SGA Hosts Second Annual Fall Fest

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SGA Hosts Fall Festival

Association (SGA) Class Leadership Councils (CLCs) hosted their second annual Fall Fest event on October 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. on Whitnall Field. Co-sponsored by the Broad Street Association, Sidekicks Mentorship club, Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, the event included a large tent surrounded by inflatables, pumpkin painting and lawn games. Ray Brothers BBQ catered the event, which also provided hot chocolate, donuts and carmel apple stations. Colgate’s all-male a capella group, The Colgate 13, and the Tach band performed songs including “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man and “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers. 

Preparation for the event began last spring, with more formal action occurring earlier this school year. 2020 CLC Vice-President Vanessa Lizana led the planning of the 2019 Fall Fest, alongside 2020 CLC President Hunter Maclean and Class Council Liaison Gracie Morgan. According to Lizana, CLC requested a majority of the event’s funding from the SGA Budget Allocation Committee.

“Planning consisted of us utilizing and expanding on the ideas from the event last year as this was its second year and is going to become an annual event. We had to call and order all of the food, work with the Tach band and the Colgate Thirteen so they’d perform, budget our money so we could make the event bigger than last year, and other things like that,” Lizana said. 

Morgan said the event aimed to bring together different groups within the Colgate community.

“My goal for Fall Fest is to bring together up-the-hill and down-the-hill communities. In an ideal world, people of all years and affiliations can sit together and sip a cup of hot cocoa as their peers serenade them. Fall Fest works to accomplish this school unity,” Morgan said.

2022 Class Council member Gretchen Bowers designed the publicity materials, utilizing social media to publicize the event to Colgate students, faculty and the surrounding Hamilton community. Bowers also orchestrated the event’s partnership with Sidekicks, an organization that fosters close friendship between local elementary students and Colgate students. 

Junior Gianna Irwin said she enjoyed participating in the event’s activities with her sidekick.

“My highlight had to be when my second grader sidekick, Karter, painted his hand and started finger painting his pumpkin and putting his handprints on my pumpkin,” Irwin said. 

Lizana said she felt the event was largely successful, as students and surrounding community members gathered to celebrate the start of autumn. 

“The tent was packed within the first half-hour, and everyone really enjoyed the food and music. We also loved working with the community and having the kids being involved and having fun which [was] my personal favorite seeing both the Colgate and Hamilton community come together to enjoy food and the fall weather,” Lizana said.

First-year Emma Boultinghouse commented on her positive experience at the Fall Fest event. 

“I really enjoyed seeing all the young kids running around, the band performing, and all the delicious food. I think everyone who was there was enjoying it, and it is a good reason to get outside even when it’s cold,” Boultinghouse said.