In lieu of Spring Fling, which was canceled by the university in 2013, TU Pop Up will be held April 21 as a new event to welcome the spring season.
TU Pop Up will take place next month at the skate park by the Cecil B. Moore subway station outside Ritter Annex, and span across Main Campus to Liacouras Walk.
Student vendors will be able to sell their artwork and crafts. In addition, there will be games, food trucks and student performances.
Spring Fling was canceled after a number of student citations for fighting and intoxication, as well as complaints from neighbors about students’ behavior, Charlie Leone, executive director of Campus Safety Services said.
“A lot of people come through the neighborhood who have no investment here,” Leone said of past experiences from the event. “[Temple students] don’t have the same stakes in the community.”
When announcing the cancellation, President Theobald called the event “a bacchanal, a drinking fest,” saying it encouraged students to skip class and drink and had lost its original purpose of integrating commuter students into campus life.
Nineteen-year-old Ali Fausnaught, a student of West Chester University was also killed in a fall from a roof off campus where she was visiting friends.
“[Spring Fling] was not meeting the purpose and goals of the program,” Chris Carey, director of student activities said in an email. “Last year’s Cherry-On Experience was the first opportunity for new and creative programming.”
The day featured a food festival run by the Philadelphia Food Trust, music, mural painting and laser tag.
“Student Activities looked at what trends are working right now,” Student Body President Ray Smeriglio said. “I’m really excited about it; it will really capture the essence of the city.”
Veronica Moore, associate director of student activities, said students will have opportunities to explore and have a variety of ways to get involved at the event.
“We decided we wanted to be very creative and innovative in our activities,” Moore said.
Moore added that the goal of Student Activities is to always keep events student-oriented.
“Students have a choice of how they want to be involved when they come,” she said. “[The event] will be laid-back and open … a safe environment for students to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company.”
Smeriglio said the event will be located where there aren’t typically programs, which is one of the components that will make TU Pop Up unique.
The planning for TU Pop Up is inspired by pop-up parks and Night Market Philadelphia. These temporary, seemingly impromptu festivities showcase diverse activities, art and culture.
Leone said Campus Safety Services is also playing a role in the process of planning the event.
“There are differences in how we deploy [the police force],” he said. “It depends on traffic flow and [volume of] pedestrians.”
Temple Police is sometimes augmented with Philadelphia Police for larger events, Leone said. Because resources are impacted, it is a top priority to keep everyone involved safe, he added.
Student Activities received feedback from student organizations at a Temple Student Government general body meeting to gauge interest and hear ideas for potential features for the event.
TU Pop Up will be publicized through an activities board in the atrium of the Student Center, fliers, and through social media.
Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.
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