The experiences that happened on court street during the Halloween block party are finally shared.
There’s a slight chance that you found yourself a tad disappointed with The Post’s coverage of the annual Athens Halloween Block Party.
Yes, our reporters were on the frontlines from 8 p.m. Saturday evening to 5 a.m. Sunday morning interviewing city and county officials, conducting interviews near the Athens City Building and making an applaudable effort to talk to local law enforcement while many partygoers avoided that notion at all costs.
Many of our heads didn’t hit the pillow around the same time yours did, but that’s because we were chasing the suspected shooter with police well into the morning.
“But what about me?” you might say.
We talked to you, too. We asked you questions, wrote down your responses and maybe took your photo.
And then, amid all that arrest data and city official perspective, your words were lost.
You still matter, dear reader. Here’s a sample of what you told us Saturday night:
Shawn Kinlin, a sophomore studying economics, was wearing recycled beer cartons and celebrating his 20th birthday, which was Sunday. When asked what the craziest thing he’s seen tonight, he replied “me,” and continued to yell at passersby that his birthday was the next day.
Izziah Hill, a high school student on campus, told us about a fight he saw between a Santa Claus in a fat suit with an additional sumo wrestler in a fat suit in front of Whit’s Frozen Custard.
Paul Campbell, a junior, said he particularly enjoyed the costume contest. “It’s been a great night. I was in the costume contest and everyone cheered. I twerked.”
Kyle Shell, a junior studying education, witnessed a tree being torn from it’s roots outside of a Palmer Place apartment. “They completely uprooted it,” he said. “They were yelling ‘F--k that tree.’ ” Shell added that he would have saved the tree, and was distressed about its destruction, but felt that it wasn’t worth it at the time.
An unidentified female partygoer wielding a baseball bat on Washington Street near Chase Bank asked the person next to her if it was acceptable to hit the religious protestors on Court Street.
Martin Stephan, from Marietta, was wearing a “Kiss me, I’m Desperate” signboard. He said he wanted to try it in Athens after watching how effective it was on a YouTube video. “I’ve been here for 10 minutes,” Stephan said. “I’ve got two (kisses) so far.”
An unidentified partygoer on Mill Street screamed toward six mounted patrol officers “I love your ponies! I want to touch the ponies!” Her friends firmly pulled her away from the police officers.
Compiled by Asst. Local Editor Emma Ockerman
