Winthrop Auctions Services

Who would want to see Tom Cruise when they could spend an evening with Winthrop residents Sameer Ferrell '95 and William C. Slaughter '95?

Apparently not the 50 students who gathered in the Winthrop dining hall last night for the house's annual Dutch Auction. They didn't seem to miss the movie star a bit.

In fact, Ferrell said the auction was "designed for those not invited to meet Tom Cruise at the Pudding this evening."

The event was also to raise money to fund Winthrop's spring formal and to avoid instituting house dues, said Kristen M. Galanek '95, co-chair of the Winthrop House committee.

"It's a fun way to raise money because people will get things in return," she said.

"It's addition, some of the money because raised will go to Phillips Brooks House's HAND program, Galanek said.

There was no specific goal for this fundraiser, except "to raise as much money as possible," she said.

And also to have fun.

The auctioneers, Ferrell and Slaughter, wore coats, ties, shorts and knee socks and encouraged the audience to outbid each other. Ferrell and Slaughter reminded students of the HAND program and the promise of free alcohol(for those over 21, of course) at the springformal.

"Booze--HAND kids--HAND kids--booze. Goodcause," Slaughter told the audience.

"You go to Harvard, you must be rich," Ferrellsaid to the group of Winthrop residents, who earlyon seemed reluctant to open their checkbooks.

"Someone needs to get some more people and moreimportantly, some more money in here," Slaughtersaid.

Bids picked up, though, as the auctioneersdescribed the donations and encouraged biddingwars.

"Is this `country line dancing'--the fad that'ssweeping the nation?" Slaughter asked about aone-hour dancing lesson.

"Is anyone interested in learning to be aredneck?"

The lesson eventually sold for $10.

The audience seemed to particularly enjoySlaughter's description of a "Blur pythonathon,"an evening of alcohol and "Monty Python" watching.

"They're going to come to your room. They'regoing to feed you this stuff. You're going to beblitzed out of your mind. It will be a trulytranscendental experience," Slaughter said."Thoreau went out to Walden because this optionwasn't available to him."

The "Blur pythonathon" sold for $30.

Other auction items included free beer at theCrimson Sports Grille, a dinner at the Masters'Residence, massages, meals in bed and bedtimestories.

A total of 84 items were donated by Winthropresident and auctioned

"Booze--HAND kids--HAND kids--booze. Goodcause," Slaughter told the audience.

"You go to Harvard, you must be rich," Ferrellsaid to the group of Winthrop residents, who earlyon seemed reluctant to open their checkbooks.

"Someone needs to get some more people and moreimportantly, some more money in here," Slaughtersaid.

Bids picked up, though, as the auctioneersdescribed the donations and encouraged biddingwars.

"Is this `country line dancing'--the fad that'ssweeping the nation?" Slaughter asked about aone-hour dancing lesson.

"Is anyone interested in learning to be aredneck?"

The lesson eventually sold for $10.

The audience seemed to particularly enjoySlaughter's description of a "Blur pythonathon,"an evening of alcohol and "Monty Python" watching.

"They're going to come to your room. They'regoing to feed you this stuff. You're going to beblitzed out of your mind. It will be a trulytranscendental experience," Slaughter said."Thoreau went out to Walden because this optionwasn't available to him."

The "Blur pythonathon" sold for $30.

Other auction items included free beer at theCrimson Sports Grille, a dinner at the Masters'Residence, massages, meals in bed and bedtimestories.

A total of 84 items were donated by Winthropresident and auctioned