March 10, 2023 | FEATURES | By Brett LeVan
One thing I’ve found during my first semester at college: Colorado College is a place where the likelihood of there being parties is not certain, but students will find ways to party either way.
A Priddy leader once mentioned that CC is a “work hard, play hard” environment, and I have not looked at CC the same since. Catching up with my high school friends who go to bigger universities, or even other small liberal arts schools: Thursdays seem to be their go-to nights out, frequently visiting local bars or clubs right off campus.
However, regardless of whether other schools do the same, CC feels different; an environment where Wednesdays often end in dancing under LED lights with your girlfriends. We call this “Classy Wednesdays”: black-tie attire, fancy drinks and students who show up to class on Thursday just a smidge less talkative and a bit sicklier.
As a first-year who went to a very conservative and strict boarding school, the party scene here was both a culture shock and a disappointment. Four years and a gap year – never being able to have the “typical” party experiences other people my age had was both a blessing and a curse.
Now, after five blocks here, I find Classy Wednesdays a special, but funny, part of CC’s culture. One Wednesday during block two, I was hanging out with friends before going out, and before we left my friend put me in black jeans and a black corset top – which I quickly realized was classy midweek attire.
For both Wednesdays and weekends, YikYak is often the place of investigation for whether or not parties will be happening. Looking at all the posts and comments from “Nearby” or “Less than a mile away” asking, “who’s throwing?” or “where can we get classy tonight?” is a weekly occurrence.
I find it funny when others from “~5 miles away” or “>3 miles away” ask, “what’s classy?” And in my head I often wonder why a very public Colorado Springs platform is the only place of reference for parties around campus. It makes me realize how small CC is sometimes, and how obsolete the party scenes can be here.
An impression I’ve received from upper-classmen is that Classy Wednesday is often an under-classmen activity. This is often how I feel going out sometimes, seeing the same groups of sports teams or cliques that have formed little dance circles. Still trying to find their group and to soak up every experience the first year at college offers, you can always expect that first-years will run the parties that are advertised on YikYak.
I wonder how Classy Wednesdays even started, the same with other traditions unique to CC like CROOZ, Midnight Rasty’s, Llamapalooza, champagne showers for graduates, and Senior calendar for the first and last blocks.
With wine bottles in the recycling bins and a sea of people dressed in black-tie attire, Classy Wednesdays are a quirky part of CC’s culture. My roommate often wears a black t-shirt with a suit design printed on it, and one of my other friends wears a white t-shirt with a dress design printed on it; paired together, it makes me smile every time. With the contrast to bigger universities, getting dressed up on Wednesday nights, watching people indulge on vino, and going wherever the Yak advertises feels wholesome and safe.