With fall comes Freshman Follies

By Travis Taylor

Reporter

Turns out, the “Hunger Follies” is not just a food fight. But that does not mean students will not get messy.

Freshman Follies, an annual event hosted by Student Foundation, will be held at 6 p.m. today in Fountain Mall.

“It’s a ‘fun with food’ event designed to increase good will with freshman students,” said Savannah, Ga. senior MK Moore. “It’s time to show freshmen that college is fun.” Moore is the Student Foundation’s campus promotions co-chair.

This year’s Freshman Follies, titled “The Hunger Follies” in the style of the “Hunger Games” book series, will have a Slip’n’Slide, relay races and plenty of “Hunger Games” related team activities, such as the “cornucopia” and the “arena,” for diehard fans.

“We’re just trying to have fun on campus,” Moore said.

This year’s freshman class has 3,254 students, which is second in size only to the 2010 freshman class.

With one of the biggest freshman classes in school history, Moore said activity is meant to get people together.

“Since it is a lot bigger, it can be harder to meet people,” Moore said. “This event makes it easier.”

Kingwood freshman Jay Fields, the freshman class president, said this event will help bring the class together so people can start building relationships.

“It’s a good chance to bond as a class,” Fields said. “One of the things we want to emphasize as a class is to build unity.”

Fields said events like Freshman Follies can help build an identity for the class of 2016, and he encourages as many students as possible to attend.

“I’d say definitely come out. It will be a great opportunity to meet more freshmen,” Fields said.

Fields said he wants to use his position as freshman class president to help serve others while emphasizing missions and service.

Fields said he wants to organize a service opportunity where the freshman class helps with Operation Christmas Child, an organization that donates shoeboxes full of toys to underprivileged children around the world.

Conroe senior Garrett Peery said Freshman Follies is a big part of Student Foundation’s on-campus involvement. Peery works as a campus promotions co-chair alongside Moore.

“Part of our mission statement is that we aim to build good relations with Baylor past, present and future,” Peery said.

Peery said Student Foundation works with incoming high school students as well as Baylor alumni in order to maintain involvement with all aspects of the Baylor community.

Peery said he expects a big turnout at the event.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we had our biggest Freshman Follies ever,” Peery said.

Student Foundation is also responsible for hosting a number of other events on campus, from Fall Festival, which was hosted for the first time last year, to the Bearathon — a half marathon, 5K event — which celebrated its 10th anniversary last spring. Student Foundation uses money gathered from events like the Bearathon for student scholarships.