This year, you might not have to sign up for FlingSafe to actually fling safely.
After last year's Spring Fling upgrade, which included an increased budget and a larger performing venue, the Social Planning and Events Committee expects a similar packed party - just one with better crowd control.
In attempts to moderate the expected turnout, SPEC is collaborating with the Weiss Tech House to plan for better crowd control over the course of the Fling weekend. The two groups will host a "Spring Design Challenge" competition and explore the possible measures to facilitate a safe event.
"We are hoping that students will come up with ideas based on previous experience with the event," explained Engineering sophomore Geoff Johnson, the Weiss Tech House Innovation Fund Committee member heading the competition. "It's hard to plan from an outside perspective, but students tend to have the inside view and a lot of good ideas."
Student teams are invited to plan and pitch crowd-control strategies to a panel of students, faculty and administrators overseeing the challenge. The SPEC Fling Committee will then consider the winning design as a possible Fling solution.
The winning design team will also receive four free tickets to the Fling concert.
Johnson explained that the competition aims to focus mainly on the Quadrangle and College Green, more than on Franklin Field, where the concert will be held.
He expects submission designs to be "fairly broad-based" and to "incorporate various aspects of the social atmosphere" into the pre-established rules of both Fling and the competition.
Most likely, suggested Johnson, design submissions will include a lot of barriers, visuals and improved signage directing students to the proper locations both outside and within the Quad.
In hopes of creating a "snowball effect," Johnson explained that the Weiss Tech House team responsible for planning the competition designed it to be open and noisy, allowing competing team ideas to bounce off one another.
"Ideas will rub off in the competitive atmosphere, but it will be fun," he said.
"In the end, we all want to win since it helps us all out."
Students from all schools can sign up online with a team or be paired with others for the competition, which will be held this Sunday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Huntsman Hall's G65.
"We are always trying to improve the quality of Fling," explained SPEC Spring Fling co-director and College sophomore Jayme Van Oot. "Our number one goal is to make Fling an enjoyable weekend."
