Spring Fling 2007 Offers a Variety of Activities

By Anne Muriithi
Graduate Assistant
JSU News Bureau

Jacksonville State University, in collaboration with the Inaugural City of Jacksonville, will be hosting the JSU Spring Fling the week of March 26, 2007. The Spring Fling is a fall homecoming type of event that is held in the spring. The goal of the Spring Fling is to bring people to the Jacksonville State University campus in the spring term period, having one large event as opposed to small events that are spread out. The week is packed full of activities and events that encourage JSU Alumni and other individuals in the community to come and experience the city of Jacksonville and JSU as they both team up to highlight this occasion.

There will be numerous exciting activities going on during the week of the Spring Fling. These activities have been organized by both the offices of Recreational Sports and the Student Government Association of JSU. Kicking off the week, beginning on March 26th, is the annual Greek Week highlighting Jacksonville State University Greek Organizations.

This year, the theme for Greek week is the seventies. There will be numerous events:  messy tug of war, water balloon dodgeball, and the Name that Tune relay. There will also be a Greek Night Fever Show on March 27th with various groups scheduled to perform. The public is encouraged to participate in or watch these events. There will also be a faculty and staff appreciation block party carrying the seventies theme. Dancing queens, get ready to move, as ABBA and other seventies music playing at the block party. Be sure to break out the bell bottoms and platforms as the dress code is seventies too. Throughout all the Greek Week events, there will be a penny drop off. All the proceeds raised will go to the American Heart Association.

Taking us into the weekend are activities scheduled for Friday March 30th. One of the activities taking place will be the golf tournament which is open to the public. The tournament will include teams of four people played in a scramble format. A $50 fee is required for individual wishing to take part.

One of the major highlights of the Spring Fling week is a concert by country music star Sara Evans Friday, March 30th. Sarah Evans has had a long, successful recording career since the late nineties. She has released six albums throughout the years. In 2005, she struck gold with her album’s first single, “A Real Fine Place to Start.” This earned her two nominations in the Country Music Association awards. In 2006, Radio and Records, Inc. announced Evans as female vocalist of the year in its 2006 reader’s poll.

JSU Spring Fling weekend will be filled with more exciting activities to take place. On Saturday, the City of Jacksonville is coordinating a “Rib N’ It Up on the Square” cook-off on the square from 6:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. There will be individual cooking with judging taking place. Prices will be given out to the winners of the cook-off. There will also be different groups performing live music on the square as the cook-off goes on. The groups performing consist of an elementary school group, a high school group, a JSU group and various blue grass groups from the Calhoun area. Some of JSU’s athletic teams will be playing later on that afternoon.

One of the athletic games will be a J-Day football game which will be held in Paul Snow Stadium Saturday afternoon at 3:30. Other sports to check out include a soccer game, tennis match, and track and field meet. There will also be youth activities for children consisting of inflatable games and more. In the evening, music performances will sound from the RV lot across from the stadium. There will be local music talent and the community is encouraged to participate. Cory Tucker, a baseball player, will perform during this period. Also in the lineup are Dillon Hodges, Tracy and Alan and the winners of JSU Star talent shows.

 

The weekend concludes on Sunday when Gamecock Softball plays conference rival Tennessee Tech University at 1:00 p.m.

 

A full schedule of events can be found through the Spring Fling link on the Alumni page at www.jsu.edu/alumni or by contacting the Alumni House at 256-782-5404.

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