There may be no music sweeter to the ears of a college student than the word “free.” By that logic, Wednesday’s Community Fair at Pittsburg State may have sounded like a symphony.
The annual event, which welcomes students to the Pittsburg communnity, was a smorgasboard of free food, t-shirts, coozies, handouts, fliers, coupons and more for anyone who wandered through the Pittsburg State Oval.
“It’s going really good. Everybody is in a great mood, and all the vendors are extremely friendly,” said Eva Sager, Overman Student Center program coordinator. “There’s a lot of interaction with the students. It’s hard to be in a bad mood on a day like this.”
And the weather was in a Goldilocks-type mood: It wasn’t too hot and it wasn’t too cold. That’s a big difference from recent years, which have had to deal with high temperatures and strong winds.
The weather made it easy for more organizations, business and groups to reach out to the new students. This year, there were more than 70 such groups.
“There’s definitely some new groups that are present just because they were getting set up last year,” Sager said. “A couple medical groups are new. The turnout has been very good. The students are seeing something happening and coming by. The free stuff helps, too.”
The free stuff was occasionally hard to come by. Heather Horton, Sweet Designs Cakery co-owner, said the free desserts she had brought ran out after the first hour. She said she came to the fair to grow her clientele and to reach out to Pittsburg State students.
“I really miss the campus, and the energy and vibrance at the beginning of every semester,” Horton said. “We want to get out in the community more. It’s a little overwhelming how many students show up to this.”
Ultimately, Sager said the event is all about helping the more than 7,000 students feel welcome in Pittsburg, not just at Pittsburg State.
“Students don’t have to travel away to get things. Often, they don’t remember that we have a lot of those things right here in town,” Sager said. “They’re not just a part of the campus culture, they’re part of the whole town’s.”
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.
