Campus Conversation

To several drunken partyers, it was the Apocalypse. To others, it was just a power outage. To The Student, it’s news.

Details are sketchy, as all eye-witnesses were inebriated out of their minds, but around 2:30 a.m. Saturday night, two flashes of lightning lit up the sky, and then everything went black.

There were enough screams following the power outage that some were sure it was the Second Coming, but everyone remained intact-unless they were losing their dinner on the social quad-leading to quick recovery of mental equilibrium.

As Joe Tracy ’02 astutely noted, “Even after the power went out, the kegs still worked, so everything was fine.” Tracy was apparently not bothered by the attendant malfunction of the entrance code pads, though others pounded into the wee hours of the night to get into their dorms.

It seems everyone inside was passed out or otherwise engaged. They did not immediately-if ever-come to their friends’ aid. This was curious, however, because many were kept awake by blaring fire alarms.

As usual, there were no fires, but this situation was quickly remedied as a cardboard box went up in flames outside Stone. “I think kids were so upset that there was an alarm but no fire, they just lit one,” joked Erik DiNardo ’03.

A resilient bunch, Amherst students managed to survive the blackout, though for the most part, they don’t remember how.

La Bomba Squad

More flavor then mom’s rice and beans,” said Marcus O’Mard ’02 when asked to describe La Bomba, Friday night’s party at La Casa. Consensus among partygoers was that the event showed a different side of Amherst’s campus.

Themed as a “Salsa/Meringue Party,” the event drew a good number of Five-College students. “It was a really interesting atmosphere because there were a lot of Five-College students mixing with the Amherst students,” explained Lucas Gonzalez ’02. “I really liked that.”

Some, however, were disappointed by the poor attendance by Amherst students. “There were mad people who don’t go to our school who were there,” said Jocelyn Goode ’03. “It was surprising to see such a low turnout of Amherst College kids.”

The party provided a TAP alternative in ways other than the guest list. The dancing area was more breathable, and people actually danced some salsa and meringue.

“I was actually able to dance without someone grabbing my ass,” said Viki Bonett ’03.

All in all, the event proved to be an enjoyable time for all those who ventured out to La Casa. “It was an eclectic mix of people and music,” summed up Jane Ha ’02.

Classy Capoeria

There was music, sweat and people dancing in close proximity to each other. But instead of the usual pop music, the sound of drums, tambourines and singing filled the air. No, this was not some misguided attempt by SoCo to make TAP more interesting. It was Capoeira Angola.

Sponsored by Amherst’s Capoeria group, Sunday’s performance in the Octagon celebrated the Brazilian art form that originated as a form of resistance to slavery. When African slaves in Brazil were not allowed to participate in self-defense, they used Capoiera as a symbol of their unrest.

In its modern form, Capoeira is a mix of music, dance and martial arts. There is also an element of competition in Capoeira as participants try to demonstrate their excellence in acrobatics, elegance and skill.

“To be good, you have to play with and against the other person,” explained Deraldo Ferreira, who leads Grupo Capoeira Angola Camara, the Boston group that performed with the Amherst contingent.

The audience seemed to enjoy the interactive atmosphere and were quick to join in the hand-clapping, singing and movements of Capoeira.

“I’m learning about this in class, and it’s really interesting and great to see it live,” said Sheila Graham ’03.