The Winter Fair, hosted on Jan. 29, acted as a bridge between the action-filled month of Step Sing and the rest of the spring semester. With a DJ, Samford beanie handouts, the Sons Donuts food truck and a lively atmosphere, students came out to enjoy one another’s company and officially ring in the new semester.
To ease students back into the academic world after the hustle and bustle of Step Sing, Student Activities hosted the “Winter Fair” on Ben Brown Plaza. Since a large percentage of students participate in Step Sing, it is often a struggle for them to transition back to normal life. Whether a student was performing in a show, involved behind the scenes or working with the Step Sing committee, this Samford tradition takes up a significant amount of space in most students’ lives.
Bri Garcia, a Samford junior and student activities chair, led the event. She described the event as a celebration of getting through Step Sing and the month of January as a whole. She hoped the fair-themed event would incorporate more of Samford’s student body. To encourage student attendance, student activities workers handed out Samford beanies, a new piece of swag that differentiated this event from others.
“We’ve always done t-shirts,” Garcia said. “We wanted to do something that was different and more Samford themed. Since it’s winter, why not beanies?”
For many students, it feels as though the spring semester truly kicks into gear after Step Sing is over. Bailey Shepherd, a junior class council representative, shared her feelings on the impact Winter Fair had on the student body.
“It’s a great way to start the week after experiencing the high of Step Sing this weekend,” Shepherd said.
Step Sing brings the campus community together, and it can be difficult to adjust when that abruptly comes to an end.
“When you come off a month-long event of unification like Step Sing, I feel like it’s important to still find ways to unify the campus,” Shepherd said. “Events like this are really good for getting people out of their comfort zone and seeing new faces.”
Student Government Association President James Jefferson was another fan of the fair and the positive way it is setting up our student body for the semester. Jefferson had the chance to see behind the scenes of this event and all the work put into it.
“It took a lot of preparation, a lot of participation from all of our committees, [and] we’re super excited anytime we get the chance to bring campus together, especially after the Step Sing season,” Jefferson said. “The spring semester is something to set your eyes on, and Winter Fair is the perfect start.”
Staff Writer
