This Was So Much Easier In College

Then again, it could be worse!


I honestly pity the folks who studied 16 hours a day/seven days a week back in college. There are opportunities to experience things as an undergrad that won't be replicated at any other point in life. And I am not talking about easy hookups - those can happen anywhere. One of the things that you only get one shot at is throwing a fraternity party.

Right now I am planning a small New Year's Eve party here in Atlanta. After two years of paying over $100 for the jazzy all you can drink magazine parties here - I've had enough. Trying to drink your money's worth, and try to identify women who are a) single, b) good-looking, and c) cool out of the pool of ATL women who could afford to spend $100 on a party ticket is a pain in the ass. This year my friends and I are partying at my condo's pool house - and even if I cover the rental fee and all the champagne like I promised, I will still come out ahead compared to last year. And there won't be a six mile early morning trek from the Biltmore to Cross Creek Condos because I was trying to get a number and missed the last open cab in the city.

With only a month left before the big night, I am nervous as hell trying to get people to RSVP on the Evite and making sure the Condo Association isn't going to shut us down early because some loser actually wants to go to bed early on the eve of the one holiday everyone celebrates.

Back in college, this was so much easier. My party's as social chair sucked pretty good, but they were much better when I was president of my fraternity. I had final say on lighting, music, and the actual date - which meant we weren't going to be competing with some other group's biggest party of the year. I had a force of 30 or so guys who handed out invites all over campus - and the reputation that we gained from every previous party brought new guests as well. When we didn't like the kind of women we were getting from Wash U, we just sent a team over to Fontbonne and recruited girls from the dorms to supplement the crowd. Our house had everything we needed to succeed: space for a dance floor, pool and foozball, multiple levels and sound systems in each, multiple bathrooms, multiple bars, and plenty of areas to sneak off and get the freak on. And since the guys were cool - girls always felt comfortable around us, and we consistently had a good time.

Now I am dealing with women in their late thirties talking about risk management issues as through we are still in college, never mind that I am going to be the youngest person at this thing. Then there is the issue of one of my friends possibly throwing a competing party, which will make things very interesting for at least three of the girls on my list. Back at Wash U, my rep assured that wouldn't be an issue - they knew where the better party would be. Plus in college, partying is definitely given priority because of the work hard/play hard lifestyle. Here in the working professional South, things are so laid back, no one wants to commit until the last second. This is also first party I am throwing in Atlanta - so outside my fraternity brothers who live here, I have no established rep as the King of the Jam. All this on top of the fact that I know about 50 people here (or 50 emails rather) - so I need a much higher rate of attendence than the 10% figure I used in college. (5000 students at Wash U, 10% goal or 500 people at my parties)

My only advantages are that the location is perfect, the party should be cheap for all attendees, and everyone on the list is cool as hell. If half show up - it will be a blast.