Why we should still call it ‘Blowout’

As William & Mary student, we’re used to the administration renaming and rebranding those things which we hold dear to our hearts.

Sometimes the change is probably a good idea: even having a mascot as aggressively uninspiring as the Griffin is ultimately preferable to becoming the next “Redskins” controversy. Sometimes the change is confusing: One Tribe Square and One Tribe Place should not be so near each other – OTP should have stayed “HoHouse”. Sometimes the change is just objectively wrong: Dear Freshmen: it will never be “Green & Gold Village,” you live in The Units.

However, the administration will not take “Blowout” from us.

Look, we’ll give you the other ones, they’re just dorms and mascots. Whatever. No big deal. But we see you, surreptitiously putting up posters all over campus – advertising the date of Blowout as “LDOC” (Last Day Of Classes). We see you, and we know what you’re trying to do.

You’re trying to make Blowout lame.

For perhaps the lone William and Mary student who doesn’t know what Blowout is, it’s an event on the final day of classes of spring semester (and also fall semester, for the bold) in which the entire campus becomes one massive darty. It’s awesome. Blowout is the one thing we get to lord over our friends at larger state schools – sure, your parties are more lit, sure, we’re pretty nerdy (and proud of it) – but Blowout redeems us.

We study like fiends all semester and then, once it’s nearly over, we go insane. I wouldn’t trade a semester’s worth of parties at Tech for a single Blowout.

This man is as lit as blowout.

But the administration would prefer we call it LDOC, because – and let’s be honest with ourselves – it’s inherently way less kickass than Blowout. “LDOC” sounds like something your OA walks you through. “LDOC” sounds like a standardized test for the business school. “LDOC” sounds like a seminar you have to attend because your RA found you challenging people to an old-fashioned duel in the lounge because you had a little too much fun last Blowout. And they know it.

Blowout, on the other hand, very clearly represents the kickass-itude the day implies. You studied so hard to make it to this point that you literally have blown up and out. An explosion of debauchery and fun that you’ll never experience again once you’ve graduated and become a “real” adult.

I know we’ve already lost the RA’s (looking at you, Ludwell, with your LBLOC or whatever). We likely have lost the OA’s. But I will not let us slide backwards and away from the light – we must save Blowout.

I implore you, fun students everywhere, to reject LDOC. Now, I know my audience, so I’m not actually asking you to do anything. Because that would require effort, and none of us want anything to do with that. So let’s all just stick with calling it Blowout, OK? We can’t let them have this one.