Highlights included a rock climbing wall, a mechanical bull, and a game called The Wrecking Ball. Many people, young and old, tried their hand at the rock-climbing wall, one of the most popular games of the event.
There was also Style Your Sole booth for people to decorate their TOMS shoes, which were also sold at the event. These custom shoes saw a variety of designs, from paint splatters to landscapes.
“Style Your Sole is an awesome way to explore your creativity” Taylor Meyer, a junior Graphic Design major and owner of Taylored TOMS, said. “I think people really enjoy the freedom they have when decorating their own TOMS.”
When they weren’t playing games or painting shoes, students stretched out on the grass to watch local bands compete in a Battle of the Bands, the main draw of the afternoon. There was a diverse array of competitors, ranging from rock groups like Archimedes Watch Out and Five Floors Above to hip hop groups like Team Glory. However, each attracted a different age group.
“[Neverblu] played really well for [what looked like] a first time band,” JR Alvarado, a freshman theatre performance major, said.
“I like [the Fordham 4’s] sound and style,” Emily LeGrande, a freshman Sports and Exercise Science major, said. Her mother, Sharon LeGrande, came to visit for the weekend and also enjoyed the diversity of the bands.
“I like the cellist [of the Fordham 4],”Sharon LeGrande said. “They’re really unique.”
Team Glory brought something different to the competition with their slick beats and Christian rhymes. By the end of their set, people were dancing and wanted to take pictures with the group.
“We expected that people may or may not like us,” Mike Loera of Team Glory said. “We’re different, but some people like that.”
Attendees voted for their favorite band via text message, and in the end, Team Glory won. The group will open for Hawk Nelson on April 21 in the First United Bank Center.
“This will be a great opportunity for us,” said Loera. “A lot of people know them and we’re both Christian groups.”
As for the Spring Fling, party-goers seemed to enjoy themselves and some students expressed a desire to see such an event happen again.
“We should have more events like this,” Jacob Kemp, a General Studies major, said. “It would be cool to get more organizations involved in the future.”
