Fall Festival Fosters Community
Author: Kyla M. Editor: Grace C.
On Tuesday, Nov. 9, the Fraternity and Sorority Life community got together for food, games, and fun at the annual Fall Festival located on Langford Green. The event was open to members of all four Greek Councils to bring together the community.
The Panhellenic Council holds a Fall Festival every year to celebrate community and bring women from all 17 chapters together. This year, Rocio C., Vice President of Programming for the Panhellenic Association, decided that the Fall Festival could be a time to bring everyone in the Greek community together. She opened the event to all members from each of the four Greek councils that make up Fraternity and Sorority Life on campus.
“I wanted to do something different with my term,” Rocio says. “The year before I was elected, the Fall Festival was not able to happen, so I had the opportunity to really make it my own. When we decided to make it community wide there was a lot to do to make the event successful. I had to take a step back and focus on being intentional. This was an important opportunity to bring our entire community together.”
Over 1000 students came out to the Fall Festival. This year, Rocio reached out to people beyond her committee for help with the event. Members from all chapters were invited to volunteer. Over 200 people came to run rides, organize food stations, and ensure the success of the event.
“We had everyone from seniors to new members, super involved members and general members come out,” Rocio says. “Seeing everyone come out is what our community is all about.”
The event had something for everyone to do. Bounce houses, bungee jumping, and trust falls for the individuals looking for a thrill; caricatures, airbrushing, and fortune telling for individuals looking for an adventure in art; and food from fried oreos to pineapple bowls. There was no shortage of things to do.
“Because we wanted to bring so many people into one event, we wanted to make sure that there was something for everyone to enjoy,” Rocio says.
Rocio also wanted to ensure that the event had a philanthropic aspect. The event partnered with the FSU Food For Thought Pantry and attendees were encouraged to bring food items from a list of things the pantry was in need of.
In addition to food donations, Rocio gathered Presidents from various chapters and FSL Staff to participate in “Pie a President.'' For $3 an individual received a pie tin with whipped cream that they could then use to pie a chapter President or FSL Staff member. All of the proceeds from this went to the Food for Thought Pantry.
“Thinking about the season we are entering, I really wanted to use this event as an opportunity to give back,” Rocio says. “So many people in our community are so fortunate and I wanted to take this time to recognize our ability to give to others on campus.”
The event raised around $400 and a large amount of food donations were given to the pantry. After not seeing this event for over a year, Rocio was able to turn it into a time of community and a way to give back to our campus as a whole.
“I hope that next year when people hear about the Fraternity and Sorority Life Fall Festival they remember how they felt in that moment of community,” Rocio says. “We hold so much power as a collective and that is such a beautiful thing. It truly is a gift to get to see this community come together and I am so excited for what is to come.”