Flingin' the house down

They fought the lines, the prices and the weather, but nothing could stop Penn students from making the most of their Spring Fling.

Fling festivities got off to a rainy start on Friday afternoon, resulting in sparse crowds at the Quadrangle as many students remained indoors.

"I thought that the weather wasn't that bad, but it was bad that there was no one out in the middle of the Quad," Wharton junior Andy Rich said.

"It was sad," College sophomore Lauren Ordene said. "Last year when we looked out our windows, it was bright and sunny and gorgeous out."

But the rain came as no surprise to many students who have attended Fling in past years. In fact, foul weather has become somewhat of a Fling tradition.

"Spring Fling is synonymous with bad weather," College senior Scott Eriksen said. "That's how it always is."

While many students stayed away, others braved the rain to partake in the various activities that the Quad had to offer.

"More people started showing up late in the afternoon," said College junior Lindsay Jaffee, the Social Planning and Events Committee's Spring Fling Committee director. "By the time the afternoon came around, people didn't seem to mind the rain."

Indeed, students ignored the rain to don giant padded sumo suits, eat fried Oreos and listen to bands play on the Quad stages.

"The joust was good," Engineering senior Patrick Nihan said. "And the bungee run was great."

"We're all about the inflatable games," Eriksen added.

And Eriksen was not alone in his love of inflatable games.

"The energy created by jumping around just beats the rain," College sophomore Aaron Searson said.

But the crowds grew as the weather improved on Friday and Saturday, and many students found themselves waiting on endless lines to take part in the joust, moonwalk, sumo wrestling and other activities.

"For the joust, we waited about 20 minutes," Nihan said.

"We were drinking in the meantime, so as long as you've got that going on while you're in line, it's OK," Eriksen added.

While some found ways to entertain themselves during the wait, others simply avoided the games altogether.

"We wanted to do the joust, but the line was too long," College freshman Micah Cohen said.

Others griped about the high prices of the food at the stands set up around the Quad's perimeter.

"The pierogies were by far my favorite, except they were a little pricey at $3," Rich said.

Andy Solod, a visiting St. Joe's student, agreed, noting that Fling attendees would have benefitted from "more free food."

After waiting in lines all day at the Quad, students found themselves waiting once again at the concert on Hill Field Friday evening.

After several hours on their feet during the first three acts, many students became fed up with the extended wait prior to George Clinton's performance.

"We only stayed through De La Soul because George Clinton took too long to get on, and we just couldn't stand any longer after five hours of standing," Cohen said.

Despite periods of precipitation the following day, thousands of students flocked to the Quad. The increase in attendance from the previous day was drastic, and by the time Mask and Wig took the stage, the Lower Quad was packed.

The group closed festivities in the Quad with its customary comedic song and dance performance. As is tradition, three members of Mask and Wig performed a skit in the buff, offering an endless stream of jokes about a particular part of the male anatomy.

Later that evening, hundreds of students gathered at Wynn Common for the Carnival, where they found games, music and, best of all, free food from Dunkin' Donuts, Pat's and several other vendors.

"There were a lot of people at carnival," said Jaffee. "There was a line forming for Pat's cheesesteaks at 7:30 p.m., and we didn't even open until 8 p.m."

The festivities on campus came to a close at Saturday's Midnight Breakfast. The event took place at 1920 Commons between midnight and 3 a.m.

Although Fling officially kicked off on Friday, many students began their Fling celebrations a bit earlier.

"We've been partying for, like, three weeks," College freshman Jason Kaufman said.

The drunken debauchery continued throughout the weekend as students took a break from their studies.

"Fling is a mixing pot of Penn students when they decide to put down their books and pick up their cups," Wharton senior Shaun Loughrey said.

"It's a relief from schoolwork," Nihan said.

Numerous fraternities and off-campus houses hosted barbeques and live band performances throughout the day and well into the night.

"It's an excuse to drink early, and you're not drinking alone," Rich said. "As long as everyone's drinking with you, that's part of the fun."

Alcohol was certainly not the only substance enjoyed by students during Fling.

"There's a lot of marijuana and shrooming going on around here," Engineering sophomore Joe Maylie said.

With any luck, Penn students will remember the fun they had this past weekend through the drunken haze.

"I'm starting to hear stories about myself," Rich said. "I heard that I made a lot of new friends."

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