By: Jack DiDomenic
Dominican University’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) welcomed students to the Quad for an afternoon of fall festivities. From inflatable boxing to delicious foods, to creative costumes, there was no shortage of fun at Fall Fest.
CAB President Aldo Cervantes thoroughly enjoyed planning this year’s event. When speaking on the process of putting this year’s event on its feet, Cervantes shared that “A lot of it is just being on your computer trying to visualize it. There’s Pinterest boards, there’s Excel sheets, and all of that is nothing until its created, put it into the campus and everything.” To Cervantes, that is by far “the most exciting part.”
This year CAB partnered with DU Ministry in an effort to draw even more students to the event. This allowed for a much larger celebration than previous years, highlighting Hispanic culture at Dominican with an emphasis on Día De Los Muertos. This change did not go unnoticed by students. Sophomore Vanessa Bautista said “The procession they led and the beautiful altar was a meaningful way to represent Hispanic culture” and “see this important part of our culture shared with the rest of the school community.”
As expected, it wouldn’t be Fall Fest without a new T-shirt design from CAB, and that is exactly what they delivered. “The shirt design this year was designed by our Andy – Andrew Nunez, he incorporated three different elements. We had fall, Día De Los Muertos, and Halloween, and I think it was nicely blended,” said Cervantes.
The treats at this year’s Fall Fest were a success no doubt. This year, food trucks owned by DU’s very own faculty pulled up. CAB Publicist Sandra Magdaleno commented on this, saying “this year like most, the thing people enjoyed the most is the treats.” The line for “Ana’s ice cream truck is always long, which is awesome that we get to support our staff.”
Fall Fest also saw a life-sized Hungry Hungry Hippos and inflatable boxing ring hit the Quad. A costume contest was held as well, showcasing the work of Dominican students in preparation for this year’s Halloween. Cervantes wanted to ensure that CAB focused on events that “engage more than one student.” Bautista had “fun seeing everyone get creative, show off their costumes, and embrace their inner child. It definitely put me in the Halloween spirit.”
In addition to Fall Fest, CAB also carried out various other themed festivities throughout the week. The likes of which included Bingo with Dominican’s sisters, a blood drive, and painting pumpkins. For Dominican students, it was as easy as stepping onto campus to be filled with the spirit of the fall season.
