What happens when it rains on your parade? From 1 to 5p.m. on Oct. 14, the Campus Activities Board, previously known as Student Events, held its first event of the year: X-Lawn. As the coordinator of X-Lawn, Alyson Perenne ’19 told the Justice that CAB organized the event aiming to “start off the year with a bang,” but things didn’t go exactly as planned. 

Unlike other events that CAB has previously hosted, they were hoping to bring something new to X-Lawn, something more than generic inflatable rides. Pulling out all the stops this year, the organization planned as many activities as possible. Situated outside the Shapiro Campus Center, X-Lawn featured a variety of attractions: a bull ride that was quick to buck off anyone brave enough to attempt it, a rock climbing wall for some friendly competition, a bungee trampoline that allowed students to soar through the air, post-card making to ensure anyone who missed the event would be envious of those who attended, free food in the form of Blue Ribbon Barbeque as a prize for those who came out and participated in the day’s events and, of course, music for dancing. 

CAB is the on-campus organization that hosts Springfest and Fallfest. In addition to bringing artists like X-Ambassadors and Lil Uzi Vert to campus, CAB also coordinates film screenings, senior portraits and food festivals. The aim of the organization is to bring fun events to campus and provide students with relief from their academic responsibilities. 

Unfortunately, the day had one too many surprises. Early in the afternoon it began to rain, and as dark clouds dotted the sky and the downpour became more fierce, students who may have been inclined to join in the activities pulled out their umbrellas and hurried past. As the lawn slowly became a puddle, many of the participants drifted away. 

 One student in attendance, Edwin Morales ’19, appreciated what CAB was trying to do and was determined not to let the rain stand in the way of a good time. He said, “The weather put a damper on the mood for the day’s festivities; however, all in all shout out to the Campus Activities Board for really thinking about the Brandeis students and providing something new and interesting to the campus.” 

Rain or shine, both the event coordinators and the attendees remained upbeat and seemed to be enjoying themselves. Ultimately, they carried on in good spirits, unwilling to let the rain ruin the afternoon.