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NewsvineStanford’s annual semi-nude and fully-risque Exotic Erotic party drew hundreds of students to 680 Lomita on Friday night. But unlike previous years — when rowdy students forced the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to shut down the party — this year’s event was tightly monitored to ensure that the festivities did not get out of hand.
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Hundreds of students attended 680 Lomita’s Exotic Erotic party on Friday. This year, attendees were required to pick up tickets for the party in the week preceding the event, and the Office of Student Activities was heavily involved in ensuring that the party ran smoothly and was safe for students.
“The staff of 680 has done a tremendous job of planning this event,” said Ralph Castro, alcohol and drug educator for Health Promotion Services at Vaden Health Center, who helped to oversee the party. “As University administration, we want to be here to help them and support them in making sure this is a successful event. This is a high-risk event with a large number of people on campus.”
This year’s party-goers had to pick up tickets in the week preceding the event, and those who neglected to do so were forced to wait until 11 p.m. — an hour after the party began — to enter the soiree.
According to Associate Director of Residential Education Nate Boswell, who has monitored Exotic Erotic for the past four years, the event’s organization resulted in a smoothly-run party. He added that there was no increase in police presence or security measures from last year’s event.
“We just set up a little bit earlier and tried to be a little more proactive,” he said. “This event is considered a high-risk party, but the student staff and the administration have worked very, very, very hard this year to actually make sure this was a safe event for everybody.”
Many students at the party told The Daily that the tempered setting was clearly noticeable.
Natalie Ramirez ‘07, who went to Exotic Erotic as a freshman three years ago, said she was “traumatized” by that year’s party. In 2004, Exotic Erotic was shut down at midnight, when students tore down a fence and entered 680 Lomita without DPS consent.
“I didn’t go the last two years because I just didn’t want to deal with it,” Ramirez said Friday night, “but this definitely seems like a good setup.”
In preparation for the event, the Office of Student Activities briefed the staff and residents of 680 Lomita a week in advance on their obligations for the night of the party. Most of the house’s residents were assigned shifts as “sober monitors,” on duty to quell any problems.
Increased University involvement at this year’s party did not stop revelers from sporting the creative, scanty outfits characteristic of Exotic Erotic — which mandates a maximum of one article of clothing for men and two for women.
While many male students wore the traditional Speedo, one wore a Borat-style green swimsuit. Some girls, meanwhile, wrapped themselves in colored Saran wrap, but two adventurous women duct-taped old issues of The Daily over their bodies.
“It’s an experience,” said Tim Hyde ‘10, who wore a bathrobe. “It’s my first year; I’ve got to check it out. I can’t go around next year saying that I didn’t check it out this year.”