By Debra Kate Schafer
Correspondent
It is safe to say that students got their hands dirty at the College Union Board’s Jungle Nooner on Tuesday, Oct. 9 as they immersed themselves in neon-colored dyes, delicious tacos and hard-earned sweat.
The midday event featured a tie-dye bandana station, a taco stand and an inflatable obstacle course. The course supported a massive gorilla, which helped tie in the nooner’s jungle theme.
Max Falvey, a senior communication studies major and executive director of CUB, explained that nooners have a long history at the College that dates back to 2008.
“There are a lot of different events like these nooners, like the Zooner we had not too long ago which was the petting zoo themed one that people loved,” Falvey said. “The Salooner was last week and that was popular. Clearly, we like to be punny with the names.”
The nooner commanded a lot of attention from the campus community — students stopped in the middle of their commute to class just to see what was attracting the crowds and long lines.
Students competed against their peers at the obstacle course while getting a much-needed break from their homework, midterms, jobs and meetings. The tie-dye station and the taco station were also quite popular among students and faculty alike.
“I think it’s really been successful,” said Zach Rich, a freshman computer science major and CUB member. “I’d say over 100 people did the obstacle course so far. Tie-dye is probably even more popular.”
Some students waited up to 20 minutes to grab some grub from the taco stand, but according to Maia Franco, a freshman biology and secondary education double major, the food was worth the wait.
“Having real and seemingly fresh food is the highlight of any college student’s day,” she said. “If it’s free like these are, thanks to CUB, it’s the highlight of their week.”
Harrison Township’s middle school and high school students were on a field trip to campus that afternoon and were able to participate in the day-time festivities too. Students were eager to race their friends in the obstacle course and try out the other activities.
“The point of (nooners) is just to have random, during-the-day, stress-relieving activities,” Falvey said.
