But now, some students are worried that the date of W.I.L.D., Friday, Sept. 16, could contribute to even more injuries.

This is an earlier date than in recent years, raising concerns over whether incoming freshman will have time to learn their personal alcohol limits, something that has continually presented problems on the day of W.I.L.D.

“Having W.I.L.D. so close to the beginning of the semester might lead freshmen to learn very quickly what they can—and can’t—handle,” sophomore Luis Rivera said. “The first-aid tent should have its work cut out for them.”

Others disagree. Sophomore WUSA Michelle Hall believes that freshmen will have enough time to adjust to the college environment of alcohol consumption.

“Rock the Row is still two weeks earlier than W.I.L.D., so they still have a few weekends to learn what is ‘too much’,” said Hall.

The administration and members of Team 31 choose the date of W.I.L.D. collaboratively.

Carnaghi said that the date of Sept. 16 is the earliest date the administration would allow for W.I.L.D. to take place, to assure that freshmen RAs have adequate time to hold programs on responsible drinking and alcohol abuse for their residents.

According to Assistant Vice Chancellor Jill Carnaghi, the administration provides Team 31 with several acceptable dates.

“Getting a band to perform outside on a college campus isn’t easy, so we try to give Team 31 and the booking agent some leeway,” Carnaghi said.

The earlier date, Carnaghi said, was chosen to best accommodate students’ needs, taking into account conflicts like the Jewish High Holy Days and fall events on the academic calendar, such as Parents’ Weekend.

“We work to be sensitive to the students’ needs,” she said.

The event has been held in October annually since 2007. However, according to Carnaghi and Team 31 president, junior Alex Levitt, in earlier years the event was always held in September.

“Originally, it was always in September,” Carnaghi said. “Students were actually very upset when they changed it to October.”

This year, W.I.L.D. will conflict with the annual Balloon Glow in Forest Park, a St. Louis tradition, and Dayglow, a popular “paint party,” that will be held at the Pageant.

“There are conflicts, but we think people love W.I.L.D.,” Levitt said. “If they want to be there, they’ll show up.”

Carnaghi says that these sort of conflicts are unavoidable.

“That’s the challenge we get into for all of fall semester with various activities on and off campus,” Carnaghi said. “We would never find a date if we waited for nothing to be happening anywhere.”

W.I.L.D., or Walk In Lay Down, a concert that takes place once a semester, is earlier this year than in the past. The fall concert has been in October every year since 2007, when it was scheduled for September 29.

Past W.I.L.D. headliners include Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Wale, Major Lazer, the Cold War Kids and the Black Keys.

Team 31, the group that organizes W.I.L.D., will announce the headliner at CPC happy hour on September 1.

This year, the concert will be on the same day as Balloon Glow, a St. Louis tradition that brings hundreds of people to Forest Park to watch 70 hot air balloons inflate in preparation for the Great Balloon Race the next day.

I tried to explain this to a girl in my Writing 1 class. To my ramblings she eloquently responded: “Sounds kind of trippy.”

Later that day, my curiosity got the better of me. Surfing YouTube, I casually typed “Flying Lotus” into the search bar. Immediately, a drop-down list of suggested videos appeared. “Parisian Goldfish” grabbed my attention, so I decided to click the link. Turns out that “kind of trippy” is a pretty adequate description of what FlyLo (a moniker used by the musician’s fans) is all about.

To understand the sounds Flying Lotus puts out, think of all of the different types of music in the world today, mash them together and coat that mix with a techno sheen. That’s Flying Lotus. He has released three full albums since 2006 and twice as many EPs. His vibe is summarized on his Wikipedia page, in the sidebar that lists what instruments he plays. Not only does he play more traditional instruments such as a keyboard and electronic instruments like drum machines and synthesizers, but he also plays the Macintosh, referring to the computer company. Weird.

When I sat down and pondered the choices for W.I.L.D. this spring, suddenly everything made sense. On one hand, you have Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, a group that draws from stripping down their music and offers simple folk. On the other, you have Flying Lotus, a musician who flourishes in the complex.

Hippie versus trippy. Kind of has a nice ring to it, right?

The freshmen were nestled all snug in their beds
as crippling hangovers hammered their heads.

And juniors were soundly asnooze in the Village,
immune to aromas of Natty Light spillage.

The previous night filled with jammin’ galore
was too much excitement. ‘Twas high time to snore!

The evening of W.I.L.D. was one crazy night,
so let us see if we can remember it right—

Around 10 a.m., all the madness began.
Budweiser for breakfast? A popular plan!

To Brookings, some hundreds of students did flock
quite ready to rumble and make the stage rock.

