Story by TANNER MAWHIRTER Photos by BLAKE LUNA
Tiger Media Network
Student Engagement planned a major event to kick off fall in a fun and exciting way. On Thursday, the parking lot outside GMC featured several attractions, from food trucks and inflatables to axe-throwing and even a petting zoo.
Bob Duffy, the drug and alcohol counselor for FHSU Health and Wellness, ran an event in which students wore drunk goggles and tried to drive a trike, simulating drunk driving. He said Fall Fest can be more than just fun; it’s also a good way to learn about important topics like drunk driving.
“These goggles are set to a .12 BAC, so over the legal limit but not in danger of dying or anything. The other goggles we have go all the way up to .25 BAC which is when you are getting close to the real danger zone,” Duffy said. “Health and Wellness Services is just trying to promote students making safe decisions. I’d say Fall Fest is a great way to educate people in a fun way. When you try to do something, it’s a lot different than reading about it or having someone lecture at you about it.”
Student Engagement Student Leader Simon Schmidt explained the process that he and other students working with Student Engagement must go through when planning big events like these, as well as the goals of the events. While Schmidt spent the majority of his fall semester planning homecoming events, he contributed the idea of axe throwing to this year’s fall fest.
“I like to see all of our students gathering and having fun,” he said. “Our main goal of everything is community; everything here is so nice, especially with all the students and people I know coming out to help. Having a community is number one, being able to have something that students look forward to every semester.”
The event drew students from all over campus. Freshman Broxton Gall said he thought this was one of the best events campus has hosted this year.
“My favorite part of the Fall Fest was probably the bonfire because we all got to gather around one spot and enjoy the moment,” he said. “In my opinion, I think this is one of the best events so far. We were able to have food trucks, animals, a bouncy house and more. Having this event in the location it was was the right idea. The weather was perfect, and the crowd was excited. It was a good night.”
