Springfest 2009 takes UIS by storm
Photos by Christopher Izatt |
Danielle Simler (left) of ‘Game Over, the Defeat’ hands a scavenged item to John Ringle, Director of Housing, for judging. |
Students let loose before semester’s end
April 29, 2009
By Brittney Meyer
Student Life Reporter
Staying true to tradition, Springfest kicked into action with a week filled with competitive, fun, and entertaining events in which teams could compete. Teams were all vying for ultimate bragging rights as the winning team in 2009. Springfest is an annual opportunity for students to have fun before summer break.
Springfest events occurred daily throughout the week of April 19-25. They included a scavenger hunt, trivia night, dance, flag and chant, and a sports day. The winning team of each event was awarded points and at the end of the week, the team with the most accumulated points was the winner of Springfest.
Festivities officially kicked off Monday with a scavenger hunt beginning in the Student Life Building (SLB) gym. Teams were given a list of 200 items that needed to be found and brought back to the gym within one hour. The list included items as well as tasks. Some of the most popular items included a snuggie, leopard printed bra, and fuzzy handcuffs.
“There was a lot of ruckus on the third floor of LRH. I saw one of my friends get tackled. I've never seen so much competition over a girl's curling iron,” stated freshman Luke Wojdyla about the hunt.
The team, 'Thundercats Are Go!', won the scavenger hunt with 22 points. Close behind was 'Men and Women in Tights' with 21.
Thundercat Zach Berillo stated after the frantic hunt that, “we ran a lot and it all just worked out.”
Tuesday's trivia night was held in the PAC and the team 'New York Bretts' prevailed with 35 points. Once again, 'Men and Women in Tights', were a close second, only lacking 5 points. Teams were asked a variety of questions once inside the trivia room. Topics ranged from movies to sports to Guinness World Records.
The teams got the chance to relax on Wednesday while listening to a speech about binge drinking. Students earned points for their teams by attending the comedian Wendi Fox’s event in the SLB gym, and staying the entire time. Fox talked about her life as a young drinker and shared some stories, to many of which students could relate.
Freshman Michelle Felix enjoyed what Fox had to say because “I’m sure most of us go through the types of situations she referred to, and it makes it funnier when you can relate to other people.”
During the flag and chant on Thursday, teams got the chance to be unique and show the judges their originality and creativity. Team members rapped, chanted, danced, tumbled, and pelvic thrusted their way to victory. Each team created a flag that described their team name, or the members themselves and then performed their dance/chant.
M3C’s member Margaret Oltman stated excitedly after the event that, “our team totally rocked the flag and chant. I got the chance to bring my gymnastic skills to the floor. Plus, I got to stomp, so I had a blast.” Oltman surprised many audience members when she did 8 backhand springs before and after the stomp performance.
The team ‘Dazed and Confused,’ had a wide array of members, one including an assistant professor in chemistry, Marc Klingshirn. Teams received extra points for having faculty, staff, or alumni on their team.
“It was kind cool just being asked to participate on a team,” stated Klingshirn. “Students need to realize that faculty can and need to have fun, too.”
Students danced the night away at the SLB gym on Friday, while also earning points for their team. Members of each team had to check in before the first hour of the dance was over in order to receive the points.
“It was entertaining to see the different sides to people when they dance,” stated sophomore Randi Alexander. “I spent more time people watching than I did dancing, but still had fun.”
Sunburns, uncontrollable winds, and victories paraded Saturday’s sporting events as Springfest came to a close. Sports were held all over campus that earned teams points. Other teams got dirty as they took part in a muddy tug-of-war by the soccer fields.
Sports day this year stands in stark contrast to the howling winds and close to freezing temperatures of Springfest 2008. After the sport activities, there was a barbeque in the Housing Commons parking lot. Immediately following the barbeque was the awards ceremony that announced the winning team of Springfest.
'The New York Bretts' prevailed with the most Springfest points and was declared the winner after the barbeque. 'Thundercats Are Go!' took the place of second, with 'Brangelina’s Babies' in third.
See more photos from Springfest 2009 at the Photo Essay
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