By Melanie Drobet

The air popped with anticipation and sizzled with exhilaration as Clearwater Titans took to the campus one last time to participate in the last of the titan games for the 2019 spring term. Carnival booths striped red and white surged from the ground, a mixture of EDM pop music, laughter, and meaningless chatter were all that could be heard, the mouthwatering smells given off from the spices in the rice and the kebabs on the grill were salivating, competitive and cheerful spirits could be felt all around- all important attributions in setting the tone for what would be a whole lot of fun and an exceptionally good time.

Upon gaining passage, carnival style booths and carnival themed activities were set up near the entryway to greet and lure students as they passed by. Activities included ring toss, mini golf, and as a modified version of the milk bottle pyramid- a standing troll pyramid. Win these activities and earn a stuffed animal prize!!

About an hour into the event, clubs began to make their appearance known by setting up booths and signs advocating for students to join. Of all the clubs, Tri Beta Biological was one of the first to make their debut. Tri Beta Biological, as described by one of their members, is, “an honors club for anyone interested in the field of biology.” When asked how students can join and what activities the club participated in, she told me that “students must maintain a certain GPA and attend weekly meetings. We try to go outside every or every other week to conduct experiments on the environment and natural habitats. Students this year are actually going to Disney to help clean out and stabilize the aquariums there.” Students interested in joining can look here for more information: https://www.facebook.com/spctribeta/

Another club that made an appearance was CKO kickboxing. Asked and coordinated by the head of student government, kickboxing instructors introduced students to a series of self-defense combinations and stances. I spoke to one of the instructors and asked their purpose for being there, seeing as it was non-sponsored. She told me, “Kickboxing is such a great way to work-out without feeling like you’re working out. It’s also a great way to get out frustration- I just wanted to share the benefits with the students here. I was actually talking to Stephanie [the head of student leadership] about starting a self-defense class here on the campus discounted for all SPC students and faculty. Nothing has been set yet, but we’re working on it.” For more information, students can go here: https://www.ckokickboxing.com/fl-clearwater/

About half way through and towards the end of the titan games, the baseball and softball teams made an appearance and that’s where the fun began. Since the Clearwater campus is home to SPC’s softball and baseball teams, they had a batting cage on the premises. Posted next to the batting cages were average and max throwing velocities for MLB and for the SPC team itself- students were challenged to put their skills to the test to try and match, or even beat, the scores posted. Afterwards, students were directed to a long section of pavement where they were broken up into teams to compete in a 60- yard dash, again, trying to match or beat the average speed scores. Granted, it’s no tire flipping or obstacle course like what Tarpon has, but they certainly gave students a little fun, relay workout.

As a foreigner to the Clearwater campus, the nuance in setting and atmosphere made for an interesting experience. Unlike events hosted by Tarpon, the Clearwater campus had actual speakers and a live D.J. present, and a variety of fresh, warm cooked and cold foods to choose from. However, not a lot of club related booths were set up, with the more prominent ones being student government, NHS, and tri beta biological in addition to booths dedicated to SPC registration and resources. As expected, though, the staff and students were more than welcoming and made for any easy transition and overall wonderful experience.