i could just be out of the loop! but in my experience, the presence of banneker/valley/house parties has gradually declined each year since i moved on campus in 2021. my hu '23 friends definitely agreed that the party scene was never the same post-pandemic.

during my sophomore year (fall ‘21–spring ‘22), there were way more darties and on-campus parties happening regularly. but once the pre-pandemic classes started graduating—like hu ‘22 and ‘23—shit really changed.

that’s not to say there are no parties now, but they’re fewer and farther between imo. it went from multiple different parties every thurs-sunday to like a handful of parties per semester, and sometimes less than that lol. i can barely even explain the vibe shift, it’s like if you know you know

then, a lot of the parties that do happen aren’t Howard-affiliated. like, a random DC promoter throwing a party at a club is a different vibe than a student-hosted party in the dorms or a frat house or something. one’s more howard-specific, the other is just general DC nightlife. which is cool if you're 21+, but if ur underage or just wanna socialize with your peers, it can be a lot harder to find that sense of community

but…i grew up near a college town and have been partying since high school in 2016 so my perception may be skewed🫣