As EnCouncil members, WUPD officers and B&D Security ushered jacket-less and intoxicated students out of Lopata Gallery, firemen poured into the building and staff rushed around the area in confusion. Vertigo, the rave hosted by EnCouncil every year, was cut about 90 minutes short by fire alarms set off by the event’s fog machines.

Electricity surged through 18,000 individually soldered components as the first illuminated dance floor in years debuted at Vertigo on Saturday night. This floor, the pride of Washington University’s chapter of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) culminated over a year of dedicated labor.

An exhilarating combination of lights, music and atmosphere converged in Lopata Gallery this weekend at Vertigo, a dance party sponsored by EnCouncil. While Vertigo is a storied tradition at Washington University, this year’s iteration included several new elements, resulting in an entirely fresh experience.

Freshman Press takes a look at some of the biggest Wash. U. traditions, like Bauhaus, Beta Bubbles, Carnaval, Dance Marathon and Diwali.