CHURCH CLAP: Students dance to church clap on the HU Mall during the Hoedown. Photo by SABSmugmug.
Gavin Leton | September 28, 2026
Throughout the month of September, Huntington University puts on several events for the first month of classes. Notable events that occur throughout this time can range from get-togethers, such as the Stance and Hullabaloo, to activity events such as Hall Crawl and the Hoedown. All together, however, the purpose of these events is to get students excited about Student Life as well as encourage students to stay on campus to build community.
The first big event of the school year is the Stance. Put on by Student Activity Board (SAB), the Stance is the first opportunity for students of all grades to get together for a fun evening of dancing and socializing. Alongside these activities, different types of sodas and beverages are offered. The history of the Stance dates back several years to an era when Huntington University did not allow dancing. In spite of this, students still gathered and now, dancing is one of the trademark activities for the Stance.
One of the students who attended the Stance, Zach Howald, commented that out of all the events put on in September, “I enjoyed the Stance the most. The Stance was a super cool event and it helped me to meet so many new people.”
Another event that takes place early in the school year is the Opportunities Fair. Unlike the Stance which helps students get connected with the community, the Opportunities Fair helps students learn about the clubs and organizations on so they can get connected with activities on campus. In addition to getting students connected, another major goal of the Opportunities Fair is to increase and promote student engagement and involvement around campus for the coming school year. Major attractions involved in the Opportunities Fair include the Student Government Associate (SGA), Horticulture Club, Delight Ministry, eSports, Collegiate Farm Bureau, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Friesen Center, University Christian Outreach (UCO), International Student Council, SAB, and many more.
Another get-to-know you event that takes place within the first week of school is the Hullabaloo. While similar to the Stance, the Hullabaloo also has a large number of activities that students can choose to partake in during the event. Some of the events present at the Hullabaloo include dinner, water slide kickball, cotton candy and popcorn, music, an obstacle course, and several smaller games such as corn hole. One student involved in the Hullabaloo was Heavyn Craft who “helped SAB serve drinks and snacks,” which mostly involved “the popcorn station.”
When asked why she believes having events throughout the beginning of the school year is beneficial, she commented that “having numerous events in September allows students to meet a lot of new people before the year begins and form connections.” These connections may go on to last throughout their entire academic career and into their adult lives.
Another activity-oriented event within the first week of classes is the Hall Crawl put on by the Resident Advisors of all the Residential buildings. The activities for Hall Crawl are varied ranging from pancakes in Livingston, to putt-putt in Hardy/Wright, to chalk drawing in Baker/Roush, and to volleyball alongside s’mores in Miller/Meadows. When asked what his favorite part of Hall Crawl was, Eli Persinger stated that he “loved seeing all the people goofing around and making jokes on Wright third.” Persinger also commented that Hall Crawl and similar events were “great for freshmen” as when they first arrive “they are all scared and want to make friends,” and “these events allow them to make those connections they need.”
The final major event that has taken place during September is the highly anticipated Hoedown. The Hoedown is another event that incorporates both elements of a get-to-know you alongside fun activities such as line dancing, hayrides, painting, and bull riding. While the Hoedown acts largely as a fall festival, it is largely country themed with jeans and flannels being in abundance. A staple of the Hoedown is line dancing which provides the opportunity to demonstrate and learn dancing skills. Alongside being a fun activity to continue the kickoff of the academic year, the Olympiad teams and colors are both also announced at the Hoedown which helps build hype for events in the months to come.
All these events throughout the month of September serve the purpose and function of ensuring students have a wealth of opportunities to connect with other students as well as student life in general. From the experiences of students, it seems that these events have done well in serving their purpose. Though they have done well, one suggestion Howald made about the events was that he “would like to see more intentionality about getting the word out there during orientation weekend about all of the events offered” so more students could hear about events and ensure they can make it. Although the school year has started off with numerous events, there are many more that are on the way. Big campus events such as Homecoming and Olympiad are gearing up to start soon, so stay tuned for those!
