Just more than 2,000 students congregated Friday night from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the Union for Crimson Nights.
Organizers were anticipating around 1,500, said Chad Dilley, Crimson Nights coordinator for the Union Programming Council.
The U Hook Up Card made its first appearance at the event, distributed by the Associated Students of the University of Utah Freshman Council. They had difficulty stopping people and getting them to sign up for the card-which comes at no cost to students, and offers several discounts at local restaurants, organizers said.
Hook Up Card organizers John Poleman and Traci Hafen said their distributing location may have been poor, since credit-card companies and other businesses also set up booths throughout the school year in an effort to lure students with free merchandise.
The Hook Up team had previously discussed offering the card at a price, hoping it would then encourage students to use and value the benefit, before deciding to give it away Friday night.
They did, at least, require that students sign up for ULife, ASUU’s online newsletter, before taking the plastic card home.
At the party, students on a crowded dance floor danced anonymously, and at times in front of a circle of onlookers, to what one man called a “remix techno version” of an Eminem song, and later to some hip-hop music.
One onlooker, medical biology student Robert Stewart, recognized a few breakdance moves in the crowd, pointing out that one “breaker” was engaged in what he called “the pimp walk.”
Crimson Nights organizers made enrollment at the U a mandatory requirement for entry, although enrolled students could bring along a non-student if they wanted.
Cameron Linford, U gymnastics trainer, attended Crimson Nights last year and showed up again Friday night, finding a seat to watch a movie with three of the U’s current gymnastics recruits.
“Honestly, I’m not into this kind of thing. It’s all stupid,” he said with a smile.
Stephanie Lim, a recruit from Woodlands, Texas, said, “I haven’t been here long enough to know” if the event was fun.
Jason Terry, who helped organize Crimson Nights, said that even with a “personal bias” about the event, he thought it was “awesome.”
Exercise and Sports Science major Jeremy Deetz, along with friends Steve Park, Cameron Johnson, Angie Gailey, all U students, discussed how they enjoyed the antics of a hired hypnotist, although at one point Gailey did call the performance a “sham.”
Three students reported being watched by security and assumed that it was because they each carried a skateboard.
By midnight, Union employee Nick Kuwada reported “no trouble” had resulted from the night’s events.