Struggling with a case of the winter blues? Trying to push through those first (or hopefully) last few projects or mid-terms before Spring Break (ahem, reading week)? SMUSA’s Frosty Fiesta Winter Carnival and the university sponsored SMUFEST 2009 celebration of the end of the Hearts & Minds Capital Campaign are headed our way with lots of fun events to help beat the winter blues.

Sure you are probably busy preparing for the previously mentioned assignments or tests but everyone needs a little fun every now and then. This Thursday night is the kickoff of the Frosty Fiesta with a super fabulous, super cheap Winter Ball: formal dance in the Student Centre cafeteria. Admission is $5 for SMUdents, $7 for non SMU students and starts at 10pm. These dances are not usually the best attended but you can change that. Seriously $5 to put on your prettiest clothes and dance the night away, what else are you going to do with your Thursday night?

Registration has already closed for the SMUmazing Race and Dodgeball Tournament happening this weekend. If you aren’t a registered participant you can still cheer for participants in the dodgeball tournament, check it out Friday afternoon from 1:00 to 4:30 in the Tower gymnasium.

The last SMUSA scheduled event is Valentine’s Day bingo, Tuesday February 3rd from 8-10pm also in the Student Centre cafeteria. It’s Tuesday night, you aren’t missing much on TV and if you leave a few minutes early you can still catch House at 10pm. All you need to get in is a non perishable food donation for Feed Nova Scotia.

As for the SMUFEST activities, they are aimed more at faculty and staff, and of course in reaching the Hearts & Minds campaign goal. Still there are a few fun events to take part in.

Another stellar option (especially if you are hungry!) the SMUFEST Rock the Block walk around the campus perimeter. If you are reading this online you are in luck, it may not be too late for you to get in on this action. Wednesday, February 28th head to the Tower around 11:30am walk the perimeter of campus, collect some free stuff on your walk and then get a free chili lunch!

Next Monday, February 2nd show your Saint Mary’s pride as it has been declared as Maroon and White Day. So grab your SMU hoodie, paint up your face do whatever you can to show your SMU pride. There will be prizes for the best costumes, with judging in the Sobey Building Main Lobby at 3pm. If you are among the lucky few who have a department or office on campus if you decorate it in SMU colors there will be prizes for that as well.

Wednesday February 4th enjoy some trivia in the Gorsebrook, from 4:30-6:30pm. To sign up your team of four email leila.tuhkasaari@smu.ca. There are prizes for the most trivia savvy team, and all participants will be entered to win a Trivial Pursuit 25th anniversary edition game. If you are wearing a SMUFEST pin you’ll be able to get a hot drink for just $2.50!

The SMUFEST festivities wrap up Thursday February 5th with a presentation by Jacob Deng on the 4th floor of the Sobey Building (who is also speaking that evening as part of ID Week events). Jacob created Wadeng Wings of Hope, a charity organization to help provide children in the Southern Sudan region where he grew up the opportunity for accessible education. In addition to hearing Jacob speak (his story is quite remarkable and recently was featured on the cover of The Journal). After his presentation the grand total of funds raised during the Hearts & Minds campaign will be announced. Free lunch will also be provided as the talk will happen at lunchtime, 11:30-1pm.

If none of these events or activities interest you maybe you are just too hard to please. Or maybe you are busy with International Development Week activities instead (whose idea was it to have all three promotions running at the same time? We could have had a month worth of fun instead of 7 days). Or maybe you have found an even better way to pass the time and could write about it for the next issue of The Journal!!