UT students faced the same trials Odysseus did in his effort to prove his love to Penelope in an obstacle course run by toga-clad Plan II students Saturday afternoon.
This was just one of the many student-run booths at 40 Acres Fest, where Austinites enjoyed food, music and festivities — continuing a more than decade-long UT tradition.
“It works not only as a way to publicize their group but also to get people involved through various activities, food and anything really creative,” said Paras Gandhi, a finance and French senior and 40 Acres Fest co-chairman.
At the FACE AIDS table, students painted tie-dyed T-shirts to help raise money and awareness for AIDS.
Prasanth Pattisapu, a Plan II senior and president of the group, said that the purpose of the event, for group members, was to get the word out about their organization.
“People aren’t always thinking about AIDS on a day-to-day basis,” Pattisapu said. “People can come by our table and make a shirt and give money to help the effort.”
40 Acres Fest began as a student initiative from the University Co-op as an event to bring the entire UT community together.
This year’s county-fair-themed event featured booths from more than 150 student organizations and kept attendees entertained with two local bands, two UT performing organizations and a drum war.
Planning for the festival began in late October and involved 30 committee members and several sub-committees, Gandhi said.
Ashley Powers, a human development and family sciences senior, said she comes to 40 Acres because it is a good way to find students organizations but mainly because it is free.
“We always encourage people to come to 40 Acres,” Powers said. “It’s just a really cool experience to walk around and see everything. It’s really relaxing.”
A performance by indie rock band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah drew a crowd of hundreds of students later in the afternoon.
Gandhi said that the best thing about 40 Acres is that it is a unique event at UT.
“It provides a platform for UT to come together,” he said. “No matter how unique the groups might be, students can come and get a lot of different perspectives from a variety of organizations, and it’s just a great experience.”
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