Undergrad to say, am Soiree!

In July of 2016, Zaeden, one of India’s rising DJs, came to the Garden City to perform at Sugar Factory — for his birthday celebration. Soon, the venue was so crowded that people started being charged for entry; of course, initially there was a guest list! Why was the guest list scrapped? Because what was supposed to be a listed event, suddenly turned into a fresher’s party for two of the most popular colleges in Bengaluru — Mount Carmel College and Christ University. Fresher’s parties have always occupied an important place on collegians’ calendars but these days the tradition has shifted into the night club scene.

College students of the city are dedicated to kicking their first year off in style. And for these young adults, it’s nothing but the best! Sugar Factory, Russh and MLB are not only some of the most popular night life venues of the city but also hot favourites for these parties. Sure, they can be expensive, but the students have got it covered. “The first thing you need to keep in mind is the number of people that may show up and then base your budget around that. If we expect 100 people to show up, on an average, we’d collect 100-150 rupees per person,” says Maalvika Madhusudhan, a second year BCom student at Mount Carmel College. That’s Rs 15,000 or more. But this budget varies depending on the set of students. “Students from some colleges could end up spending 2k per person, while others only shell out a few hundred bucks,” reveals Athreya Swaminathan, a second year from Christ University.

And it isn’t surprising. The environment that a nightclub offers is for the express purpose of people letting loose and enjoying themselves, even if only for one night. “It’s the ambience that makes the difference, honestly. It gives us the chance to dress up and dance the night away with our friends to amazing music. What’s not to love?” exclaims Tanuja Pasumarthi, a student from Christ University.  It isn’t hard to understand this shift in trends that surrounds fresher’s parties. A bunch of young students planning a good time for themselves (all by themselves indeed, as the colleges have no part to play in the organisation of these parties), before everything gets serious — one night of pure fun with no strings attached — it’s an offer no one could refuse!