Howard selects a table off to the side, with a good vantage point to watch who's dancing with whom and easy access to the food. Parties really aren't his sort of thing, but he figures it's best to be seen after everything that happened on Galilee, and he did nominate Zouichi, after all.
At the very least it should give him a chance to make fun of some people's outfits.
Re: TABLES
At the very least it should give him a chance to make fun of some people's outfits.