Respect the police, fellow Bobcats and Athens residents during fests this year.
You might have missed it if you didn’t notice the flocks of students Uptown lugging beer cases and wearing tank tops, but this week marks the beginning of fest season in Athens.
Get the excitement out of your system, just for a moment, and read carefully: Fest season is one of the best times of the year to be a Bobcat, but it also is a time when things can go horribly wrong.
Some local officials already are annoyed enough with fests as it is. Don’t give them any more of a reason to feel that way.
Respect the police. Officers from a few different departments will likely be lining Mill Street on Saturday. They’re not there to cite everyone who looks like they’re under 21. They’re there to keep you reasonably safe.
Also, keep in mind that the houses and lawns you choose to party on are the houses and lawns of fellow Bobcats and Athens residents. Mill Street is not your playground. Don’t be the person that breaks up the party because you peed in the shower (or worse) and broke furniture. Just don’t.
And for those of you who are festing for the first time — or perhaps you’re not from Athens and haven’t seen the spectacle before — there’s an inch of separation between you having a great day on Mill and a horrible night in Nelsonville at the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail. We’re in Ohio. You cannot drink alcohol in the streets or on the sidewalks. Keep your cup and your happy self on the lawn.
All in all, there’s a lot of do’s and don’ts we can conjure up with our combined experience of both covering and enjoying fest season. It is one of the greatest traditions we can pride ourselves in when bragging to students at rival schools. But, while you’re out there festin’ with the best, please be sure to be safe and stay respectful.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: Editor-in-Chief Emma Ockerman, Managing Editor Rebekah Barnes and Digital Managing Editor Samuel Howard. Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage.
