On Friday night, new students to the University of Oregon got their dance, sumo wrestle, poker, pizza and all-around groove on.
InterMingle, one of the largest campus events each year, started at 5 p.m. and continued past midnight. The event was spread out on all sides of the EMU, but featured many attractions concentrated in both the amphitheater and the East Lawn.
Jessi Steward, the Interim Associate Director of the EMU, said this was the ninth year the event has taken place.
“There are 90 different student and University groups and departments at tables here tonight,” Steward said. “We actually had to turn down about 50 because we ran out of tables.”
Steward explained that while the UO Cultural Forum played a central role in putting on the event, a committee of about 20 different people planned the night. A few of the groups involved include UO Student Orientation, University Housing, the Department of Physical Education and Recreation, the Holden Center and several others.
Planning for the event started about three months ago.
“We usually get about 3,000 students,” Steward said.  “With staff and volunteers combined, I’d weigh we have about 100 people total working the event.”
Among the more interesting expenditures of the InterMingle budget was the $500 donation to a group dressed as authentic Star Wars characters that walk around and pose for pictures.
“This is our second year out here,” said Allan Quick, commanding officer of the Cloud City Garrison, a local chapter of the Star Wars costuming club.@@http://www.501st.com/members/displaymember.php?userID=8265&costumeID=1@@
While the members of the group have day jobs, they dress in homemade, professional Star Wars costumes and attend events on weekends.  All the money they receive as donations for event attendance is forwarded to various charities that the group supports, including the Children’s Miracle Network, the Special Olympics, the Sacred Heart Medical Center Foundation and others.
In the EMU courtyard, music education graduate student Scott Yorke was helping out for his second year.  The music education department had a drum set, a saxophone, a clarinet, a trumpet and some other instruments and was offering free five-minute lessons to anyone interested.
“This time there’s so many more people; it’s been great.  We’ve been full and doing lessons for people constantly,” Yorke said.
DJing live for most of the evening was 88.1 KWVA, the University’s campus radio station. DJ James Tarpinian, who hosts a Saturday night show on the station from 10 p.m. to midnight called “Intergalactic Assistance Radio,” said that anyone is welcome to apply for DJ positions.
Tarpinian explained that it’s not hard to get a spot as a DJ.
“DJing opportunities are open not just to students but to the entire community,” Tarpinian said.  “Our mission is to present music on the radio that you can’t hear anywhere else.”
Travis Knapp, a senior in economics, was at InterMingle working as support staff with Event Services.  Although amused as he watched the Zumba dancers, he was more enthusiastic about the physics demonstration, which took place after dark in the amphitheater and featured rings of smoke, balloons bursting into balls of fire and various other explosive acts.
In between music lessons, dance parties and Star Wars meet and greets, students had plenty of free food to eat.
Domino’s and Papa John’s supplied free pizza for the night. “We’re shooting for 3,000 slices tonight.  We’ve already far exceeded last year’s 2,500,” said Nicole Young, spokesperson for Domino’s in Eugene and Springfield.
The night ended with a late night showing of the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The showing was a new and expensive addition to the event, costing more than $500 for the rights to show the film at this year’s event.
In the end though, Steward believes it’s all worth it.
“It’s the welcome to — and back — event for University of Oregon students,” she said. @@could have a stronger end quote@@