Ethnology written by Nyla Ward
A Safe Space for Raunchy College Students
An anonymous student organization called CollegeDaze has grown in popularity. The organization produces content using pertinent visual material, produces a small number of graphic t-shirts, and organizes events. As a result, the fact that they are scarce keeps students interested in their content. College Daze is a "raunchy brand" that has been separated into many different sectors that serve the student body. The brand is "sex-positive" and focuses on college students and their maturity, which serves as one of their beliefs. Some of their behaviors include parties, event collaborations, and trips to various places. For example, the group has hosted an annual Valentine’s Day ski trip or a nonprofit collaboration. College Daze also has a subculture within the subculture called "Daisies." The daisies serve as an outlet for women in the group, providing them with a platform to express their women's empowerment sexually. With its dense and growing following, the presence of College Daze is significant on North Carolina A&T’s campus. College Daze significantly influences the student body by providing safe "local free" gatherings, inclusion for students, and a safe space for creative expression. From being a party hub to a clothing brand, there is way more to discover about College Daze.
College Daze was founded in 2021 on the principles of creating a safe space for students to enjoy the college experience. One main factor that comes into play when discussing the college experience is safety. Greensboro, North Carolina, is a college town and has been filled with violence regarding student-led parties. It has been College Daze’s main goal to combat this issue. According to Los Angeles County sheriff's officials, defensive back Kevin Jerron Morris, of the Antelope Valley club, was shot in the upper chest just before 1 a.m. On Sunday, wide receiver Jerome Wright was hit in the left arm. At midnight, according to the Sheriff's Department, Wright, Morris, and a number of their Antelope Valley teammates showed up for a party in the 13100 block of Crossdale Avenue. For the close-knit club, which had 18 returning players this season, Morris' passing and Wright's injuries were devastating, according to head football coach Brent Carder. Morris, who started as a running back for Antelope Valley, was dedicated, according to him (Ritsch, 2001).
Violence similar to this has affected North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and its students with the shootings of Deja Reaves and Kaneycha Turner in just the 2022–23 academic year alone due to gun violence at parties. The similarity between the incidents is that both parties were held off campus, and locals and non-college students were able to attend. College Daze provides its partygoers with secure locations. This ensures the locations are secure by having to use a password to purchase tickets, and the location of the events is posted very close to the time of the event to limit its spread to non-college students. Taylor Dixon, a College Daze partygoer, shared her experience of the private events. She expressed, "College Daze does a really good job of making sure that the parties are secure. For example, you have to purchase tickets online with a password. After you purchase your tickets, you’ll get text message updates regarding the event, and this is how you’ll receive the locations." Dixon shared that she "enjoyed the way the events are run; it feels safe."
Unfortunately, gun violence is not the only violence that is on the radar regarding the party scene; sexual violence is too. In the article The Neutralization and Denial of Sexual Violence in College Party Subcultures, it is stated that "fraternity or athletic team party attendees (but not those who drink in other settings) are more likely than abstainers to hold stereotypical definitions
of rape, rate sexual assault as less likely, and are less likely to acknowledge an assault as rape." This explains the denial of violence at parties (Boyle, 2016).
Within the organization, College Daze has subgroups that are named the ‘Daisies’ and 'Dazers'. The daisies serve as the female representation of the collective, and the dazers serve as the male representation. Pictured on the daisies' Instagram (@blovedsdaisies) are sexually suggestive posts of the group that is deemed to promote "women empowerment," while the dazers do not have an Instagram page to show their activity. Jada Tinsely, a current Daisy, was available to share her experience of being involved with College Daze. Stating, "I was introduced to College Daze during my freshman year; at this time it was more exclusive, word of mouth. Also, two of my friends were daisies at the time. Tinsley shared the process of becoming a daisy. " So there was an online application that asked general questions. Not long after, I received an invitation to an interview. The interview was not intimidating at all; they asked questions like, "Can you run in heels? What connects you to College Daze? Are you comfortable with our raunchy reputation?" Tinsley stated the mission of the daisies, which is "the disbursement of promotional materials that promote self-expression and create safe spaces for students to interact." Tinsley gave an overall perspective, sharing that "College Daze is the only promoter that provides safe experiences and fun. It is a place for networking beyond partying, which is more versatile than other promoters. It’s a diverse space because there are different types of daisies. You have full-ride students, models, all the way to strippers; there’s a wide array of daisies."