The crowd was atwitter with laughing and glee.
Amidst the kerfuffle, thus spoke the emcee:

“Please briefly pause all of your groovin’ and kissin’.
We do have some rules, so quickly just listen:

We know that it’s hot out, but keep your pants on—
You’ll want to wake up in your OWN bed at dawn.

Be merry; enjoy that Corona and lime!
But don’t turn that merriment into a crime.

If you know that your age is below one-and-twenty,
no worries—There’s Vitamin Water a-plenty.

To those trying hard to conceal all their smokin’,
The smoke plume’s a dead giveaway. (We’re not jokin’.)

On freshmen and sophomores and juniors so loud!
And on, all you seniors—Let’s do Wash. U. proud!

On, frat boys with Knockaround shades tinted black!
On, hipsters who sullenly sulk in the back!

On Edward and Zeros! And on, Flying Lotus!
These bands are our guests, so try to take notice.

Now, on with the music—On, on with the set!”
The first song? AMAZING! The rest…we forget.

This Friday, remember the revels you had.
Try not to wake up with your head feelin’ bad.

Have fun whilst you rage and you sip your mint juleps,
But don’t get so smashed that you smash all the tulips.

The music is rousing, and spirits are riled!
Happy springtime to all, and to all a safe W.I.L.D.

Julie Ling | Big Hassle Media

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will headline this Spring’s Walk In Lay Down Concert on April 29. The folk-rock group’s video for its single, “Home,” has gone viral on YouTube. The song has also been featured in several commercials and television shows.

The group has also booked Flying Lotus, a techno DJ, as an opener for the concert in the Brookings Quadrangle.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is best known for its single “Home,” which was featured in an NFL commercial as well as in episodes of ‘Community’ and ‘Ugly Betty.’

“I think that [the artists] will really reflect the spirit and fun-loving attitude that W.I.L.D. brings to this campus,” said sophomore Alex Levitt, president of Team 31.

As in the fall, Team 31 is also giving a student band the opportunity to play on W.I.L.D.’s main stage. The winner of the Battle of the Bands competition held at Second Stage will open the concert. There will also be a DJ battle, sometime before the concert, to determine who will DJ between W.I.L.D. acts.

“I am extremely excited to see it come together. There’s a lot of work that goes into planning behind the scenes, and it’s a lot of fun to see it all come together the day of W.I.L.D. and to see all the students attend,” Levitt said.

The violinist for the band, Nathaniel Markman, graduated from Washington University last year.

“It was definitely a consideration in booking that people on campus are familiar with a member of the band,” Levitt said. “I think it’s really exciting that we’re able to bring someone who attended our school back to perform on stage for our student population, and that will be really special to him, to be able to share that experience with us.”

The concert is free for all students who present their Student ID, and guest tickets are available at the Edison Theatre box office for $30. One guest per student is allowed, and guest tickets are limited. Admission for alumni is free as long as they present proof of enrollment, such as a copy of a diploma or a transcript, and a government-issued ID.

Students over 21-years old may bring a six-pack of beer to Brookings Quad.

Last semester, W.I.L.D. resulted in the largest number of reported injuries in memory. Team 31 is working with WUPD to help make the event safer.

“This semester, we’d like to encourage responsible actions among our fellow students in order to maintain a safe environment at W.I.L.D.,” Levitt said. “In terms of security, I work closely with WUPD and B & D to discuss and refine our preparations for the day of W.I.L.D. to try and make it as safe as possible.”

Levitt hopes that W.I.L.D. will provide an enjoyable end to the semester.

“I think W.I.L.D. is going to be a lot of fun and that Team 31 is really excited to bring these artists to campus,” Levitt said. “We know they’re going to put on a great show. They’re great performers.”

Erin Mitchell | Student Life

Unfortunately, none of the advice had anything to do with the sort of things that my friends or I actually experienced.

The first thing I should have known is that you absolutely should not bring anything to W.I.L.D. that you care about in the slightest. Now, this doesn’t include essentials like cell phones or wallets, but it does include articles of clothing that count as accessories. My roommate decided to bring his favorite hat to W.I.L.D. because he believes (erroneously) that he looks good in it. Unfortunately for him, but fortunately for the rest of the world, his hat was lost in the crowd.

A friend of mine also lost her belt in the utter insanity that was the mass of humanity in front of the stage. I would like to give Wash. U. students a little credit, meaning that I don’t think anybody tried to take off her belt when she was almost knocked down, but it does suggest that if you bring things to W.I.L.D., you will lose them, and then you will be sad.

The second thing I should have known is not to show up early. Not that sitting on the quad in the collective filth of 3,000 people isn’t enjoyable (‘cause that’s what I do every Saturday), but when drinking is the game, you shouldn’t be anticipating that you are going to be drunk for 8-10 hours. That can lead to some very, very dangerous situations. EST was busy for the entire day, starting once the first person showed up to the quad. Moreover, how many of us know people who barely made it to the show or didn’t even make it at all?

