One of the only parties Colorado College students pay for is Drinks of the World (DOTW), an event designed to allow students to experience various kinds of alcoholic beverages from around the world. The party had a rocky start this year, but it still delivered on fun, music and of course,drinks.
This semester, the infamous party could not be held in its usual location, 1020 N Wahsatch, due to extenuating circumstances. This left the organizers, Aleksandre Metreveli ‘29, Jiaqi Elisa Zhang ‘29, Nicolas Murillo Ricardo ‘29 and Iva Milanovic ‘29, with two weeks to find another suitable location, landing finally at the well-known student party house Craig’s.
Even though everything seemed to work out, the change in location created different social dynamics than in the past.
Zhang, the main organizer, said she received personal complaints from students who thought that Craig’s was not a suitable environment to dance and party, since it is designed more like a space for sitting and mingling.
“They felt like this year it was more like a chatty vibe,” Zhang said. “So that kind of ruined the vibe for a lot of people.”
“I mean, obviously, we are the organizers, but we don’t decide whether people sit around or not, you know?” Metreveli said.
Another aspect that sets DOTW apart from other CC parties is that it is a ticketed event. Tickets are released on an Instagram account shortly before the event and often sell out within seconds.
The most coveted party of the year has over 230 students lining up to listen to DJs, dance and get served hourly beverages from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. With international students getting early access to tickets and domestic student tickets selling out in just 30 seconds, DOTW has become the party to look forward to each semester.
This year, tickets were $18. This fee covered the cost of drinks, shooters, food, non-alcoholic beverages, ice and serving supplies. According to Zhang, DOTW does not make a profit from the money they collect from these tickets. All the money is used to purchase drink ingredients and supplies. The only external money DOTW makes is from the ‘at the door’ tickets and the organizers use that to buy lunch for the student volunteers who help clean before and after the party.
This year, the event cost totaled $3,900, half of which went toward buying drink ingredients and is a similar cost to years past.
Many things make DOTW stand out as its own special event. It is not just a party, it is a tradition.
“People talk because it’s been like a tradition forever, and it only happens two times a year,” Zhang says.
Additionally, the party stands as a statement for community and solidarity. Organizers chose to display Ukrainian and Palestinian flags up front and ended the entire event by playing “Bella Ciao,” an anti-fascist song.
“There’s definitely a statement, whether you call it political or cultural,” Metreveli says, “I mean, it is a party, and it is for entertainment, but we still uphold that value.”