Students, community enjoy Brush Towers Festival

Free-style rapping, singing, poetry highlight the afternoon

It was not just another Saturday afternoon for the residents of Brush Towers. The sun was beaming down and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but something set this day apart.

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Many student residents such as sophomore Craig Kurk rolled out of bed after noon, still reeling from the night before. What made this Saturday sleep-in ritual different could be heard and seen outdoors.

At noon, rap music bounced off Schneider and Mae Smith halls and alerted their residents that something was going on outside.

Upon further inspection, they could see a stage set up on the grass adjacent to Brush Towers. People were flailing around on a red and blue inflatable boxing ring, complete with oversized gloves. Others tried their luck on a nearby Velcro wall or on a bungee run set up on another giant, inflatable surface.

But what attracted people such as Kurk was the sight and smell of charcoal smoke emanating from under a white tent. The line for food grew longer all afternoon. The collective smell of grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, bratwurst and Italian sausage was too enticing to ignore.

“I’m hung over and I need some free food,” Kurk said. “I’d like to check out the ladies, too.”

The annual Brush Towers Festival was held Saturday afternoon. The event was co-sponsored by the councils of Mae Smith and Schneider halls. Each hall council put in more than $2,000 apiece to provide an afternoon of fun for residents.

“The semester’s been hectic, so we just want to give everyone one afternoon of fun away from the stress,” Brush Towers executive board member Katie Small said.

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The festival, which was free and open to the community, also gave prospective performers the chance to show off their talents behind the microphone. Free-style rapping, singing and poetry provided entertainment for much of the afternoon. Anyone brave enough to come onstage could sign up.

SIUC students Anthony Bowers and Jenae Williams, a singing duet, were just two of the many performers onstage Saturday afternoon. Bowers said he hadn’t heard of the festival until after it started.

“This just kind of happened spontaneously,” Bowers said. “I just happened to be passing through and I wanted to check it out.”

Williams said she was honored to be a part of the festivities, especially in front of her fellow students.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring people together,” Williams said. “To have a chance to perform in front of people from your campus is great.”

The festival also awarded another unique opportunity for Brush Towers residents. Student resident advisers literally put themselves in the line of fire as part of the “Pie an R.A.” exhibit. Residents got the chance to throw cream pies in the faces of resident advisers from Mae Smith and Schneider halls.

Karan Lala, the 16th floor resident adviser at Schneider Hall, was one of many covered in whipped cream that was becoming stickier in the hot sun. He said the pie throwing made him discover a personal revelation.

“I’ve never tasted so good in my life,” Lala said. “That’s probably a good thing, but I think I’ll be taking a long, long shower after this is all over.”

Niquita Lee, a sophomore living in Mae Smith Hall, said she had a score to settle with 15th floor resident adviser Chad Beights.

“He deserved it because Chad is mean,” Lee said. “Well, they’re not really mean, but they deserve it anyway. They know we love them, though.”

The annual festival was a welcome departure from a normal Saturday afternoon for many people such as freshman Glen King. King, who signed up for the free-style rap contest, said he is grateful to the hall councils for putting the event together.

“This is just my first year here, but it’s a really nice atmosphere,” King said. “It’s good to see something positive that involves the students and the community. I’ll have to come back next year.”

Reporter Burke Wasson can be reached at [email protected].