With Residence Life’s annual Pinon Palooza taking place this past weekend, I had a chance to check out what all the talk was about. Being a first-time attendee, I looked up the Facebook page to find out a bit more information about the event. With this year’s theme being centered around a music festival, my love of such musical events set my expectations high for plenty of fun and games. 

I arrived about an hour late into the 5-hour event. Having not attended last years, I didn’t know what to expect. I was immediately impressed by the sheer size of Pinon Palooza. Covering the entire Delta quad and the surrounding area, there was definitely no shortage of things to do. I found myself a plate of food and checked out some of the booths. The Residence Life staff that I spoke to were friendly and conversational. Nobody seemed to treat the event like it was a chore for them, rather they were genuinely happy to be there. This was nice to see. I finished my plate and found myself making a tie-dye bandana on the edge of the grass. After that, I chatted with some friends and exchanged friendship bracelets at another booth. 

Outside of the arts and crafts, there was also plenty of opportunities to get active. On the grass was three or four variously themed bump ‘n’ jumps that you could battle or race your friends. I didn’t partake, but the students on them looked as if they were having a blast. In fact, everybody seemed to be having a good time. I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I was even having. In the past, I have not been able to attend many events with a full-time job. Pinon Palooza almost made me regret that I haven’t been able to attend more. 

While the experience didn’t really feel much like a music festival, I enjoyed it nonetheless. Talking with other students on the delta quad, the general consensus was the same. this year’s Pinon Palooza seemed to be the best one yet. The casual conversation held over various activities had the majority of students expressing their praise for this year’s turnout. I could clearly see why, as there was plenty of fun and food to keep anyone satisfied for a while. 

In speaking with Abraham Selenke, one of the Residence Life members who helped organize the event, he wanted to let the students know that this was meant to be a labor of love. “Every year we just want to improve,” he said. “CMU offers a lot of great activities, and I think more people should take advantage of them.” Sometimes it is easy to take for granted the many activities available for us at our university. Events like Pinon Palooza are opportunities for students to take a break and have fun. It’s a place to socialize and maybe make some new friends in the process. For many, it is all too easy to overlook these things. “What we do is a present, and we do it for you guys.” Abraham said. And I would agree.