Where's the party tonight?

Every college has various functions like Freshers’ Day, Farewell Day, Ethnic Day and many more. These fests serve as a platform for students to have fun, learn something new, exhibit their talent and make a lot of friends. To conduct these fests, students need to prepare an itinerary and get it approved from the head of the concerned department
It is a fact that on Freshers’ and Farewell Days, students are not allowed to wear clothes of their choice in the campuses and if partying, no loud music nor dancing is allowed.

According to some students, these rules restrict them from having fun and that these days end up being boring and bland. To add to the students’ woes, they are not allowed to hold any event outside the college premises in the name of the college. Nancy says, “Freshers’ and Farewell Days are very boring when it is held in college. That is why we hold parties outside, there is more freedom and we can do what we want to.”

These restrictions have lead the students to take up new ways to let their hair down. In some colleges, a group of students gang up and secretly host a Freshers’ Day or Farewell Day outside the college premises, without the  college authorities noticing. All the students are invited secretly to these parties. Such parties are usually held in pubs and all the students meet up there and celebrate Freshers’ or Farewell Day.

Such parties are very popular and almost every student look forward to attending them. The freshers’ party, which is held in the college, forms the base to hold the
unofficial party outside. Some such events are also held after the completion of fests, successfully. 

These events are organised if the seniors turn a wee bit daring. The seniors also take part in the unofficial party hosted by juniors only if they in turn have done that to their juniors.

If the students get caught by the college authorities, there are chances of the entire batch getting suspended. If they are not suspended, some punishment is surely meted out. The 2003 batch from an engineering college had to face some serious consequences for arranging a freshers’ party outside the college premises. Most students are not scared of getting caught and they feel that such risks are worth taking.

Lalit P, a student, says, “We organise such parties very carefully and see that the information does not get leaked. Such parties help us in getting to know the juniors well and the seniors will have a good farewell. Freshers’ Days and Farewell Days do not come every day. So we want to make the best of it by doing what we want to do and not what the college wants to do.”