NEWS

Be sure to check out these other News articles:

Smithsonian exhibit reminds students of baseball legend
Engelby shares passion for marine life with students
Barnes: students should participate in politics
Georgia Highlands to host summer camp for at-risk boys
Phi Theta Kappa chapter receives top honors at international convention
Regent Willis J. Potts to speak at graduation 2008

 

 

Spring Fling goes 'Wild West' as students enjoy free food, country music, festivities

By Kyle Jones and Andrea Loveless
[email protected]
[email protected]
Staff Writers

The annual spring festival took place Wednesday, April 9, at the Cartersville Campus, and Thursday, April 10, at the Floyd Campus, offering beleaguered students and faculty a welcomed release from the end-of-semester stress.

There was live music, free food, old-fashioned pictures, simulated cattle roping and much more as Spring Fling 2008 got underway.

Many of the students were laughing and singing along with the music of Natalie Stovall and her band from Nashville, Tenn. Stovall sang and played the violin.

She ended the show with her own rendition of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" that brought much applause and cheers from her listeners.

Stovall said, "I love this! I went to Burklee in Boston, and we didn't have a campus so we never had this sort of thing. Is just so awesome to look out and see this beautiful lake! Yesterday at the Cartersville campus we took one of the old pictures, and it was hilarious! And I have never seen simulated calf roping before! It's really amazing that your college does this stuff for you!"

Aside from the Stovall show, students at the Cartersville campus enjoyed other festivities sponsored by many of Georgia Highlands College's clubs such as Books for Change and Green Highlands.

The clubs used games and baked treats as a fun way to inform fellow students of what they're all about.

It was evident that faculty and students took equal delight in the day's pleasantries when Frank Minor, associate professor of English, ended his class early so he could go out and join the party, strapped on his boots and showed off his lasso-skills in the Rodeo Calf Roper, creating one of the more memorable moments of the afternoon.

"I didn't know Mr. Minor was such a cowboy," remarked James Troiano, a former student of Minor's. The Rodeo Calf Roper was sponsored by the office for student life.

John Spranza, director of student life, said that he was " very pleased with the campus participation at spring fling by both students and faculty/staff. Everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves, and who could blame them? The weather was beautiful, the food was great, and the entertainment was just amazing! Spring Fling is certainly one event that we look forward to every year and I'm glad we had such a great turn-out at both the Floyd and Cartersville campuses," Spranza said.

Jenn Wright, assistant director of student life, alluded to what was perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the Spring Fling at Cartersville: stronger than expected student participation.