Hosting a Little 500 party might be one of the lowest-maintenance DIY activities for a college student. All you need to do is buy some cheap liquor, invite your friends, and partake in the festivities.
But who says you can’t throw your post-race bash with a little class? Amidst all the fun you’re having during the World’s Greatest College Weekend, why should you forget the unwritten rules of party manners?
Joe Boes, who gives etiquette presentations for students on campus, says you don’t have to throw out basic manners to have fun at a party. He says the little formalities can often be what separates the good parties from the disasters.
As hosts of some of IU’s biggest parties, Julius Mayes, the treasurer of Kappa Alpha Psi, and Kaelan Barowsky, the man behind the Villas Little 500 block party, also weigh in with their experiences.
Whether or not these etiquette tips will make your mother proud is unknown.
How to handle someone who has had too much to drink
If a guest has lost control and is offending others in attendance, Boes says a polite removal is the most appropriate option, although it shouldn’t be the host’s responsibility.
“Rather than approaching them yourself, have one of your friends come up with an excuse to get that person removed from the situation before things could escalate,” he says. “It’s better for the host not to do it.”
But sometimes the host has to take control. Barowsky says he always feels obligated to look after those guests who drink too much.
“I definitely feel personally responsible for the people at our place, whether it’s warranted or not. I feel like I have an obligation to help them,” he says. “It’s never good to send a belligerent drunk out into the darkness.”
How to handle a bad dancer
“I would tell the DJ to point that person out so everybody can laugh at them and make my party better,” Mayes says. “My experience is, when you hype up bad dancers, bad rappers, they get more confident and it’s entertaining.”
Barowsky agrees that a bad dancer can actually improve the party’s atmosphere.
“Stand back and let them go,” he says.
How to choose party supplies
Any host wanting to reduce the risk of broken glass or injuries should use plastic cups at their party, Boes says. But remember to avoid tackiness.
“If you’re going to use plastic, make it clear plastic,” he says. “Don’t use those big red cups.”
Boes also says it is inappropriate to allow guests open access to alcohol.
“In other words, you don’t have coolers or kegs all over the place so that anyone can just help themselves,” he says. “If you have someone who is there to help monitor how much is being consumed by an individual, that can help.”
Boes suggests writing on hands or distributing wristbands.
How to prevent a block party
“We get all wrapped up in the party atmosphere,” Boes says, “and sometimes suddenly, a party of 20 or 25 of your best friends blossoms into 100 or more people.”
To prevent a small party from growing out of control, make sure everyone on the guest list knows how many people the host has said to bring.
But sometimes a block party is the goal. “That means it was successful,” Mayes says.
Top three party fouls
1. Spontaneous nudity. Barowsky says one of his most memorable moments was captured on camera at his Little 500 party last year. One girl, he says, took her pants off and shook her “big old booty” to the music.
2. The hookup that starts too early. You know the scene when the sloppy make-out session in the corner turns X-rated. “Nobody wants to see that,” Barowsky says.
3. Turning inside out. “If you’re going to throw up,” Boes says. “Do it in the opposite direction of someone.”
