Springtime was slow in coming this year, but it did arrive just in time for Seton Hill University’s (SHU�s) first annual Spring Thing, a two-day festival of live music, food, games and laughter held Friday, April 20 through Saturday, April 21 on the lawns in front of Sullivan Hall and the McKenna Center.
The weekend of outdoor festivities was planned and staffed entirely by student members of SHU’s Student-Body Activities Council. Plans for Spring Thing have been in the works since before Christmas, according to Sean Garrity, a junior and one of SAC’s two student executives.
�We wanted a big springtime blow-out to take advantage of the warm weather,� Garrity said. Alternative plans were made in case of bad weather.
By Megan Ritter,
Staff Writer
Springtime was slow in coming this year, but it did arrive just in time for Seton Hill University’s (SHU�s) first annual Spring Thing, a two-day festival of live music, food, games and laughter held Friday, April 20 through Saturday, April 21 on the lawns in front of Sullivan Hall and the McKenna Center.
The weekend of outdoor festivities was planned and staffed entirely by student members of SHU’s Student-Body Activities Council. Plans for Spring Thing have been in the works since before Christmas, according to Sean Garrity, a junior and one of SAC’s two student executives.
�We wanted a big springtime blow-out to take advantage of the warm weather,� Garrity said. Alternative plans were made in case of bad weather.
�We would have been all set to move the event into Lowe Dining Hall and the McKenna Center,� said Lindy Repp, a junior and a member of SAC.
The first day of Spring Thing opened at noon on Friday, April 20 with an outdoor lunch and a performance by John Rush, billed as �The Human iPod.�
Rush took a broad range of audience requests – pulling from every genre of music — singing and playing guitar accompanied by an instrumental track of the requested song.
The day closed with an 8:00 p.m. performance by the Boston-based funk/jam band Parker House and Theory.
Saturday’s events began with a barbecue dinner on the lawns. A free carnival accompanied by live music began at 7:00 p.m. The carnival featured midway-style games, airbrush tattoos, fun photos, an assortment of food, inflatable sets, including sumo wrestling and an obstacle course, and two events to raise money for victims of the April 16 massacre on the campus of Virginia Tech that left 33 dead .
�Between the win-a-fish booth and the dunk tank, we raised $426.76,� said Karen Ricco, area coordinator for the Office of Residence Life.
Spring Thing hosted five distinctly different musical talents: The Hormones, featuring John Stefaniak, SHU freshman; Still i Fall, featuring Nathaniel Guhl, a freshman; Pittsburgh-based ska band Masters of the Universe; Jon Stewart, a senior, on acoustic guitar, accompanied by Steve Meredith, a sophomore, on keyboard; and Marc McDonough, a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh, on acoustic guitar.
�The music was a great idea, but I think some of it wasn’tto the taste of Seton Hill students,� said Meredith.
�There are enough talented musicians on this campus that for next year’s event, maybe SAC could look at having an audition process so that more students can perform for their peers,� Meredith added.
While SAC posted a suggestion board for next year’s Spring Thing on the door of their office in Lowe Hall 101, there were few complaints to be heard from the student body.
�I tried everything, I can’teven choose a favorite part of the weekend…I would�ve liked the whole thing to have gone on longer,� said Alan Knepper, a junior.
Spring Thing will indeed become an annual event, again hosted and funded entirely by SAC and the Office of Activities and Commuter Life.
�SAC took bids from different companies and voted as an organization which games and events we wanted to see, but we�re open to any suggestions from students,� said Meredith Harber, a junior and SAC student executive.
�We tried to have a little something for everyone,� said Harber.
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