Despite the wet conditions, spirits weren’t dampened at Convocation, Columbia’s new student celebration, on Aug. 28 in Grant Park between the intersections of Michigan Avenue and Balbo Drive and Columbus Drive and Balbo Drive.

Like last year, the student-produced festival was in 1893 style, the year Columbia officially became a college, with cigarette girls, mimes on stilts and a genie. Resident carnival barker Mark Kelly, the vice president of Student Affairs, addressed the audience at noon with a “Hell Yea” call-and-response that encouraged students to “create change” during their time at Columbia.

“We expect this event to [reflect] the creative spirit of Columbia,” Kelly said. “There looks to be about 3,500 students here, which is incredible, especially when you consider the rain. Stupendous.”

Other speakers included Columbia’s president, Warrick L. Carter, and the Student Government Association’s president, Jessica Valerio.

Tents were set up all over Grant Park with games, sideshows, artist paintings, henna tattoos and fortune telling.

Adam Werlinger, the Student Government Association’s student representative to the Board of Trustees, stood guard at the fortune-telling booth, regulating the line that stood at least 25 students deep and three students wide.

“These two booths, [fortune-telling and henna tattoo], are always the most popular,” he said.

Werlinger also said it felt like there were more things for the students to do this year and a “better event” than last year because of the amount of activities.

The fair also had trapeze performance artists who swung from a giant ring and two red curtain-like ribbons, free food and booths displaying the various student organizations on campus.

“It’s really cool,” freshman Kaitlyn Privett said. “I especially like the polar bear. I love the polar bear,” referring to the Recycling Center’s mascot. He was silently soliciting and encouraging the new students to join its group.

Other groups in attendance were the Student Organizations Council, American Sign Language Club, Black Actor’s Guild and B-Movie Film Society, among many other student organizations and media groups.

“I’m kind of overwhelmed at the moment,” Alex Bohan, a junior film and video major, said. “It’s a lot to take in. I came from a very small school. There weren’t a lot of film and video extracurricular activities at my old college. It’s a positive, overwhelming experience.”

Most groups had free giveaways such as candy, pens or, in SGA’s case, little beach balls.

Michelle Passarelli, director of Alumni Relations, said the number of freshmen signing up for the mailing list was encouraging.

“It was a good turnout,” she said. “I never went to it when I was a student here. It’s a great, great, great event. Like a ‘Welcome to the City’ type of event.”

Phil Bratta, a cultural studies senior, also had never attended convocation before. He agreed that it was a positive experience for any new student, despite the heat after the light drizzle in the morning.

“I’m sure [freshman] like it,” he said. “You don’t get anything like this in high school. It’s a good introduction to the school.”