To dance or not to dance?

By Sarah Hansell Staff Writer hansell14@up.edu

With only three weeks until homecoming, the Campus Program Board (CPB) has decided to reconsider its decision last spring to cancel the homecoming dance due to problems with binge drinking at previous dances.

After a recent conversation between ASUP and UP administration, CPB is now considering holding a homecoming dance in the Chiles Center on Oct. 7, according to CPB Director and junior Sean Ducey.

"We can't plan a dance in 24 hours," Ducey said. "We need to talk to the administration, Student Activities, the ASUP executive board, Public Safety, University Events and the Campus Program Board."

"It is too early to say whether or not it will actually happen," Student Activities Director Jeromy Koffler said. "A lot of planning would need to occur before an event could be confirmed."

According to Ducey, even if CPB hosts a homecoming dance, alcohol consumption and other safety issues are still a priority.

"We definitely did not dismiss the concern of the amount of intoxicated students at the Dance of the Decades," Ducey said. "Drinking is definitely a concern."

CPB's last-minute decision to reconsider hosting a dance for homecoming will not affect plans for a homecoming carnival modeled after Pilotpalooza.

"The carnival is happening for sure before the homecoming game against USD," Ducey said.

The carnival will feature live music, an inflatable bounce house, a rock wall, free henna, among other attractions. Bon Appétit will sell barbeque food at the carnival, which students can pay for with points.

"Pilotpalooza was really successful last year," Ducey said. "We thought it'd be fun to have an activity before a soccer game."

The homecoming carnival is on Oct. 7 from 4:30 to 6:45 p.m. The event is free and will be at the field adjacent to Public Safety before the men's soccer game against the University of San Diego.

"It'll be a fun event," Assistant Director of Student Activities Jillian Smith said. "Sometimes different is good, or better."

CPB's original plan was to replace the homecoming dance with a concert. Instead, the concert will be during spring semester to allow time to plan it and so it can be during Weekend on the Bluff and incoming freshmen can attend. It will replace Pilotpalooza as a Weekend on the Bluff event.

CPB is still in the planning stages of booking an artist for the concert.

The concert will not replace the Dance of the Decades, which will also be during spring semester.

"It takes months, if not a year, to make (a big event) happen," Smith said.

Before changing their mind about having a homecoming dance, CPB members said they believed a concert would be safer than a dance and less likely to trigger binge drinking.

"We haven't had issues with other live entertainment events in the past," Smith said. "But you know we can't predict that. It's up to the students to decide how they want to attend these events."

The idea of a carnival first came about as an alternative to a dance.

"When (the concert) was moved to the spring semester we still wanted to keep a homecoming event to promote Pilot pride," Ducey said.

While CPB has not discussed the dance with public safety officials, Public Safety does not foresee safety problems at the carnival.

"Well, it's our campus so we have better control of it," Director of Public Safety Harold Burke-Sivers said.

CPB's plans to reconsider the dance may be welcomed by students who were disappointed by its cancellation

"I think getting rid of the dance is kind of bad in my opinion," sophomore David Sumada said. "I guess taking more precautions would be a better way to regulate the drinking."

Some students said they did not think a carnival was a good alternative to a dance.

"I definitely think we could've thought of something better to do instead," sophomore Kimmy Cerruti said.

"I think the school could muster something a little better than a Pilotpalooza with how much we pay them," sophomore Colin Ritter said.

However, some students think that a change was necessary given the circumstances.

At the Dance of the Decades last spring, three students were hospitalized for possible alcohol poisoning.

"I think it's safer than watching people get carted off in ambulances," junior Kekai Ariola said.