Get out five bucks and your indie-est duds.

Fundraising parties have been in the Mary Desler bullseye for the past year, who has threatened to revoke the charter / right to party / right to be an organization status of any group caught hosting a fundraising party. Unfortunately, this rule has been loosely enforced so far — at least, as far as I can tell. If anything, the number of $5-a-pop parties has decreased throughout the year. Not as easy to find or as cheap as frat parties, these parties usually guarantee a moderate amount of liquor to jump-start your night.

Beware: fundraising parties are home games for the indie Polaroid set. Nestling in south campus alcoves, these skinny-jeans clad Weinberg students (usually “classics” or “linguistics” or “art history” or something equally indie-riffic) designate these parties with retro-cool (not really) themes such as “The ’90s” or “Nickelodeon” or “Neon.” The further south you go for a fundraising party, the more likely you are to stumble upon a drunken discussion of Kafka. Really, now.

(The higher the rating, the better.)

Availability of liquor: Variable. If you show up before 11:30 or bring lots of dollar bills, the world is at your greedy grubby fingertips. Sure, the entry fee may be a strain on your tiny college wallet, but your $5 stretches further here than at EV1: all the crappy beer and poorly-made jungle juice you can handle, and shots and mixed drinks go for an extra dollar. Show up later than 11 or 11:30, chances are good the beer is tapped — not that it will stop the showrunners from taking your five bucks. Score: 6.5

Chances of hooking up: Average. Last fundraising party I attended, three different couples were hooking up in the living room. But these parties tend to be more insular and cliquey than your average frat party, so chances are good you won’t be talking to many people outside your circle of friends. Don’t count on going home with a stranger, but it does happen. Score: 6

Chances of getting in: Got five dollars? Unless if the party is way over capacity (and that doesn’t happen often, considering their primary advertising venue is Facebook and word-of-mouth), they’ll take anyone willing to pay. Score: 9

Annoyingness factor: If you hate faded jeans and boho dresses, maybe not the best selection. Overall, though, everyone’s chill. I once wandered into a party I had been invited to on Facebook, knew no one, and look back upon that night with extremely fond memories. Points off for the pretentious asshats, but extra points because they don’t give a shit what you do, as long as you aren’t in their way. Score: 7

Location convenience: Fundraising parties center around Ridge and Davis, which is a long walk from south campus and a fucking hike if you live north. In winter, getting there is damn near impossible, especially considering Safe Ride’s wait time increases an hour for every two centimeters of snow on the ground. Score: 2

Chances of getting busted: Moderate to high. I’ve never been at a busted fundraising party but theoretically it does happen. With neighbors who may or may not love booming bass at 3 am, you’re more likely to find yourself face-to-face with an officer than at a frat house. However, the bigger the party, the likelier it becomes that the cop will just tell the hosts to “quiet down.” Has anyone actually gotten a drinking citation after police showed? Probably not. Score: 5

-Sloane