“Get Involved.” That was the theme this year at Longwood University’s First Friday Back. Longwood University’s annual event took place on Aug. 29, on Iler Field and started at 4 p.m. Traditionally hosted by the Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC), First Friday Back experienced huge changes this year.
Instead of acting as a recruiting event for mainly IFC organizations, First Friday Back acted as an event where students could learn about opportunities for involvement and leadership on Longwood’s campus.
Sponsored by Fraternity and Sorority Life, the Office of Citizen Leadership and Social Justice Education, Lancer Productions, Residential and Commuter Life and Campus Recreation, this event turned out bigger and better this year.
Senior and Lancer Production President, Jeffrey Reason said, “Past First Friday Back’s have seemed to be put together last minute almost, or something very plain. This one, you could tell the university took time to put together and students really, truly enjoyed it. Students showed up because they wanted to, not because they felt they had to.”
In addition to the new sponsors, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life added new games like giant checkers and cards, live Angry Birds, basketball, a photo booth and a large blow-up waterslide to the Friday afternoon event.
As students slid down the waterslide to catch a break from the Friday sun, others enjoyed dancing to the DJ, who played today’s recent hits throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
The first 400 students who arrived, received free root beer floats in souvenir First Friday Back stadium cups, and also enjoyed s’mores.
Reason said, “I thought it was great to see all of these organizations at Longwood come together to just have a great event for the student body, as well as for faculty and staff to just come out and have a good time to celebrate the school year kicking off again.”
Another change this year was the location of the event. Due to the variety of the many additions, like the waterslide and giant table games, the location of the event was moved from the Health and Fitness Center out onto Iler Field.
Attendees could walk around Iler Field and encounter tents and tables with different clubs and organizations. There, they could meet members of the organizations, find out about upcoming organization-related events, as well as receive free goodies from them like flyers, sunglasses and koozies.
Especially for Longwood’s fraternities and sororities, this event was used as a big recruitment event for potential new members to meet and socialize with the different Greeks. The Greek organizations brought out giant letters and corn hole boards to invite others to join the fun.
Junior Andrew Carr said, “I think it was a great success because all Greek life came out. Also, non-Greeks and just different student organizations such as Lancer Productions and the Chess Club came. It displayed what Longwood really means—being a big family and just having a good time together.”
With so many changes and different organizations involved, this year’s First Friday Back was a different experience that encouraged students to “Get Involved” within Longwood University activities, jobs, clubs, organizations and leadership opportunities.
