Since freshman year, I’ve watched people repeatedly get ultra-excited for the craziness of Springfest, only to become extremely disappointed by the weekend’s events, which always end up being “nothing compared to last years.” This leads me to question just how spectacular the very first Springfest must have been to have set such a remarkably high standard for itself-one that, in my personal opinion, hasn’t been met since I got onto campus in 2009.

Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy Springfest just as much as the next college kid. I simply don’t think it’s extraordinary enough to warrant the huge hype it always receives. After all, drinking outside in the sun (weather permitting) is a grand enough activity, but what’s to stop us from doing it every weekend? (Besides our heavily-weighted workloads, of course – but that never stops us on Springfest.)

And the mildly entertaining themed activities sponsored by the Gator Activities Programming (tye-dying for a 1960s theme; faux wedding photos for a Las Vegas theme; a mechanical bull-riding contest for Wild Wild West) are all well and good, but there’s no reason for why any of these can’t take place on different weekends throughout the year.

While looking through an issue of The Campus from 2003, I stumbled across a picture of a GAP-sponsored Casino Night – an event that would’ve corresponded perfectly with the Las Vegas Springfest theme of two years past. This event, geared to attract prospective students, functioned on its own during a visit weekend. It was not part of a theme encompassing an entire weekend.

This is the question that initially sparked my interest in the history of Springfest. Why choose a seemingly unrelated theme to represent the celebration of spring time? I don’t know what theme most appropriately expresses the ideals of Springfest – whatever they happen to be – but I’d guess that Wild Wild West doesn’t quite cut it.

I became curious about how Allegheny’s version of Springfest developed out of seemingly empty themes.

I was surprised to find that the answers to these questions were not readily available. No one person I’ve spoken to who’s been at Allegheny during the past ten to thirty years can even remember when Springfest started, much less how it began and why it was formed.

Quite possibly, I thought, the drinking that traditionally accompanies Springfest used to be far heavier than we know it to be today. Maybe this could explain why nobody at Allegheny remembered how Springfest started.

Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies William Bywater Jr., recently commemorated for his 44th anniversary of teaching at Allegheny College, said he has no recollection of when or how Springfest initially began.

Numerous alumnae from the 1980s who are now parents of current Allegheny students said Springfest did not exist during their time spent at Allegheny.

College Archivist Ruth Andel recalled a celebratory Greek-life festival held during her time as an Allegheny student in the 1980s, but no particular memory of it being dubbed “Springfest” or any similar name.

Certainly, there had been no incorporation of Las Vegas or Wild Wild West themes to this festival.

From the best I could find, Springfest began sometime during the mid 1990s. There was no mention of Springfest in any of the 1991 issues of The Campus. The first mention I could find was in an edition from 1996, which discussed the band-booking process involved with Springfest. That year GAP and Allegheny Student Government sponsored a performance by Deep Blue Something.

It appears that Springfest used to be largely structured around musical performances. An edition of The Campus from March 2000 features an article that is headlined, “Mardi Gras Springfest to Bring More Entertainment than Past Years.” Festivities were to be complemented with more activities than just musical bands, which had been previously defined Springfest to a large extent.

That headline suggests that Springfest has been met with some level of disappointment ever since it was created, disproving my hypothesis of Springfest’s beginning as an enormously successful celebration causing future Springfests to pale in comparison.

Although Springfest may not always live up to the enormous hype surrounding it, we can at least all be grateful that it has never developed into a seriously problematic event associated with outrageous, criminal behavior. Springfest is not a unique phenomenon to Allegheny; other colleges and universities have Springfest celebrations as well, and some are far more reckless than others.

Just last weekend, about a hundred police officers resorted to tear gas and sting balls filled with rubber pellets to combat belligerent students celebrating Kent State University’s annual College Fest, according to the school’s online media outlet, kent.patch.com.

The damage wreaked by the rowdy students added up to $26,000 in cost of emergency response. Thirty-three students were arrested by Kent police.

In April of 2012, James Madison University’s Springfest celebration was defined by flaming dumpsters, police officers with tear gas, a part of 8,000 people (many that weren’t JMU students, riots and mass arrest and hospitalizations.

