Groundhog is the most wonderful time of the year for the University of
Dallas: full of fires, laughter and the free flow of the wonderful ambrosia we call
beer and wine. It is a marvelous time, and it calls for more marvelous ways to enjoy
yourself in this sacred tradition. Of course, a call for temperance is in order. I know I
sound like a stingy old man by encouraging you to be temperate, but there’s a good
reason that the virtue exists.
Besides, Groundhog is an old and prestigious UD tradition that deserves a high
level of respect. It is a celebration that is purely a UD experience unique to this school. It is worthy of remembrance for the rest of our adult lives. And while the days of partying in the muddy woods are lost to our eternal memories, and we are now content to celebrate by the Madonna basketball courts, we still commemorate the rodent known as Groundhog in our own UD fashion. In the interest of making your celebrations as wonderful as possible, I have compiled some general pointers that can assist the Groundhog experience.
The first regards the process of tasting your alcohol. If you want to get more flavors from your beer or wine, gently swish it around in your mouth for a little bit. This is especially true for wine; It will not only allow your drink to last longer, but you will also get more enjoyment out of the experience of drinking it.
The catering at Groundhog gives a unique opportunity for pairing food with your drink. Lamberti’s is an Italian restaurant; therefore, it is a safe guess that the catered food will be Italian, and that they will likely serve red wine. Red wine and Italian food is a match made in heaven that I encourage everyone to try.
With that combination, a word in favor of temperance may be useful. Italian food is incredible, but if you happen to become sick due to excessive consumption of alcohol
and have Italian food in your stomach, it may be a violent affair.
In addition, if you want to prevent or lessen the degree of self-hatred the day after Groundhog, drink water throughout the night. Besides, the Super Bowl is the day after Groundhog, and nobody wants to be hungover during the Super Bowl.
Most importantly, enjoy the good company of your friend that you will cher-
ish through your time here at UD. I know it is a stingy opinion to advocate for temperance, especially at Groundhog, but virtues are propagated because they offer a physical good to society at large. Temperance is no exception, and Groundhog is an
exceptional event.