When two of your friends need to be taken home before even seeing the bands that everyone came for, it might be an implication that everybody should probably just wait for the bands everyone came for.

Third thing, nobody mentioned that you should bring snacks. Once the lines got long enough, there wasn’t any way in hell you were going to be able to get any food whatsoever, and lord knows some Cheese-Its or Ruffles would have done immense good.

Finally, nobody cared to mention the most important part… that there was not nearly enough water in the quad. Granted, some bottled water was around, but compared to the amount of Vitamin Water and canned soda, there might as well have been nothing. Given the fact that Vitamin Water doesn’t actually quench your thirst and carbonated beverages make you drunker (thank you, W.I.L.D. tip # 2!) why they didn’t include a suitable amount of bottled water makes no sense, especially because you can’t bring your own.

These are things that freshmen should have been told about W.I.L.D. Of course, if someone prepares for all of these eventualities, it is only treating the symptoms and not the cause of the problem.

W.I.L.D. is nothing short of a drinking fest, and everyone knows it. But why is beyond me. This year we had two very good artists that the majority of the student body had actually heard of. The music was good, and the crowd was into it. W.I.L.D. should be a Saturday where nothing is expected of us, rather than a Saturday we don’t have to remember. We are old enough to decide whether or not we are going to drink, but W.I.L.D. doesn’t have to be about us abusing that authority, and next year’s freshmen should know that.

11 – Play a drinking game that your state school friends, for all their Monday night drinking, don’t know about. Alligator? The Mustache Game? Take your pick.

11:40 – Time to assess your drunkenness. Try to walk all the straight lines on the basketball court on the Swamp. If you can, down some Powerclear (that’s Powerade and Everclear, the drink of choice when you’re playing alcoholic catch-up). If you can’t, proceed to lunch. If you end up naked in Subway, you’re already serving as a model to others.

Noon – Eat something bad for you to soak up some of that booze. Now that Bear’s Den has been turned into the World Showcase from Epcot (Sidenote: Wash. U., why not just add Norway’s Maelstrom ride and make it complete?), you might have to head off campus. Fitz’s has a pretzel burger you might want to try. It’s smothered with liquid cheese, satisfying the greatest needs of drunks—cheese and grease, with a side of regret in the morning.

1 – Steal a ladder from maintenance.

1:10 – Work on your Skerrit Bwoy air-hump.

1:11 – Nurse bruised pelvis.

1:30 – Lie in quiet appreciation of how this is still much better than class.

2 – Tell your residential advisers to stop harshing your vibe, man. Clearly they don’t know how champ you are when you’re in the zone. Seriously, RAs, loosen up. It’s not like anyone takes the decisions of several dozen wasted freshmen as a gauge of your own responsibility, right?

2:15 – Body slam the wall. It looked like it was gonna talk shit to you.

2:20 – Ignore RAs’ pleads for sanity. Pick drywall out of W.I.L.D. shirt that you wore because no one told you yet that it’s totally lame to wear the shirt to the concert.

2:45 – Make an awkward pass at someone of the opposite gender. When rejected, assert that they are probably homosexual anyway. (Homosexuals: claim the reverse.)

3 – Ignore suspicious email from Morgan DeBaun stating that legal drinkers can bring a handle of liquor to W.I.L.D., freshmen can drink white wine, and there will be a whiskey slip ‘n’ slide sponsored by the sociology department.

3:15 – TANG! (see right)

3:20 – Belittle player who can’t down a beer in under eight seconds. Doesn’t he know this is W.I.L.D.?

3:40 – Converse only in quotes from “Anchorman,” “300” and “Borat.” Those classics never get old.

4 – MORE TANG!

4:30 – Mock students who have already left for W.I.L.D.

4:40 – OMG, Journey! I love this song! I’m going to yell one-third of the words!

4:45 – Get dared by an ultimate player to drink a Frisbee’s worth of beer. Psh, easy. How much could it be?

5 – Hold on tightly to the floor.

5:20 – Hunger sets in, head to W.I.L.D. for free food.

5:40 – WHAT UP, B&D! LOOK HOW NOT DRUNK ME AND MY BOYS ARE! WOOOO!

5:45 – Stand in line for…something.

6 – Decide to pee instead. Be astonished at port-o-potties.

6:10 – Scrounge in bushes around quad for water bottle filled with vodka you left here last night. It tastes like beating the system.

6:20 – Stand in line for food again.

6:30 – Throw a fit because they ran out of food. Assert that this is the worst W.I.L.D. ever.

6:35 – Hug everyone you know in the quad. Best W.I.L.D. evah!

