Juniors jet off to Florida

Three University students spent last weekend savoring the sun-drenched beaches of Florida after winning a raffle sponsored by the Junior Class Board. College junior Vinod Valloppillil won the raffle at the Junior Class Board's Florida Beach Party, held at the Christian Association between midnight and 2 a.m. Friday. Valloppillil and his two roommates, Wharton junior John Im and Engineering junior Foo-Sing Wong boarded a USAir flight to Orlando five hours after winning the tickets, at 7 a.m. The Florida package included two round trip airline tickets to Orlando, hotel accommodations, Universal Studios and Wet & Wild passes, and admission to Church Street Station, a mall with various theme-oriented restaurants and nightclub shows, Wong said last night. After winning the contest, Valloppillil could not decide which of his two roommates to take with him. So, he chose to go with both, splitting the cost of the extra person's expenses among the three. Their USAir flight was the last to leave Philadelphia before USAir closed down due to weather conditions. Valloppillil and Wong left on that plane and Im joined them Saturday night. The three returned yesterday morning. Co-Chairperson of the party Ari Pundit, a College and Wharton junior said last night Valloppillil and his roommates took the tickets and information, but left so quickly with their prize that no one from the Junior Class Board could take down their names. "We meant to get [the names] but it was such a mob scene that we never got them," she said. "I was trying to explain everything but it was really hectic and it just didn't happen. Wong said a throng of people surrounded him when he was declared the raffle winner. The party's attendees desperately attempted to bid for the prize. The Florida package was actually worth $780, Pundit said. The three roommates said it was 85 degrees and "very sunny" in Florida on Friday, with some rain Saturday. "The weather was incredible and it was kind of like an early spring break," Valloppillil said. "It was great to be outside in the middle of the day playing tennis." Approximately 200 students bought tickets for the Florida Beach Party, Wharton junior and Junior Class Board President Jason Diaz said Sunday night. The actual turnout was much lower due to the weather conditions and the party's atmosphere.