At an event famous for its extravagance – from celebrity attendees in snazzy bonnets to $1,000 mint juleps to high-stakes bets – Northwestern students found a way to experience the notoriously expensive Kentucky Derby at a lower cost over the weekend.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s second annual trip to the 135th annual Derby offered NU students individual tickets for $40 and package trips, which included transportation, lodging and a ticket to the infield, for $140.
While the economic recession lowered overall attendance at the race to its lowest number since 2004, 153,563 attendees, down 4,207 from 2008, SAE experienced an increase in ticket sales. The fraternity sold 159 tickets, up from 79 last year, and NU’s chapter tied for second in a national SAE competition to sell tickets, with first place going to the Louisville chapter.
Overall, NU students in attendance found ways to save money, said Hootan Rashidifard, a Weinberg sophomore in SAE who helped organize the event. This was the first year attendees were able to bring coolers and food into the infield.
While SAE did suffer some initial trouble with the bus company and selling tickets, Rashidifard said 50-70 of the total tickets were sold at the last minute, and selling them online helped because students did not need to go to the SAE house.
Despite the recession, SAE was able to make money off of the event, said SESP freshman and SAE member Taylor Hartstein. Hartstein said one NU student in Sigma Phi Epsilon was even able to make $100 after placing a $2 bet on Mine That Bird, the horse that won the Derby in a surprise victory at 50:1 odds.
For Raehan Durlabhji, the extra costs of attending the Derby were too high, he said. After adding in money spent on food, drinks and bets to the price of the ticket package, the weekend could have easily cost $250, said Durlabhji, who did not attend.
“If I did have the money, I definitely would have gone,” the Weinberg junior said. “But a $250 weekend is a little out of my price range.”
Weinberg freshman Danielle Durkin went to the Derby but chose to attend with the NU Equestrian Team and was able to get her ticket for free through a family friend. She said some girls on the team were able to get cheaper tickets at the Derby itself.
“I probably would not have gone with SAE because I don’t know if I would want to spend money for that short a trip,” she said. “I wouldn’t spend my money for something I thought would be mayhem.”
For those who purchased the SAE package, Harstein said the event was “definitely worth it.”
Weinberg freshman Lisa Shandley said she was “shocked” at how smoothly the event went.
“From what I can see, there were very few problems trying to coordinate everything,” she said. “Everyone was well-informed about the schedule. The weekend was amazing.”
