Spring Break
Students forced to wait in long lines for eXstaSy
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 3/11/08
Posted online at 3:22 AM EST on 3/11/08
EXstaSy, a party held last Saturday night in order to assess various aspects of campus social events, disappointed many students who were forced to wait outside when Sherman Function Hall reached its capacity of 500 people sooner than expected.
The Student Union executive board planned the party, which was co-sponsored by 31 other clubs and was one source of dispute in the passing of the Student Union government operations budget last week. The e-board was allocated $2,500 to host the party.
Over 1,000 students from Brandeis and other universities attended the party, which lasted from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. (4 a.m. daylight saving time), forcing many students to wait outside to get in when Sherman Function Hall reached its capacity of 500 people sooner than expected. Doors were originally scheduled to close at 1:30 a.m.
Just after 1 a.m., approximately 40 students crowded both entrances to the building, while security officers instructed those waiting to remain patient and form lines.
"I think it went great. We filled up the entire space in an hour," Union Advocate Brian Paternostro '08 said. He estimated that some students had to stand in line for 45 minutes before getting into the party: "We thought there would be more in-and-out but there wasn't; people were staying at the party for a while, so we couldn't let people in."
Paternostro suggested that capacity limitations should be different for a dance event than for auditorium-style seating. He added that the Union intended to discuss complications that arose during the entrance with regard to future events.
Union Director of Campus Life Christina Khemraj '09 told the Senate last month that the goal of the party was to assess the impact that a 3 a.m. ending time, freedom from financial obligations and creative publicity would have on campus social events, as well as to attract students from other universities.
The event's metal detector counted 1,071 individuals total by the end of the night, according to Khemraj, the party's main organizer.
The Student Union executive board planned the party, which was co-sponsored by 31 other clubs and was one source of dispute in the passing of the Student Union government operations budget last week. The e-board was allocated $2,500 to host the party.
Over 1,000 students from Brandeis and other universities attended the party, which lasted from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. (4 a.m. daylight saving time), forcing many students to wait outside to get in when Sherman Function Hall reached its capacity of 500 people sooner than expected. Doors were originally scheduled to close at 1:30 a.m.
Just after 1 a.m., approximately 40 students crowded both entrances to the building, while security officers instructed those waiting to remain patient and form lines.
"I think it went great. We filled up the entire space in an hour," Union Advocate Brian Paternostro '08 said. He estimated that some students had to stand in line for 45 minutes before getting into the party: "We thought there would be more in-and-out but there wasn't; people were staying at the party for a while, so we couldn't let people in."
Paternostro suggested that capacity limitations should be different for a dance event than for auditorium-style seating. He added that the Union intended to discuss complications that arose during the entrance with regard to future events.
Union Director of Campus Life Christina Khemraj '09 told the Senate last month that the goal of the party was to assess the impact that a 3 a.m. ending time, freedom from financial obligations and creative publicity would have on campus social events, as well as to attract students from other universities.
The event's metal detector counted 1,071 individuals total by the end of the night, according to Khemraj, the party's main organizer.
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