Over 80 organizations applied; only 60 got what they wanted. This Spring Weekend, booths were certainly in high demand. Many organizations were wait-listed for one.
The Lankford Student Union Ballroom was packed with representatives from organizations April 5 as the rules for the booths were explained. Some of those attending this mandatory meeting had not even received booths, but were there in the hope that someone would not show up, thereby giving it away to another.
Those in charge of the distribution made sure that the organization representatives were clear on the rules for the booths. Those serving chili had to be on site by 8:30 a.m. All booths were required to be set up by noon on Saturday. At 12:05 p.m., all booths that weren't set up were given to an organization that was wait-listed.
The students were also told that there would be a $25 fine to any organization with trash left at their booth after the 5 p.m. clean up time.
Those participating in the Chili Cook-off had to provide their recipes to ARAMARK so that they could be provided with the ingredients that they would need.
For many organizations on campus, a Spring Weekend booth is an excellent opportunity for fundraising. Organizations who missed out on this opportunity were thoroughly disappointed. Some students pointed out there might have been more room for them around campus.
But those who attended the weekend were certainly not disappointed. The brightly decorated booths gave the campus a carnival atmosphere. The booths were decorated with colored paper, hand-painted banners, colorful tapestries, and many other creative things, all reflecting the cruise ship theme. They sold everything from fried Oreos to sunglasses; some offered games with prizes.
Of course, there was also chili. The booths with Chili Cook-off participants were clustered in one area on the field between the Cunninghams and the Lankford Students Union. Fire extinguishers hung on red posts near these booths, just in case. The wrestling team won the cook-off and the $250 cash prize.
Organizations of every sort occupied the booths, and students enjoyed working them to support their clubs. "It was really great," said Shelby Waugh, who worked selling hand-painted water bottles at the DASH booth. She noted that people would walk by, see what the booth was selling and come back with money. "That felt good," she said.
People were excited about the official Spring Weekend shirts, which were available for donations to Relay for Life at the Lancer Productions (LP booth. Krista Ellis rushed to get a shirt even though she went home for Spring Weekend. She explained she was excited about how it incorporated both the school colors and the cruise ship theme very well.
The free Mowi Wowi Smoothies provided by LP were also very popular, and came in several tasty flavors with little umbrellas in them. The colorful umbrellas became popular hair accessories for the female students who attended the weekend's events, which added to the island feel of the festivities.
Organizations fought hard for their booths and worked even harder to make them beautiful and profitable, which led to the overall success of the weekend. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. won the best booth competition with their creative design.
Registration for booths may have been hectic, but as always, Spring Weekend was a relaxing and enjoyable experience for many students as they cruised through the exciting booths.
