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The Aux Cord Is A Privilege, Not A Right

Starting to dance when you see a sister out. TSM.

It’s the beginning of a road trip. It’s 15 minutes before a pregame. It’s just your turn to pick a song. All eyes, and ears, are on you. This critical moment could make or break the mood of the group. When you are handed the aux cord, you are handed the responsibility of everyone’s positivity and well-being. One sour song could somber, or sober, everyone up. Take this moment seriously. To disrespect the aux cord is to disrespect everyone within an earshot of the music. The aux cord is a privilege, not a right.

No one is more confident about their musical knowledge than drunk girls. As soon as one of them spots a rogue phone plugged into a speaker, a divine intervention tells them to take over. No one asked them to and no one wants them to, but Goddamnit if Lauren doesn’t play Closer for the third time, then is it really a party? Once one girl does it, then suddenly it becomes an open aux cord, which is never good. The playlist goes from bumpin’ to Billboard Top 100 real quick. Every girl lines up to play “their song,” which just so happens to be every other girl’s song. Between each song is an extended pause sure to ruin anyone’s buzz. That remix that you happened to stumble upon when you were ripping music off of Youtube is not going to make all the guys flock to you. They might, but only to take their aux cord back.

Calling shotgun is more than just getting to sit in the front seat. It’s also gaining control of the things that the driver can’t do while driving: A/C, GPS, and most importantly, the AUX. Just as there is an energy in a party, there is an energy in the car. You have to know when to crank the music up when everyone wants to sing along, and when to turn it down when a conversation starts. You have to be aware of what kind of music the entire car full of people will agree on. As the holder of the aux cord, you mentally take note of how each person ranks each genre of music and then finding the genre that is high on everyone’s list. You can take requests, but only if it fits into the confines of the car’s standards. You, and you alone, control whether or not this car trip is one to remember or one you wish you could forget.

So before you hop on that aux cord, take a moment to consider the role that you are about to accept. Many crumble under the pressure. Music is a polarizing topic, and putting yourself in charge of that is going to put you in a polarizing position. And if you are offered the position, appreciate what is being asked of you. Not just any bitch with a Spotify account can bring good music to the table. This is a job for the confident, the brave, and the musically knowledgable. Are you ready for the challenge?

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Ali Hin

A born and raised Jersey girl, she can always be found covered in sand and pizza sauce. Her personal brand is "that girl." She prefers wine in bottles because she thinks outside of the box. Send fan mail to [email protected] or by smoke signal.

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