By Lauren Gray

As I sat in my living room and picked out various gems, glitter and chains for my Diplo rave outfit, I couldn’t help but think that only a little over a year ago, I had no idea what a rave was. Electronic dance music was not very popular at my Las Vegas high school. The only music festival my friends and I went to was Warped Tour and only the “weird” kids twirling glow sticks around at lunch openly expressed their love of techno style music. But ever since I arrived at the University of Nevada, Reno, raves, EDM and the festivities that surround them have played a large role in my college partying life.

I think one of the reasons rave culture is more popular in college is because, well, parents. Let’s be real. How would your parents react if they saw your 15-year-old self walking out of the house with arms full of colorful bracelets, tie-dyed T-shirts, funky glasses, animal hats, blinged-out bras, fishnets, fairy wings and furry boots? I know my mother would have an absolute meltdown if I walked downstairs in my pink and gaudy R.L. Grime rave outfit I had last year. Being away from parental jurisdiction makes it easier to attend all sorts of adult shenanigans, raves especially.

When the cat is away, the mice will rave. With all of the opportunities to rave that college gives us, being safe is a huge issue. I can’t tell you how many times I have walked into the bathroom at a music festival and seen some poor girl passed out in a stall. I have seen guys disgustingly throw up right on the dance floor. Last year at Snow Globe I even had to stop a guy from trying to take an obviously incoherent girl to his car.

However, I am proud to say that my own safety has never been in jeopardy when I attend these events because I’ve always taken steps to stay safe. Raves are meant to be a fun time to let go and just dance your face off. Nobody wants their neon strobe-lit, bass pounding dream to become a hospitalized nightmare.

My rules to safe raving are similar for safe partying with a few differences given the environment. The first big rule is, man or woman, never go alone. Find a group of friends that you trust to rave with. Fights, passing out, aggressive creepers and dehydration are just some of the risks involved when raving. Have people there who can take care of you in case of emergencies if needed, and creepers are less likely to approach you if you are in a group. Besides, it is way more fun to get glittered up and jump around with your friends.

A number of these issues often arise because illicit drug use and alcohol consumption are extremely prevalent at raves and music festivals. My second rule is knowing that with any form of drug use, there is always a risk. You never know where the drugs come from. I definitely wouldn’t trust that the “one guy” you bought from who “sold to your friend Tyler last month.” Another fun fact, no matter what anyone says, is that almost every drug is cut with another, cheaper drug. You don’t ever really know what you’re getting which also means you don’t know how your body is going to react. Ladies and gentlemen, people die from these drugs. If you are drinking, know your limits and eat plenty beforehand.

Let’s not forget the boatloads of legal trouble you can find yourself in if you get caught with them. Possession of MDMA or, “molly,” in the state of Nevada is a felony charge and if convicted, you can receive one to four years in prison. If you make the dangerous choice to drink or use drugs, know how high the stakes are.

Keep in mind of how important it is to be aware of your surroundings. Even outside, crowds in front of the stage can get extremely hot. Combine that with the jumping and dancing, it feels like you are in a giant microwave. My third rule is to keep yourself from passing out or getting dehydrated by drinking plenty of water. I’m going to say it again, drink plenty of water. Passing out from dehydration is not a good time folks. If you decided to risk it and take substances, this becomes even more important. Every substance (including alcohol, legal and illegal drugs) dehydrates you faster and increases your risk of overdose.

With all the freshmen here on campus this year and veteran upperclassman ravers, I hope you have been (or will be) enjoying a safe and fun journey through the world of rave music and festivals. To all my fellow ravers, be safe, keep calm and rave on.

Lauren Gray studies journalism. She can be reached dcoffey@unr.edu.