Campus Conversation

An event once distinguished by mass fish-swallowing, this year’s Social Council Luau was marked by a disturbing repetition of Third Eye Blind songs.

Though fish were again involved, none seemed to be devoured, as opposed to last year’s carnivorous behavior. As an impressive upgrade from last year’s easy-to-swallow guppies, these fish were full-grown, probably acting as a deterrent to the hungrier partiers.

Though their purpose remains shrouded in mystery, several people tried to catch the fish with their bare hands. Few succeeded-unless they caught one of the dozens of dead ones floating on the surface of the kiddie pool.

In the grand tradition of Amherst dance parties, people seemed more interested on chewing face than chewing fish. “At one point I looked around me, and I was surrounded by hook-ups,” said Katie Alburger ’03.

Chris Keane ’02, applauded this behavior. “Overall, I think it was a terrific show of the abilities of people who want to get ‘lei-d’ at a luau.”

In addition to the fish, SoCo provided a supply of Hawaiian hats with sharp protrusions that threatened to take out more than one eye when people got too close, which was unavoidable on the dance floor.

Others were not so enthused for other reasons. Tim Baldwin ’03 said, “The fact that security made me pour out my full beer really sucked.” It sure did, Tim, it sure did.

Musical Marathon

Save sleeping and tantric endeavors, when was that last time you did something for 12 hours straight? Last Monday, Tristan Moore ’01E played the piano in the Campus Center Front Room from noon until midnight without stopping-not even for bathroom breaks.

Moore said he was in “a sort of trance state” during the performance. “After about three hours I was gone, zoned out,” he said. “A tiny little fraction of my brain was there at the piano talking to my hands: ‘Okay, now move that pinkie over there-no, the black note, you fool.’ And the rest of me was zipping around some sort of mental no-man’s land.”

Moore’s piano playing, which RJ Buenvenida ’02 described as “very dreamy background type stuff,” was the focus of Reverie, but the event itself was meant to be a celebration of all types of art, including interpretive dance performed by Kerry Schaefer ’01.

“I thought it was going to be Tristan playing the piano, but there was a whole smorgasbord of artistic activities including painting, writing and dancing,” said Eric Feder ’02. “The last few minutes were especially exhilarating for me because I got to play the synthesizer.”

Matt Eckelman ’01E helped put together Reverie as a repeat of an event that was held four years ago. He described the goal of Reverie and its artist’s playground theme as “to invite people into a transformed space and get them to open up to the art around them and their own art in particular.”

The Euro Mash

It was European. It was trashy. In a word, it was Armelle. “Tables were back in Newport!” said French TA Florent Masse of Eurotrash, Newport House’s party in honor of Armelle Careé, the former French TA.

In keeping with this theme, “people were wearing pleather and poly-vinyl” and participating in a table-dancing contest, according to Becca Corvino ’03.

Lest people think that partygoers were making fun of Armelle, Alicia Carrasco ’03 clarified, “She was in on it; she was all happy in France.”

Most attendees thought the party was a success. “It was great to have so many people in Newport,” said Masse.

Carrasco, however, thought that inebriation was the main guest at the party, especially during the table-dancing contest. “It was really sketchy because a lot of people were way too drunk,” she said.