The fact that no situation nearly as dangerous has ever occurred at an Allegheny Springfest is due partly to the difference in school size. It also suggests that the supposed surge in belligerence and partying may not be as large as it’s made out to be. This year, only ten citations were recorded during Springfest.

Interestingly, in recent years criminal incidents have taken place at Allegheny – in the fall semester, rather than the spring.

Cody Switzer, ’07 alumnus and former Campus editor, recounted that a large party was busted on the residential Meadow Street shortly after the 2006 fall semester began. The Meadville Police Department doled out 106 citations to Allegheny students: 103 counts of underage drinking and 3 counts of marijuana use.

Back in 2006, there was no four-year campus living requirement, so many students lived on Meadow Street, Switzer said.

“Even from a hundred feet away, people couldn’t hear the party going on,” he said. “It was not any kind of wild Animal House party. It was packed but no more so than any normal party in a frat basement.”

But plain-clothed police followed some students to the party, where they encountered plenty of citation-worthy activities going on. Switzer said he believes police were trying to nip wild parties in the bud early in the year, before opportunities for more craziness could arise.

Switzer also said that in his experience, college students are more prone to lose control during the designated special moments throughout the year.

“When they see something as a special occasion, like Springfest or the beginning of the second semester, students lose their limits and their heads. They start to make bad decisions. Meanwhile, it’s really just an arbitrary weekend,” he said.

The Campus’ 2000 issue of The Compost, a satirical edition traditionally printed for April Fools Day, printed a story with a headline of “Agony on the weekends,” with “agony” being a joke name for “Allegheny.”

Perhaps Springfest simply blossomed as an attempt to counteract the feelings of depression and bitterness that tend to increase among students as the spring semester draws to a close and those looming final assignments come even nearer.

I have never been this shocked by a movie ever. I mean, after ‘Inception’ my mind was slightly warped and ‘Memento raised my eyebrows, but I was thoroughly shocked after this one.

I partially attribute my shock to the fact that I didn’t read any reviews before I saw it, (in attempt to remain at least a tiny bit unbiased) but even so ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ is a unique hybridization of film canon that deserves your attention.

A group of college-aged kids decides to spend a weekend away from the world at a isolated log cabin somewhere in Appalachia. As soon as they arrive you understand that they are not meant to survive.

I would describe it categorically as a cross between horror, suspense, satirical comedy and action. It has each ot these elements in balance throughout the film and the end product is unique to say the least.

The title, the previews, and even the film posters all seem to point to one thing: cheesy commercial horror flick, the kind of movie that features blood and boobs in equal proportion without any substance to justify it. However this first-glance impression of the film could not be more incomplete.

I wouldn’t say the plot has a twist but rather it is just wonderfully perverse right from the beginning. You spend as much time trying to figure out what the hell is going on as you do rooting for the main characters.

Without divulging anything too juicy, I’ll try and lay it out for you.

The film is experienced through two main perspectives: the victims, and the coordinated and exceptionally cast team of professionals that are tasked with killing the victims. Why they are doing and the story that lies behind this cabin are what really make the film tick.

The character actors cast in this film are spot on. Without any big names (except for an extremely brief cameo from the burnt out Sigourney Weaver), Director Drew Goddard crafted a suspenseful and unique masterpiece that can satisfy an incredibly diverse audience.

Although not a household name, Goddard has made quite a career for himself because of his very unique and expressive style of film making. Goddard was the directer of TV suspense phenomenon ‘Lost’ as well as the headache inducing ‘Cloverfield.’ I mean, say what you want about ‘Cloverfield,’ but it still exhibited some fresh perspective, and it showed Goddard had enough sack to bend the rules.

If you like ‘Shaun of the Dead,’ ‘Saw’ and its various film cousins, ‘Underworld,’ or a film that mimics the suspense of a film like ‘Inception’ (minus the A-list actors), ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ is a film you would enjoy.

I would give this one a solid A. It earned an 8.0 on the IMDB and a shocking 92% (which is still rising) on RottenTomatoes. If you don’t listen to me, listen to them.

Hollywood has gotten stuck in such an incredibly repetitive and commercialized vein of film0making that it makes me sick. ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ breaks the mold and delivers a bit of everything, leaving the audience with only this thought, “I don’t know what in the name of sweet cheeba just happened to me, but I liked it… a lot.”

