By Hilary Connelly
It”s that time of year again. School has begun, and football games, and parties are here.
Walking down the stairs of an apartment complex, the weekend social scene, and noticing the strategically placed neon flyers plastered to the walls, leaves many decisions.
As the first school weekend comes and goes, being in the social scene becomes a priority for some BYU students. Warehouse parties, house parties and even poolside disco techs can be found in abundance. And some students have found this scene more likely since the Provo dance hall ordinance was revised this spring.
Partying into the wee hours of the night, or at least 1 a.m., is now a reality for some partygoers.
Lindy Jones, a junior from Dallas, Texas majoring in economics said, “The first weekend back was great. There was a lot going on and as the year continues I think there will be even more parties because you start to get into the social scene.”
Some partygoers said the new school year started off with a bang.
“I was at the football game, and everyone around me was talking about going to a party after,” said McKell Toolsen, a sophomore from Gilbert, Ariz., who has not yet declared a major.
“I think people were really anticipating the first weekend back and were excited to see people they hadn”t seen in a while. I think the weekends are only going to get better as I meet more people and know what is going on. I just hope the parties don”t get broken up like last year,” Toolsen said.
Since the revised policy of Provo dances has taken effect, the Provo Police Department now plays a different role in regulating parties.
“The police told me they couldn”t break up social gatherings,” said Matt Smith, a junior from Park City majoring in marketing. Smith was one of the men responsible for hosting the “Mo party for your body” held at the Promenade Apartments on Friday after the football game.
“At first the police were really cool, just walking around and making sure there was no illegal activities,” Smith said. Then when hundreds of people showed up it got a little crazy. People started to show up around 11:00 p.m. and by 11:30 p.m. they were in the streets yelling at people to go home and stop blocking the roads, he said.
People flocked to the after-game party Friday. 9th East was blocked off because people were trying to cross the street just to push their way into the crowd.
“There wasn”t even any music playing when I showed up,” said Leslie Wagner, a junior from Del Mar, Calif. “But it was such a huge party.”
Everyone was eager to get back into the scene their first weekend back.
Other BYU students said the first weekend didn”t impress them that much. Some said they weren”t surprised at the lack of events.
“Except for the sports” games, there wasn”t that much going on,” said Katie Robbins, a junior from Marietta, Ga. majoring in social work.
Robbins said she hopes the party scene will get better, but she doesn”t think it will change much from last year.
“Parties are always more fun in the beginning and then you remember why you stopped going to them last year. Every once in a while there is an awesome party and it makes it the hassle worth it, she said.”
