Braving the rainy, cold weather, party-goers continued to dance and have a great time while the live band stayed strong long after most of the attendees left Pig Roast last year.
Meanwhile, 30 other students explored the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and stood in awe of the various paintings after the weather changed SpiderNights’ original plans to visit Maymont Park, said Jonathan Rodriguez, a senior who attended the event last year.
The annual Pig Roast celebration is one of University of Richmond’s traditions, but students choose to celebrate it differently. Typically held on the first Saturday of April, fraternities host parties with live music, food and beer. This year, the new guest list policies may influence the way people partake in Pig Roast.
“I think in many ways it will function the same, and other ways it will be different,” Interfraternity Council President Dan Mahoney said. “Lodges will have a 3:1 ratio for guest lists for all lodges that have alcohol.”
Under this rule, active fraternity members can invite no more than three students or alumni each into the lodges. Mahoney explained that fraternity alumni do not count toward the ratio, but these alumni cannot add guests to the guest lists.
“There will be a police checkpoint in front of the lodges,” Mahoney said. “So if you aren’t on a guest list, then you won’t be able to get to the lodges.”
In response to these policies, the university will host festivities in the Old Fraternity Row parking lot that will be open to all students and alumni. Meg Pevarski, assistant director for Greek life, addressed what will be available in an official statement.
“Pig Roast will be held Saturday, April 6th from 11:30am - 3:30pm in parking lot C66 (in front of Old Fraternity Row). We recognize that the changes to the guest list policies regarding the fraternity events will limit the number of people that can access the lodges. For this reason- we have decided to amplify the parking lot space in order to create an environment for all students, alumni and friends to gather, have fun and celebrate! We will be hosting a Parking Lot party under a large tent in the Old Fraternity Row parking lot. This party will include live music, food, activities and more! Rain or Shine, Pig Roast will commence! We are looking forward to this new addition to Pig Roast; we hope you are too! See you on Saturday!”
As another alternative to Pig Roast, Cultural Adviser Alice Vo, junior, will host a SpiderNights-sponsored excursion to VCU and Maymont Park. Students who sign up for this trip may choose to visit either downtown Richmond near the VCU Institute for Contemporary Art, Maymont Park or both.
“We’ve always tried to give students an option other than Pig Roast,” Vo said. “This year, we are treating students more like adults where they can wander around on their own. There’s a lot more flexibility and mobility this year.”
Students who sign up for this event by March 31 will receive a to-go meal from the Heilman Dining Center. But the deadline for the event itself will be whenever there is no room left on the bus, Vo said.
“The hard deadline is any time before the trip,” she said. “If there’s room on the bus, they can come.”
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Contact contributor Daniel Williams at daniel.williams@richmond.edu.
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