Although about only one third of the senior class was able to attend the 200 Nights cruise around New York City on Nov. 14, those students who ventured to the well-anticipated event in celebration of 200 nights until graduation enjoyed the combination of dining, drinking and dancing.
“I was disappointed that not everyone from our class could go, but the whole event went well over my expectations,” said Anna Punzalan ’04. “I think everyone who was there really enjoyed themselves.”
Staff from the Fairfield University Student Association and the Student Beach Resident Association were enthusiastic about the entire evening.
“The event went very well,” said Lauren DeSteno ’04, senior class president and SBRA vice president. “It definitely went smoother than it has in the past.”
Despite the rocking of the boat, no students were reported as injured or sick, and there were no fights, according to DeSteno.
“It was very successful,” said Matt Coolidge, SBRA president. “Everyone had a good time, and we hope the next event can be just as much fun as this one.”
Tickets cost $85 for every student, and 350 students attended. While many students complained that mostly female students were attending, over 100 male students attended the event, according to DeSteno.
“I was pretty happy with the overall turnout,” said Shawn Schuerlein ’04. “I definitely wasn’t complaining about how many girls were there.”
This year, FUSA and SBRA collaborated to make 200 Nights an attractive option for all senior students.
Last year, 200 Nights cost beach residents $90 and on-campus students $110. Beach residents paid less than on-campus students last year because of allocated beach resident dues.
This year, SBRA and FUSA combined funds to make cost the same for all seniors, according to DeSteno. The entire event cost approximately $30,000, which included the cost of the actual tickets, seven bus rentals, the boat rental, food, D.J. and alcohol, according to Elaine McCauley, graduate assistant for university activities.
“We wanted to make it more of an all senior event, including on-campus students,” said DeSteno. “FUSA and SBRA joined funds to get more people involved.”
Dattco buses left from Alumni Hall at approximately 5:30 p.m. last Friday after students obtained bracelets permitting alcohol consumption and to fill out a form, ensuring student responsibility. The event was chaperoned by five faculty members, including a university security officer who attended strictly because she is a certified emergency medical technician.
“For students who decided to stay in the city and not to come back on the buses, they were responsible for their own actions,” said McCauley. “When students were on the boat, they were representing Fairfield University.”
Some students were annoyed by the 30 minute wait until departure from Fairfield.
” I thought the wait was unnecessary or could have been taken care of ahead of a time,” said Shawn Schuerlein ’04. “When I finally got on the bus, there were hardly any seats left.”
“Checking IDs could have been done a little quicker if there was more than one person,” said Megan Corr ’04. “I was happy that a large variety of kids were getting together in one place, and it was a really great time.”
Despite the two hour bus ride to New York City, students remained optimistic.
“The bus ride was terrible. Our bus driver put in Legally Blonde,” said Ryan Zipp ’04.”
Dinner was served at approximately 8 p.m. and was comprised of chicken, steak, fish and side dishes.
“The bus ride put a damper on things,” said Jenn Wuensch ’04. “But there were a lot of options for food, and it was well-prepared.”
Alcoholic beverages were not served at dinner, at the request of university administration, according to DeSteno.
“Drinks were served maybe 20 minutes after dinner was served,” said DeSteno. “At first, I was a little concerned with the lines to the bar, but once everyone realized there were waiters taking drink orders, everything was fine.”
Others complained that the three bars ran out of vodka and gin, but students were willing to substitute one type of alcohol for another.
“We were first served a few drinks per person at a time, but eventually the bartenders served everyone only one drink per person,” said Zipp. “Overall, it was a good time and better than I expected.”
While many students complained that DJ John Sorgente, of Indigo International, played too many 80s tunes, other students enjoyed the music mix of dance, rock, and country.
Students who did not attend 200 Nights celebrated at Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun Casinos, while other students found entertainment at clubs.
“Once I didn’t have a ticket there wasn’t really too much I could do about it,” said Matt Shaw ’04. “A lot of my friends didn’t get to go, so we all did other things instead.”
The option for a larger boat was not possible since the budget did not allow it, according to McCauley. Ticket prices would go up, and students would not be as willing to spend more money for the event.
“We all felt bad that we couldn’t accommodate everyone,” said DeSteno. “We had five days for ticket sales on-campus and two days at the beach, and we can only suggest that students get tickets sooner in the future.”
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