Despite the current contradictory weather, Manhattan High celebrated the coming of the spring season with carnival-type activities at Spring Fling.

The annual event, hosted by Students Against Destructive Decisions, was held 6-9 p.m. on March 30 at West campus and allowed the different clubs at MHS to make booths sporting various activities. They included games such as laser tag, karaoke and dancing to music provided by a DJ.

“It’s a good way to get back into spring and get back into the groove of school again after spring break,” Emily Deeds, co-president of SADD, said. “Everybody comes together and just has fun.”

The club officers publicized Spring Fling through a myriad of different methods, even going as far as to personally seeking out club representatives to sponsor booths and increase student attendance.

“I think we really did a really great job advertising it,” Kari Humes, club sponsor, said. “We had it in the announcements, we put it on Facebook, it went on the Manhattan High web page, we sent out GroupMe alerts… we had tons and tons of posters and advertising and that sort of thing.”

Their efforts clearly weren’t wasted, as SADD saw more and more clubs sign up to participate, unlike in previous years.

“I kind of felt this year there were a lot of newer… clubs that hadn’t participated in the past,” Humes said. “We had a lot of club participation, maybe more club carnival booths than we’ve had in some other years.”

The event not only kicked off the spring season but also gave underclassmen an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the clubs offered at MHS and to become better acquainted with the West campus.

“All these clubs come together and put together this huge event so that way freshman and upperclassmen can get to know the school better,” Ashley Savage, SADD officer, said. “That way they’re more comfortable with joining clubs.”

These successes have contrasted from the previous years of Spring Fling, including things like the number of participants who helped set up.

“I feel like we had a lot more help setting up so it went a lot smoother in that area,” Deeds said. “We also had more clubs join and help out.”

SADD also wanted to show the attending students that school is not just a place strictly for learning and homework. They wanted to emphasize the importance of being safe while enjoying oneself and students coming together to share new experiences.

“I think it’s a really good place for students to be able to come together… it’s a way for them to be able to experience what clubs are like and how much fun we can have in a safe environment,” Savage said.