Fieldstock block party dampened by rain
Bright sunshine, girls parading around in sundresses and guys in pastel shorts, water bottles everywhere – a classic block party scene. Unfortunately, this summer’s Fieldstock turned out to be quite the opposite, with the weather turning students away from Webster Ave and into the cozy confines of their rooms throughout Friday afternoon.
Campus was abuzz with the words “100% chance of rain,” which proved to be unfortunately accurate, as the skies opened up all afternoon and continued on into the night.
The 1stAnnual Block Party, hosted by the 2015 Class Council, ran from 1:30pm to 7pm and featured activities along a blocked off Webster Avenue. All of the Greek houses cosponsored events that were sure to be a hit, but without a contingency plan for bad weather, the majority of them were cancelled.
The Tabard hosted a water balloon toss and donuts on strings, while next door Phi Delta Alpha fraternity hosted a “puppy party.” Zeta Psi fraternity hosted spikeball and cornhole games, and Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity had music and face painting.
Some activities proved to be short-lived on a wet frat row, with the music being shut off for electrical reasons, face painting for aesthetic reasons and the various outdoor sports for obvious reasons.
While the surface of Webster was as damp as its basement counterparts, there were still a few people milling about. Unsurprisingly, Stinson’s catered barbecue on the lawn of Zete and Bones Gate fraternity proved to be a draw for students, reinforcing Dartmouth students’ love for free sustenance.
"I just dropped by and grabbed some food," said Bianca Jackson '15. "It was kind of a bummer because I'm sure they put a ton of effort in to organizing it."
Students hopping out of cars, running over to the food tent, and running back in to the cars were a common sighting. Also spotted were a few enthusiastic cornhole players, who braved the rain to throw their beanbags across the Zete lawn.
It can definitely be said that the effort was there, as the pioneering Class Council spent countless hours organizing the first summer block party. Hopefully the weather will treat 14X better.