Serúenúdipúiúty: 1. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. 2. The fact or occurrence of such discoveries. 3. At Guilford College, a weekend of fun and release, of unanticipated experiences, of celebrating spring and sunshine. “Serendipity is a tradition,” said Rebecca Saunders, Director of Student Involvement and Leadership. “And traditions help to build community.”
There are plenty of events planned this weekend to satisfy everyone – from concerts to sports, mud wrestling to jousting. Other than eight quiet hours set aside for sleep, there are nonstop activities all over campus from 2 pm Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday night.
“I am excited about the fact that there are so many different kinds of events,” said Student Union President Abdul-Qawiy.Abdul-Karim Union, a student-run club, organized the weekend.
Saunders agreed.
“A lot of student groups have tried to come up with something that can be incorporated into Serendip-ity,” she said.
The result should be a fun-filled weekend for everyone, and hopefully a safe one.
“There is a reputation that Serendipity is a big drinking, drugging, no-holds-barred kind of weekend,” said Saunders. “But I think you can have fun and still be safe and responsible.”
“I like Serendipity,” said Junior Rosie Combs-Bachman. “It inspires people to walk around topless with flowers on their chests, which I don’t really have a problem with.”
Anne Lundquist, Dean for Campus Life, didn’t seem to have a problem with it either.
“I had streakers in my office the first year I worked here,” she said with a laugh. “My work study students stole their clothes.”
Ahhh, Serendipity…
Music
The weekend’s music begins at 5 pm on Friday with a hoedown on the Hege-Cox Lawn to music by Guilford students Owen Morrison, Steve Hickman, Adam Hurt and Laurel Willoughby. The accompanying barn dance will be called by Morrison’s father, Jim.
“It’ll be easy,” said Morrison. “Even easy enough for drunk people!”
The evening’s entertainment will continue with a performance by the Sim Redmond band at 7 p.m. This Ithaca, NY, band, with their unique blend of roots-rock, reggae and African music, has been hailed as “one of the Northeast’s brightest rising stars” (www.simredmondband.com).
Closing out Friday’s entertainment is the Hip Hop Showcase, from 9 to 11 p.m. in the Field House. Admission is free for Guilford students, $10 for anyone with a college ID, and $20 for the general public.
This concert will open with two sets by Guilford students and alumni, then a performance by North Carolina’s own Little Brother. This hip hop trio, based out of Durham, NC, has been called the “best hip hop to come out of the state” by www.ughh.com.
The headliner for the Hip Hop Showcase is Nappy Roots. This multi-platinum selling group, formed in 1995 at Western Kentucky University, has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad. They were the highest selling hip hop group of 2002, and their latest album, Wooden Leather, hit #12 on the Billboard Top 200 charts.
The musical festivities continue on Saturday with a performance by the Stephanie Morgan Quartet at 3 p.m. on Founders Lawn. Coming from Asheville, NC, this band covers jazz, rock, pop and R&B classics from the twenties to the present. Afterwards, Stephanie’s Id will perform the Morgan’s original music.
The evening’s concerts begin on Founders Lawn at 5 p.m. with a performance by Charlottesville, Virginia’s King Wilkie band. Named after the favorite horse of Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass, the King Wilkie band is a sextet of young bluegrass musicians who bring a youthful enthusiasm to their music.
The Virginia Coalition will follow this with a show at 9 p.m. This Alexandria, VA band, with their distinctive blend of rock, funk and go-go, puts on “a live show that is unforgettable,” according to www.virginiacoalition.com.
Later that night, local favorites Tiger Bear Wolf and The Nein will play in the Apartments between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., as will the Athens, Georgia-based band, Jet by Day.
Sports
The softball team kicks off the
weekend sports events on Friday with a home game against Greensboro College at 2 p.m. The women’s tennis team will play a match at 3:30 that day against Roanoke and another against Randolph Macon at noon on Saturday. The men’s lacrosse team will take on Randolph Macon at 1 .pm. on Saturday, followed by another softball game against Eastern Mennonite at 2 p.m.
Both the men’s and women’s rugby teams will have matches between 11 a.m. and 3 pm on Saturday. And just in case you need further incentive to watch, the women will play their game in prom dresses.
Biohazard, Guilford’s Ultimate Frisbee team, is sponsoring a tournament for local colleges this weekend. Games will be played on both Saturday and Sunday all over campus.
Also on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m, there will be intramural sports games on various fields throughout campus. More information can be found on the Guilford Buzz.
Food
Dinners on Friday and Saturday will both be barbeques outside on Founders Lawn. The food, served from 5 to 7 p.m, will be free for students and their guests. Still hungry? The concessions cart will be active all weekend, selling hot dogs and other snacks, which must be bought individually.
But wait there’s more…
Other events are planned throughout the weekend, including mud wrestling in front of Milner on Friday or jousting on Founders lawn on Saturday. A bouncy castle, a Velcro wall, and an obstacle course will also be on hand. Be on the lookout for these events, or any other serendipitous amusements. Don’t be surprised to see anything from pink flamingos to streaking students, and don’t be afraid to join in the fun.