Emily Neelon |
Weekend On The Bluff brings a plethora of pre-frosh and long lines in the Commons – but the celebration also brings a free concert and other festivities to students. Among the activities planned is a campus-wide mini golf course organized by sophomore Noah Durr.
The course, named the UP Open, will be an activity for prospective freshmen and current students. As the social justice coordinator for Christie Hall, Durr initially came up with the idea for the course based on a past golfing event in Christie called the Christie Open. Recycling the same materials used to make the course for this event, Durr hopes the UP Open will bring his dorm community together again.
“I heard it worked well and I thought, why not make it a whole campus thing. I thought it was a great way of getting the guys in Christie involved,” said Durr.
The UP Open will begin in Christie and continue through Kenna, Shipstad, Tyson and Haggerty, Villa Maria and Corrado Halls. Prospective students can play for free and UP students can play for two dollars.
In addition to creating a fun event, proceeds will go towards the cause Operation Nightwatch, a program in Portland that helps those struggling with homelessness. The money raised during the UP Open will go towards the organization’s current fundraiser to purchase specially designed sleeping bags for people on the streets.
Junior Aurora Myers, who has been involved with fundraising for Operation Nightwatch in the past, approached Durr about connecting their two initiatives.
“(The sleeping bags) are portable, lightweight, sustainable backpack beds,” said Myers. “You can unroll them and there is a sleeping bag (inside) and you can pitch a tent. It’s made out of really durable material.”
Although Durr’s main focus is to foster community on campus, he hopes to contribute as much as possible to the cause.
“Anything we can raise is going to help,” Durr said. “We want to make as big of an impact in Portland as possible.”
Christie Hall Director Joe Burke is excited to see the event come back to campus in a new and improved way.
“It’s a great way to raise money for a great cause and it’s a great way for incoming freshman and current students to go around the halls and to strengthen our community over all,” Burke said.
Both Burke and Durr hope to see the UP Open continue in the future.
“If it’s successful it would be awesome to see it continue. It is a service event, but the main goal is to make it fun and to make it something people would want to do again.”
The UP Open will be open to play from 4:15-7 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. Check-in will be at the Christie Lobby.
