The Student Activities Board celebrated the first week of classes with a barbecue at Baw Beese Lake on Aug. 25.

“I had a blast,” freshman Clara Bozzay said. “It was super fun to get to see the community really come together after a hard first week of classes.”

SAB provided burgers and hot dogs in addition to chips, popsicles, and refreshments. Students who attended enjoyed yard games, paddle boarding, kayaking, and swimming.

The night was set to upbeat pop music tracks as students commemorated the accomplishment of making it through their first week of classes. More than 400 students attended the event in total, according to junior and SAB promo lead John Schaefer.

Bozzay said playing volleyball with her peers was one of her favorite parts of the barbecue. 

Students also played a variety of other games including soccer, cornhole, and spikeball. 

 “It really lets people organically form friendships and relax and have fun after a busy first week,” Schaefer said.

Schaefer said he loves the barbecue because it brings the Hillsdale student body together after classes kick off.

“It was pretty busy and a little stressful trying to get everything set up in time, especially getting the charcoal lit and ready,” Schaefer said. “However, we were able to get all of our materials to the site in time and we had a fairly effective supply chain set up for whenever materials ran low. The event itself was a ton of fun and we were thrilled with the turnout.” 

The event was a wonderful opportunity for freshmen to get acquainted with the rest of the student body, according to freshman Jacqueline Roth. 

“It was a good chance to meet more of the Hillsdale community and get to know people better,” Roth said.