By AVA CARVOUR
Contributing Writer
carvoura@allegheny.edu

Social Disease: A Devised Project, grew organically out of its cast members’ experiences with stereotypes, societal privileges, and identity issues.

For the past few months, the six-member cast met and discussed different life experiences and stereotypes they had seen.

“We’ve spoken on [stereotypes], come to conclusions on how we could fix them or how they should be represented in society,” cast member William Tolliver, ’14, said.

The devised nature of the show pushed the cast to be both self-reflexive and critical of the larger societal structures at work.

“You start with a group of actors…and you share an idea with the actors. You do exercises, have conversations, readings, and talk about different things to form an original show,” said co-director and co-writer Katie Beck, ’14.

The seed of the project began with Beck at the beginning of the fall semester when she wanted to write a show based around white, male and heterosexual privilege.

In order to encourage the flow of ideas, Beck and co-creator, Blair Hartman, ’14, had the cast participate in theater exercises, such as improvisations and free writes – asking questions such as “What makes you a racist?” The heavy flow of ideas did get the ball rolling, but wasn’t always an easy process.

“Our cast is made up of people with a lot of different identities and so I found that I was comparing myself to other people. It was healthy for the group. We offered our souls,” said cast member Emily Cherry, ’14.

The cast’s discussion of heavy and sometimes emotionally-charged topics encouraged the development of a close-knit bond between the cast.

“In order to have a strong devised piece of theatrical work you need to have a strong bond between the actors and especially on a sensitive subject like this, dealing with privileges and identities,” Beck said.

In addition to privilege and identity, role reversal is one of the production’s major themes.

Typical instances of male, white and straight privilege are depicted in the play and then overturned.

“We depict the opposite of [those privileges] in our scenes to sort of reflect how silly it is, and how ridiculous it is, that anyone would have any kind of privilege based on those aspects of their identity,” Cherry said.

But Beck soon realized she couldn’t write a show around privileges unrelated to her own experiences.

“I thought, ‘I can’t do a reversal of those privileges when I’m not even a male, I’m not even gay. I can’t write about things I don’t know about,’” Beck said.

Beck approached fellow theater major Hartman in October about a possible collaborative devised piece about issues of diversity and privilege.

“The devising process is so interesting and engrossing,” added cast member Lilian Gooden, ’14. “For the first several weeks our rehearsals weren’t rehearsing anything, we were just getting together and getting to know each other…free writing, and really talking about our experiences concerning diversity, or lack thereof.”

Many of the diverse topics examined in this piece come from the cast members’ real experiences.

“Building up to this, we’re all from different backgrounds and to sit in room and share your viewpoint and not have to worry about any criticisms or judgement,” said Tolliver. “It’s really mind blowing, since nobody sits down and talks about these issues.”

The inclusion of cast experience places the actors not only upon the stage but also into the very fabric of the vignettes.

“These are our stories actually, they’ve been dramatized and worked into different works of fiction, but this is us,” Gooden said. “This play’s us.”

Social Disease: A Devised Project, co-directed and co-written by Beck and Hartman, features six cast members and used 12 vignettes to explore issues of societal privilege. Shows will take place in the Arter basement Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.

I am not a journalist.

I know what you’re thinking. I’m the Editor-in-Chief of Print for The Campus. I’ve been on this staff for almost my entire college career. I’m an editor, certainly. But a journalist? I’m not so sure. Let me explain.

I’ve been thinking about what I would write in my senior column since freshman year, convinced that when the time came, I would know exactly what to say. I would give all kinds of well-crafted life advice to the aspiring journalists of Allegheny, using fancy journalism jargon and impressing everyone with my vast knowledge of the newspaper world.

Unsurprisingly, I have learned that this position, being an editor, is not about flashy sentences and taking on the big stories. I’ve learned that gaining knowledge doesn’t happen overnight. Most importantly, I’ve learned that change, truly important change, takes time. More specifically, it takes people. Let me tell you a story.

When I first joined The Campus staff, it was October 2008. The paper was smaller and meeker, and the editorial board was essentially brand new. We had old computers, even older software, and took pictures of pretty trees when it was a slow news week. We had an advisor who brought us pizza once a semester and otherwise completely ignored us. I was a starry-eyed and utterly clueless freshman with hopes of changing the world. And I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.

