After hours at Alma College

ADITYA HIREMATH
STAFF WRITER

3/10/2025

Though it could be better, the party scene at Alma College is good. It has many positive moments such as nights full of music, laughter and packed basements but some restrictions prevent it from truly shining. 

On one hand, I think it would be exciting if parties were a little more relaxed, with fewer regulations on things like timing and activities. On the other hand, the rules that exist are there for a reason and keep things from getting out of hand to make sure students feel safe. 

Some of the rules to keep students safe include capacity limits in each house, ensuring events are operating within approved times, monitoring all entry and exits in the house using a sign-in procedure, the requirement of sober hosts at each party and notifying campus security, Alma Police Department, the Greek Life office or any other college officials in the event of any kind of danger or threat to the safety or wellbeing of the event or attendees. 

I think one good thing that has happened lately is that some fraternities no longer throw parties every weekend. This change lets students enjoy the party scene without feeling like they have to go out all the time. This makes going to parties feel more like a fun luxury than an obligation. 

“I think that the party life at Alma is good. It’s not great, but it’s good; not just at Alma, but at a lot of places, we’re seeing a decline in people our age wanting to go out and attend big social events,” said Sam Leppien (’26), President of the Delta Gamma Tau Fraternity at Alma College. 

Even though the rules are there to keep students safe, they can sometimes get in the way of the natural energy and lack of planning that makes college parties fun. Alma College’s size is one of the things that makes it hard to party there. 

“If every sports house and fraternity is throwing at the same time, there are not enough people to go around,” said Leppien. 

Yet, many students enjoy the smaller parties because they can have fun with their friends without the chaos that large crowds bring, making Alma’s party environment more comfortable for students. 

Lots of people at once make for a lively party, but if there are too many people, each event can feel dull. Even though it can be fun to compete with other houses, having too many choices can sometimes hurt the party culture instead of helping it. 

Even with these problems, Alma’s party scene does have positive aspects, and many students respect how hard fraternities and other groups work to keep parties fun and, most importantly, safe. 

“It’s always nice to be with friends and make connections. The fraternities here on campus always make sure we have a good time all together and feel safe while doing so,” said Madalyn Metzmaker (’27). 

This is an important part of what makes parties at Alma fun. It gives students a place to unwind, meet new people and have fun without getting too wild. 

It’s also nice not to have to party every weekend. Some students like to have a mix between their social life and their schoolwork, and Alma’s party culture makes that possible.  In contrast to bigger schools where parties happen all the time, Alma lets students go out whenever they want without making it hard. 

I think Alma’s party scene is what you make of it in the end. If it’s not as loud and chaotic as a big state school, at least it gives students a chance to relax and have fun in a close-knit environment.