GUEST WRITER: An apology to party goers lost in line
On behalf of ASUSU I want to address an issue that occurred last Saturday night at the annual Halloween HOWL that deeply concerns me. Many of you who attended the HOWL were forced to wait in line for more than two hours. Some walked away out of frustration even though you had paid for tickets.
I received an email from an event-goer saying that an individual announced to those standing in line that there was “no use sticking around” and that they should “all just go home.” Others overheard that the event was oversold and they were never going to get in. While it is true that the HOWL sold out, it was not oversold, and everyone that bought a ticket had the right to participate in the event. Waiting in line for more than 40 minutes for any event is unacceptable, let alone two hours or more. The fact that you did not get into the event in a timely manner is inexcusable, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am.
While I could give a detailed explanation outlining the reasons for the line delay, what matters most is that it does not happen again. I assure you that every effort possible is being made to avoid this situation in the future. Many of you who did not endure lengthy line delays experienced a wonderful event. As always, the costumes were amazing. DJ Marcus Wing custom-built his stage set-up just in time for the Howl, and his dance was nothing but pure energy and very sweaty bodies all night long. Magician Dan Martin had an amazing show and so did Tyrone Wells. The Velociti and Full Circle dancers, along with LDSSA contributed greatly to the event. We had an exciting performance from The Higher and the stage and lighting setup was spectacular. We The Kings put on an absolutely astounding performance, and I have never seen a more captivated audience watching a band perform.
I want to personally thank all the volunteers who helped with the event. You don’t understand how appreciative we are of all you did. If anyone has concerns or suggestions regarding the HOWL, please visit me in my office, room 344 in the TSC, or e-mail me at tjatwood@gmail.com.
Again, thank you for all those who participated and you have a lot to look forward to as we are planning some amazing things for the spring semester.
Tom Atwood is the ASUSU programming vice president.