Without the typical fraternity parties to occupy Belmont students’ weekends, some students have found other ways to live the sterotypical college experience: house parties.
“It's creating a community where all types of people can come and have fun since Belmont doesn't have frats,” resident Sophie Kirmer said.
Five young women at least once a month bring the community together by hosting themed events at their house for everything from music performances to back-to-school bashes to house shows with Belmont bands.
The variety of events helps bring different groups together and create a diverse community.
“I wanted part of my college experience to be having people over to the space that I live in,” said Olivia Nievera, who lives and hosts parties at the 1605 party house. “We are creating this space that we love and we want to share it with the people we love.”
The 1605 house has thrown parties since spring of 2022. This first event was a writers round with a large invite list, which is where Daniel Mazzerina met the 1605 residents.
“There were some of our friends playing and I had nothing else to do so I figured I’d go by. From there I met the rest of the roommates,” Mazzerina said. “I kind of became a regular.”
From this opening gathering, Mazzerina and other students began to flock to the parties thrown at the house even when school wasn’t in session.
The first major event thrown by 1605 was its back to school party in the fall of 2022.
“Our back to school party last year going into junior year was the first party we had thrown of that size,” 1605 resident Casey Tramel said. “There were like 300 people there.”
After this success, the group continued building its community, just like it intended when the women first moved off campus together.
The five residents knew from the moment they moved in they wanted people at the house at all times of the day for all kinds of events.
“That’s my favorite part of cultivating a community in general. When you can bring people together and then step back and look at them all having fun and hanging out,” said Nievera.
The focus of their events has always been to create a safe space for those who want to hang out with others without feeling the pressure of intense parties.
“They’re super good about keeping the vibes safe and comfortable,” Avery Ellis, a frequent party atendee, said. “One time I had some personal stuff happen while I was there and they let me go upstairs, hang out in one of their rooms and call my mom.”
For their guests, the plentiful decorations and elaborate themes differentiate 1605 from any other house party.
“It’s a place you go to hang out with a bunch of people and catch up with friends, and that’s the big difference,” Mazzerina said.
They have had Belmont musicians such as Molly Grace, She’s the Music, the Prismatics acapella group and Cadence. Even though they have made some money from these shows, the money is never the drive to throw events.
“It's even less about the money and more just about like throwing some something that someone can be proud of,” Kirmer said.
With house shows, there is a cover charge set up by the performer, but usually for regular parties, the cover charge does not exceed $5.
In all their house shows and house parties, there has only been one party where police officers were called by the neighbors.
“The whole party lasted 42 minutes. There were 600 people that came,” Tramel said. “We had a line out the gate and we shut it down so fast.”
After that party, the group has tried to keep a tighter guest list.
Even with the brief scare of the police, 1605 has remained an ever-growing community that feels safe and comfortable, Ellis said.
“I definitely always have the best memories at their house. They do it really well and make it really fun,” Ellis said. “It’s very much show up and hang out with all these circles from different organizations on campus and different groups.”
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This article was written by Maya Burney