Rate this article and enter to win
Feel like throwing a party? If so, you’ll play an important role in shaping the social culture of your campus. Party throwers are the social engineers who design the spaces in which students meet, dance, talk, and sometimes drink or hook up. You can help build the campus you really want.

Party hosts are in a great position to help reduce the rates of campus sexual assault. Research consistently shows that sexual violence is not an isolated phenomenon; it occurs within a broader culture of pressure and disregard for others. By holding ourselves and each other to a higher standard, we can de-normalize the low-level disregard that is often a precursor to sexual violence. We should be concerned with pressure even when no one is out to cause harm, as we always deserve to have our boundaries and limits respected.

As a party thrower, you can create an environment that makes it easier for people to make mindful decisions in which mutual respect and recognition are the default. A great party involves thinking proactively about the kind of experience you want to create. What tone and vibe are you going for? How can you make sure your guests enjoy it? How can you arrange the space in ways that help people feel comfortable?

1. Talk it out

Get together with your roommates or cohosts and discuss your goals and responsibilities for the party:

• What do you want out of this event?
• If this party goes as well as it possibly could, what would that look like?
• What can help you get there?
• What might get in your way?
• What can you do to make space for people to participate in different ways? Of course you want your party to be fun, but fun means different things to different people.

If you’re throwing this party on behalf of a student organization or club, know your college’s policies, and consider opening up the conversation to all the members. Everyone should be on the same page about basic priorities. Think aloud about how those priorities align with your mission as a group. Also: Is this the first party you’re throwing with the newest members of your group? As seasoned members, you get to take the lead on modeling positive group dynamics: looking out for each other, treating guests with respect, and upholding your group’s values. Never throw a party in a shared home without your roommates’ agreement.

2. Set up thoughtfully

As you set up, consider how your guests will interact with the space throughout your party. Music and dance are staples of a great party. So are conversations and personal connections.

If you are setting aside a dance floor, make sure you also have a quieter, more well-lit space where your guests can cool off, catch their breath, and talk. You might stock this space with cold water bottles, snacks, softer music, and a fan. A setup that makes room for conversation will help your guests communicate more clearly. This is especially important if two people are considering going home together. They can take a break from the loud dance floor to check in about what they want to do next.

If there are isolated spaces in your party venue, decide whether or not to keep them open and accessible. If you do, assign someone the task of checking in on those spaces during the party.

When you’re putting together the playlist or choosing entertainers or DJs, think about how well they fit your values and priorities for the event.

3. Welcome to the party!

Make a plan for how you will welcome your guests, help them feel comfortable, and check in on them throughout the party. As hosts, you will be especially attuned to the general mood. You can make the rounds, introduce people, and troubleshoot issues as they come up.

Hosts are well positioned to step in if they notice uncomfortable dynamics, like a guest experiencing unwanted attention or someone pressuring others to drink. It’s your party—you can check in whenever you notice something, no matter how small. The most effective interventions happen early, when (in many cases) they can be subtle.

Consider signaling who is hosting the party. Wear a signature piece of clothing, a vivid color, or silly hat. This helps guests know where to turn if anything comes up. They may need directions to the bathroom,  escape from someone who is making them uncomfortable, or help turning away someone at the door or seeking medical attention for a friend who has overdone it.

If a large group is throwing the party, consider trading off “hosting duties” over the course of the evening.

4. Can I offer you a drink?

If you intend to serve alcohol, come up with a plan for how you will keep your guests safe. Do your best to create an environment in which everyone can make mindful, deliberate choices about whether they want to drink and how much. Alcohol does not cause sexual violence, but it can make people more vulnerable to pressure or coercion (and sexual aggressors may deliberately use it this way). A successful party does not have to involve alcohol. Always provide plenty of non-alcoholic beverages. The legal age for drinking alcohol is 21.

Rather than leaving alcohol around for people to serve themselves, it’s worth assigning a couple of people that task. Here’s why this helps:

• Designated servers can mix tasty cocktails that complement the party theme, or just serve beer or wine.
• Designated servers are careful to measure and not over-pour drinks—a task that is infinitely more difficult for your distracted guests, who may have already been drinking.
• Designated servers can keep an eye out, noticing who has had too many drinks, who needs a glass of water, and who needs to switch to something nonalcoholic.
• For guests, this setup makes drinking an active choice rather than a default. It’s easier for people to count their drinks over the course of the evening.

Spot signs of trouble: Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the medical response resources available on your campus or in your community. If everything goes according to plan, your guests won’t need to use them.
Any of the following symptoms indicates alcohol poisoning. Call for medical help immediately:

• Can’t walk unassisted
• Unconscious and unresponsive
• Vomiting continuously
• Clammy skin or slow breathing

Rate this article and enter to win
Not all of us can handle the same amount of alcohol. Different body types, genes, minds, and experiences affect our tolerance. Here, five students talk about their relationship with alcohol in the context of their own risk factors: A family history of alcoholism; fatigue and stress; small body size; medication interaction; and diabetes. Two experts suggest customized strategies for managing their alcohol consumption.

