, on the other hand, had some decently big names in all sorts of genres from EDM to rap to country. Round Up brought ILoveMakonnen, Ugly God, NGHTMRE, Paul Waul, Wes Walker, Travis Porter, and Afroman just to name a few. I, along with about 30 other girls, also got to be onstage with Travis Porter which just about made my weekend. I think it's pretty clear who the winner of this round is, sorry A&M.

Things to do...

Chilifest is a big music festival filled with drunk college kids, overpriced food, alcohol, and country music. But to my surprise, it was also filled with a good amount of adults and their families? I assume they mainly went for the concert and chili (although I never saw any chili in my two days of attendance). Besides the concert and going into the builds there wasn't much else Chilifest had to offer.

UT, on the other hand, had plenty to offer as the parties ranged from noon to 2 a.m. There were crawfish boils, darties, mechanical bulls, inflatable slides, night time raves, and don't forget there were outdoor AND indoor venues, which was something I desperately craved when at Chilifest.

UT - 3 A&M - 1

Things to complain about...

Don't get me wrong Chilifest was a blast but from what I've heard in the past and experienced this year, it rains, like every time. Being outside in a field, that's a problem because well, mud. Most frats didn't put plywood down in their builds so you were basically partying in a tight, enclosed mud pit.

Round Up's fatal flaw was that a good amount of parties I attended were shut down by the po-po. Screw 12, am I right? Travis Porter only got to perform about two songs before the entire thing was shut down by local police. Also, the lines to get into the frats were mostly ridiculous, even if you showed up hours in advance there was a good chance by the time the gates opened you'd be pushed to the back because college students have no respect for waiting their turn. Lines eventually turned into mosh pits and it was not a pretty sight. I'd rather take a bit of mud than the entire getting shut down and waiting hours in line with people pushing so you have another win A&M.

Overall Experience

While A&M and Chilifest were more fun than I'd like to admit, I'll always rep my one and only UT. Chilifest was surprisingly entertaining between all the boys in overalls, country music, and ironically laid back cops. As a lover of country and my dear friends who attend this less than desirable University, I would go back. It was a nice weekend trip and a good way to follow up Round Up but it could never top it.

My first experience at Round Up was one I'll never forget. I now consider myself a veteran as if I've gone through the great war that was rallying. I definitely know better for next year and will better equip myself to withstand the all day partying, long lines, and nonstop dancing. The atmosphere was like no other and I've never seen happier or more carefree people. I'll be waiting for you, Round Up 2018, I know you won't disappoint.

Final Score: Round Up takes Chilifest 3-2