by Lindsie Wagner
Students flooded the HUB April 30 to mark the arrival of spring with a carnival including entertainment such as a live band, a hypnotist and the Mr. Whitworth competition.
Springfest, an annual occurrence at Whitworth, raised money this year for the Jamaica Christian School for the Deaf.
Senior Pierre Biscaye, ASWU activities coordinator, organized the entertainment for the event. The acts were chosen based on what students have enjoyed in previous years, he said.
“The Trance Lady came last year and was well-received,” Biscaye said. “So I thought she’d be well-received this year.”
The band, Cousin Affect, also seemed to gather student interest, Biscaye said.
Mike Woods, the self-professed “original gangster” behind Cousin Affect, said that the group mainly plays at college campuses and seeks to spread a positive message.
“[Our music] is more about the end product,” Woods said. “A lot of bands, the music is the end product. With us, it’s a means to the end.”
Woods said that the band has a very diverse fan base, from Christians to atheists.
“I always had a dream that we could rock a show and have an 80-year-old like it and a 5-year-old like it too,” Woods said.
Over a dozen clubs and other groups set up booths in the HUB to sell concessions and offer activities for Springfest attendees.
Duvall Hall was one of the groups who offered a booth. The residence hall leadership team served pancakes with various toppings.
“It was just a good way to give back tot he community and fundraise in a fun way,” junior Karrina Dehle, a Duvall RA who helped man the booth during Springfest.
She said the atmosphere felt like a true celebration.
“I feel like people’s spirits were up because it was the first really nice day after all of the snow and rain,” Dehle said.
Biscaye said that he felt the event went well overall, although he did say that it was somewhat quiet for the first couple of hours.
“I think it was really early to ask people to come on a Saturday,” Biscaye said. “The only consideration I had is to move it later in the day, when people are more out and about.”