Boot-N-Paddle!
It’s that time of year when the incoming first-year students begin to gain confidence – waltzing around campus as if they have been here for generations, proclaiming the best pub order, the worst time to hit Dana Dining Hall, or the most electrifying party scene. We have all been there—or are lucky enough just to be arriving now. What the first-year students fail to explain, however, is the reason behind the large, looming wedding tent in the middle of campus. Of course, their lack of knowledge causes no delay when they arrive in droves on the Saturday eve of Halloweekend – nor should it. The first-years not only entered the tent this past weekend with the same waltzing confidence as their SLU “hot takes,” but, in some cases, even climbed right up the tent pole itself. As for the SLU veteran, this looming orifice represents one of the Outing Club’s most signature events: Tent Party.
Whether you pre-gamed in Rebert North, Alpha Tau Omega or the Arts Annex, chances are you found yourself jammed into a pack of ecstatically belligerent comrades come 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 1. As soon as the first baseline dropped, the ocean of people began to form their tide. The pulse and rumble from each five-foot loudspeaker could be felt not just in the ears, but in the heart. Clear visibility of the stage became a fighting game for those inclined to see the performers. Although comprehending the urgent words from your screaming friend just inches from your face was a lost cause, the sway, push and pull of the crowd granted you a comforting sense of communal agreement. There were no strangers here; this felt like a party for everyone. And so, it was.
In the new and widely popular smoker’s lounge – from which partiers in need of some “air” could chain-smoke heaps of cigarettes, joints and their offspring the spliff – I could spy droves of folks drawn from all different directions towards our cathedral of sound and motion. As witches, nurses, gorillas and clowns filed in through the tent flaps, the malaise of Tent Party began to set in. Above each crushed beer can, shooter, or pizza crust floated the face of someone, absorbing the strobe and strum of light and bass like a booze-soaked sponge. Soon enough, as far as the eye could see, were the bobbing, bouncing, bumping heads of 400 SLU students dancing to the incredible groove of the student band Frog Policy, and DJs DefSam, Zuki and Bunga.
Within that humming crowd, one could spy numerous unique scenes of tomfoolery and hijinks. Spotted earlier in the Student Center, and existing completely within his own realm, was a shirtless man whose face was shrouded in a plague doctor’s mask. To his left, right, in front or maybe even behind him, danced a larger-than-life breathalyzer displaying a blood alcohol content of “69.69,” and waving a suggestively positioned tube in which to blow. Up front swayed a unified frat flicking wall: the seniors of Beta Theta Pi supporting their DJ pals, Zuki and Bunga. Behind them, jumping with electrifying grace, was the Electro Wizard himself, accompanied by the hero from The Princess Bride: the Dread Pirate Roberts. Somewhere in the sweaty mess buzzed twenty or so bees of varying levels of sobriety, flying from flower to flower and collecting status updates on Tent Party to report back to the hive on stage left – the Outing Club’s due diligence at work. And the real Queen Bee, Director of Student Activities Ashlee Downing-Duke, surveilled like a hawk upon the crowd, managing both safety and serenity in a tough-loving cadence. From the waltzing first-years to the veteran seniors—from residents of the Green House to Lee West, thank you all for helping us prove that Tent Party is indeed a party for everyone. We couldn’t do it without you.
Sincerely,
Your Phriendly Neighborhood Outing Club
– Ben Cabot ’26