10 Tips For A Groovy Graduation Party - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Careers and Colleges, March, 2000 by Jack Silbert

KICK OFF LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL WITH A NO-FRUSTRATION CELEBRATION!

After four long years of homework assignments, reports, and tests, you deserve a great graduation parry. Unfortunately, not one of those assignments, reports, or tests taught you the art of perfect party preparation. Relax, you can throw a good party without throwing a fit. Just follow my 10 tips. They won't take four years to learn.

1. NOW[ldots]OR LATER? You don't have to have a graduation party on the day of graduation. Why not throw one in August, before people go off to college? Just don't wait too long; mid-October is probably a bad idea.

2. MIX IT UP. Before the party, make a few mix tapes of your favorite songs from your high school years. Otherwise you'll spend the whole party next to the stereo, putting in a new CD every three minutes. (No matter how cool that one song is, nobody wants to hear the other 12 lame songs on the disc.)

3. THE LONG LIST LAW. Invite more people than you think you should. I promise you, a lot of them won't show up. And if by some chance, they all do show up, and your party is ridiculously crowded: Congratulations. You're much, much more popular than I was in high school.

4. MODERATION AT THE MARKET. Don't buy so few snacks and drinks that you completely run out of everything 48 seconds into the party. My formula? Three bags of chips and a case of soda for every 10 people. Don't buy so much that you end up spending the rest of your life surviving exclusively on Sprite and Cool Ranch Doritos.

5. ADDRESSING A PROBLEM. Tell your friends to print out labels with their college or home addresses. Then exchange them at the party, so you can keep in touch. And maybe print up a few of these labels, for the people you don't want to keep in touch with:

Neva Likedyu

238 Reezons Wy.

Dontwrightoo, ME 99999

6. SIGN ME UP. Have guests bring their yearbooks, too. Everyone can sign them at the party. This is also a good opportunity to bring a new photo of yourself--one where your eyes open and your hair isn't sticking up. Then secretly paste it in everybody's book, right over the old photo.

7. CAN'T IGNORE A DOOR. Close the doors to rooms in your house that you don't want people to enter. You'd be amazed--the wildest, most out-of-control party guest instantly turns into an obedient little puppy when confronted with a closed door.

8. HIDE YOUR BRAND NEW DIPLOMA in a safe place. In 42 years, when your grandkids look at it, do you really want to explain a big, greasy salsa stain?

9. IT'S A SNAP. For lasting memories of your high school pals, leave a few cheap, disposable cameras lying around your house, and let your guests take pictures. At my parties, I always seem to have a few cheap, disposable friends lying around, too.

10. THE SECRET to a great party? Convince someone else to throw it. Let him worry about buying plastic cups, keeping an eye on Mom's priceless vase, and picking crushed Cheez Doodles out of the carpet the next morning.