Then, sophomore year came. Through the efforts of all the editors who graduated in 2006, I watched the newspaper take on a new vigor. We changed our layout. We raised our standards. We pushed ourselves to be better with very little guidance. We worked hard, but we had a blast. Going into my junior year, our staff was ready to keep building on what the seniors had established. I was excited, gaining confidence and ready to carry on the legacy the seniors left behind.

My junior year, we again found ourselves with a fairly young staff and a newfound work ethic. Enter one of the most influential and important people to grace Allegheny’s journalism program in recent years, and I’m not exaggerating. When our staff heard we were getting a new advisor, we were ecstatic. We were also in for a huge wakeup call.

I’ll never forget our first meeting. We sat in our office in shock as our advisor addressed every single problem with the paper. Our content, our layout, our reporting… every single flaw was laid out in front of us. I went home in tears. How could this newspaper that had come so far and braved so much still need so much work? As the semester went on, however, we also watched our writing get stronger. Our layout skills improved. I watched my fellow editors cover delicate stories with the highest professionalism. I learned that having an advisor who cares about you so much, but isn’t afraid to tell you that you’re wrong, made us a better newspaper than ever before.

This year, I have watched my staff take on challenge after challenge with finesse. I watched our editors write hard-hitting stories on scholarships and drug use. Our designers put together more vibrant and exciting graphics than ever before. We created theme issues and printed pictures of giant puppies and took no prisoners. I watched with pride as the staff covered the entire police pursuit of last week’s gunman incident. I have watched a group of talented junior editors and staff writers grow into full-fledged editors, and I could not be more proud.

I will say it again: I am not a journalist. I do not think of myself as an interrogator or a sleuth. I would never be daring enough to follow the cops in my car for an entire day as they pursued a wanted criminal and tweet about it. However, in my four years here, I have seen the editors who have come before me and after me dedicate their entire heart and soul to this newspaper, to journalism, and to the pursuit of truth. I am so proud to have been a part of this publication.

I am not sure what sort of legacy I will leave behind at this paper, but I know exactly what sort of people will be here as The Campus enters its 137th year. They are diligent, and honest, and very frequently cynical people that have the heart and drive to make this paper incredible. They are inquisitive, and smart, and it has been an absolute honor being in their presence for the countless hours I’ve spent in the newsroom this year.

My story is over. Next year will mark another era for this newspaper. There will be a new advisor, a new Editor-in-Chief and, obviously, new news. But when I think about all the progress this paper has made, all of the people who have made it what it is, I know things will only keep getting better. The staff that will be here next year is going to be fantastic. I cannot wait to see what their story will be.

Each department sets its own senior comprehensive project due date based on the requirements set by that department, according to Professor David Statman, curriculum committee chair.

Art Department Chair Amelia Carr said in an e-mail that students just installed their work in the art gallery over the weekend.

“We want to give our students as much time as possible [to do their comp projects],” she said. “If we can, we schedule the orals on study days or into finals week.”

Springfest’s reputation as Allegheny’s biggest weekend of partying prompted increased preparation from Safety and Security and local police, but this year’s festivities occurred with fewer reported incidents than past years.

According to Director of Safety and Security Jeff Schneider, there were about 10 incidents requiring write-ups, a number lower than recent Springfests.

“It was quiet compared to other years,” said director of Safety and Security Jeff Schneider. “There were no neighbor complaints, anything that happened was initiated by officers monitoring the area.”

Some of the notable incidents included a plant stolen from the campus center, marijuana found in a dorm room and two people were taken to the medical center with one of those persons taken in police custody, Schneider said.

Loomis Street parties were broken up multiple times Friday by local authorities, Schneider said. The local police and Safety and Secutiy did more monitoring than breaking up parties.

According to Meadville City Police chief David Stefanucci, weekends like Springfest tend to turn out one of two ways.

“One is when we have to raid large parties because students don’t know how to listen to warnings. The other is when everyone listens and they have common sense,” Stefanucci said. “This year everyone listened.”

Though students used common sense to be safe this past weekend, 3 arrests were made, and police responded to roughly seven seven calls on campus, Stefanucci said.

