SpartanFest really made a mess this year. In a fun way.
The Saturday festival promoting clubs and activities offered at our school was deemed a success by both students and sponsors, whose main goal was to raise money.
The Class of 2016—which wants to raise as much cash as possible to make Prom tickets cost less at the end of the year—had people gearing up for whipped cream pies to be thrown at their faces just for a few bucks; the swim team deep-fried Oreos to try to persuade folks to come over and donate and Spartan Choir asked students to “arrest” someone and incarcerate them in their makeshift jail for fun just to gain a couple extra dollars for their department.
“There are not a lot of people here, but it’s going to get really good,” said junior Joe Gumph, relatively early in the day. “There’s going to be a good turnout and the set-up is much better [than it was last year].”
SpartanFest was set up a bit differently than last year, meaning the club booths were more organized. Increased publicity resulted in a larger turnout than in years past and there was more talk about the actual event around the school, so students, teachers and parents knew to attend.
The event featured school clubs and honor societies as well as crafters from the community. Even though SpartanFest was deemed a success, one complaint heard several times during the day, was that lack of booth originality meant not many groups stood out.
“I think it needs to be more decorated; it seems plain,” said senior Leah Trizna.
Despite the lack of booth bling at SpartanFest, the day was festive and a good turnout helped fuel the fundraising. The festivities not only infused clubs with funds, but the event served as a showcase for groups that otherwise would not have received as much notice.
And now that the school organizations have gotten the word out, they’re just waiting on students to come forward to support and join.
“I think it helps the younger kids realize there’s clubs, groups and options at our school,” said Trizna
Coming here as a freshman or a new student can be overwhelming if one doesn’t know what type of extracurricular activities are offered; participants agree, however, that SpartanFest is a great way to find out. It’s also great for introducing students to new people in different classes to get to know tone another.
“It’s just kind of like you’re in a new club or class and introduces the people in the Spartan Community,” said Gumph.