Springfest: Ferris wheels and tasty meals

By Kelly Burns, For The Miami Student

The group of girls picked up their pace as they crossed Patterson Street.

"Hurry up!" first-year Jess Statler called to her friends. "I want to get there before they're out of T-shirts!"

The girls, five in all, hurried up Spring Street until they finally could see the Ferris wheel that towered between Irvin and Kreger Hall.

They had arrived at MAP's annual Springfest.

"Come on! Come on!" Jess said, pulling her friends past the Ferris wheel, several game booths, a photo booth, a DJ and numerous students.

The group walked under the blue arch to join the long line of students who were also waiting for their free T-shirts.

"Jess, we need tickets first," first-year Ashley Kemper pointed out.

"Oh," Jess said with a disappointed look.

The girls stood there for a moment, unsure as to what to do.

"Let's go off of that thing," one of the girls said, pointing at the giant structure in the middle of the quad.

It was called the Freefall Double Jump. There were two towers connected to a giant inflated landing pad. Other students jumped from the towers, letting out screams of exhilaration before landing on the pad below.

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Kemper and her sister, Courtney, climbed up the incline, placing Courtney on the taller of the two towers.

"Guys, I don't know if I can do this!" Ashley called to Jess and the others, who stood at the base of the towers, ready to videotape the jump. "I'm afraid of heights!"

"Suck it up!" Courtney yelled.

The sisters jumped off and landed on the pad. They were temporarily lost from view as they navigated their way off the pad and back onto the ground.

Ashley was breathing heavily.

"I made it," she said.

The girls worked their way systematically through the festival, playing games and winning tickets until they got hungry.

They joined the long line of students who were also looking to get food. The group chatted, talking about how they wanted to ride the Ferris wheel and climb the rock wall that was set up in the street.

The line moved steadily until the girls were at the front.

"Can I please have chicken and potatoes?" Ashley asked the woman serving the food.

"Of course," the woman said with a smile. She scooped the meat onto a bun and handed it to Ashley along with a basket of potato wedges.

Courtney ordered the same but was soon distracted by another delectable option.

"Oh my God! Funnel cake!" she yelled. Grabbing the rest of her food, she rushed down the line to claim the classic festival food.

Content with their meal, the group took a seat on a vacant section of sidewalk. The surrounding grass, sidewalk, street and curb were covered with students eating and enjoying the event.

When they were finished eating, the group walked back toward the T-shirt booth with their newly won tickets. The line was long, winding back towards King Library. The girls sang along to the music the DJ was playing and eventually made it to the front.

They each claimed a pink tank top and held them up for the others to admire.

"Okay, now that Jess has her shirt, we can finally go on the Ferris wheel," one of them said.

After riding the wheel, they moved to the only ride they hadn't tried yet. It was similar to the tea cup ride at Disney World and many of the students riding it were spinning quickly.

"Yeah I don't think I can do that," Jess said, sitting on the curb.

Courtney and Ashley agreed and sat with her. The other two girls, Madi and Kelly, got on the ride.

"Okay, don't spin too much though," Madi said.

Kelly just laughed.

Jess and the others laughed from their seats as the pair on the ride spun faster than anyone else. When the ride was over, they group got ready to leave.

"I'm gonna throw up," Madi said, "I think I need to sit down."

The group walked back the way they had come hours ago, clutching their free shirts and other goodies. Behind them, music, delicious scents and laughter filled the air as Springfest continued on.