To celebrate his 22nd birthday, College of Arts and Sciences senior Ryan Taylor orchestrated a flash mob pillow fight, which took place in front of Marsh Chapel on Wednesday at 5:10 p.m.
A group of 11 Boston University students, friends of Taylor, erupted into what appeared to be an impromptu brawl with their pillows, he said.
“I wanted people to beat the crap out of me with pillows,” Taylor said.
The fight went on for less than 10 minutes and ended with students laughing and giving each other high fives. The fighters dispersed to see if any of their friends had recorded the flash mob.
Taylor said he originally expected 30 students to attend. While the fight was originally scheduled for 4:45 p.m. on Marsh Plaza, the students gathered at the BU Beach instead, Taylor said. The change in location seemed to throw off the celebrations’ numbers.
“I think there was a miscommunication with the texts and the tweets because some people gathered [at Marsh Chapel] rather than [on the Beach] and then left when they didn’t see anybody,” said CAS freshman Seth Christopher, a friend of Taylor’s who took part in the fight.
Joonnyong Lee, a College of Engineering junior, said he had trouble finding the other pillow fighters at the time of the fight.
“We came actually at 4:45, which was the planned hour, and no one was here,” he said.
Lee said he left Marsh and dropped off his pillow at his dorm. Upon seeing a missed call, however, Lee said he returned without his pillow to witness the event.
“I brought my own pillow and people have been staring at me and asking all day what it’s all about,” said Taylor Lewallen, a College of Communication junior.
Students watched the fight with some taking pictures or videos with their phones.
The group left Marsh Plaza to celebrate Taylor’s 22nd birthday elsewhere after packing away their pillows.
No one reported injuries, although Lewallen said it did hurt to get hit in the face with a pillow. Nonetheless, she said she managed to hold her ground and hit.
“I think I probably hurt a lot of people,” she said. “I think I came out on top.”
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