A sparkly silver miniskirt worn, pre-drinks poured into a small college kitchen and bright magenta cocktails in plastic cups; What more magic could there be than this Cambridge university party? The subterranean chambers, the Fitzwilliam auditorium and even the Murray Edwards dome have the famous ‘bop’ (a headdress leaking over the edge) adorning their sacred walls. A staple of Cambridge social life for over 50 years, bops are events usually organized by students in conjunction with the university, featuring an eye-catching theme, music and cheap alcohol. But at my last outburst at university, the dance floor was dishearteningly empty, the music alarmingly quiet and students seemed to be sticking their heads out for a quick boogie before heading off to a more interesting Saturday night. It’s easy for bops to fall into a sparsely packed mid-20th-century function room with overly sweet drinks and wince-worthy Spotify playlists. Because I was interested in learning whether bops were losing their aura or whether the bop scene was just heating up (especially post-COVID), I spoke with both newbies and non-newbies and participants in college ent teams at many colleges.

“It’s easy for bops to fall into a sparsely packed mid-20th century event room with overly sweet drinks and scary Spotify playlists.”

The enduring popularity of some bops proves that the tradition is far from extinct. One of the big names of the bop scene is the famous Robinson bop. While most colleges hold bops several times throughout the semester, Jules and Jasmine (Robinson heads the officers) share with me what an “institution” Robinson’s weekly Friday bops are. Similarly, the Trinity Hall crew (five people, not just two!) have sold out every bop they’ve made over the past year. Georgia, one of the Ent officers, emphasized that the trick is to appreciate what people want: for her, this is classic singalong music, cheap drinks and a lively atmosphere.

Instagram marketing and word of mouth are the main ways word spreads. Retro Pinterest graphics dot Trinity Hall ents’ Instagram, and Caius ents’ Instagram page posts satirical launch videos. Popular bop Instagrams are full of digital camera photos from previous nights. Larger groups feature both live music (student groups like Half Orange or Silver Lining) and a DJ; The biannual ‘Fitz-Up’ features both live music and dancing and takes place on a scale large enough to require an official security team. . Robinson changes the music according to the theme; Think techno for a Berghain theme or the 70s for a 70s night. Few colleges aim and succeed in emulating a club-style atmosphere, the dark and enchanting experience of new friends and spontaneous romance, but most seem to abandon a half-hearted bop break and replace it with a themed bar night. . Sydney Sussex has stopped bops altogether and now only runs themed bar nights, and Emmanuel’s bops are called “bar-exes” because of the extended bar closing time.

The commitment to dressing and decorating to match the theme is a mixed bag, but “some people really commit” (according to Tit Hall ents). Exploding cacti adorned Pembroke with a Wild West theme; Complete with ‘Wanted’ posters of JCR members and the promise of a free drink token if you could find it. Fitz’s Wild West theme included hand-painted saloon doors, and Emmanuel made an ‘Emfess’-themed bop and stuck Emfess poles to the walls. Themed drinks are popular (‘Peter Pan’ cocktail at Tit Hall for your child’s dream theme dress). Fitz presents the best dressed award. Most are run entirely by students, with permission from university events staff. Fitzwilliam’s official Poppy described the planning as “extensive”. The Tit Hall team shared that randomness and creativity are involved: A lot of things can come together “a bit randomly and at the last minute,” but that can also be part of the excitement and seeing people enjoying the event you put together.

“Robinson changes the music by theme; think techno for the Berghain theme, ’70s for ’70s night.”

But these are the successful ones; What’s happening elsewhere? At some colleges, bops are a dusty relic, kept out of college tradition but minimally attended, mostly as a way for new students to meet for the first week. Many people have noted that timings are the main drawback of bops. Large-scale ones, such as Robinson and Fitzwilliam, go on late into the night and finish between 1 and 2 a.m., while many others, especially when in the residential area of ​​the university, have to wrap up by 11 p.m. A night that starts at 8 and ends at 11 feels oddly early; Eloise from Clare noted that most people don’t feel like they’re at a party unless they at least commit to watching the clock strike at midnight. This makes the difference between Fitzwilliam, where the ents officer told me people were “heading off for the night”, and universities like Clare and Pembroke, where bop is “the more important thing”.

But finishing early doesn’t have to be a bad thing, especially in busy Cambridge. Jules shared that many people enjoy the early ending, where they can be in bed by midnight. It also doesn’t hurt to have a night of partying on the cheap side: Robinson’s is free and most colleges are either free or cost between £1-3, and in Clare the money usually goes to charity. Most attendants are university-only: At Emma, ​​porters even scan camera passes at the entrance just to ensure Emma’s attendance. But university alone need not be a disadvantage. Olga from Emma described bops as a chance to chat to people you wouldn’t normally chat to, and Trinity Hall gets a great turnout from all year groups, allowing for “cross-year mixing”.

In the 90s, Cambridge bops sought to emulate London’s club and rave scenes, joining the ranks of London-based DJs with well-known events such as Churchill’s ‘Pleasure Machine’ night and ‘Kings’ Mingles’. This is not the reality of today’s bop world. There is no doubt that many college students could benefit from being made brighter, flashier and better. But while music, theme, and atmosphere are the key ingredients in the recipe for perfect college pop, there’s something else needed in the mix. When I asked Katie what the foundations of a successful bop were, she concluded: “It’s culture and people.” The sense of community is what makes or breaks the university environment. This is something a cozy college bar’s Revs smoking area doesn’t offer: as Eloise points out, it’s a place where there’s a “friendly atmosphere” and “it’s pretty easy to chat to people.” Although Trinity Hall gets around half its bop attendees from non-university students (via tickets sold on FIXR), the high turnout across year groups means it’s “a big family affair”. At Pembroke, it is a college tradition that the last song of the night is the college anthem and everyone sings along by swaying in a circle.

Men at the university are not exactly the center of Cambridge social life, but the ‘scene’ is certainly not gone and many seem to be settling into finding their place in the Cambridge nightlife world. It’s safe to say that the sticky floors, overly sweet cocktails and eclectic costume choices that characterize the Cambridge bop tradition aren’t going anywhere yet.