South Campus Recreation Center was buzzing with eager students on Thursday evening for the university’s annual RebFest.
The event, hosted by the Department of Campus Recreation, drew a large crowd of new and returning students for a lively night of games, free merch and information about the year ahead. Students attending the event had a chance to learn more about intramural sports and campus resources like Student Disability Services and the University Counseling Center.
Sponsors for the event included Campus Recreation, Division of Student Affairs, Chancellor’s Grove Initiative, Special Events, Dining, Student Activities Association and the Student Union.
Amanda Alpert Jessee, associate director of Campus Recreation Programs, said the event seemed just as full as last year’s event, which hosted more than 1,600 students.
The Department of Campus Recreation introduced new activities each year. Jessee said her department wants to encourage students to return, even if they have already attended in previous years. This year, the newly added mechanical shark garnered one of the longest lines at the event.
Games also kept athletically inclined students entertained. Inside the South Campus Recreation Center, event staff refereed games of volleyball and basketball. Breaking a sweat was not required to have a good time at RebFest, though. The “Hammock Hangout” offered a more relaxed environment for friends to catch up.
Students sampled some of the new campus food trucks before the first day of class, including Low Tide Poke Company. Freshman allied health studies major Bea Novkovic was among those in line for a bowl.
Novkovic and her friend Mallie Burton, a freshman biology major, took the opportunity to speak to the Study Abroad Office, one of the organizations tabling at the event. As STEM majors, the two wondered whether their demanding coursework would get in the way of studying in a foreign country.
“We both were kind of nervous that we wouldn’t be able to (study abroad) just because of how complicated our majors are, but we did find out that we could do it if we just did it earlier on,” Novkovic said.
The event’s tabling area also included intramural sports clubs. Rich Mugler, a senior entrepreneurship major, tabled for the Men’s Ice Hockey Club. He appreciated the opportunity RebFest provided to the club to engage in student outreach throughout his time at the university.
“Playing hockey in the South, most people don’t expect us to be here and have a club,” Mugler said. “It’s always cool to see the turnout. It’s always bigger than I expected it to be.”
To close out the night, students were treated to free late night snacks from popular restaurant chains in the area. Chicken Salad Chick, Smoothie King and Domino’s guaranteed no one went home with an empty stomach.
It takes a large workforce to keep such events running smoothly. RebFest was primarily staffed by student workers employed by Campus Recreation. The students’ duties ranged from refereeing a match of “bubble soccer” to handing out free t-shirts and coupons.
“All of our programs and activities are run by students,” Jessee said. “We have over 250 student employees.”
Jessee encourages students looking for a campus job to attend one of the virtual or in-person Campus Recreation job fairs being held during the next few weeks. One of the student workers’ jobs is to plan and host RebFest each year.
“I’m just excited that there’s a lot of students who always show up because RebFest, for us, is just a way for students to kick off the year and learn about different resources on campus and things they can get involved with,” Jessee said. “That’s really our goal.”
