Who says parties at a women’s college can’t be fun?!? No one. On Saturday night, my close friend and two of her friends hosted a joint birthday party in the Rhoads Common Room. The three of them (all seniors) have April birthdays and were turning 22. With some themed decorations, they turned the common room (which is beautiful already because we go to school in a castle) into a dance floor with tables on the side filled with chips, drinks, and a cake.The theme was “bubblegum bitch.” I had to ask what that meant and was told to think early Britney Spears, early to mid 2000s, and middle school hits. People arrived dressed to theme and ready to dance. We danced in a big circle and sang along with all the hits from our fifth grade to early high school times (Britney Spears, Jason Derulo, Jay Sean, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Teagan & Sara, Jonas Brothers, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Iyaz, Blink-182, Fergie, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, etc.). The birthday hosts even arranged to get the nice loud speakers from Conference and Events to blast tunes.

Hosts and servers were all party trained and abided by the school party rules. For those of you who are not familiar with (or forget) the procedures for organizing a party at Bryn Mawr, it’s fairly easy. Party hosts must make sure all dorm residents are aware of the party, and servers must mark how many drinks each person consumes on their hand. There are three different levels of parties, which depend on size of party and how many hosts and servers are required for each. The school also provides reimbursement up to $25 for non-alcoholic party supplies. I was party trained during my sophomore and junior years, but have not renewed my training for my senior year.

I think it’s special that some Mawrters choose to celebrate their birthdays at Bryn Mawr. Yes, they could easily celebrate out in Philadelphia at a restaurant or club, but being in the presence of other Mawrters of all different years in a place we all share a connection to is unique. And yes, parties with just Mawrters only can be a lot of fun.