Fling to have retro-Eighties theme

This year's Spring Fling will take the campus back to a simpler time -- a time when Family Ties was on Thursday nights, Ronald Reagan was in the White House and Duran Duran was at the top of the charts. "Spring Forward -- Fling Back" will celebrate a retro-Eighties theme, memorializing the decade during which most current students grew up toting Cabbage Patch Kids and G.I. Joes. "The idea was to basically go back to our childhoods," explained Wharton senior Dee Greene, one of four co-directors of the Spring Fling committee. Spring Fling, which began 24 years ago as a relatively small event, has grown into a full-fledged extravaganza attended by more than 10,000 people, according to co-director Gil Beverly, a Wharton senior. One difference from past Flings is that the carnival will not be held in Superblock this year. According to College junior Melissa Schaefer, another co-director, the wind tunnel created by the high rises meant that the carnival had historically been extremely cold. Therefore, the committee decided to change the location for this year. Beverly added that an area parking lot is a possibility for a new site, but that the new location has yet to be determined. The highlight of the weekend, as always, will be a concert on Hill Field that features three to four national bands. "We try to get the bands that will sell the most tickets possible," Beverly explained. The concert usually costs between $10 and $20, he added. And for those looking for a less expensive way to enjoy Fling, the Quadrangle is host to a free series of lesser-known bands, which are mainly from the Philadelphia and University communities. "We have two stages set up both days, one in Upper Quad and one in Lower Quad," Schaefer said. Because these groups do not get paid, they mostly perform for the exposure, she added. In addition, "a lot of them stay after to sell CDs and souvenirs," Beverly stated. Every year, a contest is held to determine a Spring Fling logo, with submissions accepted from the University community. The logo is used on Fling T-shirts, programs, and other souvenirs, Schafer said. The winner of the logo design contest will also take home $100. She added that the deadline for submissions is February 12.