The riotous season of culturals has whizzed past, leaving college students longing for more. Now comes the time for farewell parties which liven up the gloomy mood even as the spectre of the final exams loom large on the horizon. The thrill of organising a party for the seniors, and the enthusiasm which goes with it, forms the perfect cocktail to whet the thirst of college-goers.

SMK Fomra Institute of Technology threw a bash for its seniors at a beach-cum-resort on ECR. Sporty and adventurous in intent, the students took a bold initiative to infuse some serious fun into the farewell fest.“The budget was around `400 per person,” discloses Saravanan, a final year student. The amount spent seems to have been worth it. “We played a kabaddi match on the beach. We had a lot of fun as there was a swimming pool, billiards room and DJ,” he adds.
Pankaj, Chief Party Organiser and Event Manager, revealed that this wasn’t an isolated phenomenon. Hinting that more colleges are likely to follow suit, he said, “We have received many calls from students of other colleges asking for tips on how to organise a farewell party.”
Aakriti, a student of MOP Vaishnav College, confessed that she’s really looking forward to her farewell party, which would probably be held at the Cosmopolitan Club. For a splash of colour, the juniors have set an interesting theme for the party, which demands a certain dress code and acessories. “The theme is ‘Dazzling Divas’. So I have decided buy myself a gown for the party,” Aakruti enthused.
Some have a tough time deciding on farewell gifts since they want to present a memorable gift to their close friends. “We never know when we will meet again. I want to give my friends something they would cherish. I don’t want to differentiate among them, and so I want give each of them the same gift. But I am in a dilemma about what would make a good enough present for my friends,” said Sripriya, a student of a college in Bengaluru.
Divya Kumar, a final year student of Women’s Christian College, who enjoys innovations at farewell parties, said, “I would love to take part in creative events such as ‘design your own saree’for instance.”
Aditi Tandon, a student of Delhi University, revealed that her farewell party had a few games to engage the students. “Singing songs and mimicry are now a part of the farewell occasion,” she says.
While some students took the initiative to add the “X factor” to farewell parties, most colleges decided to play it safe. “We go through the usual routine of collecting money from students and delegating work among ourselves,” said Pavithra, a second-year student of a prominent girl’s college.
Unbelievable as it may sound, some colleges still refrain from holding farewell parties. Aswathi. A, a student of one such college in Delhi, complained about the unfairness of this.
“I definitely want a farewell party. Having spent three years together, all of us do need an event to celebrate our bonding and look back on the wonderful time we had together,” she pointed out.
At the end of the day, farewell parties don’t necessarily have to follow the traditional pattern of long, pompous speeches. With a little bit of imagination and spunk thrown in to spice up the party, it can become a bittersweet event worth reminiscing about years later.
And finally, so long, farewell!