Excited for Floralia? Who isn’t? Meet Geoff Taylor and Abbie Gruskien, Chair and Co-Chair of SAC. Throughout this year they have been behind the scenes planning the biggest event of the year! Read this interview to figure out what went into planning Floralia, how they booked Chiddy Bang, and so much more!
Geoff Taylor:
Major: Architectural Studies
Minor: Being a Boss
Hometown: Groton, Connecticut
Abigail (Abbie) Grueskin:
Major: English Literature
Minor: Italian Studies
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
What’s it like to plan as big of an event as Floralia? Anyone who knows us knows that we think Floralia is the best day of the year… better than Christmas and Chanukkah, combined. Being in charge of the big day is a lot of pressure and takes a lot of planning, but it’s all worth it. There have been (and probably will be) many bumps in the road, but together we’ve gotten past all of them. Luckily, we have a great exec board and an equally great general council that we trust to help us out and make sure things go smoothly. Also, our advisor Scott from the Office of Student Life is amazing!
Chiddy Bang for Floralia is a pretty big deal, how did you guys decide on them? We did things a little differently this year. Instead of just making the decision amongst executive board, we opened up the discussion to general council, who helped us pick the top 30 artists in our budget that we wanted to pursue, which we then narrowed down to ten. Then, executive board ordered that list. We couldn’t be more excited we got Chiddy!
What process did you have to go through to book Chiddy Bang? It was long and complicated and we don’t want to bore you with the details, but we went through a company called Pretty Polly Productions to help us book it. They have more than 40 years of experience in the biz, and all the right connections, so we’re glad they could help.
Besides Chiddy Bang, what other musical act should everyone try to see? We can’t wait to watch Big Black Delta and Viceroy! Check them both out on soundcloud – we promise you’ll be pumped. Also Mystic Jammers will be a really fun and Easter Island is amazing live. The MOBROC set looks really solid and duh, Chiddy Bang. There are so many other great ones. None of the bands this year is a throw away.
What can we expect this year for Floralia that is different from previous years? More music! We reallllyyyy stretched our dollars this year to make sure there was more music and a huge variety in sound. We have everything from reggae to folk rock to a world famous DJ and hip-hop/rap with Chiddy Bang. Plenty of EDM.
What is one aspect of Floralia that you can’t wait for others to experience? We can’t wait for others to have a blast! It’s the best day of the year and the weather is gonna be fab.
Your favorite moment of Floralia from years past? Definitely the obstacle course. Or dancing on benches. Or sipping cool drinks in the sun. It’s too hard! The whole day is our favorite!
As seniors you both have been through three already, what’s one tip of advice that you would give to a freshman to have the best time on Saturday? Floralia is a marathon, not a sprint. Get lots of sleep the night before, don’t forget to eat for energy during the day, watch out for your friends, and most of all, enjoy it!!! It’s free, and we planned it all so you could just relax, dance, and have the best. floralia. ever.