Meet Law and Society majors Suzan Koch (‘24) and Abdur Rahman (‘24), the hosts of Tech’s popular monthly parties.
Koch and Rahman, who have known each other since eighth grade, began co-hosting parties this past January in honor of Rahman’s 18th birthday. “I’d heard that Suzan threw some really spectacular parties, and I wanted to make this one extra special,” explained Rahman.
Since Rahman’s 18th birthday bash, the pair have thrown five parties, booking venues across Manhattan and Brooklyn. “We’ve rented several venues, but the owners of Brooklyn Burj really like us, and we like how reliable they are too,” noted Koch. The Brooklyn Burj is an event space on Atlantic Avenue that borders Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. Rahman and Koch are mandated to sign contracts with these venues to establish their liability. However, they are not insured, which means they must personally reimburse the venue in case something goes wrong at an event.
The pair plan every element of these parties, from the logistics, which involve booking the venues, managing supplies, advertising, fee collection, and clean-up, to the all-important selection of themes that build a sense of excitement for all attendees. So far, themes have ranged from January’s “Beanies and Bikinis,” which contrasted the waning winter months with the coming of spring, to May’s “Jersey vs. Jersey Shore,” to which attendees either wore sports jerseys or dressed for the Jersey Shore.
All of this planning does come with a cost for attendees. Early bird tickets are $15 for seniors and $20 for juniors, while general admission is $20 for seniors and $25 for juniors, and at-the-door tickets are $30 for seniors and $35 for juniors. Freshmen and sophomores are not allowed to attend. So far, the largest party has attracted approximately 300 attendees. Koch and Rahman declined to share their total profits.
Some party-goers expressed that they feel this price tag is too high. An anonymous source complained, “Parties used to be a lot cheaper, and now it seems that these fees are just growing in price. For example, the after-prom party is going to be even more expensive than the usual party tickets.” The after-prom party, which had a base cost of $20 per ticket, was shut down by police right before it was supposed to start. However, Koch and Rahman ensured to refund everyone who paid shortly after.
Criticism has been popping up in the comment section of the Instagram account handled by Koch and Rahman that advertises each party, as seniors express their frustration with the prices. Koch replied to one comment criticizing the high prices by commenting jokingly, “Would you want to throw at a [$4,000] venue and not make a profit?”
A third anonymous source explained that these parties have gotten so costly that most Tech seniors are not willing to go anymore. “There have been many concerns with the quality of the venues and parties in general,” they said. “They’ve basically monopolized parties for seniors.”
Koch argued that prices for parties at other New York City schools are more expensive. “Beacon was charging $40,” added Rahman. “Most after-proms were more expensive than ours.” However, another anonymous source insisted that most parties at Manhattan and Brooklyn high schools are either much cheaper or completely free.
Regardless, the parties are still popular enough to gain traction both in real life and on social media. Koch and Rahman leverage their social media followings and strategic reposts to spread the word. “We post the fliers on the business Instagram, and then repost it on our individual accounts to spread the word since that’s where we have more followers,” said Rahman. “We also rely on word of mouth, because that spreads far enough on its own.”
With students from high schools all over New York City commuting to attend these parties, it is clear that their efforts are effective. “We get students from Midwood, Bronx Science, Bard, LaGuardia, Brooklyn Latin, Frank Sinatra, Beacon, Stuy, Murrow, and more,” boasted Koch.
Rahman and Koch have also hired a DJ and photographer for their events. Daniel “Danik” Khanin, a senior at Midwood High School who will be attending Cornell University this fall, DJs for all of their parties. “A mutual friend told us that Khanin was really into DJing, and he was looking for events to go to,” explained Koch. “So we reached out to him, and he’s been at every one of our parties since.”
Though these events string high schoolers together for a night of fun, Rahman and Koch prioritize attendees’ safety above all else. “We usually have one [security guard] at the door, one always guarding the DJ, one near the bathrooms, and one just roaming the floor,” stated Rahman.
The vast majority of the work is completed before the party itself. The parties usually begin around 9 PM and end around 12:30 AM. However, both hosts have to show up hours earlier to set up. Once the party starts, Rahman usually helps security get people into the venue, marking them off the guest list, patting them down, and checking their IDs. During the party, the pair take turns tending to the cash register at the bar, which sells sodas, juices, and water, and ensuring that nothing slips past the eyes of the security guards.
Around 12:30 A.M, Koch and Rahman start ushering people out, ensuring everyone has a friend to accompany them home. After everyone has left, Koch and Rahman are left to clean up until early morning. While some of this time is devoted to cleaning up messes, it is largely spent finding items that attendees have left behind. “I remember in the winter parties, people would leave their jackets with their wallets, keys, and money inside,” recalled Rahman. Koch and Rahman have had to go out of their way to return these items to their respective owners, which sometimes includes trips to different parts of the city.
As much as they have accomplished by themselves, Koch and Rahman are very grateful to their friends who helped them manage the parties from setup to cleanup. “Without our friends, I don’t think we would still be throwing parties; it’s chaotic enough with their help, I can’t imagine how it would be without them,” stressed Koch.
For Rahman and Koch, the parties are a part of an escape from Tech’s heavy workload, and an opportunity for new friendships. Both partners have managed to successfully balance different aspects of their lives and make their schoolwork a priority. This fall, Koch is heading off to The Ohio State University in the Law and Society Scholars program, while Rahman will attend Georgetown University, majoring in Government.
Both hosts admit that while they started the business as a fun pastime, it has transformed into something more demanding. “Since we’re in control of these parties, it kind of means we don’t get to have much fun at them,” explained Koch. “Sometimes, I catch myself starting to enjoy it a little too much, but I have to snap back and tell myself that I’m responsible for everything that happens here, and I need to make sure everything is going well.”
In organizing these parties, Rahman and Koch have picked up other skills, too. “We’ve learned how to market to specific audiences, how to budget well, how to multitask, how to communicate well and be firm in our decisions, [and] how to network and make connections not just at parties but also while planning for them,” remarked Rahman.
When asked if they would like to pass their business on to current juniors when they leave for college, neither Koch nor Rahman were keen on the idea. “We built this business from the bottom, and put so much hard work and effort into keeping a good reputation,” emphasized Koch. “Also, a lot of the personal connections we made probably wouldn’t hold with other people,” added Rahman.
