LISA CUMBIE
Living Editor
Many students find themselves on a Friday evening or Saturday afternoon without any plans. And even after searching through your entire contacts list on your cell, everyone seems to be in the same situation. Maybe your weekly Van Wilder has gone home for the weekend or has committed to a function already. Whatever the case may be, you’ve worked too hard all week not to be able to relax and enjoy yourself this weekend.
It looks like you drew the short straw and have to be the one to step up and make sure everyone gets the weekend they deserve. Though it may be a frightening thought at first (hosting this weekend’s bash), with a little planning and strategy, you’ll be asked to do it every week. So, here are some points for the amateurs and a few reminders for the pros of how to host a gathering with less than an hour’s notice.
Step One: Find a venue
Malibu is the perfect place to plan a gathering. Its close location to so many diverse venues offers scores of opportunities for hosting locations.
Even in its great location though, sometimes it can be a bit difficult to find a location on such late notice, but it’s the first thing you need to do. After all, you can’t have a gathering without a place to gather.
You need to evaluate the purpose of your gathering and think of places that relate to that. If it’s a Bible study — perhaps a local church; a lovely Saturday afternoon — why not the beach? Try to be creative with your location if you can. This is an opportunity to get away from the usual routine everyone falls into.
Los Angeles offers a host of venues: roller rinks, miniature golf, mountains and beaches. Most beaches or mountain parks are free, except for parking in some cases. The other venues have per person costs of fewer than $10 that could be covered by your guests.
Step Two: Pick a theme
Once you have your location, it should be easy to pick a theme. You can choose something that relates to your venue or something that has no correlation at all. The point of a theme is to make your event more interesting than previous ones. You can decorate accordingly or suggest to your guests to dress to the theme or bring an item that pertains to the theme. A few suggestions could include a pirate theme, 80s, or rockstar theme or even an inside joke among the friends invited. Be creative so your guests can be too.
Step Three: Get a guest count
Once you have set the parameters for the party, you need to start inviting the people. Since it is already late notice, you can’t waste a minute. Start thumbing through your phonebook, facebook group or AIM buddies and get the word out. But when you call people, also make sure to ask if they plan to bring anybody — you don’t want to run out of space. You also need to make sure enough people are going to show up, so that your valiant efforts are not wasted.
Step Four: Run to the grocery store
If you’re going to have a space full of college students, one thing they will definitely love you for is free food. Make a quick run to the nearest grocery store to pick up a few things to indulge your guests with. Now there’s no need to have a full meal for them (unless, of course, it is a dinner party), but supply enough snacks to go around. This is another reason why it’s important to have a guest count. If you are not sure what to get, remember the basics: something sweet, something salt and beverages. Chips and salsa, cupcakes, M&Ms and pretzels are all great choices. (Don’t forget napkins and plates.)
Step Five: Execute timing
Now that you have all of the elements of a successful get-together, the final step is to execute timing. After you’ve made sure to give yourself plenty of time to run the errands you need to, then, as the host, you need to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Place the food out a little at a time so it doesn’t all get devoured by the first guests, but don’t forget to refill as needed.
Call a few of the guests to make sure they’re on their way. Be ready to greet the guests as soon as they arrive and let them know where they can store their jacket or bag. Once the guests have all arrived, make sure everything runs smoothly and above all, enjoy yourself.
09-06-2007
