The State Fair arrived in North Carolina lon October 14, and many Leesville students are excited about trying new foods and rides and continuing past traditions.
The general consensus is that the greasy, fried food that is only available ten days a year is by far the best part of the State Fair. Students’ faces lit up as they described their yearly indulgences and the foods they shied away from after one bite.
Gunnar Nuxoll, freshman, gushed about the funnel cakes, giant turkey legs and hand-dipped corn dogs. “I love those corn dogs,” he said. “They’re awesome – I eat one every time.”
However, Nuxoll does not recommend the authentic soda or deep-fried PB&J. “The soda is disgusting – it’s all watered down, and for five dollars, it’s not worth it. It comes in a cool can though!” said Nuxoll.
Other students raved about sausages, pitas with chicken, pizza and the many deep-fried novelties. In fact, it was difficult to get them to stop talking about the food, and many began drooling as they daydreamed about the delicacies they would soon be eating.
However, most students had something to say about the plethora of rides dominating the Midway of the State Fairgrounds as well. Surprisingly many Leesville students are frightened of the fair rides. Two members of a second period weight training class explained the reasons why.
Mike Kelly, sophomore, refuses to go on rides at the fair after a bad experience with “Pharoah’s Fury.” He said, “A few years ago, I went on that ride that swings back and forth, and I felt really bad after. I don’t go on rides because I get motion sickness.” Kelly is contemplating whether or not to give fair rides another go this year, when he attends on Saturday night.
While motion sickness holds Kelly back, Evan Sauer, senior, chooses not to go to the rides because of pure fear. “I can’t handle the rides,” he said. “When my friends ask me to go to the fair, I always make up excuses not to go because I’m scared my friends will make fun of me for not going on rides. Put that in the newspaper – Evan Sauer is scared to go on roller coasters.”
Because it is an annual tradition, Leesville students were able to reflect on many funny stories from their trips to the State Fair.
Jabria Thomson, junior, told an embarrassing story in which she tripped while walking through the fairgrounds. “They have those cables all over the place, and I was looking at some cute guys and not paying attention, and I tripped and fell flat on my face. I was carrying a drink, so of course the drink spilled all over me. It was awful,” said Thomson.
When asked whether she had learned something from the experience, Thomson laughed. “Now I always watch where I’m stepping when I’m at the fair.”
Thomson is not the only one to experience an embarrassing moment at the State Fair.
Kelly joked about the time he got lost while waiting in line for a ride with his parents. “I think I was about six or seven, and the line moved up, but I didn’t notice,” said Kelly. “I looked around for my parents and eventually got so scared I had to go up to a policeman to help me find them [my parents]. It was really embarrassing.”
However, despite embarrassing moments, motion sickness, and the occasional bad soda, Leesville students keep going back to the State Fair each October. Nuxoll did his best to explain why, saying, “There’s such a great feeling in the air. Everyone is having a good time, there’s so much to do and it’s become a tradition with me and my friends. It’s an awesome experience.”
