Students recommend bars, pizza, creativity
Super Bowl Sunday is one of those days all people are destined to see at least a little bit of football, no matter how much they try not to.
Millions of Americans will be glued to their television sets watching one of the most-watched modern sporting events. Many CU students will be among them, but how can you make your celebration nothing less than extraordinary? Here are a few things some fellow students have planned for the day.
The first step would be finding a party. Many residence halls are hosting parties where students can enjoy the game in the lobby. Check for signs in the lobby of your residence hall to see if there is a party planned.
Kelly Anne Stearns, a junior MCD biology and psychology major, plans on having a house party. For food, she is planning on providing “easy stuff like chips and dip,” she said.
Travis Daugherty, a junior economics major, normally goes to the bars to watch the big game. But he said there are some essentials for any Super Bowl party.
“At a house there ought to be a keg,” he said. “Pizza is a necessity. And buffalo wings.”
Lindsay Rauch, a co-founder of the Event Design Group, an event-planning business located in Boulder, said she would try to keep the atmosphere casual. Even though she mostly plans parties on a corporate level, some of her ideas can work for private parties thrown by college students as well.
“I would keep it sports-oriented,” she said. “I would have other things to do. I would play music in another room. I would also have sports bar-style games like a pool table and a dart board.”
Although many people enjoy sitting around watching the game and munching on finger foods, the planner can become creative and turn the party into a whole lot more than just a chance to get together with some friends and watch a football game.
Sometimes putting a little creative thought into it can be very rewarding. Although drinking is often synonymous with “party” on campus, here are some alternative ideas from Howtodothings.com to put some more fun into the game.
Food: While pizza, chips and dip, and finger foods are easy and cheap, there are ways to be creative with the presentation of the foods you serve. If you want to test your baking skills, a cake decorated like a football field would be a great way to impress your friends.
Another crowd pleaser is a giant sub. Subway offers giant subs measuring up to 100 feet long. This option will feed a lot of people and keep your work to a minimum.
As far as refreshments are concerned, beer is a popular choice. Just make sure you offer bottled water and soda as alternatives for all the non-drinkers.
Games: Betting sheets are always fun, but no college student wants to cough up the money. Instead, come up with a point system for each bet a guest wins and reward a prize to the person that wins the most bets. But let’s not be boring with our bets. How about throwing the guests off-guard. Why not ask, “How many times will the Budweiser commercial be shown?” Sure it may take some extra work, but who would have thought people would actually be excited for the same commercial to be shown for the 20th time?
Since not all college students can provide a pool table for their guests as Rauch suggests, other home-friendly suggestions include a trivia challenge with information collected from past Super Bowls. Another creative idea is to hold a costume contest where guests dress up as their favorite NFL football player.
Decorations: Who knew that decorating could cause competition and controversy? If you are planning on inviting guests rooting for both teams, decorate half the room navy and orange for the Bears fans and the other half blue and white for the Colts fans. Separate the room with a clear mark down the center and don’t allow supporters of the opposite team to cross the line. Just make sure the food is in a neutral zone.
For more information on how to plan the perfect Super Bowl party, click here.
