The fourth annual Husky Fest was meant to be an outdoor celebration, but when dark rain clouds advanced last Thursday morning, planners were forced to move the whole welcome-back event inside the Woodbury Campus Center in Portland.
“I have so much more gray hair after yesterday” said Chris O’Connor, Assistant to the Dean of Student Life and Committee Chair of the Husky Fest, describing efforts to reorganizing the event so that it would fit within the confines of the Campus Center. The 40 or so student organizations, University departments (including The Free Press), and local vendors crowded into the Woodbury Campus Center to set up tables. Many groups decorated their tables with colorful poster board or offered candy and treats to lure students into visiting their tables.
The event, comparable to a fair with its offering of music, food, and other attractions, is intended to promote student involvement by providing them with the resources to become involved with many facets of University life.
“It’s a community-building event to get students connected,” said O’Connor.
Representatives from the Board of Student Organizations (BSO), which divides funds among the other student groups, were present at the Husky Fest. President of the BSO, student senator and junior political science major Liz Mann said “I think the BSO and the senate should be way more public…nobody knows about the Senate because they never do anything … most senators agree that we want to be more of a positive influence on campus.”
The Husky Fest is a wrap up of what O’Connor refers to as Welcome Week. It’s something that is planned all summer and O’Connor said is an event for which the entire community shows a great amount of support.
“It’s one of the traditions that everyone rallies around…It’s my favorite day of the year.”
Hosted by the Office of the Dean of Student Life and the Portland Events Board (PEB) the tab for the day ran upwards to $8,000. The Dean’s Office covered the barbecue and bands, which cost $4,000. The PEB paid $4,000 for attractions that were cancelled because of the rain. The celebration committee had planned an outdoor rock wall, bungee jumping, and a mechanical bull, but were unable to set them up in the already cramped Campus Center. O’Connor is planning a second celebration and has an official rain check for the prepaid amusements.
The PEB was also responsible for booking the popular local bands Rocktopus and Mystic Vibes to play for a few hours each. Though there was not much dancing, students and faculty enjoyed the food and bobbed their heads to the music.
James Stinchfield, an artist from Carrabassett Valley, drew caricatures at the event for the fourth year running. “I’m retired I don’t do anything I don’t want to do,” Stinchfield replied when asked what he did for work.
Executive Editor Christy McKinnon can be contacted at [email protected]