 "Photo: Irene Domenico")
 "Photo: Irene Domenico")
Rainy conditions and tight spaces hit the Homecoming dance Saturday night as a sold-out crowd of 1,500 students danced the night away in the Mod parking lot. This "Evening Under the Stars" was a departure from past Homecomings, which have previously been held off campus in places like the Fairmont Copley and the Park Plaza.
"[The location] was really interesting because it's a school event that's meant to bring people together and the Mods and the Mod lot are very familiar icons at BC," said Paulina Vargas, A&S '06.
The close location was a deciding factor for Neil Dragsbaek, A&S '06.
"My friends and I had never gone before, and we only really went because they moved it on campus so it was easier to go," he said. A white tent housed the wooden dance floor, as well as tables, the hot food buffet, and the bar. The Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) also hired the same DJ who played last year's Homecoming. While some enjoyed the food and music, others thought the dance lacked in atmosphere.
"Since it's my last Homecoming, I was really excited for it," said Shen Chen, CSOM '06. "The food is good, but I was disappointed with the atmosphere. I was in good company, though."
"It would have been better if they had gotten a bigger tent and sold more tickets," said Elizabeth Lowell, A&S '08. "They had a lot more space in that parking lot they didn't use."
Space problems were also felt in the area enclosing the cash bar, as some students thought it too small.
"It seemed like they didn't really consider the proportion of people who were 21 when they decided on how big to make the area," said Dragsbaek. "I got in there early so I was lucky but once I left there was no point in trying to get back in because the line was just too long."
Luke Howe, UGBC president and CSOM '06, recognized spatial problems and said heavy rains influenced many of the decisions.
"There was actually supposed to be a lounge that set up outside of the tent for those who wanted a break from the dance, but that had to be curtailed due to the rain," he said. "In terms of the tent size and bar space, we now recognize that we should have definitely got a bigger tent. However, the tent set up in the Mod lot was supposed to hold many more people than we sold tickets to, and it was hard to predict the demand there would be for the bar."
The Boston Fire Department and BC Police Department were on hand as security and few cases of extreme intoxication were cited, according to Dean for Student Development Robert Sherwood.
"Everything seems to be going fine, but it's just too bad that it's raining," he said. "We've only had a couple of cases where people seem to be under the weather, but otherwise everyone seems to be having a good time."
The University's concern about intoxicated students surfaced in rumors that breathalyzers would be used for all students before entering the tent, but Howe said those rumors were unfounded.
"I think ODSD, ResLife, and BCPD wanted to make sure students were safe and so, prior to the dance, they were encouraging responsible behavior," he said. "However, somehow I think maybe there was some confusion in terms of when breathalyzers would be used and for what reason."
Lowell cited disorganization in the coat check area even before the initial rush at the dance's closing.
"I left 10 minutes early to avoid the rush but my coat had fallen on the floor so it was soaking wet," she said.
Students who may have lost their coats and umbrellas in the coat check area can go to BCPD headquarters to claim them, said Ashley Naranjo, UGBC co-director of special events and LSOE '07.
Despite the tight space and the rain, students enjoyed the dance, but look forward to improvements in the future.
"I had a good time overall because you really don't get the opportunity to party like that with your friends on campus because we don't have any bars or anything," said Dragsbaek.
UGBC members are already brainstorming on improvements for future events.
"It was definitely a work in progress overall, but the planning that went into it was pretty substantial," said Naranjo. "I think the rain was the only bad part of the whole night."
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