A few shoes fell off and a couple sweatshirts were used as pillows, but overall, the pillow fight in front of the HUB-Robeson Center on Friday afternoon was called a success.

Will Lewis, president and founder of the Comedy Night Club (CNC), the group that planned the event, said he was "pleasantly surprised" with the outcome.

"I wasn't sure it would work," he said, still catching his breath after the fight, "but I'm very happy to see it did."

At the east entrance of the HUB at about 1:15 p.m., there was a crowd of more than 100 people gathered in a circle waiting to watch the battle. A few had their cell phones out ready to capture the moment.

When the crowd started a slow clap, those participants who were waiting inside in the HUB weren't sure what to do.

They hesitated because only eight people had assembled inside the HUB to join. But Lewis (sophomore-hotel, restaurant and institution management) said, "let's just do this," and when he and his friends rushed out the doors of the HUB, they were surprised to be met with about 12 other people waiting for them outside in the middle of the crowd.

"I felt like a gladiator with a ring of people around us shouting," Lewis said. "You could hear the 'oo's' and 'aw's.' "

Pillow-fighter Ariela Rossberg (sophomore-theatre) said she had just learned about the pillow fight that afternoon while on Facebook.com and decided to join.

"I just found out about it five minutes ago," she said. "I saw it and thought I gotta do this."

All the participants said they were surprised by the number of spectators who came. There was even a couple of police officers there who said they were there for lunch and "just wanted to see it, too."

Lewis said the club has more flash mobs like this planned, but they're keeping them a secret.