“No one’s smart during Springfest, obviously there’s a lot of underage drinking,” said Taylor Endress, ’14. “At Loomis Fest the party got broken up almost three times and people were being as respectful as they could be in that situation.”

With that said, this year was much more controlled and organized than last year, Endress said.

“Compared to last year, I didn’t notice anything that was a big deal,” Endress said. “I remember the seniors last year were much more rowdy, and this year at Loomis Fest the seniors had under twenty one bracelets which was probably the best way for them to avoid underage drinking in a party situation.”

The Allegheny chapter of Lambda Sigma, the third-oldest chapter in the nationally recognized and prestigious sophomore honr society, is undergoing a series of revisions as it examines its future on Allegheny’s campus. Due to recent declining membership and visibility, the organization’s Executive Board met with administration to discuss the possibility of disbanding.

The various challenges that the honor society has faced over the years have been many. Lately there has been much confusion over the goals on the parts of the members of Lambda Sigma, as well as the benefits that it offers to its members and how it serves the Allegheny community. This confusion has led to problems such as lack of attendance and a lack of a coherent idea of what Lambda Sigma should do on campus and for its students.

President Alexis Nielson ’14 said the group decided not to disband. However, she understands the problems that plague Lambda Sigma and has decided that Lambda Sigma needs to make some serious changes.

“In the past it was something that freshmen joined without knowing what they were getting into,” Nielson said. “Last year it was sustained by two people.”

Fifteen members from this year’s group will be on the junior advisory board for the new members of Lambda Sigma. This advisory board is one new push that the organization is making. Its intent is to guide the new members into making sure that Lambda Sigma is a productive and orderly organization. In addition, there will be a push to focus more on professional development than on service, a shift from the group’s previous focus.

Once the problems became too much to ignore, Nielson, along with other members of the Lambda Sigma Executive Board, called for a meeting with administration and faculty, including Dean of Students Joseph DiChristina and Lambda Sigma Advisor Professor Patricia Rutledge to decide on what to do.

Selection Committee Chair Colin Soleim ’14 said that the administration was supportive of hearing their concerns. Nielson said she hopes that putting changes in place for next year will be effective, and will then produce effective student leaders on campus. These revisions include the new junior advisory board, an overall group focus on professional and leadership development for its new members, a new advisor from ACCEL, David Roncoloato, who will be taking over due to current advisor Professor Rutledge going on sabbatical.

Current member Emily Farr, ’14, said that it was difficult for her to do service activities with Lambda Sigma when there were other, more visible groups on campus to participate in.

“So many members were already involved in service opportunities with other groups on campus, and as a result it was hard to do the same with Lambda Sigma,” she said.

“Our students are very involved,” Former advisor and current Assistant to the Dean of Students Gretchen Kerr said. “All students have that challenge on campus, they are trying to navigate the things that they are involved in.”

Soleim said Lambda Sigma is a unique group for emerging student leaders.

“Lambda Sigma should be inviting people to join who are already leaders and who are good leaders, learning how to train others, to carry yourself as a leader,” Soleim said. “This is a role that not many other organizations could fill and one than an honor society could fill.”

The honor society is based on academics and the top 35 percent of the freshman class is eligible. Fifty or so students are accepted every year. In addition to academic excellence, acceptance is alos based on personal future goals and where students see themselves in the future.

As Lambda Sigma implements its new changes, Soleim is optimistic for the future of the organization.

“In recent history it hasn’t been great but that doesn’t mean I don’t have high hopes for it next year. We’ve learned a lot from this year and it will radically change next year,” said Soleim.

The Laughing Buddha Bubble Tea Company won second prize last weekend in the Gator Innovation Challenge, Allegheny’s annual business plan competition.

The compnay was started by ten students of this year’s Economics 390: Economics of Entrepreneurship 2 class, taught by Chris Allison, entrepreneur-in-residence and part-time professor of economics. Professor of Economics John Golden assists Allison in teaching the class.

The course, which required students to start their own small business, aimed to teach business planning and marketing strategies. It originated in 2007, but has evolved quite a bit since then, according to Allison.

Allison provided the students with $2600 out of his own pocket in the beginning of the semester, as start-up capital for their future business. This was the first year Allison has done this, and he said he would like to continue to do it in the future.