One of College Daze’s main goals is to provide safe spaces for students to express themselves creatively. Multiple events push students to show their creativity, such as the ‘College Daze 106 N Park W/ Hot 10 1891’ event. The event was a musical showcase outside of the Student Center at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, which provided developing artists with a platform to showcase their talents. College Daze offers opportunities for all creatives, especially photographers. Photography is one of the main ways that the organization showcases its events and collaborations via social media, specifically Instagram and YouTube. Akyra Foreman, a current student, and photographer at North Carolina A&T State University, provided her experience as a photographer who has worked with College Daze. Foreman added, "I was first introduced to College Daze due to their photographer application. I took pictures at the first ‘Rager’ event, which was a great environment with nice people. I also took pictures for the 70s roller skating event. She also stated, "College Daze has made a lot more students show up to events, and I feel like it's due to the inclusivity it gives off—more positivity about school events."
College Daze has been expanding its overall brand by collaborating with other organizations and brands. One organization that they have partnered with is Mentoring for H.E.R., which is a community service and mentoring organization in Greensboro, NC. The collaboration included the daisies and the girls of Mentoring for H.E.R. hosting a heel class. The heels class was hosted to provide a space for women to learn how to dance in heels organically without the pressure of others. This was a ticketed event, and all of the ticket sales were donated to Mentoring for H.E.R. to support their "Empower H.E.R." Scholarship, which is given to three incoming North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State freshmen. Another event that was hosted by College Daze was the Casino Royale. This was a casino-themed event where students partied in a private location. Pictured in the post are students dressed up and playing casino games (Casino 2022).
College Daze supports its supporters by providing them with an opportunity to express their creativity openly. The presence of College Daze on the campus of North Carolina A&T is significant due to its substantial and expanding fan base. By offering safe, local free events, student inclusion, and a secure environment for artistic expression, College Daze has a big impact on the student body. There is a lot more to College Daze than just that it is a party hotspot and clothing company.
Works Cited
(A. Foreman, personal communication, April 26, 2023)
Boyle, Kaitlin M., and Lisa S. Walker. "The Neutralization and Denial of Sexual Violence in College Party Subcultures." Deviant Behavior, vol. 37, no. 12, 2016, pp. 1392-1410. ProQuest, http://ncat.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/neutrali zation-denial-sexual-violence-college/docview/1839175390/se-2, doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2016.1185862.
"Casino Royale in Action." Instagram, 7 Dec. 2022, www.instagram.com/p/Cl47SEwtRF1/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=. Accessed 28 Mar. 2022.
"College Daze 106 N Park W/ Hot 10 1891 | Cinco." Youtube, uploaded by College Daze Official, 15 Nov. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZE5v1gTA-Q&t=205s.
(J. Tinsley, personal communication, April 26, 2023)
Marbella, Jean. "Trial an Occasion for Reflection: U.Va. Students Say 'Party Culture' Affects College Life but Doesn't Define it." The Baltimore Sun, Feb 24, 2012. ProQuest,
http://ncat.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/trial-occasion -reflection/docview/923380680/se-2.
RITSCH, MASSIE. "Los Angeles; Antelope Valley College Football Player Fatally Shot at Party; Violence: A Teammate is Wounded in what Sheriff's Officials Say was a Racially Motivated Fight in Norwalk.: [Home Edition]." Los Angeles Times, Aug 14, 2001. ProQuest,http://ncat.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/los- angeles-antelope-valley-college-football/docview/421645312/se-2.
(T. Dixon, personal communication, April 26, 2023)