Alyssa Arre, Photo Editor
On Friday, April 19 the Students’ Association (SA) hosted its first “Bash by the Books,” an on-campus party dedicated to providing a responsible partying environment for students by following all university policies
In an unprecedented step, SA decided to evaluate university policies regarding parties by putting them to the test.
The party potentially served as a barometer with which on-campus party policies could be judged and adjusted accordingly.
So was the event a success?
“While the turnout wasn’t phenomenal, the people who did come ended up having a good time,” junior Abhishek Sharma said. “There was music, dancing, and food, and while alcoholic beverages were offered, the frequency at which they were distributed (once an hour) didn’t allow partygoers to overindulge. The party remained classy.”
Attendance was lower than a typical fraternity party. Additionally, occupancy policies lead to decreased attendance, Sharma said.
“The occupancy policy was constantly being enforced, and I even saw instances of people being asked to leave, which was unfortunate,” he said.
Throughout the night, organizers patrolled the party for infractions. Their presence may have been abnormal relative to a typical party, maybe dampening the mood.
Then again, this party wasn’t a regular party. It was “chill,” as one partygoer said: “It was less vibrant, maybe in terms of dancing and revelry, but people had a good time in a different way. They talked with their friends, met new people — it was much more chill.”
It would seem that this highly regulated party may have been the first step in a larger effort to bring parties back to campus, albeit responsibly.
We may not see the quick return of the glory days of fraternity parties, but the desire for a venue to socialize and relax on campus with friends in a party environment has been made clear.
“I don’t mind going off campus at this point,” junior John Martin said. “I do worry about the freshmen who don’t know where they are or people who are drunk to the point where walking back to campus could be dangerous. There needs to be a safer solution.”
Another partygoer, who wished to remain anonymous, echoed the need for a change.
“Instead of throwing our Solo cups on the frat quad’s funeral pyre, let’s recognize that partying comes with inherent [responsibilities],” he said. “Let’s make some small, necessary changes to keep it under control. If we want administrators to treat us like we’re responsible partiers, let’s prove we at least understand what it means to be responsible.”
Smith is a member of the class of 2014.
