Homecoming week concluded with one final event on Friday, Oct. 3. Hosted by the Student Union Board of Governors (SUBOG), students were invited to attend “Fan Fest Friday” from 1 to 4 p.m. on the Student Union lawn for free food, t-shirts, games and the opportunity to win free merchandise.
Upon arriving at the event, students were given two tickets, which they could use for either of the food trucks. “I plan on getting the fried dough with powdered sugar and the oxtail, I love oxtail,” said Summer Harvey, a third-semester psychology and human development and family sciences double major.
Students had the option of getting fried dough if they craved something sweeter, or soul food and Jamaican cuisine.
“Out of everything today, I definitely like the fact that there was free food,” said Taylor Lamothe, a third-semester psychology major. “Being a college student, you start taking any opportunity you get to get free food, so that was really nice.”
Free food was the main attraction for most students, especially with such a wide range of options to choose from. The “Good for the Soul” food truck offered a variety of dishes, including curry and jerk chicken, oxtail, fried chicken, mac and cheese, white rice and more according to their menu.
Students also stood in line for airbrush T-shirts, which seemed to be another popular attraction. There was a choice of a bucket hat or a T-shirt, on which they could choose a name or word to put on it. From there, they could also choose from four fonts.
The artists did whatever they wanted to with what they were given, making it all more personalized. Students watched as their shirts were created, with the final product not being revealed until the very end. Each shirt took around ten minutes to complete and dry.
After receiving their T-shirts, students made their way to the picture area, where they could have their pictures taken. Pictures would then be printed out in a photobooth style. Students had a variety of props and items to choose from, making the experience all the more enjoyable and allowing them to take home pictures that would create memories for a lifetime.
“I chose to come to this event to socialize and meet some more people,” said Lamothe. “Since everyone really enjoys events like this, it’s a good way to meet a lot of people really quickly. Also, with it being midterms week, it was really helpful for me to take my mind off the stress of schoolwork for a bit and have fun.”
On the other side of the lawn were inflatable games, including basketball, a water race and a western games booth. Students could create a competition between themselves and their friends to play any of the games and win a prize. The prize buckets had many stuffed animals to choose from, making the area perfect for fun and friendly competition with your friends for the prize.
When asked about what she thought would be the most fun activity, Emily Cooper, a third-semester psychology major, said, “Honestly, I would say the wheel spin for the free item.” Students waited in line for the chance to win merchandise, including sweatshirts and T-shirts. The suspense of not knowing what you would win, if anything at all, made it that much more exciting.
Homecoming week’s final event was the perfect way to unwind, especially since it coincided with midterm season and offered the chance to win a cute stuffed animal, receive a customized shirt, take photobooth pictures and enjoy free food. It reminded everyone that even during the most stressful parts of the semester, there’s still room to have fun.