By Sammie Stewart, Contributing Writer

Here at West Liberty University, we have a bit of a tradition. This tradition is something Hilltoppers call “Topperfest.” Topperfest is an extravaganza that will run from Aug. 18 through Sept. 5 this year. Each day during this time period, there is at least one exciting event happening on campus. Topperfest is in full swing this year.

The nearly three week-long event started off with new students moving in and having a picnic outside of our president Dr. Stephen Greiner’s house. There was also a three-on-three intramural pick up tournament at Beta and a comedian in the College Union later that day.

The comedian is a favorite every year for students. “The comedian was very entertaining this year,” said sophomore Kelsey Hayden. “All of his jokes were very original and funny, and I found myself leaving in a very good mood.”

Sadly, all things must come to an end, and Topperfest definitely will end with a bang. This year, the extravaganza will end with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) holding their Light Up the Hilltop concert on Sept. 5. They will also have a motivational speaker after the concert.

Almost every event has been at full capacity. The biggest event this year, however, was the Hypnotist on Wednesday, Aug. 23. According to Campus Activities Coordinator Kate Billings, there was about three hundred people in attendance, and staff members and students had to get extra chairs out of the storage and alumni rooms.

The response to Topperfest this year was very well received. “New students loved going out and meeting new people,” says Billings. “We had a great response to the block party for freshman on August 19, and we enjoyed seeing the new students interacting with each other and making new friends.”

While Topperfest was a huge hit this year, there is always room for improvement. “We would love to partner with clubs and organizations more in the next coming years,” said Billings. “This year, Mosaic Women’s Group sponsored Karaoke, and Alpha and Omega Men’s Fellowship hosted Topper Feud. Both were a huge success and I think they really got the organizations’ names out there. We would also like to expand on having more intramural events in the future.”

Photo credit: WLActivities Twitter