If you happened to pass by Tech Green around 6 p.m. on Thursday, you probably noticed a herd of eager yellow jackets galloping toward colorful houses and lassoing in some fun carnival games. Welcoming back students from spring break, GT’s SCPC hosted Sting Break: Sunset Rodeo, an annual campus carnival complete with free food, shirts, prizes, fun carnival rides and more. Students couldn’t have been more excited to blow off steam and hang with friends at a fair that is as local as it gets — right in their own backyard.
GT SCPC’s Sting Break was held across central campus, with SCPC staff handing out colorful and artistic maps to help students navigate the area. The fair started in the evening as students lined up along Tech Walkway to receive their wristbands and snacks. The event featured many local metro Atlanta businesses, such as The Popcorn Lady. When asked, “Sweet or salty?” — Sting Break had both, with selections ranging from fried Oreos to cheesy nachos.
Tech Green was transformed into an exciting carnival with inflatable obstacle courses, target-throwing games and bungee jumping. After being hilariously knocked off a mechanical bull, students could rest their loins and make fun crafts in the Cypress Theater. The tables ranged from novice to advanced crafts, with horseshoe decorating activities and leather bracelet-making stations. The most popular spot, however, was the painting table, where students could pick out a succulent and paint their own flower pot.
“The point is to bring something like that to students for free and conveniently on campus,” said Asiya Khan, third-year IE and SCPC Festivals Chair.
A lot of coordination and planning goes into an event as large as this, so much so that this was the only event Khan was in charge of as part of the executive team. Sting Break is always held the Thursday after spring break, so the SCPC committee immediately gets to work in January to find a theme, organize activities and plan a fun night accommodating all attendees.
“One of the most important things when it comes to planning this is making sure that you’re catering to all different students … it’s important — since the event is from 6 to 10 p.m. — to make sure people coming at different times still have access to food,” said Khan, acknowledging that many students are fasting for Ramadan during this time, while others have classes that run later.
The festival didn’t stop after food and crafting, as the entire Student Center was transformed for this extravagant event. On the upper floors, students could participate in fun scavenger hunts to receive adorable plushies, line up to get a balloon animal or make a funny video in the 360 photo booth. All around, students were decked out in their custom-made Sting Break T-shirts, complete with a mini Buzz riding a horse, excitedly running around and enjoying the break from courses.
“There was a lot of energy, which was really needed to get a break from the usual stress of classes. The people were very hardworking,” says Ingrid Nohara, first-year NRE commenting on the generosity of SCPC volunteers.
Outside the Student Center, students could experience zero gravity on rides that spun them around and flipped them upside down. They watched the sunset over Atlanta while spinning almost 80 feet in the air.
“I really hope the rides don’t inspire any physics professors,” jokes Lily Alterman, first-year EE student. “But seriously, it was a really cool event, very organized, and a great way to relax and hang out with friends.”
All in all, Sting Break: Sunset Rodeo was a blast for students. As the semester wraps up and finals approach, SCPC presents a night to remember, full of wild fun and rodeo-themed entertainment.
“It was a great experience. The event maintained a sort of silly, goofy vibe while also being very well put together. My thanks to the SCPC team,” beamed Jafet Marte, first-year AE.