Old Man Gloom meets a fiery fate

Thousands of people gathered Thursday for the 82nd burning of Zozobra, or Old Man Gloom.The tradition has been a part of the Fiestas de Santa Fe since 1924. Old Man Gloom is a 50-foot marionette.The name Zozobra stands for anguish, anxiety and gloom. The purpose of the burning is to rid the troubles of the past year. UNM student Jessica Devitt is from Santa Fe. She said her favorite part of the event is running

into people she hasn't seen in years. She said she has attended Zozobra about 15 times. "I found out this is one of the only places in the country that does this," she said. "It's pretty weird. It's a night where it is socially acceptable to party and get wasted." Tim Erwin, who is a UNM student

from Louisiana, attended the event for the first time."At first glance, it's a little weird, but apparently a lot of people are into it," he said.

"It's pretty cool."UNM student Daniel Martinez said it was his first time at the event. "I've lived in New Mexico all my life," he said. "I figured it would be cool to check it out. It's kind of nice to have a break in the middle of the week - get away from stuff and hang out for a couple of hours. That's what I like."Gilbert Archuleta, head of Zozobra security, said his staff did not encounter any conflicts."We haven't had any problems,

but the rain is making it miserable," he said. Archuleta said the rain made securing the event challenging because people were hesitant to empty their pockets when entering.

He said they were afraid valuable belongings - like cell phones - would get damaged. "People are in a hurry to get in," he said. "It's hard to conduct a proper shakedown."Martinez said the rain did not bother him."It's a little cold, but it's still part of the experience," he said. "You go to concerts or anything else like this, and it's still something you expect." Student Sean Biggs said it was his first time at Zozobra. "I thought it would be something interesting to see," he said. "It's kind of wet, but I can't wait for them to light him on fire. Hopefully it will be worth it."Student Jenna Sanchez said it was the second time she attended

Zozobra. Sanchez said she went to the burning of Old Man Gloom because

her boyfriend convinced her. "I really don't know the point of it," she said. Sanchez, who was raised in California, said she thought the Zozobra tradition was strange. "It's a little silly, but I guess I can see why people like it," she said. "People like things to believe

in."