One summer pastime new students become acquainted with is floating down the Chippewa River. Though the fun is occasionally innocent, it’s no secret that intoxicants often accompany the tubing. I’m not sure about the legality of it all, but then again, I’ve never seen an officer in bathing uniform. Intoxicated or not, it’s ‘one of those things you do’ here, especially if you are visiting just for an education. There used to be a dangerous Tarzan rope on a tree right at the footbridge bend, which was worth a climb up the embankment, and I have heard rumors of a new version being tied up there. This environmentalist wishes his peers weren’t so lazy as to sink empty cans to the river bottom, but all in all, it’s a good time and a way to get a tan without having to engage in the dreadful activity of lying down poolside to read.

There certainly seems to be more pressure to drink while partaking in the quasi-sanctioned FATFAR (“Frenchtown Annual Tube Float and Regalia”) – set for this Sunday in Chippewa Falls. The event is self explanatory, and realize it’s a textbook example of a college item: A parade on water featuring alcohol, nudity, the out-of-place, and… bros.

Last year, 3000 people showed up to FATFAR. Sounds like undeniable fun, right? Well, after checking out this video, I decided that it’s for the 18-30 crowd that needs nothing more or less than booze to have fun – i.e. it’s not my cup of beer. I imagine that at worst, it’s belligerent and at best, it’s an aquatic house party chock full of stock phrases and static conversation topics. Still, I was at least entertained by the floats and sightings alleged in the testimonials.