Stony Brook students and members of the Stony Brook community lined up on Wednesday to ensure that they would have the opportunity to purchase tickets to the Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe concert on Friday.
Some, however, lined up on Tuesday.
Jilliane Abella, a freshman biology major, was first on line. Abella took her place — accompanied by her blanket and dolphin pillow pet — at the head of the line at 11 p.m. on Tuesday night.
Abella, who said she was afraid of not getting a ticket, was on the line for such a long time that friends began to visit her. She spent the night studying chemistry and trying to sleep despite the frigid cold of the late night and early morning hours.
The group resorted to using garbage bags for warmth.
“Garbage bags are really warm,” Abella said. “It’s revolutionary.”
Friends lined up behind her later, and more people started lining up at around 12 a.m., she said.
Though Abella began having doubts about the worth of waiting on line outside all night by 4 a.m., she had changed her mind by morning, saying that it was “definitely an experience to share.”
According to Abella, who was running on only a chocolate chip cookie, Raisin Bran and a little bit of food that was brought to her, it was a fun night. Abella said that people on the line began whistling to try to wake everyone up.
Emily Leonard, a freshman chemical and molecular engineering major, also spent the night waiting. Leonard, however, stayed in a tent that a friend had in his car.
“I’m glad I slept on the ground,” Leonard said. “I’ve checked it off my bucket list.”
Freshman Rebecca Kaeck and her group of friends — Vlada Ginzburg, Jennifer Freire, Jennifer Kruzansky and Lincoln Islam — arrived at the line at 1:30 a.m. While on the line, they met a group of boys behind them, and the two groups merged to form one.
“You really bond when you spend the whole night together on concrete,” said Vasilios Zarboutis, a senior who was a part of the group that Kaeck and her friends met during the night. “I’ve never cuddled with a stranger before.”
The group said that it was definitely worth spending the night outside with “towels, blankets, sleeping bags, [and good company].”
At the very least, they now know more people on campus.
“We made some new Facebook friends,” Zarboutis said.