Experts

• Dr. Nathilee Caldeira is a licensed clinic psychologist at the Student Mental Health Center at Columbia University Medical Center, and the founder of Let’s Talk Psychological Wellness PC. (NC)
• Dr. Scott Lukas directs the Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, and the McLean Imaging Center. He is professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. (SL)

* All students’ names have been changed for privacy. All students featured are age 21+.

Drinking while small-bodied

Callie’s story:
“I’m 4’11”, 87 pounds. It’s difficult when friends don’t think about the fact that I can’t drink as much as they can. I become intoxicated quicker. I drink occasionally, two drinks at most.”

Drinking while medicated

Junot’s story:
“I take Lamictal every day for manic depression [bipolar disorder]. I have been taking it for seven years. If I drink too much, the medication will not work properly for the next day or so.”

Family history of alcoholism

Sam’s story:
“Both my parents were alcoholics. When I was growing up, my parents fought all the time and we were super-poor. I bounced between their homes, and my dad abused me. I’ve moved 38 times in 35 years. I have perhaps three alcoholic drinks a year, and I’ve been drunk three times in my life. There are a hundred other more fun things I can think of to do.”

Fatigue + stress + alcohol

Briona’s story:
“I love to have my friends over and throw back a few beers. I’ve been fatigued and stressed due to school. How much I drink depends on my mood. I’ll have a beer at least two or three times a week, but other times I’ll lose count.”

Drinking while diabetic

Christophe’s story:
“I use insulin and check my blood sugars three or four times a day. My friends know I’m diabetic, so they always watch out for me. I drink anything, really, but I try to drink low-carb beer and mixed drinks with diet pop.”

Strategies for managing your alcohol consumption

Practice saying “no” to a drink

• Role-play with a friend or counselor.
• Ask and remind friends to support your decisions about drinking limits.

Alternate and/or dilute your drinks

• Ask for “lighter” alcoholic drinks with less alcohol, or in a larger glass with added seltzer or soda.
• “Ask for a ‘virgin’ pina colada or ‘virgin’ daiquiri. These drinks look exactly alike, which may take some of the pressure off.”  —SL
• Alternate alcoholic drinks with water, seltzer, or soda.

Shake up your habits

• Switch to a different beverage—one that isn’t your favorite.
• “Avoid ‘chugging’ or drinking games. Drinking games are designed to have you fail, and they promote more drinking.” —SL

Know your cues

• Cues or triggers are specific to individuals. Know what yours are. One person might crave beer and have no reaction to whiskey or vodka.
• “If you used to go to a specific bar to drink, then go to a different establishment for dinner.” —SL

The drug “Molly” has been around for years. Maybe not in the same pure form, though. These days, Molly is usually mixed with other substances, and that’s what ramps up the risk.

Who or what is Molly?

Molly (short for molecular) is a psycho-stimulant. It’s a powder or capsule form of MDMA, the same chemical that’s in Ecstasy. Molly increases activity in three of the brain’s neurotransmitters—serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine—triggering heightened emotional, sexual, and trusting feelings, and sensory distortions.

When Molly gets miserable

After that surge of feel-good chemicals, the brain can run into problems. For users, this can mean confusion, depression, sleep difficulties, drug cravings, and anxiety. These other side effects are not so cute on the dance floor:

• Involuntary teeth clenching
• Nausea
• Blurred vision
• Increased heart rate
• Chills or sweating

Molly mixes with the wrong sort

It’s rare to find pure Molly these days. It tends to be mixed with other substances, including methamphetamine, caffeine, heroin, ketamine (the anesthetic), or cocaine. Combining these can increase the risk of side effects, and could lead to other problems, such as overdose.

For more on Molly

A few years ago, they were rarely seen in the wild. Now you can find them next to the Blow Pops in gas stations. They’re E-cigarettes, and they got popular fast. Researchers are scrambling to determine the health impact of these gizmos, which emit vapor laced with chemicals—including nicotine—when users inhale.

Can E-cigarettes help you kick butts?

The pencil-sized machines are marketed as a convenient alternative to lighting up—and as a tool to help folks quit tobacco. With the Great American Smokeout on November 20, if you’re a smoker, you might be eager to join the 88 percent of college students who have not smoked in the last month. Can E-cigarettes really help you kick the butts?

Mixed findings

Few studies have addressed the question, and findings are mixed. But we do know that nicotine—which E-cigarettes deliver in varying doses—is bad. The drug can contribute to heart disease, cause complications during pregnancy, and act as a “tumor promoter,” the World Health Organization wrote in July.

Nicotine also has the potential to harm brain development among young people. That includes—please cancel your trip to Denial—college students.

Still, E-cigarettes are far less abrasive to your lungs than plumes of cigarette smoke, so they may be significantly less harmful. But we’re not sure.

In any event, “vapers” must be wary of nicotine overdose, which can result in bad things like vomiting, confusion, and seizures, according tothe US National Library of Medicine. (Users should keep E-cigs away from young children, who–being teeny-tiny–can overdose more easily.)

Bottom line

Bottom line, as we await more research: We should consider E-cigs a cousin of a pack of cigarettes. Stick to those Blow Pops.