The beginning of term was a dark time for parties. Attendance so low it was sickening, dance floors so stolid they made your skin crawl—fun was hard to find, and with so many straightforwardly terrible choices being made, criticism was easy.

But now, the freshmen have lost any sense of shame, everything is obligatorily indoors, and parties are, by and large, pretty good and pretty similar. The parties themselves become a backdrop to whatever else is going on on campus or in your life. Criticism targets vibes and energy, not decisions and failures. So, in lieu of our traditional format, here’s a slightly shorter and looser party roundup for the past two weekends. Then, we’ll close out the term with reviews of the last four parties, a definitive party tier list, and other general reflections. We’ll see you then!

11/8 Dewey – Cirque “Dew” Soleil

Because the whole country is a circus now, am I right? Despite being the first party post-election, a, erm, certain man remained in the background for the duration of the night. Mostly, it was a fun escape, even if attendance was slightly lower than usual. The crazy lighting was a nice, clowny touch, and the music was nothing to complain about. Classic Dewey.

11/9 Franklin — Jersey Club

Okay, sure, the crowd was a little thin at this one, and it was obviously a majority house-resident group of people, but what did you expect? It’s a Franklin party. The theme was goofy, specific, and didn’t take itself too seriously, which is exactly what you’d want. A low-key evening and early to bed—partying once a year at Franklin is just the right amount.

11/15 Booth — Boothback Mountain

Well, Booth really is the lamest lawn house at this point. Their parties just lack a certain something, and have a little too much of something else—a sense of trying too hard, and an air of wholly unearned confidence. You just can’t play “Cupid Shuffle” or “Gangnam Style” without it being painfully evocative of a middle school dance.

The walls were plastered with sexual vulgarities written in masking tape, which is revealing of an upsettingly underdeveloped political worldview—apparently for Booth residents, a film about gay male love, loss and longing is symbolically equivalent to $1 fellatio.

Oh, Booth. I wish I knew how to make you stop being so weird and silly.

11/16 Kilpatrick – Undressed

A lot of people showed up to this one. The walls were covered with hardcore erotica, because if there’s one thing we need more of right now, it’s violent misogyny shoved in our faces. It was a party that was easy to have a good time at, but hard to love. It is sometimes possible to see too much of other people’s bodies.