During the first weeks of class, freshmen experience the joys of house parties for perhaps the first time, while most upperclassmen try to regain that rush they once discovered by now organizing their own.
To keep all the upcoming \drinking fests"" under control, here are a few tips to adopt to promote proper behavior between both hosts and guests. These pointers are not intended for the person having a casual gathering of a couple of friends. Rather they are directed to the many for-profit parties around Madison.
For those throwing your first party there are some key aspects you must consider. An important concern on most peoples' minds going out at night is alcohol.
Unless you are selling Guinness there is no way the price of the cup should be over $5. If you are going for low quality beers, such as Pabst Blue Ribbon or Blatz, $4 should be the maximum. Three kegs should be plenty for 100 people. To avoid disgruntled guests, stop selling cups when you know you are nearly out of anything to drink.
For those more inclined to hard liquor, shots can be priced at one to $2 while Jell-0 shots usually can be found at two for a buck.
Nearly as important as alcohol is securing enough space for the number of people you invite. Basements are ideal for multiple reasons.
""They're usually huge and you don't care if they get trashed since they're easy to clean up,"" UW-Madison senior Justin Ugoretz said.
House parties always end up being crowded anyway, so do not put a flier advertising your party in Agriculture Hall if you do not want the police before midnight.
Be certain to have restrooms easily available and plenty of toilet paper. And if you want people to dance prepare party CDs or just hook your computer up to your sound system, this way you can take care of guarding the beer while the music is playing.
Whatever you do, do not forget your neighbors. Neighbors should be warned in advance and a free cup often results in fewer calls to the police.
Speaking of police, fines should be expected. It is illegal to sell alcohol. It is doubly illegal to sell alcohol to minors. It is also illegal to play really loud music. Fines can range from a $102 noise violation ticket to $30,000 for serving alcohol to multiple minors.
A good idea is to keep a person at the front door, a sort of bouncer, to check the people that come in and make sure nobody gathers outside where they can be seen by the police. Keeping obviously drunk individuals from coming into the house also helps to prevent fights during the party.
According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, if police do come to your party, hosts should do everything in their power to cooperate.
A key responsibility of the host is the safety of the guests. In light of near death experiences of two UW-Madison students in as many years from injuries resulting from a falling off a balcony, this area should be blocked off.
Also, if someone is at the point of where you even think detox is an option, you should call the police.
""If [the hosts] just send them out the front door it'll guarantee that the party will get a citation,"" Langdon St. neighborhood Madison Police Officer John Patterson said. ""Officers, in general, are not going to come down hard on a house if the people running the party are being proactive in getting people help who maybe drank to0 much.""
If the hosts follow these rules the party has a great potential, but it's the guests' responsibility to have a blast. The first rule: no binge drinking!
First it is just not safe; not to mention the unattractiveness of it. People have a tendency to spill beer and guys seem to spit more the more drunk they get. Emma Ingebretsen, a freshman had an unfortunately-typical experience the other week.
""I was at a party, filling my cup when this obviously drunk guy started talking to me, he asked for my number and did not get it. He didn't understand my refusal probably because he had not realized he had just spat on my face the minute before,"" she said.
Moderation is the key word if you want to have fun and meet new people.
""House parties are a great way to create a network of friends,"" Maggie King, a freshman explained, adding that the social aspect is the major reason why people love parties so much.
Alcohol lowers inhibitions and encourages interacting with new faces in a context other than class. It is nice to be open, nevertheless make sure you are safe and that your friends are looking after you. Robert Lindner, a sophomore, has had to be ""the middle man"" and come between guys that are eager to grind and his unwilling girlfriends.
However, girls themselves should not expect to get a free cup because they have a short skirt and cleavage.
What it all comes down to in the end is respect. Try not to offend people, do not let your hands wander on bodies or around the hosts' personal effects. Do not get into fights.
Just remember the point of going to the house party is to have fun, so you might as well enjoy yourself while you are there.
