UAC invites students to "Party on the Lawn"

Kathi Walker / The Bulletin

Acoustic singer/songwriter Steve Means performs for students at Party on the Lawn on Monday August 18. Means covered a variety of songs and was the main musical entertainment for the evening.

The Union Activities Council welcomed new and returning students Monday night by hosting “Party on the Lawn.”

“It’s an event every year,” said Lauren Padgett, senior communication major and UAC president. “We started planning at the beginning of the summer and everything came together in the last couple of weeks. It’s a great way for freshmen to meet.”

Students gathered on the Morse Hall lawn to enjoy live music, mingle, and learn about the Greeks and other campus organizations. Many groups also handed out gifts and food.

“I came out for the recruitment for sororities,” said Brooke Cunningham, freshman elementary education major. “Also, my RA told me about it.”

Party on the Lawn also served as an opportunity for some freshman students to go out and meet new people and relax before the semester becomes hectic.

“[Emporia] is really different compared to Kansas City,” said Ashley Wakefield-Hall, freshman pre-engineering major. “I’m ready for school but not looking forward about being stressed out with deadlines.”

E-Zone, Emporia State’s student spirit organization, presented a skit to get students fired up. During football season, the group hosts a pre-game event called the Black Hole, which starts at 10:30 a.m. on game days and ends when the game begins. They have themes for each football game, and give away food and prizes.

Steve Means, a Nashville, Tenn., musician, played the acoustic guitar and sang. Padgett said that UAC chose Means as an entertainer for the party after hearing one of his CDs.

“The music is pretty good actually,” said Derrek Zietz, sophomore communication major. “This year [Party on the Lawn] was better because there was more interaction.”

A schedule of upcoming UAC events can be found on the UAC page on the ESU Web site.