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Brandeis University's Community Newspaper — Waltham, Mass.

Rumba sees fewer incidents than Pachanga

Published: November 18, 2011
Section: Front Page


Relay for Life and the International Club hosted the Rumba dance in Levin Ballroom on Saturday, holding it in place of last year’s Pachanga, which university officials canceled after two students were arrested and nine others were hospitalized for alcohol intoxication.

The number of students detained last weekend was much lower than last year’s. Late Saturday night, a female student in Cable Hall was transported by ambulance to Newton-Wellesley Hospital after suffering from alcohol intoxication. Early Sunday, a male student was arrested for disorderly conduct in the Usdan Student Center following the dance.

“I think both events had good leadership but this year everyone learned from what went wrong. No fire alarms were pulled, they shut the doors when the event became too crowded, and increased numbers of staff members were present,” Student Union President Herbie Rosen ’12 said.

Stipulation as to the source of the chaos that occurred at Pachanga has led many to believe that the incidents associated with the night should not be linked directly to the dance.

There is “no real chaos associated with the event Pachanga itself. There is a history of student pre-gaming on that night and students become inpatient waiting in line and sometimes behavioral concerns occur,” Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said.

Event planners of Rumba emphasized the cultural theme this year, alluding to the evolving social atmosphere on campus.

“Pachanga is more of a DJ event,” Rosen said. “Rumba had a couple live performances from other bands, and it’s more diverse music scene may have attracted a different audience.”

Some students initially approached Rumba with hesitance, fearing over-excessive security and a constraining social atmosphere.

When asked if he would like to see Pachanga return in the spring, Rosen clearly expressed his approval.

“Why should we deprive the student body of the event? I’d be willing to work hard to make sure it would be as successful as possible,” Rosen said.

In the meantime, he plans on aiding in the organization of a presidential ball reminiscent of the Inaugural Ball held last year, portraying classy social events held at Brandeis.