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Brandeis University's Community Newspaper — Waltham, Mass.

Pachanga alias?

International Club plans ‘rumba’ alternative

Published: March 4, 2011
Section: Front Page


pachanga Students dance inside Levin Ballroom at Pachanga on Oct. 23, 2010.
photo by andrew rauner/the hoot

In place of the bi-annual dance Pachanga, the International Club, in coordination with other student organizations, has planned a new cultural dance party called Rumba to take place Saturday evening inside Levin Ballroom. WBRS is also hosting the second annual Jehuda RAVEharz on Friday evening in Levin.

Tickets for Rumba cost $5 and will be sold tomorrow. If they are not sold out, they will also be sold at the door on Saturday. Admission to Friday’s event is free.

The administration advised the International Club to host a different event after concerns about behavior of intoxicated students and crowd rowdiness from Pachanga last semester.

“We promised that we would make it a more cultural event,” Can Nahum ’12, president of the International Club said. The International Club is sponsoring the party along with Colleges Against Cancer, Girl Effect and Custom Clothing Club.

Nahum said that there will be new surprises at Rumba, including new music styles, compared to Pachanga in the past.

The fact that the two parties are taking place on the same weekend is coincidental, Aarish Sheikh, personnel director for WBRS, said.

When Pachanga was last held on Oct. 23, 2010, nine students were transported to a hospital for alcohol intoxication and BEMCo received a total of 17 calls for intoxicated students. Local towns suffered a shortage of ambulances due largely to drinking in dorms before the party. Two students were also arrested for allegedly assaulting university police officers near the Ziv Residence Quad.

That evening, at about 12:30 a.m., an unknown individual pulled the fire alarm, Callahan said in October. The building was evacuated, and shortly after police decided not to resume the event, considering the behavior and attitude of the students outside.

“Security for both events will be similar [to Pachanga] since we have worked and met with the same organizers as last year,” Ed Callahan, Director of Public Safety wrote in an email to The Hoot.

Levin holds a capacity of 700 students. Nahum said that, as in the past at Pachanga, the International Club will sell no more than 650 tickets, in order to allow its volunteers to enter the party after they are done working and not to exceed the capacity in Levin.

At a Battle of the DJ’s in January, many students had trouble getting their coats from the coatroom at the end of the party. The room became overcrowded quickly.

Nahum said that the Sailing Club will manage the coat check at Rumba.

“I encourage students to be patient while waiting to enter the events since it takes time for many guests to enter through the admittance process,” Callahan wrote. “Also my staff will monitor closely any line that forms outside the venues and communicate with those students in the line awaiting admittance.”