Annual Spud Olympics

The Spud Olympics is one of the many events that the ASG hosts.  The event had potato-themed games along with free food.  The Spud Olympics began with a game during which students had to balance a potato on a spoon and hop their way through a maze without letting the potato fall to the ground.  Out of all the contestants, only one made it to the very end of the maze without dropping his potato.  The games continued until the free food was offered to everyone at noon.
Steve Ferreira, one of the members of Student Programs, helped plan and host this event.  “Events like this are a great way to connect with others and meet new students and staff,” he said. “Instead of just coming to school, going to class and then leaving, you can actually hang out after class and make new friends.”  The main purpose of this event was to celebrate and appreciate volunteers who have helped facilitate other events in the past for Student Programs.  “We ran a similar event at the beginning of the quarter to help students find their books, so we wanted to give back to the volunteers and show them how much we appreciate them.”  One of the many common events volunteers have helped out with are the ice cream socials that occur each quarter.  Student Programs also make it their goal with events like this for students to get more connected with campus resources, other students, and have a great time.
Ferreira is very passionate about Student Programs and events like this that offer a safe and fun environment for anyone and everyone to have a good time.  “Student Programs is like another close family to me,” he said. “It is a great way to engage in other activities, connect with other staff members, make new friends and have a great time.”  Student Programs hosts a variety of events like this throughout each quarter; however, fall is usually when they host the most.  “Fall quarter is the busiest time of year, because it is the beginning of a new school year and volunteers are really needed to help out with all these events,” Ferreria noted.
Achilla, another member of Student Programs, is also very passionate about the events they host. “The Spud Olympics is part of volunteer appreciation,” Achilla said. “We basically have food and games, like a regular olympics, while offering the opportunity to have fun and meet people.  Events that Student Programs host, such as the Spud Olympics, help students get to know each other and help them get to know more about their sources at the school, offering them a greater chance to succeed.  Events like these also help students not feel alone – they meet people at these events and have friends they can hang out with in-between classes.” This event took place on Thursday, May 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in C212.