Tweet-Tweet. Flick-flick. What sound is that I hear? Could it be the sounds of the birds? That I could understand. But what is the sound of the flick-flick? Such were the thoughts that roamed through my brain when I woke up Saturday afternoon to a dorm room uncharacteristically flooded with light. As I emerged hazy-eyed onto the quad, I was amazed to see Notre Dame students frolicking in the warm summer-like air. That ever-present flick-flick was the sound of a Frisbee, the tool of choice for the Summer Dude and Dudette.

It was with much delight that I gazed upon the return of the Summer Dude and Dudette. It had been a long time since I had seen either of them in South Bend. Who, might you ask, is the Summer Dude? He is a fine specimen, of that there is no doubt. He can be identified by a few key traits, essential for anyone interested in studying this interesting breed. His attire of choice is a bro-tank, matched perfectly with a pair of Nantucket red shorts. His feet are adorned with only the finest sandals, the Rainbows, while upon his head is perched a dainty pair of Aviator sunglasses. His speech patterns are based solely upon old Baywatch reruns, of which David Hasselhoff himself would be jealous.

Of course, the Summer Dude is never complete without his counterpart, the Summer Dudette. The Summer Dudette is delighted to finally be able to dust off her old short-shorts, matched quite fetchingly with an indie crop top. Of course, this outfit requires the perfect headband, ideally one featuring a white flower pattern. Unlike the Summer Dude, the Dudette prefers tanning to Frisbee playing, though she will engage in a light game if time permits. Ultimately, no quad is complete without both members of this genealogical family.

Some people tend to dislike the Summer Dude and Dudette, but I see them a necessary and vital sign of the coming summer. Just as geese return North for spring, so too do the Summer Dude and Dudette return home when the smell of summer is in the air. We must view them as a force of nature, one to be embraced and cherished as the harbinger of good times.

 

Declan Feeley is a freshman theology and finance double major whose interests include writing and investment theory. Declan can be contacted by email at dfeeley@nd.edu.