P-Day stands for Preparation Day. Preparation Day was a custom started by monks and took place the day before they left for a mission trip. It involved not only packing and making sure they had everything they needed for the trip, but also relaxing and enjoying their last hours of free time. Saint Mike’s, being a Catholic college, embraced this philosophy and spread it to our students. Instead of a mission trip, though, it was Finals Week that needed to be prepared for. The tradition has lived on for years. For you first-years out there, it is your first time experiencing this wonderful day. So, in light of the Catholic origins of this blessed day, I have put together a few guiding commandments for you to keep in mind this P-Day.
1) Thou shalt not do anything other than have fun and relax.
Priority Number 1: Have a blast. Enjoy every aspect of P-Day from the food tents, to the bouncy houses, to the relaxing quality time with your friends. Don’t let anything else get in the way of this day designated for break-time, enjoyment, and preparation. After this day, reality comes knocking and we must answer.
2)Thou shalt not take the name of the day, your P-Day, in vain.
Participate. P-Day happens once a year and gives all of us the green light go-ahead to take a break from everything related to academics and St. Mike’s in general. Don’t waste this! Go outside and take advantage of this awesome, campus-wide opportunity. And while there is an association between P-Day and drinking, you most definitely don’t have to! Alcohol is not a requirement, but participating and having fun definitely is.
3)Remember to keep holy the midday nap.
This is a personal rule of mine for all of those who love sleep and especially love naps. P-Day gets going as soon as you wake up and it’s an all-day event. By 3 o’clock your body needs a recharge before going back out. Listen to it! Naps are a beautiful thing so get your beautiful P-Day self back inside for some much-needed zzz’s. Wake up, drink some water, and head back out! You’ll feel so much better and will have the energy to fully appreciate and experience the rest of the day (and night).
4)Honor thy seniors, juniors, P-Day workers, and Pub Safe by not being belligerent.
P-Day is a time for fully letting loose and getting rid of all the stresses your body’s been feeling for the past three weeks. By all means, let it all go! Just don’t be a jerk about it. That means don’t get sick in public or in someone else’s room. That means, if you’re in someone else’s room or townhouse, don’t break anything. That means, don’t be violent or mean to anyone around you. They are trying to have fun and relax just like you. Seniors and juniors are awesome enough to open up their townhouses to you, respect that. Pub Safe just wants to make sure you’re not in need of medical assistance, respect that. P-Day workers sacrificed their day to help you have fun with yours, respect that. Don’t be a jerk to anyone.
5) Thou shalt not kill…a thirty rack all at once. Pace yourself!
As I’m sure you’ve heard everyone and their brother say to you, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” While I quickly tired of hearing this cliche ad nauseam, it’s the most concise way to convey a necessary principle of P-Day. Take it slow, don’t burn out too fast or you won’t get to enjoy the rest of the day. You have all day to toast to the PBR gods, so make it a casual day of drinking, not a binged shotgunning contest. Drink responsibly.
6) Thou shalt not commit to any expectations.
Don’t go into this with huge expectations. Don’t picture a 90’s, early 00’s college movie where everyone’s on the quad and openly drinking, listening to loud party music etc. (Accepted anyone?) Pub Safe is walking around and if you’re under 21, drinking is still illegal and you will be addressed if seen drinking. This is still Saint Michael’s College, even if we’re taking a break from that mentality for a day. If you go in with high expectations (like I did last year) you will be disappointed. Go in with the only idea being that you want to have fun. P-Day is great and fun, but it’s not that great and fun. People often build it up to much more than it is.
7) Thou shalt handle thy liquor.
This was kind of addressed in Commandment #4, but to expand on this, P-Day is just like any other night you’ve spent drinking. Yes, the average student probably does drink more than usual due to the timing and nature of the event, but everyone going has been here at least one academic year so by now you should know your limits and how to handle your liquor. If you don’t, figure it out now, because no one wants to spend this day taking care of anyone other than his or herself. Don’t be selfish by putting anyone in that position.
8) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s foods, but go get some of your own!
On P-Day there are food tents. I’m talking Ben and Jerry’s, Skinny Pancake, chinese food, and a few other places. Take advantage of this! If you’re a health nut, take a break for a single day and love yourself by eating yummy, unhealthy food. If you’re not a health nut, you’re already on your way to the food tent (like me). But first, stop by the bouncy house/bouncy obstacle course. Make sure to do it in that order, though, and not the reverse. Something about a full stomach and jumping around just seems like a bad idea.
9) Thou shalt forget about all finals, papers, and projects for one day.
Treat yo’self to sweet, sweet denial. Forget about all of the work you have to complete and let loose for just one day. You deserve it! And if you start to think about it, make the conscious choice not to. We all need a break at this time of the year, so enjoy it. Because on Sunday when you wake up, all of the stress and work will once again become a reality and you will once again be holed up in the library. So, in full spirit of P-Day, prep yourself for that long, uphill week and a half by taking the ultimate break for one day.
10) Thou shalt pray for sunny, warm weather.
This doesn’t really need to be explained, but just say a quick, “Please, God” for me and for all of us that P-Day is gorgeous, sunny, and warm. Although it’s still enjoyable when it’s cloudy out, there’s nothing like full sunlight to make a great day even better.