On April 6, students were getting into the Easter spirit a bit early as they crowded the bowl to participate in the annual “Easter Hoppening.” The event kicked off at 5 p.m. with a small activity posted just outside the dining hall for students to partake in before or after dinner. The main event, the Easter egg hunt, followed promptly at 6 p.m.
As students filed in and out of the dining hall, they were warmly greeted by Patricia Wynn, a member of the Lion’s Lair staff, and invited to play a unique Easter themed game. Participants came face to face with a big-eyed bunny smiling from the center of a target and were handed a handful of inflatable, football sized eggs.
“It’s an Easter egg, blown up, and you have to put the egg on the bunny’s face,” explained Wynn. “That’s why it’s called ‘Egg on the Face.’”
Winners could choose from an array of stuffed rabbits as their prize. Lois Martinez, a junior psychology and English major, took one look at the treasure trove of stuffed animals and instantly hopped in line to play the game.
“There was a lot of pink going on, and I saw eggs. Then I see the stuffed animals, and I’m like, ‘oh! I want one,'” said Martinez. “I approached; I saw a challenge right before my very eyes, and I’m like, ‘challenge accepted, let’s go!'”
Wynn went on to say that the event, though small, received a very large turnout.
“Almost all the kids that come through the line are wanting to come over here. All of them love to play the games.”
Many stuffed bunnies found good homes that day, but one lucky student had the chance to receive a grander prize. During the egg hunt, students scoured the bowl in search brightly colored plastic eggs filled with candy. But only one out of hundreds of eggs contained a ticket redeemable for flat screen television. Caitlyn Bruce, a freshman criminal justice major, was the big winner.
Bruce collected over twenty eggs, but she only had to open about six before she found the coveted ticket.
“When I first saw it, I thought that it was probably an April fool’s joke. But when I saw that it was real, I was so excited,” laughed Bruce.
Bruce is excited to have a television for her bedroom and says that, even if she hadn’t won, she still would have thoroughly enjoyed the event. She and many other students would love to see activities such as the “Easter Hoppening” continued on campus.
“It’s a very nice activity. It lets us return to our childish memories,” said Bruce.
And students can expect to see more Easter themed events on campus as the holiday quickly approaches. While many are looking forward to receiving a basket of assorted goodies on Easter morning, as is tradition, a flat screen television sure will be tough to beat.
