A student spray-paints a shirt during UTA’s Rec Fest on Aug. 19 at the Maverick Activities Center. The event was free for all students to attend.
Campus Recreation kicked off the fall semester with its annual Rec Fest Tuesday at the Maverick Activities Center, bringing students and staff several activities, prizes and opportunities to get to know different organizations.
The event had tables set around the gym where students could learn about the organizations and clubs available across campus, from sports to science and books.
Outdoors, different courts contained games like mini-golf, lumberjack throw, Connect Four, a mechanical bull and bounce houses.
Physics freshman Fernanda Torres rides a mechanical bull during Rec Fest on Aug. 19 at the Maverick Activities Center. Torres said she wanted to attend the event with friends and enjoy what it had to offer.
Josh Hale, Campus Recreation assistant Director for UTA sports programs, was pleased with Rec Fest’s new touches this year.
“We added the mechanical bull, we figured that would be a good hit,” Hale said. “Then out on the outdoor courts, we’ve got a number of different things, the big thing students love is tie-dye, that’s something that we live by.”
Students dance during UTA’s Rec Fest on Aug. 19 at the Maverick Activities Center. Campus recreation clubs attended the event to encourage students to join intramural sports.
After playing one of the inflatable games, exercise science junior Eadie Edwards said she was surprised to see such a big turnout and plans to continue supporting intramural sports from the sideline.
“It forces you to get out of your comfort zone,” Edwards said.
The tie-dye station was one of the main attractions at the event. Students were given UTA Campus Recreation shirts and had the option to dye them with a variety of colors to their liking.
Abhinav Tanwar, applied statistics and data science graduate student, flips a tire during Rec Fest on Aug. 19 at the Maverick Activities Center. T-shirts were awarded to students for flipping the tire as many times as possible.
Special education freshman Teyah Watts helped work the tie-dye station and encouraged her peers to participate and dye their shirts.
“This is my first year too, so I’m attending a lot of these and they’re actually really fun, so I recommend everybody to come to all of them,” Watts said.
Psychology sophomore Jazmin Cruz, left, and mechanical engineering freshman Yareth Camacho play mini golf during Rec Fest on Aug. 19 at the Maverick Activities Center. Cruz and Camacho said they enjoyed the event’s activities.
Mechanical engineering freshman Prescott Williamson said he enjoyed the event despite thinking he would not be interested initially. He noted the lively environment and multitude of organizations.
“It’s really active,” Williamson said. “A lot of people came up to me asking if I wanted to join.” Williamson said.
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