“It allows the students to generate money for themselves as well as others,” said Allison, explaining that the group members will divide up half of whatever profit their business yield between one another .The other half of the profits are to be donated to an annual fund for scholarships for Allegheny students.

Allison, a member of the Board of Trustees, explained that although he is not a professional academic, he is very committed to Allegheny.

“This is my way of giving back,” he said. The students also feel as if they are making a contribution with their business.

“A big part of what we are doing is giving back to our community so that students, or anyone, whoever buys our tea, will be helping to fund students’ education,” said the company’s chief logistics officer Anulekha Venkatram, 13.

Allison explained that the course is designed to help students start a real-life business. They are graded on how much profit their business ultimately yields.

“This isn’t a simulation,” he said. “When my students go to class, they’re basically going to work. The classes are set up like management meetings. I spend half the class teaching students how to run a mangagement meeting, then I let them run it.”

Students are expected to work through all the operational and managerial challenges that go along with running a business.

“We knew coming into the class that we had to start a business,” said chief executive officer Colin Hartford, ’13. “It was days of brainstorming and looking at what wouuld be the best business opportunity her on campus. Through that process, we came to find bubble tea.”

Chief financial officer Ben Schwartz, ’13, explained how the group decided to make a business out of bubble tea.

“You need a niche product that’s not being sold on campus,” he said. “This is something new, different to differentiate ourselves from Smoothie Street.”

“What made us want to do something is that a lot of people are dissatisfied with the food here at school. We wanted to provide an alternative,” said chief operating officer Saeed Shomali, ’13.

Due to rules that prohibit the selling of food on the first floor of the Campus Center, Laughing Buddha will be setting up shop on the second floor instead, selling cups of bubble tea for three dollars during allotted “Bubble Hours” during lunch.

“We’ve decided to do it once a week from noon to one,” Venkatram said, explaining that Bubble Hour will not have a set day. Their first Bubble Hour was held April 12.

The company sells a variety of bubble tea flavors, including mango, strawberry and milk tea. Customers may also mix the flavors in whatever way they like.

Allison said the students’ business was ultimately strenthened by facing realistic problems. “I’ll ask my students: ‘How many of you feel overwhelmed? Good. That’s what work is like.’ I’ll bet them, ‘I be you can’t get this many orders before next class,’” he said.

“My whole goal is to prepare them for battle. When they get off campus, it’s rough out there, so what I’m trying to do is outfit them with armor,” he said.

Loren Horst, '12, made a meme for Allegheny College Memes during the pursuit.

“Did you get the notice?” he asked Professor Aimee Knupsky.

Knupsky, who had been teaching for the past hour, had understandably not received the e-mail Saltsman was referring to, which alerted the campus community to the presence of an armed man wanted in Ohio.

Saltsman conveyed to the class the details of the message, which instructed everyone on campus to stay indoors until further notice regarding the whereabouts of the wanted man, who we all later learned is named Keith Green and had been involved in an incident involving gunfire with some policemen in Ohio.

Confused, students wandered in various directions – some toward the Carnegie computer lab, others toward classrooms to meet up with friends.

Emily Divins, ’13, called her workplace on the phone to let them know she’d be late for her one o’clock shift.

At that moment, she didn’t know that shoe wouldn’t be able to come in at all.

Many students all over campus thought the threat wouldn’t turn out to be nearly as serious as it did.

“I thought it was going to blow over,” said Emily Eckert, ’14, who was just finishing her work shift at the Financial Aid Office when she learned about the fugitive.

“I was packed up and about to walk to Brooks, knowing he was on Loomis, but my bosses wouldn’t let me leave. I stayed at work until 3:30.” Eckert’s shift normally ends at noon.

It was hard for many students to take the campus-wide alerts seriously at first.

Mike Oliphant, ’13, said he was not initially sure how to react to the warnings.

“At first I was caught up in the absurdity of the moment,” said Oliphant. “A fugitive kicking in doors, cops with guns a street over waiting for a showdown. It didn’t feel quite like Meadville.”

All over campus, students were instructed to stay where they were.

Jordan Abbott, ’12, was walking on campus when he was instructed to get inside.

“I snuck out the back door of Brooks [Dining Hall] and was walking over to the Murray area, when some woman inside of Murray yelled for me to get in the building,” Abbott said. “I kind of followed suit, seeing as I was pretty much the only person out and about.”

