Darty Season: Pros and Cons

It’s almost summer (fingers crossed), and that can only mean one thing: darty season. Whether you’re looking to enjoy the end of spring on campus instead of studying for finals, or you’re looking ahead to post-finals freedom, we see a few darties in your future. We love a good darty, but like everything in life, there are tradeoffs.

Pro: Think of the possibilities…

The daytime allows for a lot more excitement in terms of party themes and activities. We’re talking pool parties, barbeques (who doesn’t love to chill and grill?), and maybe even some spike ball (or Frisbee throwing—both equally amazing bro activities).

Con: No time for homework, or literally anything else

We don’t like to admit it, but we go to Harvard, and most of us are try-hards. A darty takes up most of the day and renders the rest of the day useless due to the post-darty daze. We like to stick to parties at night so that we can spend the day grinding through psets.

Pro: New frontier of party outfits

Did someone say Coachella? There’s something special about outfits on hot summer days that just can’t be replicated at night—we’re talking crochet crop tops and bucket hats—so darties help us diversify our party fashion. Do it for the Instagram, as they say, since Vine is dead.

Con: Actually dead by 8 p.m.

If you went to Yardfest (and began drinking mid-afternoon), you know exactly what we’re talking about. It’s very hard to rally once the alcohol and adrenaline wears off, so the choice to darty is the choice to not party that night. You’d hate to miss out on the fun the evening could hold because you passed out just after sunset.

Pro: More sunlight=more tanning time

It’s productive to make friends, have fun, and get tanned all at the same time, right? For those of us looking to replace our winter selves with a glossier, sun-kissed summer version, the darty is the ideal place to wear minimal clothing and get maximal sun exposure.

Con: We can’t rely on Boston weather

Since we’re still struggling to battle through a few cold days in April, how can we expect to have weather good enough for a darty? It’s impossible to plan a darty in advance because we can’t know if it’ll be 80 degrees and sunny or thunder-snowing, which can be quite the deal breaker for a good darty.

The jury is still out on this form of partying, but we recommend that you check one out for yourself before loving or hating darties altogether.