A Northeast Area and Sylvan Area government collaboration, ‘The Fun Fest’ takes place this Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Totman Gym.

Northeast Area governor Mike McCarthy, a sophomore History major, describes the purpose of the event as a chance ‘for people to chill out and forget about classes for awhile, and its all free.’

Activities include massage lessons, a basketball tournament, open swim, and open volleyball. The Sylvan Area Government conceived the idea.

‘It was their idea, their project,’ explained McCarthy. ‘We’re sponsoring the event with them, and helping them cover some of the cost. Hopefully, there will be a big turnout. People should go for the free massage.’

Sylvan Area Governor Matt Ruggiero, a senior Plant and Soil
Science major, expressed similar sentiments.

‘They should go to have a good time, and meet new people,’ said Ruggiero. ‘Sylvan people walk through Northeast all the time, but they don’t stop to meet new people. The event will get Sylvan and Northeast together to have a good time and relax.’

Ruggiero, who is personally most excited about the volleyball, hopes ‘The Fun Fest’ becomes a tradition.

‘I hope it becomes an annual event for Northeast and Sylvan people to get together and enjoy every year,’ he said.

Getting students from Northeast and Sylvan together may serve higher purposes than just simple fun; it also may help to resolve the degree of apparent antipathy between the two residential areas.

When students from Northeast were asked about getting together with Sylvan, they expressed an almost unanimously negative opinion of the residential area.

Phillip Wesson, a sophomore Japanese major said of going to the
area, ‘Do you have a death wish? It’s creepy.’

John Hrovat, a junior Japanese major, however, said that people’s complaints about Sylvan are somewhat overblown.

‘It’s not that bad. To tell you the truth, I lived in Sylvan for two years. The design of the building sucks [though],’ he said. ‘It makes people become isolated.’

While junior Japanese major Alva Worden said of Sylvan residents, ‘They’re a bunch of good kids’ and senior Japanese major Zach Piper said, ‘I’ve got some friends from Sylvan. They’re pretty cool people,’ there was also obvious hostility among the students of the two residential areas.

‘Maybe if they all weren’t such freaks we’d get along,’ said Dave Lambert, a second year BDIC major. ‘They only come out at night. They eat children. I’m not afraid of people from Sylvan getting revenge on me
because I know they can’t read this – illiterate, blubbering slobs.’

Slightly less antagonistic, Oz Villafane, a sophomore BDIC major,
continued this theme.

‘Aren’t they all suicidal?’ Villafane asked. ‘They’re very antisocial. It’s the way the rooms are settled. It’s so sad. It’s evil. It’s just set up for people to be antisocial and get depressed. Northeast is just academically superior.’

In comparison, most students interviewed from Sylvan appear to be
completely without an opinion about Northeast. When told about the
negative comments of some Northeast students, Nick Venti, a freshman
Geology major, said, ‘I find it strange. I don’t have any feelings for Northeast. I was unaware of this.’

Other Sylvan students expressed a similar apathy.
‘I couldn’t care less,’ Jeff Kristoff, a freshman Engineering student said. His friend Adiatya Prasetyo, a freshman Engineering major, shared thus opinion. ‘I haven’t thought about it,’ he said.

Bill Kim, a senior Communications major and Army ROTC cadet, may speak from greater experience.

‘When I used to live [in Northeast] it was a study atmosphere. There weren’t wild parties,’ he said. ‘I’m okay with Northeast. I moved to Sylvan because I wanted a single. I don’t mind Sylvan at all. I’ve heard rumors about it being ‘the depressed dorm.’ There’s some truth to that. Our floor does not interact, but I know people from other dorms, so it’s not ‘antisocial.’ The rooms are more secluded. If you want to meet people, you have to go all the way into their suites. A lot of my friends are from Northeast. I don’t think there’s loyalty to a dorm. We’ re all here on campus together.’