Party time

There are many things that we as Hoosiers take seriously, including the finely tuned art of throwing a great party. As students we often find ourselves low on funds -- but the need to paint the town red still remains.\nBut there is no need to halt the merrymaking. With a few small adjustments, your party can be a lot of fun and still be relatively easy on your wallet.\nThe most important question concerning the budget is how many people are to be invited. According to www.ehow.com, the number of invited guests that show up ranges from 70 to 80%.Food, drinks and entertainment are the essentials for any successful party.\nFood\nIf your party is close to dinnertime, consider serving more filling food. If you start things later in the evening, you may want to simply provide snacks. \nCommon choices for food include a variety of chips or veggies and dip, pretzels, buffalo wings and pizza.\nIf you decide on pizza, you could ask your guests to bring money to order pizza and you could provide the snack food. Don't be afraid to ask your guests to pitch in for food. Ordering pizza can be cheap and fun if everyone contributes a little. \nMany pizza places around Bloomington have special deals that include breadsticks or soda like "The Big Ten" from Pizza Express, which includes a large one-topping pizza, two drinks and an order of breadsticks for $10.99.\nBuffalo wings can be ordered from places like the new Buffalo Wild Wings or Kentucky Fried Chicken. Wings tend to go faster than pizza and thus can be more expensive. They can also be ordered from places like Pizza Hut which offers a nice alternative for your guests that may want either pizza and/or buffalo wings.\nTip: It would be wise to get your guests' orders (and their money) right when they walk in or even before the party in order to make sure that they will not have to wait long.\nDrinks\nHaving plenty on hand to quench your guests' thirst is part of being a great host. Providing soda and other non-alcoholic drinks is both cheaper and assures that you can please all your guests.\nIf you decide to serve alcohol at the party, remember that the budget may have to be significantly higher. \nIn doing so you will be taking on the responsibility to worry about whether everyone there is of legal age. If you do decide to serve alcohol, make sure everyone has a safe ride home.\nWal-Mart typically carries 2 liters of Coke and Pepsi for around a dollar each. Getting both Coke and Pepsi products as well as diet and non-caffienated drinks will please a wider range of guests. \nIf you do serve alcohol, consider putting out a cup or basket and asking people to contribute a little money to defray the cost.\nConsidering the cost of the alcohol can also help keep the party on the shoestring but off the hook. Sophomore Cory Lindley know what to do when the pennies must be pinched: aim low.\n"Basically, go for cheap beer," Lindley said with a laugh. "A couple cases of beer and some beer pong and some games, you've got a party. A Keystone 30-pack is the cheapest thing ever."\nCups can be purchased in packs of 25 at Dollar General for $1. Plan ahead and buy plenty of cups. Many party planners aim for three cups per person.\nTip: Soda can often be returned if unopened to the place of purchase.\nEntertainment\nBut food and drinks alone do not a party make. Don't worry, though, because you can still provide entertainment without breaking your budget. \nFirst is music. In order to get your music you can draw from your collection of CDs and burn a mixed CD of your favorite songs that go along with the mood you want your party to have. \nAnother alternative is to ask your friends to borrow their CDs for the party, or to ask some or all of your guests to bring a mixed CD and you have music that everyone will love!\nTip: Clueless about music? Go to www.billboard.com or www.launch.com to find out what singles are currently topping the charts.\nIn addition to music, think about providing cards, board games or putting on a movie.\nSenior Jenni Mulder likes to bust out the board games when parties are going full swing.\n"There's one I really like called Dirty Minds, because it has pretty dirty clues to prompt a clean word. It's good to play when you're drinking," Mulder said. "One time, I made my friend choke on a pickle."\nMulder also said she likes to ask friends to bring games and also take her games to other parties. \nFinally, the cheapest and often most successful entertainment that you can hope for is a great mix of guests with great personalities to offer an evening of great conversation.