Sports Illustrated Campus Fest offers mix of games, product samples

Tuesday, January 27, 1998

Sports Illustrated Campus Fest offers mix of games, product
samples

FUNGAMES Two-day affair includes events such as sumo wrestling,
jousting, makeovers

By Traci Mack

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Baron Davis screams as he body-slams teammate Rico Hines to the
floor. All of a sudden, Travis Reed and Matt Harbour join the fray,
mercilessly throwing punches at the two. Earl Watson and Billy
Knight cheer their teammates on.

What is this? This can hardly be a Lavin-sanctioned
activity.

Before the media goes rushing to the presses with news of
another supposed basketball "scandal,"some clarification is
needed.

This was the scene Monday at the Sports Illustrated Campus Fest,
a touring festival of sports-related activities and free product
samples aimed at college students.

The Campus Fest offered a wide array of events for students to
participate in, including an American Gladiator-style joust, an
obstacle course run while in Velcro suits, a chance to be a human
bowling ball, and pseudo-sumo wrestling, in which Davis and Hines
were participating.

Sounds like a demented Olympics, you say? Actually, the Campus
Fest is very successful, according to Chris Stuart, an organizer of
the event.

"We (visit) 25 schools altogether and then Panama Beach for
spring break. We run as long as the school semester is in … We
average about 5,000 to 6,000 students over the two days," says
Stuart.

Stuart’s remark was verified by the sheer number of Bruins
shooting air balls, playing fierce games of air hockey or just
watching and cheering their friends on.

The opportunity to participate in the activities brought out the
competitive spirit in many students, as evidenced in the World
Wrestling Federation-caliber sumo match between Davis and
Hines.

Drew Shen, a first-year chemical engineering major and jousting
victor, said of his jousting strategy, "I just hit (my opponent) in
the head, hit him hard, hoped he went down."

However, his opponent held a different view of the match. "I let
him win, to raise his self-esteem," said Steve Rodriguez.

Aside from allowing Bruins to compete head-to-head with each
other, the Campus Fest also benefited its sponsors, many of whom
handed out free samples to students on Bruin Walk.

"We position the clients so they get more exposure. The basic
function is to promote brand awareness, because college students
are the hardest group to get to. People start their trends of
buying in now, in college, so we hope when they get out in the real
world, they’ll keep these brands in mind," Stuart said.

Some of these sponsors even went further than free samples in
their attempt to get students’ attention. Cosmetic company
L’Oreal’s booth featured free makeovers and hair coloring for
students who may not have wanted to participate in sports.

Overall, the Campus Fest provided a chance for everyone involved
to have a good time.

In the words of Rosalyn Lundenberg, a third-year sociology
student, "I think it’s great … It cuts down on stress, plus it’s
a lot of fun."

The Campus Fest will continue today on Bruin Walk.