Remember your first Emerson party? Red solo cups rolling across the sticky floor; music playing from some distant speaker with lyrics you couldn’t discern; people crammed together in a tiny apartment, sweating profusely, and barely talking to each other. You left after an hour feeling let down and wondering if everyone else felt the same way.

The next morning, Instagram posts flooded your feed with people posing at the same party making it seem like they had the night of their lives. Bright lights, smiling faces, and a mirage of a night you thought could have been better spent at home.

During our freshman year of college in 2020, strict COVID regulations made it difficult to be socially distant while still making friends (quite the unfortunate contradiction, right?). Every weekend we would see posts of seemingly incredible parties at the monument in the Commons or at the statue in the Public Garden of huge friend groups with drinks in hand. We would always feel left out and wonder what we were doing wrong, why couldn’t we make friends?

However, when the time came for us to go to the aforementioned monument or statue parties—we were disappointed to say the least. Nobody was dancing, and nobody wanted to dance to the indie music playing—the anthem of sad goth film boys and the exact opposite of hype music. There were conversations about films, books, and who-can-smoke-more-than-who discussions. In the background one could hear “Take our picture! Get it from that angle! Oh my god that looks sick!”

The next morning as we scrolled through our Instagram feeds, all we could see were .5 lens pictures with flash illuminating the subversive party outfits that everyone wore just to stand (and maybe sway, but not dance) in the Gardens.

We can’t lie and say we haven’t also been the girls snapping flash photos in a crowded room. We love a good Instagram photo like the next 20-something girl, but we also value the importance of living in the moment. When we get to a fun party, we want to talk to our friends, meet new people, and most importantly, dance! But many times, we’re greeted by glaring phone screens, people valuing their social media persona over making conversation.

Valentina Wheaton ‘24 opted for bars and clubs when she turned 21 instead. She says, “Better music. Better vibes. People are actually dancing instead of standing there.”

Wheaton also noticed that clubs are more diverse with students from different backgrounds and schools. She says she enjoys meeting new people, and connecting with other Latinas since Emerson’s community is limited.

Emerson parties also tend to value exclusivity, desiring the “popular” group. Although this concept seems childish, at a small liberal arts college it is a reality.

Emerson students value aesthetics and individual style, which is not an inherently bad thing. However, students that do not devote their time to make their Instagram feed aesthetically pleasing or do not have a strong personal brand fade into the online background, and in turn, are not wanted at some Emerson parties. Rebecca Sherman ‘24 says, “Emerson parties are kind of quirky. I think because this is such a hyper-liberal arts school. I don’t know why but that does affect the way people sort of value aesthetics and presentation.”

At the arts school equivalent of a frat party, people go to great lengths to make sure they’re seen, checking in with everyone they know to reaffirm their attendance, even posing with and excusing problematic people. Gabriella Perez ‘23 says, “People are willing to party with shitty people just so they can get posted on this person’s Instagram or so they can say that they were there.”

As juniors finally comfortable being ourselves, we’re not afraid to be the only two people dancing in the corner, as long as we’re having fun together. “I think people who are going somewhere to have a good time are going to make it a good time,” says Sherman.

Ultimately, Emerson parties can be a hit or a miss–but mostly a miss. The low number of people, the ironically quiet and slow music, everyone standing around, and the staggered flashes of iPhone cameras all perfectly encapsulates the classic “Emerson party.”

Party or Performance?