On the crisp autumn afternoon of Sept. 12, DU hosted the second annual Crimson Classic 5K and 1.5 mile walk, followed by the Fall Festivus student carnival.
The race began on Driscoll Green at 4 p.m. Runners in colorful clothing raced through the cool, foggy air from University to Buchtel to High Street, ending their venture back at the green.
The event is a part of the well@du initiative, which strives to promote a culture of wellness in the community through preventative and proactive measures.
“Wellness is an investment in your future. What you put in today will affect you later on in life,” said Daniel Kim, a second year electrical engineering major from Aurora.
Along with wellness, Kim stated that a love of running and a desire to increase school spirit motivated him to participate in the event.
“I think DU is a bit lacking in school spirit, and I think that more participation in school activities would change that. It’s good to get out and be involved,” said Kim.
Danny Brown, second year undeclared student from Albuquerque, New Mexico, explained that he and his father trained together for a 9-mile run called La Luz, and that experience pushed him to participate in the Crimson Classic.
“I told him that if he was serious about training for it, I would do it too, and I really enjoyed it. Plus the shirt sealed the deal,” said Brown.
Others decided to run for much simpler reasons.
“It just sounded like fun,” said Media, Film and Journalism Studies teaching assistant Kyna Moore.
Runners received a complimentary t-shirt and timing chip, and registration was open to all DU students, employees, and alumni. Kaiser Permanente, TIAA CREF Financial Services and Lockton sponsored the run.
Immediately following the Crimson Classic, the Fall Festivus began on the Carnegie Green. The event featured a huge stage with live music, a variety of colorful food trucks, a muralist creating a piece inspired by the University, plenty of booths and various small games like giant Jenga to entertain students.
Air Dubai and Inner Oceans, both local indie pop/hip hop bands, played at the festival. Air Dubai played at Warped Tour earlier this year.
“Last year we had no substantial concerts, and I really wanted to bring music and culture to DU,” said Andre Rodriguez, second year Business Management and Emerging Digital Practices student from Denver. He is the co-chair of the music committee for DUPB and was in charge of planning Fall Festivus while interning for the organization over the summer. “I wanted to create an event where students could come together, meet new people and have fun.”
The programming board also kept the theme of wellness in mind while planning the event. “We have a Kaiser Permanente tent, healthy food truck options, and hope to make this the first zero waste event of the school year,” said Rodriguez.
The festival was the first major event of the year for DUPB, and Rodriguez urged students to be aware of more events to come. “I want people to know that this is just the beginning from us, and students can expect more. Look out for events through flyers and tabling, and make sure to come out.”
