In less than two weeks, beginning Friday, Apr. 22, through Sunday Apr. 24, UMBC will be bustling with life and activity as the campus’ annual Quadmania gets underway. With this event just around the corner, many students wait with eager expectation as to what the festival, specifically the highly anticipated Fetty Wap concert, will have to offer.
For those unfamiliar with the annual spring event, Quadmania begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 22, with an assortment of free Quadmania 2016 swag and food followed by fireworks from The Commons Garage. As if this wasn’t enough, Saturday will be filled with games, a chance to win prizes, more food and music provided by DJ’s, student artists as well as local bands performing on, you guessed it, the Quad. Then at 7 p.m. on Sunday, the doors open at the RAC for the highly anticipated Fetty Wap concert. All in all, it promises to be a great weekend filled with fun and activities.
Freshmen in particular are excited about this weekend of enjoyment as this will be their first opportunity to experience an event of this caliber at UMBC. Adam Ballantyne, a freshman mechanical engineering major, said that he “is extremely excited” about the Fetty Wap concert. “Fetty Wap is one of my favorite rappers,” said Ballantyne. “I think overall that Quadmania is going to be a very exciting event, probably the long-awaited sequel to Welcome Week. The tickets have been flying off the shelves and everyone I know is eagerly anticipating all the fun-filled events to come.”
Ballantyne is not the only freshman excited about this major event. Josh Youn, a freshman mathematics major, expressed his genuine excitement for this highly anticipated weekend. “As a freshman, I haven’t experienced Quadmania, so I have to rely on word of mouth,” said Youn. “I don’t know specifically what to expect, but from what I’ve heard, UMBC is the place to be during that weekend and I made sure to get Fetty Wap tickets and everything so I could have the ultimate freshman Quadmania experience. I just hope that it’s as hype as everyone is making it out to be.”
Freshman may be looking forward to their first Quadmania experience most, but those who have been on campus longer are still excited for the concert. Said senior mechanical engineering major Tony DiGennaro, “Quadmania and the concert have been steadily getting better and better with every year.”
“This year is the first time in a while that it’s sold out,” said DiGennaro, who is a veteran Quadmania attendee, “which really says something about the hype this event is gonna generate. I can’t wait.”
Those who planned the event are just as excited about the sold out show. Selling all the tickets in advance is unusual for a UMBC concert, and it’s a vote of confidence from the student body.
“This is the first time the Quadmania concert has sold out within the past couple of years,” confirmed Logan Stanley, a body member of the Student Events Board, and a sophomore mechanical engineering major.
“It’s gonna be an awesome night for everyone,” Stanley continued. “Don’t forget to come out to the festival day too for food trucks, rides, games, student orgs and amazing student performances.”
