Clovis Community College hosted their first Rocktoberfest since COVID-19 on Wednesday, Oct. 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Student Activities Department for the college wasn’t able to host this event for two years as a result of the pandemic.
This annual event marks the beginning of Fall and it is an opportunity for staff and students to gather for music, food, and to learn about clubs.
“I’m really excited to hold this event, it’s good to be back here,” said Patrick Stumpf, the Senior Program Specialist for Clovis Community College.
With only 20-30% of students for in-person classes this year, the size of the event was smaller than the usual layout.
“We can still be safe and enjoy the event, and at least [the students] know they are in an environment that is welcoming and fun,” said Gurdeep Hebert, Dean of Student Services.
They were able to bring clubs that had been virtual for the entirety of the pandemic together to fill up booths for new or interested students wanting to get involved.
There were also multiple vendors there to talk about their organization(s) with attendees.
For entertainment, they booked a live DJ, a food truck, and The Tutorial Center put on its inaugural catapult contest.
“It’s exciting and adds a new dimension to the event, and it gives something for the students to look forward to and be a part of,” said Stumpf.
Together students and faculty interested in STEM took part in building a catapult where they competed against each other on the day of the event.
The contest consisted of three teams, two student teams and one faculty, each with their own catapult.
The rules for this competition were that the catapult couldn’t be bigger than 5 feet on either side, had to be less than 75 lbs, and either had to use weight or elastic to launch.
“For somebody who is studying mechanical engineering, it’s always good to have this experience,” said Zachary Wilson, who won the competition. “Just get some friends together and have fun with it.”
The Student Activities Department is planning on carrying the catapult competition into next year’s Rocktoberfest.
For more information on Rocktoberfest, you can contact the college at (559) 324-6400 or go to Cloviscollege.edu/events/rocktoberfest.