The Potter College of Arts and Letters Dean’s Council of Students will turn the passageway between the Ivan Wilson Center for Fine Arts and the Colonnade into a beloved board game for this year’s celebration of fall and the spirit of the PCAL this Thursday, Oct. 19.

Booths from 11 departments of PCAL, as well as the Student Government Association, will make up the squares on the game board of PCAL Land, Sophie Bitner, president of the PCAL Dean’s Council of Students, said. The celebration will start at 3 p.m., with student performances, contests and raffles taking place until 6 p.m.  

Bitner said while planning the festival, the council strived to organize the event in a way that not only allows different departments to decide how much they want to be involved, but also makes the festival accessible to all WKU students, regardless of their major.  

“We have political science, and that’s very different from music, but we all come together for PCAL,” Bitner said. 

The wide variety of booths and activities, she said, reflects the diversity of PCAL and is likely to appeal to students outside the college.  

Kaylee Youngblood, recruitment and retention chair for the Dean’s Council of Students, came up with the theme for this year’s fall festival, Bitner said. She described Youngblood as “the brains behind the operation” and “the backbone of Fall Fest.” Early attendees of the festival will be able to get a free t-shirt designed by Youngblood.  

The t-shirt, Bitner said, follows the theme of PCAL Land and depicts Henry Hardin Cherry Hall with a cupcake in place of the bell and a cherry on top.  

The tradition to host fall festivals has been passed down many cohorts of the Dean’s Student Council, Bitner said. While some things, like celebrating the spirit of PCAL, remain constant throughout the years, most festivals differ from one another in several ways. One of this year’s novelties is a donation drive for the International Center of Kentucky, Bitner said.  

Charlotte Bariteau, belonging and outreach chair for the Dean’s Council of Students, said each of the 11 departments oversees collecting sought after goods such as socks, hygiene products and toothbrushes. With this initiative, Bariteau said, the Dean’s Council of Students is hoping to spread awareness among WKU students about the work of the International Center.  

An alpaca from a local farm will be another never-before-seen feature of this year’s festival, Bitner said.  

The Dean’s Council of Students plans on giving away “a ton of items from Bowling Green businesses,” as part of their raffle, Bitner said. One of the items on the prize list is a set of custom hand-painted PCAL cornhole boards.  

Attendees of the festival will also have an opportunity to enter a costume contest by wearing their best Candy Land outfit and checking in at the costume table at the event by 5 p.m.  

The Dean’s Council of Students aimed to involve the broader community of PCAL for this year’s festival, Bitner said. That’s why students can be expecting performances and activities not only from PCAL departments, but also different student groups and organizations.  

Bitner said donuts and apple cider, among other refreshments, will also be provided. 

News Reporter Mariia Novoselia can be reached at [email protected]