Lugging boxes of T-shirts past massive blow-up carnival equipment and scattered dormitory booths, the boys of Tucker House set up a small table on the lawn this past Sunday at Quad Day. Across from them, Taylor Hall added a Slip ’n’ Slide and kiddie pool to the array of nearby attractions, including the girls from Johnson who were gearing up for an entire day of tie-dyeing. Quad Day, the annual social event hosted by students living in the West Quad North and West Quad South clusters, provided a break from the stresses of the first week of the new school year. Approximately two hours into the event, however, an unexpected downpour interrupted the function, forcing the inflatable equipment to be dismantled for liability reasons. Several dorms were forced to packed up their booths and head indoors to remain dry. Bands that were scheduled to perform later that day on the steps of Samuel Phillips Hall were also forced to cancel because of the poor weather. “The rain clearly put a damper on Quad Day,” said Dean of West Quad North Kathy Birecki. “But overall, it was still very successful.” The downpour subsided quickly, and for the most part, students did not allow it to interfere with the cheerful mood of the event. Attendees made the best of even the rain, as Taylor Hall’s Slip ’n’ Slide emerged as a central attraction for those already drenched by the storm. Director of Student Activities Cynthia Efinger said, “Quad Day was a huge success, even with the rain. Everyone stayed around and continued to support the dorms.” Mrs. Efinger estimates that between 200 and 300 students joined the event throughout the day. This turnout is believed to be even greater than that of past years, and the organizers of the event expressed only satisfaction. “I think that we had the best turnout in years, and everyone seemed to be having a very good time,” West Quad South Cluster Dean Peter Washburn said. Each dorm is responsible for setting up a booth, and students proved creative in their entrepreneurial efforts. All profits will be used to fund dorm activities, such as furnishing and accessorizing common rooms. Many of the traditional dorm-sponsored events returned this year, including Taylor’s kissing booth and Johnson’s Quad Day shirt and tie-dye station. Isham sold treat bags that will be delivered during the course of the school year, while Adams offered a selection of plants to enhance customers’ dorm rooms. Rockwell House also sold meatball sandwiches and sodas. Some dorms prepared slightly more unusual attractions, including Bancroft Hall’s sale of edible “mud” and cookie dough snack. Pemberton treated participants to frozen mocktails, and Bishop spent the day selling House Counselor Thayer Zaeder’s famed grilled cheese sandwiches. In addition to perusing the booths set up around the perimeter of the Quads, the school also rented inflatable games for students to participate in. These included a “rock” wall, a moonwalk bouncy float, and such competitive events as an obstacle course and a jousting station. Looking toward the future, the organizers of Quad Day in the Student Activities Office and both the quads agreed that this year’s successful event should serve as a model for upcoming years. Although Mrs. Efinger does not yet know the exact amount of money raised by the event, she emphasized that the real focus of Quad Day is not on the fundraising aspect, but on the opportunity it gives students to take a break from their studies and participate in a fun day of weekend activities. WQS Cluster President Sophie McCoy ’04 commented, “It would have gone a lot better had it not rained, because it started to rain when it was just getting started. We lost money instead of making it. Lots of people still showed up, and Slip ’n’ Slide was awesome.”
