Over the past few years, I’ve had the fortune (or misfortune) to attend various Ashokan parties, the most striking of them being the Fresher’s party at the beginning of each academic year. In each of these parties, I have been at least four completely different people, which obviously resulted in me having a unique experience each year. And so, I chronicle my journeys here to narrate a story about some of the different kinds of people you’re likely to meet at the Fresher’s party – none of whom consider the party in question their natural environment.
First Year: This was the first time I’d ever been to a college party. I was excited to experience something new and step out of my comfort zone but regretted my decision five seconds after reaching the Multipurpose Hall. I became that awkward loner who really didn’t want to be at the party, and spent most of my time near the couches at the back of the hall, or near any food/drink stand on the side. I realized that loud music and even louder people are probably not my zones, and I may have been better off staying in the dorms. But I felt it might be rude if I left because I was here to make friends and be social, right? And the friends I already had were enjoying themselves, so I didn’t want to ditch them. Bad idea to enter the MPH, worse idea to stay in it.
Second Year: By this point, I was a little more sensible. I only attended Fresher’s that year because my two best friends – who are also not the biggest fans of Ashokan parties – were going. The music was as loud as ever, and everyone was going nuts as always, but I actually enjoyed myself that night, and danced as enthusiastically as anyone else in that room – when we weren’t awkwardly standing at the back of the room and wondering where we could dance without running into a couple making out (we encountered some of those anyway). No awkwardness or fear of being rude this year: we dressed up together, danced together, and hung out nervously together. I was the girl who was there only because of her friends, but because it was my friends I really didn’t mind.
Third Year: Enough was enough by then, and I refused to attend the party just to dance and socialize (I’m not a fan of either). Instead, I was going to be that gatecrasher who’s there only for the food…and the drama. Dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, I alternated between tasting the snacks (french fries) and searching for gossip and entertaining scenes to keep to myself or spread, depending on how good it was. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much tea to spill, and the atrium is probably not as great as the MPH when you want to hunt down secrets, so I returned to my room feeling quite disappointed. On the bright side, I wasn’t the only gatecrasher there for the food; my fellow foodies and I bonded over the pointlessness of going to a party for anything else.
Fourth Year: I didn’t go.
While I was happy for my classmates who were going and wondered if the new kids had asked any of them for dates, I decided I’d had my fill of Ashokan parties, and didn’t bother getting out of my pajamas (I don’t have party clothes this semester anyway). Instead, I became that senior for whom the novelty of parties has worn off completely, and stayed in my room with nothing but my laptop and phone for company. I watched YouTube videos all night and ate good food in silence and peace, chilling out on my bed and enjoying the solitude. Best. Party. Ever.
Other parties on campus have been entertaining and wild, to say the least. But I think that in my case, the Fresher’s party usually sets the tone for how the rest of my year at Ashoka is going to go, and as I continue my fourth and final year here, the wealth of experience I gain each year is extremely helpful in navigating the parties held around me the next year.