When the professors are away, the students will play. St. Patty's came early this year when last Tuesday's classes were canceled for Winter Storm Stella. Students showed up en mass to snarties (snow day parties, duh), proving that even when temperatures are in the low 20s, Penn has no chill whatsoever. The fact that a day off means a darty says a lot. Just in case you didn't drink your body into oblivion during spring break, we'll make sure you start your week off with a good, clean blackout. Caricaturing themselves, and Penn culture, some students stumbled home day–drunk to apply to summer internships (Ed. note: can confirm this really happened). Some intrepid warriors built an igloo outside the High Rises. On the other side of the spectrum, finding a seat at Saxby's became harder than finding a treadmill on Pottruck's first floor.
Life at Penn is life intensified. Chill days don't exist at Penn. After a night out, we rally, get coffee and head to the library. No room for bubble baths or binge–watching Parks and Rec on the couch. It's back to the routine. Don't show weakness. Don't show vulnerability. Only mention you're so hungover to everyone in VP to show your strength and proceed.
Face it: A lot of Penn students don't know how to chill. If we take shots, we take seven; if we study, it's for ten hours. If we post on Instagram, it's the perfect bikini photo. We will one–up someone on almost anything, and we will do it until the new standard is as high as our caffeine levels on a Sunday night.
Penn's work hard/play hard mentality can be exhausting, especially when it's pushed to its extremes. Chill—take deep breaths and just be. Go out without blacking out. Stay in Van Pelt for only two hours. Jog at Pottruck instead of entering treadmill wars. What's that? Midterms stress? We can't hear you over the sound of our Lion's Breath.
