As the strobe light is set to its highest intensity, Brooke Callahan, sophomore, plugs her iPod into the speakers and the once silent room becomes a flashing, deafening delirium. The booming bass and screeching techno music split eardrums as they send vibrations throughout room. Clad from head to toe in her flashiest neon clothing and fully prepared for the night ahead of her, the rave has begun.
“I like to dance, and at raves there’s always something to do,” Callahan said. “It’s fun to do something out of the ordinary, and you get to see a new side of your friends that you don’t usually get to see.”
For those looking to relax after a long week of school, be prepared. Sitting on the couch stalking people on Facebook does not happen at raves. The typical rave consists of wild dancing, wild music and wild everything.
“At a rave it just seems like everyone is happy because everyone is all dressed up in their neon clothes,” Olivia Meiners, senior, said. “They know that tonight is going to be a good night. But regular parties don’t have the same atmosphere.”
The idea of dressing up in crazy clothing and dancing the night away may not appeal to everyone, however.
“Most guys tend to reject the idea,” Leah Sauerwein, sophomore, said. “But I really like raves because they’re more energetic than the usual lay-down, chill party.”
Not just any type of music gets the job done for raves. Techno and dubstep can be heard at raves because of their high-energy tempos. These genres incorporate fast beats, low basslines and electronic sounds loud enough to rival a tornado siren.
“Deep bass techno is the best music for a rave,” Ryan Bearden, junior, said. “The bass goes along with the strobe light better.”
Another requirement for a rave is the ideal clothing. Ordinary clothing is unnacceptable, and ravers must be creative with their wardrobe.
“You have to pull out your tightest pair of volleyball spandex,” Sauerwein said. “Go with some fluorescent high-socks, the brightest neon shirt you have and maybe even a bandana just to finish it off with the perfect look.”
With all the energy raves require, and all the energy high school students lack by the end of the week, there is a cut-off point for raving.
“Right now raves are becoming so popular that it probably will slow down a bit because people will start getting tired of them,” Bearden said.
As the craving for raving grows among students, one may ask how it could be a good time in a pitch black room dancing to music loud enough to make heads explode.
“I think it’s fun to goof off in front of everyone,” Callahan said. “It’s okay to make a fool of yourself because that’s what everyone is doing.”
