By Adam Betz and Ashlee Thornton
Special to the Live Wire

Smiles. As one student put it, all you could see was the smiles on student’s faces as they participated in the activities available on May 5 during Manchester Community College’s annual Spring Fling event.

Held outside of the Great Path Academy and Learning Resource Center buildings, the spring-time sun beat down on students as they got to choose how they wanted to enjoy themselves. Whether it be getting their face painted, riding a mechanical bull, jumping in a bounce house, or just listening to the live music, there was something for everyone. There was also a Seat Belt Convincer, which simulates a vehicle collision to stress the importance of wearing a seat belt, a serious message snuck in amid all the fun.

As a result, the possibility of meeting new people and forming new friendships was high.

“It’s a chance for people to meet other people,” said Ian Edwards, a General Studies student. “And it’s a chance for people to experience pretty good community life.”

Because MCC is a small school, big events like this only happen a few times a year. This adds to the excitement for students when the date finally arrives.

“I think events like this are good,” said Fabian Fonseca, a recent graduate who still takes a few courses at the college. “Even though we are not a big school, it’s still a way for people to wind down a little bit, and kind of ease the tension a little bit.”

With exams and the end of the semester rapidly approaching, students definitely needed something to help keep their stress levels down.

Lariah Jackson, a Communication major, expressed her appreciation for the nice weather and the timing of the event.

“It’s really nice out today,” she said. “So it’s fun to have an event outside for everyone to enjoy before our finals start.”

Just as importantly as being a source of fun and entertainment for the students, the event served as a venue for various clubs and organizations at the college to gain a little visibility and notoriety from students that may not know about them. The Outdoor Club, Art Club and the DARC Program all manned table to tell students about what they do on campus.

Fonseca was working the ICE Radio table.

“We [ICE Radio] are attending Spring Fling to try and just get our name out there,” Fonseca said.

Some students, however, felt like more advertising could have been done to hype the Spring Fling itself.

“Spring Fling was sprung upon me,” said Scott Pretty, a business major. “I did not hear about it before today.”

In Pretty’s eyes, this would be a simple fix in the future.

“Maybe they could put up posters or flyers ahead of time,” Pretty said. “Maybe put an article on the school website. That way more people would know about the event.”

“Nobody seemed to be frowning or anything like that,” said Edwards. “Everyone seemed to pretty happy. All I saw were smiles.”

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