Guilford clubs launch new fall festival
On Saturday, Nov. 16 at 12 p.m., Guilford College clubs were hosts of what could become a campus tradition: a new festival celebrating fall. Candy apples, a pickling stand, cupcakes, hot apple cider and shelter dogs were just a few of the treats and opportunities available at the event.
Anna Honer, a third-year student and organizer of the event, spoke a bit about her involvement with the festival.
“It was my idea,” said Honer. “We have a bunch of spring festivals, but no fall festival. It would be nice to have a great collaboration of clubs coming together.”
Members of Guilford’s Reaching Out for Animal Rights club (ROAR) planned this event for other students on campus to come out and get involved with various clubs taking part in the festival.
“Aside from getting out of my dorm, I just wanted to step out and see what was going on,” said first-year student Brandon Sisnett.
The students who worked the event all had multiple reasons for participating. Some were there to get other students involved in their clubs, and some were interested in fundraising.
“Because it’s a great opportunity for the community to come together, I wanted to work the event,” said third-year student Annie Degraffenreid, who helped run the cupcake stand at the festival.
“We also were hoping to raise money for Kids Fest,” she said.
Along with fundraising, the most advertised activity that ROAR presented was the shelter dogs at the festival that students could either adopt or simply walk and play around with. A pie-eating contest, with pumpkin puree substituted for pie, was among the festival events that both the dogs and students could enjoy.
Tara Hall, a third-year supervising student worker, said that the dogs were a huge hit.
“I’m here working for ROAR. We thought it would be a good idea to bring shelter dogs and I’m here supervising the dogs,” said Hall.
While students engaged in other activities available during the festival, like pumpkin carving, some found the adoption of the shelter dogs to be the most rewarding.
“We want to get some pups adopted,” said Honer, the president of ROAR. “We want our dogs to get some visibility.”
This event attracted many students, inluding attendees who spoke about the hope that Guilford will continue to present this event every year.
Some participants expressed interest in volunteering at animal shelters in the area. And some students also hoped that other clubs could join in helping with the festival in the future.
“I do think that it would be cool if more clubs participated to involve more activities,” said Hall.
Before the three-hour festival came to an end, it connected many individuals, students and dogs alike.
“I think it’s a way to bring everybody together,” said second-year student Riley Bush.
“The fall is my favorite season and I think other people enjoy it too.”
