NIGHT ONE

On NIGHT ONE, Amy Gutmann created NSO.

REWIND: YOU READY?

Freshman year NSO is a beautiful seven days that come once in a lifetime. Many great things will come out of the week, like finding your new favorite food in Houston Hall or meeting people you'll later aggressively avoid eye contact with on Locust Walk. You'll also be faced with tough questions you never imagined yourself asking, like "how did they get into this school?" or "what do you mean the party starts at 1AM?"

Fear not, freshmen. The Collctve has you covered. Beyond keeping you updated on good parties and great music, we're giving you our favorite NSO throwback stories and tips every day in your inbox. We're helping you navigate NSO through the eyes of people who've already been there.

Take advantage of this week to get stupid, but definitely don't be stupid. With that, we welcome you to Penn.

TONIGHT'S PLAYLIST: BASIC, BUT BETTER.

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

WILD THOUGHTS | dj khaled x medasin

MS. JACKSON | outkast x party pupils

CLOSER | the chainsmokers x t-mass

ME, MYSELF & I | g-eazy x viceroy

SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS | the chainsmokers x don diablo

LEAN ON | major lazer x malaa

YOU & ME | disclosure x baauer

SWISH SWISH | katy perry x valentino khan

SHAPE OF YOU | ed sheeran x major lazer

ALONE | marshmello x luca lush

HAPPENING:

There's only one place to be on your first night of NSO — The Backlot

THE BACKLOT | 10:30 PM | 243 s 41st St

THROWBACK STORY: WHERE IN WARE

"It was the sixth night. I was gasping for air the way many of you will be soon. The night before, I woke up in a roadside ditch covered in chocolate sauce, possibly throw up, and wearing only 1 sock, which is just fucked up. Who steals a sock? The best and most hazy days of my life had just passed in the blink of an eye. There's one more night to go before the first day of school. I sat in my room contemplating college life ahead of me, but mostly whether I would garner the strength within me to throw on my last unworn Tilly's t-shirt and pants combo to then meet a thousand people I would only remember by where in Ware they'd be living? Get it? Where in ware? Classic comedy. But seriously, you aren't the first Freshman class to come to terms with this immense, life changing pun, and you won't be the last.

Moving on. That night, I found a group in my hall, and we scurried up Spruce street in what I can only describe as the "reverse walk of shame" to the nearest frat party. We arrived with a terrible gender ratio and were barred from the party on the spot. I found myself shamefully sitting on a curb, annoyed that I even came out with my hall in the first place.

Sitting next to me was another rejectee of the same party. I got his name, where in Ware he lived (lol), and some personal details about him that I've long since forgotten. What I do remember is that the man played FIFA. I played FIFA, I loved FIFA. For a young freshman boy, this was music to my ears. We ditched the curb, got some Wawa mac 'n cheese, and for an extra special touch, threw on some glorious chicken fingers that some Wawa genius decided to pair with mac 'n cheese years ago. Everything was okay in the world, I was at peace. We played FIFA for hours, eating our mac 'n cheese, and getting to know each other better than I'd gotten to know anyone at Penn thus far. This same stranger on the side of the road is still my best friend to this day. And hell yes we still order Wawa mac 'n cheese, 'cause some things from freshman year NSO, as you will see, are too hard to let go of.

So here's my point: it's NSO. Seize this experience. Go out anywhere, and everywhere, as much as you possibly can. It doesn't matter if it's a frat, a kickback, a club event, or a goddamn toga party. You never know where you might just find your closest friend for the next four years."

TIP OF THE DAY:

You're never going to find out where in Ware people live from the confines of where you live in Ware.