A night that was filled with bumping and grinding and social banter, ended sadly with 23 Cabrini students sitting in the State Police lobby, trying to find a way back to campus.
Cabrini students boarded a yellow school bus on Saturday to go clubbin’ at Philadelphia’s Club 27.
To try and make going to the club in a school bus a little less nerdy, the bus driver blasted the bass and turned up the latest hits on the radio station.
Who needs Club 27 when you have Bus No. 46? Sure, dancing might be difficult but then again, isn’t it at a crowded club?
As the bus drove down route 76, one could hear boys repeating rap lyrics and girls giggling over what the night will bring. Needless to say, everyone was hyped.
“I’ve been to Club 27 before and had a fantastic time,” Jess Klesmer, sophomore microbiology major, said. “I can’t wait to bust more moves with my boyfriend.”
The night began, by walking down a dark, dimly lit alleyway then arriving at what seems like an apartment building with a red-neon light that screams Club 27.
After surviving the walk, entering the club is easy. Just follow the rules: There are two lines. Find out which to stand in. Over 21 go to the left. Under 21 go to the right. Only the boys are frisked.
Once climbing up the stairs, the clubbers under 21 had to stay at that dance floor and the legal boozers had the option of climbing another flight to party with an older crowd.
At first, only packs of girls danced together and boys lined up against the wall. That did not last for long, as the DJ asked for more energy from the crowd.
Within the first hour of being there, it was wild. “It’s insane. Just insane. It’s so crowded. It’s not like we are dancing anymore. We are just bodies rubbing and hitting each other,” Justin DiPasquale, junior human resource and finance major, said.
The students met up with each other on a street corner to board the bus to leave. Once on the bus, the party started again.
The bus driver turned up the music while the boys were singing and the girls were gossiping about their dance partners.
That’s when it happened.
What sounded like a glass bottle hitting the ground, turned out to be the two left rear tires flying off the bus. The bus immediately tilted to the ground and the driver swerved from the far right lane into the left.
The rear of the bus dug into the macadam, creating a deep gash in the road. Looking out the back windows, cars were veering left and right to avoid the bouncing tires and other cars.
What could be heard on the bus was different. The cries of girls and the shouts of the boys nearly drowned out the crashing to the bus. When the bus finally stopped, all that could be heard was the breathing of the person next to you. Or a whisper of a vulgar swear.
After 30 minutes, all the passengers calmed down and people began to talk. “I thought I was living the life and then I saw a tire fly by and then I thought I was going to die,” Conor Trainor, senior human resource management major, said.
“All buses should be inspected before they go out after and before every run,” Mark Chila, sophomore business major, said.
The highway was completely blocked off and ambulances zoomed up and down.
Finally, a transport bus came and picked all the Cabrini students up and brought them to the state police station. There they waited for another bus to pick them up.
Thankfully, no one was hurt on the bus. Many were shocked and upset, but after returning to campus, everyone was grateful to be alive. “We are fortunate that the accident did not harm any Cabrini students,” Trainor said.
