Gone are the days of the old Crimson Nights where the only activity was dancing. Now, as a result of the effort of dozens of ASUU board members and directors, the evenings have activities for everyone to enjoy.
Ashlee Christofferson, assistant director of programming at the Union, said she hoped that by having more activities than just dancing, the attendance would increase for years to come.
“We have a little more money in the budget [to provide more activities] so everyone can have more fun at Crimson Nights, especially those who don’t like to dance,” Christofferson said.
This is why she and others on ASUU adjusted the times for activities to 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., when most people tend to arrive, instead of its previous slot from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Like every Crimson Night, on March 25 there was minigolf, inflatables, button-making stations and airbrush tattoos. But the most popular features were new to the event.
A Natural High’s oxygen bar was occupied from open to close and had scents ranging from lavender and mint to cherry and lemongrass. Additionally, students lined up to have their palms and tarot cards read. Three skilled readers provided the fortunes for hundreds of patrons.
Six tables for blackjack and a roulette table in the poker room provided a welcome change of pace and a distinct alternative to Crimson Night classics. Another popular feature was the open bowling alley. Free for all attendees, the alley was quite full throughout the night.
Downstairs in the food court, various student groups had several booths, gathering a unique mix of attendees. Twixx, Fat Cats All Out Fun, Student Health Advisory Committee, Ximorocks.com, Intervarsity and Younglife College all tabled until midnight. K-UTE ran a contest to win tickets to see an upcoming Ellie Goulding concert and they will announce the winners later this week.
The theme of Friday’s most recent event was Saint Patrick’s Day. The First Year Council decorated the food room with green table cloths, plastic coins and a pot of candy at the end of a rainbow. The mocktail (mock cocktail) bar featured creative adaptations like butter beers, Irish roses, lime rickeys and shirley temples.
Pizza was served throughout the night, and some people even had boxes to take home.
The DJs played music from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., and the dance floor was noticeably emptier than at previous nights this year. Fewer than 1,000 people gathered to fill nearly half the room.
Christofferson said this was to be expected. Spring Crimson Nights tend to be less attended than the Crimson Nights in August and October, she said, reaching an average of 1,800 people. Friday night’s event reached about that number, though Christofferson said she had hoped for around 2,000.
Christofferson said she hoped by bumping the spring Crimson Night into March, as opposed to its typical spot in April, more students would be able to attend.
U students got in free with their UCards. Students of other colleges and universities got in for $5.