Those Simpson students who take off after class on Friday, may not be aware that Simpson has worked hard over the past couple of years to make campus a place where students want to stay on the weekends.

One of the ways that the college does this is by allowing student sponsored social events. Known as registered parties by students, they are an enjoyable part of the Simpson social scene. However, Rich Ramos said that the number of these parties has decreased in the recent years, with only between five and 10 occurring this academic year.

There is a set of 16 guidelines, which outline the requirements to have a registered social event. There is also an application form which must be filled out and returned at least a week prior to the event and party.

An example of the guidelines is that at least 75 percent of the organization which is hosting the party attends an approved alcohol education program during the semester of the event before hosting the party.

Another example is students of legal drinking age may bring up to two beers or wine coolers per hour or a maximum of six beers or four wine coolers for an event three hours or longer.

In addition to these two, there are 14 other guidelines which cover everything from registration to drinking games at a registered party.

There are also some costs which accompany a registered social event. The first fee is the $20 registration fee, paid to the college. This fee pays for processing and things the college provides, such as identification bracelets.

The second cost is that the organization must provide food and alternative beverages (non-alcoholic) for those who choose not to drink.

Lastly, the organization is expected to hire a police officer to provide security for the event. In the end these registered parties end up being quite expensive when all the costs are added up.

One of the reasons for the scarcity of registered parties where alcohol is served could be that these are, for the most part, limited to the fraternities, theme houses and campus organizations – all of which must not be dry. This leaves people who live in dorms, apartments, or dry housing units without options for hosting such an event.

“I think there need to be more options for those of us who live in apartments because we like to have parties as much as the next person,” said senior Sarah Beary.

Of the extensive guidelines for hosting a registered event Ramos said that ultimately whether there are registered parties comes down to the organizations of campus and whether they are willing to put in the work that hosting such an event requires. Ramos also said that Simpson’s guidelines for hosting a registered party are equivalent or less than those of schools similar to Simpson. He also said easing up on the guidelines would probably result in more registered parties, but he added that it will not happen because each of the guidelines is in place for a specific reason.