Spring quarter at the U of C is like an oasis in the middle of the desert. It offers a plethora of enjoyable campus events and traditions, and if we’re lucky, a long-awaited departure from harsh winter weather. Sadly, this spring quarter has not met either of these expectations. Due to their disorganization, the usual array of spring events has not been the bright spot of an otherwise gray spring.

While the FOTA party managed to emerge a success, the fact that Scav Hunt coincided with Take Back the Night suggests poor planning. Luckily, this wasn’t even the worst it could have been: The FOTA party was originally scheduled on the same night as the Scav Hunt party, which faced additional issues this year (aside from being shut down due to students urinating and vomiting in the halls of Cobb). The fact that these major campus events were all slated for the same set of days inevitably detracted from the happiness and warmth they are expected to provide.

After a stormy Friday, Scav had no contingency plan for its party on the quad. When the Reynolds Club and Ida Noyes were unavailable, Cobb was the only option. Given the events prominence it only makes sense that Scavvies, for such a traditionally big event, would set aside alternative space in case of weather problems. But they didn’t.

Such overall disregard for planning is unfortunate and disappointing. In the future, organizations planning on holding traditional springtime events that draw large crowds should afford themselves the chance to prevent such mismanagement. They could do this either via a spring council or an annual meeting at which the spring events calendar is worked through in advance. The importance of achieving maximum attendance and enjoyment at such valued campus events—and of having a fun spring quarter—demands a basic preliminary discussion before the storm clouds gather.