 "Photo: Christine Godboot")
Cool sea temperatures did not prevent a sold-out crowd of 600 people from getting aboard the Spirit of Boston for the annual AHANA Leadership Council (ALC) Boat Cruise last Friday.
Buses loaded from Conte Circle to transport dancegoers to Rowe's Wharf in Boston Harbor. People arrived in very large groups around the same time, prompting ALC officials to load the buses quicker than usual to relieve growing crowd numbers.
"Bus loading was supposed to take place from 8 to 8:30 p.m. but everyone showed up in huge groups at the same time," said Joanna Wong, CSOM '06. "I figured people would come late so we made bus loading earlier so that we had extra time. It turned out we were too efficient and everyone got to the Harbor earlier than expected, which made for a longer wait time to get on the boat."
Wong also cited the boat's slightly extended delay to come back to port due to a dinner party taking place on the vessel before the ALC Boat Cruise. Party attendees waited outside for slightly over an hour before being allowed to board the boat.
"We tried to entertain people who were waiting with a video camera and interviewing them," said Wong. "Tammy Faye and Nick Noel went up and down the line and talked to people. We have about a half hour to an hour in footage so we're thinking of putting that on BCTV."
Word of mouth seemed to be a main reason for the droves of people who attended the boat cruise, from freshmen to seniors.
"I learned about the boat cruise through Justin Thornton who told me that I must go," said Marco Rufulo, A&S '08.
"It's a great place to meet people and support the school, especially the AHANA organizations. It's a big deal," he added.
"A friend of mine told me about the boat cruise and she said it was a lot of fun so I decided to come," said Nicole Gonzalez, A&S '07. "I thought it was a great chance to meet people and it's something different. People should really take advantage of it."
"The ALC Boat Cruise has always been over Parents' Weekend so I haven't been able to come every year," said Guillermo Gonzales, A&S '05. "I've heard really good things about it and I really wanted to make up for not going in the past during my senior year."
Some students saw the boat cruise as a chance to get out of the campus and into formal wear.
"It's a nice time to get out of BC," said Kay Martinez, A&S '05.
"It's a chance to see Boston at night and a chance to get dressed up. It's fun," she added.
"I've been going to the boat cruise ever since I was a freshman," said Andrew Escaler, A&S '06. "It's a fun time where people of all different cultures can get together and see people dressed up and in a different way than their everyday normal attitude."
"Without a doubt this is one of the best events BC has to offer," he added.
Martinez said that she found the event's atmosphere welcoming to all students.
"The ALC Boat Cruise is not just for AHANA students; it's just sponsored by it and that's a common misconception," said Martinez. "I think that a lot of people would and do feel comfortable here regardless of race. It's for everyone."
Justin Thornton, UGBC chief of staff and CSOM '07, saw the boat cruise as a way of bringing together various groups in BC.
"ALC is always able to bring different groups of people together and have a great time," said Thornton. "It really goes along well with UGBC's mission of building community."
ALC officials saw the night as a success and hope to improve for next year.
"I'm pretty excited that it's sold out. I was kind of worried about it in the beginning but now I'm feeling pretty good about it," said Teddy Yoon, ALC vice president and A&S '06. "I think the main reason it was sold out is that everybody, no matter what color or ethnicity, loves to see everybody celebrate together."
"I'm very thankful that everyone showed up and that it sold out," he added. "I just expect good things for the rest of the year."
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