Danny Boemermann
Following the most successful Campout in more than five years, students turned out in droves to one of the University’s youngest quasi-traditions Tuesday night.
The second Ram Roast of the academic year, held between Alexander and Turlington Residence Halls, started differently than its predecessor.
For one, as Matt Johnson pointed out, the free expression wall wasn’t covered in Carolina blue.
Johnson said Tuesday’s Ram Roast, an event sponsored by the Senior Class Council to protect the free expression area from UNC-CH students’ traditional painting of the campus landmark before athletic events, hosted a larger turnout than last semester’s inaugural campaign.
“This is a much better turnout than last year,” Johnson, a 2001 graduate and member of the Alumni Association, which advises the Senior Class Council, said. “At this time last year you could hear the Grains of Time and we weren’t out of barbecue.”
“Running out of barbecue — that’s a good thing.”
The crowd may have disagreed as numbers dwindled shortly after it was announced that food was no longer available.
Before the mass subsided, the marching band entertained students and they were given the opportunity to take candid pictures with senior members of the basketball team.
“We are very grateful to you guys for coming out and supporting us,” senior guard Tony Bethel said to the cheering students. “Tomorrow’s a big game and we’re going to get at those guys and bring back a ‘W.'”
Megan Justice, a sophomore in communication, said her reasons for attending the night’s festivities included one of the seniors.
“I wanted to see Cameron Bennerman,” Justice said. “He’s hot.”
Justice got her wish, but the loudest applause followed forward Ilian Evtimov’s opening statement.
“I see everyone’s ready to kick some Tar Heel butt,” Evtimov said.
Evtimov said he knew how much the game meant to fans of the team and said he had a particularly strong motivation to win.
“For us seniors, it’s been a long time and we are going to make sure we go out the right way,” he said.
While some students attended to see the players and others for the free food, the decision to attend for some was a matter of convenience.
“My window was open — I live in Alexander,” Nam Le, a freshman in civil engineering, said as the N.C. State fight song echoed off the walls of the two residence halls.
Despite the noise, Le, who plans to attend tonight’s game versus UNC-CH, said the event was an example of what the University should highlight to prospective students.
“It’s definitely a good thing,” Le said. “We’ve got to have more of these — this is how we get more people to come to the school.”
Johnson, who attended the University when Campouts boasted as many as 5000 students in one night, said little has changed concerning what students want.
“When I was a student, the biggest complaint was the lack of events like [the Ram Roast],” Johnson said. “I would hope that one day there would be too many people in this quad to fit everyone.”
Johnson said students have a relatively easy job in protecting the free expression wall, but by the time of the next Ram Roast the newly expanded tunnel will be reopened making it harder to guard from the paintbrushes of Tar Heel students.
Despite logistic concerns, Justice said the Ram Roast has a purpose at the University, if for little else than the well-being of her attire.
“I think it’s a good tradition,” Justice said. “We need to protect the tunnel — last year I got blue paint on my shoes.”