Upper year students at McGill always seem to remember Frosh as the “best and craziest week of their lives.” I remember uttering this statement myself back in first and second year, and while I still believe it to be partly true, this past Frosh week forced me to reflect on my four years at McGill. While I cannot deny the fun that my first-year-self had chugging beers and trying to sneak into the night events with the underage black (read: plague) bracelet on my arm, partaking in Frosh again made me aware of my older, fourth year status. All of the chaos and reflection of Frosh has led me to create a summary of a few aspects (both good and bad) of this first weekend back to school.
The Theme
On every Frosh application, prospective Frosh Leaders and O-staff members are asked to give a suggestion of a theme they think would be appropriate for Frosh. I am personally always a fan of the themes that have Frosh incorporated into the name, and spend far too much time last year thinking of a theme that falls into this category. My own suggestion was Frosh Prince of Bel-Air, so you can imagine my excitement when the announcement email was sent saying that firstly I will be a part of O-staff, and that the theme was Frosh Prince of Bel-Arts. Most Frosh themes somehow end up circling back to either the 90s or tight and bright, which made this theme perfect. Having been born in the early 90s I thought that the theme would be relatable to all Frosh Leaders and O-staff, but maybe not to the ‘Froshies”, who I tend to assume are a decade younger than myself and must therefore fail to understand any 90s pop-culture references.
Night Events
Night events are a place where no older students should be allowed, considering the golden rule of Frosh-leading or O-stafffing (do not hook up with the Froshies). As tempting as it is to kiss a toddler, the night events are often much more fun for the students actually participating in Frosh, as it is a time for them to really get to know each other very well (if you know what I mean). The night events, that mostly take place at clubs, were largely what made me feel ancient in comparison to the Froshies. This fact is mostly because I only made it to one of the four night events, after falling asleep too early or preferring to stay home and watch a movie with my friends after a long day of drinking on lower field. While some of the leaders and O-staff members look forward to the end of Frosh because it’s officially all over and the froshies are now fair game, I was looking forward to going home and not having to start drinking the next day at 11:00.
Beach Day
Beach Day is the one Frosh event that is most likely more enjoyed by the leaders and O-staff than the Froshies themselves and is relatable to Power Hour during Carnival (aka the best event). In my Frosh year I didn’t make it to Beach Day because nothing seemed more unappealing than lying in the sun on a beach when I was hungover. I wish that someone had explained to me three years ago that Beach Day is so much more than lying in the sand, so I would have gotten myself out of bed at 9am and enjoyed the greatest part of Frosh. The past two years that I’ve been involved in Frosh (as a leader and then O-staff) I was smart enough to drag myself out of sleep and onto the hour and a half bus ride to experience a day of drinking, dancing, drinking, and splashing around like children. This year Beach Day really took it out of me (note to self: it is wise to eat something before consuming seven or eight drinks) and by the time I walked off the bus I was ready for a solid 12-hour sleep. Beach Day is easily the best part of Frosh, and is something that every student at McGill should experience, whether as a freshman or as a senior.
Overall, Frosh is (hopefully) a happy memory for most students at McGill, and there is always an opportunity to try and redo it after first year by getting involved as a Frosh leader or O-staff. While I may complain about feeling old, I have to admit that Frosh is always fun and all three times that I’ve been involved have been positive experiences. While there is nothing quite like a student’s first time doing Frosh, there are many more insane weekends at McGill that are enjoyed by all age groups. With the insanity of my final Frosh behind me, I only get more excited for more old age friendly weekends such as Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day.