JW: FYI - DelTopia

A rooftop view of UCSB's Deltopia 

Today is UCSB's annual sun-worshiping, spring bacchanalia where thousands of glittery, thong-revealing, neon-haired perfect bodies dance or wander aimlessly through the streets, some already swerving drunkenly through the pot-filled air of the sunny afternoon. Deltopia is the namesake of Del Playa Drive, the ocean view street where most of the action takes place. It used to happen on the beach but when the crowds grew to 30+ thousand several years ago, the campus closed the beach as a safety measure.

Pulsing music competes with blaring sirens announcing another mishap or OD. While I received some random acknowledgements and a few odd looks, mostly the joyous youths just went on their happy way. One group called me over to ask where I lived and what I thought about DelTopia and IV and one pretty inebriated young men took my hand very solemnly and told me if anyone disrespected me to come back and get him. I assured him I would.

Two things struck me as I wandered for an hour through the crowds: I didn't see one political message. Not one. Not the right time or place, of course, but it seemed strange. The second was to wonder how many of these stunningly perfect young bodies, fifty years from now, will be dealing with the angst of no longer being among the thin-enough and young-enough cultural norms. Of course, since they may be dealing with a broken planet, they may have other things to fret about.

The sirens are still sounding and I wonder if all these young people will make it through the night.

And, while the party continues, a woman quietly earns her living collecting the debris.