Under clear skies and 85-degree weather, hundreds of students flocked to the Mount Vernon Campus for Program Board’s first-ever Fountain Fling this weekend with headlining band Spoon.
Program Board and the Mount Vernon Programming Council combined efforts for the event, which combined PB’s Spring Fling and MVPC’s Fountain Day.
Senior Liz Kramer, co-chair for PB’s Parties Committee, said the groups spent nearly six months planning the event and worked together with MVPC to organize volunteers, advertise the event and choose the band.
“We had to think about how we could combine two major events and work with two organizations that have never worked together before,” Kramer said. “I think we looked at what the strengths were for each organization and divided the work so that everything could be worked on to its full capacity.”
Sam Tamboline, a sophomore and traditional events co-chair for the MVPC, credited Spoon’s availability and good luck in booking the successful, internationally known band.
“We were very lucky to get them because they are a great band and perform well live,” Tamboline said. “You’re kind of limited to who is touring at the time and what your budget is.”
Senior Mackenzie Lawrence, who performed at the Fling with The Vibes, a GW a capella group, is a long-time fan of Spoon and said she was ecstatic to hear them live at GW.
“Every once in a while GW pulls out something awesome,” Lawrence said. “I don’t know how they pulled it off, but I’m happy they did.”
White Rabbits, a Brooklyn-based rock band, opened for Spoon to a crowd of students, mostly sitting on the Vern lawn or gathered around the fountain.
Stephen Patterson, lead vocalist for the White Rabbits, said he was happy with the weather and their set.
“It was great, good weather – everybody relaxed,” Patterson said. “It’s so exciting, you get to sit back and realize that you’re fortunate being able to play.”
Spoon came on just before 6 p.m. as students gathered in front of the stage, singing along and dancing to the music.
“I thought the audience was cool, but could’ve been more enthusiastic for the White Rabbits,” said Spoon’s keyboardist Eric Harvey after the show.
Kramer was happy with the turnout for the event and thinks the partnership with the MVPC paid off in terms of advertising and bringing people to the Fling.
“I think the extra effort on the part of Mount Vernon helped,” Kramer said. “We used Facebook, posters and every possible resource.”
Many Vern residents interviewed were happy to have a big event happening right in their front lawn.
Freshman Chelsea Ullman said jokingly, “I live on the Vern – this is the only thing that’s happened here since 1954.”
In addition to free food and other giveaways, businesses like Zipcar and Mozy, an online file storage company, sponsored booths to support the event.
“Today is the first time my friends have come up here,” said freshman Urvi Patel, who also lives on the Vern. “If they had more events like this, living on the Vern would be OK.”
