Party Thrower Checklist

One Week or More Before the Party

• Invite your friends (but not their friends) so they know in advance and make your party the priority. Don’t advertise it as an open party as it is a sure way to get tons of random guests.
• Tell your neighbors if you didn’t invite them already. This way they’ll call you if the party gets too noisy instead of calling the police.
• Establish a bartender and bouncer. Make sure you ask them in advance in order to make your party more fun and safe. If it’s a friend, they’ll probably take their role more seriously if you don’t ask someone at the last minute.
• Plan how people will be getting in and out of the party and where you want them to be once they’re in. Restricting the exit and entrance to one door will make it easier to regulate. Also, planning where you want people to be will give you extra time to section off the parts of the house you want to keep private.

Day of the Party

• If you buy alcoholic drinks, also buy non-alcoholic drinks. Keep in mind that buying a smaller amount of high-quality alcohol as opposed to a ton of cheap alcohol will make the party classier. Plus it will help with the hangover the next day. Also remember that drinking under the age of 21 or providing alcohol to minors is against the law.
• Clean the place up. You might have some valuables hidden amongst all the clutter that you want to put away and hide before it disappears forever. A house that looks like a trashcan will be treated like one, so put in the extra effort.
• Set up the speakers, preferably in a place where they won’t get spilled on or kicked over. Speakers in the middle of a party will be treated as cup holders or stools, so put them in a safe place.
• Make a playlist (if you don’t have a DJ). Try to put it on a CD because there’s a very good chance that your iPod will get stolen.

Right before the Party

• Lock up the bedroom doors. Do this only if you don’t want your stuff stolen or a couple to walk in that thinks it would be very romantic to consummate their one-hour long relationship on your bed.
• If you have multiple bathrooms, keep one bathroom off-limits to the guests. Chances are, the next day you’re not going to want to use the same bathroom that everyone else used during the party.
• Make sure everyone has a safe way to get home. Even though people rarely drive in Isla Vista, it is still not a smart move to let people ride their bikes home when they’re drunk. The legal consequences are similar to driving drunk and it is just plain dangerous.

During the Party

• Make sure no one is drinking too much. If someone gets too drunk, don’t be afraid to cut them off. It’s your alcohol and you have the right, plus they’ll thank you in the morning. Providing alcohol to someone who is obviously intoxicated is against the law.
• Make sure no one gets in a fight. Hopefully if you know everyone at the party then it shouldn’t be an issue, but if someone is getting belligerent, kindly ask them to leave. If that doesn’t work then it’s about time to call the police. Odds are you won’t get in trouble if you’re the one calling, plus a party that ends a little early is a lot better than what can happen if people can’t control themselves.
• Keep all cups and drinks in the house. Nothing draws police attention to a party more than people drinking on the street.
• Have a set volume for the music. Music has a tendency to creep up as the party progresses. Know that you can get a citation for loud music after 10 pm on Sunday-Thursday, and after midnight on Friday and Saturday.
• Keep track of everyone as they are leaving.
  • Don’t let your friends go home with someone if you don’t think they are able to make conscious decisions.
  • Don’t let drunken guests try to stumble back to their house because there is a very good chance they will end up with the police, in a hospital, or any other place that isn’t their house.
  • If someone is dangerously drunk, call 911.
  • If they are too drunk to go home, give them a couch to sleep on.
  • If someone is passed out, or you think they are just sleeping it off, check on them to be sure they are okay.
  • These are your friends. Take care of them!
• Remember; Don’t be afraid to call the police or an ambulance if things get out of hand. If someone has alcohol poisoning, you will almost never get in trouble if you call the police. Also, if there is a fight, you will most likely not get into trouble if you call the police to break it up.

After the Party

• Reflect on the night.
  • Did everything run smoothly?
  • What kind of changes need to be made for the next party to be perfect?
  • Who shouldn’t be invited next time because they tore up your house?
  • Did I buy enough for the party, or did I buy too much?
• Call your friends. Make sure everyone got home alright and that they had a good time.
• Start planning the next one!