Due to the abolition of Easters, which typically resulted in students either failing spring semester or nursing hangovers for the rest of the year, the University has had to find other ways to celebrate the coming of warmer weather. This year, pull out your tee shirts, short skirts and Rainbows, and head over to Mad Bowl for Springfest -- University Programs Council's largest organized outdoor event.
Every year UPC works hard to bring this large-scale event to the University. Springfest is a full day of bands, games, eating contests and activities.
Included on the itinerary this year are performances by Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Donovan Frankenreiter and Sparky's Flaw. While none of these names may inspire recognition, all were expertly chosen to perform at the event.
Robert Randolph, the headlining act, "was our first pick," said Program Coordinator and third year College student Amir Khoddami.
"At our committee meetings, everyone would just throw out names to brainstorm and then from there we voted on ideas and decided. We were looking for someone who was not too established, but rather someone who is on their way to the top -- someone whom everyone can say they saw once at U.Va."
Describing Robert Randolph as "on [his] way to the top" is not a misguided prediction, but rather a statement of certainty. Randolph plays the pedal steel guitar, an instrument most likely seen in Nashville or further south. However, New Jersey native Randolph has mastered the instrument, and has incorporated its unique sound into different types of music.
Randolph learned to play in his hometown church, and at the young age of 23 has earned an impressive amount of notoriety. Rolling Stone Magazine listed Randolph 97th on the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" in April 2005. Preceded and followed by guitar players twice his age and several times more established, Randolph's potential exceeds his age and record sales.
Aside from his personal talents, the rest of the Family Band has gained instant success as a quality jam band. One month after their discovery by a talent scout, The Family Band opened for Medeski, Martin and Wood. Soon afterwards they performed at the 2004 Grammy Awards (also earning a nomination), 2005 Bonnaroo, and later with the distinguished Eric Clapton.
At this year's Springfest, Randolph will perform with Jack Johnson protégé Donovan Frankenreiter. Like Johnson, this surfer-turned-musician has made waves on the West Coast with his smooth melodies and chill lyrics. After ending his surfing tour with Quicksilver, he went on to perform with G Love, Dave Matthews, Ben Harper and Johnson. Frankenreiter will surely bring good warm weather music, a skill gleaned from his mentors.
"Randolph and Frankenreiter will just be fun music to listen to," said Program Director and second-year College student Kate Daughdrill. "These artists will draw a lot of people -- people can jam to them and just hang out," she said.
Aside from great music, this year's Springfest will feature a plethora of entertainment. At the top of the bill are the eating contests. The Vermonster Race will raise money for the Virginia School of Autism and was cosponsored by UPC and the Virginia Service Coalition. Teams of five will battle to finish the one-gallon bucket of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.
In addition, the Gus-burger challenge, co-sponsored by UPC's Comedy Committee, will challenge competitors to out-eat each other keeping score in Gus-Burgers.
Daughdrill noted, "This competition can usually get pretty intense, so we put it up on a stage this year." If you couldn't get close enough to this in past years, ladies and gentleman, here's your chance.
If speed eating doesn't float your boat, however, you can always try the free food tables. There you can enjoy hamburgers, hot-dogs and other picnic foods at your own leisure.
Food will not be the only activity UPC provides, however -- there will be something to do for everyone. Expect tug of war competitions for those harboring pre-final aggressions, tie-dyeing for the hippie in all of us, lots of bouncy rooms and toys for the 5-year-old in you and a parachute surprise (think 5th grade gym class).
Included in the events will be multiple giveaways and prizes. By including oodles of different activities, UPC was able to incorporate other groups and committees into the mix that wouldn't normally find common ground.
"This is perhaps the most important event we organize all year -- not only is it a great way to culminate the year, but it is also an excellent chance for UPC's many committees, as well as outside organizations, to come together for a common good," said Daughdrill. "Here, we can reach out to the most people at the same time," she said.
UPC began working on this event in November, and attributes its past success to several factors.
"The most important aspect of putting this altogether was not only getting a lot of people involved and delegating duties efficiently, but also keeping up the massive amounts of energy that it takes to stay committed to a large production. What makes Springfest so special is how many people can be involved in it, including those that attend. We are so excited to be able to get 4,000 students together in one place to enjoy the day, build community and just chill. It's so unique that our school can do that," she said.
So in honor of the season of Foxfields, finals and fun at the University, head over to Mad Bowl this Saturday and enjoy the weather. (In case the weather doesn't want to be enjoyable, head over to the AFC for the rain site.)
Springfest's Eating Competitions give new meaning to the term
'fast food'
By James Darragh and Ann Hopper
The Vermonster
There's no way around it: the Vermonster is a whole lot of ice cream (20 scoops, to be exact) topped with almost anything you could dream of: hot fudge, bananas, cookies, sprinkles or brownies. If you want to have a chance of enjoying it, make sure to bring a dozen friends along. But once you cluster around that huge plastic bucket, spoons digging greedily for your favorite flavor or that last chunk of cookie dough, you'll be wondering why you don't do this every weekend. The Vermonster is more than mere ice cream, yet. Ben & Jerry's combination of all-natural ingredients, unique flavors and eco-friendly vibes make this super sundae memorable for all time.
The Gusburger
Admit it: the first time you heard about the Gusburger, you were intrigued, maybe even shocked -- fried egg on hamburger is definitely not run-of-the-mill fast food fare. Regardless of its oddities, the Gusburger has become a Charlottesville food icon. Legions flock to the hole-in-the-wall White Spot on the Corner (often in the wee hours of the weekend morning) just to experience a mouthful of juicy beef and greasy fried egg. If you can afford the extra calories, the combination can be quite delicious. Springfest offers a chance for the best of the best to prove themselves, but if you're competing in the eat-off, you better have a bottle of Tums on stand-by.
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