Flash Mob Rave

Approximately 2,500 CMU students congregated at the CMU Park Library to take part in the "Flash Mob Rave." It wasn't that great. Pretty not-so epic. Maybe my expectations were high. Maybe CMU is kinda lame.


Rockford junior Alex Obetts waves to her friend before the start of the Flash Mob Rave on Monday at the Charles V. Park Library. Approximately 2,500 people attended the student-organized event.

Anyway, I walked into the library at 7:40 with my roommate, Adam. As soon as we walked in, we saw students pressed up against the railings of the upper three floors. We went up the stairs to the second floor, but couldn't go any further, as CMU Police had blocked off access to the other floors. So, we waited for 8:00 to roll around, and the event to start. Adam had his wide angle on, and started shooting overalls of the scene as it unfolded, I on the other hand, looked for a moment. I looked at the people directly above me, looking over the railing, calling out to each other, laughing...I popped on my 50mm and started looking. I spied a girl with her hands over her mouth, slightly leaning over the railing, so I framed it, focused it, but decided it wasn't worth it. As soon as I did, however, a girl only a few spots away reached way out over the railing, stuck her hand out and yelled to someone below her. I focused as quickly as I could, fixed my framing as much as I could, and fired off a couple frames. I looked at it, and was like...Huh, that's pretty cool. Except that shitty light in the corner (oh, crop, I'm sorry Nathan Morgan)...

Now I was stuck. I couldn't get up to the 3rd floor, but it was too loud, so every time I tried to yell, she couldn't hear me. I was bemoaned the fact that I could not get this girl's name (for journalistic purposes only, mind you). I continued looking for moments from above, while keeping my eye on the girl and snapping a couple other frames of her and her friend. At one point, they saw me taking pictures and did the 'ole thumbs up routine. I tried to get her attention then, but failed. People started to chant and laugh, yell and sing. Some threw toilet paper, other tossed paper in the air and let it flutter to the floors below. A full sized sheet of paper fell to my feet, and I had an idea. I grabbed my pen, wrote a quick note;

"Hello, my name is Sean, and I work for CM-Life. Could I get your name, class standing, and hometown for use in a photo? Both you (zebra striped sweater) and your friend (in the teal shirt). Thanks!

I crumpled it up into a ball, and then motioned to her. And motioned to her. And motioned to her. Finally, a girl next to her noticed me, and tapped her on the shoulder. I held the ball of paper up and made a throwing motion, which she understood, and gave me a thumbs up. I tossed it, trying to keep my trajectory straight, but with enough oomph to get it to her. I watched the paper go up, a seemingly perfect throw, but toward the end, it started to curve left. I thought to myself, "Crap, this is gonna suck," and was convinced I would have to write a new note, or go searching for the current one amidst a sea of people. It curved left, no longer the perfect through headed right for her outstretched hands, and it started to fall short of clearing the bar. I had underestimated the height of the railing. She eyed the paper the whole way, and realizing where it was headed, reached out her arms as far as she could. And caught it. To be honest, it was a pretty epic catch. Like those one-handed catches you see in football, the ones that they replay a couple thousand times. Or the last second snag of the baseball (or hockey puck, which is way cooler). She raised her hands up in triumph, and then unfolded the paper, read it, looked down, and said "yeah, one minute," and left the railing. Sure enough, a minute later, she came back to the edge, leaned over, and dropped it. It landed at my feet, I waved at her and shouted "thank you!"

I had it. I had gotten her name. And that was that. I moved on. She moved on. We both went our separate ways. Done and done. But it was pretty cool. I looked for her after things died down to get a quote, but I couldn't find her. Oh well.

Here's another frame from the event, just for kicks.

Thomas Moore, dean of the Charles V. Park Library looks up toward the fourth floor as he watches the Flash Mob Rave unfold from the main staircase Monday night.