About two weeks ago it was the twenty-first birthday of a friend of mine. Unfortunately for her, it was on a Monday night. Two of our friends decided to throw a belated birthday party for her in the form of a rockin' dance party. Those two fellows go by the names Scotty Neon and Joey Colors. Since beginning the planning of this party they have added Molly Bright to their ranks and "started" a party planning company called Bright/Neon/Colors. This was their first official party (their first unofficial was a total failure and was thrown for yours truly. See me for that story).
Scotty Neon and Joey Colors contacted the Area Coordinator of our building to make sure the party could actually happen. Her stipulations were that they had to reserve the TV room (where they were planning on throwing the party) and it had to be over by quiet hours (meaning midnight on Saturday night). Fine. Room reserved, they headed over to the print center on campus to buy neon colored paper to decorate with. Next stop was our campus venue where they acquired some speakers and other sound equipment.
Invitations went out two days after the idea of the party was born. Printed on some of the neon paper was this:
SPRiNG FLiNG!!!
Axxxxx'S BiRTHDAY PARTY!!!
THiS SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
W/ FREE MUSiC & DANCING!!!
DANCiNG STARTS @ 10 iN Mxxxxx!!!!!!!
SHOW UP EARLY!!! (SURPRISE!!!)
qUiET HOURS START @12!!!
FiRST EVER Mxxxxx BOUNCE* PARTY!!!
*Bounce: 1.to move or walk in a lively, exuberant, or energetic manner
DiSCO!!! DiSCO!!! DiSCO!!! DiSCO!!! DiSCO!!! DiSCO!!! DiSCO!!! DiSCO!!!
Each was hand addressed to some ninety invitees. The rest of the paper was used to print the word "PARTY!!!" on as many sheets of neon paper as possible (these lined the floor from the front door of the building to the room the party was in) and a huge biblical quote about dancing. I believe that it said something like "David danced for the Lord..." This quote was posted on one wall of the room and two long black lights were hung on the other side. A spinning light ball and a bubble machine completed the decorations in the room.
Just outside the room (in a computer lab, as a matter of fact) was a table with treats and snacks as well as a piece of art made by Joey Colors for a class. It consisted of a Bratz doll covered in paint and looking disheveled while holding a twenty-first birthday balloon. Her name is Party Girl (seriously).
In addition to all of this, signs were posted throughout the building and on every door of a room that would be affected (those in the same hallway as the TV room, and those directly above it) stating the time, place and nature of the event, and inviting one and all to join us. These were posted the morning of the event giving residents plenty of time to find another place to be if they wished to avoid it.
Preparations thus executed, it was time to party. At promptly ten in the evening (after partaking in some illicit activities in the privacy of my room) I walked down to the TV room to find music blasting and people dancing. I did not stop dancing for more than five minutes during the two hours I was there. At one point I ran into someone I hadn't seen for a few months and he said that he came because he heard the music from his dorm building a five minute walk away). Mission accomplished.
Everyone who came had a blast and at three minutes to midnight the music was shut off and people disbursed. I stayed and helped clean up the immediate mess (trash on the floor, the signs on the wall, the cable lying about behind the DJ booth, et cetera). Then we went to bed.
To recap: birthday party for a friend, legit in the eyes of the "authority" figure, loud as hell music, more sweat than you can shake a stick at, squeezed into two hours. The issue? Three (three!) complaints were raised to the Area Coordinator. Her response? Email the entire building and the director of campus housing with this little gem:
Residents of Mxxxxx Hall,
I am so very sorry for the noise level last night. I could offer a number
of excuses but none of them make up for the fact that the dance was as
loud as it was. I hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me.
I PROMISE that this will NEVER happen again.
Can I get a hell yes? Now, my building is a "nerdy" and typically quiet dorm. It has the only two "quiet" floors on campus. Nothing ever happens here. Today, it was the talk of campus because a few people couldn't handle it. So, our solution is to move to another building for the next party. The quote on the wall for the next one? "I PROMISE that this will NEVER happen again... in Mxxxxx Hall."
Here's a picture of me taken just outside of the party room sometime during the night's revelries:
Woosh. Long post. Good story. Hope you enjoyed.
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