FallFest at UNC moves to Friday

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said student organizations would be in the Pit on Friday, but only major sponsors of the original FallFest were confirmed to be in the Pit during that time. The story has been changed to reflect this.

Students disappointed by the cancellation of FallFest will still have a chance to pack their bags with free stuff.

FallFest sponsors will be setting up in the Pit on Friday to try to recreate the festive atmosphere, though it will admittedly be smaller.

“We’re trying to do as much as we can to provide opportunities for students to get what was going to be distributed in various ways over a period of time on campus,” said Don Luse, director of the Carolina Union.

Some of the most prominent campus organizations will set up booths around the Pit on Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Luse said.

“We decided Friday would be a great time for departments to have an opportunity to promote themselves during a high traffic time during the week,” said Karen Cunningham, director of marketing and special events for Campus Recreation.

The Carolina Union is also arranging for extra space to be available in the Pit this week and next.

But Luse said FallFest will not entirely be rescheduled due to conflicts with class schedules.

“With student organizations, we’re trying to just make sure we’re getting as many tables around the Pit and get the Pit filled as much as we possibly can,” he said.

Ray Angle, director of University Career Services, said his office will not offer as much on Friday as it would have at FallFest.

“I would say we’re going to scale back significantly because we would have been posting obstacle courses and mini golf areas,” Angle said.

To compensate for the cancellation on Sunday, Carolina Creates organized several performance groups, such as the Clef Hangers, an a cappella group, to visit residence halls Sunday night.

“It was a cool alternative to the planned activities of FallFest,” said Hudson Vincent, president of Carolina Creates.

Vincent said Carolina Creates is also working with about 50 performance groups that were scheduled for FallFest to make appearances on campus soon.

But some students are worried the FallFest cancellation will alter the typical freshmen experience in a negative way.

“It’s something you look forward to as a freshman — so there’s always next year, but it’s not the same,” sophomore Preetha Naidu said.

Freshman Mackenzie Collins said she was disappointed to learn that FallFest would not be happening this year.

“Once I realized that people were going to be hanging out in the Pit during classes I felt better about it being canceled,” Collins said.

“But the social aspect of FallFest isn’t going to be the same.”

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