At least I
can make the topics of writing more edgy and fun when I teach my college
students. For example, when introduce the
classification and analysis essay, I ask students to break up the guests of a
typical House Party into different categories.
The term “guests” is a bit of an euphemism because very few people at
House Parties are actually invited. For
those of you whose rebellion happened before the 21st century, House Parties,
formally known as Flyer Parties (90s), formally known as Ragers (80s) occur
whenever a teen’s parents have gone out of the town for the weekend and word
gets out that there is an adult-free abode in which to indulge in iniquities. Concept has been around for decades (hell,
centuries) but the name has changed.
Same with
those who attend. As the students shared
their categories, I learned some new labels.
For those
who for the tradition of drinking:
·
The hot
heads: The ones that start drinking and just want to get down. “Getting
down” means to fight. I thought it was a reference to sex. In context, both definitions
make sense to me.
·
Flops:
People that can't handle their alcohol
The fact that
no one offered a category of silly, jovial drunks makes me wonder just how much
fun is to be had at House Parties.
For those
who are into a little bit more than alcohol:
·
Burnouts:
People who come to do drugs
·
Fiends:
People that are just looking to smoke weed and just want people to smoke them
out. I assume they differ from burnouts because they are cannabis-focused where
burnouts will take anything.
·
The
Dealer: The person that comes to make money from drug selling.
·
Ballooners:
Go to party to do noz from the noz tank until they forget how to speak. This party
behavior is new to me. Apparently, if it’s
a good party, then there will be a tank of nitrous oxide to take hits off of
(kind of like a step-up from inhaling from helium balloons). And yes, the goal is to become a drooling
idiot. I also pointed out that the goal
is to kill off your brain cells. Permanently.
For those
looking for a little tail:
·
The thirsty:
people desperate to have sex. Before
submitting this category, a student asked me if I know what “being thirsty”
meant. I was a little suspicious: either they think I’ve been ballooning too
much or if it was too scandalous to put into spoken (or written) language. I
told them I assumed that it referred to a bonafide alcoholic. I stand
corrected.
·
Smashers:
girls only good for sex.
·
Outcasts:
socially awkward people that show up so they could get noticed.
As a teacher
and possible mentor, even to college students, I did take this opportunity to
point out that these highly destructive behaviors are all ways to escape. Those who frequent House Parties are probably
suffering some sort of personal trauma or self-esteem issues. I commented on the irony of parties becoming the
stage to let all the things that are no-so-fun about us to come out. Our social lives, which are meant to be a reprieve from stress and anxiety, are quickly becoming the fuel for more stress
and anxiety.
Not sure
anyone understood me. Maybe too many Ballooners in the room. Maybe I have fallen into the Party Pooper category.