Spring Break
Final night of Spring Weekend peaks at 15,000
X Lot thrills and bores, providing a varied experience for party-goers
John Kennedy
Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: News
With a rousing cheer, the wave of revelers flooding across Farmer Brown's kicked off X Lot 2009 just after 9:30 Saturday night.
"And away we go!" shouted an excited partier.
On a night that brought out characters of all types, including a traveling band, a unicyclist, and a man in a chair by Pole One who received numerous lap dances from nearby girls, it was the criminal sort that set the party's mood.
At around 11:05 p.m., a frenzy of bottle throwing began at Pole Two, during which a glass bottle struck a member of crowd in the head, sending shattered glass flying into the crowd behind him.
Police quickly responded to the incident, flooding the area with uniformed and plainclothes officers.
"This is dangerous," said Jamie Sydoriak, from Eastern Connecticut State University, who said her legs had been struck with glass from a stomped bottle earlier in the evening. "And overrated, very overrated."
UConn Police Major Ronald Blicher reported 20 arrests by the UCPD between 4 p.m. and 11:40 p.m., 19 of which were not UConn students.
Blicher said a high percentage of arrests on Spring Weekend in recent years have been non-UConn students, a trend that has continued this year. Blicher also said that as of 11:45 p.m. there was no noticeable difference between the crowd size and activity this year, when no concert was held, and previous years, when the Spring Weekend concert was held during the same time as X Lot.
However, Kyle Ainsworth, a 4th-semester political science and anthropology double major, seemed to be having a great time.
"Overall, it's just like last year," Ainsworth said. "It's a great way to relieve stress before finals."
While Ainsworth and Sydoriak represent opposite ends of the spectrum, many X Lot partiers filled in the middle.
Nicole Cucchiara, a 4th-semester finance major, and Donnie Troy, from Pittsfield, Mass., said they enjoyed Carriage and Celeron better.
According to Cucchiara, it is much easier to find and meet people at the two apartment complexes than it is in a crowded parking lot.
"It's definitely not as exciting as Carriage and Celeron," said Troy, who was experiencing his first X Lot. "But after a whole weekend of drinking, the last day is going to be anti-climactic."
Jeremy Wong, a 4th-semester philosophy major, was also unimpressed by the event.
"It seems the point is to go around and hope to meet other drunk buddies," Wong said. "But here [in a crowded parking lot] it seems kind of futile."
"And away we go!" shouted an excited partier.
On a night that brought out characters of all types, including a traveling band, a unicyclist, and a man in a chair by Pole One who received numerous lap dances from nearby girls, it was the criminal sort that set the party's mood.
At around 11:05 p.m., a frenzy of bottle throwing began at Pole Two, during which a glass bottle struck a member of crowd in the head, sending shattered glass flying into the crowd behind him.
Police quickly responded to the incident, flooding the area with uniformed and plainclothes officers.
"This is dangerous," said Jamie Sydoriak, from Eastern Connecticut State University, who said her legs had been struck with glass from a stomped bottle earlier in the evening. "And overrated, very overrated."
UConn Police Major Ronald Blicher reported 20 arrests by the UCPD between 4 p.m. and 11:40 p.m., 19 of which were not UConn students.
Blicher said a high percentage of arrests on Spring Weekend in recent years have been non-UConn students, a trend that has continued this year. Blicher also said that as of 11:45 p.m. there was no noticeable difference between the crowd size and activity this year, when no concert was held, and previous years, when the Spring Weekend concert was held during the same time as X Lot.
However, Kyle Ainsworth, a 4th-semester political science and anthropology double major, seemed to be having a great time.
"Overall, it's just like last year," Ainsworth said. "It's a great way to relieve stress before finals."
While Ainsworth and Sydoriak represent opposite ends of the spectrum, many X Lot partiers filled in the middle.
Nicole Cucchiara, a 4th-semester finance major, and Donnie Troy, from Pittsfield, Mass., said they enjoyed Carriage and Celeron better.
According to Cucchiara, it is much easier to find and meet people at the two apartment complexes than it is in a crowded parking lot.
"It's definitely not as exciting as Carriage and Celeron," said Troy, who was experiencing his first X Lot. "But after a whole weekend of drinking, the last day is going to be anti-climactic."
Jeremy Wong, a 4th-semester philosophy major, was also unimpressed by the event.
"It seems the point is to go around and hope to meet other drunk buddies," Wong said. "But here [in a crowded parking lot] it seems kind of futile."
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