This past weekend, students were welcomed to UNC with the long-standing tradition of FallFest, hosted by the Carolina Union. Around 24,000 students were in attendance, including the new class of 2021. With 360 student organizations present, and 22 performances, Fall Fest served as an informative and energetic welcome to Carolina.
First-years James DePolo and Goutam Gadiraju attended the event after convocation and enjoyed the yearly tradition. Gadiraju said he found that FallFest showcased the variety and diversity of student organizations.
"I’m feeling overwhelmed, but a good overwhelmed,” Gadiaju said.
DePolo said he wished the event happened at a different time to let first-years get settled. FallFest occurs after first-years move in, but before students have their first day of class.
“I think it might make sense to do it a little later, when people are more settled and know their way around campus,” DePolo said.
For student organizations, FallFest serves as a way to recruit new members and publicize the group. Madison Casey, the social chair of Kamikazi Hip Hop Dance Team, said that FallFest is an important part of the team's publicity and recruitment, as the team both performs and has an information table.
“It definitely gets our name out there to all the freshman and gets us the chance to talk to people,” Casey said.
The massive event was coordinated by Joselle Torres, Board Chair for FallFest. She said the event is a group effort of multiple offices and stakeholders on campus and is important to the student experience.
“It’s an integral part of student life at Carolina," she said. "It’s a long standing tradition.”
