Krysten McCully didn’t know she’d spend part of her day rolling around inside a human-sized bowling ball after class Tuesday afternoon.
But that was just one activity she and many other students enjoyed at the Sports Illustrated Campus Fest, which will continue today behind the rock on Farm Lane.
“This whole thing is really great,” McCully, a pre-vet freshman, said. “It’s both resourceful and fun.”
Many students who attended the event Tuesday said it was both an enjoyable and informative experience - with the chance to take home lots of freebies and sign up for sweepstakes.
The sixth annual Sports Illustrated Campus Fest is America’s largest interactive college tour.
McCully stopped by the festival between leaving class and heading to work with friend Derek Young.
The two picked up a Campus Fest round-trip ticket, which granted them access to several interactive experiences, like virtual surfing, a football toss game and human bowling.
“It’s a good break in the afternoon,” said Young, a finance freshman.
In one trip, students can stop at more than 15 stations set up by both university organizations and commercial vendors, each offering their own free stuff, information or games.
They could also see Sparty arm wrestling a student at the Old Spice “Arm Wrestle Challenge,” or a dance routine by MSU Motion.
There were a few features that gained more popularity than others though - the freebies such as hot dogs and massages.
Finance sophomore Pat Jones was one student who took advantage of the free hot dogs, popcorn and Pepsi Cola products provided for the first time this year by University Housing, which brought the festival to MSU.
More and more students stopped at the concessions as word spread throughout the day.
“This is a lot better than going home and making lunch,” Jones said.
Jones was also one of many students who appreciated getting a massage from the Spa Pantene tent, where they could also enjoy minifacials, hair consultations and free samples.
Meanwhile, vendors enjoyed themselves, too.
“This is good publicity,” said Shahla Powell, a criminal justice freshman who worked in the Pantene tent. “Especially because a new line (of products) is coming out.”
Campus Fest officials are enjoying the success the free event has seen so far.
“It’s a great way for people to be informed about different things that are around, and it’s not pushy,” said Angelo Maceroni, one of Campus Fest’s promotional workers.
To some students, Campus Fest is more than a promotional event - it’s an opportunity to do something different in their typical school day.
Michael Marciniak, another festival promotional worker, said he noticed some student optimism.
And he enjoyed the blue skies, too.
“With the weather in a perfect mode like this, people are in better moods,” Marciniak said.
