Community revels in season

Children swarmed the face-paint and arts-and-crafts tables, unconcerned by the foreboding sky at this year's Fall Fest at Baity Hill.

Fall Fest is a celebration of the family housing community, sponsored by the department of housing and residential education and the Baity Hill and Mason Farm community staff.

With the completion of the $43 million, student-family housing project, family housing has increased to 398 apartments.

Lisa Inman, the community director of Baity Hill, said the event's purpose was two-fold.

"We are hoping to celebrate the opening of Baity Hill and Mason Farm community that we just finished building," she said. "Fall Fest by itself has always been a tradition in the student housing community. It's a chance for the entire community to come together and meet their neighbors and have a good time."

Due to the inclement weather, Fall Fest scaled back its activities. There was no inflatable bounce house, but there were still a face-painting area and an arts-and-crafts table where children could paint flower pots.

There was also an area with tables where residents could mingle and enjoy the food catered by Saladelia Cafe.

Kristin Hardy, wife of Ammon Hardy, a graduate student at the School of Pharmacy, said Fall Fest was a good chance to meet her neighbors.

"I sometimes see the mothers at the playgrounds, but I don't see the fathers as often," said Kristin Hardy, who sometimes brings her daughter Emma to play.

Some of the displaced undergraduate students from Cobb Residence Hall also attended Fall Fest. Cobb residents were routed to Baity Hill in the beginning of the school year due to their dormitory's delayed construction.

Jenn Kolos, a sophomore resident at Baity Hill and a volunteer at the event, said this was a great way to meet the families whom she usually would see only in the elevators.

"Cute kids make me happy," Kolos said. "It's fun helping out, and it's also a social opportunity to get out in your community and meet people."

Although the majority of attendees at Fall Fest was families, Debbie Vandrimmelen, one of the Baity Hill and Mason Farm apartment community advisers, estimated that probably one-third of the diverse crowd was Cobb residents.

"You can't force anyone into a relationship, but at least this gives them an opportunity to meet and mingle," she said of undergraduate-family relations.

Not even an impromptu fire alarm could put a damper on the festivities.

"People evacuated pretty quickly," Vandrimmelen said. "And the fireman was a big hit with the kids when he came."

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.