Abbott’s comp oral, which was supposed to take place Wednesday, was re-scheduled due to the incident. He wasn’t the only student who enjoyed deadline extensions on academic assignments.

“I had a huge Con Law test to study for, but the test ended up getting canceled,” said Caitlyn McNamee, ’14, who said she’d taken off work for the day to study. “I spent the day watching The Office and following what people were saying about what was happening on Facebook.”

For the next three hours, students had been told to remain in locations other than their own rooms all over campus entertained themselves as best as they could.

Taisha Thomas, ’13, spent her afternoon in the Vukovich Center.

“We were in the best room possible, because you need a code to get in, and you can’t even access it from the outside,” she said. “We watched Edward Scissorhands.”

Thomas added that Professor Coddington, the father of a classmate, brought in pizza for the whole class to eat.

Many hungry students ordered pizza throughout the afternoon. Food was the main thing on most people’s minds after they’d been sequestered for so long since lunch time.

After being stuck in Steffee Hall for awhile, Will Tolliver, ’13, got tired – and hungry. He decided to exit the building before being instructed to.

“There was no food, and I was starving,” he said. “So I left, ordered Domino’s and enjoyed there being no class.”

Tolliver said that the faculty at Steffee was not very diligent about keeping students from exiting the building.

“They didn’t say anything [about the alert]. The secretary locked the doors and then there was no one monitoring them or anything like that,” he said.

Some other students also said they left their respective locations before being given the go-ahead.

“I snuck out of Montgomery Gym around 2 p.m.,” said Anais Schindler, ’13. “They had us hide out in the basement, because there’s no windows down there.”

Despite the fact that the Vukovich has lots of windows, Kelonte Adams, ’13, wasn’t worried about being stuck there. “I didn’t hide. I didn’t think [Green] would hide in a glass building, if you ask me,” he said.

Adams said he and a few other students periodically went to the garden on top of the Vukovich to check out the helicopters that were hovering above campus.

After most of the excitement had died down and he felt safe enough, Adams went to McKinley’s to get some food.

Numerous other students also said they did not feel frightened about the situation.

“To be quite honest, the gunman, the police and the chase all felt pretty far away from me,” said Mike Oliphant, ’13. “At times, it almost felt like students created the chase as something much larger than it was through Twitter and Facebook.”

“After awhile, I think he just laid in a ditch to wait it out and everyone’s minds ran wild,” he added.

Other students felt worried enough to heed the campus-wide alerts and stayed indoors the entire day. McNamee, who lives in Brooks, said she only left her room once to eat at Brooks Dining Hall.

Noreen Chatta, who also lives in Brooks and ate in the dining hall to avoid going outside, said she’d been in her rooms in Brooks since 11 a.m. after getting out of class and remained inside the building until she went to bed that night.

“I’ve been inside for twelve hours now,” said Chatta, as the lights in Brooks hall flickered ominously.

Marianna Kreidler, an Allegheny alumna from 2011 and current staff member, was on campus waiting to attend a play rehearsal that never happened when she heard that the gunman was last seen near Baldwin Street, where she lives.

Kreidler decided to spend the night in Brooks with a friend instead of going home that night.

Robert Patterson, ’13, said his friends in England were very scared to learn about what happened in Meadville.

“I told them, ‘This is why America shouldn’t have guns!’” Patterson said.

Mickey Bouffard, ’14, argued with Patterson, saying, “No one should have guns.”

Bouffard said she ventured into town in the middle of the afternoon and was surprised to learn that many townspeople were unaware of the situation.

“They were like, ‘Lockdown? What lockdown?’” Bouffard said.

Numerous students expressed concern about the lack of response from Safety and Security.

“My mom has been asking about what Security’s doing, and I haven’t told her that they aren’t doing anything because I don’t want her to be worried,” said Kerri Barron, ’14.

Abbott said he didn’t feel as though students’ criticism of Security was fair.

“They’re unarmed, and they weren’t leading the investigation,” he said.

Green made headlines Wednesday when he fled from Meadville Police, who were serving a warrant for a shooting and drug possession.

The manhunt for Green prompted a campus-wide lockdown and the first cancellation of classes and activities in years.

More details to come as they are released.