September
This September was an action-packed one for Springfield as students returned to campus, we got an incoming class of new members, and we tried to take advantage of the beautiful central Pennsylvania weather this time of year.
For our first weekend back, we went to Whipple Dam for Labor day! Whipple Dam is a man-made beach and lake, part of a greater State Park a few miles from Penn State. We were so lucky to have The Schopfs join us for what has turned into a favorite Springfield tradition. We spent the day (with gorgeous weather!) meeting some new members, and showed them what Springfield is all about. Taiven had a blast playing soccer with Springfielders and building sandcastles with elaborate moat systems. As per tradition, we had a large game of volleyball on the beach. Though we proved to be bad at volleyball, the game was full of laughter and competition. Some brave Springfielders braved the cold water and went for a dip in the lake, while others laid out on the beach talking and eating snacks!
A few weeks later, we had our second annual tea party with the Silbaugh family! A small group of members dressed up in their best sundresses and button downs, brought their favorite “teacups” (mugs) and sat down with the Silbaugh family in their home for cookies, lemonade, and iced tea. Like most visits with the Silbaughs, the tea party visit consisted of a rigorous Fairy School training session and lots of trying to keep up with Callie’s energy. Springfielders were honored by gaining their very own fairy names, they climbed trees, and most importantly - laughed all day at Callie’s innovative jokes!
On September 20, Springfield went to Hoss’s Steak and Sea with Kenzie and it was a blast! Thankfully, we found a lovely waiter who was willing to take on a party of 18 on a Friday night, and everyone was able to enjoy a nice meal together! The unlimited dessert bar was a big hit with everyone, and Springfielders left on a major sugar high. The majority of the dinner was spent by Kenzie updating everyone on the status of their Miis. Miis, the personalized characters for Nintendo consoles, are a way that Kenzie always has Springfield with her! She makes a character for each Springfielder she meets on her Nintendo DS and spent dinner updating everyone on how their Miis were doing and making sure their features were accurate!
What would a Penn State September be without Penn State Football?! Springfield experienced two tailgates during this football season - one for the Buffalo game and another for the Pitt game. The latter was an alumni tailgate coordinated by our alumni outreach chair and attended by current Springfield seniors and Springfield alumni dating back to 2012. We fired up grills, and even braved some weather events (a rain delay for the Pitt game), but it was great to experience such an important part of Penn State with Springfielders, old and new. The alumni tailgate was a great time to share stories about THONs past, as well as connect with our wonderful alumni as resources for the future.
Lastly, our month was capped of by the inaugural Night at the Museum event! This event kicked off our THON 2019-2020 fundraising season, so it was a very exciting and highly anticipated fundraiser event for Springfielders. Hosted at the Palmer Museum of Art on campus, Night at the Museum was a fancy and entertaining event for all! Springfielders got dressed up in suits and dresses to walk around the galleries and take pictures with the photobooth. Night at the Museum featured a very fun scavenger hunt that required reenacting a painting, finding some hidden gems in the gallery, and more. Additionally, Springfielders got to play “Games through the Galleries”, with board games and card games stationed throughout the museum. It was a great way to cap off our first month at Springfield and kickstart our fundraising season!
