Students eat, drink and celebrate the end of the semester at Mayfest

Syracuse University’s Mayfest is seen as a “last hurrah” for students before finals and the end of the school year. Known as a weekend full of food, music and even drunkenness, the annual event something students look forward to every year.

Some people, like freshmen Gabrielle Giangreco and Kendall McGrath, come for the free food provided by University Union, in collaboration with Syracuse University and the City of Syracuse.

Photo: Ousman Diallo

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“Oh, yeah, we definitely came for the free food,” Giangreco, a communication sciences and disorders freshman, said. She added that the event was “relatively chill” and what she expected.

“Some people use it to their advantage as an excuse to drink all weekend,” McGrath said, adding that the party aspect is what Mayfest is known for.

Castle Court, located across the street from Walnut Park, was packed with students and partygoers who were dancing, playing frisbee, taking lots and lots of sefies and most of all, drinking.

“There’s a lot of underclassmen here,” freshman Leah Strassburg said about being at Castle. She added that there were also a lot of students associated with Greek life, which takes over a lot of the party.

“I’m not in associated with Greek life,” Strassburg said, “but I have a lot of friends who are, and it’s fun to see a lot of your friends from different places here.”

Ben Zins, a sophomore from the University of Minnesota, is in Syracuse visiting a friend from home for the weekend, and described Mayfest as “way, way better” than shows his college puts together. “The environment is just better than anything I’d get at the U,” Zins said. He mentioned the understanding between the students and the law enforcement was unique.

“The students just want to party and have fun and that’s cool,” Zins said. “There’s an understanding between the students and everyone else that they’re just trying to have fun. This would get shut down so fast at my school. I am just so excited to be here!”

For a lot of students, this is not their first, but it’s their last Mayfest. For computer science senior Terrence Nip, this is his last time at the festival.

“It’s a cool drinking holiday,” Nip said laughing, adding he comes not really for the music, but more for the drinking and the food.

“Kesha last year was just too much glitter for me,” Nip said. “Mayfest is the one day where I can eat, drink, eat and then drink more without repercussions. I can forget about all my work for a day and have fun.”

Photos by Katy Beals

Computer science junior Carl Poole, a transfer student from Texas, said this was his first Mayfest.

“I don’t really like the artists, but I think that if you give people beer and food, they’re going to be happy,” Poole said.

Mayfest is known to the students of not only Syracuse University, but students of many other schools, as a celebration of the hard work throughout the year and as an opportunity to let loose and kick back.

“It’s awesome!” said public relations freshman Amanda Woodward. “There’s tons of people, it’s fun seeing all my friends in one place, and the weather’s just lovely! This is so much fun!”