By Heather Fabritze
Student Life Editor
The Student Government Association of Washington College hosted their annual Flock to the Waterfront event at the Hodson Boathouse for the second year since the pandemic.
Starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, Flock to the Waterfront invited students to explore all that the waterfront offers with their peers. Grilled food, refreshments, and cookies were available as well as free merchandise, including frisbees and sunglasses.
Lawn games like cornhole, spike ball, and Kan Jam were popular among attendees.
According to SGA Secretary of Student Life junior Kamden Richardson, successes from last year heavily influenced how she planned the event.
Almost all of the waterfront activities at Flock this year – kayaking, paddleboarding, and tubing – were replicated from last year. The option to fish at the event was added from previous years in response to student requests.
There was also a large turnout for Flock’s second annual cornhole tournament, which began at 2:15 p.m. Students could sign up prior to the event through a Google form sent out by the SGA.
The tournament included 12 teams. Every team was made up of two members and each of the winners received a $50 gift card to a Chestertown business of their choice.
Senior Anthony Sofran and sophomore Nick Miller won the tournament this year with their team, Niner’s Nation.
“I had a lot of fun,” Sofran said. “I won’t be here next year, but the legacy of Niner’s Nation will go on.”
Miller plans to attend Flock next year for the third annual cornhole tournament.
Freshman Nora Beebe attended due to her position as a student senator in the SGA.
“It’s just such a beautiful day,” Beebe said. “We’re here to support the SGA.”
Richardson overcame multiple conflicts in the planning process, including complications following a COVID-19 case among the staff assisting with Flock.
Richardson made it a priority to ensure that safety measures were taken while moving forward with the event.
“Just making sure that we were all safe, but also making sure that we were still able to have it,” Richardson said. “But we were all able to communicate really effectively and have it kind of come together.”
Reflecting on last year, Richardson also found that navigating the catering process was easier with experience. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers were provided at Flock.
With the support of the SGA executive board, Richardson hopes that new and returning students learned more about the offerings of the Hodson Boathouse through this event.
“I hope people know that they can take advantage of the boathouse and the waterfront,” Richardson said. “It’s open to the entire campus. It’s a beautiful, beautiful spot. It’s one of my favorite places to be on campus. Knowing that this is a place for students to come, and hang out, and enjoy.”
Photo courtesy of Mia Snyder.
Photo Caption: Students could go tubing as well as take out kayaks and paddleboats.