By Ella Grady, Staff Writer
On a cloudy Saturday afternoon in Norwood, Ohio, Xavier’s student body spent part of their weekend in attendance at the university’s largest off-campus social event, the Golf Darty.
The Golf Darty, hosted once in the fall and once in the spring, has upperclassmen houses on Cleneay, Hudson, Lexington and Wayland avenues hosting 45-minute tee times on a set schedule for first-years through seniors. This event provides an escape from the classroom and a venue for enjoying the last few weekends of the semester.
A mixture of live bands, DJs and seas of students dressed to par in their best golf attire flooded the prime Xavier neighborhood from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. After a long afternoon of socializing at nine holes, those who are of age make the trek to the clubhouse at 10 p.m., the notorious Dana Gardens.
As the clock ticks toward graduation weekend, the senior class took in their last moments as part of this Xavier tradition.
“It’s been amazing. The Xavier community is fully out in force, and I am having a great time seeing everybody here,” senior computer science major Alan Apraku said.
“As soon as I walked into the backyard of the first hole, there were so many people saying hello and asking how I was doing. Everyone was simply enjoying being together. Having this personal, supportive environment on and off campus is something I have really appreciated during my time here.”
The Golf Darty – the biggest Xavier off-campus event, took place last weekend.
Senior Communications major Andrew Bouzan agreed.
“My favorite part about Golf is being able to spend time with my friends. I have also been able to meet new people and get to know others I wasn’t as close to,” Bouzan said. “Being able to come to Xavier and try something new from living in Boston – these are the experiences where I can connect with other students from Cincinnati, Ohio, or across the world.”
In previous years, this event was not affiliated with the university. With the growth of the event since fall 2022, university staff have chosen to tee up resources with students in attendance.
This year, Xavier’s Off-Campus Council hosted a hydration station with Liquid I.V. (electrolytes), granola bars and Goldfish outside one of the first front yards on Cleneay Ave.
“I was also glad that there were hardly any cops this year. For the most part they just let us do our thing and only responded when they were needed. I think it shows that the school wants us to have fun while being safe,” junior nursing major Jenna Kamer said.
Xavier students now put their clubs back in the closet until next fall, anticipating another Saturday social – next time, with less rain.