Southern Utah University is hosting “Most Fun Friday” on Friday, April 23. The all-day activities will include hot air balloon rides, a Ferris wheel and a ticketed outdoor dance.
The day of events is meant to wrap up an exhausting “dead week” and give students a chance to celebrate the end of a tough semester.
The event is the latest and greatest of SUU’s newest activity program, dubbed “TGIF,” or “T-Birds Gather, It’s Friday,” which sponsors events on campus every Friday. In the past, TGIF activities have included food trucks, yard games, and inflatables.
The program is SUU President Scott L Wyatt’s brainchild, and with the help of the First Year Experience and Student Programming Board teams, it will result in the most exciting TGIF activity of the year.
“We need to come together more,” President Wyatt said. “It’s good for our mental health, it’s good for building friends, and it’s good for building a sense of togetherness.”
From 8-10 a.m. there will be hot air balloons on the Practice Field located west of the football field, and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. there will be fair booths and street art on the Library Quad. Then, from 2-5 p.m. there will be a Ferris wheel and carnival activities on the Multipurpose Quad, and from 5-7 p.m. there will be live music and food trucks on the Library Quad.
The day will culminate in a dance, hosted by SUU alumnus DJ Sora, that will take place from 8-10 p.m. on the Library Quad.
“People are more likely to stay in college if they build connections,” President Wyatt continued. “That’s really the whole point.”
He also offered some advice to any students who feel nervous about the results of their final exams and presentations.
“Work hard- as hard as you can,” President Wyatt said. “But don’t be too concerned about grades. What we are trying to do here is develop people. And that doesn’t happen through just successes but failures too.”
For President Wyatt, this is more than just a typical fun Friday event, but a celebration of finishing strong and completing a difficult semester.
“I hope that the event will bring a sense of community and joy for students who have been stressing about finals and grades,” President Wyatt said.
Story by: Aspen English
Email: life@suunews.net
Photo courtesy of Christopher Dimond
