Bobby-Palooza encourages safe Spring Break practices
TOM PINNEY/DAILY FORUM
University Police officer Kevin Hawkins and chief Clarence Green man the grill at Bobby-Palooza just outside the J.W. Jones Student Union Thursday. The celebration was put together to encourage students to make good decisions during Spring Break.
At 5 p.m. today, students at Northwest Missouri State University will officially be on Spring Break.
Whether their destinations are popular beaches, like South Padre Island, Texas or the Outer Banks in North Carolina, or they’re just heading home for some much-need R&R, the University Police Department wants to make sure the students are practicing safe habits.
On Thursday around lunch time, UPD hosted Bobby-Palooza, an annual pre-Spring Break bash intended to make sure students know to be safe during spring break.
“We’ve been doing it for several years,” UPD chief Clarence Green explained. “We receive a grant from MoDOT to put it together each year.
“We have several booths set up, including MoDOT with a prize wheel, the Distracted Driving Coalition has a driving simulator, and the Wellness Center has a booth explaining safe practices. We also have the barbeque going to get people to come over and check it out.”
Green and officer Kevin Hawkins were in charge of the grill, cooking burgers and hot dogs for students who came by to check out the festivities. The Title IX office, students were also handing out a “Flat Bobby,” inviting students to take one with them and photograph themselves with the mascot cutout while on Spring Break in true Flat Stanley fashion.
For the students in attendance, Spring Break meant several different opportunities. Freshman Maegan Reynolds was excited to go back home to Warrensburg.
“It’s been over a month since I’ve been home,” Reynolds said. “I’m excited to get back and see my friends and family again.”
Freshman Casey Wilson was excited to get back to Garden City to attend her high school’s FFA Community Banquet.
“It’s a huge fundraiser for the group, and I’m excited to go as an alum,” Wilson said. “It will also be nice to get a break before coming back for the last month of school and the grind that means.”
Senior Laecie Workman will be traveling quite a bit during Spring Break, as she and her sister move to Albany.
“Usually I’m balancing my time between work and school,” Workman said. “Over Spring Break, I’ll have all of my time dedicated to moving so that we can just get it done.”
While home is a common destination for some students, freshman Warren Sitienei doesn’t really have that option. His family lives in Kenya.
As a result, Sitienei will be camping around the Midwest and South with some friends.
“We plan on camping in Nebraska before going south to Oklahoma and Texas,” Sitienei said. “We hope to make it to the Gulf before we have to come back for the rest of break.
“I don’t get to see my family, so this will just be a good time to get away and refocus before we have to come back before finals. I’m really excited.”