Modern Beauty: MarMon 2019

Boston University Police Department officers squad-ing up in front of StuVi II. Freshmen carrying suspicious Aquafina bottles filled with orange liquid. Hordes of sorority women in matching T-shirts. All of Allston singing a melody of 1,000 different rap songs. The alley.

Marathon Monday is without a doubt one of the best days of the year, and anyone who says otherwise isn’t seeing it with the right lens. I understand people don’t like the thought of day drinking on a Monday, myself included, but that shouldn’t have stopped you from realizing the beauty of the day. If you missed yesterday’s celebration, here’s a recap:

The rain. It can be a downer, literally. But two weeks from now, I know I’ll look up at the trees that line Commonwealth Avenue on my walk to a lecture and appreciate their leaves. They’ll be greener then, and it’s because of Monday. The rain also made me cold, but it made my hot coffee from the StuVi I Dunkin’ that much better.

And the fashion. My friend once told me the Allston crawl looks a little like kids going trick or treating, and MarMon is no exception. Pockets of college students run from house to house, knocking on doors and meeting with friends. A crucial part of Halloween also involves costumes, and this past Monday shared that tradition, too.

On top of the stunning shirts people had designed for the day, I noted multi-colored eyewear, hats that balance beer bottles attached with straws that lead to the mouths of eager students and a variety of fanny packs. Gardner, Ashford and Pratt streets were runways on Monday. Allston has fashion week, too, didn’t you know?

A key part of Marathon Monday also involves food, and I believe people should take it more into account when planning out their day. What’s better than a slice of pizza from T Anthony’s at 2 p.m. after an entire day of skipping through rat city? Absolutely nothing.

The way the cheese cascades down the lower half of your face — slightly messing up your foundation, but this is beside the point — and hitting your taste buds with the thing they crave most: carbs that aren’t liquid. This is a thing of beauty. Next year, appreciate every bite.

Next, the people. Humanity is a spectacular thing, and everyone coming together on Monday was just one example. No one is too cool or too un-cool for a good time on Marathon Monday. Yesterday’s holiday was one of the only times everyone forgets about their cliques’ parameters.

I will admit I’ve met some great friends because of Marathon Monday, and the culture of the event makes that happen. If you didn’t do it in 2019, make sure to just stop in the middle of all the festivities next year and watch the people around you.

In Marina Keegan’s piece, “The Opposite of Loneliness,” she writes, “It’s not quite love and it’s not quite community; it’s just this feeling that there are people, an abundance of people, who are in this together. Who are on your team.”

This is how I felt on Monday. Everyone comes together and supports one another. Sure, the reason for all the togetherness is slightly shallow, but I’m willing to look past that. This feeling, this opposite of loneliness, is what I want to feel when I receive my diploma in May.

Instead of worrying if I’ll trip in my new shoes, I want to look out at a sea of people I don’t know and feel support.

Monday was emotional at around 3 p.m. The real reason I was down in the early afternoon was precisely the reason I was also feeling happy — an air of fellowship. It occurred to me that I want every day until graduation to hold some meaning. I don’t want to waste it, and to me, that means being with the people I love and making sure they know they’re loved.

Marathon Monday was the beginning of the end for me, and while that’s sad, it’s also something beautiful. I hope you appreciated Monday, and today and the days after this. Here’s to something great.