Christmas Extravaganza at Augustana is one of the biggest party events for the entire campus. It could be considered an unofficial Augie “tradition,” but that does not make it a good one.

Extrav starts at 6 a.m., the bright and early time to begin a day full of no breaks and non-stop drinking. This year, one of the nine locations was the Carver Center, where the men’s and women’s basketball teams played games against Milikin. With spectators attending, they observed many partiers who do not represent the school’s population and culture in the greatest light. This is an immature and disrespectful image that these students are making for the school.

Even if students over 21 are the ones participating in Extrav, it is still not valid to have intoxicated students at home basketball games where there are also parents and Milikin families as well. It is naive to think that any underage Augie student will not go to and drink at Extrav.

So why do students like Extrav? Some might argue that it is a way to relieve and destress before finals, but it really just is another excuse to get plastered before finals.

This last hurrah of the semester did not even land on the weekend before finals week as it usually does, so that first reason is out of the question. If it really was something to take the edge off before finals, it would have been moved to the following weekend. 

The Christmas Extravaganza leads to safety concerns. I think having a bunch of drunk college students being bussed or walking around campus and the surrounding areas in the cold weather seems like a recipe for disaster, regardless of age. Too many bad things can happen while under the influence, and the weather this time of year does not help add to the cause.

In an email addressed to the student body, The Dean of Students Office warned students that “cold weather, holiday celebrations like the Christmas Extravaganza and alcohol can be a dangerous mix,” followed by a list of precautions to take. 

I do not think students took this email seriously, even though the college also doubled the price of all sanctions for violations. I find it appalling that Augustana seems to know more about this event than students think. Consequences should be enforced for students who should not be participating in Christmas Extravaganza.

There are plenty of college events that include drinking, but this one stands out because of how popular it is. Because it is the last party of the year, a lot of students want to take the opportunity while they can. This event also includes some off-campus locations, trying to reduce the risk of getting caught by Public Safety. That almost seems worse, given how students underage have to be more sneaky in order to not get caught by the Rock Island Police.

I think that Extrav is a pointless overkill event that should not happen. It does not need to be glorified that everyone wants to get plastered. Students who really want to will do so regardless of if there is a campus-wide event or not. 

Extrav is just another excuse for participating in excessive party culture.