Students wait in line for Kona Ice snow cones as part of the Party on the Lawn hosted by Admissions and the Marbeck Center Board. Photo by Nathan Heinze
All good things must come to an end, and that includes summer break. In order to make the transition as easy as possible, the Admissions office and Marbeck Center Board hosted the Party on the Lawn at 7:30 p.m. Sunday outside of Neufeld and Ramseyer Halls.
“Admissions holds this as the end of Welcome Week for freshmen, and it’s great that upperclassmen come too and everyone can hang out and relax before classes start,” said Admissions Counselor Meg Short.
The party was nothing short of crowded. There were cornhole setups, life-sized games of Connect Four and Jenga, a photo booth and snow cones provided by Kona Ice. The snow cones were a crowd favorite, with the line for the Kona Ice truck stretching the length of the lawn.
Students play corn hole as part of the Party on the Lawn. Photo by Nathan Heinze
At 8:15 p.m., a three-point shot contest began in the nearby basketball court. Some students danced along to popular songs, such as the Cupid Shuffle while they socialized with friends old and new.
In addition, first-year students were offered raffle tickets for prizes awarded throughout the night. A photo contest was also held, where attendees were encouraged to take pictures and upload them to social media for a prize.
As for the popularity of the party, many students said they enjoyed the party though they had different reasons for coming.
“I wanted to meet new people, and I had some friends I wanted to say hi to,” said Wilmar Caal Botzoc, a sophomore social work major from Guatemala.
Sydney Staton enjoys a Kona Ice as part of the Party on the Lawn. Photo by Nathan Heinze
Sydney Staton, a sophomore mathematics major, said she came as part of a team bonding effort for the women’s soccer team.
Leslie Beasley, a junior special education major, said she was there to get a snow cone and to visit with everyone returning to campus for the semester.
Some students, however, said they were somewhat disinterested.
“I went, got a snow cone, then left,” said Cody Stuckey, a senior business administration major. He said he left early because “it was hot,” a complaint echoed by several other attendees.
The party officially ended at 9:30 p.m. after the final raffle was drawn and the music came to a halt. Students then returned to the residence halls to prepare for their first day of classes the next morning.
