Thousands of Wolfpack students lined Cates Avenue long before the clock hit 5:30 p.m . when RecFest 2011 began Sunday night. In years past, RecFest has been held on Miller Fields but found a new home in Carmichael Gymnasium this year. Many students had mixed feelings on the new location, including sophomore in sport management Luke Mitchell.
“RecFest this year was fun but I wish it had been on the intramural fields like last year,” Mitchell said. “I felt that I didn’t get to see as many of the different clubs since it was in such a small space with lots of people walking around. Overall, though, it was a good experience.”
Free admission, free food, giveaways, sports and — add to that — thousands of fellow Wolfpackers – sounds like a great experience attending RecFest 2011. For the eighth consecutive year, University Recreation put together this festival that is known as “the largest experiential college lifestyle festival in the nation.” University Recreation gathered support from local as well as national exhibitors and sponsors to give N.C . State students the chance to experience services, programs and groups that call campus and the surrounding Raleigh area home.
Students interested in finding out about groups and activities that go on around campus, especially club and intramural sports, found fellow students they were able to connect with because of a shared passion. As NCSU boasts 52 club sport teams alone, students had no problem networking and making their campus a little smaller by associating themselves with other students with similar interests.
Katie Putnam, a sophomore in English, shared her thoughts on the experience that RecFest afforded her.
“Being in Carmichael, Recfest was really fun this year,” Putnam said. “It was a great opportunity to learn about the club sports I was interested in as well as catching up with old friends.”
Students were able to talk to club sports representatives, get a massage, learn about Outdoor Adventures trips, get information about the upcoming seasons of not only Wolfpack sporting teams but also teams such as the Carolina Railhawks and the Carolina Hurricanes. Attendees also got a first look at the NCSU Dance team, talk to a cheerleader and jam with the live disc jockey. After students satisfied their intellectual appetites, they were able to try local cuisine, such as pizza, sandwiches and barbecue from local restaurants.
Not everyone thought RecFest was less enjoyable than it had been in years past. Another student, sophomore in First Year College Zach Phillips, enjoyed his second experience with RecFest.
“RecFest was a blast,” Phillips said. “It was like a mixture of sunshine, palm trees and freedom with a healthy dose of good will. I had a great time meeting new people.”
