Swan hosted the third party this term, and the only one this weekend, theming it after ethereal Icelandic singer Björk. What could’ve been a hit was washed out in the dismal weather, odd choices and low turnout.
Promotion leading up to the party was ~indie. A few posters hung outside Commons, a pop-up button stand on Friday bearing various images of the riddle master. Just a low key sort of thing, you wouldn’t understand.
By 11pm, rain poured down, turning Commons lawn into a mudslide. Cute shoes? Good luck.
On paper Swan has a lot going for it: a nice courtyard for mingling and smoking, optimal bathroom location for dispensing the borg-esque house drink, a decent common room and not being its virgin siamese twin Woolley. During last terms’ Swalloween this all played to its advantage—people spilled out into the courtyard to ogle at costumes and then went right back in whenever an M.I.A. song came on in the sweating dark common room, but on a night when it rained hard, people crammed into the sliver of porch in the icy wind, making it hard to light a cigarette and dulling nicotine buzzes with the cold.
How does one dress Björk exactly? Chunky turtleneck knits? Eccentric eye makeup? Dotted eyebrows? The students who did come tried to in some way capture Bjork, dotting their eyebrows and knotting their hair into various forms found on Pinterest, otherwise, most were at a loss. A maxi skirt and tight shirt will do. If only someone showed up in a look inspired by the time she mauled a reporter in Bangkok.
Bennington students complain about the monotonous staple songs that plague every party, and finally Swan promised something different. Björk’s early career is full of dance party hits: “Big Time Sensuality”, “I Miss You”, “There’s More to Life than this.” Well no, none of these were played and instead what ended up getting played was a mix of dance music—including a dance remix of “Crush” by Ethel Cain—and a few of Bjork’s songs. At least they played “Army of Me.” Swan was not ready for the Björk stans! The dance floor never managed to fill beyond friend circles. At one point a circle formed to toss around a balloon, the only thing drunk people do with loose balloons besides trying to stomp on them.
The most bizarre scene from Swan’s party was the choice to put a bag of grapes and a tray of mini cupcakes in the landing. Perhaps the hope was that hordes of Bjork fans would pour off the dance floor, starved of sustenance besides shots of New Amsterdam vodka and gratefully eat the grapes and cupcakes. I saw at least one person eat some grapes.
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