Spring Break
Students head to Edwards for Hempfest celebration
Lindsay Lorenz
Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: Campus
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President Spencer Ginsberg said that on Sunday about 800 students stopped by the all-day festival held in Edwards Auditorium to browse vendors' selections of hemp products, jewelry, tobacco smoking devices and tapestries, while others listened to performances by 11 different bands.
Traditionally, Hempfest is held on the Quadrangle, but due to budget constraints, Ginsberg said Edwards Auditorium was the more affordable venue, and had only a small impact on the event's turnout.
"It came down to either the Quad or the bands and headliners," Ginsberg said. Since music is one of the event's core components, Edwards was the most cost-effective choice for the group.
This year marked URI's ninth Hempfest in 10 years. Ginsberg, a senior accounting major, said Hempfest was not held last year because SSDP had what he called "a rebuilding year."
With many of the group's members having graduated, coupled with a dwindling budget, SSDP lacked the means to coordinate the event.
However, at this year's event, Ginsberg said SSDP recruited about 25 new members to add to its 26 current members. He added that it felt good to be able to host Hempfest once again, and that this year's production was a group effort.
"It was smaller, but that was because we had a smaller budget. But even with that it was comparable to the other Hempfests," he said.
The total cost of the event was $3,500, and was made possible through co-sponsorships from URI's Student Senate and the Electronic Music Association. The Office of Student Affairs also provided a grant.
Ginsberg said this year's budget was $10,000 less than the last Hempfest and that his group raised about $80 through t-shirt sales and donations throughout the day. The money raised will contribute to the group's debt.
"We're going to hopefully be able to put it back on the Quad and get more bigger name bands next year," he said.
Senior Matthew DeCosta, 21, who performed in the band Formal Action, said the event had a good turnout and that Sunday's sunny skies made for a pleasant setting.
Ginsberg agreed. "The atmosphere was nice, relaxing. People could come up, do some homework and relax while listening to music," he said.
Though DeCosta said he was disappointed Hempfest was not on the Quad, he didn't mind performing indoors because the windows and doors in Edwards had been opened to let in a breeze.
"I think the music this time around was a lot better, too," DeCosta said.
He said headliner Twiddle, a Vermont band named High Times Magazine's Unsigned Band of the Week, was impressive, and drew a larger crowd than many of the bands that performed earlier in the day.
Ginsberg said many visitors approached him and other members of SSDP to talk about current drug policies and other issues in the field.
"We don't condone or condemn any drug use as an organization," Ginsberg said. "We advocate and inform about drug policies and the harms of the drug wars."
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