Johnna Hartzog passed out glow sticks to students as they entered the Fling. – Photo by Colin Fontenot
KACIE KAUFMAN
Staff Reporter | kjk019@latech.edu
Louisiana Tech students filled the Lambright Center for a night to celebrate the return to school with the annual Fall Fling.
Union Board put on the event with attractions such as a live DJ, a water pong tournament and tacos to offer students. A photo booth and a welcome table filled with free glow sticks were also available.
“The goal is to provide entertainment for students. It’s what we’re put on campus to do,” said Colby Ashley, a senior in kinesiology and president of Union Board.
The Lambright was filled with students from a variety of majors and organizations. Ashley said it was an event where the Tech population could come together and enjoy a night of free entertainment.
“It embodies that whole Tech family aspect,” Ashley said.
Kayley Hurd, a sophomore special education major, said the outcome of Fall Fling was that it brought everybody together and showed how close the Ruston community was. She said it gave students an opportunity to not worry about school so much as well.
Hurd, who attended Fall Fling last year said she considered it a fun event. She said the addition of an inflatable water slide and the switch from hamburgers to tacos were welcome changes from the year before.
“Free tacos are always a blessing,” she said.
April Procell, a freshman graphic design major, said the tacos, music and the evidence of school spirit were all a draw to attend.
“I thought it was a good way to get out and meet people,” Procell said.
Kurston Griffin, a sophomore kinesiology major and first-time attendee of the event, said she was drawn to Fall Fling because of the diversity of the event.
“It’s people you don’t see on a day-to-day basis,” she said.
Griffin said that a lot of people were talking about the event and that it brought out a good group of people.
Ashley said that Tech was changing and doing different things with social media. He said the school had a number of Snapchat filters and utilized social media, and Union Board used these channels to draw students to events as well.
“We’re trying to put everything that we have on Snapchat,” Ashley said. “We’re trying to do a lot of different stuff with publicity and marketing our events.”
Ashley said that Fall Fling had the ability to set the tone for events to follow.
“It’s our first big event of the year. It always is,” Ashley said.
He said that if the students enjoyed themselves, they would be more likely to come back to other events.