By: Kourtney Husnick
Classes ended, and strobe lights began Friday night at Cleveland State University.
Glow Party took over all three floors of the Student Center for a four-hour rave with approximately 1100 students in attendance. The event, organized by the Campus Activities Board (CAB), was advertised as the biggest party of the spring semester. Student turnout seemed to agree. Groups lined up within the half hour before 8 p.m. to wait for the doors to open, and other students were coming and going throughout the night.
After facing student and media criticism for long lines at last year’s event, CAB extended the opportunity for a VIP entrance to students who turned in their safety and liability waivers in the week before this year’s Glow Party.
“The VIP line was created this year to help speed check-in along,” Brittany Nevison, the event planner from CAB, said. “In the past, Glow Party had one check-in line that was always slammed with students and their guests. It was chaotic, and I wanted to try and make it less stressful for students and CAB overall.”
CAB was also more prepared for students coming in the main entrance.
“We got there right as it started,” Amanda Bosley, a senior who has attended past years’ Glow Parties said. “The fact that they had a long set of tables with the form on them seemed to make the lines move faster.”
While these changes helped for getting students in the door, Walker Jones says that lines were still long once inside.
“The line to get in was way better than last year, but those other lines were about the same,” Jones said.
After entering the building, most students headed straight for the giveaway area on the second floor, which caused lines to wind from the north windows to the restrooms closer to the front of the building. However, the lines did not seem to spoil the fun.
A ball pit, an oxygen bar, glow in the dark mini-golf and inflatable game claimed student attention on the third floor among other activities.
“The oxygen bar was weird,” Will Stocker said. “Interesting, cool but weird.”
Members of the entertainment company Ohio Burn Unit roamed the party performing their individual talents including walking on stilts and juggling.
The wide range of activities, giveaways and food kept most students on the second and third floor until an hour into the event, but the first floor housed the dance floor and lights that made the party glow.
According to students who attended the event in years prior, there were less activities and a stronger focus on the dance portion this time. CAB disagreed that there was less activities and specified there was just less giveaways.
“I had more activities for students to participate in this year than in previous years, but I did have less giveaways overall,” Nevison said. “I wanted to focus on the students’ experience rather than just giving them things.”
Regardless of any changes, the budget for the Glow Party stayed the same as it was in 2017. CAB, which is funded through the General Fee Advisory Committee (GFAC), received a $45,000 budget to organize the event, according to a 2018 GFAC Student Organizations Budget spreadsheet. The party receives its own individual account separate from the rest of CAB’s operating budget.
“CAB was given that budget number a long time ago,” Nevison said. “CAB uses the budget given to us each year to coordinate fun events for students to attend.”
While some students aware of the cost considered the event to be too expensive, students in attendance definitely appeared to be having fun. CAB presented students with an event that lit up their night and their faces.