By Isha Khawaja and Ryan Di Corpo
“For safety reasons, everyone needs to take three steps back,” announced CAB president Maxson Thomas, FCRH ’19, to the huddled masses gathered on Martyrs’ Lawn on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
The Lawn, decorated with multicolored blankets, bottles of water, the refuse of half-eaten lunches and the anticipation of hundreds upon hundreds of overworked college students, was to become the stuff of legend.
It was, in those moments when students packed like sardines at a fish fry attempted to swim just three paces back, to become the field of dreams.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is T-Pain.”
This announcement, met with wild ebullience and incoherent shouting, tore open the pages of Fordham history, at least recent history. For years, students had speculated the Spring Weekend appearance of T-Pain, who followed Audien as the headlining act. T-Pain, best known for his collaborations with Kanye West and Flo Rida and songs such as “I’m Sprung” and “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)”, did not fail to bring entertain the crowd.
Opening up for both Audien and T-Pain was Fordham’s two-time consecutive winner of Battle of the Bands, Free Advertising. The funk rock band opened up Spring Weekend performers for the second year in a row with a 20- minute set.
In terms of student attendance, this Spring Weekend was Fordham University’s version of Coachella, minus the dry, desert-like heat and that jaw-dropping Beyoncé performance.
When asked about the concert’s success and increased turnout, Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students at Rose Hill Christopher Rodgers declined to comment on-the record.
Regarding security, Fordham’s department of Public Safety takes a preventative approach for large events such as the concert.
Associate Vice President of Public Safety John Carroll told The Fordham Ram that, when preparing for Spring Weekend events, Public Safety is “coordinating with the folks in Student Affairs.”
Carroll further said Public Safety called in “30 additional people,” mainly NYPD officers, on Saturday to manage security. Another 20 security personnel were called for Saturday night.
According to Carroll, security is focused on the “prevention of problems,” rather than responding to problems already in progress.
Referring to what led to this year’s high turnout, Assistant Dean for Student Involvement Cody Arcuri stated, “I think a lot of it has to do with the publicity [..] that CAB put out.”
In a joint statement to The Fordham Ram, Campus Activities Board (CAB) Concerts Chairs Mary Munshower, FCRH ‘18, and Ellie Roberts, FCRH ‘18, said:
“This year we had a really high caliber opener, Audien, who drew in the largest crowd we’ve ever had for the opening act! T-Pain absolutely KILLED it and the crowd went wild!”
Roberts and Munshower further referenced the several food trucks present at the concert, which bettered the event.
One of the many long-waited food trucks was Bona Bona Ice Cream, gourmet quality ice cream and a recurring vendor of the popular outdoor food market in Brooklyn: Smorgasborg.
Students lined up to enjoy one of the vendors’ most unique and popular desserts: an ice cream cone topped with marshmallow that’s been evenly and perfectly toasted by a blow torch.
Waves of students crowded by the stage to sing along with T-Pain on his song ‘Can’t Believe It’, had their faces painted by their classmates and munched on toasty sandwiches and ice cream all provided by CAB.