Get The Party Started

While Greek life is certainly filled with philanthropy and academic standards, there are plenty of opportunities to partake in outlandish events. Namely, these events include college fraternity parties. At The University of Texas at Austin, there is one weekend each semester that is deemed to include the most outrageous parties. During the fall term, there is a cluster of parties the weekend before Thanksgiving break. In the second semester, the weekend after spring break is Round Up. According to Buzzfeed, Round Up is even one of the best college party weekends in the nation. Attendees of both events spend weeks in advance contemplating what to wear, whom to go out with, and the amount of alcohol he or she plans to consume. To Greek members on campus, these weekends usually include spilled drinks, an insane amount of picture taking, and possibly a few regrettable decisions.

As superficial as it may sound, a fashion faux pas at these parties could leave a lasting impression. Between word of mouth gossip, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook, it is hard to escape mistakes from either of these weekends. Dressing for these parties is by far one of the most difficult phases leading up to the events. To quote Mean Girls, it would be “social suicide” to be under or over dressed. The majority of people in attendance simply want to stick to the status quo. For parties in the fall, most girls choose to wear dark colored boots, wedges, dresses, or blouses. Yet, in the spring it is common to wear neon tank tops, face tattoos, and fanny packs. With experience and observation, sorority socialites are able to fine-tune their dressing skills to impress other partygoers.

Is the neon hurting your eyes yet? Above is a silly picture of my pledge class from Round Up 2013. Source: Bryna Herskowitz

The majority of attendees of these parties are active in Greek life on campus, leading them to attend with sorority sisters or fraternity brothers. Round Up is particularly special because fraternities often recruit rappers to perform at their parties. Past performers include The Ying Tang Twins, DJ Yoni, and VIC. This year, Ace Hood and Kid Ink are expected to perform.

My claim to fame: a picture with rapper, VIC. Source: Bryna Herskowitz

Now, here comes the elephant in the room: attendees may choose to consume an inordinate amount of alcohol at these parties. The alcohol served ranges from cheap beer, to Jungle Juice, and even Jell-O shots. Some people use alcohol in order to act uninhibited and let down the guard they worked so hard to establish. Yet, it is crucial to remember that this lack of inhibition goes hand-in-hand with irresponsibility. Although it may be an oversimplification, some students believe chugging alcohol will give them liquid courage. As always, please remember to keep it classy and party sensibly.

To many college students at The University of Texas at Austin, these parties are considered two of the best weekends of the year. Other parties during the school year train students for what to expect in terms of clothes, peers, and alcoholic beverages. Many people walk away from these parties with new friends, a few drunken texts, and a pride that accompanies surviving these extravagant weekends.