6:40 – Steal beer from distracted senior. Down before B&D waddles over.

6:45 – Major Lazer! Major Lazer!

10:13 – Wake up in EST tent as the last revelers head home.

Courtesy of Alexandra Levitt

Sophomore Jeremy Klein, aka Digital Logic, will DJ at W.I.L.D.

Student Life: Can you tell us a little about how you got into DJ-ing?

Jeremy Klein: Well in high school I went to a ton of concerts, got really into electronic music. I had a couple friends who started getting into DJ-ing and bought the equipment, and every time I went over to their places, I would play with it for hours. That sort of got me into it. And over the summer before I got to Wash. U., I bought some equipment. That’s all I needed for months at a time.

SL: What acts do you look toward for inspiration?

JK: I’d say mostly electronic acts. I’ve seen Boys Noize, Justice, Cromeo, Crystal Castles, Proxy, all of MSTRKRFT—like all these big electronic acts. Every time I go to these shows, it’s just unbelievable to be dancing with hundreds of people. Everyone’s going nuts. That’s really what inspires me.

SL: What do you think of the St. Louis electronica scene?

JK: Eh. I mean, there’s a little bit. There’s like, random raves and random DJs that are pretty cool. No one that I’ve been really impressed with, but there’s something to do.

SL: Do you play much around campus?

JK: Well, I did a lot of Myers parties, I did some frat parties. I live in Myers, so we’ve been just constantly throwing things on our floor.

SL: What kind of equipment do you use?

JK: I have a Numark DXM06 Mixer in my laptop. I also do a little bit of competition; I use a MIDI Controller for that.

SL: Why don’t you tell us a little bit about the contest that you won?

JK: You may know better than I would, but I think it started out as somewhere between 12 and 15 DJs. They did this audition, which was just a 10-minute set a week before the competition with a panel of judges. Basically, they narrowed it down to five finalists. And then the finalists did a competition in the DUC, where each DJ got a 30-minute set. They judged based off of crowd participation, overall energy. A bunch of different categories, creativity. I’d say one of the biggest factors for me winning was just having a ton of my friends there. They were awesome. They came out and just danced their faces off. It was pretty sweet.

SL: Were you impressed by any of the other DJs there?

JK: [Senior] John Huang was really, really good. He’s been doing it a lot longer than I have. He’s technically really impressive. We’re really different styles. I think it ended up being style choice.

SL: Could you describe your style?

JK: Like I said, I’m a lot more into the electronic genre. I’m a little more, I guess—I don’t know if the technical terms are going to help you understand it. I DJ at a higher BPM (beats per minute) rate. He does more hip-hop stuff.

SL: So you’re more like—give an act that you think people could identify you with.

JK: I would hope people would know Boys Noize. If not, then Justice, MSTRKRFT. But I don’t know if I’m like anyone that Wash. U. students know that well. And I think that’s something I like, that I’m hoping to bring to Wash. U., is sort of a different kind of music that they haven’t listened to.

SL: And what are you thinking of bringing to W.I.L.D.? Are you working on any new stuff?

JK: A little bit of new stuff. I don’t think any of my stuff is really at a point where I can integrate it into my sets that well. I’m getting there. I’d say that right now, I’ll be mixing, obviously, on the stage, you know, combining pieces of other people’s stuff. Something that I’m doing differently, that I haven’t done in the past in any of my other sets, that I didn’t do in the competition, is that I’m integrating a little bit of dubstep, which is a very different style of music than what I normally play. I’m pretty excited for that; I think it’ll be a cool separation.

SL: Are you excited for any of the other acts at W.I.L.D.?

JK: Yeah. Yeah I am. I really like the Cold War Kids. I’m hoping that I set them in a way that they’ll sort of be able to roll off of me, but it’s tough, because we’re such different styles. It’s going to be interesting to see the energy change in W.I.L.D., from John Huang, who’s actually DJ-ing into Shwayze, and then myself, and Cold War Kids. It’s so many different styles going on at W.I.L.D., and I think in a way that’s a really good thing, because it gets a really diverse group of music. But at the same time, it’s also going to be difficult to maintain a mood throughout W.I.L.D. So we’ll see how it goes, I think it’ll be a lot of fun.

SL: Is there anything else we should know about your DJ-ing career?

JK: Hmm. Not particularly. I’m just hoping to make people dance and sort of appreciate electronic music a little more. I saw Passion Pit come and, in my opinion, totally change people’s perceptions of that genre. Before they were here, I didn’t hear Passion Pit playing anywhere on campus, and now I hear it all the time, which I love. I’ve been a huge fan of Passion Pit for a while. I’m kind of hoping to do that a little bit, to bring something different to campus.